The four of them spent the night talking in Yang Jinshu's house until it was late. It wasn't until Zhu Xiurong grew too tired to stay awake that Yang Jinshu, at her mother's request, escorted her back to the new disciples' living quarters to rest.
Liu Yunan and his sister, Liu Shengsheng, didn't feel too deeply affected by meeting their grandmother in person for the first time, as she had only existed in stories told by their mother. Instead, they were mostly happy for their mother.
Meanwhile, Yang Jinshu, after returning home late at night, sat alone under the lamplight, holding the urn containing her father's ashes that her mother had brought for her, quietly murmuring to him. Over the years, she had accumulated so many things she wanted to tell her parents.
Early the next morning, Lin Xiao had already heard that Liu Yunan's grandmother was among the new disciples.
Since the next day would be the Lingxian Sect's first official day of teaching cultivation to the new disciples, and Lin Xiao was the lecturer for that first day, there were still some details he needed to confirm with Liu Yunan.
Seeing that the light in Liu Yunan's room was still on, Lin Xiao decided to visit him.
He assumed that, given how late it was, Liu Yunan must still be working. But when he entered the room, he was surprised to find that the usually busy Liu Yunan, who rarely had free time, was sitting absentmindedly at the table, propping his chin in his hands.
Lin Xiao waved his hand in front of Liu Yunan's face and sat down next to him, asking:
"What's on your mind? You seem pretty deep in thought."
Liu Yunan sighed softly, resting his chin on his hand.
"I was just thinking… sometimes it's hard to tell whether this world is big or small."
"What kind of event made you start pondering such things?" Lin Xiao asked, surprised.
Liu Yunan then recounted the story of their reunion with his grandmother and the past twenty years of separation between his mother and grandmother.
"What? You're telling me your grandmother traveled with a Foundation Establishment cultivator for nearly three years just to get from the cultivation world to the mortal world?" Lin Xiao was shocked.
Was the cultivation world really that far from the mortal world?
Despite his many trips to the cultivation world, Lin Xiao hadn't realized this. After all, he had always used the Heaven and Earth Transfer Plate, which, although not cheap, made the journey quick and easy. He had never personally explored the actual route between the two worlds.
Hearing how long the journey took made him feel the cost of the transfer plate was well worth it.
Liu Yunan nodded.
"Yeah, three years. And just think—if the distance between the mortal world and the cultivation world is that vast, not to mention the numerous countries in the mortal world, and the fact that, according to Elder Liao, the cultivation world has many regions beyond the Southern Spiritual Domain. It's so huge, I can't even begin to imagine it."
"But in such a vast world, my grandmother still ended up in the cultivation world all those years ago. Then, after twenty years, she somehow made it back and reunited with my mother."
He sighed again, a mixture of wonder and sorrow crossing his face.
"It's just a shame my grandfather couldn't make it back. His health deteriorated during their journey, and he didn't survive…"
Hearing this, Lin Xiao patted his shoulder and offered some comfort.
"The deceased have passed on. What's important is that we focus on the living. At least your grandmother managed to reunite with Aunt Yang, right? From now on, make sure your grandmother continues her cultivation. She can extend her life and make up for the time she lost with your mother."
After pausing, Lin Xiao added, "Speaking of your grandfather, I had an idea. You mentioned looking for a place to bury him. How about we create a dedicated resting place within the sect for our fellow disciples and their close family members?"
"Huh?" Liu Yunan was a little startled by the sudden shift in conversation. "Isn't there already a graveyard near the village?"
Besides, being only seventeen, Liu Yunan hadn't thought much about death.
"That graveyard belongs to the village, but many people in our sect aren't from the village." Lin Xiao explained.
"And in the future, as we recruit more disciples, fewer and fewer will come from Xiushui Village. Burying them in the village graveyard wouldn't be appropriate."
He looked at Liu Yunan and continued.
"Although we're cultivators aiming for immortality, time is relentless. Even I'm only at the Nascent Soul stage. No one can say for certain whether we'll achieve immortality, or that we won't face unforeseen dangers. So I thought, why not build a place where the deceased can rest peacefully?"
"In that way, you can lay your grandfather to rest here, and your family will be able to visit him whenever they wish."
This suggestion stirred Liu Yunan's heart.
"I think that's a great idea. I'll talk to Jianghe about it tomorrow."
"Good. Once you've worked out the details, we can discuss it at our next meeting with everyone," Lin Xiao said.
Although it wasn't exactly a joyous topic, it was something worth discussing with the rest of the sect.
Life has two great matters: what happens in life, and what happens after it. The people of Xiushui Village weren't particularly superstitious about such things.
As they continued talking, the conversation drifted further and further off course.
It wasn't until the sky outside began to lighten that they realized it was already morning.
"Hurry! Brother Xiao, we've got to teach the class!" Liu Yunan hurriedly got to his feet, flustered.
Lin Xiao quickly gathered up the lesson materials they had been discussing and stuffed them into his storage, then rushed out the door to head to class.
Over in the new disciples' living area, there was a similar sense of urgency and chaos.
After spending two nights in the sect, it was time for their first lesson.
But many of the new disciples had only just learned how to dress themselves with the help of their peers the day before—and they still hadn't figured out how to do their hair!
Since they had only stayed one night initially, their hair hadn't become too messy, and a bit of water could smooth it down easily enough. But after two nights, their previously well-groomed hairstyles, done by servants, had completely unraveled.
And now, they had to attend class.
Unlike dressing, doing one's hair wasn't as easy to learn on short notice. So, those who were adept at hairdressing quickly helped those who weren't, giving them all simple and efficient hairstyles—high ponytails—that made them look neat and energetic.
Thankfully, everyone had woken up early. With the help of their enthusiastic fellow disciples, those who lacked self-care skills managed to avoid attending their first class with disheveled hair.
By the time the new disciples arrived at the Cultivation Hall one by one, Lin Xiao was already seated at the front, calmly flipping through the lesson materials laid out on the lectern.