In the courtyard of the Cai's temporary residence, the winter sun filtered through bare branches, painting the ground in a shifting lace of light and shadow. Meimei sat cross-legged on a mat, her tiny hands clutching a soft cloth doll. Baiyu lay curled nearby, her white scales gleaming faintly as Meimei reached out to drape a thin string of dried flowers over her. The serpent flicked her tongue once, patient as always.
Cai Feng and Mei Liao stood beneath the veranda, watching the scene with quiet fondness. Meimei tilted her head from side to side, her curious eyes scanning the courtyard as if searching for someone.
"She's looking for him again," Mei Liao murmured, her lips curving faintly.
Cai Feng followed her gaze. "She adores her brother. I'm not surprised."
Mei Liao hesitated, her fingers brushing her sleeve. "I'll admit, when I learned I was with child again… I was very happy, yet also worried. Feiyin was already so grown up, and his path so difficult. I feared he might… keep his distance."
Her husband gave a low, warm chuckle. "You underestimate him. Our son's heart is wide. Look at the people he's gathered to his side. Companions from all walks of life, that's proof enough."
She smiled at that, a hint of relief in her eyes. "The two we've met, Qingling and Ruan… both are endearing in their own ways." Her gaze became a touch teasing. "Do you think he's interested in either of them?"
Cai Feng laughed outright. "Take it slow, Liao. They're young. We're not in any rush for grandchildren."
Their mirth softened into thoughtfulness, and Mei Liao's expression grew pensive. "Speaking of children… Feiyin mentioned a group of orphans he sometimes helps. Before he left, he asked us to look after them while he's away."
Cai Feng nodded. "Then we should go. No sense in delaying."
They waited until Meimei's nap, leaving her in Baiyu's care, along with Sun Ke, Jiang Hu, and the other trusted guards. Then, cloaked against the cold, they walked through the city to a modest orphanage. The building was small but sturdy, with a neat courtyard enclosed by a low wall. Laughter and shouts of play drifted over as they approached.
Inside, children ran and sparred, some practicing simple breathing forms that Cai Feng recognized instantly. His lips twitched in pride- it was his own body tempering technique, passed from Feiyin to them.
The caretaker greeted them, and after a quiet exchange and a discreet tip, they were allowed into the courtyard. The children paused to glance at them but quickly resumed their games, though their eyes flicked back often with shy curiosity.
Mei Liao reached into her sleeve and drew out a simple woven straw hat, marked with a sun symbol in faded dye. "This," she said softly, "was a gift you gave to Feiyin."
The children stilled.
"He sent us to check on you while he's away," Mei Liao continued gently. "Is Jin here?"
From among a group training near the wall, a boy stepped forward. His frame was lean but healthy now, his hair smooth, eyes bright though still cautious. "Feiyin never sends anyone," he said slowly. "And he hides his face most times. Who are you?"
Mei Liao's smile was warm as she gestured to herself. "I'm his mother. And this is his father."
Jin blinked, glancing from her to Cai Feng, taking in the resemblance- the same eyes, the same quiet strength in their bearing. A ripple of realization passed among the children, and their wary posture eased into surprise, then tentative smiles.
Far to the north, Feiyin stood at the base of the Five Fingers Mountain Range. The jagged peaks rose like colossal stone digits against a pale winter sky, snow tracing the ridges in silver-white. He had spent the previous day combing the range for a suitable hiding spot, but every cave he found was either too exposed or home to tiered beasts.
At last, he found a secluded waterfall, its curtain of water veiling the cliff face behind it. Drawing his saber, he channeled his essence qi into its edge, fusing it with his saber intent until it gleamed with a keen, resonant light. One strike cleaved a perfect block of stone from the cliffside, the earth elemental energy in his essence qi powered by his intent lifting it aside with patient force. Again and again, he carved and removed, until a broad hollow yawned behind the falling water- a man-made cave, spacious enough for his work.
From his pouch, he withdrew two formation plates- one for concealment, one for energy suppression. Following the engraved instructions, he fixed them into the cave walls, feeling the arrays hum faintly to life. Satisfied, he set down a cauldron of his own making, its patterns etched deep and dark along its bronze curve.
Here, at last, he could begin.
First, he would refine several cultivation pills- some for himself, others for his companions and family. For himself, he would create pills to accelerate and deepen his yin refining, honing the realm to its utmost. For his companions, he intended something rarer: runic pills designed to enhance their innate aptitudes. This was the most fearsome gift of true alchemy- building upon what already existed, elevating the ordinary and transforming it into the extraordinary. He recalled from the trial archives that in the Jade Celestial Dynasty, runic alchemists had been few, yet their works reshaped clans. Those wealthy or powerful enough to secure their aid strengthened each new generation, forging a cycle of growth that seemed unbreakable.
He knew such a pill might grant him little, his foundation already beyond ordinary measure, his potential sharpened with each step due to his oscillation sense. But for his companions and family, such a gift could bridge the chasm between them, giving them the tools to walk beside him instead of far behind.
Runic alchemy did not merely aid cultivation like regular alchemy, it redefined it. Pills and artifacts both could alter destinies.
And the last on his list was the most vital: an artifact designed to cleanse the parasite clinging to his companions' hearts. It would be a delicate work, attuned to the signature of the infestation, purifying it without harming the host. He envisioned what to refine and how, while pondering upon the implications. If successful, it would sever that hidden chain forever.
In the quiet cave, with the waterfall's song as a backdrop, Feiyin began preparing for the first batch.
This time, he also drew on select treasures from his travels- ingredients the Xu Capital could never provide. A vial of Pure Essence Water, once discovered with Baiyu beneath a hidden islet, shimmered faintly as it met the mixture, its clarity carrying an echo of the deep sea's calm. Threads of yin dew, painstakingly gathered in the Greenwood Kingdom's ancient forests, glistened like frost under moonlight as they joined the blend, weaving their tranquil chill into the brew.
He recalled the same feeling from his past peak moments in alchemy, letting the world's essence flow through his oscillation sense as though strings of an invisible zither. Each element was a note, and as he worked, the movements of his hands and the shifts of his essence matched an unspoken melody until, like a master musician reaching the end of a perfect performance, a symphony blossomed into being.
From the cauldron's heart emerged a pill etched with a rune that shimmered dark and heavy, yet soft and enveloping- its surface almost seeming to drink in the surrounding light, while faint ripples of shadowy luminescence moved across it like moonlight over still water. It was a true manifestation of yin, rich and profound.
Feiyin did not interrupt the world's reaction this time; instead, he watched intently, eyes bright with both focus and quiet curiosity, as essence from every direction streamed toward the pill in gentle yet unstoppable currents. The gathered essence wrapped the rune like a silken cocoon, recognizing and blessing its birth.
Through his oscillation sense, he felt the deep, resonant pull of yin energy bending toward the pill's presence, as if the very world acknowledged its place within the grand balance. With his spiritual sense, he traced the churn of essence beyond the cave walls, its surging power softened and muted within the layered arrays, though a faint ripple still escaped into the frozen wilds, carrying with it a whisper of the pill's existence.