Zhu Qinglan gave a small smile, an expression that appeared so human it was capable of fading the remnants of darkness in the corner of the pavilion. She slowly rose from Zhi Xuan's lap, tidying her slightly disheveled hair and robes with a graceful movement that was unmatched.

  "Emperor Dragon City is a small town adjacent to the Imperial City," Zhu Qinglan answered while standing, her hand reaching back for the pearl face covering that had been lying on the floor. "There, every year, the mortal inhabitants light thousands of lanterns to pray for the balance of Heaven and Earth. They call it the Night of a Thousand Seasons' Light."

  Zhi Xuan also stood up, although his legs felt a bit stiff due to the weight of the world he had carried in his earlier meditation. He looked at Zhu Qinglan, who was now wearing her mask of dignity again, yet her eyes still radiated a warmth reserved only for him.

  "A mortal festival..." Zhi Xuan murmured, glancing at his blackened left hand. "Can I walk among humans in this form, Qinglan? My presence will only bring nightmares to them."

  Zhu Qinglan stepped closer, taking a roll of pale blue silk cloth from inside her sleeve. With great care, she began to wrap Zhi Xuan's left hand, covering the pitch-black skin and the slaughter veins with the cloth that had been blessed by her pure ice essence.

  "Tonight, you are not the Silver-Haired Devil who makes the Empire tremble," Zhu Qinglan whispered while tying the final knot on Zhi Xuan's wrist. "Tonight, you are a youth from the star village who only wants to accompany a woman to see the lanterns. Regarding your body... it is hidden as long as you are near me."

  Zhi Xuan stared at his now neatly wrapped arm. The cold air from the cloth provided a strange sense of comfort, as if Zhu Qinglan were giving a hug to the most wounded part of his body.

  He nodded slowly, accepting the offer not because of a desire for fun, but because he realized that these might be the final moments for them to taste peace before the storm of the Three Plains Competition truly exploded.

  Zhi Xuan adjusted the Ghost Veil that now covered his head, hiding the Slaughter Pillar on his forehead which still carried a primordial aura. With a flick of Zhu Qinglan's finger, the pavilion's isolation formation opened, letting the fresh mountain air in to sweep away the remaining scent of devilish air that had filled the room.

  They floated down from the hidden valley, moving like two shadows of light cleaving the remnants of the dawn mist. The journey toward Emperor Dragon City was not long, yet for Zhi Xuan, every mile they traveled felt like a transition from one realm to another.

  The closer they got to the mortal settlement, the fishy smell of blood and the sharpness of spiritual essence began to be replaced by the smell of firewood, spiced cooking, and the bustling sound of humans who bore no burden of cultivation.

  Emperor Dragon City appeared from a distance like a sprinkling of jewels in a green valley. Its city walls were not as grand as the capital's, but possessed the warmth of red bricks that were hundreds of years old. As they landed on the quiet outskirts of the town, Zhu Qinglan released her cold aura, letting herself appear as a princess from a respected noble family, while Zhi Xuan acted as the quiet, loyal guard at her side.

  "Do not use your divine sense here," Zhu Qinglan whispered as they began to enter the city gates. "Look with your own eyes, not with your weary soul."

  Zhi Xuan was stunned, slowly withdrawing his spiritual perception which was usually always alert to every movement of energy within a ten-mile radius. Instantly, the world felt much narrower, yet far more colorful. He heard the laughter of children running after cloth balls, the cries of fruit candy vendors offering their wares, and the murmurs of prayers from elders on their doorsteps.

  Lanterns began to be lit even though the sun had not fully set, creating a reddish hue that reflected along the river dividing the city. Zhi Xuan walked beside Zhu Qinglan, his hand wrapped in pale blue cloth hidden behind his wide sleeve.

  "The mortal world," Zhi Xuan murmured softly, trembling and full of memories. "Once, I began as a Black-Haired Devil in the mortal world. Now, I return here, after everything I have done."

  Zhi Xuan walked along the cobbled streets covered in thin dust, feeling the texture of the world he had long forgotten. To him, every step here felt light yet foreign, as if he were walking on the surface of water that could break at any time.

  He stared at his still-human right palm, remembering how that same hand was once only used to hold firewood or catch fish in the village stream, not to grip the hilt of a sword thirsty for souls.

  "Do you feel it?" Zhu Qinglan asked gently, her graceful steps in rhythm with the pulse of life around them. She did not turn, but Zhi Xuan knew the woman was observing every small change in his expression.

  "Yes," Zhi Xuan answered shortly. "Life here is so... short. Yet for some reason, they seem much more alive than the cultivators who chase immortality for thousands of years."

  Zhu Qinglan nodded slowly, her fingers touching a lantern decoration hanging low at a stall. "Because they know their time is limited, they value every heartbeat. There is no greed to rule the Heavens; there is only the desire to see tomorrow's dawn with the ones they love."

  Zhi Xuan fell silent, reflecting on those words as they reached the crossroads leading to the heart of the festival. The crowd grew denser; the aroma of sweets and incense smoke enveloped the atmosphere. However, in the middle of that human hustle and bustle, a strange sensation tickled the base of his soul—not a threat, but a resonance that felt familiar yet impossible.

  Suddenly, between the legs of passing adults, a small figure appeared. The figure wore a shimmering cloud silk dress, a stark contrast to the simple clothes of the city dwellers. In her small hand, she tightly gripped a cloth doll whose face also wore doll clothes just like hers.

  "Lulu is hungry... but that Uncle won't give Lulu a bun," a soft and innocent voice murmured, bringing a moment of silence to Zhi Xuan's ears.

  A sudden silence enveloped Zhi Xuan's perception, as if the noisy sounds of the festival around him were muffled by an invisible wall. He stared at that tiny figure—Mei Hua. A five-year-old little girl who possessed not a single fluctuation of spiritual essence, yet whose existence was always an anomaly that shook common sense.

  Mei Hua stood there, near a bun stall emitting clouds of hot steam. Her shimmering cloud silk dress seemed to reflect the light from thousands of lanterns, making her look like a fragment of a dream fallen into the mortal world. Her small hand lifted the Lulu cloth doll toward the confused bun vendor.

  Zhi Xuan was frozen; he stopped abruptly and his eyes widened slightly from behind the hood. He immediately barked at Ruo Xianxue through his thoughts. "Great Saint, that is her! Mei Hua, after she disappeared in the Taiyin Holy Pool."

  Ruo Xianxue did not immediately answer, but inside the Sea of Consciousness, she seemed to stand tall with her double eyes narrowing sharply. "That girl again... I have warned you many times not to interfere with that girl; just ignore her."

  Zhi Xuan did not wait for a further answer from the fox. He stepped forward, parting the crowd of people who looked at Mei Hua with puzzled gazes. Zhu Qinglan, noticing Zhi Xuan's change in attitude, also stopped, her gray gaze fixed on the figure of the little girl. As a Holy Fairy, she could feel something was very amiss; the girl seemed to be there yet not there at the same time.

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  "Mei Hua?" Zhi Xuan called in a hoarse voice, trying to lower his body to be level with the little girl's height, removing his hood and letting his face be exposed.

  Mei Hua turned slowly. Her round, clear eyes, without a single speck of karmic burden or worldly dust, stared at Zhi Xuan. For a moment, she looked confused, tilting her head to the left while still cradling Lulu. However, a second later, an innocent smile bloomed on her tiny face.

  "Big Brother Zhi Xuan!" Mei Hua cried out joyfully. She jogged toward Zhi Xuan, her silk dress rustling softly even though no wind touched it. "Where has Big Brother been? Mei Hua lost Big Brother in the water pool; everyone was crying and asking for help."

  Zhi Xuan felt his chest tighten hearing the girl's innocent words. Everyone was crying and asking for help—a simple sentence that to Mei Hua might only be a fragment of memory, but to Zhi Xuan, it was the echo of the trapped souls in the Primordial Ancient City.

  He reached out his right hand, hesitating for a moment, before finally touching the top of Mei Hua's head. The texture of the girl's hair was real, but the coldness of Mei Hua's skin, which had no spiritual pulse, made him shiver again.

  "I... Big Brother just got lost, Mei Hua," Zhi Xuan whispered, his voice trembling as he gave a makeshift answer. "How did you get here? This is very far from that pool."

  Mei Hua blinked her eyes, then lifted Lulu high toward Zhi Xuan's face. "Lulu was the one who led Mei Hua. Mei Hua just closed her eyes; when Mei Hua opened them again, Mei Hua and Lulu were already here."

  Mei Hua then pointed toward the bun vendor she had mentioned earlier, her lips pouting cutely. "But the people here are strange, Big Brother. They look at Mei Hua as if Mei Hua were a ghost. Even though Lulu only wants to eat one big white bun."

  Zhi Xuan glanced at the bun vendor who now looked deathly pale. The mortal man trembled, his hand holding the wooden tongs stiff in the air. To ordinary human eyes, the presence of Mei Hua—suddenly appearing in the middle of a crowd with clothes too luxurious and an aura too silent—was indeed a terrifying phenomenon.

  He stood up, scooping Mei Hua into his arms with his right hand, which was met with Mei Hua's joyful giggles. Zhi Xuan stepped toward the bun vendor with calm strides, his sapphire blue eyes staring straight ahead.

  "Give her all the buns you have," Zhi Xuan said in a low yet authoritative tone. He tossed a gold coin onto the wooden table of the stall, which was immediately met with repeated nodding by the terrified vendor.

  Zhu Qinglan stepped forward, standing beside Zhi Xuan. Her sacred white robe brushed against Zhi Xuan's black robe, creating an odd sight in front of a mysterious little girl. Zhu Qinglan's gray eyes stared at Mei Hua with sharp intensity, trying to dissect the essence behind the tiny frame.

  "Zhi Xuan, who is this girl?" Zhu Qinglan asked, her voice as cold as ice yet containing real doubt. "I cannot feel her meridian flow, there is no spiritual heartbeat, even her shadow... her shadow does not follow the lantern light correctly."

  Zhi Xuan fell silent, not knowing where to begin explaining. "She is Mei Hua, Qinglan. I met her in the Southern Continent. She is... she is a little girl who has disappeared several times while I was carrying her."

  Mei Hua looked up, staring at Zhu Qinglan with her unblinking round eyes. Instead of being afraid of seeing the majestic Holy Fairy, Mei Hua held out the Lulu doll toward Zhu Qinglan. "This beautiful Big Sister smells like snow flowers. Lulu likes it. Lulu says Big Sister is the first flower petal, and there are three other flower petals."

  Zhu Qinglan was stunned, her usually stable hands now trembling slightly behind her wide sleeves. Mei Hua's sentence was not just a child's babble; for a high-level cultivator, numbers and metaphors were often echoes of hidden heavenly secrets. "Three other flower petals?" Zhu Qinglan murmured, her eyes narrowing as she stared at the Lulu cloth doll that looked dull and old in front of her.

  Zhu Qinglan took a sharp breath; her usually impenetrable ice aura seemed cracked by the simple words of a child without cultivation. She stared at the cloth doll named Lulu with an unexplainable feeling—an inanimate object that, in Mei Hua's hands, seemed to be a conduit for voices from unreachable dimensions.

  Zhi Xuan immediately felt the tension in Zhu Qinglan's shoulder. He tightened his hold on Mei Hua, trying to provide the sense of security he himself actually needed. "Mei Hua, do not speak recklessly. This Big Sister is my friend," Zhi Xuan said gently, though his heart pounded from Ruo Xianxue's warning that kept ringing in his mind.

  Mei Hua only laughed softly, a sound that resembled the chiming of silver bells in the middle of a silent tomb. She took the white bun given by the vendor—who had now fled to the back of the stall—and offered it to Lulu's mouth. "Lulu is not lying, Big Brother Zhi Xuan. Lulu says this beautiful Big Sister is the first flower petal Big Brother Zhi Xuan found; Big Brother Zhi Xuan must protect her!"

  Zhi Xuan was stunned, his tongue as if tied to respond. Amidst the bustling festival that was slowly returning to normal around them, Mei Hua's words felt like a nail driven into the board of destiny.

  "The first flower petal..." Zhi Xuan murmured faintly. His memory drifted to the figures of women who had crossed paths with his destiny, but he immediately brushed those thoughts aside before they became wilder.

  Zhu Qinglan was still frozen, her gray eyes that usually reflected the clarity of ice now appeared cloudy with confusion. She slowly raised her hand, not to attack, but to touch the cloth of the Lulu doll. However, just before her finger touched the doll, Mei Hua pulled Lulu back into her embrace with a movement so fast it left a faint afterimage.

  "Lulu says don't touch yet, Beautiful Big Sister. Big Sister's hand is too cold; Lulu could freeze," Mei Hua said with an innocent face, yet there was a strange glint in the depths of her clear eyes.

  Zhi Xuan immediately intervened, feeling Zhu Qinglan's ice air starting to fluctuate slightly due to self-defense instincts. "Enough, Qinglan. Mei Hua often speaks strangely. Do not take it to heart."

  He then looked at Mei Hua, who was busy chewing a large bun, her chubby cheeks moving cutely. "Mei Hua, since you are here, come with Big Brother. Do not disappear again, understand? There are many bad people here who like to kidnap little girls."

  Mei Hua nodded enthusiastically, remnants of bun flour sticking to the tip of her nose. "Mei Hua will come! Mei Hua wants to see those flying lights with Big Brother and the Beautiful Big Sister!"

  They walked through the festival crowd. The sight was very odd: a silver-haired youth with half his body wrapped in blue silk, a woman of extraordinary majesty who was enchanting yet cold, and a little girl in luxurious clothes who kept talking to her cloth doll.

  Along the way, Mei Hua kept rambling about nonsensical things—about a palace above the clouds made of sugar, about dragons who liked to cry because they lost their scales, and about a White-Robed Uncle who she said often peeked from behind the moon. Every time Mei Hua mentioned the white-robed uncle, the hair on Zhi Xuan's neck stood up, remembering the entity he encountered in the Ruins of the Heavenly Light Sect.

  "Zhi Xuan," Zhu Qinglan whispered, walking very close to Zhi Xuan's right side until their shoulders touched. "Her face, I have seen that depiction in one of the books belonging to the Empire's elders."

  Zhi Xuan slowed his pace, feeling an uncertain heartbeat upon hearing Zhu Qinglan's whisper. He turned slightly, looking at the side profile of the Holy Fairy's face, which now looked paler than usual.

  "What book, Qinglan? What do you mean Mei Hua is in the Imperial records?" Zhi Xuan asked in a low tone, ensuring his voice was not heard by Mei Hua, who was busy pointing at goldfish-shaped lanterns on the roadside.

  Zhu Qinglan took a deep breath, her eyes remaining fixed on Mei Hua's tiny back. "A book that is a copy of the Great Emperor's Heavenly Book; I do not know the truth of it. I only once saw a silhouette of a woman's face similar to this little girl's. The Great Emperor said it was a figure who shook the Nine Heavens with her arrival from a distant time."

  "That woman is said to be a Great Emperor from a distant time," Zhu Qinglan continued in a mysterious whisper. "Her name was never mentioned; even her records cannot be verified. But the depiction of her face exists in an ancient manuscript."

  "A Great Emperor from a distant time... Mei Hua?" Zhi Xuan murmured, his voice almost lost in the noise of the festival drums. "That is impossible, Qinglan. She cannot even tell which bun is real and which is for her doll."

  Zhu Qinglan shook her head slowly, her fingers squeezing the silk of her own sleeve. "I also do not know what the truth is. Regardless, what the Great Emperors saw is not something we can understand."

  "Great Emperor or not, right now she is just Mei Hua," Zhi Xuan said firmly, as if convincing himself more than convincing Zhu Qinglan.

  They arrived at the riverbank dividing Emperor Dragon City. There, thousands of people gathered, holding paper lanterns in the shape of lotus flowers with small lit candles in the center. The river water reflected those lights, creating a scene as if the starry sky had fallen and was flowing over the earth.

  Mei Hua jumped down from Zhi Xuan's arms joyfully, her tiny feet stepping on the grass of the riverbank without making any sound. She immediately ran toward the water's edge, followed by Lulu waving in her hand.

  "Look, Lulu! The stars are swimming!" Mei Hua shouted while pointing at the lanterns floating on the river's surface.