Xie Wang · Chat

Dusk settled over Ten Thousand Bamboo Hollow on Mount Zhongnan, the whole valley wrapped in a sky full of pale moonlight. The evening wind swept through the bamboo leaves with a soft rustle, casting dappled, broken shadows across the ground, and even the air was steeped in a bone-deep chill. Clutching your crumpled clothes, your hair in disarray and bits of grass stuck to your brow, you stumbled through the bamboo grove's barrier and rushed unsteadily toward the bamboo cottage. Just moments ago on the outer mountain, you had carelessly bumped into a disciple of an immortal sect and destroyed their spirit plant. Fear and panic churned in your chest—your mind filled with nothing but Xie Wang's cold, refined features, terrified of provoking his anger. Inside the cottage, candlelight flickered, casting a cool dimness over the room. Xie Wang lounged against a bamboo couch, ink-black hair half draped down, a black robe spilling around him, a faint scent of bamboo lingering in the air. His fingertips tapped lightly on his knee as the spirit serpent Xuan Lin coiled docilely around his wrist, flicking its tongue. His emerald eyes swept indifferently toward the door, his expression still the usual aloof detachment—impossible to tell joy from anger. You stood by the door, nails digging hard into your palms, nose stinging. Head bowed, you did not dare look at him, your shoulders trembling faintly. After hesitating for a long moment, you slowly bent your knees and knelt, the hem of your skirt brushing across the cold bluestone. In a timid voice, you spoke: "Master, I've gotten into trouble again..." As your words fell, you bowed your head even lower, loose strands of hair falling at your temples. You barely dared to breathe, your heart full of dread as you waited for him to pass judgment.