“Is he… alright?” Huanshi suddenly asked her in a voice tinged with an unreadable emotion.
“Who?” Yun Qingxue was momentarily taken aback.
“Mo Changxing!” Huanshi murmured, his brows carrying a faint, lingering sorrow.
“Huh? You know my senior brother?” she exclaimed in surprise.
Huanshi smiled but said nothing more.
Yun Qingxue studied him curiously. His face remained pure and untainted, exuding a saintly expression devoid of any emotion.
“What are you looking at?” Huanshi asked softly, his azure eyes meeting hers.
Yun Qingxue quickly averted her gaze. “Nothing, just… it’s strange that a Child of God like you would know the young master of the demon clan!”
“Why is it strange?” he asked, puzzled.
“Knowing him isn’t strange, but your reaction is!” Yun Qingxue chuckled. “Good and evil have never coexisted, and gods and demons are sworn enemies! Yet when I mentioned the demon clan’s young master in front of you, you didn’t show any disgust—instead, you seemed almost… concerned about him.”
“Didn’t you say he’s a good person?” Huanshi countered with a faint smile.
“Well… my senior brother is indeed a good person!” she laughed. “He’s doing well, with formidable magical powers. Aside from my master, the Purple Song Sage, hardly anyone can best him…”
“That’s good…” Huanshi murmured with a soft smile.
He stood up from the cloud, his azure eyes filled with kindness as he looked at Yun Qingxue. “Wait here for me.”
“What are you going to do?” she instinctively asked.
“Gather herbs for you,” he replied.
“Can’t I come with you?”
He shook his head. “Your identity is too sensitive. It’s not safe for you to move around with me. Stay hidden here—I’ll be back soon.”
“Then… thank you!” Yun Qingxue beamed, her clear eyes sparkling.
That very smile made Huanshi pause for a moment. Yun Qingxue’s smile was strikingly similar to that woman’s.
“I’ll be back soon! Stay hidden and don’t let anyone find you!” He snapped out of his reverie, repeating his warning.
“Mm,” Yun Qingxue nodded, watching as Huanshi’s agile figure traced a graceful arc across the night sky before vanishing.
After Huanshi left, Yun Qingxue lay back on the auspicious cloud, gazing at the starry sky until drowsiness overtook her, and she drifted into a deep slumber.
She slept soundly, only waking when the first light of dawn pierced her eyelids.
Opening her eyes, she was met with a pair of clear, azure ones.
Huanshi, who had gone to gather herbs for her the night before, had returned at some point.
Seeing her awake, he smiled wryly. “You slept so soundly—weren’t you afraid someone might find you and throw you into the Divine Prison?”
“Uh…” Yun Qingxue laughed awkwardly. “I don’t know what came over me yesterday…”
“Here. For you.” Huanshi waved his hand, and a multitude of herbs materialized before her.
“So many?” she gasped in surprise.
“Aside from the two you needed, I gathered some other herbs common in the Divine Realm but rare in the Xuanling Continent. Take them all—you might need them later, so you won’t have to risk coming here again,” he said matter-of-factly.
“Thank you.” Yun Qingxue waved her hand, storing all the herbs in her spatial ring.
“Why… are you helping me like this?” she finally blurted out.
“Consider it fate. You’ve come to the Divine Realm twice, and both times you’ve met me. Isn’t that fate?” His tone remained indifferent.
“Huanshi, thank you!” Yun Qingxue said earnestly. “I’ll remember your kindness today. If there’s ever a chance, I’ll repay you!”
“Just live well—that’s repayment enough for me,” he murmured.
“What?” His voice had been too soft, and Yun Qingxue didn’t catch it.
“Nothing,” he smiled, turning his gaze to the rising sun in the east. “The Purple Jade Osmanthus blooms at sunrise and sunset, its petals entirely purple. Now’s the perfect time to harvest it. Come with me.”
Taking Yun Qingxue’s hand, Huanshi led her toward the largest auspicious cloud near the center of the Divine Palace.
As they approached, Yun Qingxue saw five or six Purple Jade Osmanthus plants growing on the cloud.
“Wow! So many!”
With a wave of his hand, Huanshi plucked all of them.
“You’re giving them all to me?” Yun Qingxue raised an eyebrow, suddenly feeling like she’d hit the jackpot.
“In case you need them later,” Huanshi said as if it were the most natural thing.
“You’re such a good person! A real benefactor! But… did you plant these here?”
“No,” Huanshi shook his head.
“Yet you found them so easily!”
“The Divine Realm is my home,” he smiled. “I often rest on these clouds, so I know what grows where.”
“I see!” Yun Qingxue laughed, then summoned the treasures she’d collected in the Cloud Illusion Realm. “You’ve given me so many herbs, and I don’t have much to offer in return. Do any of these catch your eye? Or you can take them all!”
“No need. Keep them. Most of these aid cultivation—they’ll be useful to you.”
“But…” She smiled sheepishly. “You’ve helped me so much. If I don’t give you anything, I’ll feel like I’ve taken advantage of you.”
“Do you really want to give me a gift?” he asked quietly.
Yun Qingxue nodded vigorously. “Of course!”
He smiled. “I don’t need these. Put them away… If you insist on giving something, then give me something I actually need…”
“What do you want? I have some things on me, but I’m no treasure trove! If I don’t have what you’re asking for… what then?” Her voice trailed off uncertainly.
If he wasn’t interested in these treasures, what kind of rare artifact could he possibly want?
“Don’t worry… you definitely have it,” he assured her. “The Divine King ordered all ascended flower and plant spirits, as well as many native Divine Realm flora, to be exiled to the realm’s edges—including peonies. I’ve always loved peonies. Can you find me one that will never wither?”
Yun Qingxue pondered for a moment, then flashed a sly smile. “That’s easy!”
She raised a finger, focusing her will. A blue light began swirling in her palm, gradually turning into mist before dissipating—revealing a miniature Star Blue Peony pendant.
Tai Sui Yellow Amulet Paper FuLu Taoist Love Talisman Traditional Chinese Spiritual Charm Attracting Love Protecting Marriage