Chapter Twenty-Four: The Moon in the Sky and the Moon in the Lake

Lin You carefully put away the apricot pit, securing it to ask his senior brother about its origins later. The remaining medical books and ancient texts, which were of little help to him at present, he organized and returned to their original places, intending to peruse them another time.

Once his tidying was done, he stepped out of the meditation chamber. By now, the sun blazed high in the sky—it had been two full hours since he began his seclusion. Calculating the time, Lin You guessed that Liu Xiyue should be waking soon.

He made his way to the guest quarters and, as expected, found Liu Xiyue looking pale, half-reclined on her bed and chatting quietly with Bai Yi.

“How are you feeling now, Miss Liu?” Lin You inquired.

At the sound of his voice, Liu Xiyue immediately turned her head. After she’d fainted, she had awakened to find herself lying in the guest room, with only Bai Yi keeping vigil at her bedside. Upon waking, she discovered that the cold and weakness that had plagued her for years had vanished without a trace. Though still frail, she felt worlds better than before, when her very life force seemed to ebb away every moment.

Seeing Lin You in the doorway, she rose and offered a grateful bow. “Thank you, Master Yuchen, for your healing. I feel much better now!”

Lin You entered and checked her pulse, then shook his head. “Though the loss of your life force has been halted, your present condition still leaves you with little time—perhaps five years at most.”

The fragment of moon dust had drained too much essence from her. If not for the life-sustaining elixirs she had taken over the years, she would not have survived this long. Even with the nourishing pill she had just consumed, which restored part of her essence, her body remained deeply depleted—full recovery was impossible.

Liu Xiyue blinked and smiled with rare candor. “Many renowned physicians have told me I wouldn’t live past twenty. To have gained a few extra years is already an unexpected blessing.”

Lin You glanced at her with newfound respect. So few in this world could face matters of life and death with such composure. Be they emperors or commoners, all feared death and yearned for immortality. Yet this woman’s openness surpassed many.

He had not told her everything, though. Others might be helpless to save her, but Lin You was not among them. Both Liu Xiyue and Jiang Liunian suffered from the same loss of vital essence. Lin You’s Rejuvenation Divine Art could, by harnessing the essence of plants, restore what the body lacked—a true power to reverse fate itself. For now, however, it was best left unspoken.

There were two reasons for his silence. First, his own foundation was not yet stable, and the Rejuvenation Divine Art’s effects were so miraculous that, if word spread, it would cause a great stir. Second, he lacked the spiritual energy required to heal both patients. He would wait until his reserves were sufficient before taking action.

After a few more words, Lin You asked about the moon dust fragment. “Miss Liu, do you know anything about the origin of what resides within your dantian?”

Liu Xiyue looked bewildered, as if unaware that anything was inside her dantian. When he described the object, she paused in thought and gradually fell into reminiscence. At last she replied hesitantly, “Your words remind me of something from my childhood…”

When she was eight, she had been playing in Mingyue Lake behind Moonwhite Academy and found a small, crystalline pebble in the water. While playing, she tripped over a rock on the bank and cut her palm on the pebble, bleeding profusely. She fainted for reasons unknown, and awoke only after her father had carried her back to the academy—the pebble was lost. From that day, she inexplicably contracted the strange illness that drained her essence. Over the next decade, her father sought every physician, but none could discern the cause.

As she finished her tale, Lin You’s heart stirred. He asked, “Miss Liu, do you know who named Moonwhite Academy and Mingyue Lake? Is there a story behind them?”

Liu Xiyue was momentarily surprised, but answered, “The academy’s name was given by its first headmaster. As for Mingyue Lake, the name is ancient. Legend says it is where the bright moon once fell; on full moon nights, the water mirrors a luminous moon, reflecting the one in the sky.”

Lin You fell into deep thought. Since the moon dust fragment had come from the lake, perhaps more fragments lay beneath its surface. It seemed he would need to visit Moonwhite Academy himself.

Seeing his contemplation, Liu Xiyue asked curiously, “Do you mean my illness is connected to that pebble?”

Lin You returned to himself and nodded gently. “This object is no ordinary thing. That you found it is both fortune and misfortune.”

In an era when heaven and earth brimed with spiritual energy, her encounter with the fragment would have been a great blessing. The fragment was clearly a rare and precious treasure; with enough spiritual energy, it might have restored her. But in this age of declining magic, the fragment’s only recourse was to consume her essence for survival.

Liu Xiyue gave a bitter smile. “If not for my father scouring the land for medicine, I would have died long ago. What fortune is there in that?”

Lin You smiled. “Calamity and blessing are ever entwined. Rest easy, Miss Liu. Since I have taken your fortune, it is only right I compensate you. Spend these days recovering in the mountains; I will resolve your affliction.”

Liu Xiyue was puzzled and wanted to ask more, but Lin You had already left the room. Bai Yi, thoughtful, recalled his wondrous healing of Bai Mei, her eyes shining as she said, “Sister Xiyue, it seems there’s hope for you yet! The Master never makes promises lightly; he must be confident. Rest and recover in the palace; if you need anything, just say the word!”

With that, she swished her fluffy fox tail and trotted after Lin You, leaving Liu Xiyue alone, watching their retreating figures in silence and thought.

…

On the mossy stone path, Bai Yi’s fox tail swayed as she followed Lin You closely.

“Master, can you really cure Sister Xiyue’s illness?” she asked, tilting her head.

Lin You, walking over crimson pine needles toward the Pavilion of Inquiry, replied casually, “It’s not difficult, but the time isn’t right.”

“Oh! And when will the time be right?”

“I don’t know—perhaps in a few days, or perhaps in a few months.” He chuckled and shook his head.

“So long?” Bai Yi’s voice stretched with disappointment.

“Why are you suddenly so concerned about Miss Liu?”

“I just think she’s pitiful, much like Sister Bai Mei. That Zhang Niankang is clearly no good! I can’t let Sister Xiyue suffer the same fate!” Bai Yi huffed indignantly.

Lin You couldn’t help but laugh. Affairs of the heart in this mortal world are never so easily resolved. Whatever Zhang Niankang’s character, it was plain to see his feelings for Liu Xiyue ran deep.

Yet all things under heaven shift and change; even mountains and seas may turn to plains—how much more so the fleeting illusions of love? Perhaps only the distant road to immortality remains unchanging.