Grasslands

Xue Wei was unaware of how his mental state had changed from when he entered the purple mist to when he left it.

when he entered it, he had been hopeless and ready to give up everything, even to the point where he would not struggle if the army ever managed to catch him.

When he left, he was invigorated. He felt energized and his mental state was different. It was as if he had gained clarity in the short time he was in the purple mist, as if his mind was clearer now, and that he had put everything he had chased in the past behind him.

This was no small change. It was the same as taking everything he had wished for so far, all his goals and all the expectations he had of himself, and throwing it away.

He now understood that the most important thing was to be true to himself. What others meant and thought mattered not. Although he would be chased, he was not willing to let go, nor was he ready to plead forgiveness for having done nothing wrong.