As they waited for the monks to contact them back, Yun Guang could tell that Yichen was reaching his limit again. So many things have happened since they started that journey, it was downright insane. They have barely rested as they prioritize one thing over the other, but at that point Yun Guang, as his guardian, needed to place boundaries to safeguard his cousin's health. Watching Bai Jiu in the rearview mirror, he could tell the young man shared his worry that Yichen was too excited to notice his body was actually worn out.
"Xiao Chen, it's getting late. I know we have a sense of urgency, but if Siheng is safe, as Zhu Yan claims, then we might as well look for a good spot to spend the night. You need the rest, and honestly, all of us do." He said this, and Yichen agreed almost instantly, which immediately made him suspicious.
"And resting means no dates with Zhu Yan in the astral plane all night long." Yun Guang pointed, and Yichen agreed once more.
"Sure. Zhu Yan can have time for himself too. I agree." He said, and this time even Ying Lei eyed him with suspicion.
"He's hiding something. I can practically smell it." He whispered to Bai Jiu.
"Yeah, that's for sure. He doesn't even object to agreeing with his cousin. How much more suspicious could that get?" Bai Jiu pointed, and Yichen glanced at the two in the back seat before letting out a sigh.
"You do realize I can hear you, right? Besides, it's not as if I always have to disagree with Guang Ge. He's right, we need the rest, especially with so many theories piling up, not to mention conspiracies and sealed demons that hold answers yet can't share them freely. There's a lot for us to uncover, beyond getting Siheng back safely, but to manage that, we also have to look after ourselves. Find a suitable place to camp. I'll call Wen Xiao and share the last of the information we gather." Yichen said this, and even though nothing he said was wrong, Yun Guang remained suspicious.
"Very well, as you command, Xiao Chen and I sincerely hope you take your own advice to heart for your own safety, because if you don't, I'll find out and make certain you do, even if I have to force it. Remember, idiot, we all care about you." Hearing that stirred a touch of guilt in Yichen, yet as a leader, his team's lives came first, and to safeguard them, the risk was well worth taking.
Later, after they found a suitable spot near the river and set up camp, the fire turned blue once more on its own. This time, everyone was aware that it was Zhu Yan's doing. Ying Lei prepared a meal for everyone and was genuinely pleased that this new fire was more efficient at warming things compared to what they were used to, saving them valuable time.
"Any news from the monks?" Wen Xiao asked the two young men who lived in the temple as they sat down to eat. Ying Lei shook his head.
"Nothing yet. Honestly, I don't know whether they will actually comply. If it means handing over the secrets the scrolls were meant to hide, then they won't share them. Mount Kunlun is tasked with protecting many things, including knowledge. The Zhuo family has been their ally for generations, but that doesn't grant them unlimited access to everything. Even Xiao Jiu and I don't have such privileges." He explained, though Pei Sijing saw things differently.
"While it's true that the monks won't give away secrets they're meant to guard, they wouldn't lie about it. If they had no intention of revealing the scrolls' contents, they would have said so from the start. They wouldn't have agreed to search for the information in the first place," she argued.
"True, but they're usually quite efficient." Wen Xiao pointed.
"Well, it's not as though they've always made us their top priority. If we haven't received any pictures yet, perhaps something is holding them up. They agreed to send us pictures, but they never promised to do so straightaway. We all know they welcome villagers every day, offer talismans, purify the land, distribute food to shelters, and teach children. Besides, we didn't tell them this was urgent, and a delay isn't the same as deceit." Yun Guang added. After hearing that, Yichen felt a little embarrassed, with a twinge of guilt. He sighed before looking at his team.
"To be honest, it was rather rude of us to demand the monks' full attention just to prove a theory. It's not as though finding out what's written there is a matter of life and death, especially since we don't even know whether any of us can read those scrolls. It might not lead anywhere anyway, so let's not push them more than we have to. We can always explore other ways to find what we need." Yichen said as he sipped his tea, and Yun Guang looked at him as though he had caught him red-handed.
"By exploring other means, you are referring to you doing something dangerous, right?" Yun Guang asked, and Bai Jiu looked at Yichen like he was ready to scold him, but someone else got to do it first.
"Xiao Chen, you said it yourself... just rest for one night. This journey has become far bigger than any of us could have imagined, and I'm sure we'll face even more madness before we reach the mountains. We should take every chance to rest while we still can. Who knows when another demon like the one in that town will show up again." Wen Xiao said, and Bai Jiu nodded vigorously.
"She's right. As your healer, I forbid you from doing anything reckless, even for our sake. And don't even think about meeting Zhu Yan on the astral plane. You are officially forbidden from seeing him until tomorrow." Bai Jiu scolded, pointing a finger at him. Everyone burst into hearty laughter, and even Yichen couldn't help smiling.
"Xiao Jiu, don't worry. It's not as though he'll be sleeping in a tent on his own. He'll still be sharing one with me, and I promise to keep an eye on him all night if I have to. I'll make sure he stays safe. Now, let's eat and get some rest. We still have a long way to go," Yun Guang added. After dinner and a heartfelt conversation, they all retired to their tents for the night.
Yichen lay on his sleeping bag with his eyes closed and his breathing steady, his mind hovering on the edge of sleep. He desperately needed the rest, but an uneasy feeling lingered, even under Zhu Yan's protection. At first, he considered trying to access his past life, but he had no idea how to go about it. There was also Yun Guang, whom he seriously doubted was sleeping soundly. Yun Guang was his spiritual anchor after all, and although, for some unknown reason, he couldn't sense him as he normally would while he was in contact with Zhu Yan, attempting retrocognition on his own was a different matter.
He wasn't even sure whether he could connect with his past outside the astral plane. Within it, even if he managed to evade Yun Guang, he was certain he could never get past Zhu Yan. Seeing no way to achieve his goal without being discovered, he decided to meditate as he rested and let himself drift off naturally. Perhaps he was pushing himself too hard. In truth, he had already given his team and Zhu Yan enough cause for worry.
He emptied his mind and allowed himself to relax, sinking deeper and deeper until the void finally carried him into the unknown. By all rights, Yichen should have fallen asleep at once, and perhaps he did, at least for a few hours. But as his dream deepened, a wave of pain coursed through his entire body, jolting him awake. He opened his eyes with a pained moan and realized that someone was carrying him in his arms.
Looking up, he was surprised to see Yun Guang, but not the Yun Guang with whom he shared his tent. This Yun Guang wore an exquisite silver and turquoise hanfu, his long, light-blue hair gathered into a high ponytail and adorned with beautiful silver hairpins of the kind Yichen had only encountered in old stories. Yet it was more than his appearance that struck him. This version of Yun Guang felt far more divine than the one he knew. Held so close, Yichen could almost feel the immense power pulsing within him.
Yichen was also wearing a black hanfu, and his long ponytail swayed with every long stride Yun Guang took. It was almost beyond belief that Yun Guang could run so fast while carrying him in his arms, particularly since he still felt rather cool, apparently unaffected by the effort that ought to have made him warm. However, as Yichen paid attention to their surroundings, he realized that they were surrounded by a dark fog. The only things he could discern were Yun Guang and the trees within arm's reach, which Yun Guang skillfully dodged as if he could see past the darkness.
"Yun Guang... what happened? Why are you carrying me in such a hurry? Why does everything hurt?" Yichen asked in a hushed voice. Yun Guang glanced at him before returning his attention to the path ahead.
"I don't blame you for not remembering. We were caught off guard while camping in this forest. Zhu Yan had gone to Mount Kunlun to deliver the demons we captured to Bai Ze. Even I didn't expect such a powerful demonic miasma to manifest while you were resting. It came so fast and was so thick with poison that I barely had time to grab you and try to get you away from it. But to be honest, even I have trouble seeing through this miasma. I'm trying to expel the poison from your veins with my divine energy, but as long as you keep breathing in this black mist, you won't fully recover." He paused for a moment.
"I'm ashamed I failed to notice that demon waiting patiently for Zhu Yan to leave your side. No demon can break his barrier, so I let my guard down. I never expected a miasma attack meant to force you out of Zhu Yan's barrier. I'm sorry, Master. You were poisoned because of my carelessness, but I swear that demon is as good as dead once I get you to safety. I will spare no demon who tries to kill you with such wicked tricks." As Yichen listened, he wondered who Bai Ze was and why Yun Guang was calling him Master. Also, again, he suspected that Mount Kunlun, as Zhu Yan had already hinted, lay at the heart of something far greater than the monks had led them to believe.
"Put me down, Yun Guang. I can get rid of the miasma," he said, sensing that his past self had enough spiritual energy for him to draw on. He might not be the body's true owner, but he was used to dealing with miasma. Even if this one was infused with genuine demonic energy, his purification training with the monks was meant to cleanse anything tainted, not just ghosts.
"No. You are in no condition to use spiritual energy right now. The poison will spread faster," Yun Guang protested.
"Trust me, I can handle this miasma on my own. Besides, I am no stranger to pain or the strain it puts on this body. You must be exhausted from running while carrying me like this..." At that, Yun Guang stopped abruptly and looked at him with a mixture of worry and surprise.
"What do you mean? Master should know that I am not human... carrying you is completely effortless for me. Is the poison worsening?" He said. But before Yichen could process those words or react to them, a dark human shaped figure lunged out of the dense miasma, aiming to strike Yun Guang from behind with sharp claws. Yet Yun Guang's eyes flared a brighter teal as he turned toward the attacker, as though he had seen its approach in slow motion.
He released Yichen's legs, letting them drop while keeping a firm hold around his waist. With his freed hand, he struck the demon, whose eyes glowed molten amber, squarely in the face. The blow sent it hurtling into a thick tree trunk with enough force to break it, like it was soft wood, bringing the tree crashing down with a sharp snapping sound and the demon screaming with pain as it spat dark blood from his mouth.
"Curse you, human!" The demon hissed as he struggled to stand, wiping blood from his thin lips. His long horns had snapped under the impact.
Yun Guang released Yichen, hoping he would stay balanced long enough for Yun Guang to finish the demon off. The miasma had arrived while he slept, slipping past the barrier Zhu Yan had created for him. His barriers had never failed to protected Yichen before, so Zhu Yan had no reason to think that leaving Yichen with him briefly, would result in the young man being poisoned while at his most vulnerable. The barrier was designed to stop demons and their physical attacks, but not poisonous mist that swept in with the wind.
Given that Yichen was only human, the demonic poison should by all means have left him in pain and weakened. Yet to his astonishment, Yichen not only stayed on his feet, though slightly hunched and breathing harder, but also started forming hand seals for what looked like a high-level spell.
That he could still manage such a feat while poisoned baffled Yun Guang, but because of it, he noticed for the first time that his master's energy was somewhat different and stronger than before. More puzzling still, it carried a trace of Zhu Yan's own, as if the two had seamlessly blended to perfection. Nevertheless, even if Zhu Yan had somehow lent him a portion of his energy, Yichen was currently in no condition to wield it.
"Master, what are you doing? Stop it!" But Yichen cast the spell so fast, Yun Guang could only watch in horror and awe as a silver formation manifested atop the trees of the forest. The huge circle with intricate symbols rotated with such strong spiritual power that a silver wave came crushing down the center like a tidal wave and purified the miasma on contact, turning it into millions of silver dust particles that scattered harmlessly through the forest, cleansing it with a soft breeze that smelled like soft blue flax flowers.
"Your turn, Yun Guang... also, don't call me Master." Yichen whispered as he sank to his knees.
Yun Guang held back the urge to hurry over to him, particularly since he had once again insisted that he stop calling him Master. That was just like him, and it was one of the reasons he had picked him out of all the Zhuo family members across the last three generations. He smiled and turned his attention to the demon.
Since the forest no longer held any demonic energy, the sooner he finished with it, the sooner he could look after Yichen. If Zhu Yan came back while Yichen was still poisoned, Yun Guang would find himself in serious trouble. Even for an unbreakable divine sword like himself, the very idea of provoking Zhu Yan was frightening.
A full year had passed since they had joined forces with the three great demons, and it was obvious to everyone that the attraction between Zhu Yan and Yichen was intense even if Yichen refused to admit it. Zhu Yan was utterly smitten with his Master and fiercely protective of him, holding his safety close to his heart. So letting Yichen be poisoned in his sleep was not something Zhu Yan would take lightly, even if it had not been intentional. Zhu Yan was bound to be enraged, unless, that is, Yichen managed to soften him before he could launch into a scolding.
Wasting no more time, he punched the demon in the stomach, sending it crashing back to the ground. This time, however, it turned into smoke and tried to flee. Yun Guang summoned blue fire into his hand and unleashed it. The fireball outpaced the fleeing demon, changing shape as it drew close and trapping it inside a bubble of flame that burned it to ashes. With the demon gone, he turned to Yichen, placed a hand on his back, and channelled divine energy into him to purge the poison just as Yichen began to lose consciousness.
"Master, that was so reckless. Did you learn that spell from the archive where you spent your free time? If so, the first demon hunters' efforts to build it and preserve all that knowledge in the Bureau were well worth it. Bing Yi would certainly be proud of your achievement." Yun Guang's praise did little to help Yichen, whose head was already spinning with fresh revelations.
"Yun Guang, listen to me. There is something important I need to tell you..." Yichen started to speak, but just then Zhu Yan appeared out of nowhere in a cloud of red smoke. The moment his eyes fell on Yichen, he was at his side instantly. Yun Guang gave them room as Zhu Yan drew him close and checked his condition. Yun Guang could tell Zhu Yan was angry, but his beloved Xiao Zhuo always came first, and he sighed almost in resignation as he stared at him with crimson eyes.
"Xiao Zhuo, I'm beginning to think someone has cursed you behind my back. How do you end up in such a state every time I'm not around? From now on, Yun Guang, you'll deliver the demons to Bai Ze while I stay with Xiao Zhuo. Bai Ze surely misses you, and he's not the only one who feels that way. You too." As he spoke, Zhu Yan uttered a one-word spell to neutralize the poison in Yichen's body. But just as Yichen was about to warn him too about the aparent betreyal and a future seal that would become his prison, he found himself back in his own body inside the camping tent, left with more questions than answers in that short and unexpected night escape.
AN: This was supposed to be uploaded yesterday for Halloween but didn't make it in time. Yet, here it is. I have been editing the story for consistency and accuracy; thus, the delay. I will try to keep improving the story, not making it perfect, but making it easier to understand and the mystery more appealing. I haven't finish the edition, bu I hope you guys like it, and thanks for reading. Until next time, please take care.