Morning in Tianyin arrived with a pale blue sky and a thin mist clinging to the mountains. Small birds chirped from the rooftops, accompanying sunlight that slowly streamed through the windows of the Jian family inn.
Jian Mo stood motionless on his balcony. His red eyes looked weary, as if he hadn't slept all night—and he hadn't. He was still wearing the same dark robe from the night before, now wrinkled and dusty. In his hand, he still held a dry leaf from Mount Meiyue. His body had returned, but his mind had not.
He gazed into the distance, toward the mountain peak where he had fought with himself. The wind brushed through his hair, and for a moment, he remained still. No words. No curse. Only a deep exhaustion that seeped from bone to soul.
Then, a loud knock on his door.
"Oi, Master, you haven't come down for breakfast! If you're late, all the dumplings will be gone—and you know who the culprit is!"
Jian Mo let out a long sigh. "It's definitely you, Tang Wu."
---
At Tianyin Academy, the atmosphere was entirely different.
Su Daji sat upright in one of the herbal medicine classrooms. Alongside other female students, she listened intently as their instructor explained about Linghua, a rare herb believed to slow the flow of dark qi in the human body.
"This herb only grows near mist-covered lakes. Processing it requires steady hands, a calm heart, and… students who don't eat the ingredients!" the teacher snapped, glaring toward one particular desk.
Of course, Tang Wu sat there.
In his left hand was a rare herbal leaf, and in his right… a biscuit.
"Sorry, Teacher… it looked similar. I thought it was some new kind of tea leaf," he said innocently.
Su Daji facepalmed, holding back a mix of laughter and frustration. "Can't you tell which ones heal and which ones are for snacking?!"
Tang Wu simply shrugged. "If both calm the heart, aren't they basically the same?"
A few students giggled. Even the teacher seemed to suppress a smile, though her warning glare remained.
---
After the herbal class, they moved on to a class on spiritual literature. This time, the teacher asked the students to write a short poem that reflected the spirit of cultivation.
Su Daji focused and wrote a poetic verse:
On a silent peak, I forge my soul
Beyond the bounds of mortal whole
With yin breath and zhen light aglow
I heal the wounds that none can show…
Tang Wu, on the other hand, was busy drawing.
Su Daji glanced over at his paper. "Tang Wu… is that a cat?"
Tang Wu nodded proudly. "A spiritual cat. His name is Meow Tian. He symbolizes peace and eternal laziness."
"But the assignment is to write a poem…"
Unfazed, Tang Wu quickly jotted down:
Meow Tian sleeps, the world is still
No qi to fight, no war to will
When hungry, he hums a tune
Wise and lazy, afternoon to moon.
The class burst into laughter again.
---
After class, Tang Wu and Su Daji strolled through the academy garden, now blooming with plum blossoms. Su Daji carried a large notebook, while Tang Wu had a stash of snacks hidden in his sleeve.
"So you really want to become a healer?" Tang Wu asked.
Su Daji looked up at the sky. "I want to heal many people. Maybe… someone like my father."
Tang Wu fell silent. "He seems strong, but… for some reason, I feel like he's hurting inside."
Su Daji clutched her notebook tighter. "That's why we have to become strong too. In our own way."
Tang Wu looked at her, then smiled. "In that case, I'll become a healer who treats people with cat poems and spiritual snacks."
"Tang Wu!!"
Their laughter echoed through the garden.
---
Meanwhile, in the main meeting hall of Tianyin, sect leaders began arriving for the Sect Alliance conference. But Jian Mo knew nothing of it. He was still sitting in the attic of the inn, watching a world that kept moving forward—even while he was still trying to rise from a battle within.
Yet from a distance, the sound of laughter—Su Daji and Tang Wu's laughter—filled the morning air.
And for the first time that day, Jian Mo closed his eyes and smiled faintly.
---