"I promise, I'm sorry," Mu Anxiao said with a slight bow.
Shen Yan looked at Mu Anxiao's demeanor and smiled, "You finally apologized to me. If we have a chance to meet again in the next life, I will definitely save you."
Hearing Shen Yan's words, Mu Anxiao recalled the events in the well, and she chuckled, "You really hold a grudge."
"Let's go," Shen Yan said, remembering the Immortal Tome, "Right, help me return the Immortal Tome to my junior brother when you get back."
Mu Anxiao nodded, took Shen Yan's arm, and led him away.
After sending Shen Yan off, Mu Anxiao, along with the man in the pale blue robe, arrived at the wooden cabin where Shen Yan had lived for fifty full years.
"He never left this place?" Mu Anxiao asked as she pushed the door open and entered the wooden cabin.
The man in the pale blue robe rubbed the base of his nose and said, "At that time, I intentionally said it was yours, I'm sorry."
"I know," Mu Anxiao said, turning to look at the aged Shen Yan lying on the wooden cot, her eyes darkening.
"How could you..."
"That's all in the past, don't bring it up again," Mu Anxiao interrupted, gracefully approaching the wooden cot.
The man in the pale blue robe sighed without saying anything. Just as he was about to step forward, a hoarse voice reached his ears, "Come out for a moment."
"Alright," the man in the pale blue robe recognized the voice's owner and said, "Uh, I'm going out for a moment, I'll be back soon."
Mu Anxiao said nothing, stopping at the edge of the cot.
The man in the pale blue robe turned and walked out of the wooden cabin.
"You're here," he said, glancing at the white-haired old gentleman not far away.
The old gentleman stepped forward, looked at the open cabin door, and said, "Shen Yan is gone."
"Mmm," the man in the pale blue robe nodded.
The old gentleman sighed faintly, "This is fate. However, the girl inside does resemble my disciple very much. If you have the chance, please convey this: if she meets my disciple in the future, make sure to guide him to immortality."
"Why don't you tell him yourself?" the man in the pale blue robe asked softly.
The old gentleman said, "You saw my attitude towards that girl before. If I say it now, where would I put my old face?"
The man in the pale blue robe scratched his forehead, recalling something, and asked, "By the way, Shen Yan mentioned earlier that Mu Anxiao remembered being pushed off the cloud layer by him when they went to the Vine Spirit. That was your doing, wasn't it?"
"Yes, I originally wanted Mu Anxiao to hate him, thereby dissuading Shen Yan from seeking a mortal woman. Because I knew Shen Yan would inevitably face a calamity caused by a mortal woman. Who knew," the old gentleman shook his head with emotion, "it didn't succeed."
"Then, that means their fate cannot end here."
"Don't tell Mu Anxiao about guiding Shen Yan to immortality in his next life yet. I think if they are fated, they will meet again," the old gentleman said.
"I understand," the man in the pale blue robe nodded.
The old gentleman turned and left without another word.
The man in the pale blue robe's lips curved into a slight smile, and he turned to walk back into the wooden cabin.
Inside the wooden cabin, Mu Anxiao looked at the now-aged Shen Yan lying quietly there, tears streaming down her face. "I will give you the best funeral, Shen Yan," she said, bending her knees and slowly kneeling by Shen Yan's cot.
"Are you alright?" the man in the pale blue robe asked softly as he entered the room and looked at Mu Anxiao's back.
Mu Anxiao placed her hand over Shen Yan's cold hand and said, "Everything is arranged. Let's prepare."
The man in the pale blue robe responded with a hum and said, "My name is Xu Lanyan."
"I know," Mu Anxiao replied indifferently, removing her hand and wiping away her tears.