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Xiao Dao finally found her backbone and started to explain things clearly. In the end, she said: "In the spring, I originally wanted to wait until you recovered before telling you, but unexpectedly you left. Later, you sent us a letter, but I didn't know how to get a message to you, and the doctor had no way either, so I had to keep delaying."

"It's my fault," Chen Weichen frowned slightly and said to Xiao Dao, "I will go. You wait at home and take care of yourself."

Xiao Dao nodded. "When will you come back?"

"The fifteenth of this month," he said. "This trip is perilous. If it passes the fifteenth, don't wait anymore."

After saying this, he was stunned for a moment, remembering that many years ago, when someone left that snow-capped mountain peak, they also said such words.

--"This trip has a slim chance of survival. If it passes the fifteenth, don't wait anymore."

Back then, under the lamplight, Ye Jiuya was still a youth, with a delicate and quiet appearance. He only looked, without trying to make him stay or seeing him off.

"Your sword, I'll return it to you." That person placed the all-black Jiuya sword on the table, making a sound that was not crisp. "No need for it anymore."

At that time, Ye Jiuya took back the sword and slowly gripped it in his hand.

Outside it was snowing, the north wind blew past the windows, making a suppressed howling sound, as if coming from the boundless ice fields and deep valleys thousands of miles away.

Xiao Dao bit her lower lip and looked at Chen Weichen, on the verge of tears, only looking at him without saying a word.

Seeing this scene, Chen Weichen suddenly felt the past and present overlapping, the fates intertwined and crossed, as if a lifetime had passed.

He reached out and gently stroked the top of her head. "If I don't come back, just forget it, don't keep thinking about it. Find a good man and live a stable life."

But Xiao Dao gave a sorrowful smile. "Master, do you think this is something that can be forgotten just by wanting to forget?"

She looked at the gentleman with gentle features in front of her, broke free from his hand, and took a few steps back.

She didn't know what exactly happened, only knowing that at some unknown point, these people were all drawn into a big unknown and unspeakable situation, along with the rumors spreading in the streets that "Ah Liu on South Street also went crazy and died", weaving a huge net that made people vaguely fearful.

She also knew that she was useless and would only be a burden. She just said, "Master, you go. I'll stay at home properly."

Chen Weichen walked over to her and adjusted the slightly tilted hairpin from her earlier movements. "When we come back, don't be petty and not let us drink that buried peach blossom wine."

Xiao Dao smiled. "I'll make a few more jars. When you return, I'll let you drink your fill."

"Good." Chen Weichen stroked her hair one last time. "I'm going. Don't tell the master and mistress."

Xiao Dao nodded, saw him out the door, and after Chen Weichen's figure disappeared, she muttered "Master" and leaned against the doorframe, gazing into the distance for a long time without moving.

She couldn't see Chen Weichen, but Chen Weichen could see her.

In their youth, the city was full of willows, the ten-mile-long street was crowded with people. She also wore colorful clothes and fresh flowers in her hair. Fluttering like a butterfly with a peach branch in hand, she would tie a jade pendant to the gentleman's fan or scold her childhood playmate for some mistake, thinking she would live a carefree life forever.

"I owe her," Xing Qiu heard Chen Weichen say.

Putting someone in a hopeless wait was indeed the cruelest punishment.

--And back then, how did Ye Jiuya watch that person leave?

"What exactly is going on with your servant boy? Was it done by that Chi Juntian?" Xing Qiu asked.

"She indeed did something, either using Ah Hui as the eye of the qi formation or borrowing his fate to peek into the heavenly secrets. But Ah Hui himself also has something special about him," Chen Weichen frowned slightly. "Before this, he also had..."

Back then in the South Sea, when Wen Hui fell into the Guixu, he said he was pulled by a force. Later, when Ye Jiuya went to the stone cave in the cliff to look for Chi Juntian, when he faced the void, he also had a period of absent-mindedness.

"I don't know what exactly is going on with him, but as long as there's a glimmer of hope, I want to let him return safely," Chen Weichen said.

Xing Qiu lay on his back on the phoenix bird, looking at the clear blue autumn sky. "After all is said and done, these are all things that no one can figure out clearly."

But His Majesty the Demon Emperor was also an extremely clever person. Although there were still many things unknown, he could deduce a general outline.

"At present, the entire human world is facing a crisis. Brother Ye and the monk are on one side, wanting to deal with the Heart Demons and protect the people. That woman Chi Juntian is on her own side, she wants to find the method for immortality, but the way of heaven is clear, humans cannot be immortal. What she wants is to go against heaven. There's another side, behind the Heart Demons, trying to snatch those things from your hands. They also want to open the Platform of Life and Creation to seize the creation of heaven and earth to do something... But they didn't expect that there would be someone like Brother Ye in the human realm. The Heartless Dao is the nemesis of the Heart Demons, so they can't get their hands on it no matter what. I really want to know how Chi Juntian plans to go against the way of heaven. Besides using your Ah Hui as a pawn, will she borrow the hand of the Heart Demons? But she's the one who guided you to find those few objects related to fate, so the one commanding the Heart Demons is probably someone else; we just don't know who yet. Tsk."

Chen Weichen sat beside him and smiled. "Clever."

"Don't be in a hurry to praise me," Xing Qiu said slowly. "I'm not finished. Besides these three sides, there's one more..."

Chen Weichen: "Oh?"

Xing Qiu looked at the sky. "This person beside me, I don't know what he's doing in secret either."

Chen Weichen laughed, opened his fan, and gently stroked the fan's bones. "Then you've misjudged. I'm just an idle person, not worth counting."

"But humans can't talk to the Heart Demons, so who can command them?" Xing Qiu put his head on Chen Weichen's lap and closed his eyes. "I heard that the more a person likes to laugh, the more they lie. But, the common people have nothing to do with me. I can't control you and I don't want to control you. I can only kindly remind you, if I can think of it, others can think of it too, and your family member can naturally think of it even more. Even if you say you aren't involved, I don't believe you, and neither will others. I don't know if he will believe you either."

"I know," Chen Weichen pinched his face. "You treat me the best."

Xing Qiu chuckled and turned his head away. "They're just bullying me because I'm alone and have no friends. When I finally meet someone I can talk to, I want to treat them well, but in the end, they all end up being fed to the dogs."

Chen Weichen knew he wasn't talking about him, but was just taking the opportunity to vent his grievances. Sure enough, he heard Xing Qiu say next, "In all my long life, the ones I care about in the end aren't those who accompanied me for ten or twenty years in the Demon Emperor's Palace, but a bunch of people I only knew for a short time - I thought I could be your close friend, but we've only known each other for a few months. And then there's that detestable monk."

Chen Weichen remained silent, quietly listening to the old story Xing Qiu finally brought up.

"I was still young during the Battle of the Heavenly River, probably around fifteen or sixteen years old. I accidentally took a wrong turn and got lost. Everyone else was fighting the immortal faction, while I was alone and lost on the snowy plains. The area for hundreds of miles was set up with formations, and with my low cultivation, I couldn't even fly. I wandered aimlessly in the snowy plains, cold and hungry."

A faint smile appeared in Chen Weichen's eyes. He hadn't expected that this emperor, whose cultivation was unrivaled in the demon realm, had such a humiliating past.

"In the end, I passed out in the snow and was picked up by the monk. At that time, I had exhausted my cultivation and didn't look like a demon cultivator. He carried me to a nearby cave and saved me."

"When I woke up, I was half-dead, my eyes open but in a daze. If I fell asleep, I might never wake up again. There was nothing to start a fire with, so he circulated his cultivation technique, his body warm, and let me hug him. He talked to me, asking me how old I was this year, where my home was, which sect I belonged to, and what my name was." Xing Qiu smiled. "Since I was a child, I had been thrown into the fighting pits, either killing people or beasts. When I finished killing, I was thrown into a small room to sleep and recover my cultivation before going back. I had never been treated like this by anyone before."

"It's only now that I know, those compassionate people, even if they pick up a cat or dog, they will treat it so well." He paused, then continued, "I'm just a little better-looking than cats and dogs."

Chen Weichen turned his head to make him more comfortable and asked, "What happened after that?"

"A lot happened after that," Xing Qiu said. "I'll tell you slowly in the future."

Chen Weichen didn't press further. After returning to Zhichen, he went back to his own room and saw a letter on the table. It was Ye Jiuya's handwriting, saying that the formation was mostly complete and he needed to return to Sword Pavilion. They would meet at Fuyao Platform in a few days.

Holding the letter, he thought to himself that this person finally knew to leave a note, which was commendable.

A few peaceful days passed, and it was time to go to the debate conference.

Xing Qiu and Chen Weichen still rode the little phoenix bird.

Below, the scenery first swept over endless yellow sand, devoid of human traces. Gradually, green forests and lush grass emerged. Finally, ahead, an immortal gate opened wide, inscribed with the two characters "Fuyao". Clouds and mist swirled, occasionally punctuated by crane calls.

Upon entering, one was greeted by jade palaces and glazed tile roofs. In the center were three circular platforms, each a hundred zhang in size, with white jade as the base, floating in mid-air. Pavilions and terraces were built along the mountains, well-arranged. A clear stream flowed slowly from a deep valley, its surface misty, and the banks were all smooth, broken jade.

Many sects, large and small, had arrived, each with their own lodging. Now was not the time to rest, so most were outside. At a glance, the Qingjing Temple had the most people, their gray Taiji-embroidered Daoist robes gathered together. Many also brought cranes or small qilins, which was quite eye-catching.

Chen Weichen scanned the surroundings and saw that in front of the Jade Tower to the north, disciples in white were comparing swords in twos and threes. Their sword techniques were crisp and neat. Looking further ahead, he indeed saw Senior Brother Zheng instructing the disciples on sword moves, with Ye Jiuya beside him. A young disciple was holding a classic and talking to him, seemingly seeking guidance.

From the sky, the beautiful scenery and people were a sight to behold.

After the disciple finished seeking advice, a purple shadow swept across the sky. After a clear phoenix cry, Chen Weichen called out to the people below, "Brother Ye!"

Ye Jiuya looked up, his gaze meeting Chen Weichen's.

Chen Weichen whispered to Xing Qiu, "Look, he smiled at me!"

"Huh?" Xing Qiu was very puzzled. "Where did he smile?"

Chen Weichen closed the folding fan in his hand. "You just didn't see it, not that he didn't smile."

Before Xing Qiu could say anything else, Chen Weichen leaped from the phoenix bird's back and flew down using his qi.

At first, his posture was relaxed, very dashing and elegant. Halfway through the air, he stopped using his qi and fell straight down. When Ye Jiuya flew up to catch him, he was half-embraced as they landed back on the ground. Contentedly, he greeted, "Brother Ye, long time no see."

Ye Jiuya asked him, "Why did you come to find me?"

He replied, "I missed you."

Then he added, "My cultivation has fully recovered. Brother Ye, can I come to see you every few days from now on?"

After confirming that he was unharmed, Ye Jiuya said, "Alright."

Chen Weichen stayed by his side, using his fan to exchange a few moves with him. After they finished, with nothing else to do, he went into the building to fetch a zither and played it by the stream. Nearby, the disciples of Sword Pavilion practiced their swordsmanship, occasionally going to Senior Brother Zheng and Ye Jiuya for guidance. It was a scene of peace.

At dusk, red clouds spread across the sky, casting a layer of golden red over the pink and white jade forest in the sunset glow. The stream sparkled with ripples, and the distant echoes of the zither lingered.

The disciples finished their day of sword practice and stepped forward to bow to Ye Jiuya before returning to their quarters in the building.

Senior Brother Zheng stayed behind and spoke a bit more with Ye Jiuya, though the words were not very clear.

When everyone had dispersed, Ye Jiuya walked over to where Chen Weichen was.

Chen Weichen pulled him to sit down beside him. "Your turn to play for me. I remember you can."

Ye Jiuya had always indulged him in these matters. He plucked a few strings, gradually forming a tune.

It was an immortal melody, not a mortal one, called 'Flowing Water'. Legend had it that an immortal, upon observing the passage of time, was moved and thus composed this piece.

Time flowed continuously like water going west. The setting sun gradually sank amidst the vast and deep zither music. The sky was a shade of twilight purple, and the stars twinkled faintly.

As the piece ended, Chen Weichen said, "I thought you would play something icy and cold."

Ye Jiuya said, "I was suddenly inspired."

Chen Weichen rested his head on Ye Jiuya's shoulder and looked towards the Jade Tower. He happened to see several heads crowded at a window and couldn't help but laugh. He nudged Ye Jiuya. "Look over there."

A few disciples scattered as soon as they saw their Pavilion Master looking over. Although they practiced the most heartless sword techniques, they were still young and couldn't resist their youthful nature. They gathered together again after leaving the window and whispered, "Who is that? Could it be that the Pavilion Master has found a Dao companion?"

"The Pavilion Master practices the way of heartlessness..."

"That person got off the phoenix in the daytime, and the Pavilion Master carried him down!"

"The Pavilion Master even played the zither for him just now."

In the end, these few disciples who were not attending to their duties were discovered by Senior Brother Zheng, who unexpectedly asked, "Have you finished copying the mental cultivation method?" They could only pout and return to their respective rooms.

Senior Brother Zheng was left standing alone by the window, lost in thought for a long time.

"Poor me, without a sect or clan, without support, name, or status," Chen Weichen said with an exaggerated sigh. "I'll be pointed at by your sect's disciples, and I might even be captured and interrogated by your senior brother."

Ye Jiuya could understand the part about having no sect or clan, but the latter part was a bit unfamiliar to him. "Status?"

"Oh, I forgot - it's a saying only used in the mortal world, so naturally you haven't heard of it," Chen Weichen said. "Anyway, now that I'm following you, it's improper and unseemly."

Ye Jiuya gave a faint "hmm" to indicate his understanding, then said, "I'll give you status."

Chen Weichen thought he meant to give him an identity, such as a disciple, and felt very secure. Seeing that the night was getting dark, he also returned to the building.

In the main hall, he happened to meet Senior Brother Zheng, who first called out "Junior Brother" and then turned to look at Chen Weichen, his tone somewhat hesitant: "Young Master Chen."

Then he looked at Ye Jiuya.

Ye Jiuya said concisely, "Dao companion."

Chen Weichen: "!"

Senior Brother Zheng had a complex expression as he watched the two enter the same room.

Even after returning to the room, Chen Weichen still felt a bit dizzy. He tugged on Ye Jiuya's sleeve: "What did you tell Senior Brother Zheng I was just now?"

Ye Jiuya's voice was still calm: "Dao companion."

Seeing that Chen Weichen still had a surprised look, he frowned slightly: "You wanted status."

Although he initially felt a bit of unfamiliarity, after thinking about it, he had heard this term before.

When he was in the capital, a family across from the Chen manor had experienced some turmoil. A woman was sobbing and holding a silk handkerchief in front of the main gate, but was driven out by the servants.

At that time, Xiao Dao was talking with the other maids: "She's pregnant, but the master won't give her status, and the principal wife is fierce, so she can't enter the door. It's really pitiful."