It's natural to send off friends when they leave.
Zhu Changle walked with her hands behind her back, on Qiuli's left side, watching the two horses trotting and stopping ahead of them. She smiled, "Do they think we're all going together?"
"Mm."
Zhu Changle turned her head to look at the person whose expression remained as calm as ever. Since he learned to speak, he had never let any of her words fall to the ground unanswered. Even if it was just a simple "mm," he would always respond - such a friend was worth keeping.
"Once things are settled in Cloud North, I'll come visit you."
Qiuli stopped walking, turned to face Zhu Changle, and extended his hand toward her.
"Huh?" Zhu Changle was startled. She rummaged through her sleeve pocket and pulled out a tea snack she had stored there at some point, placing it in his palm. She had eaten plenty of these while hunting.
"..." Qiuli closed his palm, lowered that hand, and extended his other one.
"You want more?" Zhu Changle reached into her sleeve pocket again.
Afraid of receiving another tea snack, Qiuli reminded her, "The needle."
Needle? What needle... oh, the needle!
Zhu Changle had a sudden realization and pulled out the needle they had found on the attacked horse from her other sleeve pocket.
"Fengqi Alliance."
Upon hearing this, Zhu Changle's nose nearly twisted with anger, "I even helped plead their case when they went to ask the old monk for medicine!"
Is that really the point? Qiuli looked at her helplessly.
"This needle looks quite ordinary. Qiuli, how did you recognize it?" Zhu Changle took the needle from his palm and examined it from all angles. She was quite pleased - Qiuli was so useful! She had originally planned to buy information from the Exquisite Pavilion after settling matters in Cloud North... wait...
The sudden thought that entered her mind made Zhu Changle freeze. She slowly raised her head to look at Qiuli. The... the Exquisite Pavilion?
"Yes, the Exquisite Pavilion." Qiuli happily watched her dumbfounded expression, his fingers twitching slightly but ultimately holding back.
"I... you... you're from the Exquisite Pavilion?"
Qiuli untied the jade pendant from his waist and exchanged it for the needle in her hand. "With this, you can mobilize local forces at any Four Seasons Cloth Shop location. There's one in Gu'an."
Zhu Changle rubbed the smooth jade pendant - just by its quality, it was clearly of the highest grade.
"Can I use this to contact you?"
"Of course."
"I'll use this to find you once I'm done with everything here." Zhu Changle happily tucked it into her clothes. "Remember to tell the people at the Four Seasons Cloth Shop that this jade pendant should only be used for identification from now on. Use a different token for mobilizing forces - what if I accidentally lose it? I would only use them for fighting, but others might not. It's too risky."
Qiuli listened to her rambling without agreeing or disagreeing.
Zhu Changle frowned slightly, as if thinking of something unpleasant. Though reluctant, she took out the jade pendant again and held it out to return it. "No, this doesn't feel right. Remember when we first met? You picked up my luggage and returned it to me. With Aunt Feng following me, we've lost the virtue of returning found items - whatever she picks up becomes mine. Though it usually is mine, there have been a few times when it wasn't, but she still insisted they were mine."
Realizing she was starting to complain, Zhu Changle rubbed her nose and pulled the conversation back on track. "Anyway, I tend to lose things easily. It's not safe to keep this with me - you should give me something else."
"It's fine. If it's lost, this item becomes useless."
"Really?"
"Mm."
Zhu Changle swiftly tucked it back into her clothes and patted it. Good, it was hers now.
Qiuli's eyes held a smile as he watched her actions, seeing through her thoughts completely. This person was so vibrant, always full of life and energy.
Mounting his horse, Qiuli looked down at her from his higher position. "Don't push yourself too hard."
"Usually people I know tell me not to be too mischievous..."
"This isn't just about you, and it's not just your responsibility. Don't push yourself too hard."
Zhu Changle's eyes crinkled with her smile. "I know, I know, I'll make sure to have fun too."
"I'll have someone deliver your brother's medicine."
"Qiuli, you're such a good person." Zhu Changle cupped her hands in thanks. "Wait for me, things here are about to come to light. I'll come play with you afterward."
"I'm going now." Qiuli gently squeezed his horse's flanks, and Little One started running.
"Neigh..."
Zhu Changle patted Little Tail who was nuzzling her, amused yet helpless. "They're going home now. Our home is here - where else do you want to go?"
Up ahead, Little One also stopped and neighed twice. Qiuli patted its head, and only then did it reluctantly move on.
Horses don't understand farewells, yet they feel reluctance to part.
Zhu Changle hugged Little Tail and watched the man and horse until they disappeared from sight, only turning back home after a while.
How hateful partings are! Who knows when we'll meet again.
Aunt Feng landed silently beside her to keep her company.
"Aunt Feng."
"Mm."
"They've all left."
"Mm."
"Will Aunt Feng always be here?"
"Yes."
Zhu Changle looked up at the dark sky. "I miss Master."
"The Master surely misses you very much too."
"Why did Master go into closed cultivation? We haven't properly practiced in so long, and suddenly went into seclusion."
Aunt Feng remained silent. Usually, Zhu Changle would have noticed her unusual behavior, but now, affected by the emotions of parting, she merely thought Aunt Feng was quiet because she didn't know the reason either, after all, she had been exiled to the island with her before.
"Aunt Lan won't even let Old Golden and his wife send me a message. She must not miss me at all."
Aunt Feng encouraged, "Go back and hit her."
"Mm, hit her. Aunt Feng, I'll cheer you on." Zhu Changle waved her arms as if already cheering, her mood finally seeming to improve.
A hint of smile appeared in Aunt Feng's eyes. "You can show off your skills, let Lan Cao see how much you've progressed in these two years."
"Even though Aunt Feng says that, I won't fall for it." Zhu Changle pulled back the foot that was about to step into the trap. "I've only practiced the heart method to the sixth level, I can't withstand Aunt Lan's beatings."
"I'm not weaker than Lan Cao, yet you never say you can't withstand my beatings."
"Because you can't bear to hit me, but Aunt Lan can." Zhu Changle's face showed this was perfectly natural. "Every time Master beat me, it was Aunt Lan who handed over the stick. When Master wanted someone to watch me practice, she never called you - Aunt Lan was chosen most often because she was the strictest with me. Even when I cried, she would stuff cotton in her ears and pretend she couldn't hear."
Listening to this, bits and pieces of the past floated before her eyes. Those years seemed so long ago, yet every scene felt like it happened just yesterday. The child in her memories who would hug her and say "Aunt Feng, my bottom hurts a little" after getting hit during practice had now grown up, able to shoulder responsibilities and bear burdens, understanding right from wrong, turning out even better than they had ever hoped for.
"I miss the Master too."
Originally only one person was missing someone, now two people were. Zhu Changle felt this wouldn't do. Before being overwhelmed by longing, she crawled into her grandmother's bed. Yes, once asleep, she wouldn't think about Master anymore.
