As soon as Jing He stepped into the replica of his palace in the High Heavens, he found Tian standing at the door, looking at him quietly. Jing He flinched, not having expected the Supreme Sovereign to wait for him immediately. At once, he thought of how Tian had said that he wasn’t supposed to go and look for Qiu Ling and he felt that the consequences for ignoring his command should be severe.

Surprisingly, Tian didn’t say anything at all. Instead, he simply looked at Jing He. His gaze rested on the Mark of Wisdom between Jing He’s brows as if by coincidence before he calmly retracted it. “I see you went to see the dragon king. Have you made up your mind regarding the sacrifice at the Spring of Fate now?”

Jing He had expected to be punished or at least scolded harshly so hearing him simply question if his actions had helped to make any progress made him unsure how to react for a moment. He hesitated, wondering if he had misunderstood Tian before but finally just heaved a sigh of relief, feeling that the crisis was already averted before it had even started. “I did.”

Tian gave a hum and motioned outside. “Then are you ready to leave now?”

Jing He originally wanted to nod but then thought of the letters Qiu Ling had just given him. His lover didn’t want him to take any risks. Of course, he was aware that this kind of matter could never be completely without risk but at the very least, he should try to reduce it as much as possible.

His decision was between choosing the path of following Qiu Ling or that of complying with his father’s wishes. Reading the letters that Qiu Ling had given him and finding out about what his father had been up to during these days might help him gain some insight. So, it seemed best to read them first.

It was just … Tian had already come by and he was asking him to leave now. Could he really say that he didn’t want to? Jing He didn’t dare to disagree but also felt reluctant to agree.

Tian watched his struggling expression and glanced at the Mark of Wisdom between his brows again. It was tough to spot but it had turned a little fainter since the last time he spoke to him. It would be a long wait for it to completely disappear but this was proof that as long as he kept thinking about this matter and simply followed his heart, he would be able to make it out of this even without utilizing the Spring of Fate.

Of course, the change was difficult to notice, especially if you didn’t have contact with fallen gods more than once or twice. So most likely, neither Qiu Ling nor Jing He himself had realized. Tian didn’t feel the need to tell him about it either. This would only slow things down. Since there was a way to have him come to terms with everything much faster, then that path should be taken. A small sacrifice wasn’t worth mentioning in his eyes.

Still, there was obviously something going through Jing He’s mind that he didn’t dare to bring up. Knowing what it was would help though. Going to the Spring of Fate was not a guarantee to become a trueborn god again and return to the Nine Heavens to get married. So, of course, he wouldn’t simply ignore the questions that were crossing Jing He’s mind. “What’s the matter? You don’t have to go immediately if you still need more time to decide.” Anyway, as long as the final outcome was the one he wanted, Tian didn’t care about the process of getting there.

Jing He still hesitated, his fingers curling faintly and brushing through An Xin’s soft fur. It reminded him of the warmth he felt when he was with Qiu Ling and to comfort that his letters had given him the past weeks. The longer he thought about it, the more he felt that it would indeed be best to read them first.

Finally making up his mind, Jing He looked up at Tian again. “Qiu Ling gave me a few more letters that he wrote since the last time we saw each other. Would it be possible to read them first before we leave? I would like to know what has happened in the Nine Heavens and the other immortal realms and what my family has been doing. I feel that … maybe this would help me.”

Tian inclined his head. “Very well. Then I will leave for now and come back to check on you later. If you finish reading before I return, you know where to find me.” He didn’t wait for Jing He’s response and simply turned around, leaving the palace once again.

Jing He still stood in the same spot, looking at his back without knowing what to do for a moment. Tian never said much unless he had to explain something to him so it was difficult to understand this mood. He had said that it was alright and left just like this, without trying to convince him further. Surely, that should mean that it was indeed alright, shouldn’t it? He wasn’t quietly adding to the grudge he felt against his family, was he?

Jing He felt confused but in the end, there was no way for him to guess the Supreme Sovereign’s mind. He could only put the matter out of his own and go to the study, sitting down at the table and pulling out the stack of letters he had received.

He didn’t start reading them immediately and instead just looked at them, his hands slowly brushing through An Xin’s fur. “There are a lot of them. That just goes to show how much time I’ve already wasted here in the High Heavens. Qiu Ling should be growing impatient by now. I know that I certainly am. Since the trial is over, we should have gotten married by now. Even if the ceremony hadn’t happened yet, at least we should have been at the point where we are preparing for it. Instead, we are now separated by a whole realm. It just doesn’t seem right.”

He hung his head, sighing to himself before he picked up the first letter. Anyway, this situation could only be changed if he persevered. For now, he should read the letters and then, he should go to the Spring of Fate. Soon enough, he would make some progress at least and then, he could return to his lover’s embrace. He had to continue believing that.