Through Sun's, Autumn's, and a few other Cultivators' efforts, five blades of bluegrass were cut down and processed into medicine.
Small vats of this Blue Grass Medicine were distributed among the injured, which aided in their recovery.
As the last of the corpses was buried, Corpse Mountain's Settlement Lord—now known as Ji Shi—held a small commemorative ceremony for those who had died through the journey.
"We are already familiar with how cruel the world is, how cruel Night is. Look at these graves; this is all we can afford after a life of relenting giving and taking. But in our final moments, we can still give our bodies to a noble cause."
"Our fallen people will rest here, these Blue Grass serving as tombstones, as they feed the soil with their life's culmination."
"May we remember them as we leave, and remember not of our glory, but of our humble beginnings."
Leaving behind a few words, the denizens of Corpse Mountain Settlement left quietly from the scene.
They knew not to linger on sorrow, for it would only be a moment until the convoy moved again.
Sun was helping to prepare some of the middlemost carriages for moving.
He set the vats of Blue Grass medicine into a small box and left it beside the injured.
"We are finally beginning to move again."
Hopping out and shutting the carriage's doors, Sun tread along to the next carriage.
"I hope this journey can be kinder to the people. At least, I do not wish to see anyone else harmed so badly."
"Although..."
Looking towards the back of the convoy, Sun couldn't help but feel a heavy weight on his heart.
Call of Winter had taken the rear of the convoy, protecting the backmost carriages; a position Sun and Shade of Autumn had shared.
'Do they not trust me and Autumn with protecting the back...? No... They must finally be acting because of the situation... but why now?'
'If they had acted before, then we would not have suffered so many casualties, if any at all...'
"But why are you blaming them~?"
Sun stiffened as something like a cold knife raked down his back, knocking against every vertebrae in his spine.
It pressed through his robes; the pale finger stopped at the small of his back.
"Should you not blame yourself~?"
Sun couldn't answer, nor could he move.
The voice speaking to him from behind was cold. It felt familiar, that sickly purr, that undermining tone.
A drop of sweat fell down Sun's brow as he tried 'will' his body to move or his mouth to reply, but all that happened was a thought that arose in his mind.
As abruptly as it had occurred, the chill was gone; a breath lingered only on his ear before disappearing with the wind.
Shivering, Sun wiped the sweat on his brow, as he thought to himself:
'Even as I acted... I couldn't protect those people...'
'How could I get mad at my seniors for not stepping up sooner? If I hadn't failed the mere task of protecting the convoy... then they wouldn't have had to have stepped up...'
Even upon reaching this mountain peak, Sun did not feel satisfied, but he also did not feel humble.
Since Thin Stream Valley, there had been difficulty after difficulty; treading the soil for four nights thereafter had been an ordeal in itself.
While reaching this Blue Grass Mountain may be commendable, a goal in their long journey, reaching this milestone did not feel satisfying at all.
Sun knew that beyond this mountain were even more difficulties.
He judged himself by his past performances and felt great dissatisfaction rising in his heart.
'If I could not do something so simple... how daring am I to boast? How daring am I to be satisfied? How daring am I to try to have ambition?'
But what he felt next was not discontentment for himself, or a deep sorrow for what he lacks, but seething hatred for the world around.
Thoughts like...
'How dare they step on me!'
'How dare they enforce this on me!'
Or:
'How dare they try to suppress me!'
Popped into mind.
Although they did not feel like his own thoughts, he did not care.
Although he was seething, it did not show on his face.
Although Sun was troubled, he chose to endure it through sheer perseverance.
Without moving his head, he felt his perception move towards the sky.
Cold. High. Dark. Empty.
All-seeing. All-encompassing. All-knowing. All-ruining.
Watching me. Suppressing me. Trying to kill me.
This is what he felt was directed at him from above, and it caused him to stagger.
Leaning forward as he fell, he brought his arm up to rest against the closed carriage doors before him.
Head hung low, his brow slick with sweat, and his mind cluttered with thoughts that he couldn't control.
But he wasn't exasperated because of these thoughts, nor did he feel exhausted from the labour, nor did he reject these thoughts.
"Ah..."
That light grunt slipped from his lips.
Sun was feeling overwhelmed.
Everything around him seemed to overwhelm him.
It seemed like a mixture of pure hatred against the world, dissatisfaction with himself, and an overwhelming sensation from above.
Just as it was beginning to tear his mind apart, it quickly began to calm.
The heavy pressure that was on his mind was like a mountain, but it gradually lightened to something like a hill, then to a mere stone.
Till finally, it eased completely.
"Are you okay, Sun?"
He struggled to look behind him, but he found Shade of Autumn's hand raised to his head.
"Ah... Autumn...?"
"I noticed that the Dao Art around your head had begun unravelling... Forgive me, I wasn't paying attention to the Dao Art's duration."
"..."
Sun raised himself and wiped his brow.
All those overwhelming sensations waned, but a few thoughts were still lingering on his mind.
"Don't worry about it..."
"How long was that going on for? Did your Forced Immersion give you much trouble?"
"No... Not much at all... it just caught me off guard."
As the two conversed over Sun's condition, they were unaware of the two pairs of eyes looking in their direction.
One of a gentle cold, but with a subtle hint of warmth in their eyes. This gaze was towards Sun.
The other of an abyssal black, but with a different cold in their eyes. This gaze was towards Autumn.