I am the old, fiery-faced man from the senior department.

"I saw my older sister standing here as soon as I got back. Is she waiting for someone?"

"Hmm... I was waiting for you. When I got back, your door was closed, so I thought you were busy and didn't want to bother you."

The immortal instinctively hugged the true dragon's waist, pressed against his chest, and spoke to him.

“Ah Du… Ah, that’s Zhenlong. I had something to discuss with him, and we got carried away and talked for a while. If I had known that my sister would be back today, I wouldn’t have gone to look for him.”

The sight of him during the day was clearly delightful.

The immortal's return must have brought back news related to the painter.

Whether it's good or bad, receiving news about her is a good thing for Bai Zhou.

"Well, sister, it's windy today, let's go back inside and talk about it slowly."

"Ah good."

The immortal, somewhat dazed, pulled away from the warm embrace and followed him into the house. He sat down in a chair, a teacup appearing in his palm.

Looking at the steaming tea, the immortal didn't know how to explain it to Bai Zhou.

"Sister, speak your mind, whether it's good or bad, without worrying about anything else. I don't seek your approval, I just want to know the real reason."

Instead of calming the immortal, Bai Zhou's words made him even more hesitant and conflicted.

"Yes, Eleven... she really is..."

The immortal sighed.

"That guy's temper... Xiaobai, Axi, you know it."

"I remember once she wanted to paint a picture of mountains and rivers, so she went to great lengths to climb a high mountain to paint it. But she suddenly lost interest halfway through, and the painting that was only one stroke away from being completed was left on the mountaintop."

"Hmm...but I didn't know that she would...Oh, I understand."

Bai Zhou sighed deeply, his mind filled with countless thoughts, yet he didn't know where to begin.

Surprisingly... he really just lost interest.

“Ah Xi…you…”

The immortal looked at him with some concern.

She knew how deep that feeling was, especially for Bai Zheng when he was still young and immature.

A person who has not yet grown up has several forty-year periods in their lifetime.

All of my emotions over the past forty years have been pinned on a vague and uncertain "hope".

I don't know if my waiting will be answered, but I have no regrets for the time that has passed.

He endured half his life like that.

Now, after going through countless hardships, we have finally obtained the permit to stay together forever.

As expected, the hope was dashed with no response.

The immortal was somewhat afraid that he might do something foolish.

"I'm fine, sister."

Drinking a cup of tea during the day, one feels no heat in the mouth.

"I'm just... feeling a bit sentimental."

"I always thought that the reason why my husband refused to marry me was because she was... shy... but it turns out that I was just being delusional."

I felt like laughing again during the day.

"Sister, thank you for making this trip."

Looking at the travel-worn immortal before him, Bai Zhou felt a surge of gratitude.

"It wasn't hard work at all."

The immortal hesitated for a moment before extending an invitation to him.

"Ah Xi, can you... come with me to Sichuan?"

"I heard that they're going to hold a Mid-Autumn Festival celebration there. It's going to be very lively."

"Mid-Autumn Festival..."

Seemingly fearing Bai Zhou's rejection, the immortal brought out his secret weapon.

"You still owe me a promise. You can't refuse, okay?"

"Yes, of course I remember."

Bai Zhou gently shook his head.

“I will go with you, sister. Please accept this promise for now.”

"Hmm... No, I said I'd use it, so I'll use it."

The immortal, however, became angry.

"I don't care what you think, I care what I think. I think this time it's worth it for me to make this promise."

"Sister..."

After pondering for a moment, Bai Zhou reluctantly agreed to the immortal's request.

"Wuhu! Ah Xi, get some rest, we're leaving tomorrow!"

"So fast... Well, don't worry, sister, I'll pack my bags tonight."

"I'll be going now!"

The immortal left with a satisfied smile.

"..."

After the immortal had gone far away, the true dragon stopped smiling and stared blankly at the scroll he had kept on the small shelf next to the table.

Returning to the Holy Emperor Sanming, who can lead the troops?

Located in the southwest of Sichuan, this region is scenic but also humid and hot. Living here year-round inevitably leads to the accumulation of dampness in the body. Therefore, eating spicy food, with its fiery stimulation, to dispel dampness has become a characteristic of Sichuan cuisine.

"Sister, aren't you tired of eating so much spicy food?"

Bai Zhou held a handkerchief and gently wiped away the red oil left on the immortal's lips, his words revealing concern and astonishment.

Along the way here with the immortal, she ate spicy food for almost every meal, and the spiciness was always extra spicy, making Bai Zhou feel a little scared.

"It's okay. For me, spiciness is like an attitude towards life. When the slight stinging sensation and intense spiciness explode on your tongue, you feel, 'Ah, my life is truly flavorful.'"

The immortal seemed to enjoy it immensely, and even preached to Bai Zhou, trying to recruit him into the spicy food cult so that he could enjoy spicy food with her.

"...I'll pass. It's okay to eat it once in a while, but if I eat it all the time, I'll get tired of it after a few days."

When Bai Zhou refused, the immortal put on a pitiful look and looked at him.

"Really, won't you consider it? This is one of my few hobbies, you know? Don't you want to get to know me better, Xiaobai?"

"One of the few...hobbies..."

Bai Zhou couldn't help but laugh, which drew a playful slap from the immortal.

"Sister, tonight is the Mid-Autumn Festival, so eat less and save some room for the night market."

"...Okay, okay."

Clap your hands and shout with pride.

"Waiter, the bill!"

"Here it is! Sirs, this will be 120 coins in total. Would you like to pay in silver or coins?"

"Here, take it. The amount shouldn't be wrong."

A hint of reluctance flashed in Nian's eyes, and then she handed over the little money she had saved to the waiter.

"Wow, that's expensive. Just a few dishes and it cost so much. Xiaobai, do you think this restaurant is just ripping off tourists like us who look like we're from out of town?"

He patted his empty wallet with dissatisfaction, muttering a slight complaint about how high the prices were here.

"Did you enjoy your meal, sister?"

Looking at the immortal in this manner, Bai Zhou smiled and asked softly.

"Hmm, I'm fairly satisfied. Both the spiciness level and the type of chili peppers used are quite good."

"Then there's no need to worry about money anymore. As long as you're satisfied with the food, isn't that enough?"

Bai Zhou paused for a moment, then said:

"I paid for my sister's subsequent expenses."

Although he had always been the one paying for Nian's bills. Especially during the time when she was still active in the city, he would receive bills sent to him every two days.

However, these were all small sums of money related to food, and he was happy that they made him feel closer to Nian.

"Oh, I can't accept this. I can do it myself... So please take care of it, Xiaobai. I'll repay you handsomely."

She skillfully took his arm, her face showing an embarrassed smile but saying "It smells so good!"

"Then, how does my sister intend to repay me?"

A sense of curiosity arose in Bai Zhou's heart.

How could a penniless pauper repay him?

"Naturally..."

"Naturally, we need to be even more vigilant."

A cold wind howled past, and the falling snow, carried by the wind, blinded the pack animals.

On the city walls, the night watchmen are changing shifts.

"Phew, it's snowing again, what the heck?"

When Corporal Chen Ergou, who was coming to take over the defense, heard his comrades' complaints, he nodded in agreement.

"Yes, it's only Mid-Autumn Festival, but it's snowing here."