The scent of sizzling herbs and oil filled the modest but refined kitchen tucked into the side of Mu's residence. Shen Mu stood barefoot on the smooth stone floor, his sleeves tied up, carefully slicing a bell pepper into thin slivers over a heated wok. The flames licked gently under the pan, steady and precise. A small plume of spicy steam wafted into the air, curling around his face.
He didn't look like someone who had recently become a first-class outer disciple, or someone capable of brewing poisons deadly enough to kill silently in seconds. But here he was, humming softly to himself, brow furrowed in thought.
The soft sizzle was therapeutic. Still, his mind wasn't on the food.
He'd done it. He had reached the peak of the Qi Flow Phase a while ago, passed the tests as an Essence Alchemist, and been granted the title of first-class outer disciple. The achievement should've made him proud, but it had only reminded him of the promise they made.
Bring them together again. Ren. Yue. That had always been the goal.
The gentle creak of the side door opening snapped him from his thoughts. Mu didn't need to look.
"Mu, are you trying to kill us with spice again?" Yue's voice called out, sleepy yet teasing.
He smiled faintly. "Just enough heat to wake you up, sleepyhead."
Yue stepped into the room, the sunlight catching in her snow-white hair as she leaned against the doorway. She had grown tall in their absence- lithe and strong- her beastkin lineage subtly visible in the feline sharpness of her golden eyes, the slight swish of a white-furred tail behind her, and the faint flick of white-tufted ears atop her head.
Her nose twitched. "Smells like pepper. Didn't I tell you not everyone has your poison-proof guts?"
Mu stirred the wok, amused. "If it kills you, I'll know my concoctions work."
Yue chuckled and padded over, barefoot like him, peering into the pan. "What are you making?"
"Stir-fried chicken with rice. Something simple, but balanced."
"You've been fussing over this for hours."
"We're adults now. I thought we could at least act like it, but I honestly don't feel much different."
"Don't go soft on me, Mu."
"Not soft. Sentimental."
The kitchen door slammed again.
"Ugh… what time is it?" Ren stumbled in, rubbing his red eyes. His ash grey hair was a tangled mess, and a sigil-drawing brush was tucked behind one pointed ear. Despite his half-demon heritage, his face always carried a certain sleepy innocence in the mornings- an illusion that vanished once he started drawing formations.
"You missed the sunrise again," Yue said.
Ren flopped into a chair, yawning. "I was modifying the concealment talisman. Old Zhou said it could be better."
"You're always modifying something," Mu muttered, sliding a few plates onto the counter.
"I like being productive," Ren said, then blinked. "Wait… are you cooking? Did I die and wake up in the spirit realm?"
"No, but keep talking and I'll make sure your portion is extra spicy," Mu replied.
Ren grinned. "Now that's the Mu I know."
Yue settled onto a cushion across from Ren, flicking her claws lazily. "Do you remember when he called us here? That smug look he wore, like he'd just pulled off the greatest heist in the sect."
Mu's hands stilled. The memory returned vividly.
The day he'd earned his new rank had been a whirlwind. He didn't wait. He burned through his points and secured a residence in the branch hills- secluded, large enough for them, with space for a garden and formations. Then he sent the transfer requests.
He remembered pacing the main hall, pretending to organize things that didn't need organizing. Every passing second felt longer than the last.
Then, just as the second sunbeam pierced through the outer lattice, Ren had arrived.
"Nice formations," Ren had muttered first, half-impressed, half-teasing as he examined the entrance. "Subtle, reactive, precise… you really did it, huh?"
Mu had stood there, arms crossed. "I told you I would."
Ren had turned, cloak fluttering behind him, and offered a grin. "You dragged us back together, you idiot."
Not long after, Yue came. Her arrival had been thunder.
She stepped through the gate with blood on her knuckles, nose wrinkled in irritation.
"You're late," Mu had said, hiding the relief in his voice.
"I had to punch someone," she shot back. "They said I was wasting my potential by joining some alchemy circle."
Mu had just smiled, "And?"
"They're unconscious now."
Ren had laughed, loud and sudden, and for the first time in what felt like years, it felt like home.
They had all slightly changed. Stronger, sharper, older- but still them.
"I thought you'd grown tired of us," Ren said now, snapping Mu from his reverie.
Mu's eyes softened, the memory of their parting heavy in his chest. "We didn't separate out of choice."
Ren lowered his gaze, nodding slowly. "No... we didn't."
Mu continued, his voice quieter. "I never grew tired of you, well, maybe it was quieter without Yue..."
"Hey," Yue replied with a smirk, snatching a piece of meat off the big plate with her claws. The moment it touched her tongue, her eyes widened and she winced, fanning her mouth. "Hot!"
Without hesitation, a swirl of frost bloomed from her lips as she instinctively channeled her Ice-infused Essence Qi to cool the burn, the faint shimmer of cold mist dancing in the air. The sheen of icy energy slid across her tongue and throat like velvet snow, and the redness in her face faded instantly. Her golden eyes narrowed at Mu in mock accusation.
"You're still trying to kill me through food, aren't you?"
"You're the one who stole it," Mu said, raising an eyebrow.
Ren snorted. "Serves you right."
Yue grinned, wiping a bit of lingering mist from her lips. Her beastkin aura had matured; her movements were sharper, more fluid, her presence laced with quiet danger. The full awakening of her Snow Lynx bloodline had brought forth an innate command over Ice, refining her already blinding speed and giving her attacks a chilling edge. Among their trio, she had become the swiftest- a predator cloaked in elegance and devastation.
Ren leaned back, still holding a chopstick like a talisman brush. "You're still showing off your ice? I wouldn't say no to some cold treats though," he said with a small grin, flicking his fingers.
His voice held pride. His half-demon blood had long marked him as different, but it was through relentless study and tireless experimentation that he reached the Elemental Infusion Realm. The sigils and formations he once drew mechanically had become alive under his control. Wind was his element now; motion, freedom, and invisible force. His talismans moved with silent cunning, weaving in and out of the air like a second skin. His formations pulsed like breath, reactive and unpredictable.
Yue stretched her claws, ice spreading over them while mist hung over her hand and stretched toward Ren, "You sure you want some cold threats?" Her tone was teasing, a sly smile curling her lips.
Ren grinned, unfazed. "Well, they do say some dishes are best served cold."
He reached out for his sigil brush, the wind gently stirring around him, caressing his hair as it gathered at the tip like it too was eager to join the fray.
"Now now," Mu said, raising his voice just enough to cut through the growing tension, "children, it's time to eat. Save the duels for after dessert."
Mu watched the interplay between them, a slight smile tugging at his lips as warmth swelled in his chest at the familiar sight he grew used to and missed. He had changed too. His cultivation with poisons had never been about destruction- it was intimacy, knowledge, understanding every trace of toxin and antidote until he could breathe their nature. From that symbiosis, both his mind and body formed something that belonged to him, and Poison intent was born. His Essence Qi now carried that virulent sharpness, and combined with the essence qi threading technique he mastered, every thread he spun for pill crafting or battle bore the sting of calculated life and death. His body adapted too, resisting toxins most could never survive, allowing him to layer venom onto his attacks with impunity.
The three of them had reached new heights, and they had done it together, even while apart. Ren and Yue had unlocked their elemental affinities through the sheer strength of their foundations- reaching perfection in body tempering and achieving the peak of meridian opening, a feat which, in their respective races, was known to awaken dormant bloodline affinities. For Ren, that meant drawing upon the whispering agility of wind; for Yue, the freezing clarity of ice. As for Mu, though the human race bore no such intrinsic affinity, he too had forged a peerless foundation. And in that completeness, he unknowingly discovered the human gift- versatility. He adapted. He immersed himself in the delicate dance of poisons and antidotes, learned from pain and healing both, until poison itself became his path. His element wasn't born of a bloodline- it was earned, brewed in persistence and curiosity, cultivated like his pills. It was uniquely his, and all the more potent because of it.
They may have advanced, but they didn't break through carelessly. It was only after Ren succeeded in his talisman research- with Zhou Rui's guidance and careful confirmation- that they moved forward. The talismans he created weren't just basic concealments; they bore intricate camouflage layers, hiding essence qi fluctuations and projecting false cultivation signatures. They tested them in secret, passing under the scrutiny of sharp-eyed deacons and wary disciples. Only once they were certain of their safety, confident that they could walk unnoticed among the sect, did they allow themselves to ascend. They refused to delay their growth any longer, not out of recklessness, but because they knew stunting their cultivation would be the greater risk.
Mu turned off the heat, plating the food.
Yue's voice broke the momentary quiet, her golden eyes flicking toward the open window. "I wonder when Feiyin will return…"
Ren toyed with the edge of a chopstick. "Do you think he's okay?"
Mu stared out the window. "He's alive. That much I'm sure of."
Yue's voice was quiet. "I wanted to show him my new skills."
"It's fine," Mu said. "You can perfect them even more in his absence, then shock him when he returns."
They began eating in silence. The warmth of the kitchen filled the space between their words.
Shortly later, the Runeweavers trickled in; Lirael first, loud and laughing, teasing Mu for still cooking, until she started to sweat after the first bite. Auren came next, quiet but nodding respectfully. Zayesh brought along a bottle of essence wine which he promptly poured for everyone before digging into the food. Yan Xue rolled her eyes at the group but took a plate anyway.
They had grown. Every single one of them. Since overtaking the Sky Hammer faction in an alchemy duel, their name carried weight. Still, Mu had refused to expand the Circle.
"We wait for him," he said simply.
No one argued.
The laughter was soft that night, the smiles genuine. But behind every glance, every shared look, there was an unspoken promise.
We'll be stronger when he returns.