Song Yan untied Jiang Mu from the ropes, and the boy immediately scrambled to his feet, hiding behind his sister's figure as though seeking shelter.
"Sister, she's the one who tied me up—and even slapped me across the face!" Jiang Mu pointed at Song Wu with indignation.
"What did you say?" Song Wu's eyes widened, her small hand clenching into a fist as she glared at him.
"If you'd kept your mouth shut, I wouldn't have gone that far." Song Wu huffed, her cheeks puffed slightly in defiance.
Jiang An's brows knitted as she looked between Ye Kaishan and Song Yan, her expression demanding an explanation.
Song Yan sighed softly, a wry smile touching her lips. "This girl… I never expected she would really drag him away like that."
Ye Kaishan leaned casually against the wall, a cup of wine resting in his hand as his gaze lingered on Song Wu. This girl… Song Yan once told me that most only sense their dao companion around fifteen years of age.
Yet she has already progressed ahead of time. To advance so early… she must truly be gifted.
"Let me explain," Song Yan said as she turned to Jiang An. Her eyes shifted toward Jiang Mu. "Do you feel anything strange within yourself? Any discomfort… or a change?"
Jiang Mu tilted his head in thought. After a pause, his eyes lit faintly. "I didn't notice before, but now that you mention it… my body feels lighter. Stronger somehow."
Song Wu smirked, her gaze full of triumph as she glanced at him.
"Good. That means there were no accidents. The process ended smoothly." Song Yan's voice carried quiet relief.
"What process? What are you talking about? I don't understand any of this!" Jiang An pressed, her brows furrowing deeper.
Ye Kaishan exhaled lightly, as though carrying the burden of truth. "To put it simply—your brother is no longer an ordinary child. He is now bound to the Song family. A cultivator. A soul link has been established between Jiang Mu and Song Wu." His tone carried both pity and resignation. "Fate has made her his dao companion."
"Dao… companion?" Jiang Mu's eyes widened. His lips parted as he struggled to grasp the enormity of the revelation. "I… I've become a cultivator?"
"Yes." Song Wu crossed her arms, humming proudly. "And now you finally understand why I brought you here."
"What!?" Jiang An's shock mirrored her brother's. Her heart raced as she looked at the boy who was not even twelve years old yet—her fragile younger brother, now a cultivator.
Her eyes trembled, but slowly the shock softened into relief. If this is his path… then perhaps this is what's best for him, and for me.
The heavy burden in her chest lightened. The thought of joining the Crimson Abyss Sect had once filled her with hesitation because of Jiang Mu. But now… if he was with the Song family, if he was walking a cultivator's path, then she could finally breathe.
Her lips curved into a soft, fragile smile as she stepped closer to him.
Jiang Mu lifted his head at her touch, his eyes searching hers. "Sister?"
"Jiang Mu… you've become a cultivator. Isn't that a good thing?" she whispered, her voice trembling with suppressed emotion.
"Yes, sister!" His small fists clenched with determination. "Wait until I grow strong—then I'll be the one to protect you."
Song Wu snorted from the side, giving him a sidelong glance.
"You still have a long way to go before you can talk like that," Jiang An said gently, her eyes dimming with the weight of parting. "But now… you should go with them. Cultivate diligently. That is the path meant for you."
Jiang Mu's lips quivered. "But—we're both going, right? You'll come with me?"
Her smile faltered, but her resolve did not. She shook her head. "No. That place is not meant for me. I have my own destiny to follow. If I went with you, I'd remain the same—weak, fragile, bound to a crumbling fate. You must go on ahead. Become strong."
Her voice softened. "And don't worry. It's not like we'll never meet again. I'll visit you when I can."
Jiang Mu's small body stiffened. For a moment, silence lingered in the room. Then, with trembling lips, he nodded. "Alright, sister. I'll go."
Her eyes glistened faintly as she placed a hand on his head, smiling warmly. "Good."
Turning to Song Yan and Ye Kaishan, she bowed her head. "Please… look after him."
"We will." Song Yan's calm reply carried the weight of promise.
Jiang An gave her brother one last lingering glance before she walked out of the inn.
The air shifted the moment she left. Song Wu immediately turned, pointing a finger accusingly at Ye Kaishan.
"Hey, you! Why are you with Sister Song?"
Ye Kaishan raised an eyebrow, his expression turning flat. "Are you truly that much of an idiot—or are you just pretending?"
"You—!" Song Wu's face flushed crimson. Her hands twitched as though ready to summon water spells, but she forced herself to stop, recalling the last time she clashed with him.
"Don't spout nonsense. Answer me properly!" she demanded coldly.
Ye Kaishan smirked. "Of course I'm her dao companion."
"Hah! Do you think I'm stupid? With zero soul energy, how could you possibly be Sister Song's dao companion?"
Bang!
"Ouch!" Song Wu yelped as Song Yan flicked her fist lightly against her head.
"Enough, Song Wu. He really is my dao companion," Song Yan said firmly.
"But sister, he—"
Her words died under Song Yan's unyielding glare. Pouting, she crossed her arms.
Behind them, Jiang Mu tried to stifle his laughter at the scene, only to get caught by Song Wu's sharp eyes.
"What are you laughing at, huh!?" She pinched his cheeks hard.
"Wait—oww, oww! Stop!" Jiang Mu squirmed, his protests swallowed by her mischievous grin.
Meanwhile, Ye Kaishan had drifted toward the window, his gaze falling on the city bathed in the last glow of dusk. Song Yan walked up beside him, her steps quiet.
"The disciple selection is over," Ye Kaishan said softly, his eyes following the dimming horizon. "Should we depart for the Song Clan?"
"Yes," Song Yan replied. "We leave Mistveil Town at dawn."
The sun sank lower, its light bleeding into twilight. Stars awoke one by one, scattered across the darkening heavens, as a cool wind swept the land—carrying both farewell and promise toward the distant horizon.
Far away, Jiang An also gazed at the setting sun, her eyes calm yet determined. In her hand rested a bronze badge—the one given to her by Xiao Mo.
Its center bore the engraving of a skull.
She stared at it in silence until, suddenly, the skull's eyes glowed crimson. The badge cracked, shattering into pieces in her palm.
Her lips parted in surprise. Why? Did… did she leave?
The wind whispered around her, carrying the scent of unknown lands and unseen mysteries.
"So… you've decided to become my disciple."
The voice cut through the quiet. Jiang An's head snapped upward—there, perched on the branch of a tree, was a familiar figure: crimson dress, bare feet, and a face hidden behind a veil.
Xiao Mo leapt down lightly, her ethereal eyes glimmering as they fell upon Jiang An. She approached slowly, her presence vast and oppressive yet strangely comforting.
Jiang An lowered her head, her heart pounding. Closing her eyes, she clasped her hands together and bowed.
"Disciple greets Master."
A faint smile curved Xiao Mo's lips. "Good."
She flicked her finger. A crimson light enveloped them both. In the blink of an eye, master and disciple vanished into the night.
The sun was finally overwhelmed by the night, its last rays lingering faintly across the horizon like fading twilight. Above, countless stars sparkled in the vast expanse of the sky.
Mistveil Town, Song Manor.
Beads of sweat rolled down Ye Kaishan's chin, falling soundlessly onto the ground.
His sword sliced through the air with sharp precision, each swing carrying both weight and grace. His eyes were steady, unwavering, wholly absorbed in the dance of steel.
With a sudden flip, his body twisted midair, the blade flashing beneath the pale glow of the moon.
He practiced tirelessly, strike after strike, until the sweat clinging to his skin shimmered like scattered starlight before dripping to the earth below.
After an hour
Ye Kaishan finally halted and sank to the ground, his chest rising and falling with steady breaths. He lifted the book in his hand, studying its worn cover with quiet focus.
Though it looks so ordinary… even practicing a single page nearly breaks my body. His brows furrowed as he scratched his head. Are all cultivation manuals this terrifying?
Still, a faint smile tugged at his lips. "At least this page is complete."
With a casual wave, he tossed his sword and the book into the void, letting it vanish from sight. His gaze swept across the courtyard. "Song Tao has already returned to the Song Clan… no wonder it's unusually quiet here."
The silence pressed in around him, broken only by the soft whisper of wind rustling through the grass and the steady chorus of night insects singing beneath the moonlit sky.