The cave remained quiet.
The fire burned low.
For a moment—
Neither of them spoke.
Then—
Ling Yue broke the silence.
"I belong to a sect."
Li Xuan glanced at her.
"Sect?"
Ling Yue nodded slightly.
"The Ancient Dao Temple."
Li Xuan's expression didn't change.
But his eyes sharpened faintly.
In the Black Tortoise Continent—
There existed four major powers.
The Ancient Dao Temple.
The Black Abyss.
The Jade Lotus Sect.
And the Moon Shadow Sect.
These forces stood above all others.
Their influence spread across countless regions.
Their strength far beyond ordinary sects.
Li Xuan looked at her.
"So… you're from one of those."
Ling Yue didn't respond.
Her gaze rested on the fire.
Calm.
Unrevealing.
Li Xuan's eyes lingered on her for a moment.
As if he was about to ask more—
Her position.
Her identity within it.
But before he could—
Ling Yue spoke.
"And you?"
Her eyes met his.
"You don't have any noticeable cultivation aura."
"What happened?"
The question was direct.
Li Xuan remained silent briefly.
Then—
"My meridians… were almost destroyed."
His voice was calm.
As if it meant nothing.
Ling Yue fell silent.
Her gaze rested on him.
(His meridians… almost destroyed…)
Her fingers tightened slightly over her sleeve.
A faint heaviness settled in her chest.
In this world—
Without cultivation,
One was no different from useless.
Power decided everything.
Status.
Survival.
Even dignity.
Yet—
He sat there as if it didn't matter.
Calm.
Unbothered.
As though nothing had been taken from him.
Ling Yue's eyes softened.
(How much… has he gone through…)
(…to remain like this?)
For a brief moment—
She wanted to say something.
But no words came.
"…Are you alright?"
Her voice was softer than before.
There was hesitation in it.
Li Xuan looked at her.
Ling Yue lowered her gaze slightly.
"…Living like this… doesn't it bother you?"
She paused.
Then asked quietly—
"…Your family?"
The cave grew still.
Li Xuan didn't answer immediately.
Then—
A faint smile appeared on his face.
"My family…"
He spoke softly.
"They left me when I was born."
His tone remained calm.
"I've never even seen their faces."
No anger.
No sadness.
Just a simple truth.
Ling Yue's eyes trembled slightly.
Li Xuan looked away.
(Master…)
A faint thought passed through his mind.
Ling Yue remained silent.
A trace of sympathy appeared in her eyes.
Then she spoke softly—
"No one is truly born without a family."
"There's always someone out there… waiting for you."
"You just haven't found them yet."
Li Xuan looked at her.
"…Really?"
There was a brief pause.
Then—
He raised his hand toward the air.
As if reaching for something unseen.
"Then wait for me," he said lightly.
"I'm coming."
A faint trace of playfulness lingered in his tone.
A soft breeze passed through the cave.
It brushed lightly against Ling Yue.
She stilled.
Her senses caught it.
Subtle.
Unusual.
Her eyes shifted back to him.
Li Xuan stood there calmly.
Almost carefree.
For a moment—
Ling Yue simply looked at him.
(…Childish.)
A brief pause.
(…But not unpleasant.)
Her gaze softened slightly.
(A little… cute.)
The fire flickered quietly.
The night remained still.
Inside the cave—
Two figures sat across from each other.
The distance between them had not disappeared.
But it had grown… warmer.
And somewhere within that quiet space—
Something subtle had begun to change.