Reunion

The full moon hung in the sky, its silver light draping over the world like a delicate veil.

In a valley below, four to five hundred people waited.

"Bai Xiu, time to wake up. It's time," Xiao Yike said, shaking Bai Xiu awake.

Bai Xiu yawned, rubbing his eyes. "Is it time already?"

Kim Jung-ho, known as "Crippled Wolf," grinned. "Bai Xiu, tonight's the full moon!"

Hearing this, Bai Xiu nodded faintly.

Who would have thought he'd slept for two whole weeks?

Then, he pulled out a black pendant and turned to the crowd behind him, his voice solemn. "The Immortal Gate’s pocket dimension is fraught with danger. If anyone wants to back out, now’s your last chance."

These four to five hundred people were no weaklings.

But in the Immortal Gate’s pocket dimension, they might not stand a chance.

Kim Jung-ho smirked. "Bai Xiu, just go ahead. After half a month, anyone who had second thoughts has already left. The brothers who remain all want to see what the Immortal Gate is like."

Their goal was clear—An Yi’s safety!

"Fine."

Bai Xiu raised the black pendant in his hand.

Where An Yi had once disappeared, a swirling black vortex appeared.

The crowd gasped in shock.

"Can we really enter this?"

The black pendant in Bai Xiu’s hand emitted an eerie glow.

"Stay close. Our top priority is bringing the sect leader back."

Xiao Yike hesitated. "But the Grand Elder, Elder Qianji, and the Vice Sect Leader seem to be coming too. Should we wait for them?"

"If we wait for them, we’ll have to delay another month. Let’s go in first."

Bai Xiu waved his hand dismissively.

A black radiance enveloped everyone like a protective shield.

"No wonder even the System wanted to steal this thing. It’s incredible."

Bai Xiu glanced at the pendant, a faint smile curling his lips as he stepped forward into the vortex.

Under the moonlight at Qingyuan Pavilion, a horned horse charged forward!

"Halt! Who goes there?"

Two women clad in black tight-fitting outfits, their faces veiled, shouted as they blocked the horse’s path.

"Whoa!"

An Yi pulled on the reins.

The horse refused to stop until An Yi delivered a sharp knock to its head, forcing it to halt.

Clang!

Two swords were drawn, their cold glint flashing in the night.

"Both of you are at the early-stage Void Realm?"

An Yi’s gaze lingered on their graceful figures before he frowned slightly.

"Who are you? Why are you trespassing into Qingyuan Pavilion?" one of the women demanded, her tone wary.

"Protector Yang, it’s... it’s me!"

From behind An Yi, Mu Qingyi dismounted, her expression slightly embarrassed.

"Sect Leader???"

The two women exchanged bewildered glances.

"But the Sect Leader got married!"

It had only been a few days. Why was she back already?

And in the dead of night, with a man no less.

"Sect Leader, this... this..."

Protector Yang was at a loss for words.

The sheer amount of information was too much to process.

Mu Qingyi sighed. "I... I’m not getting married anymore."

"Sect Leader, did the Tianxuan Sect bully us?"

The other woman, Protector Liu, clenched her teeth in anger.

Mu Qingyi quickly shook her head. "It has nothing to do with Tianxuan Sect. Let’s discuss this inside."

"And who is this?"

Protector Liu glared coldly at An Yi.

For some reason, she had a feeling this guy was trouble.

"He’s..."

Mu Qingyi wasn’t sure how to introduce him, so she forced a smile. "Never mind him. Let’s go inside first. Why are the two of you guarding the mountain gate?"

Originally, Mu Qingyi had planned to dismount once they reached Qingyuan Pavilion.

But now, she’d been caught red-handed by the two Protectors.

"The Demonic Sect has been restless lately. We’re stationed here for the safety of our disciples," Protector Liu explained.

Mu Qingyi sensed something amiss and frowned. "What’s going on?"

"Sect Leader, I suspect we’re being watched."

Protector Yang’s expression darkened.

It wasn’t just the Demonic Sect—other factions had also been spotted lurking around Qingyuan Pavilion.

This was far from a good sign.

Where there’s smoke, there’s fire.

But they hadn’t yet figured out what these people were after.

"Sect Leader, can we still request reinforcements from Tianxuan Sect...?"

Protector Yang’s voice was hesitant.

Given that Mu Qingyi hadn’t married into Tianxuan Sect, it was likely her engagement to their Young Sect Leader had fallen through.

But with trouble brewing...

Mu Qingyi replied calmly, "With him here, we’ll be fine."

"Him?"

Protectors Yang and Liu both turned to An Yi.

This guy looked far too young—how strong could he possibly be?

Qingyuan Pavilion was adorned with red silk lanterns, the festive atmosphere lingering under the starry sky.

Inside a pavilion, a window creaked open.

Shen Muxuan reached out with delicate hands, catching one of the lanterns as she let out a long sigh.

Her master had already married.

Though many days had passed, she still hadn’t adjusted.

The entire Qingyuan Pavilion felt quieter, colder.

Now, she was the only one left.

Shen Muxuan’s fingers fumbled as she pulled out a phone.

After hesitating for a long time, she reluctantly pressed the power button.

There was no way to charge it in the Immortal Gate.

Once the battery died, it would be nothing more than a brick.

Relying on memory, she opened the messaging app.

There were only two contacts—Aunt Zhou and An Yi.

Ahem, Muxuan, I’m broke again. Can you cover the utilities this month? I swear I’ll pay next time.

I can smell Aunt Zhou’s cooking from the second floor. Wanna go mooch off her again?

Quick, Muxuan, get ready! I scored free tickets to the amusement park! Just one, but you’ve never been, right? Hurry up!

Haven’t done laundry in days. Muxuan, can you borrow Aunt Zhou’s washer? She won’t lend it to me. Oh, and skip dinner—I got your favorite braised beef.

Shen Muxuan scrolled through the messages, listening to the familiar voice. A sweet smile tugged at her lips.

But soon, tears welled up, spilling down her chin.

She hastily wiped them away and turned off the phone, unwilling to waste even a drop of battery.

Her sightless eyes gazed at the night sky before she sighed again.

"Muxuan!"

A familiar voice called out.

"An Yi!"

Shen Muxuan jolted upright, her head turning toward the door. Her voice trembled. "An Yi... is that really you?"

She hadn’t misheard—it was his voice!

It was really him!

Tears streamed down her face uncontrollably.

She had missed him, desperately so.

A choked sob came from behind her.

"Muxuan... what happened to your eyes?"

An Yi’s voice shook as he stepped closer.

Seeing the emptiness in her gaze, an indescribable sorrow clenched his chest.

But Shen Muxuan only smiled and hugged him tightly.

"I missed you!"