Stone Fairy!

evening.

As dusk settled, twilight surged in from all directions, enveloping the Xie residence in a deep gray-blue hue.

One by one, the lanterns under the eaves lit up, their dim yellow glow spreading in the twilight.

Xie Ning walked through the corridor, around several courtyard gates, and arrived at the small courtyard where Dao Zhen lived.

Every time she comes to this place, she has an indescribable feeling.

The feeling was wonderful, like suddenly stepping from a bustling city into a deep mountain, where all the noise was shut out.

The sound of the wind, the shadows of bamboo, the flowing water, the moonlight—everything was quiet and peaceful, even the air felt refreshing.

Xie Ning stood at the gate of the courtyard, took a deep breath, and felt that the heavy burden that had been pressing on her chest for days seemed to have lightened a bit.

The courtyard gate was half-open. She knocked on the door and gently pushed it open.

Dao Zhen was sitting at the stone table in the courtyard, holding a cup of tea in his hand. It was unclear how long he had been sitting there.

The teapot on the table was still steaming, clearly freshly brewed.

Seeing Xie Ning enter, Dao Zhen slightly raised his eyes, said nothing, but reached out and took another empty cup, poured a cup of tea, and pushed it to the other side of the table.

Xie Ning walked over, sat down opposite him, picked up the cup of tea, and took a sip.

The tea was warm, and although I had drunk it many times before, it tasted especially comforting when brewed by Daozhen.

The two sat there for a while without saying a word.

The evening breeze blew in from outside the courtyard wall, rustling the bamboo leaves and making the sound of the flowing water on the artificial hill seem to come and go.

The last rays of dawn disappeared, and night fell completely.

Xie Ning put down her teacup, placed her hands on her knees, and said softly, "I'm sorry about those three people."

Daozhen glanced at her: "You've already apologized."

"That was said in public, so it doesn't count," Xie Ning shook her head.

"I apologize to you on behalf of the Xie family. You came to my home as a guest, but this happened. It was my oversight."

Daozhen smiled but did not reply.

Xie Ning paused, then said, "There are some problems in my family, and those people... aren't just targeting you."

"I know."

Xie Ning looked up at him and saw that he looked calm and didn't seem to care. So she stopped dwelling on the topic.

She thought for a moment, then said, "How about I find you another place to stay? I have a courtyard in the east of the city that's bigger and quieter than this one..."

"No need," Daozhen interrupted Xie Ning, his tone gentle.

"It would be too much trouble to change locations, so this place is fine."

Xie Ning looked around the small courtyard and ultimately decided not to persist.

After witnessing Daozhen's strength, she was quite certain of one thing: within the Xie family mansion, probably no one could threaten him.

"Alright then." Xie Ning nodded. "If you need anything, just have someone come find me anytime."

Daozhen responded and poured her another cup of tea.

The two sat there quietly.

A gentle evening breeze blew by, carrying the warm and pleasant air unique to late spring, neither too hot nor too cold, just right.

It's as if all the noise, arguments, and conspiracies are blocked by this wall, and not a single thing can get in.

Xie Ning's gaze fell on the tea in the cup, but her mind had already wandered elsewhere.

She has barely slept these past few days.

She remembered every word of her father's instructions.

Following her father's instructions, she assigned manpower to each of the city's defense battalions, patrol offices, treasuries, and docks, and contacted each person one by one.

She met with her father's trusted old subordinates one by one, sometimes late at night, sometimes at dawn, and sometimes even in some remote corner outside the city.

Some of those people expressed their loyalty without hesitation, while others were ambiguous in their attitude and evasive in their words, as if they were observing something.

She didn't know how much of these people she could still trust.

These things piled up, making it hard for her to breathe.

Xie Ning dared not show her fatigue in front of others, especially in front of those "uncles and elders," where she had to keep her back straight.

But now, sitting in this small courtyard, enjoying the evening breeze and drinking tea, Xie Ning suddenly felt that all those things were far away.

She didn't know if it was because of the courtyard or because of the person sitting opposite her.

Xie Ning secretly glanced at Dao Zhen.

At this moment, Dao Zhen was holding a teacup, the evening breeze blowing his robes, his expression calm, as if he was looking at something, or as if he wasn't looking at anything at all.

Xie Ning suddenly remembered the evening when she first met Daozhen.

As dusk settled, Daozhen stood by the mountain path, dressed in white, untouched by the world's grime.

Xie Ning withdrew his gaze, picked up his teacup, took another sip, and unconsciously curved the corners of his mouth into a smile.

The tea had cooled down a bit, but she thought it tasted even better than before.

The two sat there, neither of them speaking again.

Xie Ning's mind, however, did not stop.

She was planning what to do next.

The city defense battalion has already arranged people, the city patrol division has also made arrangements, she has obtained the key to the treasury, and her father's people have been replaced at several key positions at the dock.

She had to do everything she could before her relatives completely broke off relations.

Thinking of this, Xie Ning subconsciously rubbed his temples.

at this time,

The middle-aged man who had been following behind her walked over quickly.

He was dressed in a dark green robe, his steps steady, but noticeably faster than usual. He walked to Xie Ning's side, bent slightly, and handed her a paper crane.

The paper cranes were small and exquisitely folded, with fine lines drawn on their wings that shimmered in the light.

It lay quietly in the middle-aged man's palm, its wings trembling slightly.

Xie Ning took the paper crane and probed it with a flash of inspiration.

A moment later, her expression changed.

That tired look vanished, replaced by a cold, sharp alertness.

Xie Ning put the paper crane into his sleeve, then suddenly stood up. His movements were so quick and hurried that he almost knocked over the teacup on the table.

"What's wrong?" Daozhen asked.

Xie Ning had already started walking towards the courtyard gate, but after taking two steps, he stopped, turned back to look at him, and said in a very fast voice, "A fairly large group of bandits has come from outside the city. I have to go and deal with them first."

After saying that, Xie Ning's figure disappeared outside the courtyard gate. The sound of her footsteps was hurried and powerful, gradually fading away in the corridor and soon swallowed up by the night wind.

Daozhen sat by the stone table without moving. He picked up his teacup and slowly took a sip.

The tea had gone cold, but Daozhen didn't mind. He finished the remaining tea in his cup, put it down, and stood up.

His gaze pierced through the courtyard wall, looking deep into the Xie residence.

In that direction, the heavily guarded courtyard was still brightly lit, with black-armored soldiers standing ramrod straight and the temple guards standing at the entrance.

Daozhen withdrew his gaze, flipped his right hand, and the emerald green elm seed lay quietly in his palm.

The elm seeds glowed with a faint emerald light in the night, as smooth and warm as jade. A rich vitality seeped from the elm seeds and flowed slowly down Daozhen's fingertips.

Daozhen thought for a moment, then walked towards the door.