Best friend

Night had fallen, and all around was pitch black.

Lin Yun's knuckles turned white as he gripped the package tightly. Suddenly, he turned and crashed into the bamboo grove by the roadside. The sound of withered leaves shattering behind him remained at a distance of three zhang, like a thin blade hanging behind his neck.

Why hide your true colors and act so secretively? Wouldn't it be better to talk things out openly?

She was unaware that the person lurking in the shadows harbored murderous intent, but the place was too close to Shixi Village, and the person behind her showed no intention of leaving.

She must not lead him to Stone Creek Village.

Lin Yun suddenly stopped, tossed the package upwards, and drew a long sword from it. As she spun around, the scabbard had already slipped half an inch off the edge, and moonlight climbed up the mottled bamboo joints along the blade, its cold light reflecting on the face of the person opposite her.

Please enlighten me.

The bamboo shadows suddenly swayed like ghosts, and several silver rays shot out from the mechanism on the person's wrist. Lin Yun spun her sword, creating a sword flourish, and the sound of metal clashing against stone startled bamboo leaves into a flurry. The last silver needle pierced the ground behind her, instantly scorching the earth.

She leaped into the air, stepping on fallen bamboo stalks, and thrust her sword toward the man.

Unfortunately, it didn't hit him, but instead knocked his hood off.

Instead, it distracted the person.

Lin Yun was only three feet away from him at this moment, which was a good opportunity.

She flipped her wrist, and the tip of her sword pierced his chest, but a folding fan suddenly appeared from his sleeve, locking the sword in place.

In the back-and-forth struggle, the old bamboo exploded under the force of the two. The girl took advantage of the situation and flipped her wrist, the sword blade slicing along the fan ribs toward his throat. The man dodged to the side, the sword grazed his neck, but left no mark.

Previously, the bamboo shadows had obscured her view, but now she could finally see the person's face clearly.

Its skin had a bark-like texture, and only its eyes and left hand still resembled a human.

The man also saw Lin Yunwang's face clearly and was startled.

Taking advantage of the opponent's momentary lapse in concentration, Lin Yun closed in, his sword tip aimed directly at the eyes.

He had no intention of fighting again. Ignoring the folding fan on the ground, he ran wildly into the depths of the bamboo forest, showing signs of fleeing in panic.

The waning moon cast a flickering light on the hurried figure, making him appear like a startled male ghost.

acquaintance

Lin Yun knelt with her sword in hand, her cold sweat soaking her pale face. She knew that if they fought with raw strength, she would be at a disadvantage. She was only relying on her innate resonance ability to predict the killing move.

Moreover, this ability is extremely mentally taxing and should not be used for long periods of time.

At this moment, the spiritual platform in his mind was burning like boiling oil.

She dug her fingertips deep into her palms to keep her conscious until she vaguely saw Sang Zhao running towards her, then she let her consciousness sink into chaos.

Seeing that someone had already picked up Yun, the man in black who had been observing her condition from the treetop felt relieved and was about to leave.

But a voice sounded from behind, "Are you leaving already? This little tail that's been following me these past few days."

He spoke slowly and deliberately.

As the familiar roof beams gradually came into focus, Lin Yun finally woke up.

"You're finally awake." Sang Zhao immediately leaned over, his dark blue sleeves trailing behind the low stool. His eyes were bluish-gray, and his knuckles were still stained with cinnabar.

Her senior brother held a glass of lukewarm water to her lips, saying, "Moisten your throat first."

She stood up, took the teacup from Sang Zhao, took a sip to wash away the bloody taste in her mouth, lowered her head, and said in a muffled voice, "I'm sorry for causing you trouble."

“It’s not exactly troublesome. It’s just that this matter is strange, so it’s best if you work with me from now on.” Sang Zhao handed over a thick stack of talismans. “I drew these last night. Your spiritual platform is damaged, so use talismans as a guide to mobilize spiritual power in the next few days.”

He deeply felt that it was because his previous teachings had been too hasty that Yunwang's mind had been damaged.

"Let's start with the basics of spiritual energy control."

Sang Zhao was always like this. In terms of spiritual practice, he was like a strict priest, worshipping his most revered deity, yet his heart was truly gentle.

Lin Yun then saw the defensive talisman buried at the very bottom.

Seeing that she had finished drinking the water, he took the teacup and placed it on the round table, and began to tell her about the events of the evening.

From the moment Lin Yun stepped out of the village, he began to wait. First, he waited inside the house, then he moved to the village entrance to wait. "The bamboo forest is in a panic as birds fly around. If I go there, I won't have to calculate your location."

Lin Yunwang also told him in detail about what had happened that day.

Knowing he hadn't slept all night, she pushed him out the door and urged him to go back and rest.

"Oh no!"

Suddenly remembering his promise to Su Yue, Yun Wang threw off the covers and ran barefoot toward Yang Su Yue's residence.

When I got to the door, I knocked. The door wasn't locked; there was a crack in it.

Yang Suyue lay hunched over her desk, her long black hair spread out among the books, while the candle on the table had burned out, leaving only wax dripping down.

The fingertips touched the slightly cool shoulder, and the sleeping person suddenly trembled their eyelashes.

Lin Yun carefully lifted the back of her neck and saw that the pages of the book Su Yue was using as a pillow were stained with faint ink, and there were still traces of tears on her face.

"You've come." Her voice was a little hoarse.

"I'm sorry to have kept you so long..." Before she could finish speaking, Su Yue had already picked up a piece of jujube blossom pastry and placed it between her lips. "It wasn't that long, I didn't even notice the time passing by as I was turning the pages of the book."

"We made these pastries together this afternoon."

In the rising steam of the tea, her bright eyes curved like a crescent moon, and her cuffs were still covered with flour that hadn't been brushed off.

Yun ate pastries and drank tea. She wasn't actually hungry, but she didn't want to refuse Su Yue's kindness.

He said he wouldn't hurt anyone in Stone Creek Village.

"Now you can rest easy."

Seeing that she had finally relaxed a bit, I swallowed back the words I was about to say. If she's not honest again next time, and shuts me out, leaving me to bear the consequences alone, then I'll talk to her about it.

Yun shook her head slightly. "I have a feeling this matter isn't as simple as it seems." Otherwise, why would they put so much effort into it?

During the conversation, she consistently used her ability to empathize, and everything she said was true, though it's hard to say how much she omitted.

She suddenly remembered that in the teahouse, someone was talking about how several elderly people in the city were seriously ill, and their families were practically wearing out the threshold of the temple.

"Suyue, do you know anything about the Demon Clan?"

"I don't know. When I was born, there was already a barrier between the human and demon realms. A few years later, the demons were sealed away. I've only read some descriptions in books. I've heard they're incredibly ugly and their bodies are covered in black mist."

Do you think they will reappear?

This question surprised both of them.

Lin Yun hurriedly changed the subject, "I'll go check out the library in the city."

“I will go with you.” Yun Wang refused, and Yang Suyue did not insist.

"You brought an umbrella!"

Su Yue chased after him to the door, only to find that he had already disappeared into the rain. As she turned around, a corner of a letter peeked out from under the paperweight on the desk.

The inscription read: To my dearest friend, Suyue.

The letter detailed her search for medicine and her experiences searching for people over the past few days, as well as her upcoming trip to the Jingyin Sect—all things Yang Suyue wanted to know. The letter ended with:

I have not been able to be completely honest with you about many matters recently, and this is truly my fault. I know in my heart that I have been bearing these worries alone, causing you great anxiety, doubts about my trust in you, and even questions about the depth of our friendship. These are all untrue.

As I said before, you are my dearest friend and family. This feeling cannot be fully expressed in words, nor can it be measured by the kindness you have shown me. It is the deep bond between our hearts and our mutual concern that reveals the profoundness of this affection.

Furthermore, I am deeply grateful for your help. However, you are in poor health and should not overwork yourself. I cannot bear to see you worry about such trivial matters.

My dear friend Suyue, my dearest friend, my family member, please forgive my clumsiness.

May our friendship be like pine and cypress, evergreen even in the coldest of times.

Yunwang's handwritten letter

Amidst the sound of rain pattering on banana leaves, Yang Suyue read a letter by the dim light of a candle.

Five years ago, Lin Yun risked his own safety to save her, a complete stranger.

Yang Suyue was confined to a high-rise building from birth, her understanding of the outside world limited to books. Her first friend was like a legendary hero from a storybook—brave, upright, and fearless…

In her opinion, it seems that no amount of beautiful words in the world could be used to describe Yun Wang.

However, she was far less honest than Yun Wang.

When Yang Suyue read this letter, she felt both relieved and bitter.

She feared the tranquility here would be broken, feared that Yunwang would make new friends, and that the two would drift apart and cease all communication. And she herself would return to that high-rise, spending her days observing the sky, to write down her already predetermined fate.

The starry sky seen from high-rise buildings is far less expansive than the fence seen from here.