Du Yue looked at him, at that gentle, steady expression full of concern, and something inside her trembled. Her mind drifted back, unbidden, to everything she'd gone through before arriving here.
She thought of that disgusting son of the City Lord, the way his eyes slithered over her like greasy filth. She thought of her father, who had traded her away for a handful of spirit stones without even blinking. He had never loved her, never protected her… not when she was small, not when she grew older. But he had still been family, the only pillar she thought she had… until even that crumbled and stabbed her in the back.
With nowhere to run, with no one to stand for her, she had chosen to face the Heavenly Tribulation head-on. Better to die beneath thunder and divine wrath than be dragged into the mud by those filthy hands. If she had to fall, she would fall with her dignity intact. And yet… Heavens hadn't killed her. Even that felt like some kind of cruel joke at that time.
When she escaped…broken, exhausted, and with no real hope left, she stumbled into this mountain, this tiny courtyard, this strange home with two old seniors who treated her with warmth she'd never experienced before.
And now this man in front of her… childish sometimes, a little too proud, but also gentle, steady, and unexpectedly kind. A mix of everything she never realized she needed. He was trying so hard to treat her, asking for nothing in return, just because his grandparents told him to care for her. Somehow, that made it hit even deeper.
She felt her face heat up, a soft blush rising, but her eyes sharpened with something fierce, determination, raw and bright.
For the first time in a long while, she wanted to live. Not just survive… live. And not alone but with the man in front of her... She wanted strength and freedom. A future she could actually call her own and she will protect them both, him and her future, she will not let anyone take them away from her.
Her shattered dao heart stirred, then lit up again, tender but resolute, like a new bud breaking through the soil, reaching for the sun. Small now, yes… but destined to grow into a tree that no storm, no disaster, no tribulation could ever shake.
Su Wen stared at her, completely dumbfounded.
'What the hell just happened? Why did the whole atmosphere flip like that? And why do her right eye, that dead, lifeless eye from yesterday, suddenly look like the main character from one of those dramatic TV shows I used to binge in my past life?'
Before he could sort out his thoughts, Du Yue spoke, her gaze burning with determination and her aura like that of an empress ready to change her fate with her own hands.
"I'll do it. Not just the body… I'll cultivate my soul too. Just like you."
Su Wen blinked. Once. Twice.
"Y–You…!"
He wanted to tell her to slow down and think about it, but the moment he met her eyes, so fierce, so ready to walk ten thousand kilometres barefoot if it meant getting stronger…the words died in his throat.
He let out a slow breath. Then nodded. "…Alright."
He pulled out a few soul cultivation pills from his storage and placed them in her hands.
"These will let you break through to the Instinct Realm instantly. You're already at late Foundation Establishment in spirit cultivation, so your senses are sharp enough to handle the first soul realm. Technically, you could even push straight into Soul Awakening, but I don't recommend it yet."
His tone softened a bit.
"Cultivation's a long road. You rush it, you trip. Build your foundation steady, or everything collapses later."
Du Yue nodded, her voice gentle. "Okay… I'll listen to you from now on."
For a moment, something in her tone made Su Wen pause.
'That… sounded weird.'
Like she was promising much more than just following his instructions. But, whatever…he brushed past it.
"As for your Soul and Body cultivation techniques, I'll…"
He didn't even get to finish.
A tiny blur zipped toward them. Little Sparrow came flapping in like a chaotic delivery bird and screeched, "—Chirp! You can have these!"
Three manuals and a scroll smacked into Du Yue's hands before she even realized what was happening.
She blinked, confused, but the little bird didn't stop.
"-Chirp! I've got plenty of these boring manuals in my secret treasury, hehehe…-chirp! Use them well!"
Su Wen froze for a second. Then slowly took the manuals from Du Yue to inspect them.
His eyes widened.
"Yin Jade Body Tempering… Silent Night Soul-Refinement Sutra… Pure Yin Vein Resonance Method… Eternal Snow Severing-Heaven Sword Art…"
He looked up at Du Yue, stunned.
"These are all Yin-based…and they fit you perfectly. It's like they were tailor-made for you."
Little Sparrow puffed up proudly like she was waiting for applause.
"-Chirp! Amazing, right? I've got tons more just lying around in my stash…-chirp!"
And without even waiting for any response, Little Sparrow flew away like she is running away. Su Wen narrowed his eyes at the little creature, suspicious but didn't ask much.
He handed the manuals back to Du Yue.
"Use these well. They're high-level techniques."
Du Yue held the manuals close, her face turning red at the seriousness in his gaze. She nodded, quick little nods like a pecking chick, unable to hide the warmth rising in her chest.
Su Wen wore a strange expression, but he did not comment. "Alright, let's get down to business," he said. "First, we will fix your less injured meridians to complete a single path for Qi circulation."
He took out the pill refined from the Spiritvine Herb and handed it to Du Yue, who obediently swallowed it in one gulp.
Using his Soul Sense, Su Wen began to gather the medicinal properties within her body, directing them one by one toward the desired meridians. His focus was absolute, one small mistake here could seriously injure her, so he didn't allow even a breath of distraction. For nearly thirty minutes, he didn't move at all, eyes closed, expression steady and concentrated.
Du Yue, meanwhile, could only feel the sensations. After the Heavenly Tribulation, every meridian of hers had been blocked, she was basically no different from a mortal now, her spiritual pathways crippled, and her spiritual sense completely burned out. She couldn't inspect her body properly even if she wanted to. She could only feel the changes within her body, unable to peer inside.