Lii Jiuchuan received Jiang Yuebai’s letter and immediately used the Transmission Array to arrive at the Baipu Domain, following the instructions in the letter to find Granny Shi Lan from Yinhuan Village.

The Ten Thousand Mountains were shrouded in layers, with thick morning mist.

Lii Jiuchuan trekked through the mountains, encountering a fork in the deep forest, spreading his Divine Sense to explore the direction, discovering that an Early-Stage Foundation Establishment female cultivator was approaching him.

After waiting for a moment, he indeed saw a purple-clad female cultivator, dressed as a Witch Clan woman, wielding a long blade to ride the wind towards him.

"Fellow cultivator..."

Lii Jiuchuan raised his voice to ask for directions, and the purple-clad female cultivator looked up in surprise, their eyes met, and both were momentarily stunned.

"Master Jiuchuan!"

The purple-clad female cultivator was the first to recognize Lii Jiuchuan; he found her familiar but could not recall where they had met.

"Junior Lv Ying, pays respect to Master Jiuchuan."

"Lv Ying? So it’s you, quite the coincidence."

Lii Jiuchuan smiled gently; he had suppressed his aura at this time, and naturally, Lv Ying did not know he was a Nascent Soul, plus he remembered Jiang Yuebai mentioning Lv Ying’s departure from the sect.

Back then, he had not yet repaired his Lifebound Magic Treasure and was still a Golden Core Master.

Lii Jiuchuan reassessed Lv Ying, stable and mature, aura reserved, eyes steady and calm.

Although over thirty and still at Early-Stage Foundation Establishment, she showed solid fundamentals, which was rare for someone with Four Spiritual Roots, indicating potential for a breakthrough.

Lv Ying also quietly observed Lii Jiuchuan, biting her lip asked, "How’s Little Bai... is she well?"

Lii Jiuchuan nodded, "All is well."

Just these four words, nothing more.

Lv Ying wanted to ask further but suddenly smiled, understanding that True Monarch Jiuchuan was looking out for her; knowing Little Bai was okay was enough.

"May I ask why you have come, Master? Is there anything Lv Ying can assist with?"

"Indeed, I wish to visit Yinhuan Village. However, upon visiting the old site, I found that Yinhuan Village was no longer there, so I wanted to inquire."

Lv Ying lifted her face with a smile, "Yinhuan Village conquered Cuiling Village last year, and the two villages merged, relocating to Cuiling Village. I will draw the location for you now."

Lv Ying took out a piece of white paper and charcoal pen, quickly drew a map, and handed it to Lii Jiuchuan with both hands.

Lii Jiuchuan thanked her, "You are Little Bai’s close friend, if you encounter any difficulties recently, do let me know. I will help as much as I can."

Lv Ying thought for a moment, indeed there were a few tricky matters, but...

"No need, the path of cultivation is filled with obstacles, taking shortcuts now will surely require a greater repayment later. I am managing fine now, thank you for the kind offer, Master. If there’s nothing else, I shall take my leave."

Lv Ying, ever so carefree, saluted and departed, quickly vanishing into the miasma of the deep forest.

Lii Jiuchuan watched her retreating figure, nodding slowly, "More mature than before, her will stronger; if she works hard, forming her Core should not be a problem."

Lii Jiuchuan withdrew his gaze and followed the map’s direction to Cuiling Village.

Lv Ying’s steps were light and swift, becoming faster as she ran through the forest. Encountering Lii Jiuchuan and learning about Little Bai today somehow made her inexplicably happy, and she found herself missing that rascal.

Lv Ying’s lips curved into a smile as she returned to Toad Village, one of the Five Great Villages in the Baipu Domain.

The streets were bustling, the cries of vendors loud, roadside stalls busy, cultivators hurried by, and a strong sense of life’s vigor permeated.

Lv Ying, rarely interested, slowed her pace to appreciate the hustle and bustle of those striving for a living and a future.

"Tao Nian, why don’t we just settle in the Baipu Domain? It’s great for female cultivators here."

"Yes! I like it here too. Once I succeed in Foundation Establishment, let’s open a Blacksmith Shop, I’ll forge and refine artifacts, you handle sales and accounting."

"Alright!"

Two youthful female cultivators ran past Lv Ying, their smiles contagious, causing her to turn her head to watch their intertwined hands, feeling a sense of envy.

If she hadn’t left Little Bai, could they also travel together hand in hand?

Lv Ying shook her head with a smile, "Little Bai is so outstanding, she probably would have left me far behind. I suppose I should focus on my own life."

Stopping at a corner in front of a small shop, Lv Ying casually watered a potted plant at the door, kicked away a stone left by some child, and looked up at the signboard.

[Firefly Workshop]

Lv Ying smiled, feeling completely at ease.

"This time’s mountain harvest is good, let’s open for business~"

*

Deep in the night, with dim moonlight.

In the new rear mountain of Yinhuan Village, Granny Shi Lan still lived alone deep in the woods, resting in a rocking chair by the window, facing Xuu Qingye’s portrait, in a shallow sleep.

Night wind came through, causing Granny Shi Lan to awaken gently, blurry-eyed she saw a figure appear outside the window, dressed in green, tall and dignified, standing with the moonlight behind him, his face obscured by darkness, only his black hair fluttered in the wind.

"Qingye? Is it you coming back?"

Granny Shi Lan struggled to stand up, the figure walked into the light, as she saw the face clearly, Granny Shi Lan’s gaze quickly dimmed.

"You look even better than him..."

Granny Shi Lan sat down again, panting, her whole being exhausted and old.

Lii Jiuchuan frowned, he could see that Granny Shi Lan was near her end, the oil nearly exhausted and the lamp almost extinguished.

Yet Jiang Yuebai clearly mentioned in the letter that Shen Huaxi said Qing Nangzi would send a Lifespan Extension Pill to her every fifty years.

"What brings you to seek an old woman like me?" Granny Shi Lan asked, looking at the portrait hanging on the window, "Could it be for him?"

Lii Jiuchuan turned to look at that portrait, the person in the painting seemed like a clear moon and a gentle breeze, not resembling the Qing Nangzi he knew at all.

"It is indeed for him."

"That day has finally come, sit, sit down and speak slowly."

Granny Shi Lan patted the round stool beside her. The Hek ka in the village came to chat with her daily, so the stool hadn’t moved.

Lii Jiuchuan sat down, "All these years, why haven’t you gone to find him?"

Granny Shi Lan was even older than Lii Jiuchuan.

Granny Shi Lan smiled, "We women of the Witch Clan never chase after men."

"But haven’t you waited here for him for hundreds of years?"

Granny Shi Lan’s smile gradually turned bitter.

"Tell me, what has he done outside all these years."

As the night breeze blew gently, Lii Jiuchuan sat next to Granny Shi Lan, patiently recounting bit by bit, starting from when he met Qing Nangzi.

The rocking chair swayed slowly, and Granny Shi Lan listened in silence.

Only when the fish belly white appeared on the horizon did Lii Jiuchuan finish speaking.

"...Actually, I don’t know how to resolve this matter, I just felt that I should at least come to see you, to let you know, after all, you were implicated by him, you are innocent."

Granny Shi Lan stared blankly, silent for so long, that Lii Jiuchuan had the urge to check her breath.

After a moment, Granny Shi Lan closed her eyes and inhaled, "No, I’m not innocent at all. Over the years, no matter how stupid or foolish I am, I could guess that he couldn’t have done any good outside. I’ve always known, yet I let him be. I know the special effect of the Unity Gu, and I silently sustained a thread of soul for him. Half of his evil is mine."

Lii Jiuchuan furrowed his brow, "So... you haven’t been taking the Lifespan Extension Pill he gave you?"

The Lifespan Extension Pill is a cultivator’s lifeline and also a defiance of the heavens. One can take nine in a lifetime, and any more would immediately bring a Heavenly Tribulation.

"Do you know, besides the strict conditions needed to bond with the Unity Gu, what other condition is necessary to maintain its existence?"

Lii Jiuchuan shook his head.

"The hearts of those who bond with the Gu must love each other without a sliver of betrayal. If there’s any doubt in that affection, the Unity Gu cannot be sustained and will quickly perish. That is why I could wait hundreds of years."

Lii Jiuchuan’s expression was complicated, unsure of what to say.

Indeed, as long as the Unity Gu exists, it means that no matter what Qing Nangzi has done, his affection for Granny Shi Lan has never diminished.

Granny Shi Lan smiled self-deprecatingly, "No one is flawless, and neither is the Gu. I’ve been fooling myself, saying he loves me, but in truth, it’s a means to an end. Perhaps even the Unity Gu couldn’t distinguish this. I’m tired, so very tired..."

"If he doesn’t come to see me until he dies, then let death separate us permanently. Even on the Yellow Springs Forget River, we women of the Witch Clan will never look back for a man. Help me up; I’m so old that it’s hard to even stand."

Lii Jiuchuan helped Granny Shi Lan up, guiding her to the table to pick up the oil lamp.

Granny Shi Lan stood before the portrait of Xuu Qingye, watching as the affection in her eyes gradually faded, and without hesitation, she raised the lamp beneath the painting to ignite it.

As she staggered back, the flames on the portrait grew stronger and a bleak smile appeared on her aged face.

"Xuu Qingye, a woman of the Witch Clan is not yours to abandon at will. If there’s abandoning to be done, let it be me who abandons you first."

As her voice fell, Lii Jiuchuan saw a circular halo emerge from Granny Shi Lan’s chest, flickering and gradually fading.

At that moment, a streak of blue light suddenly shot out from the nearly burned portrait. Lii Jiuchuan’s pupils trembled, recognizing it instantly as a thread of soul.

Granny Shi Lan was also momentarily taken aback, but facing the soul rushing toward her, she laughed and stepped back.

"So you have been by my side all along, but what does it matter?"

Crack!

The circle on Granny Shi Lan’s chest suddenly broke apart, and her heart had already died.

As the circle broke, the thread of soul trembled and gradually shattered, disappearing despite its struggles.

Granny Shi Lan’s entire life force rapidly diminished, and she collapsed into the rocking chair, gasping for air.

"It’s over now, you should leave, being seen would only create trouble. Thank you for coming to tell me everything today. All causes and consequences began with me and will end with me."

Lii Jiuchuan wanted to help Granny Shi Lan catch her breath, perhaps allowing her to live a few more days, but she refused.

Lii Jiuchuan, with eyes full of respect, bowed deeply to Granny Shi Lan and turned to leave.

As the sun rose, Granny Shi Lan lay tilted in the rocking chair, gradually closing her eyes, a tear streaking down her face.

The painting hanging before her was burned to ruins, leaving only remnants and ashes, falling with a gentle rustle as the wind blew...