The courtyard remained quiet for a few moments after Violet's last sentence.
The wind moved through the trees.
Somewhere nearby—
Crunch.
Qiū Huà Bǐ looked at Mù Xiāo Xiāo.
Then at the bucket.
Then at Violet.
Then back at the bucket.
"...Is she ever not eating?"
"No," Violet answered.
Mù Xiāo Xiāo nodded.
"No."
Crunch.
Violet suddenly rubbed her forehead.
For the first time that night, she looked mildly tired.
"I've mostly been talking recently."
Qiū Huà Bǐ immediately pointed.
"Correct."
"Nobody asked."
He lowered his hand.
"...Fair."
Violet exhaled slowly.
"But from now on..."
She looked at Yè Yī.
Then Qiū Huà Bǐ.
Then Mù Xiāo Xiāo.
"It'll mostly be action."
Something about those words immediately sounded dangerous.
Qiū Huà Bǐ felt it too.
"...I don't like that sentence."
"You weren't supposed to."
Violet continued.
"Starting tomorrow."
"After classes."
"You'll train with Mù Xiāo Xiāo."
She turns to Mù Xiāo Xiāo, "There's food."
Silence.
Then—
"No."
The response was immediate.
Automatic.
Instinctive.
Qiū Huà Bǐ didn't even think before saying it.
Violet looked at him.
"No?"
"No."
"Reason?"
He pointed at Mù Xiāo Xiāo.
"She eats bones."
Crunch.
Mù Xiāo Xiāo looked down at the chicken.
"...That's unrelated."
"It absolutely isn't."
Yè Yī remained silent.
Hands in his pockets.
Thinking.
Training made sense.
Their Arms were changing too quickly.
The events at the ancestral residence alone had proven that.
Ignoring it wouldn't make it disappear.
So unlike Qiū Huà Bǐ—
He simply nodded once.
"Understood."
Qiū Huà Bǐ looked betrayed.
"That's it?"
Yè Yī looked at him.
"What else should I say?"
"I don't know."
"Argue."
"No."
"You could at least pretend."
"No."
Qiū Huà Bǐ sighed heavily.
Hopeless.
Both of them.
Violet turned toward Mù Xiāo Xiāo.
"Can you do it?"
"Yes."
Qiū Huà Bǐ sparks.
"Why?"
Mù Xiāo Xiāo thought for a moment.
Then:
"You promised food."
"..."
"..."
"..."
Qiū Huà Bǐ pointed dramatically.
"See?"
"At least she's honest."
That night ended shortly afterward.
No dramatic speeches.
No secret prophecies.
No ancient revelations.
Just four strange people standing in a ruined courtyard beneath the moon.
And for once—
Nobody knew how important that night would become.
The next morning—
Reality returned.
Or at least something resembling reality.
Monday.
8:03 AM.
University lecture hall.
Professor Wáng was halfway through explaining advanced theoretical mechanics.
Nobody was listening.
Not really.
Students typed.
Browsed.
Texted.
Pretended to take notes.
The usual.
Yè Yī sat near the window.
As always.
Silent.
Expressionless.
Meanwhile—
Qiū Huà Bǐ was staring at his notebook.
Not because he was studying.
Because Mù Xiāo Xiāo was standing outside the classroom window.
Watching.
Perfectly still.
Holding fried chicken.
Qiū Huà Bǐ froze.
"..."
The professor continued teaching.
Nobody noticed.
"..."
Mù Xiāo Xiāo raised a chicken wing.
In greeting.
Qiū Huà Bǐ immediately looked away.
Maybe if he ignored it—
It would disappear.
It did not.
After class—
She was still there.
Waiting.
Bucket included.
"Hello."
Qiū Huà Bǐ closed his eyes.
"No."
Mù Xiāo Xiāo looked confused.
"...You haven't heard the question yet."
"I know what the question is."
"Do you?"
"Unfortunately."
And thus—
Training began.
The first week was awful.
Absolutely awful.
Yè Yī spent most sessions learning control.
Precision.
Restraint.
The difference between using Ice and using Void.
The difference between attacking.
And releasing.
Mù Xiāo Xiāo rarely complimented anyone.
But occasionally—
She would nod.
Which somehow felt more valuable than actual praise.
Qiū Huà Bǐ's training was worse.
Much worse.
Because his Arm wasn't the problem.
His mind was.
The voices.
The thoughts.
The constant noise.
Every session became a battle against himself.
Against fear.
Against panic.
Against information.
Too much information.
Always too much.
The second week—
Several trees exploded.
The third week—
Half a hillside vanished.
The fourth week—
Qiū Huà Bǐ accidentally disabled every electronic device within two kilometers.
Including his own phone.
He mourned for three days.
The fifth week—
Yè Yī finally managed to maintain Void manifestation without destroying anything.
A milestone.
A dangerous one.
But still progress.
The sixth week—
Qiū Huà Bǐ learned how to silence the voices.
Not permanently.
Not perfectly.
But enough.
For the first time in years—
His own thoughts became louder than everyone else's.
The relief nearly made him cry.
He denied that accusation immediately.
The seventh week—
Mù Xiāo Xiāo started bringing extra food.
Nobody understood why.
Until one afternoon—
She handed Yè Yī a steamed bun.
Then handed Qiū Huà Bǐ another.
Then quietly sat beside them.
Eating.
No explanation.
No conversation.
Just company.
Neither of them mentioned it.
But they both accepted the food.
Every time.
The eighth week—
The four of them had fallen into a rhythm.
Classes.
Training.
Arguments.
Food.
Repeat.
Over and over.
Until eventually—
It stopped feeling strange.
And started feeling normal.
One evening, nearly two months after the night at the ancestral residence—
The sun was setting over the mountains.
Qiū Huà Bǐ sat on a large rock overlooking the training grounds.
Sweaty.
Exhausted.
Hungry.
Yè Yī sat nearby.
Quiet as always.
Mù Xiāo Xiāo was eating something.
As always.
And Violet stood slightly apart from them.
Watching the horizon.
Watching something else entirely.
Something only she could see.
For a long moment, nobody spoke.
Then Qiū Huà Bǐ broke the silence.
"...So."
"Are we stronger now?"
Violet didn't answer immediately.
The wind moved through the grass.
Then she finally spoke.
"Yes."
Qiū Huà Bǐ grinned slightly.
"Good."
Then he paused.
"...Because I don't think we've nearly suffered enough for the answer to be no."
For once—
Even Yè Yī looked like he agreed.
And somewhere behind them—
Mù Xiāo Xiāo quietly opened another bucket of fried chicken.
Crunch.