Early in the morning, Song Heqing was completing his martial arts practice outside when he sensed Qin Yan stir, so he sheathed his sword and hurried to his quarters. Still on the bed, Qin Yan was lying on his back and somehow had gotten tangled in the blanket. He looked scared for his life.

“…” Song Heqing untangled him. 

Now that he was free, Qin Yan settled into a lazy expression as he grumbled unintelligibly, half burying himself back under the covers. Song Heqing fiercely resisted the urge to pet him.

"Qin Yan, there's going to be a small gathering tonight to welcome you into Eagle Sect."

There was a blank stare in return.

"I thought you might like it," Song Heqing added. 

Here comes an introvert's true nemesis, 'social gatherings'. Qin Yan figured it was important to meet the people he'd be living around, but he didn't want to embarrass Song Heqing somehow. These cultivation sects are finicky about prestige and all that.

"Will they ask questions? ...I don't know if I can remember."

"You don't need to feel bothered answering questions, and I can help if needed. It's very casual. However, there is one thing you must take care not to mention."

Qin Yan turned attentive. “What?”

“That you were once a demon."

Qin Yan did not remember exactly what he did as a demon besides the fact it left a lingering unpleasantness.

Song Heqing seemed to turn gentler. "I know you’re good at heart, but others could think differently. Demons themselves are incredibly rare, not the same as a mere demonic beast like a firebird. A demon directly absorbs demonic Qi from birth and consumes other being's cultivation. That was how you were able to become powerful in only a few years, but it's also why demons are regarded as harbingers of disaster. The only other person here who knows your origin is my teacher, Su Zemin.”

“O-okay.” So demons were actually super OP. Everything seemed to make logical sense until Qin Yan connected the meaning in his head, then his mouth gaped. "Wait. Did you say I consumed people? Did I do that?!"

Song Heqing also froze, then the two stared at each other for a good 31 seconds. He unintentionally said it, unaware Qin Yan had forgotten.

"...you didn't literally eat them, but drained their cultivation. You couldn't help it when such behavior was in your nature."

"I'm still evil!" Qin Yan began to spout random things in a panic. "Where's the police?!"

He rolled off the bed and started to run in a circle around the room, uncertain of anything at all including why he was running. The surroundings began to spin. It was not long before Qin Yan ran into several layers of robe and a leg. 

Song Heqing quickly picked him up before he could fall over. 

"It's all right..." Song Heqing said. "What's done is done. Now you have a chance to start over, and the same thing will never happen again."

Qin Yan very much did not reject the warm, comforting feeling he had when cuddled into Song Heqing's chest, a hand stroking over his head gently. He thought about it. After all, the details of when he was a demon were still hazy. Like viewing a movie in 240p resolution. Perhaps there was more to the situation that explained what happened.

Tentatively, he asked, "I’m not a demon anymore?” 

Song Heqing finally could not resist and patted the top of Qin Yan's head with encouragement.

“You are certainly not. The only way to become a demon is the path of demonic cultivation. The evil energy you amassed dissipated at your death, then was cleansed further throughout these years. You can now pursue the righteous path of cultivation...as for explaining the eggplant spirit in my sword, I've told everyone that I found you in the mountains before I came to Eagle Sect.”

Qin Yan felt a worming sense of unease. Was it really possible for everything to get better just like that? What about the penalty he saw in the system interface yesterday? ...but right now there was nothing else to do but to keep living and figure these matters out as times goes by. Song Heqing was right, he just needed to go about things the right way this time.

Qin Yan had faint smile. "I guess...at least, this place seems nice...with you."

The sentence was rather incoherent, but Song Heqing understood and smiled back. It felt like his heart was full of joyous butterflies.

"I can show you around."

The two went out.

Varying parts of Eagle Sect sprawled over several dusty mountains, terrain rocky and sparse. The sect had three peaks, each representing a different faction; Moonstone Peak's Su Zemin, Dauntless Peak's Sun Daiyu, and the sect Grandmaster at Golden Eagle Peak, Mu'ren Tianshu. It was truly a xianxia dense with magic and people who had up to three names¹In the ancient times people can have their birth name, chosen formal name at coming of age, and a professional title.. Just learning the basics and seeing the place took up the day. Poor Qin Yan's amnesiac brain was already fried.

Before he knew it...the time came for the evening gathering.

Song Heqing offered to help Qin Yan, who was already quite drowsy, prepare. And there was quite a bit of preparing to do.

In his current form, Qin Yan’s hair reached his feet and curled everywhere. It was possible he could trip. As such, Song Heqing set him on a cushion on the floor while he sat on the bed. He gathered up the strands, putting what he could into gold tie on Qin Yan's head.

Qin Yan's eyelids felt heavy. It was almost too troubling to sit up. This clearly is not normal!

“Why am I so tired...?”

Song Heqing had asked Su Zemin the same thing yesterday. "Your soul needs more energy to rebuild itself. It's because I was late saving you...so your soul was damaged. The body and its meridians act as a natural vessel. Without any vessel, a soul will dissipate back into the realm and subsequently lose all the cultivation one had while living. For example, when your plant body created a humanoid body of the same material, your soul could occupy either one. It took years to input enough energy into Starlight on Obsidian to wake you up, so I would estimate you’ve been reduced to one out of two-thousandths of your previous power.”

Qin Yan was becoming sleepy again and absentmindedly said, “That’s a setback...”

“There’s no rush. I'll teach you about Qi gathering²One of the stages in cultivation. This novel will loosely follow: Qi Gathering Stage, Foundation Establishment, Core Refinement, Nascent Soul, Immortal Sage tomorrow. We can go out to the garden.”

Qin Yan’s head bobbed, deceitfully looking like he was agreeing, but it was just that he almost dozed off. It was unclear if he heard anything Song Heqing explained.

Song Heqing sighed, then grabbed a pillow off the bed and placed it in Qin Yan’s arms for him to prop up his head. An outer vest of white was added to Qin Yan’s attire, one with the sect’s eagle wing motif. Finally, Song Heqing placed a palm on Qin Yan’s head and gave him more spiritual energy.

“Um…” Qin Yan blinked, “…are we going now?”

“That’s right.”

Song Heqing focused his gaze downward onto Qin Yan, dark eyelashes hanging over his amber pupils. He crouched down, extending a hand, and the two harmoniously went to the main hall for the gathering. A few others had arrived before them. Bai Lian, for one, was sitting and chatting merrily with the others at the table, food and drink abound.

The conversation stilled as the three at the table turned their heads. The one they were staring at was obviously Qin Yan. Frankly, he did not look like a powerful, suitable sword spirit for an exceptional practitioner such as Song Heqing.

Qin Yan refused to make eye-contact with them because he knew it would make him nervous...he only made his way to sit down at the table as Song Heqing led him along. Being unaware of the scrutiny he was undergoing was surely for the best. On the other hand, Song Heqing swept out his robe behind him as he sat next to Qin Yan, meeting the eyes of everyone at the table one by one. The intended threat was; 'If you dare insult him, I will get revenge'.

The first disciple of Su Zemin, Cui Luoyang, lifted a painted fan over his mouth. He was Song Heqing’s senior and thus the least likely to be cut into a billion pieces if he offended him. A bright red feather earring hung onto his shoulder.

“Huh. Not what I expected from junior-brother Song," he said, "but what an adorable little sword spirit.”

Qin Yan wrinkled his brow. Someone was talking about him already? He peeked over the edge of the table and accidentally made eye-contact with Cui Luoyang, who gave a shallow grin. Based on the tidy way he dressed, fan carefully held up and a cup of green tea in hand, he was certainly the type who valued appearances. There were also the eyes of seven other disciples looking at him.

Qin Yan quickly ducked his head back under the edge of the table.

Cui Luoyang laughed then moved his gaze to Song Heqing. “He merely looks at me and I feel flustered. How do you keep a calm face?”

Song Heqing did not respond but secretly agreed it was hard.

Next it was Bai Lian who leaned over the table. “Shidi³Younger-disciple brother, I want to pet him…let me pet him this time? No, you must let me pet him!”

“You may not.” 

“So it’s called Qin Yan?” asked Cui Luoyang. “And it’s a boy? How do you decide on the name?”

This time Qin Yan spoke up. He wouldn't go as far as to make Song Heqing answer such basic questions for him.

“Qin Yan has always been my name." 

Cui Luoyang seemed mildly surprised. “You’ve had a name since always?”

Well, now Qin Yan was confused. Heqing replied, “He means that his name was given by himself before we acquainted.”

“How interesting.”

Song Heqing also spoke into Qin Yan’s mind to explain.

“In the sphere of beasts, friend and foe can distinguish each other based on sight, smell, and sense, and have no interest in current affairs or gossip, so there's no need to name themselves like humans. Beasts do not normally gain a name until they form a contract with a culitvator. That’s why Senior Brother Cui finds it ‘interesting’.”

"Thanks. I don't know what to say..."

"No problem." Song Heqing hesitated, then continued, "Actually, you seem uncomfortable. I should have asked you before saying we'd attend. If we just wait until Master Su arrives, then we can leave right after."

"...okay." Qin Yan was a little embarrassed Song Heqing could see right through him, but it was true. 

While the two were having their secret conversation, everyone else began saying this and that about how adorable Qin Yan was.

No one could deny that it was extraordinary to possess a sword spirit. It had to be a legendary-class weapon, one with the right environment to act as a vessel for a soul. In any case, if the spirit was a plant-beast’s then by nature it should have a beast-like form. They were expecting…an actual eggplant, not a child. That's why everyone was treating Qin Yan like a scintillating piece of news.

Cui Luoyang asked, "So, Qin Yan, I heard you're from a mountainous area. How does a wild eggplant cultivate to this degree? Was it difficult? How do you meet Song Heqing?"

"Um..." Qin Yan's eyes went to a spot on the ceiling as he tried to come up with a story. Can Su Zemin please arrive soon?

"Brother Cui, please refrain from asking inappropriate questions," said Song Heqing. 

A moment later, Bai Lian once again reached over the table to try and pet Qin Yan, and the one who slapped her hand away was also Song Heqing. Qin Yan glanced at the man with two big eyes and solemnly thought that he was his only hope of survival tonight.