Stuck at the last level of foundation building, Yuan Xia pondered for two months over what to do next. His world slowly turned, alongside the leaves and sky outside his window, into a deep shade of autumn.

Yuan Xia spent these last two months trying to break through his bottleneck. To no avail: No matter what techniques Yuan Xia attempted, his qi would simply pulse away. Even if Yuan Xia wanted to find someone to help, Shuang had entered secluded cultivation, and Hua ChunMing had disappeared.

Whenever outer sect disciples passed by, Yuan Xia’s expanded range of hearing could pick up little fragments. Many rumoured that Hua ChunMing had left to get drunk again. Others believed in his reformation, whispering that they’d seen him at the back hills of Heaven’s Law Sect.

What did Yuan Xia believe?

Well, he couldn’t hear or see Hua ChunMing, so he couldn’t draw any conclusions.

Another outer disciple passed by, muttering to themselves about the Autumn Moon Festival. Only then did Yuan Xia glance up, noticing the darkening sky.

Two months had passed. Since he couldn’t get past his bottleneck, he’d rather take a walk outside.

Pulling a thick fur robe over his inner disciple garments, Yuan Xia traced his way to the door. He didn’t want to rely on his sunbrella to walk—it had once acted as his mighty weapon after all, back at the Battle of Snow Valley.

He would feel too embarrassed.

Reaching the door, Yuan Xia paused. He pushed it ajar, peeking out to examine the situation outside. The night veiled the path, and without any indication of light, Yuan Xia would surely fall right off the edge.

Yuan Xia gritted his teeth, turning back. He might as well lay down and work through his bottleneck again.

But to his surprise, just a minute later, he heard a gentle knock on the door. A familiar fragrance, of lilies and honey, wafted into the open sliver of his door.

Yuan Xia’s eyes widened, and he bolted upright.

“Is… anyone in here?” Deng QiuShi called, her voice meek.

Yuan Xia hopped onto his feet and anchored all of his weight onto the floor, creating an audible creaking sound. As expected, Deng QiuShi pressed the door all the way back and rushed in.

“Yuan Xia!” Without hesitation, she picked Yuan Xia up. “I knew I’d find you here. You’ve grown so much!”

For a second, Yuan Xia blanked. He’d almost forgotten about Deng QiuShi’s eagerness and smothering. Furrowing his brows, Yuan Xia struggled, asking her with his expressions to let him down.

According to the seasons, he should have turned thirteen by now. He was too old for Deng QiuShi’s motherly clinginess.

But as soon as Yuan Xia slipped from her grasp, Deng QiuShi froze. Her voice and movements became solemn.

Yuan Xia ended up holding his breath, suddenly afraid of what his mother figure had to say.

“Yuan Xia.”

His back straightened.

But her next words sent him into a spiral of confusion.

“You’re still blind. Rely on me as much as you can; it’s the only way you can survive.”

As Yuan Xia’s heart chilled, he remembered something from his past life.

—

With a snap of her fingers, the Demon Queen sent Yuan Xia into the light. He found himself in a strange room, and the overwhelming flashes overhead pained him. Even the voices of the inn-goers outside seemed too loud.

Of course Yuan Xia knew what an inn was. He’d grown up in society before the Demon Queen plunged him into darkness.

But what he remembered differed vastly from what he saw.

Colour. Shape.

And amidst the turmoil that followed, he met his first friend.

During his and Hua ChunMing’s first verbal exchange, Yuan Xia had forced down his distraught senses. He’d lived in the darkness for so long, but believed that his sight would get better after a while. After all, when he’d first received the Demon Queen’s citrine earring, he’d had to practice using his voice for years to become fluent.

The shadow behind the folded curtain had phased white then black. Yuan Xia’s head spun as he attempted to grasp hold of any anchoring point, to no avail. He’d even made a joke or two in an effort to regain his clarity. Every time Hua ChunMing spoke, Yuan Xia would feel that everything was alright, only to be plunged into panic again with just a single blink.

Yuan Xia came back to his senses only after he stepped out of Hua ChunMing’s inn. Somehow, he’d landed back in his dark cell, but even though time passed, his eyes still burned, seared with an overwhelming amount of afterimages.

At that time, Yuan Xia had been hesitant about his ability to see. Had his sight been a blessing, or a curse? As he continued to meet Hua ChunMing, he became used to certain repeating objects and sceneries. But adjusting had taken quite a long time.

—

Now, he had no way to see at all. Losing his sight meant more than he’d initially imagined.

Not just seeing—walking, fighting, even recognizing others had all become near-impossible tasks.

Even though Deng QiuShi meant well when she pointed out his disability, her words still stabbed Yuan Xia’s heart in a way that made him tremble. He considered, for the first time, the possibility of spending an eternity useless, needing to rely on the people around him to even get around.

But what else could he do?

Right now, he was a waste. There was a possibility that he’d remain blind forever. Yuan Xia’s back hunched, and the determination in his eyes dimmed and dispersed.

Deng QiuShi was right. He had to rely on her for now.

Turning to Deng QiuShi, Yuan Xia stepped past the forgotten sunbrella on the ground. He nestled himself into her arms, hiding his face in a shallow embrace.

Whatever she wanted to do was correct; her decisions were built on her concern for him. What right did he have to push her away?

Gaining Yuan Xia’s obedience, Deng QiuShi’s somewhat distant expression melted. She pulled Yuan Xia up, patting his back as she walked out the door.

“The Autumn Moon Festival is happening now. It’s a smaller-scale festival, since Hua ChunMing hasn’t officially approved it, but I can still take you out to buy some snacks.”

—

As the two wandered, Yuan Xia tried to predict where Deng QiuShi’s foot would fall next. But every time, she betrayed Yuan Xia’s expectations.

In the end, he couldn’t even tell the branch path from the night sky.

With a suppressed sigh, Yuan Xia turned his face up. At the very least, he could make out an array of the brightest stars.

Yuan Xia closed his eyes. If he remained blind, so be it. At least he had his mother by his side.