Tianjian Peak.
Yu Songnian sat atop a small mountain peak, staring off into the distance just as he always did. But this time, he seemed lost in thought for far longer than usual. It wasn't until Yun Jin's voice called out from behind that Yu Songnian finally stirred and turned his head, dazed.
"Little junior sister," Yu Songnian said, facing her.
"Third senior brother," Yun Jin smiled softly. "I've been looking all over for you. Why are you hiding here?"
Yu Songnian didn't know how to respond, so he simply stayed silent.
Yun Jin more or less understood what was weighing on Yu Songnian's mind, but she didn't ask. She didn't bring it up at all.
Instead, she smiled and said, "Third senior brother, I want to leave the sect to take on a mission."
"Leaving the sect? To do a mission?" Yu Songnian's expression changed immediately.
It was normal for disciples of the Tianxing Sect to go out and complete missions. In fact, disciples who had reached the Golden Core stage and beyond were even required to complete at least one mission every year.
But Yun Jin had only joined the sect three months ago, and there was a rule: disciples who had been in the sect for less than three years were exempt from such tasks.
Which meant—
Though Yun Jin was already at the Golden Core stage and fully qualified, she could easily invoke that rule to avoid leaving the sect.
Right now, she was drawing too much attention. Within the sect, she had a layer of protection. Things were relatively safe.
But if she went outside...
The risks were unpredictable.
Even someone as reserved as Yu Songnian couldn't help but try to dissuade her. "Little junior sister, there's no need to rush out. With your talent, just a few more years of cultivation will make all the difference."
Yun Jin smiled again, but there was no wavering in her eyes. "Third senior brother, ever since I set foot on the path of cultivation, I've been confined to this small plot of land. I haven't even glimpsed the vastness of the world. If I don't see it, how can I hope to conquer it? My current strength is enough to protect myself. My Masters have given me a few trump cards, too. Even if I run into a strong enemy, I should be able to escape at least a few times. When most disciples go out to train, they don't even have the kind of preparations I do, right? I have strength, I have safeguards. If even with all this, I don't dare take a small risk, how could I ever hope to reach the peak?"
Her voice was calm.
But within that calm, there was a quiet, unmistakable confidence unique to Yun Jin.
Yu Songnian stared at her for a moment, his thoughts drifting, tinged with admiration and envy. He had once been like her—full of ambition, certain that with his talent, he could reach the end of the Immortal Path.
But then…
The strange illness came.
And all his aspirations were cut off.
The disappointment from his clan.
The abandonment from his family.
If not for his master, he would've died the very year he became a cripple.
Now—
The time he spent petrified grew longer and longer.
One day, he might be nothing more than a stone.
Looking at Yun Jin in her full vitality, Yu Songnian felt both wistful and envious.
He thought—
This life of his was already set. All he could hope for now was to hold on a little longer, maybe help his junior sister with her plans in whatever small way he could.
"You've already decided. No one can stop you now," Yu Songnian said with a smile.
Yun Jin's eyes curved into a crescent smile. "Third senior brother, I haven't told anyone else yet. You're the first to know."
Gu Jinghong: "???"
"Am I not a person?"
Yu Songnian blinked, his heart stirred. So in Yun Jin's heart, he was this important? She had made such a crucial decision—and the first person she sought out was him.
Judging from her expression, she must've been looking for him for a while, just to tell him as soon as possible. Yu Songnian suddenly felt reinvigorated.
Of course he was the most reliable.
Otherwise, why would Yun Jin come to him first and not anyone else?
Yun Jin had no idea what thoughts were racing through Yu Songnian's mind. She simply extended an invitation. "Third senior brother, I want to invite you to come down the mountain with me this time."
Her departure—
Wasn't just to see the outside world.
More importantly…
It was for Yu Songnian.
His strange illness had reached a point where it could no longer be ignored.
After Second Senior Sister awakened her past-life memories, Yun Jin had asked her about certain details. She learned that in just a few months, Yu Songnian's petrification would begin to accelerate—from occasional episodes to frequent ones, and eventually, he'd be stone for most of the day.
By the time Si Wanning was framed and imprisoned, Yu Songnian was already barely conscious anymore.
According to Master Qing Yun, the root of Third Senior Brother's illness was the foreign bloodline in his body.
In this world, the dominant powers were the human race and the demon race, the two locked in a long-standing standoff.
But other rare races still existed.
Some of these had cultivation potential far beyond humans or demons. Their only weakness was that they reproduced too slowly and were too few in number.
Yu Songnian carried the blood of one such race. If the conflict between his human and foreign bloodlines wasn't resolved in time, he wouldn't survive.
Some time ago—
Yun Jin secretly had the Baicao Pavilion investigate the Yu Clan's current situation. And as luck would have it, Baicao Pavilion returned with a major piece of news.
In ten days—
The Yu Clan would hold their once-a-decade Sword Trial Gathering. The Yu Clan was famed for their sword techniques. At the Sword Trial Gathering, they would open the Sword Tomb and invite sword cultivators from across the land.
If any sword cultivator met the trial's conditions, they could make one request of the Yu Clan. Anything.
After hearing this, Yun Jin didn't hesitate for a second. Going out on a mission was just an excuse. Her true goal was the Yu Clan. To cure her Third Senior Brother.
No matter what conditions the Sword Tomb required, Yun Jin believed in herself. If even she couldn't meet them, then very few in the world could.
And once she did, she'd ask for only one thing—not riches, not fame, but the truth of Third Senior Brother's origins.
Of course—
From what she'd gathered, the Yu Clan didn't seem to hold much goodwill toward Yu Songnian. If things really didn't go well, then she'd just have to turn the place upside down. No matter what, she was going to save him.
Yu Songnian had no idea what Yun Jin was really planning. But hearing her words, his spine unconsciously straightened.
So in Little Junior Sister's heart, he really was the most important one.
Yu Songnian kept his tone composed and mature. "Alright."
"Then thank you in advance, Third Senior Brother." Yun Jin blinked playfully.
Yu Songnian nodded with quiet pride. "I was planning to go down the mountain for a mission anyway. I have no issue. But Little Junior Sister, you should think about how to convince Master."
Given Yun Jin's current situation, Lin Ya likely wouldn't be at ease with her going off the mountain.
Yun Jin nodded.
Then she returned to her little cottage. She picked a spot and started digging.
After some effort, she unearthed a sealed jar of wine.
She had buried it three months ago. It was still young, but just about drinkable.
The Yun family had always excelled at winemaking. With experience from two lifetimes, Yun Jin found it easy.
However—
Due to limited ingredients, she couldn't brew the Hundred Blossom Wine she had promised Lin Ya. What she had now was the Yun family's secret recipe: Cloudmist Wine.
Yun Jin carried the wine jar and went to see Lin Ya.
Lin Ya looked surprised to see her.
Then his eyes lit up as soon as he spotted the jar of wine in her hands.
He sniffed the air. There wasn't much aroma yet, but he still asked eagerly, "Xiao Jin, is this..."