The departure was filled with sadness.

Well, it was mainly just Wuxian acting like a five-year-old, and clinging to TaiFeng, begging her not to go.

"Do you have to go? Can't at least one of us come with you? Please?" Wuxian whined while Jiang Cheng just puffed out his chest in displeasure.

She reassured them over and over again that she would be just fine. But nothing seems to work with those two.

"Wei. Wu. Xian. May I remind you that I have an entire goddamn sect to run?! Just stop making a scene and let me go. You're already delaying my journey!" She yelled, prying his clinging hands off of her.

"But what if something happens to you?!" He yelled back.

"What if you encounter Wens?!"

"I'd honestly feel more concern for them." Huaisang muttered.

"I think it's rather clear that at this point, not even God can kill me, despite his numerous efforts." She huffed, rolling her eyes to the sky.

"If I was that easy to kill, I would have been dead long before I met all of you. And it's not like I can't defend myself. Or are we all forgetting how I got you all breakfast this morning? I know that you are worried, but you need to have a little more faith in me, and a little less separation anxiety."

Sighing in defeat, Wuxian got up.

"Fine. But at least take this with you." He said, rummaging through his Qiankun pouch, only to pull out a red and gold one.

"My Qiankun pouch?" She said, taking it in her hands and running her svelte fingers over the worn-out needlework.

The blue flowers were a little frayed, and the white clouds were now more of a creamy beige.

'He... kept it? Even though I was dead? Why not just throw it away? It's not like I would need it."

"Just.. Please be careful." Jiang Cheng sighed. "We just got you back. We don't want to lose you again."

"Exactly," Zixuan added. " There's no need to go all out either. Just get to YueYang in one piece."

"..I will. I promise."

And with those final words, she set out.

Walking at a brisk pace, she marvelled at the scenery of ancient China.

She never got to see any greenery growing up. It was always just grimy cities.

It was a much-needed change of pace, she had never breathed in air this crisp.

Fishing around through her pouch, she could feel all sorts of things as she rummaged around. Finally getting to the bottom, she smiled when she found what she was looking for.

Pulling her hand out, she was now grasping a half-eaten red bean paste bun.

Fun fact; food doesn't go off inside Qiankun pouches.

Eyeing it up like it was the most precious thing in the world, she gobbled it down, enjoying every bite. Although she was still pretty hungry.

Come to think of it, when was the last time she had a proper meal?

And by 'proper meal', she meant enough food to give a rhino indigestion for weeks.

She made small footprints in the snow that were quickly disappearing as she progressed further down the path. So she was right, it would be relatively warmer in YueYang.

'I wonder if the calla lilies are in full bloom yet. Has QingShui been getting enough attention? I hope she didn't eat someone she wasn't supposed to. He's probably there by now as well.'

Continuing down the winding path, she passed many beautiful sights. She could hear the sound of cranes flying overhead, and bamboo leaves swaying in the cool breeze.

She loved hustle and bustle, but it was moments like this that really spoke to her soul.

It was rather healing, and Lord knows that she needed to be healed.

She wanted to just pause moments like this and stash them away in her mind, and replay them when she needed them most.

Brushing her fingers over the bamboo trunks she listened as they made tiny little noises that were like music to her ears.

Oh, how she wished that it would last.
She wished that she could just record these sounds and get some noise-cancelling headphones and just block everything else out.

Especially for these upcoming moments.

If there was one thing that TaiFeng hated about herself right now; it was that she walks fairly quickly.

Hearing the sound of people in the distance, she ever so slightly picked up the pace.

Stalking between the bamboo, she set her eyes on two large tents with the sun motif on the sides. After looking around, she concluded that there were only about twenty people or so.

'Looks like it's a small catch. Oh well, there's no need to drag this out then.'

She could see them all talking amongst themselves, completely unaware that their lives were about to come to an end.

Walking forward ever so slightly, she let the spiritual energy surge within her body.

Feeling it run through her veins like molten lava, she ran forward, not even giving them a chance.

By the time they lifted their heads upwards, it was already too late.

Striking her hands together, she let out a wave of lethal golden light.

Four of them fell to the ground with bloodied mouths, clenching their stomachs in agony as they lifelessly fell.

The others immediately put up a fight, swords drawn in fear.

Lunging towards her all at once, she let her fingers brush over the abdomen of a Wen, stealing his sword in the process.

Slashing throats as she made her way to the next group, she dropped the sword.

Putting her hands up, she now ruthlessly clawed her way through the small crowd.

Cries of pain could be heard for miles around, and she could already see the crows circling high above her head.

Finishing off the final blows, she let her bloodied hands fall to her sides.

She looked at her claws in a mix of disgust and self-loathing, not sure how to feel about herself any more.

What was she?

She didn't really know any more. What part of her dies when she becomes this bloodthirsty monster?

It made her feel filthy and far away.

Far away from family, friends, and love.

She felt like she was on a desolate mountaintop, while everything else was far down, and out of reach.

She hated this feeling, but somebody had to do it.

Somebody had to feel these emotions. Otherwise, how could anything be achieved?

If nobody went through any suffering and sacrifice, how would the rest of the world find peace? How would her family find peace?

Family was about sacrifice, at least that's what she thought.

Her happiness was a small price to pay for the war ending.

So, to her, it didn't matter if her clothes were stained with blood and her body was littered with scars. If she could keep them safe, she would go through it a thousand times over.

Steeling her nerves, she stepped away with a burning sense of devotion inside of her.

The magnificent sceneries that she passed, came across as insignificant compared to her tremendous determination.

Stopping by a small stream to get some water, she crouched down and lifted her copper flask.

Letting the water flow into it, a gust of wind caught her by surprise.

Coughing a bit at the sudden wind in her face, she covered her mouth and clutched her chest.

Only the coughing didn't stop. Rather, it just got worse. Falling onto her hands and knees, letting the flask drop onto the large stones, tears stung her eyes as she coughed up mouthfuls of blood.

Grasping her throat in pain, she spat out the last of the dark red liquid and slumped onto her side.

Rolling onto her back, she stared up at the sky, the copper taste stinging her tongue.  

'Why did this happen? I didn't get injured, I'm sure of it. Was it the bun? That's stupid, buns don't make you heave blood. ... So why?'

Feeling a bit of strength return to her limbs, she shakily got up.

Feeling her hands starting to go numb, she picked up her flask and washed out her mouth.

Spitting out the blood, she watched as it trail down the stream in a line of red until it disappeared.

Watching with questioning eyes, her mind, and heart was going a million miles an hour.

But she could question it some other time.

Right now, she needed to get home.