Despite my best efforts, I had not managed to get everything done in time. With little choice left with me, I’d left whatever tasks had remained regarding the spirit garden with the village chief and granny Lang.

“You have nothing to worry about, Lu Jie. The villagers are adjusting well to the spirit beasts, and the creature themselves have been fairly docile,” the village chief reassured me, as I handed the scrolls regarding the spirit herb distribution plans.

Nodding, I sighed. Unable to stop worrying. But despite all of it, I knew it was time to go.

“We’ll be back soon,” I told Guo Zou.

The village chief gave me a nod. “Please, tell the Lord that this will be an honour.”

“I will. Your daughter is wonderfully skilled, and has shown perfect capability to take up the task. I think the Lord will be more than willing,” I said, trying to smile in a reassuring manner. In truth, the Qi crystals were only a fraction of my concern.

How will the Lord react, when I told him I had a weapon that could allow mortals to kill cultivators? Not merely kill, but decimate them, if truly allowed to. Should I even present the Lord with such a weapon in the first place?

The gu-nuke I’d packed in my pouch felt like it would burn a hole through the leather and fall at any moment. The weight of the device may have been negligible, yet the weight of what it represented rested heavy upon my heart.

Not letting my thoughts reflect upon my expression, I merely nodded. Thankfully, I did not have to wait long, as Yan Yun and Yin both walked out from inside, the two girls quietly laughing about something to each other.

I paused upon noticing their attire. Neither wore luxurious clothes, certainly nothing compared to Yan Yun, yet both of them had prepared themselves with an elegant simplicity that was pleasing to the eye. To see Yan Yun dressed up was one thing, the girl had always been extremely pretty, but watching Yin standing besides her with just the same kind of appearance took me back momentarily.

Yin paused, noticing me watching. She dipped her head lightly to me, a light blush rising to her cheeks.

“I take it both of you are ready at last?” I said, looking at Yan Yun.

“We are. How does it look?” Yan Yun asked, raising her hand as she showed of her robes. Yin stood bashfully next to the girl.

“Surprisingly good,” I replied, my eyes going toward Yin.

“Hey! What do you mean surprisingly?” Yan Yun protested, and I chuckled.

“I’m sure he means nothing by it, Yun. You look fabulous,” Yin said to Yan Yun, grasping the girl’s hand.

“Let’s not delay too long. The carriage should be here any second,” I said, and the three of us made our way out.

Zhang stood ready as well, his spear by his side. The boy wore more formal robes than I typically saw him in as well.

Labby stood beside him, wearing her celestial robes from the lunar court. The clothes seemed to never get dirty, and Labby loved to wear them almost all the time, so her appearance was not much different from how it always tended to be.

“Ready to leave, boy?” Granny Lang said. I saw the old woman walking closer, with Su Lin by her side.

“We are. Are you sure you don’t want to come, Granny?”

“Bah, I’m too old to spit in the face of the Heavens. You kids go have fun,” the old woman said, smiling through her dark and crooked teeth.

“How about you Su Lin?” I asked the boy instead.

“The villagers need some cultivators to remain, in case a problem arrives. I know you’ve let your turtle but with brother Zhang gone, I think I’d rather stay behind, just in case.”

I looked at Su Lin for a moment, remembering the first time I’d met the boy. A shady lanky fellow with crooked teeth and a rat like demeanour who’d long since given up on cultivation. Now a brother who I trusted more than most, and who stood inching closer and closer towards the peak of the third realm.

I nodded, thanking Su Lin and the granny, as we stood in wait.

More than a couple villagers stopped by, watching us standing. Most knew the importance of the day, but the few that didn’t whispered beneath their breaths, wondering about the gathering of cultivators standing near the entrance.

They didn’t have to wait long, to get their answer.

A blazing torrent of Qi moved at rapid speeds in the distance, and I heard the clatter of hooves rattling against the earth. Within a few moments, the carriage appeared on the path, moving like the wind itself as it left a storm of dust in its wake.

Unlike the last time, this carriage did not appear to be made of Qi itself, but instead of physical matter. Yet, calling it mundane would be a mistake. The carriage was of a simple design, but it was large, needing six horses to pull the vehicle, all spirit beasts in the first realm.

The earth beneath me shuddered as the carriage rolled closer, coming to a stop in front of us, a single man driving the horses, with a circular had that had cloth hanging from it, covering his face. A talisman was plated upon the cloth, with characters I could not read.

The gate pushed open from within, as I saw Elder Tian Feng step out. Many of the villagers gasped, some bowing hurriedly, while others merely stared at the man, the giant elaborately created carriage, and the six majestic horses that drew it.

“We hope all is in order?” Elder Tian Feng asked.

“It is, Elder,” I replied.

“Very well. Let us depart then,” the elder said nonchalantly, stepping aside to let us in.

I let Labby walk in first, followed by Yan Yun, Yin, and though I wanted Zhang to move in before he, the boy insisted otherwise, and so I climbed the steps in, quickly followed by Zhang.

The inside of the carriage was spacious, though not by some kind of formation. It looked to be clever designing instead, with comfortable cushions padding the seat on both sides. Stepping in, I took a seat near the center, Labby to my left and Zhang to my right. A small window ahead let me see the wooden sliding door that allowed me to talk to the driver.

As I looked at the driving window, the frame slid open, and the driver turned, face still obscured by a cloak.

“It is good to see you well, boy,” a familiar voice whispered to me.

My eyes widened in surprise, as I looked at the driver. “Xian Yue?”

“Who else would it be? Do not tell me one of my sisters found you,” the Elder’s moon spirit asked, sounding horrified.

“Not as far as I’m aware,” I replied.

“Labby met her! The sisters!”

“Oh, you did, didn’t you? Did they treat you well child?” Xian Yue asked.

“Labby had fun. It was… a bit difficult to remember. And they offered a lot of things for Labby to eat, but she did not. Even though she was really tempted to. But the moons were beautiful, and they sang… and danced… and…” Labby trailed off, frowning.

“Do not try to remember it, child. The Lunar Court exists beyond this reality. It is a mirage, that exists within a dream. But it is good to hear of your growth. To have taken their offerings would’ve trapped you within the court, unable to leave it for eternity.”

I frowned, unaware that the visit had involved something so dangerous.

“My sisters tell me, the Lunar Court will be happy to see you again, La Bi. Though you may not find another dragon willing to take you so easily.”

I noticed the hints of a smile on Xian Yue’s lips through her cloak at the words.

“Labby will get there on her own!” Labby exclaimed, purple sparks cracking around her.

Before I could comment, the conversation was cut short as Elder Tian Feng walked into the carriage, taking a seat.

“If everyone is here, we should begin our journey,” the Elder said.

Xian Yue nodded, drawing her reins back. The horses snorted and clicked their hooves, as the carriage began to move.

Steadily, I watched the scene outside move past us. It was the flying scene of the previous carriage, yet it was still as fast as any car I’d ridden in my previous life.

The experience seemed to please Labby a great deal, as she kept trying to stick her head out of the window despite my many warnings to tell her not to.

Yin, on the other hand, seemed to be terrified out of her life. Her face had grown pale and I was certain she’d passed out with her eyes open a couple of times. Being seated so close to the Elder likely did not help.

“Tell us boy. Has La Bi been unable to return to her previous form?” Xian Yue asked, her words echoing in my mind.

Somewhat used to random voices speaking in my head, I did not react in any visible manner and replied.

“Yes. She hasn’t been able to return to her previous form. I thought that was normal with the transformation she went through?”

A humm echoed in my mind. “It is not normal. As the word does not suffice to define what your spirit has achieved. Yet, she should be able to return to her previous form if she wishes too. The one she currently inhabits Is ultimately an artificial one. Tell us, has she been hungrier since she became like this? Or sleeping more often?”

I paused at Xian Yue’s words. Now that I thought about it, Labby had been eating a lot more than before. I hadn’t thought much of it, thinking it was likely due to her larger stomach size and hearty appetite growing, but it definitely was a bit abnormal. Spirits did not need to eat, after all.

“She has been. Yes. Even her naps are longer now, and more frequent,” I replied.

“As we had thought. The bond you share with her is insufficient to sustain her form, so she must spend her own Qi to keep it. But the draw is excessive, manifesting in the form of hunger. The crack in her dantian has left her sore, creating a hurdle in her mind, to return to a form smaller, and much more feeble.”

“Labby… is afraid to transform back?” I asked, surprised.

“Most likely. To lose one’s core, and be crippled is not an event that vanishes without leaving a mark. It is likely that her spirit holds her back from returning to a weaker form, and allowing herself to be vulnerable again.”

I felt a pang of anger at the twins again, for inflicting something like that upon Labby, but I breathed the emotion out.

“What can I do to help her?” I asked.

“Guide her. Let her find her own strength,” the moon spirit said, before her voice began to echo in the carriage to everyone. “So, La Bi. Tell us. Have you decided on the path you will walk now?”

“Labby’s path?”

“Indeed. There are eight faces of the moon, and though you have actualised the moon of journey, it is by no means the end of your path. Which moon shall you walk with next, child?”

Labby frowned, her eyebrows creasing in thought. “Labby doesn’t know…” she admitted.

“The reason you have not progressed child, is because you have not found which path to choose next. Think of the eight moons, and meditate on the thought. You have already picked one, do you wish to remain on this path, or do you wish to brain a new moon within your spirit?”

“Labby… wants to be stronger. Whatever would allow her to grow,” she replied.

“Each moon has a path, with each their own strength. There is no singular answer, and neither is there a correct one. The choice must be yours and yours alone,” Xian Yue said, before pausing. “But, if it is strength that you desire the most… then the dark moon will be your path. It will rise on the night of the solstice, as the demonic beasts will reach the pinnacle of their strengths. Upon that day, Lunar Qi shall flood the night with the dark of the night, and the hunger that lurks within. It is a powerful strength, yet one, that is difficult to tame.”

Labby thinks over it for a moment, before nodding. “Labby can do it.”

“You have our blessing, child.”

The carriage slowed down, before coming to a stop. I looked around, realising we’d already reached the Lord’s manor, with how lost I’d been in my conversation with Xian Yue. My eyes went to Yan Yun, Yin and even Zhang, looking around with the same bewildered expressions, before I heard the moon spirit whisper in my mind.

“A good driver never lets her customers get bored.”

I smiled, surprised by the spirit’s skill as the gate to the carriage opened. A familiar face, hidden in far too many wrinkles greeted me, with a gentle smile on his face. My eyes widened in surprise.

“Old man?” I asked dumbly.

“It's been a long time. How have you been, Lu Jie?”