It was as if time went back, and everything was restored to its initial state.

　　Xiao Qi calmly said, “I will continue with my Isolated Cultivation after Brother Xiao Tieying’s grand marriage.”

　　“Do you really have a chance of achieving the Enlightened Boundary?” Chu Li turned his head and gazed at her gorgeous face. Her skin was as fair as a bluish-white jade, radiating a warm luster. Her eyes were quiet and calm, showing neither sadness nor joy. She was prettier than before, giving him a sense of familiarity and unfamiliarity.

　　“I got the gist of it, so let’s give it a go.” Xiao Qi gently nodded.

　　Chu Li smiled. “Congratulations.”

　　A faint smile appeared on Xiao Qi’s face. “It’s all thanks to you.”

　　If it wasn’t for his Brilliant Haste that had cut off all threads of love, her Regal Sword Scripture would not have made such progress and she would not have been able to achieve the level she was on now.

　　All her feelings from the past flowed away like the spring water in a river and traces that were left behind vanished slowly also. Her heart stopped racing and she no longer felt excited in the presence of Chu Li. She only felt a sense of platonic closeness and familiarity to him.

　　Chu Li smiled but his heart was bitter and heavy.

　　He wanted to embrace Xiao Qi and hold her tightly in his arms at the mere sight of her gorgeous face.

　　Both of them were barely a meter apart. If he desired, he could touch her with a simple reach of his hand. Instead, he could not do that because Xiao Qi was now out of his reach.

　　Xiao Qi glanced at him. “Is Sister Xiao Shi okay?”

　　“Lady Xiao Shi has already returned.”

　　“Mm, I’ve seen her. She said that she is living quite well.”

　　“King An has been in Isolated Cultivation.”

　　“We will have to face him, eventually,” said Xiao Qi lightly. “How long can Sister Xiao Shi stay in hiding?”

　　“If King An applies too much force, Lady Xiao Shi must disappear.” Chu Li shook his head.

　　“From the current situation, King An does not intend to do so. What he wants the most right now is to kill me. He doesn’t hate Lady Xiao Shi that much because he still desires her charm and beauty.”

　　“If she can’t stay in the Imperial Residence, let Sister Xiao Shi come to my place.”

　　“Mm.”

　　After exchanging a few words, both of them fell silent.

　　Chu Li felt lonely and melancholic.

　　Whilst Xiao Qi was standing in front of a window, she did not utter a word as she stared at the surface of the lake that stretched into the distance. She was confused and filled with sorrowful thoughts.

　　After a while, Chu Li asked, “Has Chief Su not returned yet?”

　　“I came back by myself.” nodded Xiao Qi. “It is easier to move freely when I’m alone, and it is hardly noticeable this way.”

　　Chu Li nodded in agreement.

　　Then, they both composed themselves again.

　　After some time, Chu Li made a closed fist salute. “Lady Xiao Qi, I shall go back now if there is nothing important.”

　　“Okay.” Xiao Qi hesitated, but then slowly nodded.

　　After that, Chu Li disappeared in a flash.

　　He appeared in the small courtyard of his own island.

　　Xue Ling was still cultivating her Dark Yin Palm. She saw Chu Li’s calm expression as he sat beside the stone table without saying a word. He was staring into the void without any focus.

　　She could tell that Chu Li was in a bad mood, hence not asking him any questions. She just quietly cultivated her Dark Yin Palm.

　　Chu Li sighed after a while.

　　At that moment, Xue Ling spoke up, “Master, what happened?”

　　“Lady Xiao Qi is back,” said Chu Li.

　　“Lady Xiao Qi actually came back?” Xue Ling was surprised. “I thought she was in Isolated Cultivation?”

　　“It’s Master Xiao Tieying’s grand marriage. It’s natural that she would want to come back and witness it herself,” Chu Li lightly said. “Alright, cultivate your martial arts. You don’t need to care about it.”

　　“Got it.” nodded Xue Ling as she answered in a light voice.

　　She finally understood why her Master seemed to be in a bad mood.

　　She was somewhat aware of the relationship between her Master and Lady Xiao Qi. However, she was not in favor of their relationship if they ended up together in the future. Even though her Master was someone brilliant and was top in martial arts who was deserving of any woman, Lady Xiao Qi was different.

　　Lady Xiao Qi’s personality made it impossible for her to be intimate with anyone. She lived independently and was simple and quiet as if she did not belong to this world.

　　It was as if a woman of such purity did not belong to anyone naturally, especially not to any man, even if the man was her Master.

　　Chu Li could see Xiao Qi from his Omniscient Mirror.

　　She stood quietly in front of the window. Her eyes flickered, reflecting the glimmers of light on the lake. She stared at the lake, so lost in thought that she looked as if her mind was completely devoid of thought.

　　He could not sense what she was thinking about, proving that the Regal Sword Scripture was outstandingly exquisite. She had the power similar to Chu Li and Lu Yurong, no one could pry into her thoughts.

　　He shook his head and smiled.

　　After the encounter, Chu Li ‘s understanding of Xiao Qi was sufficient enough for him to have felt that things were not as bad. The Regal Sword Scripture did not wipe off her memories, it just hindered any desires she had.

　　Winning her heart back would not be that tough because everything from the past was still in her head. After all, with her previous feelings still intact, it would not be hard to spark that flame again.

　　Nevertheless, he was not in a hurry to win her heart back as teasing her now would be an obstruction to her cultivation. Hence, he would just have to wait until she became an Enlightened Master, and it was no exception for him too. Thereafter, it would not be too late to rekindle old flames once more.

　　At the thought of that, his aspiration to become an Enlightened Master intensified. The Omniscient Mirror immediately activated to suppress this hurried and burning-hot craving. The more one hurried to do something, the more one would have a higher possibility to fail. The road towards the Enlightened Boundary required patience and luck. One could not be too hasty.

　　Chu Li arrived at Symphony Island in the evening.

　　Symphony Island was bustling with noise and excitement. The maids were rushing to and fro as the sunset blanketed the island with a layer of its radiance, making it seem even more magnificent.

　　Xiao Shi was playing with her musical instrument, sitting in the front of a low tea table at the gazebo, surrounded by a sea of flowers. The sound of the instrument was peaceful and serene.

　　The music stopped abruptly when Chu Li appeared.

　　Xiao Shi turned her head and faced Chu Li. “Have you met Sister Xiao Qi?”

　　Chu Li nodded.

　　A faint smile appeared on Xiao Shi’s gorgeous face. “Sister Xiao Qi became prettier, am I right?”

　　“…Yes,” said Chu Li slowly.

　　Maybe it was because she was better in martial arts, or perhaps it was because of the Regal Sword Scripture, Xiao Qi really was lovelier now.

　　Xiao Shi said, “She is more tender now too.”

　　“Indeed,” said Chu Li.

　　Xiao Qi did not look as cold as she was before due to her detachment from the secular. She was able to look at things and issues with unassuming eyes and without being personal. That was why she could maintain her composure with unwavering calmness.

　　Xiao Shi pursed her lips. “Sister Xiao Qi changed for the better, are you not glad?”

　　“Hehe, I’m glad.” Chu Li snickered.

　　“Sigh…” Xiao Shi shook her head as she sighed. “She still treats you differently from the others.”

　　“Yes.” Chu Li nodded slowly.

　　Xiao Shi tilted her head as she looked at him and then chuckled.

　　Chu Li said in a bad manner, “Lady Xiao Shi, you called me over just to make fun of me as a hobby, right?”

　　“I want to help you!” Xiao Shi suppressed her laughter. Her incredibly beautiful face became even prettier and florid. “Let me give you some ideas!”

　　“It’s fine, thank you very much,” Chu Li said quickly.

　　Xiao Shi smiled. “I have talked to Sister Xiao Qi before, she still looks up to you a lot.”

　　“No need to worry about it Lady Xiao Shi,” Chu Li waved his hand and said, “I will see what I can do.”

　　“Hmph, what can you do?” Xiao Shi rolled her eyes at him. “Sister Xiao Qi is going back soon. She is only here for a brief moment. If you miss your chance now, when will you meet her again? No matter how the two of you are, you’ll drift apart with time!”

　　“I can just go over anytime I want to meet her.”

　　“What can you do even if you can get there?” said Xiao Shi in anger, “Sister Xiao Qi is going back for Isolated Cultivation, she will not see anyone.”

　　Chu Li shook his head.

　　Xiao Shi scoffed, “Do you really not need my help?”

　　“I really do not,” said Chu Li. “If you have the heart for it, it would be better to use it to think of how to take King An down.”

　　“Him?” Xiao Shi said in disdain, “He’s a dead man. What is there for us to deal with!”

　　“You look down on King An too much!” said Chu Li. “He has plans to mess up the wedding!”

　　“Mm?” Xiao Shi widened her beautiful eyes.

　　Chu Li said, “He will leave his Isolated Cultivation and join the grand marriage!”

　　“What intention does he have?” Xiao Shi furrowed her pretty brows. “Is he trying to grab the attention during the marriage?”

　　“Mm, he just wants us to be unhappy.” Chu Li shook his head and sighed. “He is going to annoy us on purpose!”

　　“How petty!” Xiao Shi scoffed, “He is indeed really annoying!”

　　Vocab:4.5/5

　　Sentence structure:4.5/5

　　Grammar:4.5/5

　　Spelling:5/5

　　Punctuation: 5/5

　　Score using previous rubric: 3.6