Re-birth: The Beginning after the End-Chapter 207: WAITING

Elder Fu studied them with penetrating intensity, his gaze lingering on their still-joined hands before moving to their faces. "The Grove shows each traveler what they need to see," he observed. "Some find the revelations more... challenging than others. You two are the first to arrive at the heart tree. The others may take considerably longer."

He gestured toward a section of exposed roots that formed a natural seating area. "Rest while you can. Once all disciples have completed their passage, we'll have a more difficult journey ahead." His tone carried a subtle warning. "The Grove is merely the threshold guardian. What lies beyond requires more than simply facing one's past."

As they settled onto the roots, Li Hua finally released Mo Xing's hand, flexing fingers that had grown stiff from the extended contact. The clearing hummed with concentrated spiritual energy, the massive tree at its center apparently serving as a conduit for the forest's power. Despite the open space, Li Hua felt more observed here than at any previous point in their journey—as if the forest's consciousness focused most intensely at this central nexus.

"Elder Fu," she ventured after a moment of hesitation, "have you traversed the Grove before?"

The elder's eyes, half-closed in meditation, opened fully at her question. "Twice before," he answered, his voice carrying the weight of memories. "Each passage reveals different aspects of one's journey. The Grove remembers you, recognizes your spiritual signature, and adjusts its revelations accordingly." A ghost of a smile crossed his weathered face. "What it showed me the first time nearly broke my resolve to continue. By the second passage, I had made peace with most of my shadows."

He studied them both with renewed interest. "Few complete the journey together as you did. The Grove typically separates even those who enter in pairs." His gaze settled on Mo Xing. "Most interesting."

Mo Xing met the elder's scrutiny with his characteristic half-smile. "We found strength in unity rather than isolation. The Grove respects conviction when it recognizes it."

Elder Fu nodded slowly, though something in his expression suggested he suspected there was more to their successful passage than mere conviction. "Rest," he repeated, returning to his meditation posture. "The others will likely take until nightfall to complete their trials. Conserve your energy for what awaits beyond."

As Elder Fu's attention turned inward, Li Hua glanced at Mo Xing, finding his golden eyes already watching her with an intensity that suggested he had much to say but was choosing silence in the elder's presence. Whatever deeper understanding had formed between them in the Grove's mist remained unspoken but palpably present—a connection forged through witnessing each other's darkest moments and still choosing to hold on.

They circled the ancient heart tree, seeking an optimal position among its sprawling roots before settling against its massive trunk to begin cultivating. Their bodies needed to replenish the considerable spiritual energy expended during their Grove passage.

Li Hua positioned herself against one of the tree's exposed roots, immediately sensing how the living wood resonated with her own essence. As she closed her eyes and focused inward, she found her meridians responding eagerly to the ambient energy that saturated the clearing. Through her wood affinity, she perceived the tree's ancient rhythm—slow, measured pulses of primal vitality that had sustained it through countless centuries of silent witness.

Without discussion or hesitation, Mo Xing settled beside her, close enough that their shoulders nearly touched—a proximity that felt natural after navigating the Grove's trials together.

This unconscious harmonization of cultivation drew Elder Fu's attention briefly. Though he made no comment, his weathered features tightened almost imperceptibly as his experienced gaze lingered on the unusual energy pattern forming between them—a phenomenon he had witnessed perhaps only once or twice in his long centuries of cultivation.

As the afternoon progressed, Li Hua occasionally opened her eyes to monitor their surroundings. The heart clearing remained empty save for the three of them, suggesting the other disciples were still struggling with the Grove's revelations. This didn't surprise her—facing one's deepest regrets and examining paths not taken required a particular kind of courage that techniques alone couldn't provide.

During one such moment of awareness, she noticed Mo Xing watching her, his eyes half-lidded but alert.

"The others are having difficulty," she observed quietly.

"The Grove reveals what each traveler most needs to confront," he replied, his voice pitched low to avoid disturbing Elder Fu's meditation. "Some burdens are heavier than others."

"And some travelers more willing to acknowledge them," Li Hua added, recognizing that their relatively swift passage might have stemmed not from having fewer shadows, but from their willingness to face them directly.

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Mo Xing smiled faintly. "Precisely why we arrived first, Stormy." He leaned back against the trunk, his shoulder touching hers. "The Grove respects those who don't hide from their reflections."

Li Hua nodded, then looked up at Mo Xing, her gray eyes meeting his golden ones. "Goldy..." she whispered.

Sensing her tone and the way she looked up at him with uncertainty, Mo Xing understood immediately. He traced a delicate formation in the air between them, creating a gossamer barrier. "Yes, little tempest?" His voice carried a gentleness few ever heard.

Li Hua swallowed hard, her fingers twisting together in her lap. "My past...the scenes you saw in the mist..."

"Shh," Mo Xing reached across the small space between them, taking her restless hands in his. "Don't feel like you need to explain everything all at once." His thumb traced soothing circles on her palm. "I saw enough to confirm what I've suspected, but we have all the time in the world for further explanation." The tenderness in his touch belied his usual playful demeanor.

She nodded gratefully, drawing comfort from his warmth.

After a moment, he cleared his throat and asked, "What about my past? Are you...afraid of me now?"

Li Hua's eyebrows furrowed slightly, "Afraid? No." She met his gaze directly, her eyes reflecting sunlight that filtered through the canopy. "Everyone has darkness in their past, Goldy. I've never been under any illusion about who you are." Her lips curved into a gentle smile. "If anything, I understand you better now. The person I saw in those visions... he's still you, just a different facet."

She shifted slightly closer, her voice dropping to little more than a whisper. "We all do what we must to survive. I'm hardly in a position to judge anyone else's choices." Her fingers intertwined with his more deliberately now. "Besides, the man who held my hand through the Grove isn't defined by what the mist showed us. He's right here."