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Big Bear and Black Ape exchanged glances and nodded hastily, their hearts also filled with vexation. If Lan Xi were to lose her temper again, there was nobody who could endure it.

After all, the Tree Spirit’s death had been a tragedy.

Less than half a month passed.

In No-return Valley, close to the ley lines, a courtyard was constructed.

All of the structures were wooden huts, surrounded by fences.

There were four separate small houses in the courtyard.

Lan Xi had a wooden hut to herself, which contained three rooms.

The boudoir was spacious, with two beds.

She slept in one, and in the other lay a man in black, a body without a soul.

There was a study, to which many books had been brought over time.

And a great hall, where Lan Xi often sat alone, studying some odd and strange things.

Lan Xi didn’t explain, and Rong Feng couldn’t understand.

Rong Feng also had his own separate courtyard.

Compared to the large area of Lan Xi’s dwelling, his was much simpler: a bedroom for sleeping and a storeroom for keeping things.

There were two more buildings: a kitchen and another, vacant wooden hut, which were built without much forethought and just left there.

Later on, Rong Feng, together with the beasts from the valley, transplanted a nearly sentient tree behind the house; it could shield from wind and rain.

Eventually, out of sheer boredom, he had Lan Xi bring over more seeds of Red Plums and White Plums from the outside world, planting them in abundance around the front and back of the house.

By the time the plum blossoms flourished, it was already the second winter.

Upon opening the door in the morning, he saw goose-feather-like snow fluttering down outside.

Seeing this, Rong Feng felt he could not go outside, so he stayed in his house to meditate and practice techniques.

Before he knew it, three days had passed, and the snow had fallen for three days.

When the snow stopped, Rong Feng donned his cloak, took a basket, and went out.

He wanted to gather the freshest fruit from the grove before Lan Xi woke up, to present them to his master as a gesture of filial piety.

Usually, Lan Xi would sit by the window of the boudoir, staring blankly into space.

If she did not occasionally talk to him, he would almost believe that his master had turned into a puppet.

The Lan Xi of No-return Valley was strikingly different from the strong and proud woman known to the outside world.

Here, she was like this piece of heaven and earth itself, serenely devoid of any noise.

After three days of heavy snow, the forest was covered with a thick layer.

Red Ape and Big Bear had long since picked fresh fruit, waiting around the edges of the grove.

When they saw Rong Feng arriving, they quickly handed over their offerings.

Rong Feng looked at the fresh and beautiful apples and pears, took them, and put them in his basket, "Thank you, but there’s really no need for you to trouble yourselves. I can handle this on my own."

Although he had gathered a basket full of wild fruits, Rong Feng still climbed trees to pick some oranges and kiwis, returning home with a full load.

In front of Lan Xi’s small wooden hut, he knocked gently on the door.

After waiting quite a while, he heard no response from Lan Xi.

Just as he was about to push the door open, the door to Lan Xi’s room opened.

The one opening the door was a child of five or six, with a face delicately carved like jade, looking both timid and innocent.

"Your Highness Lan Xi has gone out and asked me to stay here and watch. Do you need anything?" The little one spoke timidly, clearly very afraid of meeting strangers.

Rong Feng stepped forward, disregarding the child’s resistance and patted his head, smiling warmly, "Don’t worry, I won’t eat you. Seventh Unit, you say you’ve lived for a million years, yet how come your wits are still like a child’s?"

"Please return if it’s not important. Your Highness Lan Xi said you shouldn’t stay too long!" Seventh Unit blushed and became flushed with embarrassment.

His Spiritual Wisdom awakened late; although he had lived for a million years, it had only been a few years since he transformed into human form.

"Hmm, did master really say that, or did you make it up yourself?" Rong Feng immediately saw through the little devil’s lie.

Seventh Unit bit his lip with cheeks full of displeasure, but he had no way to deal with Rong Feng.

"Alright, here are the fruits I picked. When master returns, tell her I’ve gone fishing and will come back tonight to make her fish to eat," Rong Feng said, putting down the fruits and leaving the house.

Seventh Unit looked at the basket full of fruits, licked his plump lips, and then closed the door again, standing guard at the home’s entrance.

*

Lan Xi, draped in a cloak, walked on the snow leaving behind a trail of delicate footprints.

Above her head, the Heavenly Lantern kept circling, its faint white smoke dissolving into the air.

A year had passed.

"Ah Qing! Can you feel me searching for you?" Lan Xi stood under a mei tree, gazing at the distant land blanketed in white snow.

The sky was clear, the snow twinkled with tiny specks of light, and the cool air made every breath brim with immortal qi.

The Heavenly Lantern above her head suddenly bounced joyfully twice.

Lan Xi immediately raised her hand, grasping the Heavenly Lantern, and looked around joyfully.

"Ah Qing, can you feel me speaking?"

She quickly released the Heavenly Lantern, letting it seek her master’s Soul Fragments on its own.

But the Heavenly Lantern merely twitched momentarily and then went motionless again.

Lan Xi had wandered through the entire Plum Blossom Grove and felt nothing unusual.

She held the Heavenly Lantern, sighed, pulled her cloak tighter, and walked dispiritedly toward the cabin.

Upon opening the door, Seventh Unit was standing at the entrance, smiling sweetly at her.

On the table in the hall were newly picked fruits; Lan Xi released the Heavenly Lantern, letting it circle above her.

She sat at the table, picked up a shiny orange, and looked at Seventh Unit, "Do you want to eat?"

The kid’s big, sly eyes had already betrayed him.

At that moment, he looked at Lan Xi, unsure whether to nod or to shake his head.

His silly, adorable appearance made Lan Xi smile, "Here, this is for you. Make sure to guard the door well, okay?"

"Yes, Your Highness Lan Xi," Seventh Unit nodded eagerly, happily accepting the orange.

Lan Xi then smiled, "Alright, go outside and play, but don’t wander too far; the forest here is still very dangerous."

After speaking, Lan Xi took an apple and headed to her boudoir.

Before she entered the room, Seventh Unit hurriedly called out to her, "Your Highness. Rong Feng said he’s gone fishing and will come back tonight to make fish for you to eat."

Hearing this, Lan Xi nodded with satisfaction, "Hmm!"

Closing the door, she also shut out the chill from outside.

Lan Xi bit into the apple and walked to the bed where the man in black lay sleeping.

She leaned close to his ear, gazing at his silent sleeping face, and sighed, "Ah Qing, the snow stopped today. At the Plum Garden, I felt a trace of your presence. But it was just a trace, fleeting."

She spoke as if talking to the man in black, yet also as if talking to herself.

"Don’t you miss Lan Xi anymore? That’s why, after so long, you still haven’t come to see me."

"Hmm, Lan Xi misses you."

"You lie; you said you would stay with me forever, for all eternity."

"Although you’ve been absent for so long, Lan Xi will continue to wait. Just like before, you hid from me for ten thousand years, and in the end, I still waited for you to appear."

"Hmm, I remember it’s been a long time since I’ve visited the Tree of Immortality. Ah Qing, when you wake up, shall we go see it? A year has passed, I wonder if it has grown a bit taller?"

The room was filled with the sound of Lan Xi talking to herself.

Seventh Unit crouched at the door, listening in a daze, not understanding but feeling the yearning Lan Xi had for the man in black.