?In the evening, as the moon already rose to the sky while the sun has yet to completely hide behind the horizon, Wu Long visited the hall given to the Frozen Garden Palace for their meetings once more, though this time it was empty except for one person on the balcony, looking toward the distant setting sun.

“Greetings, Palace Master Qiu”

“Thank you for meeting me, Daoist Wu”

Qiu Yilao turned with a solemn expression, her eyes seemingly trying to discern something in his.

“I wanted to talk to you about Bing’er…”

“I assumed as much”

“Then this will be easier. Do you intend to pursue her?”

“Yes, at this point I do, though it was not necessarily so in the beginning”

Qiu Yilao nodded without much surprise, since she saw the signs.

“But… you should be aware of her… special circumstances”

“I am. Though it seems Palace Master Qiu slightly misinterprets those circumstances”

“…”

Qiu Yilao did not answer, waiting for him to continue as she had already reconciled the fact that this man knew far more than her.

“… though I cannot say I knew it for long either.

Her Extreme Yin Physique is far more complex than I initially believed it to be, and far more dangerous without proper conscious control from her.

What I learned during our short trip to the Secret Realm, is that while she can freeze her emotions, it does not mean they disappear.

They remain frozen, until someday she frees them, which could happen without her control if the emotional turbulence is far too deep”

“…! You mean…”

Qiu Yilao gasped at this notion, causing him to nod.

“Mm, the emotion she experiences most strongly in that particular moment of release will be amplified by the decades of pent up feelings that were frozen in time.

You must have noticed the slight changes in her. Those mean she is nearing the maximum capacity of emotional baggage so to speak that she can hold.

All that said, it would also be offset by the opposite emotions, so if she maintained a good balance it would not cause her much harm.

Though, of course, far more healthy would be for her to start releasing those emotions gradually by finally controlling her Physique”

Wu Long explained without showing much worry, but his expression then shifted to a more concerned look.

“More troublesome still is her ability to make rational choices not influenced by her own desires, which may be an incredible advantage, but it does not come without its risks.

Normally, it would be not much of a problem, but she has been continuously making decisions not in favor of her desires and prioritizing rational choice instead for who knows how long.

Any more, especially if she kills off a particularly strong desire, and the very core of her desires would freeze as well”

“The core of her desires?”

“Her Soul Sea”

“…!”

Wu Long sighed, remembering seeing signs of her Niwan Palace starting to freeze over in the canyon when she tried to give up on getting the Primal Cold Qi Birthing Crystal which held a tremendous value to her because that was a ‘rational choice’ at the time.

The woman opposite him, meanwhile, was consumed by shock and dismay. A light panic appearing in her eyes. All those times that Xue Bing made choices prioritizing the Sect over herself flashing before her eyes.

“I-is there nothing that could be done?”

“Of course there is, that is the biggest misconception Palace Master Qiu has.

Her Physique’s passive ability is just without proper control now. What she needs to do is grasp control over it. I have already helped one possessor of a Physique with a similar ability to gain control over hers”

“Then, can you help Bing’er as well?”

“I can…”

He nodded, causing Qiu Yilao’s eyes to fill with hope.

“… which is why I agreed to meet with you in private”

Wu Long then added, as her expression turned to confusion.

“The purpose of this meeting was that you wanted to banish her from the Sect, correct?”

He then asked, causing Qiu Yilao to widen her eyes and then make a wry smile seeing that he saw through her intentions with no difficulty.

“Indeed.

She was born to a Noble Family of the Cloud Piercing Continent that fell in the conflict.

And when I was still a Grand Elder, who traveled through the city her family ruled at the time on a traditional travel through the Three Continents before one ascends to the position of Palace Master, I saw potential in her.

She feels indebted to the Sect and me for taking her in after witnessing the fall of her House at a young age, and would not leave to pursue her own happiness.

Just as you said, she has too good of a grip on her desires.

But when I saw her gaze on you when you returned from that Secret Realm…”

Qiu Yilao shook her head with a sigh.

“… I knew that our Sect stood in the way of her living a fulfilling life at that very moment.

I may be the Sect Master, and a Master to a Disciple, but… I cannot sacrifice her happiness even if my duties require me to.

So I decided to meet with you to confirm your intentions…”

“Mm, as I said, the reason I agreed to meet in private was precisely that. You cannot banish her from the Sect, even for her own good, at least not now”

“I know. I get it now”

The Palace Master nodded as she could guess what would happen if she were to do as she planned, given what he told her about Xue Bing’s special physique.

“But… then what do you propose we do?”

“Send her with me to the Fantian Kingdom”

“You will teach her to control her Extreme Yin Physique?”

“Hmm, yes and no. I will help her discover the way to control it, but I cannot teach her since I don’t know it. The other possessor of a similar physique is also there so she can help guide her as well”

He said with a smile and after a few moments of consideration, she nodded to his proposal while the moonlight illuminated the Yin Yang Unity Palace with a soft, gentle light after the brief darkness that followed the sundown.

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