Chance Encounter

"Let go, let go of me, I need to save my mother!" The young man struggled desperately to break free from the servants restraining him, but his frail body was no match for the strength of several servants pulling him back.

"Young master, the fire is too intense, you can't go there."

Amidst the raging flames, a woman trapped under a burning beam exerted her last ounce of strength to shout towards the outside of the house.

"Son, survive, you must survive."

With a deafening roar, the house collapsed, burying the woman in the sea of fire and thick smoke.

"Mother!"

Li Luoning shouted as he woke up from the dream, his entire body soaked in sweat, and the sheets crumpled in front of his chest.

It was that dream again, the inexplicable fire that had destroyed the Li family's generations-old business over a decade ago. Witnessing his mother's tragic death in front of him, his father's fate unknown. Sixteen-year-old Li Luoning had overnight transformed from the son of a medicine merchant into a destitute young master wandering the streets.

The dim figure in the firelight and the collapsing eaves had become the haunting nightmare etched in his memory for years.

Coming back to his senses, Li Luoning glanced at the window where the sky was turning pale. It was still early, but the recent nightmare left him sleepless.

With no sleep in sight, Li Luoning got out of bed, tidied up quickly, and walked out of the room.

"Master, good morning." A man dressed in a white robe with pale green ribbons was watering the blue snow flowers in the courtyard.

"Mm, good morning." Li Luoning nodded lightly in response and then entered the study.

The early morning at the Mirror Cloud Residence was serene, dew sliding down the large peach tree leaves, tapping gently on the white pebble path. The traces of watering the blue snow flowers outside the study window were still visible, and smoke was rising from the distant pharmacy.

In the study, Li Luoning was holding an ancient book, quietly transcribing its contents, while the incense burner beside him filled the room with a gentle fragrance.

"Master, are we going to Jiuling Mountains to gather herbs today?" The man who had been watering the plants in the courtyard entered with a pot of tea.

"Yes, it's the perfect time to harvest Rocky Cypress Grass. Qingyi, bring the medical books over there to Medicine King later," Li Luoning continued transcribing while instructing.

"Yes, Master. Master, please be careful when you go to Jiuling Mountains. I've heard that there have been frequent sightings of wolf packs and unknown beasts lately. Many fellow cultivators have been discussing this matter," Qingyi reminded with a gentle smile.

"Has anyone been injured?" Li Luoning stopped his hand and asked with concern.

"It's said that some people have suffered minor external injuries, but Medicine King has already sent some medicine for treating wounds, so they should be fine," Qingyi paused his hand movements, pondered for a moment, and responded before continuing his task.

After a moment of contemplation, Li Luoning asked, "Qingyi, do we still have the Stasis-Dispelling Grass that was dried a few days ago?"

"Is Master intending for us to take these together to Master Yao?" Yun Qingyi asked with a slight smile curling the corners of his mouth, his eyes twinkling.

"Yes, take them together and hand them over to the medicine boy," Li Luoning instructed.

Meanwhile, a thin and frail teenager of about fourteen or fifteen was running as if his life depended on it, occasionally glancing back to see if the pursuers were catching up.

Not far behind, two vicious dogs relentlessly chased after him, barking incessantly.

The teenager's face was covered in dirt, his ill-fitting tattered clothes stained with dried blood here and there.

The holes in his pants revealed his emaciated legs, which had fallen countless times. His hands were now a blur of blood and flesh, and he had lost one of his shoes at some point.

In a moment of carelessness, the teenager stepped on a stone, lost his balance, and fell heavily to the ground face-first.

"Still dare to run, encircle him!" came a voice from behind, young yet filled with arrogance. A wealthy young master

Mi Xingzhe had already fallen quite hard. He winced in pain, clutching his shoulder and gritting his teeth. He cowered on the ground, trembling with fear as he squirmed backward, clearly displaying his dread in his eyes.

"Master Lei, you... you promised that as long as I could run out of the hunting circle, you would let me go. You... you have to keep your promise," Mi Xingzhe pleaded with a trembling voice.

"You, a useless waste, why should I keep a promise to you? Feeding my dogs with your stinking flesh is a blessing earned by your ancestors for eight generations. If you don't kneel down and show gratitude to me by kowtowing a few times, and you dare to run, watch as I break your legs today!" the wealthy young master said, raising the whip in his hand threateningly.

As Mi Xingzhe saw the whip about to strike again, he frantically groped around beside him in panic. In his confusion, he grabbed a stone from the ground and hurled it towards the wealthy young master.

"Ah!" The flying stone hit the wealthy young master squarely on the forehead, causing blood to gush out instantly.

"I... I didn't mean to... It wasn't intentional..." Mi Xingzhe muttered, trembling as he struggled to his feet, stepping back one step at a time.

"Daring to fight back, I see you have a death wish!" The wealthy young master, one hand covering his injured forehead, said fiercely.

"Please, spare me..." Mi Xingzhe begged continuously, fearfully retreating backward, completely unaware of the slope behind him.

"A worthless person with no future has the audacity to bargain with me. Since my father bought you for me, you are my dog. Even if you are meant to die, you must obey me. Da Mao, Er Mao, get him! Today, you'll have some fun," the wealthy young master ordered the vicious dogs on both sides.

"Don't come over, don't... Ah~~" Mi Xingzhe's foot slipped, and he tumbled down the hill.

The night wind rustled through the leaves, carrying a faint scent of peach blossoms. In a daze, Mi Xingzhe felt as if he could smell the subtle scent of herbs mingled in the breeze, accompanied by the faint sound of footsteps, as if someone were approaching him.

Mi Xingzhe felt a chill run down his spine, his head pounding painfully. In his blurred consciousness, he sensed a blurry figure slowly approaching him. He struggled to rise, but his body wouldn't respond, and he could only muster a faint amount of strength to try and focus on the figure, but his eyelids grew heavier, and his senses became increasingly blurred.

"Am I fading into nothingness?" Mi Xingzhe murmured weakly with his last ounce of strength.

When he woke up again, he found himself lying on a intricately carved bed draped with golden-threaded azure curtains. The touch of the sheer blanket on his body seemed to confirm the fact that he was still alive.

Mi Xingzhe's entire body ached as if torn apart. He forced himself to sit up, trying to figure out where he was.

Perhaps he had slept for too long. Mi Xingzhe felt his eyes extremely dry at this moment. With one hand gently rubbing his temples and the other supporting his body, he surveyed his surroundings.

In the room, not far away, sat a man dressed in a white robe, one hand propping his forehead while the other held a book, his eyes closed as he leaned back.

"Where am I?" Mi Xingzhe murmured softly to himself.

The room was adorned with serene white decor, and the man in the pale jade robe sat amidst it all. Incense wafted gently from a nearby censer, while outside the window, tranquility reigned, occasionally interrupted by the chirping of birds.

"You're awake," Li Luoning heard the voice and opened his eyes, setting down the book in his hand before speaking softly.

He then rose and walked slowly to the bedside, offering a cup of tea.

Mi Xingzhe hesitated, his gaze fixed on the man before him, his eyes wary.

Li Luoning intended to move closer with the cup, but seeing the instinctive recoil from the boy, he paused briefly. Then, with a smile, he lightly touched his lower lip with his fingertip, signaling to Mi Xingzhe.

Mi Xingzhe subconsciously licked his own dry, cracked lips, then cautiously sniffed the tea in the cup before tentatively sipping it.

As he drank, he observed the man before him.

His features were finely sculpted, with strong brows, a prominent nose, and narrow eyes that held a hint of gentleness. Clad in simple robes, with dark hair tied back, he exuded a faint herbal scent.

"That must be the figure from that day," Mi Xingzhe murmured to himself.

"Do you remember what happened?" Li Luoning's voice was gentle as he asked.

Mi Xingzhe lowered his gaze evasively, then shook his head lightly. He didn't want to admit he was a runaway slave, afraid of being sent back again.

"I found you unconscious in the peach blossom forest and brought you back," Li Luoning explained kindly.

Mi Xingzhe nodded gratefully, saying, "Thank you."

Li Luoning then picked up a bowl of medicine and handed it over. "You were unconscious for several days, but fortunately, your injuries are not severe. However, your body is still weak and will need careful nurturing for some time."

Mi Xingzhe looked into the bowl and saw his reflection—pale and sickly, with no hint of color in his cheeks. His hair was disheveled, and his eyes were sunken due to his emaciated frame. The oversized robe only accentuated his skeletal figure, and he noticed the bandaged wounds on his arms.

"I... I was chased... and fell," Mi Xingzhe avoided eye contact, keeping his explanation brief and fragmented.

"Things have been unsettled around Juangling recently. Did you encounter danger, which led to your frantic escape?" Li Luoning inquired.

Mi Xingzhe offered no further explanation, simply sitting quietly, nodding in response.

"I am Li Luoning. Do you have a name?" Li Luoning introduced himself.

"Mi, Xingzhe. No, I'm not any kind of master," came the reply, his throat dry and voice hoarse.

"Mi Xingzhe, do you have any family? Do you need me to send word to them to come and pick you up?" Li Luoning repeated the name and then asked softly.

Upon hearing Li Luoning's words, Mi Xingzhe's expression darkened gradually, and he nodded slowly with his head lowered.

Li Luoning wasn't particularly surprised. Seeing Mi Xingzhe's tattered clothes and the wounds on his hands and feet, he could guess the situation.

"May I ask, where is this place?" Mi Xingzhe asked timidly.

"The Liao Yin Immortal Realm."

"The Liao Yin Immortal Realm! An immortal sect?" Mi Xingzhe was surprised, inhaling sharply as he asked.

The Liao Yin Immortal Realm was said to maintain the order of the three realms and was the most powerful place in terms of cultivation. However, it only accepted those who were destined to enter. Countless people had spent their lives searching for its location, but it remained elusive and mysterious, with no boundary and no way for mortals to easily find the entrance.

"If you have nowhere else to go, you can stay here for now until your injuries heal, and then we can discuss further," Li Luoning said softly.

"I..." Mi Xingzhe hesitated.

"What's wrong? Don't want to?" Li Luoning found it somewhat amusing that someone would hesitate about staying in the Liao Yin Immortal Realm.

"Of course I want to," Mi Xingzhe hastily denied. "It's just..."

"Just what?" Li Luoning pressed.

[The Liao Yin Immortal Realm is a place that many people dream of, but if I tell him that I'm actually a spirit without any cultivation, I'll probably be kicked out immediately. But even if I don't say anything, I'll probably be discovered soon... ] Mi Xingzhe pondered how to broach the subject.

"Do you have any concerns?" Li Luoning asked with concern.

"No, none," Mi Xingzhe truly didn't know how to speak up and nodded in agreement.

"Alright then, I'll bring you some clean clothes later. If you need anything, feel free to come find me," Li Luoning instructed.

"Thank you," Mi Xingzhe responded cautiously with a nod.

Seeing that Mi Xingzhe had nothing else to say, Li Luoning nodded kindly and left.

As Li Luoning walked away, Mi Xingzhe couldn't help but ponder, "He doesn't seem like a bad person. But if I tell him I'm a spirit, can I still stay here? But this is still an immortal sect. Even if I don't say anything, it won't be long before someone finds out, right?"

"Ah, my hand." Mi Xingzhe couldn't help but cry out in pain as he accidentally touched the wound on his hand.

"The way I am now, if I were kicked out of here, I probably wouldn't survive for long. And if I happen to run into that young master from the Lei family again..." Mi Xingzhe's mind started to wander, and the thought of it made him feel increasingly uneasy.

"Forget it, forget it. Let's take it one step at a time." Mi Xingzhe, feeling impatient, comforted himself before lying back down on the bed.

Outside the door of the Mirror Cloud Residence, a massive peach blossom tree swayed gently in the breeze, its petals falling like pink snowflakes on a summer day. At this moment, on a string of azure beads, one of them shimmered with a red light.

A slender hand picked up the bead string and examined it, a mysterious smile playing at the corner of their lips.