Morning sunlight spilled across the hills. Thin fog drifted through the trees. Inside the cave, the fire had burned down to gray ash.
Liang Yue opened her eyes slowly. Her muscles were sore, but the pain in her arm had faded. The memory of the night before—the beast, the light, the warmth that came from her pendant—returned sharply.
Mo Chen sat near the entrance, turning a small piece of wood in his hands. His movements were calmer than before, more precise. When she stirred, he looked over at once.
"You slept a little," he said.
"I did," she answered. "Did anything come back?"
"No. Quiet all night."
He stood and stretched. The cut on his arm was covered with the same piece of cloth, but the blood had dried. When he untied it, Liang Yue saw the skin underneath—pink, closing fast.
"It healed this much overnight?" she asked.
He nodded. "Doesn't hurt now."
She touched the edge of the wound carefully. "It shouldn't heal that fast. Even for cultivators, it takes days."
"Then maybe it's your light," he said simply.
She sat back, thinking. The pendant lay warm against her skin again. She lifted it. The faint glow returned.
"I want to try something," she said.
Mo Chen stepped closer. "What?"
"I want to see if it reacts when I focus."
She closed her eyes. In her mind, she pictured the same stillness from last night. Her breath slowed. Warmth gathered behind her ribs, soft at first, then stronger. The pendant brightened. When she opened her eyes, a thin stream of white light ran across her palm.
Mo Chen stared. "It listens to you."
"Maybe it's not listening," she said quietly. "Maybe it's answering."
She held her hand over a shallow scrape on her own wrist. The light touched the skin. A small spark flashed, then vanished. The pain was gone. The mark faded as if it had never existed.
Mo Chen exhaled in disbelief. "You can really heal."
"Only small wounds," she said. "But if I keep practicing…"
He finished the thought for her. "You could fix the poison."
She met his eyes. "Maybe."
For a long moment they stood silently, both understanding that this was more than luck—it was the first real power either of them had ever had.
They spent the morning rebuilding the cave door properly. Mo Chen cut thicker branches, tied them with vines, and braced them with stones. His movements were more confident than before. Liang Yue noticed the difference.
"You remember how to measure lengths without counting," she said.
He blinked, surprised. "I do?"
"Yes. That means your training's returning."
He looked at his hands, thoughtful. "Maybe I used to build things."
"Or fight," she said.
He gave a small half-smile. "Both, maybe."
When the sun rose higher, they boiled stream water and shared the last of the buns. Liang Yue watched the clear liquid bubble over the small flame.
"Mo Chen," she said, "how much do you remember from before your mind… changed?"
"Flashes," he said after a pause. "A courtyard. Someone teaching me to draw a blade. Then shouting. Then pain. After that, nothing."
"You said someone taught you?"
He nodded. "Old man. White hair. He said I had good focus."
"That means you trained before you came here."
"Maybe," he said again. "But when I try to think more, my head hurts."
She frowned. "Don't push it. If your mind was damaged, forcing it could make it worse."
He gave a faint smile. "You sound like a doctor."
"I studied medicine before I died," she said automatically, then stopped.
He didn't look confused by the strange sentence. "Different world?"
"Yes," she admitted.
He only nodded. "Then that world was lucky to have you."
The simple sincerity of his tone made her glance away. "Drink your water," she said.
By afternoon, they began to explore the forest near the cave. They marked trees with scratches to find the way back and looked for herbs and edible roots. Liang Yue recognized a few from the old memories of this body. She explained them as they walked.
"This one clears heat. That one stops bleeding. And this—don't touch it. It's poisonous."
Mo Chen listened carefully and repeated the names. His pronunciation grew steadier each time. She smiled faintly. "You learn fast."
"Because you explain clear," he said.
They found a cluster of berries near a fallen log. Liang Yue picked a few and squeezed one. The juice was dark purple. She tasted a drop. "Safe."
Mo Chen filled a small pouch. "We can dry them."
They worked until the sun began to lower. When they returned, the cave looked more like a home. The new door fit tight. The fire pit was lined with smooth stones. Liang Yue placed the berries on a flat rock to dry.
For the first time since her rebirth, she felt something close to peace.
As the sky dimmed, a soft humming sound filled the air. It wasn't wind. It was too steady, too even. Mo Chen looked up. "What's that?"
Liang Yue stepped outside the cave. In the distance, a blue mist moved across the trees. It shimmered faintly.
"Spirit fog," she said. "Harmless usually, but it drains energy if you breathe too much."
"We cover the door," Mo Chen said immediately. He pulled the woven branches tighter. Liang Yue spread her blanket over the small gaps. Inside, the air grew still.
The fog reached their area within minutes. Blue light seeped through the cracks. Mo Chen sat beside her, hand on the knife he carried from the guardhouse. Liang Yue pressed her pendant to her chest again. The warmth returned, forming a thin white layer of light that coated the door. The blue glow stopped spreading.
Mo Chen watched it with wide eyes. "It blocks the fog."
She nodded. "It reacts to danger on its own."
They waited until the sound faded and the mist drifted away. When she lowered her hand, her fingers trembled slightly. The light dimmed.
"Are you all right?" he asked.
"Yes. Just tired. Every time I use it, it drains my strength."
He took the cup and poured her some water. "Drink."
She did. "Thank you."
He hesitated. "You shouldn't use it every time something happens."
"I know," she said. "But I couldn't risk you breathing that fog."
He looked at her for a long time before saying, "Then I'll get stronger faster. So you won't have to."
She met his eyes and saw the seriousness there. "Then we'll both get stronger."
He nodded firmly. "Together."
Later that night, they sat near the new fire. Liang Yue examined her hands again. The veins that once looked faintly black from poison were lighter now. She pressed her fingers to her pulse. It was steady.
"It's working," she said quietly.
Mo Chen leaned forward. "What is?"
"The light. It's cleaning the poison, little by little."
He smiled. "Then you win against what they gave you."
She returned the smile. "Step by step."
He poked the fire with a stick. "Tomorrow, I'll try to train my body again. If I can move the way I remember, maybe I can protect you better."
"You already protect me," she said.
"Not enough," he answered.
The fire crackled between them. For a while, neither spoke. Outside, the night insects began their steady song.
Liang Yue lay down near the warmth. "Wake me when the moon passes the trees."
Mo Chen nodded. "I will."
She closed her eyes. The pendant glowed softly under her collar. The air in the cave felt calm, clean. For the first time since her rebirth, she fell asleep without fear.