Days passed.
Yue Yun remained in the village, helping out at Lian Hua's noodle shop. He carried water from the well, chopped wood, and wiped down tables.
The work was simple.
But… peaceful.
Each night, he returned to the small storage hut, lying on the floor as he watched the stars through the gaps above. They weren't as bright as the ones in the Celestial Realm.
And yet—
They felt more real.
—
Lian Hua treated him like a friend.
She talked a lot—about the villagers, her favorite foods, and her dream of one day seeing the capital city.
Yue Yun mostly listened.
He liked hearing her voice.
It made this unfamiliar world feel a little less empty.
But he never told her who he really was.
He couldn't.
—
One evening, as they closed the shop, Lian Hua sat beside him on the wooden bench outside.
The sunset painted the sky in soft shades of orange and purple.
"You don't smile much," she said.
"I do," Yue Yun replied, a little awkwardly.
She laughed. "That wasn't a real smile."
He tried again.
This time, it was a little better.
She studied him quietly. "You've been through something, haven't you?"
"…I guess."
She didn't push further.
Instead, she broke a steamed bun in half and handed him a piece.
"You're kind," Yue Yun said softly.
"I just don't like seeing people alone."
Something in his chest tightened.
It had been a long time since anyone worried about him—not for his strength, but for him.
—
The next day, things began to change.
At first, it was small.
Then it wasn't.
The animals grew restless, refusing to go near the forest.
The trees along the edge of the village started to darken, their bark turning black as if something was spreading beneath the surface.
Villagers who had been healthy suddenly fell ill.
Lian Hua's little brother burned with a fever that wouldn't break.
—
That evening, Yue Yun walked alone to the edge of the forest.
The air felt wrong.
Heavy.
His body was still mortal, but something within him stirred—his senses sharpening, reacting.
He could feel it.
A presence.
Hidden deep within the trees.
Faint…
But growing.
Yue Yun's gaze hardened.
This wasn't demon energy.
It felt colder.
More twisted.
Something worse.
His hands slowly clenched.
He wasn't supposed to use divine power in the Mortal Realm—not unless it was absolutely necessary.
That was part of his trial.
But if this darkness continued to spread…
Then this wasn't just a test anymore.
It was a threat.
And for the first time—
Yue Yun wasn't sure this trial was meant for him alone.