Mortal: Li Feiyu, who came from the realm of a supreme being

During the few days Han Yunshu was home, a subtle atmosphere always lingered in the house.

She changed back into her old coarse cloth clothes, and her hair was simply braided as it had been before she left home, but some things were ultimately different.

As the family sat around the main room talking, the father, Han Youcai, would linger on her for a moment before quietly looking away, as if confirming something.

"Yun Shu?" Her father murmured her current name, his tone slightly distant. "What a lovely name... By the way, didn't that lady from the Li family come along this time?"

The question was asked somewhat hesitantly, as if the speaker didn't know what to talk about with this suddenly unfamiliar yet accomplished daughter.

"She's busy with her business," Han Yunshu replied calmly. "I'll also be going to do business outside of Jingzhou with her later."

She lowered her eyes, feeling somewhat sad.

She wore the country girl outfit naturally, and her words and actions deliberately concealed the aura that had unconsciously emerged after practicing martial arts. But she knew that once some things changed, they could never be the same again.

Mother Wang sighed softly, "You two siblings have both made something of yourselves..." She paused, then turned to the most common concern, "And... what about your marriage? Has Madam Li made any plans for you?"

Han Yunshu's fingertips trembled slightly, and the image of Li Feiyu involuntarily flashed through her mind.

His patience when teaching her to read, his focus when demonstrating the exercises, and his composure when guiding her through the future.

Over the years, that initial gratitude and dependence had somehow transformed into a deeper admiration. She knew very well that Brother Li had his reasons for teaching her martial arts and planning for her, but she didn't care.

A peasant girl who couldn't even leave her name can now read, practice spiritual cultivation, and see a wider world—all thanks to Brother Li!

She had long been aware that whatever he wanted, she would do it willingly.

"It's still early." She looked up, smiled, and said, "Learn your skills first, then we can talk about these things."

Her parents exchanged a glance, and seeing that she was unwilling to talk about it in detail, they assumed that their daughter was just shy, or that the Li family had already made arrangements, so they did not ask any further questions.

After chatting about everyday things, Han Yunshu suddenly felt a gaze upon her.

It wasn't coming from inside the house, but from outside the courtyard. She looked up and, through the open door of the main room, saw only the old yellow fruit tree at the village entrance standing quietly in the afternoon breeze.

Is it just an illusion?

She was slightly confused, but her mother asked her about her experiences in Jingzhou City, and her thoughts quickly drifted away.

At dusk, she made an excuse to go to the village entrance to fetch water, and went around to the back of Huangguoshu.

There were indeed fresh footprints in the soil under the tree, messy and crisscrossed, as if someone had lingered there for a long time.

It's not an illusion.

She stood up and looked at the familiar earthen house at the end of the village path, a complex and indescribable emotion welling up in her heart.

It's as if something important has quietly slipped away without us noticing.

I composed myself and suppressed the inexplicable sense of emptiness.

Those who cultivate themselves should know that all things arise and cease due to causes and conditions, and that gathering and scattering are impermanent.

She only stayed at home for three days.

Before dawn on the third day, she left the silver notes, land deeds, and a short letter that Li Feiyu had prepared beforehand on the table in the main room, and gently pushed open the courtyard gate.

At the village entrance, she turned around, knelt down in the direction of her home, and kowtowed three times respectfully.

My forehead touched the ground; it was icy cold.

As she stood up, her eyes welled up with tears, but she forced them back. Brushing the dust off her knees, she walked toward Li Feiyu, who was waiting by the roadside.

"Let's go."

"Actually, there's no rush." ​​Li Feiyu looked at her. "You can stay a few more days."

Han Yunshu shook his head and mounted his horse: "I have to leave sooner or later. Now that I've embarked on the path of cultivation, I'm afraid it will be difficult to continue my family ties in this life... If I stay any longer, I'm afraid I'll be even more reluctant to leave."

The voice was calm, yet it concealed a resolute determination.

Li Feiyu gave her a deep look and said nothing more.

As expected of Han Li's sister. The decisiveness of never looking back once a decision is made is exactly the same between the brother and sister.

The sound of horses' hooves rose, and two figures disappeared into the fading night. Until the first light of dawn appeared on the horizon, Wuligou was already far behind, nestled among the mountains.

The official road was gradually becoming more crowded with pedestrians and carriages. Li Feiyu and Han Yunshu rode side by side at a slow pace. If one did not look closely at the composure in their eyes that far exceeded their age, they would look like an ordinary brother and sister going on a long journey.

"Brother Li," Han Yunshu suddenly spoke up, "where are we going?"

"The Hidden Moon Sect." Li Feiyu gazed ahead. "It's located in Jianzhou, in the northern border region of Yue Kingdom. It's a long way, and we'll train as we go. By the time we arrive, we should both be around the eighth or ninth level of Qi Refining, so entering the sect shouldn't be too difficult."

"The Hidden Moon Sect..." Han Yunshu remembered glimpsing this name in a travelogue brought by Li Feiyu. "One of the seven major sects of Yue Kingdom. But why do we have to join a sect? Aren't there independent cultivators?"

"Random cultivators?" Li Feiyu smiled, but the smile didn't reach his eyes. "In Tiannan, rogue cultivators without background or resources are nothing more than ants at the very bottom of the cultivation world. They'll fight to the death for a spirit stone or a bottle of pills. We have no foundation and we carry secrets. To mingle among rogue cultivators is like a child carrying gold in a bustling marketplace."

He paused, then continued, "Entering a sect is different. As long as we demonstrate the aptitude of a 'Heavenly Spiritual Root,' we will be regarded as core disciples and nurtured regardless of the sect. Resources, cultivation techniques, and protection will all be readily available."

Han Yunshu seemed to be deep in thought: "But we are not true Heavenly Spiritual Roots..."

"We have a 'spiritual aperture'." Li Feiyu turned to look at her. "The ancestral aperture cave is a bridge between heaven and earth. It can absorb single spiritual energy at a faster rate than a heavenly spiritual root. When the time comes, we only need to control it slightly during the entrance test to show the purity of a single-attribute spiritual root. Anyone who sees it will recognize us as cultivation prodigies that are only seen once in a thousand years."

His tone was confident, clearly indicating that he had given it considerable thought.

"Then why...not the Hidden Moon Sect?" Han Yunshu asked again.

Li Feiyu narrowed his eyes and lowered his voice: "The Hidden Moon Sect has a tradition of encouraging male and female disciples to form a Daoist couple, supporting each other and jointly exploring the Great Dao. By entering the sect under this identity, we can avoid many unnecessary troubles."

Daoist couple.

These two words, like pebbles thrown into a lake, create ripples in circles.

Han Yunshu's breath hitched slightly, and her hand gripping the reins tightened unconsciously.

She looked up at Li Feiyu's sharply defined profile, bathed in the morning light with a pale gold hue.

Over the years, she has long since sorted out the increasingly clear feelings in her heart.

It is not simply gratitude towards teachers or benefactors, but rather the admiration of a young girl who, when her heart begins to stir with love, places all her longing and tenderness on one person.

She never questioned Li Feiyu's motives for teaching her martial arts and foreseeing her future. Even if he had other intentions, she was willing to do so. A peasant girl who could only herd cattle in the mountains and whose name she couldn't even leave behind after marriage, could now read, cultivate, and see a wider world... all thanks to Brother Li. She had long been aware that whatever Li Feiyu wanted, as long as she had it, she would give it to him.

But "Daoist partners"...

This signifies a formal status, a long-term commitment, and that in the eyes of others, they are each other's closest confidants.

My heart skipped a few beats uncontrollably, and my ears felt slightly hot.

She hurriedly lowered her eyes, afraid of arousing suspicion, and only replied softly, "I see..."

Li Feiyu, oblivious to her subtle emotional fluctuations, changed the subject: "However, the Hidden Moon Sect is in Jianzhou, so we need to pass through Yunzhou first. The journey ahead is long and arduous; we should definitely take a good look at the scenery along the way."

Han Yunshu composed herself, secretly glanced at him, and nodded gently.