Sixth Day of the Sixth Month

Time flew by, and ten days had passed. Qin Gou’s arm had fully healed. His days were spent doing calisthenics, hunting, fishing, and scaring Gu Feiyan at night with cultivation-themed ghost stories like Kayako and The Pen Fairy. When she angrily scolded him, he’d counter with tales like The Seed Demon Princess and the Seven Dwarves to dodge her whip. Life, despite their confinement, was oddly enjoyable.

—

One night, Qin Gou glanced at the sleeping Gu Feiyan before pulling out a small, ornate mirror from his spatial ring. Within the mirror, a vortex of spiritual energy swirled, a result of ten days of meticulous infusion. Holding the mirror in one hand, he summoned the faintly glowing Dreamwalker Lantern with the other.

Forgotten Self had underestimated the depth of a Heavenly Master’s abilities.

—

Within the dream created by the Dreamwalker Lantern, Qin Gou sat on a black, dragon-carved throne. Waving his hand, he commanded, “Mu Man’er, come see me.”

The figure of a young, delicate Mu Man’er appeared before him. She looked confused at first but quickly broke into a radiant smile. “Master! It’s been so long. Man’er missed you!”

“How’s my little fool been doing lately?” Qin Gou asked indulgently.

“Very well! Oh, I have great news! I’ve successfully broken through to the Forging Realm! Am I better than Senior Brother was at my age?” Mu Man’er said excitedly.

Qin Gou nodded, smiling warmly. “That’s my Man’er.”

Beaming at his praise, Mu Man’er bounced with joy. “Hehe! Master, do you still need me to stay in the Seed Demon Holy Sect to gather information? I was planning to leave soon and head to the Tian Kun Dynasty.”

“Oh? Why? If I recall, the Tian Kun Dynasty despises you. They must still hold a grudge for what you did to them. Your journey there won’t be peaceful,” Qin Gou said, curious.

Mu Man’er nodded earnestly. “That’s exactly why. I plan to return the birthday tribute I took from them back to where it came from.”

“Good child,” Qin Gou said, his voice filled with pride. “When you get there, sincerely apologize. Make amends to those you injured. But if the royal family tries to exploit you or make unreasonable demands, don’t be afraid. Tell them… that Qin Gou of Arc Moon Mountain will personally visit their emperor for a little chat.”

“Thank you, Master!” Mu Man’er said, her heart warmed.

After a moment of thought, she added, “Master, there’s another reason I want to leave the Seed Demon Holy Sect. For some reason, Sect Master Gu Jinghong wants to marry me off to the sect’s top seed. And guess what? That man has the same name as you! As if he’s worthy!”

“He is worthy! Because that man is me,” Qin Gou said, coughing awkwardly.

“What?!” Mu Man’er’s jaw dropped in shock.

Returning to his usual calm demeanor, Qin Gou explained, “That’s just a spiritual clone of mine infiltrating the Seed Demon Holy Sect. As for why it’s connected to you, it’s a long story. Don’t worry—I’ll handle it.”

Relaxing, Mu Man’er patted her chest and giggled. “Oh, I see. Since it’s you, Master, I’m not worried. Even if you don’t handle it, it’s fine.”

“What do you mean, ‘it’s fine’? Your thinking is seriously flawed!” Qin Gou said, exasperated. “Never mind… Tell me, has anything major happened in the sect recently? Have Gu Xunhe and Gu Yinjiao returned? Which of them became the Young Master?”

“No, Feiyan and the others haven’t returned yet. Didn’t your spiritual clone go to the Forgotten Self Mystic Realm with them?” Mu Man’er replied, puzzled.

“They haven’t returned? Why is it taking so long?”

“Long? Feiyan and the others have only been gone for less than a month. It’s too soon for them to be back,” Mu Man’er said honestly.

—

“What?” Qin Gou asked, startled. “What’s today’s date?”

“The sixth day of the sixth month.”

—

The sixth day of the sixth month…

Qin Gou and Gu Feiyan had entered the Forgotten Self Mystic Realm on the fifth day of the sixth month. They had spent ten days together in the forest cabin, yet only one day had passed in the outside world.

—

As the morning sun rose, Gu Feiyan woke in their cozy hunter’s cabin, only to find Qin Gou staring at her intently.

“Why are you looking at me? We see each other every day. At this rate, we’re practically an old married couple. Aren’t you tired of it yet?” Gu Feiyan teased, her tone playful.

Qin Gou’s expression was serious. “I just contacted the outside world and discovered something interesting.”

“You can contact the outside world?” Gu Feiyan asked, incredulous.

“I tried, and I got lucky. But there are limits—I can only do it once every ten days,” Qin Gou explained. “I also found out that time flows differently here. Ten days here equals one day outside.”

At first, Gu Feiyan was thrilled, but her excitement quickly turned to sorrow. “What good does that do us? We’re still trapped. Cultivators above the Hidden Artifact Realm can’t enter the Mystic Realm. Even my father, Gu Jinghong, couldn’t save us.”

“You’re right… But we can use this time difference to train,” Qin Gou said gently. “This place must be a natural treasure trove of spiritual energy, manipulated by Forgotten Self.”

Gu Feiyan’s eyes sparkled mischievously. “Too bad I didn’t learn any dual cultivation techniques. Otherwise, we could make the most of this miraculous place together.”

“Are you serious?” Qin Gou asked, raising an eyebrow. For someone like him, learning a dual cultivation technique was child’s play.

“Just kidding.”

“Little Yan, I’m warning you—if you keep teasing me, I might take you seriously!”

“I’m sorry…” After days of relying on each other, Gu Feiyan had mastered the art of quick apologies.

—

One day, news reached the Seed Demon Holy Sect that Gu Feiyan and Qin Gou had both perished in the Forgotten Self Mystic Realm.

From that moment, Gu Jinghong sat beneath the main hall’s eaves for three days and nights, unmoving. No one could console him.