Being a recluse wasn't as easy as it looked.
Li Zhexian's plan to retreat into seclusion and cultivate quietly in his newly built hut had already fallen apart.
There were two reasons for this:
First—he had completely forgotten to inform Xue Qinghe, and ended up standing him up.
Second—he didn't have enough brewing equipment and still needed to ask Xue Qinghe for some.
—
Under the blazing sun, by the shore of Lotus Lake,
Xue Qinghe sat alone with a fishing rod stuck into the water.
Seeing this, Li Zhexian suddenly felt a little guilty and quickened his pace toward him.
But before he could say anything—
A cool, indifferent voice drifted on the wind.
"Well, well, look who it is…"
"Isn't it the famous 'Sword Wine' of the Spirit Arena?"
"What breeze blew you all the way to this quiet lakeside?"
Li Zhexian was speechless.
He had once again witnessed the pettiness of Her Highness the Saintess firsthand.
He approached from behind.
"Qinghe, turn around and look at me."
Xue Qinghe turned her face deliberately to the other side.
Li Zhexian: "..."
—
Not far away, in the reeds—
Ci Xue's face was dark as thunder, his fists clenched until his knuckles cracked.
"She Long (Snake Lance Douluo), this is what you call brotherly affection?!"
"The young master is the crown prince of the empire now! And you call this the bearing of a man?!"
Even the usually calm She Long looked conflicted.
Ci Xue (Porcupinefish Douluo) made a move to storm out.
"I'm going to put a stop to this!"
She Long reached out and held him back.
"Trust me, it'll be fine."
"Li Zhexian has no idea who the young master really is."
"And our young master only ever shows this side of himself in front of him."
"Besides…"
He looked out toward the two figures and his tone dropped slightly.
"The young master is far more cheerful now than before."
Ci Xue fell silent at those words.
"…Come to think of it…"
She Long narrowed his eyes, watching the white-clothed youth with suspicion.
"It's only been one day since we last saw him."
"But the sharpness he now carries—he can't even hide it anymore!"
Ci Xue also looked toward Li Zhexian's hand.
"That spirit herb… it's pure and radiant. He's giving it to the young master?"
"Hmph. At least he's not completely heartless. The young master favors him this much—it's only right."
—
"If you won't turn around, I'm leaving."
Li Zhexian kept his gaze fixed on Xue Qinghe and began stepping backward, one foot at a time.
But he had barely taken a single step—
When Xue Qinghe suddenly turned around.
That flash of unmistakable urgency in her eyes clashed with Li Zhexian's patient, waiting smile.
"You…"
Xue Qinghe's fair face flushed bright red on the spot.
But before she could say more, her eyes were drawn to the object in Li Zhexian's hand.
It was a rose—like the crystallized essence of dawn.
Its layered petals were as thin as cicada wings, glowing with a warm, golden light.
At its core, a drop of golden nectar pulsed with brilliance, like a frozen morning sun.
"This… is…"
Xue Qinghe's gaze softened into wonder. She slowly lifted her eyes to meet his.
"It's for you."
Li Zhexian held the herb out to her.
"It's called the Dawn Light Rose."
"Your Swan Martial Soul has a light attribute."
"This should benefit you."
Xue Qinghe's heart quivered slightly.
She reached out—but immediately pulled her hand back.
Then, with a faint blush on her cheeks, she gently cupped the Dawn Light Rose in her palms.
"Thank you…"
"…I really like it."
Li Zhexian sprawled lazily on the grass beside her, plucking a blade of grass and placing it between his lips.
"No need to be so formal."
"We're bros, aren't we?"
The Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well had spirit herbs in abundance.
And he hadn't forgotten how Xue Qinghe had gifted him the Yaoguang Brew.
Without that immortal liquor, his Wine Martial Soul would never have evolved.
Nor would he have awakened the Yaoguang Sword.
So when he came across a light-type herb that suited her perfectly, it was only natural to gift it to her.
—
Looking at the white-robed youth beside her,
Xue Qinghe's gaze flickered with guilt and complex emotion.
Her lips parted slightly.
But in the end, she remained silent and lowered her head.
—
Li Zhexian didn't seem to notice the turmoil in her heart.
He lay there with eyes closed, speaking casually:
"Qinghe, I'm planning to go into closed-door cultivation for a while."
"I might not be coming to Lotus Lake every day."
Xue Qinghe gave a quiet hum of acknowledgement.
"…Mhm."
"Oh, right—one more thing."
Li Zhexian tossed a green embroidered pouch onto the grass beside her.
"Help me prepare some more brewing equipment."
"There's a list of what I need inside."
Xue Qinghe's gaze fell on the pouch, her brows arching slightly.
"The Wishful Hundred Treasure Purse from the Dugu family?"
"You even got this? Li Zhexian, are you trying to marry into their family or something?"
—
No reply.
After a long while with no response, Xue Qinghe turned curiously to look—
She saw the white-robed youth beside her, eyes gently closed, his handsome profile calm and peaceful beneath the afternoon sun.
Her gaze lingered.
Just watching…
Her expression slowly softened.
She inched a little closer—then a little more.
Her slender frame leaned ever so slightly,
shielding him from the sun and casting a gentle dappled shadow over him.
—
By the time Li Zhexian woke up, the sun was already setting.
The two parted ways with a wave.
Xue Qinghe held the Dawn Light Rose in her hands, watching his figure disappear into the distance.
She Long and Ci Xue silently stepped out from behind her.
On the way back to the royal palace—
Xue Qinghe suddenly murmured softly:
"How can one who hides in the shadows... be worthy of such a brilliant immortal flower?"
She Long and Ci Xue immediately understood the deeper meaning behind her words and exclaimed in alarm:
"Young master, your identity must not be exposed!"
"This concerns the grand strategy of Spirit Hall!"
"I know."
Xue Qinghe's voice turned cold in an instant.
"You don't need to remind me."
—
Li Zhexian returned to his courtyard.
He was packing up his belongings, preparing to relocate to the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well.
But just then—
Knock knock knock—
A series of polite raps echoed from the front gate.
"…Hmm?"
Li Zhexian was surprised.
"I just parted from Xue Qinghe, and the Dugu grandfather and granddaughter went off to hunt a Spirit Ring…"
"Who else could be visiting me right now?"
He opened the courtyard gate. A simply dressed maid stood on the steps, holding out a gilded invitation card with both hands.
"Greetings, Young Master Zhexian."
"By order of the clan master, the Nine-Heart Begonia Ye Clan humbly invites you to our estate for a meeting."
Looking at the golden invitation before him,
Li Zhexian raised a brow.
"The Ye Clan of the Nine-Heart Begonia?"
"We've never had any dealings. What could they possibly want with me?"
He had been planning to refuse.
But the fabled, heaven-defying Nine-Heart Begonia Martial Soul—long rumored to be cursed by the heavens—stirred his curiosity.
"I've seen the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda."
"Now I wonder what this Nine-Heart Begonia is truly like."
With his mind made up, Li Zhexian took the invitation and cupped his hands in reply:
"Many thanks. I'll be along shortly."
The maid gave a graceful bow.
"We await your honored presence."
He stored away his essentials into the Wishful Hundred Treasure Purse,
then set off in the direction of the Ye Estate at a casual pace.
He didn't know the way.
But it didn't matter.
In Heaven Dou City, when someone said "the Ye Estate,"
there was only one that came to mind—the Ye Clan of the Nine-Heart Begonia.
—
At the end of a stone-paved walkway stood two massive ebony doors,
adorned with bronze carvings of the Nine-Heart Begonia's motif wrapped around the door rings.
Li Zhexian looked up.
Above the door hung a nanmu wood plaque.
The words "Ye Estate" were inlaid with silver thread, the strokes curling like begonia branches—
each pen-stroke blooming into a flower at its tip.
"Damn, they're loaded."
Li Zhexian whistled in admiration and stepped forward to knock.
"Li Zhexian, here by invitation."
—