Have You Ever Been in Love With a Woman

Clearpool's face instantly drained of all color, his voice changing dramatically: "What! That's impossible!"

Lucia Lu rolled her eyes at Sean Shaw and sent a voice transmission: "Why did you say that?"

Sean didn't answer her.

He didn't even spare her a glance.

What's up with him now?

Lucia was about to ask when Clearpool Immortal turned to her: "Saint Maiden, is it true? Is she really dying?"

Lucia said, "Uh, well... she's not doing too great."

"What's wrong with her? Even you can't save her? You're a Level Fifteen Spiritual Alchemist!"

"It's not that I can't save her," Lucia replied. "That's why I came to find you, isn't it? She wants to see you. Maybe if she sees you, she'll find the will to live and pull through."

"What's really wrong with her?"

"Go take a look and you'll see," Lucia replied sympathetically.

She had no choice—since her companion was lying, she couldn't expose him, so she just went along with it.

"I'll go report to my master, then leave with you," Clearpool said, flying off toward Divine Marquis Lann Yin.

Once he was out of earshot, Lucia asked Sean, "Why did you say that? Lying to someone you know feels wrong. How are we supposed to explain ourselves once we get to the Heavenly Moon Empire?"

Sean replied coolly, "You're overthinking it."

Then he strode out.

Lucia: "..."

Was she really overthinking it?

Wouldn't any normal person think this way?

...

As they left Bodhi Mountain, Faustin nearly tripped again.

Clearpool escorted them out of the barrier. As they rose into the clouds, Faustin kept sneaking glances at Claire, and somehow almost fell off the steps.

Claire burst out laughing.

Faustin blushed and bowed to her. "Thank you, Fairy Claire. Farewell."

Claire waved her hand. "Silly boy, stick close to the Saint Maiden on the way, or you'll fall out of the sky and it'll hurt!"

Faustin's face turned even redder. He nodded, looking completely earnest.

...

On the road to the Heavenly Moon Empire, Clearpool frowned deeply, full of anxiety.

Lucia asked him, "Clearpool, were you really her Spirit Beast?"

Clearpool nodded.

"Then why did you leave the Heavenly Moon Empire and become Divine Marquis Lann Yin's disciple?"

Clearpool's eyes dimmed, but he said nothing.

Lucia wasn't that close to him, so she didn't press further.

As they neared the Heavenly Moon Empire, Lucia grew anxious and sent a voice transmission to Sean: "What do we do? Should you go ahead and warn the empress to play dead?"

Sean replied coolly, "No need."

"Why not?"

"If we could find him so easily, the Heavenly Moon Empress could have found him too. Why didn't she?"

Lucia was puzzled. "Yeah, why didn't she look for him herself? Clearpool seems to care about her a lot and doesn't seem unwilling to see her."

Sean said, "She must've had her reasons for not seeing him before. Now that she's looking for him, she must have new reasons to meet."

Lucia: "...Even though that sounds like nonsense, it actually makes sense."

Sean: "So, even though we tricked him into coming, I doubt two people who've been apart for years will blame us once they're reunited."

"You really get it," Lucia said via voice transmission. "Have you ever been in love with a woman?"

Sean was silent for a moment. "No. Probably... never will in this lifetime."

He'd already thought this way back on Bodhi Mountain.

He used to think she treated everyone the same.

He thought he was just one of many.

But seeing her talk to Qilin Divine Lord Soren Lann, he realized that wasn't true.