Pleasant laughter resounded, echoing between majestic pine trees, accompanied by the even sweeter sound of coins clinking against each other.

"What did I say, Brother Junan, making a bit of money would be easy, right?" Xin Jing skipped ahead of their little group, all of them smiling at her antics. They had left the gates of the illusion division behind them and now made their way over to the heart division, having spent the whole night at the competitive formations, fighting and enjoying their time.

It sometimes still felt surreal to Ren that Cultivators didn't need to sleep or rest like regular mortals, it surely was convenient, though.

"But of course you did, infallible as ever, Sister Jing. How could I ever doubt you?" The boy responded with a cheeky wink and started skipping ahead of her. She just laughed his response off and ran after him, swinging the sack of coins around, and even juggling it, instead of simply storing it in her spacial bag.

"Let's just leave them to their silliness for a bit, I can only take so much of their exuberance at a time. Don't the two of you think so as well?" Zhi Mu, a bemused expression on his face, turned to Ren and Han Ting, who looked at each other briefly, Han Ting acquiescing with a simple nod.

Ren didn't really care either way and simply nodded along, he thought that it was quite amusing seeing them have harmless fun with each other as they were on their way to the heart division, even using spirit arts to make a few branches and pine cones dance alongside them.

Ren had no interest in watching their little choreography though, as there were still a few things that he wanted to be clarified. "Brother Mu, I wanted to ask you, why was the red haired disciple so scared of not only you, but Long Bolin and Brother Junan as well?"

He was clear on why she might have been a little intimidated, they were all stronger than her and had a higher status, but they were all fellow disciples and her mannerism did not change throughout the night. In fact, she left the venue after only a few more hours, her spirit in disarray and face stony.

Han Ting gave the older boy an interested look as well, having obviously also noticed the strange behaviour, yet dismissing it as only an individual peculiarity of the woman.

Zhi Mu considered Ren for a moment, weighing how extensive his answer should be. "As I have already told you, unfortunately there are many dark places and happenings in our world, even in this very sect. The strong bully the weak, and fight amongst themselves, while the weak, those who have no background or individual power, have no choice but to submit." Here he gave the two of them a stern look, fixing them with his yellow eyes, and the surrounding mood turned abruptly heavy. "Sometimes these people experience things that should never be forced upon them, breaching their very dignity, and the ordeal breaks them in some way."

Zhi Mu gained a faraway and melancholic look on his young face, his expression mirroring someone who had the weight of the world on his shoulders, overwhelming Ren and Han Ting, who were unable to fully understand the older boy's complicated feelings, or his ambitions.

"The waitress, Nes I believe her name was, is one such person. Any time she comes in contact with someone powerful who is in a position to potentially hurt her or take advantage of her puts her at unease, to say it mildly. Can you now better understand what happened in the illusion division, Brother Ren?" Zhi Mu asked.

Ren was not completely sure that he got everything that Zhi Mu said, and what he did not say, but he guessed that he got the gist of it. She was hurt in a way that changed how she behaved, and for now that knowledge was enough for him.

He nodded, looking the Adept directly in the eyes, once again seeing an unbearable weight in them. The moment passed, and Zhi Mu simply nodded back.

Han Ting kept his thoughts completely to himself, but was once again in deep thought.

After they joined back with Shen Junan and Xin Jing, they increased their pace, the heart division still a ways off.

Jumping through trees and over creeks, avoiding the main roads as Xin Jing led them, Ren could not get the previous explanation of Zhi Mu out of his head. He had realized that there were still things that he wanted answers to, and who better to ask than the Adept himself.

Ren twisted mid-air, imitating how Xin Jing had controlled her body back at the small parcour, dodging two thick branches and using the rotation to push himself ahead with further force, getting a foot down next to Zhi Mu, who raised an eyebrow at his little manoeuvre.

Ren only smiled sheepishly, the body of a Cultivator and the benefits of it were still exhilarating to him.

"Brother Mu, I wanted to ask, since you said that people break under what happens to them. Why do they not simply get healed, can Cultivators not heal every wound?" Ren addressed the older boy.

Seeing the innocence in the younger boy's question, Zhi Mu could only sigh."It is true that normal wounds can be healed without a problem. You lost a limb, just regrow it. As long as you do not die, there is no issue. BUT, those broken people as I titled them, theirs is not a wound that can be healed as simply as that, Brother Ren."

Zhi Mu shook his head, bitterness shining through.

"But what if it was known what was wrong, can't we just make it like before, the same as with a limb?" Ren was still not convinced.

But this time it was Xin Jing from the side, jumping next to them, who chimed in, voice solemn. "Like Brother Mu said, it is not that easy. The wound, if you want to call it that, is upon their mind, far too complex to try and reconstruct. No, every experience will shape our existence, Brother Ren. People can learn to live with what happened, not let it influence them, but it will always remain."

Ren looked unconvinced still, but the combined attention of Zhi Mu and Xin Jing made it impossible to get a word in sideways.

"It is OK if you don't believe me, Ren. "Her voice turned a little softer again, losing its solemn edge. "But the truth is, that every single Cultivator is 'broken' in some way. It might not be obvious, and most do not break like Nes did, or show it in the same ways, but the fact of the matter is that in this world it is far too easy to break, and for many Cultivators going against heaven also means shedding their humanity."