Jiu Xian woke up with a familiar dull headache of last night’s drinking. After washing up, he checked his pouch and stepped outside.

  “Morning, Jiu Xian.” Yao Qing stood waiting, a pouch tied to her waist.

  “Morning... what’s with the pouch?”

  “What?” She blinked innocently. “You weren’t planning to leave your friend out of this adventure, were you?” her green eyes sparkled with excitement.

  “Yao Qing, I’m not going on a picnic. There will be real danger. I don’t want my friend throwing herself into harm for something that might just be a wild goose chase.”

  “Mm-hmm~ so let me get this straight.” She clasped her hands behind her back and leaned forward. “We are friends. And friends don’t want their friends to be in danger, right?”

  “Yes, you are right.”

  “Then by that logic, I can’t let you go alone either.” She pointed at him triumphantly. “I don’t want my friend walking into danger by himself.”

  “B—but—”

  “No buts!” Her voice wavered, the playfulness fading. “I already let one friend leave to chase immortality. I’m not letting another one go alone” Her gaze dropped. “And now... I don’t even have a reason to stay here. I want to see what this ‘immortality’ is—the thing that makes people leave everything behind.”

  Tears gathered in her eyes.

  Jiu Xian sighed softly. “...Alright, let’s go then.”

  He held out his hand. She grabbed it, breaking into a bright laughter, as if had just pulled of a prank.

  But Jiu Xian knew better.

  The laughter hid pain;

  Just like his smiles did.

  Without further delay, the two set off toward the forest at the base of the hill where the Immortal Witch’s cabin was said to be.

  ...

  Whoosh

  The arrow tore through the air and struck the tiger’s eye.

  “Now!” Jiu Xian and Yao Qing shouted together, charging forward with swords drawn.

  The tiger roared, twisting in fury, but the ambush had stolen its rhythm.

  Yao Qing darted to the side, her blade flashing.

  Slash!

  This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it

  Blood sprayed as her strike cut across the other eye.

  The beast lashed out blindly, claws tearing through the air where she had stood a breath ago.

  Jiu Xian didn’t hesitate.

  With both hands gripping his sword, he stepped in and poured every ounce of strength into a downward swing at the beast’s neck.

  SWISH!

  The blade bit deep. Bone cracked. The tiger’s roar died into a gurgle as its massive body collapsed, head rolling across the leaves.

  For a moment, the forest was silent.

  Jiu Xian stared at his hands.

  That… felt easier than it should have.

  ‘Even without initiation… the Golden Sun method has strengthened my body,’ he realized.

  Suddenly, Yao Qing threw her arms around him.

  “We did it! Jiu Xian — we actually killed it!”

  “Haha— yes— we did. But if you squeeze any tighter, I might join it.”

  She froze, then quickly stepped back, face turning red.

  “L-let’s keep moving,” she said, clearing her throat. “The sun’s setting. If we don’t reach the cabin soon, the forest will belong to the hunters of the night.”

  Jiu Xian nodded. “Right.”

  Together, they moved on, leaving the fallen beast behind.

  It was near afternoon when they first noticed the signs.

  Carcasses of deer and wild boars lay scattered through the woods. Deep claw marks scored the earth, and flesh had been torn away in brutal bites. The ground still smelled faintly of blood.

  “A large predator,” Yao Qing whispered.

  “A tiger,” Jiu Xian agreed.

  Moving cautiously, they tracked the signs until they found the beast’s resting place — a patch of flattened grass beneath a rocky outcrop. There, they set their ambush.

  Now the tiger lay behind them, and the sun was already sinking toward the horizon.

  They climbed the mountain trail as quickly as they dared, breath growing ragged, legs burning. To move faster, they even discarded a few nonessential items from their pouch.

  One landmark after another appeared, just as Baibai had described — the split boulder, the twisted pine, the stream shaped like a crescent.

  Before darkness could fully claim the sky, they reached the hilltop.

  “Look, Jiu Xian! There!” Yao Qing pointed.

  A small wooden cabin stood alone near the edge of the clearing. Its roof was worn, its chimney built from rough stone bricks. A thin ribbon of smoke curled upward into the fading light.

  Someone was home.

  “Let’s go,” Jiu Xian said, a genuine smile appearing on his face for the first time in days.

  He took Yao Qing’s hand — not out of impulse, but urgency — and together they hurried toward the cabin.

  “HELLOOO?” Yao Qing called after they had knocked several times with no response.

  For a moment, only the wind answered.

  Then—

  Creak...

  The wooden door opened a narrow gap.

  A figure stood within the shadows.

  A black hood hid most of the face, and loose robes hung like dark mist around a thin frame. The voice that emerged was low and rasping.

  “Hmm... And who might you two be?”

  Jiu Xian felt a chill crawl up his spine.

  “Are you the Immortal Witch?” Yao Qing asked. “Baibai told us we might find you here”

  The hooded figure chuckled.

  “Witch...? Is that what they call me now?”

  The laugh turned into a faint cough “Let me tell you, children I’m no witch. And certainly no immortal.”

  The voice weakened toward the end—like a candle about to go out.

  A silence followed.

  “Well,” the old woman said at last, stepping aside. “It’s nearly dark. And I doubt you have anywhere else to go. Come in. Stay the night.”

  Jiu Xian and Yao Qing exchanged a glance.

  The journey here had been smooth, but with the old woman’s claim of not being the Immortal Witch, they were sure this journey was a wild goose chase.

  The cold wind of the night left them little choice, but to seek shelter.

  They stepped inside.

  The moment the door closed behind them, Jiu Xian froze.

  The cabin was far larger than it had appeared from outside.

  Warm air wrapped around them. The scent of herbs and medicines filled the space. Strange bundles hung from the ceiling beams, and faint lines were carved into the wooden floor—patterns he didn’t recognise.

  “I was just about to have dinner. Would you two like some?”

  Jiu Xian and Yao Qing glanced at each other.

  “Thank you, but we have provisions,” Jiu Xian said politely, holding up the pouch of jerky. “We wouldn’t want to trouble you.”

  “I See.” The woman did not insist.

  They sat at the table while she ate her meal. The fragrance of her cooking filled the cabin— rich, warm, and far more inviting than the dried meat in their hands. Several times, Yao Qing’s gaze drifted toward the old woman’s bowl, but she said nothing.

  After a while, the woman spoke.

  “So... what brings you to seek this so-called Immortal Witch? Revenge? A favour?”

  Jiu Xian and Yao Qing answered at the same time.

  “We want to seek immortality”

  The woman tilted her head.

  “You mean cultivation?”

  “Yes.”

  Jiu Xian explained what little he knew — spiritual energy, body strengthening, and his difficulties with entering the initiation stage. His confidence faltered as he spoke.

  “Hm…” the woman murmured. “That, at least, is something I may help you with.”

  “But,” she added, voice turning measured, “my help is not given freely. First, I must see your aptitude. Only then will we speak of conditions.”

  Jiu Xian’s brows drew together. “A test?”

  A faint smile appeared beneath the hood.

  “Sleep first. The body must be calm before the truth reveals itself.”

  She led them to a guest room.

  “There is only one bed. I do not often receive visitors.”

  Jiu Xian and Yao Qing immediately began insisting the other take it, but after a short, awkward exchange, they settled on sharing the space — a careful line of pillows placed between them.