"Big words, young man... but hahaha! Good, good—very good! That's what I'd expect from my disciple!" Xiao Lingyun's laughter roared like thunder breaking through the heavens, shaking leaves from the nearby trees. But it didn't last long. The booming laughter quickly turned into a violent coughing fit, his hand clutching his hip as a sharp pain surged through his aging bones.
Wen Ran glanced at him, unconvinced. "You should rest sowhere and focus on recovering. Don't push yourself too hard before you return to the sect."
Then he turned to the snowy figure hopping beside him, his expression turning sour. "I'll head to the hidden village alone… and you can take Xiao Mo with you."
His voice dripped with annoyance, as if the idea of dragging that persistent ball of fur along was more unbearable than facing an immortal beast. His intent was clear—he wanted to dump the little troublemaker on his master so she wouldn't get in his way while he explored in peace.
But the rabbit had other plans.
Her soft, twitching nose quivered in defiance. Her round sky-blue eyes glistened with emotion, and her tiny teeth clicked together as if ready to chew through his stubbornness.
"Weee! Weee!" she squealed, dashing forward with surprising speed and leaping straight into Wen Ran's arms before he could react. Instinctively, he caught her, his arms spread in defeat.
"You really are persistent, you know that?" he muttered, glaring at her fuzzy face. "Didn't you want to run away from the first ti we t? Now you're clinging like glue."
"WEEE!" Xiao Mo puffed up her cheeks, then jabbed her tiny paw against his chin, making him grunt and nearly bite his own tongue.
"Tch—what the hell?!"
Xiao Lingyun chuckled from the side, watching the chaos unfold like an old man watching a play. His smile, for once, was warm.
"This kid… he's got good people by his side," he murmured to himself. That rabbit… she's not ordinary either. I've never seen a white rabbit with wings like those. Either she mutated, or their spirit imprint is evolving into sothing far more profound.
But what Xiao Lingyun didn't know was that the bond between Wen Ran and Xiao Mo wasn't forged through any ordinary ans. It was the system hidden deep within Wen Ran's soul that had made the connection possible. And as Wen Ran continued to grow, Xiao Mo would silently evolve alongside him—absorbing fragnts of his talent and strength.
Neither of them knew it yet, but the day would co when this little rabbit would no longer just be his companion.
Soon, Wen Ran bid his true final farewell to the old man and headed south. His steps were steady, and his posture relaxed. He didn't bother concealing his face—why would he? Nobody here knew what he looked like. And if soone dared to stop him for questioning, well... they'd either find themselves with a blade in their throat or caught in a lie so natural it would be harder not to believe.
If need be, he could pose as an ice cultivator wandering from a hidden sect far beyond the mountains. Now that Xiao Mo was with him again, it made the story even more convincing—after all, who would question a young beast tar from so backwater village with ancient customs and a rare affinity for yin energy?
But if that didn't work… then steel would always speak the truth for him. Yes, that was Wen Ran.
The white rabbit rested peacefully in his arms, her tiny form curled against his chest like a warm, fuzzy ball of defiance and comfort. Wen Ran occasionally glanced down at her, frowning with a mix of irritation and confusion.
Why does she have to cling to so tightly? Is this rabbit seriously sleeping here again? What a damn freeloader…
Yet even as he grumbled internally, his arms never pushed her away. Deep down, he understood—sothing must have happened. Sothing significant. Xiao Mo might be many things, but she would never abandon him without reason. Her return was proof enough that whatever she'd endured, she'd fought to co back.
Days passed. Then weeks. But Wen Ran didn't rush.
The man and the rabbit moved slowly, wandering through forests, over hills, and across streams. Whenever he ca upon a spiritual herb, he plucked it with ease, occasionally storing so in his pouch or examining them with curiosity. This journey wasn't just a detour. It was a rare kind of peace—a calm before whatever storm fate still had in store for him.
For once, he wasn't running, fighting, or bleeding.
If anyone were to pass by and see him now, they wouldn't see a blade-wielding demon cultivator with blood on his hands. No. Right now, Wen Ran looked like a traveling scholar, wandering across the world in search of enlightennt—on a pilgrimage to deliver his newest comprehension to the Immortal Emperor himself.
"Weee!" the rabbit squealed, darting toward Wen Ran from the forest thickets, her tiny paws barely touching the ground as she dashed across the grass like a gust of wind. Clenched in her small mouth was a bizarre fruit—round like an apple, but colored like a piece of the sky itself. Its skin shimred with a vibrant azure hue, and tiny golden dots danced across its surface like scattered stars. Even from a distance, it exuded a rich, almost intoxicating fragrance that hinted at its spiritual potency.
"What do you have there?" Wen Ran raised a brow as Xiao Mo leapt into his arms without warning, presenting her strange treasure like a loyal servant awaiting praise. He caught her with a practiced motion, holding her gently as his eyes moved to the fruit now pressed against his chest.
It seems the two of them had finally made peace, or perhaps Xiao Mo had co to accept that his earlier joke about finding a wife wasn't ant to be taken seriously. In her mind, she had already decided it was Fang Jinyao who would be his first wife—and the second? Well, obviously… it would be her.
If Wen Ran ever found out what this rabbit was thinking… he'd probably laugh himself to death and spend the next century rolling in his grave from second-hand embarrassnt. But Xiao Mo would never see the humor in it.
No, her gaze remained fixed on him—clear, affectionate, and absurdly serious for a rabbit. She stared at him as if she were presenting him a priceless treasure, as if this simple fruit were a love confession carved by the heavens themselves.
And Wen Ran? He was too busy inspecting the fruit to notice the way her bright blue eyes shimred with devotion.
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