Liming Zi was not present at the accommodation she shared with Sun.
While Sun was refining the Innate Qi within his Rising Dragon, Liming Zi found herself in the lower district of Union Settlement.
The Settlement was built on a mountain, with its entire area covered by ring-like layers.
Located on the mountain's highest peak was Immortal Union's monastery. Immortals usually occupy the highest place, residing nearest the Starlit Sky.
The uppermost ring was meant for Cultivators and other authoritative figures.
The middlemost ring was mostly dedicated to districts that provide services and produce, such as the Commerce District.
While the lower regions were dedicated to labourous duties, transporting wares, manufacturing, and so on...
...
Travelling under the bright starlight, Liming Zi found herself walking amidst a crowd.
In some areas, the warm scent of food pervaded the air; in other areas, the rich smell of wine was carried by the gentle breeze.
There were plenty of people in this area, and each of varying appearances.
Liming Zi blended into the crowd with her dark blue robes, the most common colour of Union Settlement.
Eventually, the streets opened up, forming a court, where a herbal scent wafted to Liming Zi's nose.
'Qing Tian's Park.'
Standing before an ornate gate, Liming Zi read the sign posted overhead.
This park was about one hundred meters wide and some hundred meters long.
The trees shimmered in the bright light, living the last of their verdant nights before the coming of fall.
Wind rustled the leaves and spread the herbal scent.
Liming Zi remarked on the peculiar name, but also remarked on the nature of this park.
She stepped through the gate and walked through the park.
There were pavilions, small and cosy, dotted around in the most scenic spots.
In a secluded corner of the park, placed upon elevated grounds, was another such pavilion, and one which Liming Zi occupied.
It had a circular roof and base; its architecture was ornate and wore a brown and green aesthetic.
A table stood in the centre on a single leg. On the table was another circular basin composed of multiple rings.
The innermost ring had a hole within, the middlemost ring displayed ceramic cups of blue and white lustre, and the outermost ring was filled with wooden slips.
"Young miss, will you be dining alone?"
A voice seemed to fall from the roof of the pavilion. Although it seemed as if nothing was there, Liming Zi's scrutiny could make out the faint presence of Qi.
"I will remain alone."
"Please, look through our selection of tea and place an order by dropping a wooden slip into the hole."
Liming Zi looked through the slips and eventually dropped one into the hole in the centre of the table.
In a breath's time, a small white cloud rose from the hole. It was spotless, pure white in colour, but emanated a strong herbal scent.
Liming Zi picked up one of the ceramic cups and placed it under the cloud, which began to rain droplets of rich amber liquid.
While filling her cup, Liming Zi's thoughts strayed elsewhere.
'When was the last time Father took me to the lower districts...?'
As the amber liquid reached a certain point, the cloud stopped raining, but remained in the air.
Taking a sip, the warm amber has a warm, savoury flavour reminiscent of honey. There were bitter notes and floral notes, but sweetness dominated the overall flavour.
'Do not remove your gaze from the world around you...
'I understand the meaning behind these words, but what about the sentiment?'
Liming Zi recalled the final words Immortal Defiance spoke to her, the final words her father left behind.
With a heavy sigh, she took another sip of her tea.
'With the view before me, how could the world escape my gaze?
'Unless I close my eyes and turn away... the world with always be in my view... But the world itself should not be a concern...
'Looking up at the sky, there is the sky dominated by Night, and the Starlit Sky of Golden Youth...'
Both skies seemed to coexist, but also existed in a constant state of conflict.
'But it is not the vastness which I should focus on... but the stars themselves. When I look at the world, the lands and mountains, what should I be looking at?'
From this elevated position, Liming Zi could see the park around her and the scant people walking through the scenery or sitting in the pavilions.
During her walk through the Settlement, she looked over the various people that crossed her path.
Even recent memories flickered in her mind; when she last saw Sun... when she last saw her people...
The final hour of Star Gazing Settlement's fall, the final moments before the fog encroached all, and even the final moments before her father fell.
Yet. Here she is...
Taking another sip, Liming Zi found the tea to be subtly sweeter than before.
'Ordinary lives are menial under the vastness of Night's Sky, and even under the Starlit Sky.
'But no lives are menial... These ordinary nights, these moments spent in idleness and relaxation...
'Even under such an overarching sky, people continue to live... Even as tragedy strikes, people continue to live.'
Swirling the tea in her cup, she took another sip; the sweet notes and bitter notes seemed to blend into one.
"Live on... proudly... as you are, and how you wish...
"Is this what you mean by your final words?"
Liming Zi shook her head with a smile.
Looking at the world around her, the smaller details suddenly felt clearer.
Immortal Defiance's final words were like a reminder to Liming Zi.
It was reassuring her to continue, while not forgetting the roots she had founded herself on.
And this moment of clarity allowed her to solidify it, once again.
'I will fight... I will persevere...'
Once again, the colour of the amber tea seemed to shift to a lighter hue.
The ebbing lake seemed to be still, and the heart felt lighter.
'I will defy. Not only for myself, but for my people... For the people, and the world around me.'
...