Bailu was never good at masking her emotions. Every flicker of thought, every pang of worry, showed plainly across her delicate face, as if her heart were laid bare for the world to see.
Even now, as she held Felicity's hand and they made their way back toward the Exalting Sanctum, her expression was a portrait of anxiety. Her steps faltered, her brows furrowed, and though she tried to steady her breathing, the worry lingered like a shadow.
It was a dangerous knowledge she now carried—secrets she should never have known. That Felicity, gentle and kind, was the Emanator of the Path of Abundance. That the Lord Ravager lurked somewhere on the Luofu, hidden from sight yet far too close for comfort.
Felicity had chosen a side, at least for now, but Bailu knew she couldn't share this burden with anyone else. How could she explain the source of such information without inviting suspicion? Without revealing the impossible?
And yet, when Felicity glanced at her, seeing the unease and faint anger darkening Bailu's usually bright features, a quiet relief filled her heart.
At the very least, Bailu wasn't afraid of her—an Emanator, a being shrouded in divinity and danger alike. That much was enough for Felicity, for now.
"Where do we go next?" Bailu's voice trembled, barely above a whisper. The way she gripped Felicity's hand, as if seeking an anchor in a storm, said more than her words ever could.
Felicity gave her a faint smile, touched by the innocence and trust in the girl's eyes. "Back to the Exalting Sanctum. We should regroup with the others... Though, truth be told, I have a feeling the trouble's far from over."
Her words proved prophetic.
Ahead, two figures emerged from the shadows, cutting across their path.
The first—a young man, strikingly handsome, his gaze sharp as a drawn blade—raised his hand in a fluid motion. Six shimmering sword shadows materialized at his command, hovering like specters at his side, their edges glinting in the dim light as they fixed upon Felicity.
Yanqing. The name flashed through Felicity's mind. Jing Yuan's disciple. The General's surprise soldier, a prodigy with a sword, his reputation known throughout the Luofu.
Bailu, too, recognized him instantly. The famous Healer Lady and the young Sword Master—an unlikely meeting, yet here they were.
Yanqing had sensed the heavy scent of Abundance—an omen of danger. Yet before him stood only Felicity and Bailu, no sign of the vile creature he'd expected.
Confusion gnawed at him. Where was the source of the malevolence?
Yanqing, Yanqing… how could you be so careless? How could you ever hope to claim the title of Luofu's Sword Master if your instincts dulled at a moment's notice?
He straightened his posture, summoning a calm he didn't feel, and addressed them in a voice laced with suspicion.
"The port is sealed. What are you two still doing here?"
Felicity met his gaze without flinching. Her fingers brushed against the cloth bag Fu Xuan had given her—a talisman of borrowed authority.
"On the orders of the Master Diviner."
Yanqing's brows knit together, his lips parting as if to question further.
"Do you have proof?"
"Here." Felicity offered the cloth pouch.
Yanqing hesitated, his sharp eyes scanning the token. He had no real way of verifying it. After all, the fortune teller's tokens were as enigmatic as her prophecies. His instincts screamed at him, but he couldn't shake the unease gnawing at his chest.
In truth, he'd arrived here on a whim, driven by the scent of danger and an impulsive sense of duty. Arresting the Stellaron Hunter had been delegated to the Astral Express crew. Jing Yuan had promised he would have his chance later, once the dust had settled. But was that all he was meant to do? Clean up someone else's mess?
No.
Yanqing's hand tightened into a fist at his side. His time would come—he would prove himself, no matter the odds.
And yet, as his gaze drifted past Felicity to the figure standing silently behind her, a cold shiver crawled up his spine.
Jingliu.
Her long white-blue hair billowed gently in the breeze, and the black veil covering her eyes lent her an air of cold detachment. Her faint smile barely concealed the lethal chill in her presence. She looked like a statue carved from ice—untouchable, unreadable, yet undeniably dangerous.
"I was chasing a fugitive," Yanqing muttered, eyes narrowing. "But it seems I've stumbled upon something unexpected. Since you're here on official orders... assist me."
He gestured sharply, the six sword shadows turning like wolves to encircle Jingliu, their edges gleaming with intent.
"Come quietly. We'll take her to Shackling Prison."
Jingliu remained composed, her expression unfazed beneath the veil. Her voice, soft yet edged with amusement, drifted through the tension.
"Little brother, if you're going to arrest someone, shouldn't you at least offer an explanation?"
Her words were calm, but her presence radiated a quiet menace.
Yanqing's hand hovered over his waist, fingers brushing the hilt of his blade. His eyes sharpened, the weight of responsibility heavy on his young shoulders.
"I don't need to explain," he snapped. "You hide your identity, and your behavior is suspicious enough. Do you take me for a fool?"
He had spent his life in the shadow of the General, learning to read people, to see the unseen. And there was something off about Jingliu. She was no ordinary bystander, and the energy of Abundance still crackled faintly in the air, like the dying embers of a flame.
Felicity shifted subtly, a flicker of unease crossing her face. She glanced between the two—Yanqing, tense and ready to strike, and Jingliu, as tranquil as a frozen lake.
"I... I have urgent business. We don't have time for this."
Felicity's words were careful, but she knew they wouldn't sway Yanqing's sword once it was drawn. She could fight, of course—Jingliu and Yanqing together would struggle to match her—but was it worth the risk? Would Bailu be safe?
And before she could decide, a glint of cold steel flashed before her eyes.
A sword, born of pure, shimmering ice, materialized in Jingliu's hand. It swept past Felicity's cheek, so close she felt the air part.
Then it vanished, as quickly as it had come.
"I mistook you for someone else," Jingliu murmured, her tone almost an afterthought.
Felicity's frown deepened. She had deliberately reduced her blessings to the minimum, rendering her body sluggish to react—but even so, her instincts hadn't warned her. Or perhaps they had, and she'd simply ignored them.
A dangerous realization crept in. If Jingliu's blade had turned toward Bailu...
Felicity's stomach clenched. She could heal the child, of course, but the pain—the shock—would be real.
Her heart tightened. She couldn't bear to see that innocent face twisted in pain.
"You...!"
Yanqing's voice cracked, disbelief and fury mixing as he raised his sword, directing its point at Jingliu.
How could she draw her blade under his watch? How had she slipped through his grasp so easily?
"You big bully! Sneaking an attack like that—how shameless!"
Bailu's voice rose, her small frame trembling with anger as she clung to Felicity's clothes and glared at Jingliu.
Jingliu, for her part, remained calm, her expression unchanged as she spoke lightly.
"Little brother, don't be so tense. I merely wished to see if she was an old acquaintance."
Her gaze shifted to Felicity, but it lingered on Bailu—a subtle, unreadable glimmer in her eyes.
Yanqing's frown deepened, his suspicion sharpening.
"An old acquaintance? You claim to hail from another immortal ship, yet treat an obvious outsider as an old friend. Do you think me so gullible?"
With a sharp motion of his finger, the six sword shadows flared, then shot forward like streaks of light, slicing through the air in perfect formation.
If they had struck first, they had no right to demand fairness now.
Yanqing's blade was drawn. The next moment would decide everything.
--+--