Dressed in a Lotus Sect guard's uniform, Yu Lingyu walked with He Jin's token hanging from his waist.
"Wen Jian… is part of the Lotus Sect?" he asked in surprise.
Hong Li gave a small nod. "Jian Gongzi holds a position like He Jin's. He's one of their chief commanders."
Yu Lingyu's brows furrowed. He hadn't expected this at all. Why would the heir to the empire's largest trading guild team up with an evil sect?
…Did Wu Xuan know about this?
Trying to stay calm, Lingyu looked around. "Are we on the right path?" he asked, a bit uneasy, glancing at the rows of empty prison cells. "These are all empty."
Hong Li walked beside him at a steady pace, her hands clasped behind her back. She didn't seem panicked in the slightest.
"It's like they were all moved to the execution grounds," she said plainly.
Just as she spoke, Yu Lingyu finished off another Lotus guard with ease. They had already encountered and fought more than a dozen enemies, yet he didn't even seem winded.
Hong Li glanced at him from the side. Was this really the same Yu Lingyu who had fought beside her two years ago? The quiet one, the unsure one?
"Execution grounds?" Lingyu asked, moving up to walk beside her. Their footsteps echoed through the dark, empty cave. The walls were wet, the air thick with the metallic scent of blood. Every breath was heavy, as if the darkness itself was pressing down on them.
"I'll take you there," Hong Li said at last. Then, slower and quieter: "Ah-Yu, promise me… no matter what you see, don't act on your emotions."
She didn't dare look him in the eye. He wasn't the same innocent friend from the past. He had become a man, strong, composed, and burdened with responsibility.
Lingyu gently placed a hand on her shoulder.
"I promise, Hong Li. No matter what."
******************************************************
Wu Xuan lay back lazily on the cold, blood-soaked stone floor. His body was covered in the blood of others, but he didn't seem to mind.
"Poison, huh," he muttered, remembering the toxin that had once spread through his veins. But now, it was fading. He didn't need an antidote. He was the antidote.
His gaze dropped to a lifeless body nearby. He nudged it with the tip of his foot. "Already dead? How boring."
Just moments ago, He Jin had launched a deadly spear strike at him. He could've dodged it easily, but if he had, the attack would've hit Lingyu. And though Lingyu could've blocked it himself… Xuan didn't want to risk it.
"Maybe I'm worrying too much," he murmured as he rose to his feet, dusting the dried blood from his cloak. "He's not a weakling anymore. After all… he is the Wind Lord."
He began walking, slowly tracking Lingyu's scent. Even in this heavy air filled with the stench of blood and rot, the faint fragrance of peonies still lingered, Lingyu's incense. That soft, gentle scent always followed him.
Looking at the trail of corpses scattered along the way, Wu Xuan could already tell: Lingyu had passed through here. And he was far ahead now.
But then, Xuan suddenly stopped.
"…What is this aura?" he whispered, narrowing his eyes.
A surge of powerful qi pulsed through the cave. It was dark, cold, and suffocating. It gripped his soul, not with fear, but with something deeper.
This was no ordinary cultivator's aura. It wasn't human.
"A god… or a Heavenly Demon."
His eyes darkened. "Could I have been wrong? The last Heavenly Demon, Yue Ling, died long ago. Could this really be a god's presence?"
He tried to trace the direction of the energy, but it seemed to come from everywhere and nowhere. Like a shadow that couldn't be caught.
Shaking his head, he turned back toward the lingering trail of Lingyu's scent. "No time to waste."
But just as he was about to move again, he heard it.
A voice. Cold, hollow, and distant. A voice like frostbite, sharp as winter wind.
"Welcome to the darkness of winter."
Wu Xuan froze.
***
The air was thick with the stench of despair, heavy like a suffocating blanket pressed over the hunched figures gathered in the wide, circular chamber. The stone walls, slick with moisture, were carved with strange, ancient symbols.
Only the ceiling above remained untouched by dampness, dry, clean, and eerily still. Torches along the walls flickered wildly, casting shaky shadows across the carvings, scenes of earth, torture, and sacrifice.
At the center of the hall stood a towering circular spiritual cell that stretched all the way to the roof. Even with only the flickering torchlight, something inside glowed red. A soft, eerie blood-red mist drifted within.
Yu Lingyu stared. He didn't know exactly what it was, but he knew it wasn't good.
"A red mist…?" he whispered.
"It's Xul'goth," Hong Li answered, her voice shaking.
"What… is that?"
"The god of the Lotus Sect," she replied. "These cultists believe he's divine. They offer sacrifices to wake him."
As she whispered, Lingyu's gaze shifted to a girl lying near the front of the cell. Short hair. The Juyao uniform.
Yuan Yu Yi.
Her wide, terrified eyes met his. Her face was ghostly pale.
Lingyu's breath caught. Around her, more Juyao disciples and his juniors were chained and kneeling. Their bodies looked bruised and weak.
"Hong Li," Lingyu said, his voice low but tense, "I can't wait. They'll kill her."
He hid behind a stone pillar, gripping his sword tightly. "They don't know the real Wen Jian, do they?" he asked, pulling off his mask.
But before Hong Li could respond-
A sharp scream tore through the air.
"Yu Yi Shimei!"
"Yu Yi!"
A bloodthirsty guard standing before the cell raised a dagger above Yuan Yu Yi. A smear of dried blood stained its shining blade. He was chanting, low and guttural, in an ancient tongue.
That language…
Lingyu's eyes narrowed. Why does it sound familiar?
As the final word left the man's mouth, the dagger plunged downward-
"STOP!"
The half-open gate burst wide as the guards jumped back in shock, their eyes darting toward the entrance. A cold silence fell.
A tall, slender figure stood there, completely still. His sword caught the lantern light, its blade gleaming with threat.
"Show respect to Master Wen Jian!" Hong Li declared, stepping forward with He Jin's token raised high. Her voice rang out strong and clear, firmer than he'd ever heard it.
A whisper rippled through the guards.
"Idiots," Yu Lingyu muttered under his breath, stepping forward slowly. His steps were calm, but every movement radiated silent fury.
"What do you think you're doing?"
The head guard hesitated, staring at the token. "M-Master Wen Jian? What brings you-?"
"Do I need a reason to be here?" Lingyu shot him a glare sharp enough to cut steel.
"N-no, of course not. Welcome, Master Wen Jian."
Lingyu scanned the chamber, stopping at Yuan Yu Yi's weakened form. Thank the heavens… he had made it in time.
Even from this distance, he could feel the stirrings of something dark inside the cage. Xul'goth. Its rage throbbed like a living heartbeat, pulsing through the air.
If that monster were ever set free, it would be a disaster.
"We were short on men," the guard stammered, lowering his head. "But then these Wen Sect dogs fell right into our hands. Lord Xul'goth favors those with high spiritual energy."
"Oh?" Yu Lingyu circled the prisoners sprawled on the ground. There were twenty-nine of them, commoners, Juyao and Jun Peak disciples.
Damn… this is too much.
His eyes swept over the bodies. Blood pooled beneath some. He counted in silence.
Thirty-two corpses. Four of them… Juyao disciples.
His jaw clenched.
"I came to ensure the safety of this place," he said at last, fixing the head guard with a cold stare. "His Majesty's safety is of utmost importance."
"Of course, Master Wen Jian."
"But your security seems fragile," Lingyu continued, his tone suddenly sharper. "What if the Wen Sect attacks this place?"
The head guard visibly flinched. "There's… there's no way they can get in here."
Lingyu tilted his head, voice dripping with contempt. "Oh really? Then what is Wu Xuan doing here?"
This was a direct verbal attack on the guards. Lingyu did not know the past of the Lotus Sect, but the Lotus Sect despised Wu Xuan.
The name landed like a dagger. The guards paled, clearly shaken.
"W-Wu Xuan?!"
Lingyu's smile was cruel. "Why don't you go deal with him first?"
The Juyao juniors stirred slightly, hope lit in their eyes.
Da Shixiong is here… Yu Yi Shimei, Da Shixiong came…
Lingyu felt that spark of warmth, too. It reminded him of how safe he once felt around Wei Yunhe.
"Oh, one more thing," Lingyu said. Directing all the guards to Wu Xuan was not a good idea. "There's another one from the south."
The guards turned stiff as stone.
"He's from Jun Peak."
"Jun Peak? Wei Yunhe?! Isn't he in Luoyang?"
Lingyu's eyes glinted. "Not Wei Yunhe. "Not Wei Yunhe, but his name, I think, is Yu Lingyu."
He paused.
"Don't underestimate him. The boss wants both of them captured alive. They'll be Lord Xul'goth's most treasured offerings." He glanced at the churning, blood-red mist writhing in the cell. It pulsed angrily, feeding off the chaos.
"You bastards…" Shen Ming's voice came from among the chained group, harsh and full of hatred.
But Lingyu's heart eased a little.
They're alive. Still fighting. That's enough for now.
The head guard frowned. "I haven't heard of any Yu Lingyu before… But of course, Master Wen Jian, I'll leave the hall to your care. Please remain here."
With a stiff bow, he turned and left, taking the strongest guards with him.
Lingyu watched them go.
How stupid can they be? he thought. They really bought it. Then again, this is the Lotus Sect. Blind faith runs thicker than common sense.
As the heavy doors slammed shut, he turned to Hong Li.
"How do we destroy Xul'goth?" he asked in a low voice.
"I-I don't know," she admitted. "That's beyond me. Ah-Yu, what should we do now?"
Before he could answer, a sharp voice rang out from the captives.
"You filthy bastard, don't touch Yu Shixiong!" Xu Jin barked, her voice full of defiance.
Lingyu turned from the mist, a small smile playing on his lips. His juniors… were still themselves.
"Shut your mouth, bitch!" one of the remaining guards snarled, raising a hand to strike her.
But he never got the chance.
Lingyu's sword flashed once, clean and fast. A fine red line bloomed across the guard's throat. He dropped without a sound.
"Don't disturb the master…" Hong Li shouted, her voice fierce as she stepped forward. "Unless you want to die!"
None of them was in good shape.
Yu Lingyu scanned the group, bruised, bloodied, barely standing. His heart clenched.
Where are San Jie and Luo Cheng?
He didn't ask aloud. Instead, he smiled gently.
Xu Jin glared at the deadly handsome man in front of her, disgust plain on her face. "Such a disgrace to the name Wen," she muttered under her breath.
Duan Xia gave her a small elbow. "Don't provoke him…"
But Hong Li's voice cut through the air. "Ah-Yu, there's an exit to the north of the hall," she whispered, stepping closer.
Yu Lingyu looked down at his sword, drenched in red, no longer trembling in his grip. The shock of killing He Jin still echoed faintly in his chest, but his body had moved before his mind could catch up. It was becoming easier. Too easy.
This sword… it only knows how to lead its prey to death.
And like the wind, he moved again. In a flash, the remaining guards hadn't even blinked before their heads hit the floor with a dull thud.
"Hong Li, free them," he ordered, turning his blade on the chains.
The links shattered under his strike. One by one, they fell into freedom, but not into peace.
"Why are you helping us?" Shen Ming rasped, voice hollow from exhaustion.
Yu Lingyu reached out and helped him up. "Because your shixiong asked us to," he said simply. "Everyone, move to the northern gate. Now."
But before another step could be taken, Hong Li's voice snapped through the air, sharp and terrified.
"Oh no…"
Her gaze was locked onto the floor behind him.
Yu Lingyu spun around, and his blood ran cold.
The puddles of blood left by the dead guards were moving, slithering across the stone like snakes, sucked toward the dungeon cell like a tide pulled by the moon.
The mist was stirring.
No, not stirring.
Feeding.
Damn it!
They had forgotten. Forgotten, the other name whispered by those who knew what they were dealing with.
Xul'goth...The Bloodsucker.