Lingtuo Tribe, inside the tent.

"Thirsty..."

Upon waking, Ling Xiaoxiao suddenly felt parched. She got up, rustling as she put on her shoes, and headed to the corner to get water.

Song Yan watched the graceful curves of her petite figure, and got up too, embracing her from behind.

In the quiet night of the prairie, the seemingly extinguished flame inside the small tent ignited once more.

As the fire blazed to the bedding again, Ling Xiaoxiao reached out, only to be pulled back by Song Yan.

"Senior Brother, it's so hot, I'm about to melt..."

"Senior Brother!"

Ling Xiaoxiao protested coquettishly.

But then, she obediently snuggled closer to Song Yan.

The earth-shaking moments had long settled. The scent of flames carried a slightly raw taste. The two melted together, listening to the whistling wind outside and the distant trickling of water, feeling the chilly solitude of the night.

Ling Xiaoxiao said, "That's called Yangjiao Lake. Every winter, it freezes over thick enough to skate on, and come spring, we can bring ice blocks back to boil water. The water we drink comes from there... I remember when I was little, sitting on the sleigh pulled by the black wolf of the tribe, sliding swiftly across the ice."

Pillow-talk always meanders whimsically, jumping around.

Song Yan detected the sentiment in her words.

This sentiment actually implies Ling Xiaoxiao's satisfaction with revisiting her old home and reestablishing her residence here.

She had fought hard outside, battled, struggled; she wanted to explore the broader world. But after decades of trying, lacking ability and opportunity, she returned to this homeland that birthed and nurtured her. Then she decided to spend her remaining days here, growing old with her beloved.

Ling Xiaoxiao suddenly asked, "Do you think what I say sounds rustic and silly?"

Her voice no longer quivered because, in her eyes, Senior Brother was already hers.

Just like this Lingtuo Tribe is her tribe, Yangjiao Lake is her lake, all making her feel at ease.

For the rest of her life, whether blessed or in peril, sick or healthy, she will spend it with the man in front of her, and no one else. This is a profound bond and attachment, lasting lifetimes until death.

Thinking about this made her even happier.

Without a response, Ling Xiaoxiao nudged the man and said, "Senior Brother, isn't it silly?"

Song Yan shook his head and replied, "Not at all. Such a life is very comfortable... I can already imagine how happy future days will be."

Ling Xiaoxiao sweetly said, "Yes, the soil here is fertile, far from disputes, and there aren't many Demon Beasts. If there were a great enemy, there's still the Sword Alliance. The Cultivation Realm is so dangerous..."

While speaking, she paused, her little head drifting elsewhere, so far as to conjure the menacing aura of the red-clad barefoot lady. Then she continued, "It's lucky you didn't acknowledge that master. If you did, I feel we'd not even be in the same world."

Song Yan thought for a while before realizing Ling Xiaoxiao was referring to the "Blood Plum Blossom" Feng Qiangwei.

Indeed, the gap between their levels was rather significant.

If Feng Qiangwei is a fierce tiger, Ling Xiaoxiao is just a little lamb.

And in Ling Xiaoxiao's view, the self returning with her to the tribe is also a little lamb. But if he followed Feng Qiangwei, he'd become a little tiger.

"So..."

Ling Xiaoxiao's voice suddenly held a bit of hesitation, then she pretended to be calm and said, "Senior Brother, I don't want to go to Cyan Phoenix Valley anymore. The earth's energy eruption always comes with Demon Beasts and fighting. Originally... I wanted to follow in Senior Brother's footsteps and planned to break through to Purple Mansion. But now that Senior Brother is here with me, I don't want to anymore. Moreover, Cyan Phoenix Valley will surely be dangerous. If Senior Brother takes me along, Senior Brother will face danger too. So... let's not go."

This was her final plea.

She no longer wanted to take risks or endure more struggles.

Song Yan suddenly said, "You said you skated at Yangjiao Lake as a child? Didn't Lingtuo Tribe ever relocate?"

Ling Xiaoxiao paused and said, "Our Lingtuo Tribe is in a good location, unlike other tribes. There is no earth energy eruption here, few Demon Beasts, and we're close to the Sword Alliance. You could call it a paradise. Since the tribe established itself, we have always been nearby, never far away. Why do you ask?"

Song Yan didn't answer, then suddenly asked, "How many cultivators have there been in your tribe since it was established?"

Ling Xiaoxiao said, "Just me! When my father found out I could cultivate, he was so happy."

Song Yan squinted, flashing in his mind the bandits' words of a "naturally blind, yet sight through the sword" Divinity Transformation expert — Ling Handeng, then said, "Then let's not go to Cyan Phoenix Valley. It's for the best."

Ling Xiaoxiao was taken aback, emotionally murmuring, "Senior Brother..."

...

The next morning, Song Yan donned his robe and together with Ling Xiaoxiao set foot on the prairie.

Ling Xiaoxiao even shed her snowy Sword Robe and changed into a loose long white cotton gown. She rode a white horse, galloping alongside her beloved across this endless plain.

Her black hair was no longer tied up but burned back like black flames. The white gown fluttered in the wind like ocean waves, with only a Blood Plum Blossom silk camisole wrapped beneath it.

She experienced the beauty of life away from cultivation, savoring the thrill of being together with her love.

Yangjiao Lake already appeared before her eyes.

The ice had melted away, and the tribe members of Lingtuo Tribe were fetching water by the lake, greeting her and Song Yan from afar.

She responded with a smile to their gestures.

Days like this, even if only half an hour, surpassed the joy of mountain life.

Song Yan also felt very happy.

Before long, the two galloping horses reached a deserted clearing.

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