The next morning, Bai Qingxue set off.
Before the sky was fully bright, morning mist hung on the withered branches on both sides of the stone steps like a thin veil.
Bai Qingxue walked down the mountain path, the Frost Condensation Sword hanging at her waist and her storage bag containing the map and pills.
As she left the mountain gate, the peak-guarding senior sister glanced at her. Without asking much, she simply waved a hand as a farewell.
Bai Qingxue had been to the Luoyun Mountain Range a few times already, but the place she was going this time was deeper than before.
The location Liu Ningshuang had marked on the map was deep in the northern section of the mountain range, reachable only after crossing two mountain ridges.
Bai Qingxue did not walk fast. At this moment, her spiritual sense was spread out, keeping a constant watch on the surroundings.
After walking for about an hour, she stopped by a stream and crouched down to cup some water and wash her face. The stream water was icy cold, leaking through her fingers and splashing into fine droplets against the stones.
Just as she was about to stand up, a faint sound of footsteps came from behind.
It wasn't a monster beast, but a person.
Bai Qingxue turned her head and saw a light green figure walking along the forest path.
The person also saw her, paused for a moment, and then quickened their pace.
“Sister Bai, it really is you!”
Ye Qingyao came running over, carrying a cloth bag in her hand and a short sword hanging at her waist.
She was wearing a Qingyun Peak disciple uniform. A few strands of her hair were damp from the morning mist and clung to her temples, and her face held obvious pleasant surprise.
Her eyes were bright, as if she had discovered some treasure in the forest.
“Why are you here?” Ye Qingyao asked, her voice brimming with excitement.
Bai Qingxue stood up, glanced at Ye Qingyao, and said flatly, “On a mission.”
“Me too!” Ye Qingyao held up the cloth bag in her hand, her movements carrying a hint of small pride. “Collecting spirit herbs. A fourth-level Qi Refining mission.”
When she said the words “fourth level of Qi Refining,” she intentionally softened her tone as if mentioning it casually, but those sparkling eyes betrayed her.
She hoped Bai Qingxue would notice that she was no longer that little junior sister who needed protection.
Bai Qingxue did look at her, but she didn't say anything.
“Are you alone?” Bai Qingxue asked.
Ye Qingyao nodded, her voice becoming more lighthearted. “Yes. My senior sister said my cultivation is high enough, and I also wanted to try a solo mission.”
Hearing this, Bai Qingxue said no more and turned to walk upstream along the stream.
Ye Qingyao stood in place, hesitated for a moment, and then jogged to catch up.
She was afraid that following too closely would seem reckless, but also feared that following too slowly would mean missing this opportunity.
In the end, she chose a distance that was neither too close nor too far—just enough to see Bai Qingxue’s profile without making her feel crowded.
“Sister Bai, where is your mission?” Ye Qingyao asked, her voice low as if afraid of startling something.
Bai Qingxue pointed to the location on the map. “To the north, past two mountain ridges.”
Ye Qingyao’s eyes lit up.
She originally wanted to restrain that happiness, but the corners of her mouth had already curled up ahead of her. She quickly suppressed it and said as if casually, “Mine is to the north too. I’ll be there once I cross the first mountain ridge. Then... can I walk with you for a bit?”
By the end, her voice grew smaller and smaller. She lowered her head and stared at the tips of her shoes as if waiting for a verdict.
Bai Qingxue glanced at her. “Suit yourself.”
Ye Qingyao froze for a moment, then the corners of her mouth curled up again.
Afterward, Ye Qingyao didn't say anything else. She simply followed quietly behind Bai Qingxue, though her steps were much lighter than before, making almost no sound as she stepped on the fallen leaves.
The two of them walked one after the other along the mountain path. Bai Qingxue walked in front at a steady pace, her spiritual sense always spread out to monitor the surroundings.
Ye Qingyao followed behind, maintaining a distance of a few steps, not daring to be too close or too far.
The forest was very quiet, with only the rustling of the wind through the treetops and the soft sound of the two of them treading on fallen leaves.
Bai Qingxue didn't speak, and Ye Qingyao didn't dare to say much either.
She was afraid of talking too much and annoying Bai Qingxue, yet also worried that saying nothing at all would seem too strange.
Ye Qingyao peeked at Bai Qingxue’s back.
Bai Qingxue walked very lightly, making almost no sound on the fallen leaves. Her robes were caught by the mountain wind, rising and falling like a weightless cloud.
Her back was very straight, and she never looked back, as if it made no difference to her whether someone was following or not.
Ye Qingyao suddenly felt that this person was very far away from her.
Not a physical distance, but something indefinable, as if she lived in a quieter, cleaner world that Ye Qingyao could never squeeze into.
Ye Qingyao lowered her head and looked at the tips of her shoes.
Dew clung to the toes of her shoes, along with a single withered leaf.
She suddenly remembered the first time she had met Bai Qingxue.
Back then, Sister Bai wasn't like this.
At that time, she was also cold, but that coldness was like winter frost—a thin layer with warmth beneath.
She would smile at her, reach out to brush fallen leaves from her shoulder, and silently comfort her when she hid and cried over her brother’s situation.
But later, everything changed.
Her brother was tested to have poor spiritual roots, destined to have no connection with the immortal path.
The looks from the family turned from expectation to disappointment, and from disappointment to indifference.
She watched her brother grow more silent day by day, yet she could do nothing.
That sense of powerlessness was like a rope, tightening until she couldn't breathe.
And Sister Bai, during that time, also became quieter with each passing day. The frost was still that same frost, but the warmth beneath had disappeared at some point.
Ye Qingyao didn't know what had happened. She only knew that the distance between her and Sister Bai was growing further and further.
Ye Qingyao bit her lip and shook those thoughts away.
Don't think about that. Isn't it already wonderful that they can walk side by side again today?
After walking for a while, the forest ahead gradually opened up.
Bai Qingxue stopped, checked the map, and then checked the direction.
“Where is your mission?” she asked.
Ye Qingyao pointed to a fork in the road to the left. “That way. I’ll be there once I pass that bamboo forest.”
Bai Qingxue nodded, said nothing more, and turned to continue forward.
Ye Qingyao stood at the fork, watching Bai Qingxue’s back. Suddenly, her throat felt a little tight.
She wanted to say something—wanted to ask “Can we walk together again next time?”, wanted to say “I will become stronger,” wanted to say “Wait for me.”
But when these words reached her lips, they all turned into a very soft voice.
“Sister Bai.”
Bai Qingxue stopped and turned to look at her.
Ye Qingyao gripped her cloth bag tightly and took a deep breath.
She had originally wanted to say “Be careful,” but when the words reached her lips, she felt it was too formal. Bai Qingxue was so much stronger than her; why would she need her to tell her to be careful?
But she said it anyway.
“You... be careful,” Ye Qingyao said weakly.
Bai Qingxue nodded and then walked away.
There was no “You too,” and no extra words.
Just a nod—her usual style.
Ye Qingyao remained standing there.
The forest wind blew through the treetops, brushing her hair against her face. It was itchy, but she didn't move to brush it away.
Ye Qingyao suddenly wondered: was her voice too small when she said “be careful” just now? Did Bai Qingxue even hear her? Or was she just nodding out of habit?
No, she definitely heard.
She had glanced at her.
That glance was very faint, but Ye Qingyao had seen it clearly.
Because when Bai Qingxue looked at someone, there was never anything extra in her eyes.
She just looked at you like that—neither deep nor shallow, neither far nor near, as if there were only you in her eyes...
Ye Qingyao knew that Bai Qingxue was simply looking at her.
But she still couldn't help but wonder: what exactly did Sister Bai see in her eyes?
A junior sister at the fourth level of Qi Refining? A child trying to catch up to her? Or... just someone she knew?
Ye Qingyao lowered her head, her thoughts unknown.
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