The Northern Song Dynasty returned south, seeking the truth of the Dao.

"Brother? How are you feeling?" Wang Zhenhuan asked with concern. Since he didn't know how serious Ao Shuang's injuries were, Wang Zhenhuan didn't dare to touch him.

Seeing him struggling to get out of bed, she stepped forward, supporting his shoulders and helping him sit up. After sitting up, Ao Shuang shook his head, looking at Wang Huanzhen with a somewhat blank expression.

He stared at him for about ten breaths before his eyes regained their sparkle. His eyes focused on Wang Zhenhuan, and he recognized him immediately. He looked at Wang Zhenhuan, then turned his head and looked around.

He asked, "Young man, what happened? Weren't we in a cave? Where is this? Why can't I remember anything?"

"Brother, please calm down. First, check if you are injured. Let me explain in detail." Wang Zhenhuan poured a cup of tea and handed it to him.

Upon hearing Wang Zhenhuan's words, Ao Shuang adjusted her posture and sat cross-legged. She closed her eyes and sensed for a moment, then opened them, frowned, and looked at Wang Zhenhuan with a puzzled expression.

"Why is my spiritual consciousness on the verge of exhaustion? It's as if it's being consumed by something. Everything else is fine, but my spiritual consciousness is depleted, and I have a bit of a headache."

"That's good. After a few days of rest, you should be able to recover. On that day, my brother and I seemed to have entered that cave, but in reality, we entered an illusion. My brother was then controlled by that mirage dragon..." Wang Zhenhuan whispered to him.

"A mirage dragon?... " Ao Shuang's tone was slightly surprised.

"Yes, I only found out later that the real person we saw in that town earlier was there specifically to track down this mirage dragon..." Wang Zhenhuan explained.

"Real person? Mirage Dragon? Why is your hair white? How many days have I been unconscious? It feels like we haven't seen each other for a long time." Ao Shuang asked, frowning as she looked at Wang Zhenhuan's hair.

"Oh dear, a day apart feels like three autumns. Let me tell you slowly," Wang Zhenhuan said, waving his hand.

Ao Shuang was speechless, choked with emotion: "..."

Wang Huanzhen pulled Ao Shuang up from the bed and sat down at the table. He recounted the whole story to Ao Shuang from beginning to end, but omitted the fact that he had used a secret technique.

About half an hour later, Wang Zhenhuan finally finished recounting the events. Ao Shuang looked at Wang Zhenhuan, whose hair was completely white and who was trying to appear relaxed, and felt a pang of sadness in her heart. She subconsciously reached out to touch his hair, but Wang Zhenhuan turned his head away.

"Your hair, was it created using some kind of magic that shortens your lifespan? It's because your elder brother's strength is too weak to protect you," Ao Shuang said to Wang Zhenhuan, her eyes red.

"What are you saying, brother? If it weren't for you, I would have died in that cave long ago. Isn't everything alright now? Everyone has survived. The mirage dragon has also been subdued. As for me, losing a little lifespan is nothing."

Wang Zhenhuan spoke in a relaxed tone, then stood up. He led Ao Shuang to the bedside and introduced her, "This is the fellow Daoist who saved us earlier."

If it weren't for her protection, my younger brother would have perished in that illusion long ago. She, like my brother, is a Daoist ordained through the Shangqing lineage. In the future, brother can have a proper talk with her.”

"We should both express our gratitude properly. Once this fellow Daoist has recovered, I will host a banquet in my cave to repay his kindness. So, my earlier perception was correct; this fellow Daoist also comes from the same background as me?" Ao Shuang nodded and asked Wang Zhenhuan.

"That's right. This fellow Daoist was entrusted by my wife to come and protect me. I never expected that I would almost harm her. Now that I think about it, I feel really ashamed," Wang Huanzhen said, bowing his head.

"Since you feel guilty, you should remember this great kindness even more. This fellow Daoist is a man of his word and loyalty. You should really think about how to thank him. A mere request is not enough to warrant someone risking their life to protect you," Ao Shuang said earnestly, looking at him.

Upon hearing this, Wang Huanzhen pondered for a moment and realized he was right. A mere request was not enough to warrant such desperate protection, especially since it almost came at the cost of his life.

"This... Brother, do you have any thoughts? As long as it's something I have, I'll grant it. But I'm afraid this gift is too small and won't be enough to repay the great kindness of saving my life."

"How about this? Didn't you previously express your intention to become sworn brothers with me? Since that's the case, one person becoming sworn brothers is the same as two. After you wake up, if you're willing, shall we become sworn brothers together?"

After thinking for a moment, Ao Shuang spoke up. Upon hearing this, Wang Zhenhuan slapped his thigh and exclaimed happily, "This method works! Why didn't I think of that before?"

"...No! I'm afraid my strength is too weak, and this fellow Daoist won't even look at me. This isn't appropriate, this isn't appropriate, I'd better forget it."

"What are you afraid of? If you don't dare to ask, I'll ask you when you wake up! Just make sure you don't regret it later! Becoming sworn brothers is not a joke."

"After we become sworn brothers, we'll be brothers and sisters for life," Ao Shuang said, looking at Wang Huanzhen.

"Brother, what are you saying? Have you forgotten what I said before? If I could have another sister and brother, I would be more than happy! When I interact with people, I only look at their hearts, not their faces! Heaven and earth can bear witness to this!"

Upon hearing this, Wang Huanzhen immediately became anxious. He stood up from his chair, held up two fingers to the sky, and said. Seeing his agitation, Ao Shuang smiled and waved to him.

"I was just saying, why are you getting so worked up? If I didn't trust you, would I have stayed with you until now? In that case, once this fellow Daoist wakes up, I will go and ask her what she thinks."

"Alright! It's a deal!" Wang Zhenhuan said decisively, his tone devoid of any hesitation or dissatisfaction. His words came from the bottom of his heart; they reflected his true thoughts.

Regardless of how other cultivators view those who are different, Wang Zhenhuan himself harbors no prejudice against them. Otherwise, he wouldn't have used that secret technique in that mirage realm.

He was willing to shorten his own lifespan to rescue Ling Zhizi. The reason was simply to repay her life-saving grace. Wang Huanzhen was such a person, perhaps because he had suffered too much during his journey south.

Or perhaps he had witnessed too much of the coldness and indifference of human relationships. Therefore, he knew even more how precious a person willing to help without expecting anything in return was in this chaotic world.

He cherished this hard-won kindness immensely. If someone treated him even a little well, he was willing to repay them tenfold, even a hundredfold. This truly embodies the saying, "A drop of water in need deserves a spring in return."

Wang Huanzhen got up and went to the courtyard with Ao Shuang. Looking at the sunset casting its glow on the courtyard, he felt a surge of happiness. There's always a breeze or two in this world that can fill my myriad dreams!

Life is but a fleeting hundred years; it is wonderful to have like-minded companions by one's side!