A few minutes later, Su Han and the others arrived at the manga shop.
As for the matter of paper money and flowers, it had already been handed over to one of the clerks. It had to be said, being the boss felt good. All he had to do was say the word, and everything was taken care of.
Shenhe looked at the flustered young man whose face was bright red and asked curiously, "Is he sick? Why is his face so red?"
Holding back his laughter, Su Han said solemnly, "Mm. Chongyun has a condition that makes him blush whenever he sees a pretty girl. It'll get better after a while."
"I.. I do not!"
Hearing Su Han spout nonsense, Chongyun immediately stood up to defend himself.
But Su Han casually asked, "Then explain why you're so red that you can't even speak right now."
"I.. I... I give up, please stop teasing me!"
Seeing his little aunt watching him curiously, Chongyun folded his hands together in surrender. If this went on, he was going to collapse from embarrassment.
Su Han leaned closer and whispered, "If you want me to stop teasing you, that's simple. Just call me 'Little Uncle' from now on. How about it?"
"You—!"
Chongyun was stunned. He hadn't expected Su Han to harbor such "vile" intentions.
But then again, Su Han was young, rich, and possessed the Qilin bloodline. He also had close ties with the Adepti. No matter how he looked at it, his little aunt wouldn't suffer by being with someone like him.
Besides, Chongyun had often seen his father sighing alone when he was a child. There were even times when he'd secretly caught him shedding tears—each time, muttering the name of his younger sister.
A relative whose fate had been so tragic... If she could find happiness now, his father would surely be glad.
Seeing Chongyun remain silent, Su Han thought he was too shy to say it. But that title was just too tempting, so he pressed on. "If you call me Little Uncle, I'll teach you a new internal cultivation method. Maybe it'll even help balance your Pure Yang body."
"Huh? Really?"
"If I'm lying, I'm a dog!"
Seeing Su Han's confident smile, Chongyun believed him immediately. After all, this man was ridiculously wealthy.
Not only did he have Mora in abundance, but countless treasures as well.
Chongyun glanced at his cold-faced little aunt, then lowered his voice and muttered, "...Little Uncle."
Su Han's face lit up with joy, finally, the day had come! He patted Chongyun on the shoulder. "Good nephew, from now on, we're family. Here, take this cultivation method."
As he spoke, Su Han handed him the Heart of Ice Technique, reminding him not to pass it on lightly.
Chongyun wasn't stupid, anything given by his "Little Uncle" had to be extraordinary.
But when he looked down and saw the name of the technique, he was completely shocked. It was another one straight out of the manga. For a moment, he even began to wonder... could it be that every cultivation method in Su Han's manga was real?
Watching the two whisper to each other, Shenhe remained expressionless. The joy and chatter of mortals still felt distant to her. Yet something caught her attention, the young man who'd been blushing moments ago seemed to have cooled down completely.
Could it be because of the cultivation method Su Han had just given him?
"Ahem. Anyway, we're family now. Train well, Chongyun. We'll be heading out."
When the clerk came over with the paper money and flowers, Su Han didn't plan to stay any longer. After a few final words, he led Shenhe out.
Just as they reached the door, a voice called out behind him, "You won't bully her, will you?"
Su Han smiled slightly. "Of course not."
With that assurance, Chongyun finally relaxed. Perhaps this really was the best outcome for his little aunt.
The earlier delay meant it was already late when they left—the moon was high above.
Still, for cultivators like Su Han and Shenhe, walking at night was no trouble.
As they walked, Shenhe suddenly murmured to herself, "That young man from earlier... he's my kin, isn't he? I was prepared for this, but when I truly faced him, I didn't know what to say or how to act."
Su Han smiled. "No need to rush. These things can't be forced. Once you get used to life in Liyue, you'll find that communication isn't so hard."
"Mm, I understand."
Shenhe nodded lightly. Though she wasn't good with words, she knew Su Han wasn't lying to her. Feelings and human bonds weren't things that could be learned overnight.
Before long, they reached a desolate village.
Following her memory, Shenhe found her parents' graves. Because no one had tended to them for years, weeds had grown everywhere. She was about to light the paper money when Su Han stopped her.
She looked at him in confusion, her rainbow-colored eyes questioning.
"Since we're here, we should tidy up a bit. Look at the ground, it's all overgrown, and there isn't even a proper tombstone. Give me a moment."
Su Han got to work immediately.
He gathered nearby branches into a pile and set them ablaze. With the light of the fire, the surroundings became clear. Then he cleared away the weeds, added fresh soil to the mounds, and finally turned his attention to the tombstone.
He figured a wooden one would rot too easily, so he found a large stone nearby instead. With two clean swings of the Fire Sword, the rock was neatly cut into the shape of a headstone.
It was only then that Su Han realized he hadn't asked their names. "By the way, Shenhe, what are your parents' names?"
"No need to carve them. The past is past. Just write 'Tomb of Shenhe's Parents.'"
It wasn't that Shenhe had forgotten, but that she didn't wish to speak of it.
Su Han respected her choice and began engraving.
[Tomb of Shenhe's Parents - May they rest eternally in peace.]
Seeing the extra line, Shenhe frowned slightly but said nothing.
Once everything was prepared, Shenhe followed mortal custom, placing flowers before the grave and burning the paper money. She didn't speak a single word throughout.
Since she stayed silent, Su Han quietly accompanied her. Even so, he could feel the faint turbulence in her emotions, after all, the eyes never lied.
He could sense the complexity and sorrow within her heart.
Only when the last stack of paper money had burned to ash did Shenhe finally rise.
"Let's go. The offering is done, it's time to head back."
"Alright."
The road back was quiet. Other than the occasional chirp of insects, only their footsteps echoed in the night.
As they walked, Shenhe suddenly turned and said softly, "I don't know why, but when I saw that extra line you carved... I felt a strange sadness inside. I don't even know what I'm sad about, but it makes me uncomfortable."
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