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Jin Xiu's lips curved into a faint arc, a smile that carried three parts fondness, two parts melancholy, and five parts reluctant farewell.
When he had first accepted the task of becoming Veyra's master, he, like countless beings of the Celestial and Immortal Realms, believed that she was destined to be a troublesome disciple—one that would consume his energy, test his patience, and exhaust his heart.
And truth be told, at the beginning, that assumption was not wrong.
On the very first days, the young girl had seen the mystical beasts roaming near his residence—creatures of extraordinary lineage, each one incomparably rare and untamed. Without a shred of hesitation, she had leaped onto their backs and ridden them across the endless plains of the Celestial Realm, laughing freely as if she were born to command the winds.
The entire Immortal Realm was shaken. Whispers spread like wildfire.
"Who is that audacious child?"
"How dare she touch those beasts?!"
By the time Jin Xiu heard of it, the matter had already become the subject of every gathering. His expression had been calm, yet his words, when he stood before her, were direct and sharp.
"Vera, you were too reckless. Do you not understand the rules of the Celestial Realm?"
The girl froze, her bright eyes flickering with confusion before dropping in shame. She bit her lip, lowering her head, her voice trembling with grievance.
"Master… I thought they were wild beasts. I… I didn't know they were your companions, let alone pets you raised with care…"
When Jin Xiu remained silent, she suddenly fell to her knees, the movement so abrupt it startled even the beasts nearby. Her words poured out in a rush, filled with guilt.
"It was my mistake. No matter how you wish to punish me, I will accept it without a word of complaint."
Then, with trembling hands, she extended her slender wrist toward him, her entire body quivering though she tried her best to steady herself.
"If you wish to strike me, as the other teachers once did, then… please do it."
Her gaze shimmered with tears, yet her tone carried no hesitation.
"Even if the punishment lasts for hours, I will not utter a single word of resentment. But…"
Her voice faltered for a heartbeat, soft as the brush of falling snow.
"…I am very afraid of pain. I might cry out again and again, begging for it to stop. If that happens, please forgive me."
For a long moment, Jin Xiu only stared at the hand she offered. Then, wordlessly, he reached out and cupped her wrist with a gentleness that startled her. His fingers brushed against her skin—skin that bore scars invisible to the eye but uneven and rough to the touch.
These were not fresh wounds. They were the remnants of countless punishments, imprinted deep into her flesh and soul.
His chest tightened. Slowly, he drew out the small vial of medicinal ointment he always carried and carefully applied it to her wrist. His voice was low, tinged with unspoken anger.
"What… did you do that was so unforgivable, that your teachers would strike you like this?"
Vera's eyes widened. She had never imagined that her first true master, the first teacher who looked at her with something beyond indifference, would actually tend to her wounds. The emotions overwhelmed her, and tears slipped freely down her cheeks.
"I… I ate the ginseng fruit they had spent years cultivating. I didn't know it was precious, I swear… And once, when they asked me what one plus one equaled, I stubbornly insisted that it was three—or infinite. They said I was insolent. So… they beat me, for hours."
Jin Xiu let out a quiet laugh, though his gaze was filled with pity rather than mockery.
"So your teachers still cling to the old ways of punishment… How narrow. I, however, find your answer far more interesting than theirs."
He leaned closer, his tone soft yet resolute.
"One plus one equals two—that is the answer mortals cling to. But for us, who dwell in the Celestial and Immortal Realms, how can our thoughts be bound by rules more rigid than that of mortals?"
Her breath caught. Slowly, she curled her fingers, her voice barely above a whisper.
"You… you're the first person who's ever agreed with me. I always thought… if one plus one can equal a king, why can't it also equal infinity?"
His hand, still applying the ointment, grew even gentler. "Does it hurt? If you fear pain so much, why did you dare to hold out your wrist to me just now?"
Her eyes, glistening like dew beneath the moon, shone with resolve.
"One must take responsibility for one's actions. I touched your beasts without permission. Even if I didn't mean harm, I should be punished."
"After all, you are their master. Surely you wouldn't want them to suffer any misfortune. Yet I, in my ignorance, treated them as wild creatures. I didn't even think to ask if they belonged to someone."
Silence fell. Jin Xiu's gaze drifted toward the mystical beasts gathered nearby. He paused in his movements, then reached out to stroke their shining fur. His lips curved into a small smile.
"But look at them. Not one bears a single scratch. This tells me you never intended harm. Even in your reckless play, your heart could not bear to wound them."
He chuckled softly, his tone laced with quiet pride.
"In truth, the reason I tamed them was because their natures were too fierce, too wild. They could not coexist peacefully with other creatures. Yet now… after playing with you, they look happier than I have ever seen them."
Turning back to her, he took her wrist once more into his palm. His eyes deepened, as though the weight of the entire Celestial Realm rested within.
"Do you know why I scolded you earlier? It was not because of the beasts. It was because I feared you might be hurt while playing with them."
"As your master, I cannot—no, I will not—allow my disciple to suffer harm. Not because of me. Not because of anything."
His words lingered in the air, warm and unshakable, sinking into Veyra's heart like sunlight after endless winter.
That day, amid the beasts and the fragrance of medicine, under the quiet gaze of a master who seemed distant to all yet gentle to her alone, the first bond between them was forged.
A bond not of duty, but of recognition.
Not of rules, but of trust.
A beginning that would echo through countless lifetimes to come.