They all went back to their chambers to cultivate. Or in Linyue's case: to sulk, bathe, and sleep. She walked into her room, took the longest warm bath the palace had ever seen, then dragged herself to the bed. Flop. She landed face-first, rolled onto her back, and stared blankly at the ceiling. A long, deep sigh escaped her lips.
Wonderful. Now she owed the palace money. She really hoped Shu Mingye would settle for demon-slaying as repayment. Much easier than… what did workers even do? Fix bricks? Weave walls? Milk cows for cement? Whatever it was, she wasn't built for it. Her talents began and ended with stabbing or poking things.
With that comforting thought, she closed her eyes and drifted off.
Morning came violently. Her door flew open with a deafening BANG, and Song Meiyu burst in, all sunlight and chaos.
"Sister Linyue!" she yelled, charging straight to her bed.
Linyue slowly opened her eyes. "...What?"
"I advanced to fourth level last night!" Song Meiyu announced proudly, practically glowing.
Linyue blinked once, then gave a slow, tired but sincere smile. "Good. You're amazing, Sister Meiyu."
Song Meiyu froze on the spot. Her eyes went wide. "Sister Linyue… did you just praise me?"
Linyue stared, confused. "Yes. What's wrong?"
Song Meiyu's lip trembled dramatically. "If it was before, you would've just said oh, I see. But you just said I'm amazing! You said it so naturally! Do you even realize?!"
Linyue frowned, staring at the ceiling for a moment.
Really? Had she changed? She hadn't noticed anything different. But maybe… being around these people was starting to melt something frozen inside her. Still, she wasn't about to admit that. Not out loud.
She cleared her throat, returning to her usual flat tone. "I must've been half-asleep."
Song Meiyu sniffled loudly, then beamed through her fake tears. "Then I'll make sure to wake you up every morning for compliments!"
"…Please don't."
But it was too late. The damage was done. Song Meiyu was already plotting. Linyue could practically see the evil little sparkle in her eyes.
"I talked with Master Yin Xue last night," Song Meiyu continued, suddenly flopping onto the bed beside her. "I told her everything about our adventure. And I told her we're going to stay in Shulin a little longer. She said it was okay. And…" She grinned, wiggling her brows. "…she wished you the best."
Linyue slowly turned her head to stare at her. "The best? What does that even mean?"
Song Meiyu's grin widened until it was downright suspicious. "You know. Best luck. Best safety. Best love life…"
Linyue narrowed her eyes. Best love life? What did that have to do with anything? She wasn't sure if she should be offended or worried.
Before she could question further, Song Meiyu clapped her hands together. "Oh! And Master Yin Xue also said there's a hidden spring somewhere in Shulin. The water has healing effects and helps improve cultivation!"
Linyue raised a brow. "Hidden spring? Do you know where it is?"
"Of course not!" Song Meiyu declared proudly, as if that was part of the fun.
Linyue just stared at her. Song Meiyu's eyes were sparkling with excitement, cheeks glowing with that dangerous kind of enthusiasm that usually meant trouble. That look meant they'd probably be lost in the mountains by sunset with a map drawn on a cabbage leaf. This had disaster written all over it.
Another chaotic adventure, she thought silently.
Linyue sighed softly, already bracing herself for whatever trouble was waiting. "Alright," she said. "Let's go."
"Yes!! I knew it!" Song Meiyu shouted, pumping her fists into the air.
Linyue stayed still for a moment longer, staring at the ceiling as if it might offer her one last excuse to back out. Of course it didn't. With a resigned sigh, she sat up. She had a feeling she was going to regret this. Probably before lunch.
That quiet thought stayed with her as she got dressed. Somewhere between tying her sash and sighing at her life choices, she seriously considered skipping the jade dust powder today. But in the end, she dabbed it on like usual. The same ugly face from yesterday. A little blotchy, slightly uneven, ugly scar, and deeply unremarkable.
As she finished, Song Meiyu popped her head in and immediately squinted. "Why are you using that again?" she asked, nose wrinkling.
"Why not?" Linyue replied flatly. "Master Yin Xue told me to use it when I'm going out."
"That was in Luyan. We're in Shulin now," Song Meiyu crossed her arms, unimpressed. "No one here will dare to look at you."
Linyue turned to frown at her, clearly unconvinced. "Why?"
"Because…" Song Meiyu paused, thinking. "You're still emotionally stunted."
Linyue's frown deepened. "What does that have to do with this?"
Before Song Meiyu could explain her deeply flawed logic, a knock came at the door. She jumped up and rushed to open it.
It was Shen Zhenyu, standing calmly at the door like he had predicted chaos and brought his best walking boots.
"Yuying's still meditating," he said. "Let's not bother him. He's close to breaking through to peak stage."
"Alright," Linyue said with a nod.
Shen Zhenyu's gaze moved from Linyue's calm face to Song Meiyu's sparkling, mischief-filled eyes. He let out a long, deep sigh. "So, what trouble are we getting into now?"
Song Meiyu gasped and clutched her chest. "We're not causing trouble! We're going to find a healing spring!"
"A healing spring?" Shen Zhenyu repeated slowly, already preparing mentally for mountain climbing, bear fights, or accidental cave collapses.
"Yes!" Song Meiyu clapped her hands. "Master Yin Xue told me about it last night. It's hidden somewhere in Shulin. The water is said to be transparent crystal blue, surrounded by rare plants and herbs. Like a fairy spring!"
Shen Zhenyu stared at her for a long moment, then his gaze slid to Linyue. She only nodded once—calm, deadpan, utterly unbothered—as if hunting down mythical healing springs before breakfast was a perfectly reasonable plan.
"…Alright," Shen Zhenyu said finally.
The three of them—Linyue, Song Meiyu, and Shen Zhenyu—were just stepping out of the courtyard, ready for yet another wildly unplanned adventure when footsteps echoed down the corridor.
Shu Mingye appeared, dark robes flowing, his hair perfectly tied, expression cool and unreadable.
Song Meiyu froze mid-step. Shen Zhenyu stopped too. Linyue, of course, didn't react at all.
Shu Mingye stopped a few steps away, eyebrows lowering. "Where are you going?"
"Stroll," Linyue replied simply.
Song Meiyu, absolutely incapable of lying, added brightly, "We're going to find a spring!"
Shu Mingye frowned. "Spring? Where?"
Linyue waved a hand vaguely, like directions were a minor detail. "Something like that. Somewhere in Shulin."
"You don't know where it is?" Shu Mingye asked, now frowning harder.
"No!" Song Meiyu chirped brightly.
Shen Zhenyu sighed loudly from behind them.
Shu Mingye's sharp eyes moved from Song Meiyu's dangerously sparkling grin to Linyue's perfectly blank face that said yes, chaos is normal… to Shen Zhenyu's expression of quiet suffering.
He exhaled deeply. "How are you going to find it? Do you have any clues?"
Song Meiyu's eyes lit up, she clapped her hands together. "There is! There is an ancient scroll mentioning it. Listen carefully!"
She stood tall, cleared her throat, and recited:
"Between heaven's light and earth's embrace,
Where silver maiden weeps eternal,
Her tears like stars that never fade,
her veil guards what lies beyond,
behind her voice—echoes dance,
In halls of glass where cool winds stay,
The spring recalls what time forgot...
For time forgets those who recall."
Then she beamed proudly. "Ta-da!"
There was a long pause.
Shu Mingye stared at her blankly. "…That's it?"
"Yes!!" Song Meiyu chirped, absolutely delighted with herself.
He dragged a hand down his face. "Then where do you plan to start?"
Song Meiyu blinked innocently, like the answer was obvious.
Linyue said without hesitation. "Probably by getting lost. Or better… we'll let the spring find us."
Song Meiyu clapped her hands with delight. "That sounds like a plan!"
"Mhm," Linyue agreed with a slow nod. "Very advanced strategy."
Shen Zhenyu's mouth twitched, caught between the urge to smile and the deep, soul-crushing frustration of knowing they were doomed.
Shu Mingye let out a deep sigh. "Fine. Let's go."
Linyue tilted her head. "You're also going?"
Shu Mingye raised an eyebrow, arms crossing as his lips curled in the faintest smirk. "Someone has to keep track of how many disasters happen."
His face said it all: If I don't go, you'll probably come back with a bear, a landslide, and possibly half the forest on fire.
And, if Linyue was honest with herself, he wasn't wrong.
Before she could reply, Song Meiyu jumped in with bright eyes and loud voice, "That's actually perfect! He's scary enough to make wild beasts move out of our way. And he must know the area well. He can guide us!"
Linyue glanced back at Shu Mingye thoughtfully. If this had been before, she might have assumed he'd lead them straight into a pit full of demons, or worse, a suspiciously cinematic thunderstorm. But now… well, he didn't seem that evil. Probably.
She gave a slow, thoughtful nod. "Alright. At least if we end up lost, we'll have someone to blame." She paused, then added dryly, "But we're not paying the guiding fee."
Shu Mingye's mouth twitched, his composure cracking just enough to let a hint of amusement show. "Good," he said. "I'll just add it to your debt."
Song Meiyu gasped. "That's right! Sister Linyue still owes for the wall!"
Linyue muttered. "At this rate, I'll never clear my debt before the next lifetime."
And so, the three—now upgraded to four thanks to one overly smug Demon King—set off for yet another beautifully vague, probably dangerous, definitely chaotic adventure.