In the Affairs Hall.
Bai Qingxue was at the counter handing over her mission token. The deacon kept his head down, verifying the records, while two nearby Qingyun Peak disciples waiting to register chatted in low voices. Though they spoke softly, the Affairs Hall was so quiet that every word carried over with crystal clarity.
“...Did Junior Sister Ye really go alone?”
“Absolutely. I saw her accept the token with my own eyes. The deacon even advised her to form a team, but she refused.”
“But that demon beast was Tier 2 mid-grade, with terrifying combat strength. She's only at the ninth level of Qi Refining...”
“Exactly, that's what I'm saying. I was shocked at the time too. But guess what? She had injuries when she got back, but she brought the monster core with her. A fully intact one. Martial Uncle Wang verified it on the spot; there's no doubt about it.”
The other disciple chimed in, a trace of reluctant admiration in his voice. “She's usually so quiet. Who knew she'd be so swift and decisive when it came to a fight? I heard Martial Uncle Wang singled her out during an instruction session, saying there are few in this generation of Qingyun Peak whose temperament is even half as stable as hers.”
“It wasn't just Martial Uncle Wang. A couple of days ago, I passed by the side hall and heard Elder Lin telling someone that they might reserve a spot for her in the inner sect selection at the end of the year.”
“The inner sect selection? But she's only at the ninth level of Qi Refining, right? Don't those spots usually require at least Foundation Establishment...”
“That's why I'm saying the weight of her mission is far greater than you think.”
Bai Qingxue took back her mission token. As she turned and walked out of the Affairs Hall, the two disciples' conversation continued, their voices cut off by the closing door until only a faint, muffled murmur remained.
The stone steps were long. A late spring wind swept down from the mountains, gently rustling her robes.
Bai Qingxue did not walk fast. She had not intentionally listened to the two disciples, but their words had drifted into her ears as she approached the door.
Come to think of it, had it been a long time since she last saw Ye Qingyao?
That evening, Bai Qingxue brewed tea beneath the old plum tree.
It was the same hour as usual, with the same water temperature and the same amount of tea leaves.
She poured two cups.
One was placed before herself, the other across from her.
Only, no one came to sit across from her tonight.
The tea went from scalding hot to warm, and then from warm to cold.
Bai Qingxue poured out the cold tea and put the cup away, naturally having no intention of brewing a second pot.
After all, the tea before her had only been a whim.
Bai Qingxue sat there, holding the empty teacup, slowly tracing her finger pad along the rim.
The cup without any chips was smooth and flawless, offering no resistance to her touch.
After completing the circle, Bai Qingxue set the cup back on the table and stood up to head into the main room.
The next evening, there was a knock at the courtyard door.
Three unhurried raps.
Bai Qingxue stood up from the stone stool, walked over, and slid back the door bolt.
Ye Qingyao stood outside.
She wore a clean, pale green Daoist robe. Unlike her usual martial attire, this was soft, everyday casual wear.
Her hair was still bound by that same old strip of cloth, hanging behind her head. No stray strands fell over her forehead, making her look neat and tidy.
She was holding a cloth bundle, its corners showing a few finger marks as if she had been clutching it tightly all the way here.
Ye Qingyao's cultivation base had changed.
An aura naturally emanated from her body.
Ye Qingyao made no deliberate effort to hide it, nor did she flaunt it. She simply stood there, allowing the change to be naturally perceived.
Bai Qingxue glanced at her. “You broke through?”
Ye Qingyao nodded. “Yesterday.”
“Come in.” Bai Qingxue stepped aside.
At this, Ye Qingyao nodded and stepped over the threshold.
Walking over to the stone table, Ye Qingyao did not wait for Bai Qingxue to sit first as she used to. Instead, she pulled out a stone stool herself and sat down.
She then placed the cloth bundle on the table and untied the cord.
Inside was a dark green tea cake, pressed tightly just like before. The patterns along its edges were finer and more dense than in the past. It was clearly the work of the same hand, only crafted with greater care.
“It's newly made,” Ye Qingyao said. “This batch is a bit better than the last one.”
Ye Qingyao paused for a moment, as if searching for the right words.
“I didn't have time to deliver it to you last time. After you returned, I was in closed-door cultivation.” Ye Qingyao spoke the truth, her tone much more open and direct.
Upon hearing Ye Qingyao's words, Bai Qingxue did not reach for the tea cake immediately.
Instead, she poured tea into the empty cup on the stone table and pushed it forward.
Ye Qingyao took it and took a sip, also remaining silent for a moment.
The twilight flowed slowly between them, the withered branches of the old plum tree swaying gently in the wind.
The courtyard was incredibly quiet, so much so that they could hear an unknown bird call in the distance and then fall silent.
Only then did Bai Qingxue reach out, picking up the tea cake to examine it.
The surface of the cake was pressed very tightly, and every line along the edges was cleanly finished, looking more orderly than the last one.
Ye Qingyao saw Bai Qingxue's movements but said nothing.
She simply lifted her cup and took another sip. The tea was a bit hot, causing her to twitch the tip of her tongue, yet she was reluctant to set the cup down.
Then, Ye Qingyao spoke up. “Sister Bai, I can undertake solo missions now too, just like you used to.”
As she said this, a trace of unusual animation finally flickered in the eyes of the otherwise composed Ye Qingyao.
At this, Bai Qingxue set down the tea cake and looked at her. “I heard a bit about it.”
Seeing Bai Qingxue's flat reaction, Ye Qingyao's eyelashes fluttered.
Then, she lowered her eyes, staring at the tea infusion in her cup. “Is that so?”
Looking at the downcast Ye Qingyao before her, Bai Qingxue did not pursue the topic.
However, from the moment Ye Qingyao had walked through the door...
Bai Qingxue had realized that Ye Qingyao was indeed different from before.
The current Ye Qingyao seemed to have grown a great deal.
Ye Qingyao seemed to sense something.
She suddenly looked up, her gaze colliding directly with Bai Qingxue's.
The sudden eye contact made Ye Qingyao look down again, taking another sip of tea to soothe the strange sensation in her heart.
The tea was still hot, but she swallowed the warmth anyway.
“Sister Bai,” Ye Qingyao said, setting down her teacup. “Keep this tea cake and take your time drinking it. I'll head back first.”
With that, Ye Qingyao gently pushed the stone stool back under the table, then turned to walk toward the courtyard gate.
As she stood up, Ye Qingyao added:
“Next time I come, I'll bring you something new.”
When Ye Qingyao said this, there seemed to be a faint hint of a smile in her voice.
Sitting on the stone stool, Bai Qingxue watched the pale green figure walk away. For some reason, it seemed to overlap faintly with a figure from her memories.
The tea cake on the stone table still lay in its original spot.
Bai Qingxue reached out to pick it up and brought it to her nose. The tea's fragrance was crisp and clean, carrying the distinct scent of mountain vegetation.
Bai Qingxue tucked it into her storage bag, placing it alongside the previous ones.
Inside the bag were already several tea cakes sent by Ye Qingyao, old and new stacked together. Each was wrapped carefully in greasepaper and neatly arranged, as if someone had intentionally reserved space for them.
Bai Qingxue tied the bag shut, then picked up her own cup and drank the last of her cold tea.
In truth, the tea had grown somewhat astringent after sitting for so long.
But to Bai Qingxue, it possessed a unique flavor of its own.
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