20 Plum blossoms

That same day, after returning home, he walked away from everyone and wandered the grounds until he reached the spot where he had once met a girl who had confused him with a servant.

He looked up at the sky and silently stared at the moon.

A light set of steps interrupted his musings.

The person didn’t say a thing, she just stood beside him and stared at the moon as well. After a moment, her hand found his and they stared together.

For some reason, her sole presence made him feel better.

“There’s still some hope, right?” he asked

“Mm.”

“Master Fa said that cultivators will always find themselves involved in politics and that I should treat it as another Heavenly Tribulation.”

“Mm.”

“Or I can just weather the remaining 31 tribulations and become an Empyrean, at which point the matters of the earthly realm are unlikely to concern me.”

The smell of plum blossoms assaulted his senses, making him turn, only to find that he was alone in the courtyard.