The memories of all humanity are awakening, except for mine.

Jiang Chuan turned his head and saw a figure in green leap out from the bamboo forest and pounce into his arms in the blink of an eye.

"Where have you been? I've been looking for you all day!"

Qinglin tilted her little face up, her emerald green eyes filled with grievance.

Her two small snake horns gleamed in the sunlight, and a few bamboo leaves clung to her hair.

Jiang Chuan smiled and ruffled her hair.

"I went to the mountain to gather some medicinal herbs. How did you end up in such a sorry state?"

"It's all because of that bastard Lu Hao!"

Qinglin stomped her feet angrily.

"He and Dahuang ganged up on me, lured me deep into the bamboo forest, and then ran away!"

As soon as he finished speaking, a soft laugh came from the bamboo forest. Lu Hao walked out with elegant steps, his nine-colored antlers shining brightly, his eyes full of mockery.

"Little snake demon, you were the one who chased after me trying to steal my spirit fruit, so why are you blaming me?"

"you!"

Qinglin's face turned red with anger, and she was about to lash out when Jiang Chuan pressed down on her shoulder.

"Okay, stop making trouble."

Jiang Chuan's expression turned serious.

"I have something to tell you."

Qinglin keenly noticed the change in Jiang Chuan's tone and immediately quieted down, her small hands tightly gripping his sleeve.

Lu Hao also put away his joking expression and strolled closer.

"I'm going to Tianzhu Peak to practice my secret techniques early tomorrow morning."

Jiang Chuan looked directly into Qing Lin's eyes.

"The Supreme Elder personally summoned me; this is a rare opportunity."

Qinglin's pupils suddenly contracted, and the fingers gripping Jiang Chuan's sleeve tightened involuntarily.

How long will you be gone?

"It's unclear, it could take months, or it could take longer."

Jiang Chuan said softly.

“Cultivating the secret techniques of the immortal sect is not child’s play; it requires complete concentration.”

"I do not want!"

Qinglin suddenly screamed, tears welling up instantly.

"You can't go! You promised you wouldn't leave me again!"

Jiang Chuan's heart tightened.

He certainly remembered his promise—when he rescued Qinglin from the dragon's lair, he swore he would never let her face danger alone again. But this time was different.
"Qinglin, listen to me."

He crouched down to be at eye level with the girl.

"Do you still remember what happened in Longhai County? I am far from being a match for someone like Yin Wending now."

Qinglin bit her lower lip, tears rolling down her cheeks, but she didn't argue.

Of course she remembered that terrifying night; the sight of Jiang Chuan being carried back covered in blood still haunted her nightmares.

"The world is a dangerous place. I will not only face my peers, but also those old monsters who have cultivated for decades."

Jiang Chuan's voice was low and deep.

"If we don't get stronger, we might not be so lucky next time."

"Then I'll go with you!"

Qinglin stubbornly raised its head.

"I can shrink and hide in your sleeve, and I will never disturb your cultivation!"

"Nonsense!"

A cold shout rang out. Sword attendant Xiaoman stepped out from behind the pavilion, her black hair tied up high, the long sword at her waist swaying gently with each step.

"Tianzhu Peak is a sacred site of the immortal sect; how can spirit pets be allowed to enter and leave at will?"

Qinglin immediately arched its back like a small animal with its fur standing on end.

"What's it to you! I'm not your spirit pet!"

Xiao Man frowned and reached out to touch Qing Lin's head to comfort him, but Qing Lin nimbly dodged her hand.

She reluctantly withdrew her hand.

“It’s a good thing that Senior Brother Jiang is going to cultivate. When he comes back, you will naturally be reunited. You should be more sensible.”

"I don't want to be sensible!"

"Qinglin shouted, her eyes red."

"You don't understand at all!"

Lu Hao watched with great interest, his nine-colored tail swaying happily.

"Oh dear, the little snake demon has gone berserk."

Jiang Chuan, it seems your little follower is reluctant to part with you.

Jiang Chuan glared at Lu Hao, who immediately pretended to admire the bamboo scenery and started whistling.

Jiang Chuan pressed his hands on Qing Lin's shoulders, forcing her to look into his eyes.

"Qinglin, do you want me to experience the danger of Longhai County again?"

Qinglin trembled and shook his head frantically.

"do not want!"

"What if I don't have enough strength and encounter an enemy like that again?"

Jiang Chuan pressed for an answer.

Qinglin's tears flowed even more fiercely. She lowered her head, her voice barely audible.

But... I'm scared to be alone.

Jiang Chuan's heart softened, and he almost gave up on tomorrow's plans.

But the memory of Longhai County was too vivid—Yin Wending's imposing aura, like a mountain pressing down, and the helplessness of nearly losing his life despite his best efforts.
Even more importantly, before going to Zhongzhou to ask Li Muzhi for a sword consultation, there was an obstacle that was said to be difficult even for cultivators at the fifth realm to overcome.
"How about this."

Jiang Chuan pondered for a moment, then said softly.

"I promise you, every day at sunset, as long as conditions permit, I will have a crane deliver a message to you. You can follow the crane from a distance, but you cannot get close to Tianzhu Peak, and you certainly cannot interfere with my cultivation. How about it?"

Qinglin raised her tearful eyes and asked uncertainly.

"Really?"

"real."

Jiang Chuan nodded.

"When have I ever lied to you?"

Qinglin burst into laughter through her tears, but quickly put on a stern face again.

"Then you have to grant me one more request!"

"any request?"

I want you.

Qinglin's eyes darted around, and suddenly he smiled slyly.

"I want you to tell me stories all night long! Tell me everything that happened to you before you went to Dushan!"

Jiangchuan laughed dumbly.

"That's it?"

"That's it!"

Qinglin nodded vigorously.

"And you have to use that glowing bead to read it!"

She was referring to the luminous pearl that Jiang Chuan had brought out of the dragon's lair, which could indeed emit a soft glow in the dark.

"Okay, it's up to you."

Jiang Chuan ruffled her hair and stood up.

Xiao Man frowned slightly.

"Senior Brother Jiang, we're leaving at 3 AM tomorrow. If you don't rest tonight..."

"It doesn't matter."

Jiang Chuan waved his hand.

"Staying up all night doesn't affect me much."

Lu Hao leaned closer, a mischievous grin on his face.

"Do you want to listen too? I'd love to hear how you tricked me into this mess."

"roll."

Jiang Chuan kicked him in annoyance.

"I haven't settled the score with you yet for how you and Da Huang ganged up on Qing Lin today."

Lu Hao nimbly jumped away, exaggeratingly clutching his chest.

"I'm innocent! It was clearly that stupid dog Big Yellow's idea!"

Just then, a large, golden dog darted out of the bamboo forest, carrying half a piece of ginseng that it had stolen from somewhere in its mouth.

Seeing everyone's eyes turn to him, the big yellow dog paused for a moment, then turned and ran away.

"stop!"

Qinglin and Luhao shouted in unison and chased after them.

Jiang Chuan watched them chasing and playing, and the corners of his mouth unconsciously turned up.

This kind of daily life is what he is willing to risk his life to protect.

Xiao Man walked to his side and whispered.

"Senior Brother Jiang really dotes on that snake demon."

"She saved my life."

Jiang Chuan's gaze softened.

"In the Dragon's Lair of Dushan, if it weren't for her risking her life to protect me, I would have been devoured by the dragon's soul long ago."

Mornings always come exceptionally early in the Purple Bamboo Forest. The thin mist has not yet dissipated, and the dewdrops on the bamboo leaves are sparkling in the morning light.

Jiang Chuan gently moved his arm, which was numb from being pressed down by Qing Lin. The little girl was curled up in his arms, with a glistening line of drool hanging from the corner of her mouth.

"Senior brother." Qinglin murmured in her sleep, her little hand unconsciously clutching Jiang Chuan's clothes.

Jiang Chuan chuckled and carefully wiped the drool off her chin with his sleeve.

Last night, the little girl clung to his arm and wouldn't let go, insisting that he tell her a story until midnight before she fell asleep.

Recalling Qinglin's fearless expression when she mustered the courage to ask to sleep together, a tender look appeared in Jiang Chuan's eyes.

"Well"

Qinglin rubbed her eyes and opened them groggily.

"My senior brother didn't escape."

"When have I ever lied to you?"

Jiang Chuan pinched her little nose.

"But it's getting light, I need to go see my master."

Qinglin immediately snapped out of it and scrambled to her feet.

"I also need to go!"

"You should sleep a little longer."

Jiang Chuan pressed down on her messy hair.

"Who was it that talked in their sleep last night, telling their senior brother not to leave?"

Qinglin's face immediately turned bright red. She pulled the blanket over her head, leaving only her bright, darting eyes showing.

Jiang Chuan smiled and shook his head, then got up and straightened his clothes.

He had just finished fastening his belt when he heard light footsteps outside the door.

"Senior Brother Jiang, are you up?"

Xiao Man's voice came through the bamboo door.

"I made breakfast."

Jiang Chuan pushed open the door and stepped out. In the morning light, Xiao Man was wearing an elegant cloth dress with a jacket embroidered with red plum blossoms on top. She only had a wooden hairpin in her hair, which made her look even more beautiful and refined.

She was carrying a bamboo basket, and the steaming aroma was already wafting over.

"So early?"

Jiang Chuan was somewhat surprised.

Xiao Man smiled, pursing her lips.

"Knowing you're going to Tianzhu Peak, I specially made dumplings for you."

She peeked into the house.

"Qinglin is still not awake?"

Protests immediately came from inside the blankets.

"I'm awake!"

Xiao Man burst out laughing.

"Then get up quickly, there's your favorite bamboo shoot filling."

Amidst the laughter and banter of the three, Jiang Chuan noticed the faint bluish tinge under Xiao Man's eyes.

"Did you stay up all night to make these dumplings?"

"I can't sleep anyway."

Xiao Man avoided his gaze and placed the bamboo basket on the stone table in the courtyard.

"We used the wild rabbit meat that Qinglin and Luhao caught the day before yesterday, along with freshly dug tender bamboo shoots and wild mountain vegetables."

Jiang Chuan felt a warmth in his heart. Ever since his master entrusted these two girls to his care, the Purple Bamboo Grove had become more lively.

He sat down, picked up a dumpling, its skin thin and its filling generous. He bit into it and the savory aroma burst forth, the broth exploding in his mouth.

"How about it?"

Xiao Man stared at him nervously.

"Even better than the chefs at Zuixianlou."

Jiang Chuan sincerely praised it.

"If this were opened as a restaurant, it would be packed with customers."

Xiao Man's eyes lit up.

"Really? Then I'll cook you some plain noodles when my senior brother comes back!"

"I want to learn too!"

Qinglin hastily threw on her coat and rushed out, almost tripping over the threshold.

Jiang Chuan quickly caught her.

"Slow down, no one will compete with you."

The three sat around a stone table, the morning light filtering through the bamboo leaves and dappling the food.

Jiang Chuan watched the two girls scrambling for the last dumpling and suddenly felt a pang of reluctance.

The summons from Tianzhu Peak would take an unknown amount of time. Although the Purple Bamboo Forest was protected by a protective barrier, leaving them alone there was...
"Go ahead without worry, senior brother."

Xiao Man seemed to see through his thoughts and said softly.

"I will take good care of Qinglin."

With its mouth full of food, Qinglin mumbled incoherently.

"I'll take good care of the house!"

Jiang Chuan rubbed their heads.

"Don't wander off, especially to the forbidden area in the back mountain. If Lu Hao comes to visit you, remember to come back before sunset."

After breakfast, the sun had already climbed above the bamboo tips.

Jiang Chuan went back to his house to retrieve his sword and a few other essential items, then went to the open space in front of the Purple Bamboo Grove.

He made hand seals and chanted incantations, and a clear, melodious crane cry came from afar.

The cranes arrived on the wind, their white feathers shimmering silver in the sunlight.

It affectionately nuzzled Jiang Chuan's shoulder with its long beak, then obediently lowered its body.

"Go early and return early."

Xiao Man stood by the bamboo grove, the wind blowing her clothes.

Qinglin's eyes were already red, but she stubbornly tilted her little face up.

"Senior brother, you're going to bring me candy from Tianzhu Peak!"

Jiang Chuan smiled and nodded, then leaped onto the crane's back. The crane spread its wings and took flight, the air currents stirring up the bamboo leaves on the ground.

He took one last look at the two figures standing by the bamboo grove, silently recited an incantation, and the crane let out a long cry before soaring into the sky.

"You must come back soon—"

Xiao Man's shouts were torn apart by the sound of the wind.

Jiang Chuan seemed to respond, or perhaps not. The crane carried him through the clouds and mist, and in the blink of an eye, the purple bamboo forest became a small green dot among the mountains.

Above the sea of ​​clouds, the rising sun dyes the clouds golden red.

Jiang Chuan relaxed his body, letting the crane adjust its flight direction.

This spirit bird was tamed by my master in his early years. It is intelligent and knows the way, so it doesn't need my guidance at all.

"Let's go to the sword furnace first."

Jiang Chuan patted the crane's neck.

The crane understood and turned towards a low peak in the southeast.

The place is shrouded in mist year-round; it's where Tao Hongjing forged swords. Even before getting close, Jiang Chuan could feel the heat wave hitting him.

The sword furnace was built inside the mountain, and the entrance was concealed by an array, so only the direct disciples knew its exact location.

The crane landed on the platform at the cave entrance. Jiang Chuan had just jumped down when he heard his master's voice coming from inside the cave.

"Just in time."

Tao Hongjing, dressed in a gray robe, with white hair and beard but a ruddy complexion, was standing in front of the furnace, adjusting the heat.

The flames in the furnace were bluish-purple, clearly not ordinary fire.

Seeing Jiang Chuan enter, he pointed to the stone bench next to him without turning his head.

"Master."

Jiang Chuan bowed respectfully.

"People from Tianzhu Peak have been here."

"I know."

Tao Hongjing finally turned around, his eyes revealing a hidden glint.

"What does the Supreme Elder wish to see you about?"

Jiang Chuan shook his head.

"The senior brother who delivered the message didn't say anything, only that I should ride a crane there today."

Tao Hongjing pondered for a moment, then walked to the sword rack beside him. On the rack lay an unfinished sword blank, its body dark red, with a faint shimmering light flowing through it.

"Your Azure Frost Sword was severely damaged last time. I added North Sea Black Iron when I reforged it, and it will be ready in three days."

Jiang Chuan was startled.

The Azure Frost Sword was a gift from his master when he was building his foundation, and it accompanied him for many years.

The sword developed cracks during the last battle with the demonic cultivators, but I never expected my master to go to such lengths to reforge it using precious North Sea black iron.

"Thank you, Master."

Jiang Chuan bowed deeply.

Tao Hongjing waved his hand.

"Go ahead, the Supreme Elder doesn't like to wait. Your new sword should be ready by the time you emerge from seclusion."

Jiang Chuan bowed again to take his leave. As he walked out of the cave, he heard his master add another sentence.

"Remember, no matter what the Supreme Elder says, just stay true to yourself."

These words aroused doubt in Jiang Chuan's mind, but time was of the essence, so he had to put his questions aside for the time being.

When the crane saw him come out, it gave an affectionate call and spread its wings.

It took to the air again, this time flying straight towards Tianzhu Peak in the northwest.

Among the seven peaks of Yunhai, Tianzhu Peak is the tallest and most precipitous, its summit perpetually covered in snow, resembling a sharp sword piercing the clouds from afar. (End of Chapter)