The town came into view as we descended from the winding mountain path, a cluster of tiled roofs nestled within a protective valley like a secret cupped in nature's palm. The dying light of sunset cast the humble buildings in a warm amber glow, transforming even the plainest structures into something almost magical for these few fleeting moments.

"Almost there," Wei Lin said, his voice stronger than it had been during our journey back from the deeper mountains. Despite the recent breakthrough, the battle with Zhao Xun had clearly taken a toll, but with each step toward civilization, his energy seemed to return.

I nodded, adjusting my storage ring where Zhao Xun's corpse, or what remained of it, rested alongside my other possessions.

The irony wasn't lost on me. I'd spent the entire journey to the Blackfang Mountains mentally preparing for an arduous, possibly lethal hunt for a demonic cultivator. I'd imagined elaborate battles, cunning traps, perhaps even a life and death moment.

The reality had been absurdly anticlimactic.

All I had needed to do was just stand, and when Zhao Xun had attempted to peer into my inner world, his mind had simply... broken. Not exactly the glorious combat I'd anticipated, but effective nonetheless.

I couldn’t complain, the prized demonic blood I'd sought had practically delivered itself to me.

"Lin Mei is going to be really upset," Wei Lin continued, breaking my reverie. "I promised not to go beyond the outer valleys."

"Considering you're returning with a breakthrough instead of a corpse, I imagine she'll forgive you," I replied dryly.

Wei Lin laughed, wincing slightly as the motion pulled at some hidden injury. "That's what someone who's never been in a relationship would say. Trust me, she values the promise I made over any result I achieved by breaking it."

His words made me pause for a moment.

While I had dated in my previous life, the usual high school flings, a couple of college relationships that fizzled out when schedules got busy, it was nothing serious. Nothing like the kind of connection that Wei Lin and Lin Mei clearly shared.

And ever since coming to this world, my every waking moment had been consumed by advancement, by understanding the World Tree Sutra, by simply trying to avoid the countless ways a cultivator could die - a goal I'd already failed at spectacularly more than once.

"Fair enough," I conceded with a slight nod. "In that case, I hope you've prepared a convincing apology."

We passed through the town's modest gate; it was little more than two wooden posts with a simple ward formation carved into them. I paused briefly to examine the ward, noting how the energy flow had been optimized for sustainability rather than power. A clever design for a small town with limited resources, it wouldn't stop a determined cultivator, but it would alert the town guards to any bandit attacks.

We made our way through narrow streets where ordinary people lived ordinary lives in the shadow of immortal pursuits.

Children ran through alleyways playing games that mimicked cultivator battles, wielding sticks as swords and tossing pebbles as "spiritual techniques."

An old man sat outside his shop smoking a pipe, his gaze following us with the wariness of someone who had seen cultivators come and go throughout a long life, and knew that their presence often meant trouble.

"The courtyard is this way," Wei Lin directed, turning down a side street lined with small inns and rental properties.

We stopped before a modest establishment with a faded sign that read "Three Pines Courtyard." The receptionist, a stout woman with graying hair pulled into a severe bun, nodded to us from her position behind a small desk in the entranceway.

"Your companion has been waiting," she informed Wei Lin. "She seems worried."

Wei Lin thanked her with a polite bow before leading me through a narrow corridor that opened into a surprisingly spacious courtyard. True to its name, three ancient pine trees dominated the space, their trunks and sweeping branches creating natural divisions within the open area.

Beneath the largest tree, a figure in blue robes paced back and forth, muttering anxiously to herself.

"Lin Mei," Wei Lin called out softly.

She spun around, her expression cycling rapidly from worry to relief to anger. "Wei Lin! Where have you been? You said you'd be back before sunset!" Her gaze shifted to me, eyes widening in surprise. "Ke Yin? What are you doing here?"

"Saving your beloved from certain death," I responded with a slight smile, hoping to defuse her anger with humor.

My attempt clearly failed; her expression darkened further.

"What do you mean, 'certain death'?" She stalked toward Wei Lin, inspecting him closely. "You're injured! And these robes, they're covered in blood! You went beyond the outer valleys, didn't you?"

Wei Lin at least had the decency to look sheepish. "I can explain—"

"You promised me!" Lin Mei's voice cracked slightly. "We had an agreement!"

I stepped away, giving them space for what was clearly going to be a personal conversation. Moving to the far side of the courtyard, I examined the accommodations while their voices continued behind me, Lin Mei's sharp with worry and Wei Lin's placating.

The courtyard featured three simple rooms arranged in a U-shape around the open space. Each had a sliding paper door that could be left open to enjoy the courtyard or closed for privacy. The furnishings I could glimpse through the open doors were basic but clean: sleeping mats, low tables, cushions, and storage chests.

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In the center of the courtyard, between the three pines, Lin Mei had set up what appeared to be a purification array. My interest in formations triggered as I studied the arrangement.

Five stone pillars, carved with precise spiritual conduits, formed a perfect pentagon. Each pillar anchored a different aspect of the purification process: extraction, separation, filtration, conversion, and stabilization. The array lines connecting them flowed in a counterclockwise spiral, creating a gentle vortex effect that would pull impurities from the spiritual energy being processed.

In the center sat a large ceramic tub filled with water that faintly glowed with herbal essences. I noted with appreciation how Lin Mei had incorporated organic components into what was typically an inorganic formation structure, a difficult integration that many formation apprentices struggled with. The herbal essences weren't merely floating in the water; they'd been bound to specific energy patterns, effectively becoming living formation components.

Scattered around the formation were various tools: mortar and pestle, dried herbs hanging from strings, and jars of medicinal ingredients. Each had been placed with deliberate precision, not just for convenience, but because they formed secondary resonance points that would activate at different stages of the purification process.

It was impressive work, far beyond what I'd expect from most Qi Condensation cultivators.

The precision of the formations, the elegant integration of herbal components, the careful balancing of yin and yang energies, it all suggested formal training in formation arts. Had Lin Mei been studying formations alongside her herbalism?

The execution looked to be around Level 1 level, though aspects of the organic integration showed flashes of deeper insight and Level 2 understanding.

"Who was he?" I heard Lin Mei ask, drawing my attention back to their conversation.

"A demonic cultivator," Wei Lin explained. "He called himself Zhao Xun of the Crimson Vein Sect. He was hunting other cultivators, draining them for their spiritual essence."

Lin Mei's face paled. "And you fought him? Alone?"

"Not completely alone," Wei Lin said, gesturing toward me. "Ke Yin arrived just in time."

Lin Mei turned to me, bowing deeply. "Thank you for saving this reckless fool." The gratitude in her voice was genuine, but I could still hear the undercurrent of anger directed at Wei Lin's broken promise.

"I was passing through," I shrugged. "Fortunate timing."

Wei Lin rolled his eyes at my modesty but didn't contradict me. Instead, he reached into his storage ring and produced the jade container he had used to extract Zhao Xun's demonic qi.

"Look," he said, holding it out to Lin Mei. "It wasn't for nothing. This is pure demonic qi from an Eighth Stage cultivator, more than enough to complete my final stall."

Lin Mei's expression softened slightly as she took the container. "The quality is remarkable," she admitted. "Much purer than what you've been collecting from beasts." She glanced up at him, her anger giving way to curiosity. "Wait, how did you break through to Stage Eight without completing the demonic stall?"

"That's the interesting part," Wei Lin began, launching into an explanation of how Zhao Xun's attack had backfired, how the demonic cultivator's technique had been reversed, and how Wei Lin had unintentionally drained him instead of the other way around, breaking through to Qi Condensation Stage Eight.

I approached the ceramic tub in the center of the purification array, my formation senses picking up on the subtle interplay of energies. The water inside gave off a pleasant aroma, a mixture of purifying herbs and stabilizing minerals that Lin Mei had clearly prepared with great care.

But what caught my attention was how the liquid itself had been turned into a formation medium, storing and amplifying spiritual energy in a way reminiscent of how some advanced formation masters used liquid mercury.

When their conversation reached a natural pause, I couldn't contain my curiosity any longer.

"You've been studying formations," I observed aloud.

Lin Mei looked over, momentarily surprised by my comment. "Yes," she admitted. "For the past few months or so. Nothing formal, just what I could learn from the sect library and apply to my herbalism."

I nodded appreciatively. "This is impressive work for self-study. The integration of organic components into the primary array structure is particularly clever. Most formation apprentices wouldn't attempt that until at least Level 2."

A hint of pride crept into Lin Mei's expression. "The Flowing River Method gives me some advantages when working with liquid-based formations. Water carries spiritual energy more efficiently than most mediums."

I was about to ask her about specific water-based formation texts she might have studied when the scent of warm food drifted into the courtyard. My stomach growled, reminding me that fighting demonic cultivators and trekking through mountains builds quite an appetite.

"You cultivator types and your dramatic adventures," a voice called from the entrance to the courtyard. The landlady stood there; a tray balanced on one hand. "Brought you some dinner. Figured you'd be hungry after whatever trouble you found in those mountains."

She placed the tray on a small table near the entrance, a simple meal of steamed buns, rice, and vegetables with a pot of tea, then fixed me with a considering look.

"Another guest, eh? That'll be an extra silver tael for the night."

I nodded and reached into my pouch, producing the coin. "Fair enough."

The landlady's face creased into a smile as she pocketed the silver. "The extra room is yours. Sheets are clean, and there's wash water in the basin. No cultivator nonsense after the night bell, you understand? Some of us normal folk need our sleep."

With that, she departed, leaving us alone in the courtyard. Wei Lin approached me, looking slightly embarrassed.

"Sorry about that. Mrs. Chow has strong opinions about cultivators disturbing her other tenants."

"She has remarkable confidence for a mortal addressing Qi Condensation cultivators," I observed.

Wei Lin chuckled. "She used to be married to an Elemental Realm cultivator before he ascended to the next realm. Says it gave her perspective on 'you immortal-seeking types.'"

Lin Mei had begun arranging plates from the tray, her methodical movements betraying her continuing displeasure even as she prepared to share a meal. "You should eat," she said, not looking up. "Both of you. Then Wei Lin can soak in the purification bath while I examine his injuries."

We settled around the small table, the three pines casting dappled shadows across our meal as the last light of day faded into dusk.

"So," Lin Mei said after we had eaten in silence for several minutes, "what brings you this way, Ke Yin? When we saw you at the sect gates only a few days ago, you looked like you needed at least a week of recovery after your mission.”

I swallowed a mouthful of rice, considering my response carefully. The truth was, I hadn't planned to leave the sect so quickly either. But Ke Jun's ritual had presented an opportunity I couldn't ignore.

"I had a bad feeling," I replied, meeting her gaze. "After you both left the sect, I couldn't shake the sense that something wasn't right. Call it intuition or paranoia, but something kept telling me I needed to come this way."

Wei Lin caught my eye before looking away. With me showing interest in the demonic cultivator’s corpse, he clearly knew there was more to the story but decided not to press. That was one of the reasons I appreciated his friendship, he understood the value of secrets.

"Well, your intuition certainly proved correct," Lin Mei said, her expression softening slightly. "Cultivation paths often intersect when they're meant to. Though I wish this particular intersection hadn't involved Wei Lin nearly getting himself killed."

Wei Lin winced. "I've said I'm sorry."

"And you'll keep saying it," she replied, but there was a fondness beneath her stern tone. "At least you had Ke Yin to help. The heavens must be watching over you."