In the early hours of the morning, Jun Li sat atop a flat, rugged boulder in the mountains, a day’s walk to the north of the Glass Cloud Sect.

  A few meters away, the corpse of a tiger-like Magical Beast was laid out across the ground, its body diced into pieces and seeping blood into the mossy stones beneath.

  Slithering up to the corpse, Little Yun, now far larger than Jun Li could comfortably carry, eagerly began to swallow a diced-off piece of the tiger’s corpse. Jun Li had been feeding them Beast Cores in one way or another for almost a month now, encouraging swift growth. By this point, Little Yun could easily survive without Jun Li’s help.

  As Jun Li passively watched Little Yun eating below, she felt a bit inadequate. The only Crimson Palace Cultivation Method that seemed decent to her in the Glass Cloud Sect’s repository was excessively restrictive, as it could only be cultivated in low temperatures, the likes of which could only be found during the dead of winter. Locally, at least.

  Until that time came around, there was little Jun Li could do to meaningfully enhance her Cultivation. Even so, Zhu Enlai had repeatedly encouraged Jun Li to better herself in multiple fields, claiming that an alchemist with a weak Cultivation wouldn’t be able to obtain rare materials and advance their skills, and that a Martial Cultivator with no skill in combat wouldn’t be able to fight for the resources needed to advance their Cultivations.

  Jun Li had focused almost entirely on her swordsmanship over the past month, becoming comfortable enough with the Drifting Ghost Blade to use it at a basic level without thinking.

  Looking down at the disassembled tiger corpse below, Jun Li felt that she wouldn’t struggle against any Magical Beast below the level of the Viridian-horned Beast she had previously fought. 'No wonder Elder Sister Xiaoli was able to take on that ape-beast so easily during the Outer Sect Trial… she had the skill, her cultivation was all that held her back.'

  The vast majority of Jun Li’s practice was while fighting Magical Beasts, mostly any invasive threats that the Zhao Kingdom relied on the Glass Cloud Sect to suppress, and thus those that ended up being posted to the Inner Sect as missions.

  It was quite ideal for Jun Li’s needs, as it not only provided practical combat experience and swordsmanship practice but also allowed her to harvest Beast Cores for Little Yun and find fresh alchemical ingredients for herself.

  Looking down towards Little Yun and seeing that they had finished swallowing the tiger-beast's Core, Jun Li sat up and stepped down from the boulder. “Alright, come along, better to get moving while it’s still early.”

  Jun Li beckoned Little Yun to follow, and they slowly followed along. Jun Li was fairly certain Little Yun didn’t understand her words, but the young snake had never misunderstood or refused her orders so far, so she had become comfortable speaking naturally to them.

  … … … … … …

  After hours of traveling as fast as Little Yun could keep up with, Jun Li eventually caught sight of the capital, and after circling around its walls, the home she was raised in came into view.

  Seeing the orphanage she had grown up in repaired and refurbished to the point it shared only a silhouette with the home in which she was raised, Jun Li didn’t feel pride for her efforts; instead, she felt hope for the future of her many siblings.

  Although Jun Li had decided to Cultivate more for her own sake than to simply fulfil her obligations, she would still happily make any effort she could to ensure her siblings had as many options as possible in their futures. ‘Maybe I could sell some of the clothes I found in the Spatial Ring to the Merchant’s Guild and give the money to Auntie? She’d know how to spend it better than me…’

  “Big Sis Li!” As Jun Li approached the orphanage, one of her younger siblings eventually caught sight of her from the yard and quickly rushed over to greet her. Although Jun Li was visiting more frequently these days, her siblings seemed no less happy to welcome her back each time.

  Within minutes, Jun Li was surrounded by family, and it felt as if she had never left.

  For a few hours, Jun Li lived as she did years ago, with only circumstantial changes. She helped her auntie with laundry, played with her siblings, and even helped cook her siblings' an early supper alongside her Auntie, using some of the meat and herbs she had foraged and stored in her Spatial Ring.

  Although much of the morning was similar to her childhood, Jun Li couldn’t help but notice it felt nicer, in a way that couldn’t be explained away simply by the renovations to the house or their brand-new tools for cleaning and cooking.

  It was as though the chores she considered tedious as a child had somehow become a relaxing and enjoyable experience in her absence. Jun Li wondered if it was simply part of growing up.

  Before long, Duan Shu, now sporting the patchwork bucket hat Jun Li had given him, spoke up to get her attention from their newly rebuilt lounge. “Big Sis, I forgot to mention! A nobleman visited the other day!”

  Caught off guard, Jun Li couldn’t contain her surprise. “Huh? Why would some noble come all the way out here?”

  “Uh…” Duan Shu went quiet for a moment, having not gathered his thoughts to give a proper explanation. “Oh! It was about adoption! Apparently, their family is considering adopting someone from our orphanage?” Jun Li was stunned for a moment. ‘This orphanage? …Seriously?’

  Throughout her life, plenty of babies had been left at the steps of the orphanage, and she even recalled some of her older siblings leaving to become independent when she was younger. But for someone to be adopted from their house… she couldn’t remember a single time that something like that had happened.

  ‘Is it because of the renovations? Even so, I’m surprised a noble family would even look at an orphanage like ours…’ Emerging from her thoughts, Jun Li quickly asked another question. “Did they say their name? Or if they were from a specific family or clan or something?”

  Rather than Duan Shu, Jun Li’s auntie stepped into the lounge and answered, apparently having overheard the two talking. “They didn’t mention their own name, but… they said they were 'speaking on behalf of the Ren family.'”

  She shook her head with a wry smile. “In fact, they emphasized it quite heavily, claiming it would be quite an honor for a common child to be adopted as a child of Ren Jinhai. I think I've heard the name, actually, but I'm not sure where from.”

  “Was it… a tall man around my age, wearing a yellow robe like mine?” Jun Li’s face clearly displayed her tension as she spoke. “That’s right.” Jun Li’s auntie answered. “I suppose you’ve some idea of who he is then?”

  Not wanting to bother her auntie with the whole story, Jun Li sighed and spoke simply. “Well… yeah.” Jun Li suddenly flinched as a thought hit her. “Wait, you didn’t agree to let him adopt anyone, right?”

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  Her auntie laughed lightly as she tried to ease Jun Li’s concerns. “Of course not, don’t worry. I just told him that we’ve not had any requests for adoption in years, and that I’d have to talk to the children before agreeing to anything.”

  Jun Li let out a sigh of relief. “Good… Could you just, uh, hold off on doing anything until I get back to you about this?”

  Although her auntie didn’t fully understand Jun Li’s concerns, she wasn’t about to dismiss them. “Don’t worry, I’m not about to send any of you kids off if even one of you still has concerns.”

  Happy to see that her auntie thought similarly to her, Jun Li quickly relaxed. “Alright, I’m going to go talk to the guy who visited to see what’s going on. I’ll be back tomorrow!”

  Quickly saying goodbye to her siblings as she passed them, Jun Li made her way outside and roused Little Yun from the rest they had sunk into under the noon sun, beginning the trek to the Glass Cloud Sect.

  … … … … … …

  Jun Li quickly traveled through the capital on her way to the Glass Cloud Sect. Little Yun, having grown far too large to be comfortably carried or concealed by Jun Li, followed alongside her.

  And although she was aware of how out of the ordinary Little Yun may look to the average person in the city, she was in too much of a hurry to bother taking any detours, especially for something as inconsequential as the eyes and thoughts of strangers.

  By Jun Li’s side, Little Yun moved with surprising speed across the smooth stones that paved the roads of the capital.

  Although Little Yun moved at a speed far surpassing that of any normal human, Jun Li felt the need to slow her pace to allow the snake to keep up, something she found bothersome when she was in such a rush. ‘They’re too strong to consider a pet, but too weak to keep up with me as a companion…’

  Within the time it takes a stick of incense to burn, Jun Li had reached the Inner Sect and began to search for Ren Liwei.

  At first, she simply scanned the public spaces while walking between major facilities such as the Martial House, hoping to find him in the Puppet Array or out in the open.

  For every location she checked, Jun Li became more frustrated and found her thoughts drifting further towards the idea that Ren Liwei was avoiding her and acting behind her back. It didn’t take long for Jun Li to check the majority of public locations in the Inner Sect and find her way to the manors.

  Though Jun Li wanted desperately to barge through the door of whatever manor Ren Liwei stayed at, she had no idea which one that might be. Instead, she returned to the manor she lived in, hoping that Zhao Xiaoli might be more knowledgeable with regard to such matters.

  The manor, when Jun Li entered, seemed unusually quiet for the hour, with Jun Li herself encountering no disciples on the way to Zhao Xiaoli’s room, either in the foyer lounge or through the halls.

  Knocking on Zhao Xiaoli’s door, the reply Jun Li received from the room seemed unusually weak. “…come in…”

  Suddenly feeling a bit hesitant, Jun Li slowly opened the door to Zhao Xiaoli’s room. Inside, the room had been thoroughly cleaned, with all traces of the princess’s stay having been erased, save for an open trunk in the middle of the room, being packed by Zhao Xiaoli herself, not wearing the yellow robe of the Inner Sect, but instead more formal clothing.

  “Ah, Jun Li…” Zhao Xiaoli’s mood brightened at seeing Jun Li, though it didn’t entirely erase the downcast expression that lingered on her face.

  Although Jun Li had her own worries to think about, she couldn’t help but put them aside upon seeing her friend like this.

  Before Jun Li could guess at Zhao Xiaoli’s circumstances, she began to speak. “I’m going to be leaving the Sect for a while. My father’s condition has begun to deteriorate and… I’d prefer to remain by his side as long as I can.”

  She gave a grim smile. “It’s not a luxury everyone in my family has... some of my brothers won’t be able to return from the border for weeks…”

  “I’m… sorry to hear that.” Jun Li wanted to say she understood what it was like to have family pass away from illness, yet she held back, feeling like it would be an almost selfish thing to say in this situation, as though claiming to know how she felt would somehow diminish Zhao Xiaoli’s grief.

  For a moment, Jun Li was silent as she watched Zhao Xiaoli seal up the trunk filled with her belongings. Taking a deep breath to purge the emotion that clogged her lungs, Jun Li spoke steadily. “If you need anything, don’t hesitate to ask, I’ll be around, though I’m not sure what good I’d be able to do…”

  Zhao Xiaoli felt her head clear a bit as she listened to Jun Li, knowing that someone was willing to be there for her helped more than Jun Li could realize.

  “Thank you…” Zhao Xiaoli let out a sigh and lifted her trunk of belongings. “There actually is something I could use your help with.”

  “I need to visit the Alchemist’s Association before returning home, but if I place an order now, it could take weeks before I actually get what I need.” Zhao Xiaoli’s expression was strangely serious as she spoke. “But as the disciple of the Branch Director… you’d be able to contact Zhu Enlai directly, right?”

  Jun Li felt like there was something strange, even suspicious, about Zhao Xiaoli’s request, but consciously decided not to think about it. “I could help you talk to him, but if you want him to make something for you… I’m not sure even I’d be able to convince him to make a pill or elixir if he’s not interested in it himself.”

  Zhao Xiaoli gave a weak laugh. “I think he’ll be interested in what I have to say, don’t worry.” Jun Li simply shrugged and pulled a small pill furnace from her Spatial Ring. “Just show him this and he’ll know I sent you. He’ll recognize it without a doubt.”

  Taking hold of the small Pill Furnace, Zhao Xiaoli’s expression was tense, as if she was not looking at a furnace, but down a sheer cliff. “Thank you, Jun Li...”

  Averting her gaze, Zhao Xiaoli gave Jun Li a short bow before quickly making her way out into the halls of the manor. Jun Li watched her leave with a concerned expression. ‘Just what the hell is going on today…?’

  Leaning her head against the wall of the hall, Jun Li lamented her inability. Before, Zhao Xiaoli had helped Jun Li without her asking, of her own volition. Now, even if Jun Li wanted to repay that favor, she had no way to. By Zhao Xiaoli's design, Jun Li didn't know enough to help.

  To see Zhao Xiaoli, her friend, always thinking of something else, always pondering some greater trouble, unwilling to involve anyone else… It frustrated Jun Li to no end.

  Unable to put words to her own misgivings, even in her own mind, Jun Li slowly pushed the matter aside. ‘Forget it… I need to find Ren Liwei and figure out what the hell he’s doing…’

  Quickly leaving the manor, Jun Li was intent on finding Ren Liwei as soon as possible so that she could learn why he had visited her family and make it clear that he was not welcome.

  “Ah, you!” The moment Jun Li left the manor, a voice called out to her. A young man with the robe of the Inner Sect and a saber on his back quickly made his way towards Jun Li.

  Although she didn’t remember his name, this was Sun Huan, who had taken third place in one of the Outer Sect Trials behind Jun Li and Ren Liwei. “I have something for you, from uh, Ren Liwei?”

  Jun Li was silent for a moment upon hearing those words, and Sun Huan hastily passed her a small box. “Here you are.” Passing the box to Jun Li, he continued to speak. “He left a message as well, saying that he wants you to come to the courtyard just inside the royal palace grounds at around midnight. No clue what that’s about, but sorry if it’s bad news. Anyways, I’m off.”

  With Sun Huan leaving as fast as he arrived, Jun Li was left alone once more, and with more questions than ever. ‘The palace…? Why?’

  The small, nondescript wooden box in her hands seemed cheap and fragile, clearly not meant to house anything of value, making Jun Li all the more unsure of what it was supposed to be.

  Opening the box without much thought, a bundle of frayed fabric was visible inside. As Jun Li pulled the fabric from the box, her stomach sank as she realized what she was holding.

  A large, patchwork bucket hat. A hat whose owner, Jun Li knew would never have relinquished it willingly.

  After staring at the contents of the small box for a few moments, Jun Li shut the lid tightly, feeling immense disgust sweep across her like freezing water, leaving her face pale and body trembling.

  Despite her physiological reaction, Jun Li's mind was strangely calm as she thought. ‘What reason… what possible justification could you have to provoke me like this, using my family…?’

  Jun Li calmly stored the patchwork hat in her Spatial Ring and carefully assessed everything she could do to prepare before midnight, before meeting Ren Liwei.

  ‘Your thoughts, reasons and justifications… they don’t really matter anymore... You’ll be dead before the sun rises again.'