The night breeze brushed softly through the forest, stirring the leaves overhead as moonlight filtered down in pale, silvery streaks.
Nie Li stood beneath the towering trees with the scroll in his hand, his expression serious—there was no trace of teasing left in his eyes.
"I'll repeat it one more time," he said calmly. "Listen carefully this time."
Xiao Ning'er straightened instinctively, her fingers curling at her side.
Nie Li lowered his gaze to the inscription pattern.
"Replace this phrase—'Connecting the heart and eye'—with 'Connecting the heart and mind.'"
Her eyes widened.
"That… that's possible?"
Nie Li nodded.
"The soul and the spirit must circulate together. The heart governs perception, but the mind governs control. If you emphasize perception alone, the soul force disperses unevenly."
Xiao Ning'er fell silent, absorbing every word.
The burning cold she felt each night—the freezing pain that seeped into her bones—everything Nie Li described aligned perfectly with her condition.
"…I don't understand all of it," she admitted quietly.
A few steps away, Karma scratched the back of his head.
"Don't worry," he said casually. "If you did understand everything he just said, I'd start questioning reality."
Nie Li replied without looking up,
"You question reality every day."
"That's fair," Karma agreed.
Xiao Ning'er glanced at him instinctively—then quickly looked away.
"…Is it really that complicated?" she asked quietly.
Karma tilted his head, studying her expression.
"Complicated enough that my brain stopped working halfway through," he replied honestly. "But hey—if he says it works, it probably does."
Nie Li shot him a look.
"You're very trusting."
Karma shrugged.
"I've learned that when I don't understand something, the smartest option is to shut up and let the genius talk."
Xiao Ning'er couldn't help it—her lips curved slightly before she caught herself.
Xiao Ning'er lowered her gaze, fingers unconsciously twisting together.
"…You two are always like this," she said softly. "Talking so casually about things that could change someone's entire life."
Nie Li replied calmly, "Because panic doesn't solve anything."
Karma tilted his head, studying her carefully.
"He's right," he added. "If you panic now, your body tightens. And if your body tightens—"
He gestured vaguely. "—everything gets worse."
Xiao Ning'er looked up at him, surprised.
"You… know about that?"
Karma shrugged.
"I get injured a lot. You learn things."
Nie Li shot him a sidelong glance.
"That's not what I meant when I told you to stop charging headfirst into danger."
Karma grinned.
"And yet, here I am. Still alive."
Nie Li continued, his tone precise and methodical.
Xiao Ning'er's thoughts drifted.
How deep must one's understanding of soul energy be to amend such a high-level cultivation technique so casually?
Even a family patriarch wouldn't dare do this…
Her eyes darkened slightly.
"…Compared to what I learned before," she said softly, "this is far more complex."
We're the same age… yet the gap between us is this vast.
With knowledge like this, he'll definitely reach Legend Rank.
Another thought surfaced unbidden.
The most beautiful woman…
Ye Ziyun.
Nie Li noticed her unfocused gaze and sighed lightly.
"Hey. I'm done explaining. What are you thinking about?"
He raised an eyebrow. "Don't tell me you weren't listening again."
Xiao Ning'er startled.
"I—I wasn't thinking about anything!"
Karma, meanwhile, was poking at a fallen leaf with his shoe.
"So," he said, glancing up, "the scroll isn't cursed, the technique isn't evil, and no one's exploding tonight. That's the summary, right?"
Nie Li sighed.
"That might be the worst summary you could've given."
Xiao Ning'er hesitated, then spoke softly,
"Nie Li… since you know what illness I have… you also know how to treat it, don't you?"
Her voice trembled despite her effort to remain composed.
"I don't want to become crippled," she said quietly.
"And I don't want to die."
Nie Li was silent for a moment.
Then he nodded.
"It can be treated."
Her eyes widened.
"Really?!"
"The illness is called Arctic Disease," Nie Li explained.
"It's recorded in the Holy Orchid Institute's library. The Dao Yin technique must be used to massage the affected areas, and medicine refined from Golden Stripe Grass and Imperial Sky Grass must be consumed daily."
"For about a month," he added, "and you'll recover."
She clenched her fists.
"But," Nie Li continued seriously,
"you must stop training your soul force at night."
She swallowed.
"…Understood."
Nie Li handed the scroll back.
"Sit down. Where are the bruises?"
She hesitated… then pointed at her foot.
"There's one here."
Nie Li sat across from her and examined it carefully.
"Fortunately, it's on the top of the foot."
She lowered herself slowly, her heart pounding.
Sensing her tension, Nie Li spoke calmly,
"Don't misunderstand. I'm helping you because of your illness."
Then, more gently, "The one I like is Ye Ziyun. Still… I'm glad to know you. I hope we can be friends."
"…Mm," Xiao Ning'er nodded quietly.
"…Karma," she said softly, surprising herself.
"Hm?" he responded immediately, turning toward her.
"You… you've been standing here this whole time," she said. "Aren't you bored?"
Karma blinked, then grinned.
"Bored? Nah. This is way more interesting than training."
Nie Li frowned.
"How?"
Karma pointed between them.
"You're dissecting cultivation techniques like they're homework, and she's trying not to collapse from stress."
He paused. "Way better than sparring."
Xiao Ning'er lowered her head, embarrassed—but reassured.
As the Dao Yin technique flowed, Xiao Ning'er bit her lip.
"…En."
"This will hurt at first," Nie Li said. "Endure it."
Karma turned away politely.
"Yeah. I definitely shouldn't be witnessing this."
"Then don't," Nie Li replied flatly.
Xiao Ning'er lowered her head, staring at the faint glow of soul force still lingering around her foot.
It really hurts less…
For so long, pain had been a constant companion—something she endured silently, something she never spoke about. Even her family saw her illness as an inconvenience, a weakness to be managed rather than understood.
And yet—
She glanced sideways.
Karma stood a short distance away, his back turned, arms crossed loosely. He wasn't watching. He wasn't hovering. But he hadn't left either.
He stayed.
Not out of obligation.
Not out of pity.
Just… naturally.
He didn't ask questions that hurt.
Didn't look at her with sympathy or calculation.
Didn't treat her illness as something fragile or shameful.
Instead, he treated it like a problem that would eventually be solved.
Someone like him…
Someone who is from much higher nobility stand so casually beside Nie Li…
Someone everyone admired, feared, or idolized…
Why would he bother staying for someone like me?
Her fingers tightened slightly in her lap.
Back then, when she trained alone at night, when the pain nearly broke her, when the cold seeped into her bones—
No one stood beside her.
Tonight… someone did.
She bit her lip lightly and forced herself to calm down.
Don't misunderstand.
Don't hope for things you can't have.
And yet—
Her heart refused to completely listen.
Moments later—
"The pain…" Xiao Ning'er murmured.
"It's reduced a lot. Now it feels itchy… like hundreds of ants crawling."
"That means circulation has resumed properly," Nie Li said.
"…Terrifying imagery," Karma muttered.
After a while, Nie Li withdrew his hand.
"Done. For now."
"Thank you, Nie Li."
She turned to leave—then stopped.
"…I'm bruised somewhere else too."
Nie Li frowned slightly.
"Another bruise?"
"If it was only on the leg…" he muttered.
Karma's head snapped up instantly.
"That sentence feels extremely dangerous."
Xiao Ning'er's face turned crimson.
"C-Can you… help massage it as well?"
A pause.
"If it's inconvenient—" Nie Li began.
"No," she said quickly.
Then she asked softly,
"Nie Li… you said you like Ye Ziyun?"
"Yes."
Karma blinked.
"Wow. No hesitation at all."
"…Does she like you?"
Nie Li hesitated.
"…I don't know."
Xiao Ning'er laughed softly.
"So it's one-sided."
She looked away, resolve hardening.
Slowly… she loosened the fastening at her shoulder.
Karma froze.
"…I'm leaving. Mentally."
Nie Li turned—
"AH—!"
He spun around instantly, his face burning red.