This is the true immortal of the Taoist sect.

Mingyue, still half asleep, pushed open the gate of the courtyard, walked around the screen wall, and was about to head to her room when she heard Li Daoxuan call out:

"I'm back..."

Mingyue was taken aback and looked up to see Li Daoxuan standing in the courtyard with his hands behind his back and a gentle expression.

Upon closer inspection, one can see that the master's temples are damp with night dew.

"Master..."

Mingyue stepped forward and called out softly.

Li Daoxuan nodded, glanced at the Moonflower Sword in her hand, and seemed about to say something, but ultimately changed his mind and said:

"Go back to your room and rest for a bit. Master has made some porridge; it'll be ready soon..."

After saying that, Li Daoxuan turned and headed towards the kitchen.

As Mingyue watched his retreating figure, her eyes suddenly reddened.

"Master...I...I..."

She didn't know how to start the conversation.

Li Daoxuan stopped, turned around, and smiled slightly:

"As long as you follow your heart, you don't need to care about what others think."

After a brief pause, Li Daoxuan continued:

"Mingyue, your life is a long river, and this incident is just a ripple on that river."

"As the river rolls on, waves will appear one after another."

"But remember, no matter how big the waves are, they will eventually subside..."

Mingyue pursed her lips and nodded gently.

She glanced at the Moonlit Sword in her hand, then suddenly smiled and gently shook her head.

He took a deep breath, twirled the sword in his scabbard, and when he looked up again, his eyes were clear.

"Master, let me help you cook porridge..."

As she spoke, she walked towards Li Daoxuan with light steps, bathed in bright sunlight.

Li Daoxuan suddenly felt a little dazed, as if time had instantly reversed, allowing him to see the little girl who had secretly climbed the ancient camphor tree more than a year ago, sitting on the branches swinging her legs as she listened to him teach Qingfeng.

Li Daoxuan rubbed his eyes, patted Mingyue's head, and laughed heartily:

"Alright, Master needs someone to tend the fire..."

In the room on the other side, Qingfeng, who hadn't slept all night, breathed a sigh of relief, finally putting her worries to rest.

Mingyue's words of comfort seemed to mean she was letting Zhao Chun'an off the hook, but Li Daoxuan and Qingfeng both knew that she was actually letting herself off the hook.

Back then, Mingyue was possessed by a vengeful ghost and killed her own parents with her own hands, even devouring their hearts and livers.

Although this memory was suppressed after Mingyue entered the Dao, it still exists at all times.

Zhao Chun'an's appearance acted as a fuse, bringing back this painful memory.

Even though Mingyue rationally knew that it was the work of a vengeful ghost, she still couldn't forgive herself.

When people are in extreme pain, they subconsciously seek an outlet to release that pain.

And then transfer that pain onto others.

Therefore, Mingyue showed extreme hatred towards Zhao Chun'an.

At first, she genuinely wanted to kill Zhao Chun'an.

She felt that only in this way could she eliminate the self-blame and guilt she felt for killing her parents with her own hands.

But when Mingyue saw Zhao Chun'an commit suicide by poison and his life was about to end, she suddenly realized that she had never hated Zhao Chun'an, but the vengeful ghost and herself who was controlled by the ghost.

Zhao Chun'an's death did not alleviate her pain in the slightest; on the contrary, it made Mingyue bear even more sin.

Therefore, Mingyue chose to save Zhao Chun'an and let her go.

Right after Mingyue made this choice, her mind raced, and all the scenes from the past vividly resurfaced in her memory.

The moment he returned to the clinic and saw Li Daoxuan again, all the illusions before his eyes vanished.

She was like a drowning person finally surfacing and getting a breather.

More than a year later, Mingyue finally forgave herself.

When the knot in her heart was untied, Mingyue truly felt what it meant to be carefree in the world, with the sky high and the earth vast.

Just as Master said, life is a long river. No matter how many waves rise in this river, the river will always flow on and on.

A single thought blossoms into a flower, and all things become clear.

His primordial spirit was stabilized, and his cultivation level greatly improved.

It seems that Mingyue has undergone a transformation.

But Li Daoxuan and Qingming both understood that Mingyue had not transformed, but rather rediscovered herself, because she had always been this way.

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

Zhao Chun'an had already resigned from his post, but the Ministry of Personnel did not approve it.

Moreover, because of Zhao Chun'an's resume over the years, the former prefect of Lijiang, now the vice minister of the Ministry of Personnel, specially recommended him to the emperor to be promoted to assistant prefect of Lijiang.

After taking office, Zhao Chun'an, the newly appointed magistrate of Anyi County, packed his bags and prepared to go to Lijiang Prefecture with a few attendants in an oxcart to assume his post.

It was raining heavily the day he left.

The muddy official road outside the north gate of Anyi County was crowded with people who came to see him off.

The moment the umbrella of public service was presented to Zhao Chun'an, this county magistrate, who had made great mistakes but also made great contributions, was already sobbing uncontrollably.

He wept for both his past persistence and the people's support.

Only then did Zhao Chun'an truly understand the weight of his official robes and the significance of the black gauze hat on his head.

As Zhao Chun'an turned to leave, he caught a glimpse of two figures standing on the distant city wall out of the corner of his eye.

He quickly turned around, took a deep breath, and then bowed deeply, remaining there for a long time.

On the city wall, Mingyue turned around and smiled slightly:

"Let's go, senior brother, let's go home..."

Qingfeng glanced at Zhao Chun'an, who was bowing deeply, and nodded slightly.

"Okay, let's go home."

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

In the blink of an eye, another winter has arrived.

On the fifteenth day of the twelfth lunar month, it snowed heavily all night.

The world was covered in silver.

The next morning, the snow stopped and the sun rose.

On the official road leading to Anyi County, a jet-black horse with a white mane on each of its four hooves galloped wildly.

This horse was clearly different from ordinary civilian horses. It was at least a head taller, with a strong and majestic physique, glossy coat, and a steady and swift gait. Most importantly, its eyes clearly held a fierceness that ordinary horses did not possess.

This is a warhorse that has been on the battlefield, and it is the most outstanding steed among warhorses.

Pedestrians on the official road outside the county town heard the sound of horses' hooves and looked up. In the blink of an eye, they saw a dark shadow flash past them.

Turning my head, I was shocked to see that the BMW had already driven away.

After the warhorse reached the gate of Anyi County, the rider simply pulled on the reins, and the horse came to a stop at an extremely fast speed.

The young man on horseback jumped down, looked up at the three characters "Anyi County" on the city wall, smiled slightly, and then led his warhorse into the city.

Shortly after the young man entered the city, another warhorse galloped in and also entered the city.

However, the person sitting on the horse was a woman.