His Zither Play.

She entered a valley hearing sad notes full of pain and reluctance to part, but also tender and very warm with heartfelt love deep within. Her steps were light, but Aiden noticed from the very beginning. Somehow he felt fine with her intrusion.

There was something very familiar about her. Was it aura or some other thing? It was like a bestial intuition of sorts, perhaps enhanced perception from fourth ring playing trick, or something else, but he never felt repulsive about Bing'er.

Stopping near the distant tree she leaned on it and hugged herself shivering slightly.

"Come and sit, why standing there?" - Aiden finally sighed and donned her with a cape. He thought it was because of the weather that was surprisingly cold in summer evenings near the pond. - "Are you feeling cold?"

"Not anymore. Thank you." - her voice clear as a chime of a lark entered his ears and brought a strange feeling as if he knew her for years already.

Aiden nodded and brought her hot tea with snacks as he sat again and continued playing. He didn't notice that since the day Na'er died it was the first time he voluntarily took a break from playing, even if for a short while. He played a bit more and Shui Bing'er watched him doing so.

She couldn't help but praise his skills.

It was a silent, yet blissful evening. Both of them didn't talk, one playing, another listening, and eating. Eventually, she dozed off and fell asleep by his side, curling like a kitten... it was exactly the same with Na'er...

Aiden looked at her feeling perplexed and for the first time after several years felt his heart lightening a bit.

"Thank you for listening... somehow... I really needed an audience..." - he smiled sadly while whispering to the sleeping beauty and without thinking again fixed her loose strand of hair. Only after this, he noticed what he had done. - "I did it again without noticing... what is wrong with me?" - he mumbled under breath while paying no attention to a slight curve of the girl's lips.

His touch woke her up moments prior.

After a couple of minutes, she pretended to wake up to see him sitting there and writing something on a piece of paper. He was deep in thought while answering a letter.

"You are awake." - he said without turning to look at her, making her cutely pout. - "It is better for you to head back to the dorm. I bet your sister is waiting. It is nearly midnight after all."

"What?! I slept through several hours!" - she never thought it would be that way.

"Take the snacks before you go, but eat them one during breakfast and one at dinner. Don't give anyone else. You will know why when you try." - Aiden put down the quill and walked to her with a ring. He didn't know why he cared about that girl like so but went with a flow. It is not like anyone will get hurt if they will be friends, right? As for something more serious, he didn't think about it. Right now he has many more things to do.

"Thank you... but... can you tell me why you treat me so well?" - she took the spacial ring and hiding her hands behind donned it on her ring finger.

"I..." - he was about to answer when a shadow came running all the way from the entrance of a valley, followed by another one.

"That's where you are! We were looking for you all over the place." - she was a bit similar to Shui Bing'er but with phoenix eyes and short haircut which portrayed a more energetic and unruly girl compared to gentle and noble Bing'er. - "Did he do anything to you?" - her sapphire eyes stared with a warning at Aiden at which he just smiled.

The reflection of siblings' love and care was clear deep within her gaze. How can he get angry at such a pure display of affection?

"Yue'er, stop talking nonsense, a came here myself and..." - she got a bit red on the face. - "fell asleep while listening to Senior Brother Aiden playing the zither."

"You... you did what again?" - Yue'er was shocked. She, unlike others, knew that after that day Bing'er could not sleep in presence of others excluding her. She was too afraid and insecure to do that. Especially with a man by her side.

"You fell asleep while doing what again?" - the second shadow was Dai Mubai who after hearing Oscar talking about meeting the newbie guided Yue'er to this place. Right now he stood there rooted with a betrayed expression of "hoes before bros" while glaring at Aiden.

"You have something to say?" - Aiden lazily smiled at Mubai.

"Tch, you just wait and see, one day I will drag you to the brothel!" - threatened Dai Mubai with the best threat he could come up with.

"Why does your threat sound like a great treat?" - Aiden was exasperated but felt somewhat funny.

"We both know what you hate the most!" - Mubai raised his head proudly.

"Wasting time drinking or on ladies." - they both said it at the same time and laughed simultaneously with no hard feelings whatsoever.

Girls were amused with their antics and somehow loosened up. The four then walked back chatting merrily.

"Mubai, I will take a leave for a couple of weeks to a month starting tomorrow." - with that, he threw him a ring. - "There are some supplies and food within for everyone. Spend them well."

"Got it." - he nodded. - "Anything serious?"

"Can be." - Aiden shrugged with a careless attitude. - "Anyway, you know the rules on how to eat them. Don't worry about me, I'll be fine. Also, I don't have time to pass methods to other newbies." - with that Dai Mubai nodded. He knew full well what Aiden was talking about.

He came up to Shui Bing'er making her nervous, but she somehow knew what he was about to do and just waited.

Aiden stretched his hand and touched her forehead with two fingers. Platinum light shone like a flash. He gave Shui Bing'er a mark of "Time". It was one of the six Primal Marks leading to the user becoming a titan class body. That mark was the most suitable one for Ice power Bing'er had.

He could have given her water or ice mark but chose differently because essentially freezing something is the same as stopping time for it.

Also, he transferred the Divine Frozen World method to her, which will help her develop into the master with the power that can freeze even time and space. Her spirit was a very rare Ice Phoenix. Also, he felt a tinge of archaic power within it, thus there was a dormant evolution force that can help her make a qualitative leap. Once it's done, she will become one of the strongest masters on the continent with a very high chance of becoming immortal.

He did the same with Yue'er who first backed away and only after explanation took the knowledge. For her, he transferred the "water" mark. It was milder and not so extreme as "ice" but will be very beneficial to her Dolphin spirit. However, he didn't choose any combat art, he has little to no knowledge about how water spirit masters should fight and never asked Nexus to find arts for that attribute, unlike ice or lightning.

After all, he can only advise ice and lightning masters like himself for now.

'I should probably broaden my knowledge about the arts further. Hais, another thing to do in long list. Nexus, note it and create a library for me to study. I bet you already know what I mean.'

= Sure thing, master. Should I include some powerful dual cultivation methods? There are quite a few remarkable ones from that category.

'Why do I have a feeling that you are being sarcastic again?'

= I have absolutely, positively not the slightest idea why master can think that way. My thoughts and actions are pure and logical... so, what about dual cultivation?

'So whatever you want, rascal. I have a hunch you want to simply read through them yourself.'

= All I do benefits master. Even if it is reading porn.

'It is dual cultivation methods, Nexus.'

= Yes, yes, them.

"Okay, that's about it. I'll be leaving with the first rays of dusk." - he said, returning to his dorm.

Shui Bing'er had a smile on her face looking him leave, while her sister stood there flabbergasted. That was her first time even hearing about such methods, let alone receiving them. But then she turned to look at her sister and got suddenly exasperated.

"Love struck fool!" - she teased her.

"You..." - Shui Bing'er didn't know whether to laugh or cry.

"So, he is the one you turned down others for... hmmm, you got taste. I admit that at least." - she smirked at her sister.

"Oh, really now..." - Shui Bing'er fixed her fists.

"Ah!" - Yue'er suddenly made an exclamation, stunning Bing'er with the shocked and fearful look on her face.

"What happened?"

"I forgot your panties on the window leaf!" - she said and ran away, making Shui Bing'er face full of black lines. The saddest part of this all – she wasn't lying. That's the airhead sister of hers who always takes her underwear because she is too lazy to buy one for herself.