After the Black Wind Three Evils departed, Master Moonlight sighed softly and turned toward the Hall of Great Heroes. As he walked, he said,
"May I invite you two benefactors into the temple for a word?"
The stone steps gleamed pale beneath the moonlight, cool as water. Outside the temple, the night air carried the chirp of insects and the sigh of wind through the forest. A faint fragrance of pine and cypress drifted from the eaves of the ancient hall. In the distance, the mountains lay silent and dark as ink, the sky spangled with stars, moonlight like a silver ribbon spilling over the tranquil courtyard—it was a time of deep and perfect quiet.
The three entered the temple, passing along the covered corridor until they reached the abbot's quarters. Master Moonlight himself prepared the tea, his movements unhurried and elegant. Steam curled from the spout in white coils, carrying a pure fragrance. Soon the brew was ready, and he poured it out personally. The night was hushed, incense smoke swirled, and candlelight shone on the abbot's kindly, dignified face, making him seem all the more gentle.
Lifting his cup with a faint smile, he said,
"You have been troubled tonight. But all was ordained by fate. Had you not spoken out in justice, the Black Wind Three Evils would never have left so easily."
Zhao Rou's expression was steady. She took a small sip, set the cup down, and said with restrained anger,
"Those three were nothing but robbers, cloaking their theft in the name of 'borrowing.' If not for your compassion, unwilling to quarrel with such vermin, the temple gates would already have run with blood."
Master Moonlight pressed his palms together.
"This old monk was indeed waiting for the right person to appear. I did not expect that person to arrive tonight—yet my eyes failed me. I shall give these three Bee Resin Pills to you both."
Wu Tong started in surprise, hastily setting down his cup. Sitting straight, he said earnestly,
"Master Moonlight, that must not be. Only tonight did I realize that the 'Sobering Pill' given me by 'Fearless' Lü Qiang was actually the King of the Bee Resin Pills. Without knowing it, I took the pill and my inner strength increased greatly. That was already fortune beyond measure. To receive more would leave me deeply ashamed."
He then told the full tale without concealment—how he had met Lü Qiang, drunk with him, witnessed the elder's unmatched prowess as he defeated the Three Ghosts of Lingnan single-handed, and, in his drunkenness, swallowed the pill. His voice held both reverence and guilt, the memory steeped in the unspoken fellowship of the jianghu.
Master Moonlight laughed warmly, the sound resonant as a temple bell.
"Lü Qiang is a hero of the age. When I gave him the King of Pills, he refused to take it, saying, 'This must be kept for a young hero yet to come.' It seems he has already found that person—only I did not expect the meeting to be so soon."
Wu Tong's face flushed.
"I was unworthy, yet received such a gift. More than that, Lü Qiang even taught me his art, leaving me far richer in skill in a single night…"
Master Moonlight smiled and waved his sleeve lightly.
"Fate cannot be forced, nor refused. What is yours will come to you."
The words sank deep, and Wu Tong nodded slowly in thought.
A breeze rustled the bamboo outside, the wind whispering, insects trilling in the dark. Moonlight fell through the lattice, spilling over the tea table. Candle flames swayed, casting the shadows of the three together, as if heaven and earth themselves were joined with them in this moment.
The abbot now fully understood: this youth had been nurtured by two great masters and bore both strong foundations and a pure heart. His future was limitless. Master Moonlight smiled and said,
"You are a dragon among men. First taught by the White Cloud Immortal, then guided by 'Fearless' Lü Qiang—two heroes whose judgment agrees."
From his sleeve he drew a small white porcelain vial, carved with ancient patterns. Carefully, he tipped out a single crystal-clear pill and handed it to Zhao Rou. His gaze was kind.
"If I am not mistaken, this 'Young Master Zhao' is in truth a young lady in disguise. In the martial world, inner skill is everything. This pill has been my treasure for many years—take it, and your cultivation will advance by half again, your progress greatly eased."
Zhao Rou's cheeks turned pink; she lowered her head and murmured,
"Thank you, Master Moonlight, but I have done nothing to earn such a gift. I cannot accept."
The abbot shook his head.
"A gift given without thought of return need not be refused. Tonight, you spoke out and stood forth—this old monk remembers it well. This is not a reward, but a tool to help you walk the jianghu and serve the martial world. Take it without fear."
Zhao Rou glanced at Wu Tong, who nodded calmly. She accepted the pill, hesitated only a moment, then placed it in her mouth and closed her eyes to guide her breath. A cool stream slid down her throat to her dantian, then spread as warm energy through her limbs, leaving her light and clear, her inner strength subtly grown.
The abbot's eyes warmed with satisfaction. He poured out the other two pills and offered them to Wu Tong.
"This bottle held three pills. One is gone, one to her, and these two to you. If I keep them, they will draw thieves. Better they be in your hands, to save lives if needed."
Wu Tong understood the truth of it: such treasures could invite disaster if known. Solemnly, he knelt and took the pills.
"I thank you, Master. I will follow your teachings—serve the martial world, and be worthy of your trust."
The abbot nodded.
"They are no resurrection elixirs, but they can save a life in grave peril. Guard them well."
Wu Tong bowed again.
"I am deeply grateful."
Master Moonlight glanced to the window. The night was deep; stars and moon shone together.
"Rest now. At dawn, if the skies are clear, you will see the sea of clouds—a sight not to be missed."
Wu Tong and Zhao Rou answered eagerly, saluted, and returned to their room. The ancient temple sank into peaceful silence, the wind in the pines and the distant song of insects the only sounds.
At first light, the mountains were hushed; far off, a bell tolled deep and low. Wu Tong and Zhao Rou had risen early, eager to see the famed spectacle. They walked the temple path, the morning wind scented with pine and cypress, mist veiling the world so that heaven and earth seemed one.
Rounding a slope, the view opened wide—clouds rolled through the valleys, rising and falling with the mountains, now a silver dragon twisting, now a mighty tide sweeping to the horizon. Peaks loomed and vanished in the mist, like great beasts in hiding or fairy isles adrift between heaven and earth. The sight cleared the mind and lifted the spirit, as if one could soar into the Nine Heavens.
But as the sun rose, the mist thinned, the vision fading like a dream upon waking. They lingered long before returning to the temple.
Back in their guest room, a simple vegetarian meal awaited—soft rice and fresh vegetables, plain yet carrying the quiet grace of the temple. Afterward, with time to spare, they wandered into a grassy clearing to practice. The air was cool and damp, the ground soft with dew. Wu Tong's breathing was deep and steady, his inner force firm. Zhao Rou, moving through her lightness skill and palm forms, found her power greatly increased; her leaps were weightless as a swallow in flight. She realized with a start just how potent the abbot's gift had been.
They trained until the hour of the Dragon, then returned to wait for the Black Wind Three Evils. The temple bell sounded; morning devotions were ended, monks moving quietly in pairs.
Footsteps approached. Master Moonlight entered the hall in his grey robes, serene and smiling.
Wu Tong and Zhao Rou rose and saluted.
"Good morning, Master."
He nodded.
"Are you awaiting the Black Wind Three Evils?"
Zhao Rou answered firmly,
"Having accepted your gift, I must aid you in return. If they come, I will not stand aside."
The abbot smiled faintly.
"They will not come today."
His voice was mild, but carried certainty.
"Yesterday, they came because they coveted the pills. Now they know the pills are not in my possession, and they cannot hope to defeat the three of us together. They will not face us here. But their malice remains—they will guess the pills are with you. Once you leave, they will cling like shadows, waiting their chance."
Wu Tong and Zhao Rou exchanged a grave glance. They both understood now: this storm was far from over…