Birds of navy blue and fiery red plumage chirped happily in the crisp morning air. Nearby, small furry animals scurried about gathering food in preparation for the coming winter. The sight of nature in its unadulterated state lifted Jin’s spirits. In the High Realms, he had never felt this relaxed before. 

Jin had spent most of the night listening to the girl softly weep on his hammock. It wasn’t until the early morning hours did she finally fall asleep, granting him a moment of peace and reprieve.

‘What have I gotten myself into?’ he asked himself, pulling out a jade flute from his spatial ring.

Reflecting on last night’s events, Jin was aware of the trouble he invited by sticking his nose where it didn’t belong. Murder and injustice occured often in the cultivation world. What did a girl’s death have to do with him? He didn’t understand his actions - or maybe he did but didn’t want to face it. Last night, the girl reminded him of Tian Long when she had tried to convince him to run.

A single tear graced his cheek as he pressed the flute to his lips. The music that escaped the hollow pipe could only be described as ethereal, wholly unfit for the barbarity of the mortal world. Few knew that Jin was also an expert musician, favoring mostly the flute though occasionally dabbling in the zither.

Yuri stirred awake, rubbing her long eyelashes after a night of tumultuous sleep. It took her a moment to regain her bearings. Identifying the source of the music, she gazed at Jin with a complicated expression.

“It’s beautiful,” she remarked after a while, her interruption causing Jin to stop playing.

“This melody, titled the Wandering Deer, helps soothe the aching spirit. It’s especially comforting for those dealing with pain and loss. If I’m not mistaken, a great tragedy has befallen you.”

At the mention of her recent ordeal, Yuri’s gaze turned sorrowful. “Did you lose someone as well?” she asked thoughtfully.

Unsure of how to answer, Jin replied, “I have...lost everything.”

The girl made a barely audible ‘oh’, but her eyes indicated to Jin that she fully empathized with his pain. The two shared a moment of understanding in silence.

“So what do you plan to do now?” he inquired, slipping his flute back into his ring, an act that did not go unnoticed by Yuri.

To Jin’s surprise, she promptly got up and kowtowed before him. He could smell the fragrance of lavender on her person.

“I may not have the talent for cultivation, but I want to learn - even if it takes me a hundred years or until my spirit expires. Please teach me, so that I can protect the things I cherish and never have to lose them again,” pleaded Yuri, smothering her golden hair against the dirt.

Jin was pleasantly surprised by her request. When met with great tragedy, people often responded in one of two ways - shut down or fight. It turns out this girl was a fighter, not unlike him.

Having wandered the mortal lands alone for half a year, Jin understood and appreciated the importance of companionship. Although he didn’t mind traveling with the girl, teaching her cultivation was an entirely different matter. To achieve the pinnacle of self-enlightenment, one must have a resolute spirit and be unhindered by strong negative desires. Negativity was the bane of many a cultivator’s journey.

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“I have two questions. Answer them to my satisfaction, and I will consider teaching you,” stated Jin.

The girl reacted in joy, hardly able to contain her smile.

“Master, I am willing to work hard if it means I can become stronger,” she asserted.

“Perhaps, but that remains to be seen,” Jin responded. “I’m actually not that much older than you in terms of mortal years. What makes you think I’m qualified to teach you?”

Yuri was somewhat surprised to learn his true age. Since cultivators aged significantly more slowly than ordinary people, she hadn’t expected his outward appearance to reflect his real age.

“That’s simple. I saw you single handedly defeat a qi adept cultivator last night, which suggests you’re ranked at least at a similar level,” the girl explained. “A qi adept cultivator at your age would be considered a prodigy among prodigies in the Ming Kingdom. Why wouldn’t you be qualified to teach me the basics?”

‘She has good observation skills even under pressure,’ the thought crossed Jin’s mind. He was impressed by the way the girl addressed his first question.

Jin cleared his throat. “You are quite knowledgeable for someone who claims to have never cultivated. Who taught you cultivation ranks?” 

“No one. I am well-read and possess an eidetic memory,” the girl replied. “My mentor, Uncle Hai, forced me to read the Okada Clan’s entire private collection of scrolls, some of which included topics on kingdom politics and cultivators. Although I’m not a cultivator myself, I am familiar with their ways.”

Thinking about happier days at the Okada Manor was a saddening moment for Yuri. She stifled a tear, unwilling to show weakness in her resolve.

“Interesting. My second question is far more important, and it’s best that you be honest with me,” said Jin. “What will you do once you’ve become a cultivator? Will you seek revenge?”

Without hesitation, Yuri matched Jin’s intense stare and replied, “I’m not foolish enough to believe I’ll ever be able to exact revenge on the Qin Clan. They are powerful beyond imagination and have deep ties to influential sects in the Western Domain. I only wish to have the power to never experience such loss again.”

“That also remains to be seen,” Jin said mystically, though satisfied with her answer. At least she wasn’t fully consumed by revenge. It was a good start.

“But don’t get me wrong,” the girl quickly added. “Should the chance to crush my enemies arise, I will not shy away from the opportunity.” 

“That’s understandable. Now extend your wrist. I will measure the extent of your talent myself.”

“Wait, you can do that?” Yuri exclaimed. Last she heard, all of the great sects and families had to utilize rare treasures to examine one’s potential.

“Pfft, why do you need treasures for such a simple task,” Jin quipped, holding her pale wrist and injecting pure qi into her body. The initial rate of qi diffusion and the rebounding force from her meridians would help him gauge the girl’s talent.

Looking at Yuri’s astonished face caused Jin to chuckle, something he hadn’t done in a long time. The sound of his laughter, clear and direct, was actually quite pleasing to Yuri, who turned her head in embarrassment.

Suddenly forgetting his composure, Jin’s jaw dropped in astonishment when his pure qi was completely absorbed by her body. The girl returned his look of incredulity with confusion.

‘Surely not...,’ thought Jin as he tried again. The same results occurred.

She has a heaven root! And all twelve meridians in her body were open! Jin knew that the odds of this combination were virtually nonexistent. If the High Realms ever learned of her existence, there would be an all out war to claim her.

‘Could this be...the legendary Primordial Goddess Physique!’