Real World — Outside the Azure Dragon Trial Zone
The night was quiet save for the steady crackle of the bonfire. Sparks drifted lazily into the night sky, glowing briefly before vanishing into the mist.
Cang Yue sat close to the fire, her long hair reflecting the warm orange light, her face still faintly flushed. She had woken up some time ago after fainting—thanks to Yun Che's so-called "assault."
Even now, her mind kept replaying it.
"Wait... wait... Yun Che kissed me right at the corner of my lips, right?" she muttered softly to herself, her fingers brushing that exact spot. "Doesn't that mean he… loves me? Only lovers kiss each other like that, right?"
The thought struck her like lightning. She squealed, both hands flying to her cheeks."Kyaaa! What am I even saying?!"
A moment later, she calmed herself, trying to take deep breaths—only to squeal again a few seconds later.
Her voice danced between shy giggles and panicked yelps, her entire face red as she kicked her feet softly against the ground in adorable frustration.
Across the camp, Kon was stacking the firewood he'd collected, his feline face scrunching up in mild exasperation.
"Yare yare… she's squealed three times already. Is she going to be okay?"
"She'll be fine," Retsu said with a quiet giggle, turning the skewers above the fire. The aroma of grilled meat and herbs wafted through the air. "I was the same when Yuu-kun first told me he loved me. I couldn't sleep for two nights straight."
Her voice carried that serene, almost musical tone she always had—but the fondness in her eyes betrayed a soft, human warmth.
Retsu was testing a recipe Yun Che had taught her before the trial began—something about balance between spirit energy and flavor. She hadn't expected to enjoy cooking, but it had quickly become a quiet joy for her. Maybe Jasmine was right, she mused. A way to a man's heart really is through his stomach.
Her inventory was practically a mobile kitchen now, filled with spices, sauces, and cookware Yun Che had crafted for their travels.
Kon tilted his head, still watching her cook. "What's so special about that guy anyway? You girls get all starry-eyed whenever you talk about him."
Retsu's hands paused briefly, then she smiled, flipping the meat over with precise, graceful motions.
"I don't really know, Kon. He's just… different. He doesn't think like other people."
She glanced toward the distant Azure Dragon Tower, where Yun Che was still undergoing his trial. The faint glow of azure light reflected in her eyes.
"He's the kind of man who puts others before himself, even when he doesn't have to. He has this… presence—like gravity. The more you're around him, the more you're pulled in."
Kon crossed his arms, pretending to look unimpressed. "Tch, well… he might be a jerk sometimes. But I can't deny he's someone you just… end up liking. Even I see him as a friend now."
"See?" Retsu said, her smile softening. "Despite his strength, he never treats us like burdens. He trusts us completely, trains us equally, and believes in us even when we doubt ourselves."
She chuckled quietly, her tone playful. "Even Jasmine likes him. Though, well… she hides it behind all that tsundere attitude."
Kon smirked. "Yeah, she's got it bad. I can tell."
"Hmm, maybe," Retsu said, smiling faintly as she stirred the soup pot. The firelight danced across her calm expression, painting her features in gold.
A few steps away, Cang Yue was still lost in her own flustered spiral—alternating between dreamy sighs and frantic self-slaps.
Kon glanced at her again and sighed dramatically. "I take it back. She's definitely not okay."
Retsu laughed softly, shaking her head. "She's fine, Kon. Just… let her have her moment."
"Nee-san's a bit mean?" Kon tilted his plushy head. "I think they're actually made for each other. I mean, Nee-san and Yuuki bicker like an old married couple."
Retsu chuckled softly, stirring the pot over the campfire. "Fufu~ It's fun watching them bond like that. By the way, I think Sister Yue has finally calmed down."
She glanced up just as Cang Yue walked toward them, still pink in the cheeks but composed enough to pretend otherwise.
"Yo, Yue nee-san. Still worked up?" Kon waved a plushy arm at her.
"No, I'm fine!" she said quickly, trying not to meet his knowing eyes. "Ah—let me help you, Sister Retsu."
She knelt beside Retsu, helping arrange bowls and utensils. Her careful movements and shy smile drew another small laugh from Retsu.
"Ara ara… Sister Yue, you look really cute when you're embarrassed."
"M-Muu… Stop teasing me, Sister Retsu!" Cang Yue's face reddened again as she ladled the sizzling meat and onions over the rice bowls.
Kon chewed on a skewer and muttered, "Says the girl who fainted from a kiss."
The sound of metal hitting the tray broke the quiet.
"Ehh?! Nee-san, what are you doing?!" Kon yelped as Cang Yue's hands suddenly seized his plushy head.
Without a word, she began pummeling him—light, harmless blows that made soft paf paf paf sounds with every swing. Her entire face glowed red as she protested between strikes.
"S-Stop bringing that up, Kon!!"
Kon didn't even try to dodge; his stitched mouth curved into a satisfied grin. "Totally worth it."
Retsu sighed and shook her head, a gentle smile tugging at her lips. "Hai, hai… you two, enough. Let's eat before the food gets cold. After that, we'll resume your haki training."
She handed out the bowls, but just as the three of them were about to dig in, all movement stopped.
A strange heaviness settled over the clearing.
Kon's plushy ears twitched first. Cang Yue's expression shifted from flustered to alert. Retsu straightened slowly, the air around her sharpening like drawn steel.
All three of them were trained to keep their haki active, and in that instant—they felt it.
Not one presence.
Dozens.
Almost a hundred.
And they were moving closer.
The laughter and warmth of a moment ago vanished, replaced by the low hum of danger in the air.
Retsu's eyes narrowed, a faint glow forming in them. "Stay sharp."
Cang Yue's hand instinctively went to her weapon, and even Kon's usual smirk faded.
"Those auras… they're not weaklings," he muttered.
Retsu didn't answer. Her focus was already on the tree line, where the wind shifted unnaturally—leaves whispering in warning.
Something was coming.
"Looks like we're about to have company."
Retsu's tone was quiet but firm. In one smooth motion, she swept her hand across the ground, storing everything—cooking utensils, rice bowls, even the pot—into her inventory. She'd spent time preparing their dinner, and she wasn't about to waste it if things turned ugly.
Her gaze sharpened. Judging from the movement patterns in the forest, these weren't beasts. The presences were steady, disciplined—human.
She didn't have time to hide her aura, so instead she lifted her sleeve, covering her lower face. The flicker of unease in her eyes turned to cool readiness.
Kon adjusted his footing, plush body tensing as his core energy surged. But when he turned to check on Cang Yue, he froze.
"Nee-san… you okay? You don't look too good."
Her usual calm was gone. Cang Yue's eyes darkened, her expression tightening with something between shock and dread. Even Retsu noticed it.
"Cang Yue… you know them?" Retsu asked quietly.
But before Cang Yue could answer, voices echoed through the trees—light, mocking tones that made her heart sink.
"Ah… someone's already here. My, such exquisite beauties."
Three heads turned toward the sound.
From between the trees, a company of men stepped out. Their polished armor gleamed in the firelight, marking them as cultivators of status. Retsu's haki flared for a heartbeat, scanning them.
Several were at the Sky Profound Realm, a few more at the Earth Profound, and the rest at Spirit Profound—decent numbers, but none that could threaten her. Her own cultivation sat firmly at the Seventh Level of Sky Profound Realm, more than enough to annihilate them if needed.
"Your Highness," one of the armored attendants said as he bowed toward the man behind him, "there seem to be people here ahead of us."
"I can see that."
A man stepped forward from the group. His presence was steady, his bearing regal. A full suit of ornate armor clung to him like molten silver, each piece engraved with the emblem of the Blue Wind Imperial Family.
What caught Retsu's attention wasn't his strength—it was his face.
Fuchsia hair, sharp amber eyes, and a gaze that carried faint traces of familiarity.
Cang Yue's breath caught. Her body went rigid.
"That person… is it you, Royal Sister?"
The man's voice carried across the clearing, firm yet laced with disbelief.
Retsu's gaze flicked between them. Royal sister?
Kon leaned closer, his button eyes narrowing. "Royal sister? So he does know her?"
"I don't know, Kon." Retsu's voice was calm but alert. "Let's see how this unfolds first."
She tilted her head ever so slightly, the faintest signal. Kon understood immediately and slipped behind the curtain of her long dark hair—ready to strike if necessary.
Cang Yue's lips parted, but no sound came. Her pulse hammered in her ears as the armored man stopped a few steps away, removing his helmet.
Even under the firelight, there was no mistaking him.
Her brother.
Cang Shuo, The Third Crown Prince of the Blue Wind Empire.
Cang Yue's pulse quickened, sweat forming at her temple.
She knew that face.
Her brother.
But the moment her gaze shifted to the second man beside him, her breath caught in her throat.
Her composure fractured, her expression darkening immediately.
The man standing beside the Crown Prince appeared slightly younger—perhaps twenty-two or twenty-three—but his posture, the arrogant lift of his chin, and the smug curl of his lips spoke volumes. He stood as though the world itself were beneath him. Even next to an imperial prince, he carried an air of authority that was sickeningly self-assured.
Retsu, still silent, studied the pair through lowered lashes. Her haki pulsed quietly—reading them, weighing them.
"Hoo… is that you, Princess Cang Yue?" the younger man called out, his voice low and smooth, a serpent's whisper laced with feigned surprise. "What a coincidence, meeting you here of all places."
The moment he spoke, the entire air around Cang Yue shifted. Her face, once tense, turned cold. Every trace of her previous shyness and warmth vanished—replaced by calm, imperious grace. She turned, meeting both their eyes with the poise of royalty.
It was her worst nightmare.
The shadow she thought she had outrun.
The reason she fled the Blue Wind Imperial City.
The reason she left behind her ailing father and sought refuge in the New Moon Profound Palace.
Fen Juecheng.
The eldest young master of the Burning Heaven Clan—and the eldest son of its ruthless sect master.
He was the man she knew all too well. The man who had haunted her days and nights alike.
Cang Yue's body went rigid, her fingers unconsciously curling into fists at her sides. Even after all this time, just the sight of him made her stomach twist.
He had always appeared cultured—refined, polite, the picture of nobility. A mask so perfect it fooled even her father's advisors. His words were honeyed, his gestures elegant, and his smile always carefully practiced.
But beneath that façade… was rot.
She knew.
Beneath the mask was a man of unspeakable cunning and cruelty. A man who viewed people as tools, affection as a leash, and love as a weapon.
He had pursued her relentlessly—not out of love, but ambition.
Each bouquet, each gift, each carefully crafted gesture was meant to tighten his hold.
Behind the courtly smiles, he had already started eliminating anyone who dared approach her—friends, attendants, even palace guards. Those who vanished left no trace, and no one dared question it.
She remembered the day she realized it. The way his eyes gleamed when she begged him to stop.
How easily he smiled and whispered, "It's only natural. A flower as rare as you should belong to no one else."
She had vomited that night.
That was when she understood. He didn't want her. He wanted power.
Marrying her would mean binding the Imperial Family to the Burning Heaven Clan—allowing him to control the Empire from the shadows.
He wanted the throne, not her heart.
And when she refused him, his mask cracked. She had seen the monster underneath—the cold, unfeeling predator who saw her as nothing more than a pawn.
That night, she had fled.
And now, standing before her, the very same man smiled like nothing had ever happened.
"What fortune, meeting you here, Princess. The heavens truly favor me."
His tone was silk, but to Cang Yue, it sounded like poison.
Her heart pounded. Her breath came shallow. Every instinct screamed at her to run again.
But then—
She felt it.
The faint, calm presence beside her.
Retsu's spiritual energy, steady as a mountain and sharp as moonlight, radiated warmth and reassurance.
Cang Yue's trembling stopped.
Her fear didn't vanish—but it hardened into resolve.
She had run before.
She wasn't going to run again.
"Third Imperial Brother. Young Master Fen. Long time no see," she said evenly, her tone neither warm nor cold. "What brings the two of you to this wasteland? Surely the Empire hasn't fallen so low that its princes now wander abandoned ruins."
Cang Shuo's eyes flickered, momentarily caught off guard by her composure. But it was Fen Juecheng—the young master of the Burning Heaven Clan—who stepped forward with a smile that made Retsu's stomach twist in quiet disgust.
"Haha! So it truly is Royal Sister. I never expected to find you here. What fortune!" His tone was casual, but the gleam in his eyes betrayed his intent. "Rumors reached us that this cave's guardian vanished some time ago. Many tried to approach, but none dared enter. The timing, you see, seemed… favorable."
He paused, sweeping his gaze around the clearing—until it landed on Retsu.
His breath hitched. His composure cracked.
Retsu stood beside Cang Yue, calm as still water, her arms folded beneath her chest. Her silken white robes flowed with every faint movement of wind, and the quiet divine pressure radiating from her was enough to silence every lesser cultivator nearby.
Fen Juecheng froze mid-step, eyes widening as his mind blanked.
What… what is she?
Even the surrounding guards faltered, their eyes drawn to her unnatural beauty. Her face seemed sculpted from moonlight—too perfect, too untouchable. Yet her expression was utterly still, her eyes heavy with quiet, dangerous patience.
Fen Juecheng swallowed hard, forcing himself to breathe as he felt his heart hammer violently. His thoughts burned in a haze of lust and disbelief.
She's not human… she can't be.
Cang Yue noticed the shift in his gaze, her expression tightening with fury and disgust.
"Young Master Fen," she said icily, stepping slightly forward—blocking his view of Retsu. "I asked what brings you here, not where your eyes intend to wander."
Her tone was sharp enough to cut.
Fen Juecheng blinked, caught off guard, then chuckled as if to brush it aside. "Haha, you misunderstand, Princess. I was simply admiring your companion. Truly, the heavens are generous—two peerless beauties traveling together. How fortunate for this humble one's eyes."
Kon, who had been hiding behind Retsu's hair, muttered under his breath, "Fortunate my tail… he's about to lose those eyes if he keeps staring."
Retsu's lips curved ever so slightly—not a smile, but a warning. Her voice was soft, yet it carried a weight that made even the Sky Profound guards step back.
"Young Masters," she said calmly, "a gentleman knows where not to look."
Her azure eyes lifted—cold, clinical, unblinking.
The entire group stiffened as the air turned heavy, suffocating, as if the world itself had stopped moving.
Retsu exhaled softly, lowering the arm that had covered her face.
In that single motion, the entire clearing seemed to still.
Moonlight from above slipped through the trees and kissed her features—skin smooth as jade, eyes serene as still water, lips curved with quiet composure. Her braided black hair fell gracefully across her shoulders, each strand shimmering faintly with spiritual light.
For an instant, even the wind forgot to move.
The men who had emerged from the forest—all of them hardened cultivators—stood rooted in place, struck dumb. Their mouths parted, eyes wide in disbelief.
They had seen beauties before—concubines, courtesans, noble ladies. But this woman… this fairy… was something else entirely.
Her beauty wasn't merely human—it carried a sacred stillness that seemed to transcend mortal flesh. Every breath she took felt deliberate, measured, divine.
Even Cang Yue, who had always been admired for her grace, seemed like a gentle moon beside this blazing, eternal sun.
Fen Juecheng's throat tightened.
His composure shattered instantly as a wave of unfiltered desire surged through him. His mind screamed to move, to speak, to claim—but his body froze under the weight of her gaze.
The sound of his heartbeat thundered in his ears.
I must have her… this woman… she's mine…
Beside him, Cang Shuo, her third imperial brother, wasn't much better. His eyes flickered with the same hunger—though his upbringing forced him to conceal it behind a thin veneer of royal calm.
Retsu's gaze flicked toward them, her expression unreadable.
Then—
Whoosh.
A soft ripple of spiritual energy enveloped her lower face as a delicate white veil formed in the air, hiding her lips once more.
The world exhaled, as if released from a spell.
She adjusted it gently, her fingers brushing the fabric, and thought quietly to herself:
So this is why Yuu-kun insists I keep it veiled…As my cultivation rises… so does this unwanted charm.
A faint warmth rose in her chest at the thought of him. Her hand lingered near her lips before lowering again, eyes softening for a heartbeat.
She had already decided—her beauty, her body, her very existence—belonged to one man alone.
Only Yun Che would ever see her unveiled again.
No one else.
When she looked back at Fen Juecheng and Cang Shuo, her expression returned to its usual calm. Yet there was something new behind it—an invisible edge that made even the air around her feel heavy.
"Your stares are discourteous," she said softly, her voice melodic but edged with frost. "In my homeland, such behavior would be punished."
Cang Shuo stepped forward, his armor glinting beneath the firelight. The practiced smile of nobility curved across his lips as he bowed slightly.
"My, what a beautiful fairy," he said, voice honeyed and deliberate. "This prince is called Cang Shuo, Third Imperial Prince of the Blue Wind Empire—and royal brother to Princess Cang Yue. And this gentleman beside me is Young Master Fen Juecheng of the Burning Heaven Clan."
The two men presented themselves like peacocks in a garden, radiant and refined, expecting admiration.
Retsu didn't even blink.
Her expression remained placid—eyes calm, posture serene—but within, her disgust coiled like a blade.
Their armor gleamed, their smiles were flawless, their words soaked in etiquette… yet every syllable they spoke carried the stench of conceit.
She had met their kind before.
Men who wore titles like crowns.
Men who believed women existed to adorn their ambition.
Men who used courtesy as camouflage for lust.
A common sight in this world.
She could feel it—their intent.
The heat in their gazes, the subtle flare of their auras, the greedy pulse of desire veiled behind royal decorum.
They thought her beauty a prize. Her silence, submission.
How pathetic, she thought coldly. How utterly beneath Yuu-kun's name.
The pair took another step forward. But before they could draw any closer, a gentle yet firm movement cut between them—Cang Yue had stepped forward, standing protectively beside Retsu.
Her eyes were steady, but her heartbeat thundered.
She knew better than anyone what kind of people these two were—especially Fen Juecheng. And she knew what would happen if they tried to test Retsu's patience.
"Royal Brother," Cang Yue said clearly, her tone clipped but polite. "This is my sister—Retsu. A companion and a trusted friend."
It wasn't a warning… not yet. But the faint edge in her tone carried weight.
Cang Shuo raised a brow, then chuckled lightly. "Sworn sister? How touching. Our royal sister truly surprises us. Not only has she found companionship in exile, but such a… remarkable friend."
His words were polite. His eyes were not.
"You've always struggled to form bonds, haven't you, imperial sister?" he continued, his smile never faltering. "But I see now—you certainly know how to choose. A swan among mortals. You've outdone yourself."
It was subtle—elegant even—but Retsu and Cang Yue both heard it. The faint sneer beneath the praise. The mockery that poked at old insecurities.
Fen Juecheng stepped forward, the faint crunch of dirt under his boots punctuating the silence. He offered a shallow bow—more for show than sincerity—his hand pressed neatly to his chest.
When he lifted his gaze, adoration burned within his eyes like wildfire. It wasn't the kind that inspired poetry or warmth. It was possessive, consuming—lust barely disguised as admiration.
"Once again, Fen Juecheng of the Burning Heaven Clan pays his respects to the radiant Princess Cang Yue and to the divine Fairy Retsu."
His tone was honeyed, but his gaze lingered far too long. "I had heard Your Highness left the palace a month ago for training in New Moon City. During that time, I was cultivating within the Fierce Sunfire Region. Yet recently, I heard rumors—rumors of a sacred land, where the guardians had vanished and opportunities awaited those daring enough to seize them."
He paused, flashing a smile that might've looked charming to the blind.
"So, I journeyed here myself, hoping for a fortuitous encounter. Imagine my surprise to find that Heaven itself guided my steps—to bring me to you. Perhaps the heavens truly cannot bear to keep us apart. Don't you agree, Your Highness?"
Before Cang Yue could answer, Cang Shuo's laughter filled the clearing, smooth and resonant but devoid of warmth.
"Hahahaha! Indeed! The moment Young Master Fen heard of this place, he rode day and night to reach it. Out of courtesy, I accompanied him—never expecting we would meet our lovely Royal Sister here. Truly, the heavens weave fate most wondrously."
His eyes gleamed slyly as he glanced between them.
"Young Master Fen is right, Royal Sister. The heavens must be matching you two together. Such devotion—it makes one envious, doesn't it?"
Their words dripped like venom disguised as perfume.
If Yun Che were there, he would've ended the conversation with two well-placed fists and a crater.
Even Kon, watching from behind Retsu's shoulder, muttered quietly to himself, "Wow, these guys have mastered the art of being creeps with style."
But Cang Yue—graceful as ever—didn't flinch.
She smiled faintly, her poise immaculate.
"I thank Young Master Fen for his concern. Cang Yue has been well. You need not trouble yourself on my behalf. Like you, I am here for cultivation and opportunity."
Her tone was calm, almost pleasant. But Retsu could hear the steel beneath her words.
Fen Juecheng's grin widened, the arrogance in his eyes swelling as if he'd won some unspoken game.
"Ah, is that so? Then what a delightful coincidence, Your Highness. Since we share the same goal, why not accompany me in training? Together, perhaps we can both seize the fortune this place offers. Who knows—maybe destiny intends for us to obtain something even greater."
Cang Shuo chuckled, playing along. "Indeed, indeed. Royal Sister, why refuse such goodwill? Young Master Fen's company would surely be… enlightening."
Retsu's eyes closed briefly. Her spiritual perception sharpened, threads of haki whispering through the air.
Every heartbeat. Every flicker of intent.
She could see their hidden smiles, hear the silent arrogance in their tone—the same poisonous confidence of men who believed power made them untouchable.
Her disgust deepened.
The air around her seemed to cool, subtly, like the moment before a blade leaves its sheath.
Cang Yue sensed it. She quietly reached out, touching Retsu's sleeve—a gentle reminder that she was fine, that she could handle this.
But in Retsu's silence was a storm.
And if Fen Juecheng dared one more step closer—
He would learn, painfully, that some fairies didn't grant blessings.
They buried kings.
"It's a great proposal, Your Highness. I'll look forward to it as well."
Cang Yue's smile was flawless, poised, regal. But behind that polite nod, her heart burned with defiance. Her voice might have sounded agreeable—but her eyes, cool and distant, betrayed her true thoughts.
And then, before either man could press further, she added softly—
"Please forgive Cang Yue's refusal."
Cang Shuo blinked, his smirk faltering. "Refusal?"
Cang Yue turned toward him, her expression gentle but unyielding. "It is not because I am unwilling, Royal Brother. It is simply because I am waiting for someone."
Fen Juecheng's face twitched, the warmth in his tone evaporating instantly. "Waiting? A… friend, perhaps?" His voice strained slightly as he forced a smile. "Is it a woman, then? A companion of training?"
Cang Yue met his gaze without flinching. "No. Not a woman." She paused for a heartbeat.
"A man."
Silence crashed through the clearing.
Even the attendants behind them went rigid.
Cang Shuo's composure shattered as he snapped, "Imperial Sister, don't jest! Did you just say the friend you're waiting for… is a man?"
"Third Brother," she replied calmly, her voice steady as a blade, "if you don't believe me, you can ask my sister here."
Her words were quiet but deliberate. A clear challenge.
Cang Shuo's fury erupted. "Imperial Sister! How dare you bring a man on your journey? Do you even know what would happen if word of this spread through the Empire?!"
Behind the royal outrage, Retsu could feel his killing intent flare—not from moral indignation, but panic. She had already sensed it: the pulse of deceit that ran through both men.
Cang Shuo wasn't angry because of impropriety. He was angry because his plans were collapsing.
For months, he had circulated whispers throughout the capital—rumors that Cang Yue and Fen Juecheng were close, that a marriage alliance was inevitable. It was a web spun from lies and political ambition, meant to secure the Burning Heaven Clan's influence and guarantee his claim to the throne.
And now, one sentence—"It's a man"—had threatened to unravel everything.
Fen Juecheng's face twisted into a grimace he tried to disguise as wounded surprise.
"Your Highness, I've pursued you ever since the day I first laid eyes on you. I've visited you countless times, braved rejection after rejection—and yet, you treat me as though it meant nothing? Do all those moments mean nothing to you?"
Cang Yue's patience snapped.
"Young Master Fen," she said sharply, her tone cutting through the air like lightning. "Those visits were your decision, not mine. You courted me because my name and position suited your ambition. Not because of affection."
Her gaze shifted to her brother, steady and fierce.
"And you, Third Brother—don't pretend righteousness. You sought my support for your claim to the throne, and I refused because my only concern was Father's health, not politics. You already have the Fourth, Fifth, and Sixth Brothers behind you. What more could you possibly want?"
Her words were fire—each syllable striking with royal authority.
Even the guards exchanged nervous glances.
Then she turned back to Fen Juecheng, her tone regaining its calm, but with an undercurrent of ice.
"As for you, Young Master Fen… my apologies if you mistook courtesy for affection. Our meetings were formal, arranged for the sake of diplomacy between our two factions. Nothing more."
She paused—then added, her voice low and final:
"They were never meetings between a man and a woman."
The final words struck like thunder.
Fen Juecheng's face drained of color, then darkened. Rage and humiliation churned behind his eyes. His fists clenched at his sides, the polite mask barely holding together.
Retsu's crimson gaze shifted toward him, unblinking, assessing. She could feel the spike of killing intent rising in his aura—thin, unstable, and utterly predictable.
Her expression didn't change. But the faintest whisper of spiritual pressure rippled through the clearing—a silent warning.
If he so much as twitched in her direction…
There would be no second chance.
Fen Juecheng staggered as if struck. He had expected coyness, flattery, maybe an embarrassed smile — anything that signaled his conquest. Not this. Not the cold, regal refusal. Not the claim that she waited for a man.
Rage burned in his eyes. His practiced charm snapped like glass.
"Cure your father?" Retsu asked quietly, the question breaking the momentary silence. The scene suddenly looked far more complicated than mere courtship.
Cang Yue's voice did not tremble. She spoke steadily into the hush, answering through the Tenteikura as her countenance hardened. "Ever since the Emperor's sickness was discovered, my brothers began vying for the throne. The First and Second brothers claim he is unfit; the Third brother rallied support from the Burning Heaven Clan. I refused to be a pawn. I only wanted Father healed, so he could resume his rule."
She swallowed once, eyes distant. "When Third Brother sought an alliance with Fen Juecheng, he tried to force my hand. I fled to New Moon City. There I found Retsu, Sister Yuechan, Kon — and Yun Che. They treated me like a person, not an object. Fen pursued me because of my status, not because of me." Her voice, cool and precise, carried underlying steel. Retsu sensed the hatred in it and, with it, a softened warmth when she mentioned Yun Che and the others. Kon's jaw clenched. Retsu's hands tightened beneath her sleeves. The names told them everything they needed to know — Fen's involvement, and the clans backing Cang Shuo, were the ones Yun Che loathed most.
Fen Juecheng bristled and unleashed a volley of questions, each sharper than the last: "Who is your friend? What is your relationship? Which family does he belong to?" He tried to punish reality with interrogation, to squeeze an excuse from her mouth.
Cang Yue's reply was slow, resolute — the kind that cuts deeper than a shout. "He is not just a friend. He is the one who stole my heart. He is the man I will spend my life with. And that man is the man my sworn sister here is engaged to."
The clearing went absolutely still. Even the guards' breathing seemed hesitant.
Fen's face contorted with fury; humiliation colored his tone. He opened his mouth to erupt, but Cang Shuo's shout cut through the air.
"Royal sister!" Cang Shuo barked, fury and panic mixing in his voice — not for Yue's declaration, but for the collapse of the political web he'd been weaving. For the first beat his composure threatened to fail; then, like a practiced actor, he forced a smile back into place.
"Of course," he said, smoothing his face as if to a portrait. "She's been brainwashed by some rogue. Men — enter the cave. Drag this so-called 'friend' out. Make him reveal the cure!"
The command was a blade: direct, public, and designed to humiliate. Fen's attendants surged forward, armor clinking, faces hard with hunting intent. They moved toward the mouth of the cave as if it were their right.
Retsu's veil barely shifted. Her eyes, though, were ice. The faint spiritual pressure that had already unnerved the guards tightened imperceptibly — a calm, lethal coil waiting to spring. Kon bristled behind her hair, ready. Cang Yue's hand curled into a white-knuckled fist by her side.
They had overplayed their hand. The hunt they'd ordered to seize a "friend" of a supposed runaway princess had just become a challenge to someone far more dangerous than any of them realized.
Fen Juecheng's fury burned hotter than the bonfire. This "friend" had not only stolen Cang Yue's affection—he had stolen the thing Fen believed himself entitled to: a prize, a stepping stone to secure influence at court. Fen had planned to make the princess his concubine, to fold her into the Burning Heaven Clan's web. He would do whatever it took to take her back.
When Cang Yue declared her love for Yun Che, Retsu's mouth curved into a small, satisfied smile. So the matter had been decided. Cang Yue had picked a life for herself, and in that choice lay Retsu's duty. If Cang Yue loved Yun Che, then she would stand with her—alongside Little Fairy and Xiao Lingxi—and Retsu would defend that bond with everything she had.
In a blink, Retsu teleported to the mouth of the cave, Cang Yue at her side. They stood together, a single, unyielding wall between the imperial cohort and the dark throat of the cavern. The men faltered at the sight.
Cang Shuo pushed forward with courtly charm that failed to hide the panic beneath. "Fairy," he cooed, hands wide, "this does not concern you. Change your mind—join us. Leave these woods behind; we can give you comfort, a palace, a life of ease. Why live like this when you can live in luxury?"
Fen Juecheng seized the opening and poured on the syrupy flattery. "Yes—no more wandering, no more hardship. The Burning Heaven Clan will worship you as a goddess. In my eyes your beauty eclipses even the princess. Accept our offer. Be treated as you deserve."
Retsu's tone froze the air. Where she reserved warmth for Yun Che and her sworn sisters, her voice now carried the steel of a soldier speaking to an enemy. "Luxury? Riches? Spare me the sermon." Her words were blunt enough to sting. "You parade titles and gold because you think they hide what you lack—honor, decency, humility. Money cannot buy either. Trying to disturb our fiancée? You should exercise caution."
She turned her gaze to Cang Shuo like a blade being tested in the light. "What kind of brother forces his sister into a marriage she never wanted? What kind of man preys on a woman's fate to satisfy an ambition?" Her voice was cold, and every attendant felt the accusation as if struck.
When Retsu said, "our fiancée," Cang Yue's cheeks flamed. Approval. The word landed like a pledge; it made Cang Yue straighten. The two stood closer—no longer prey but a united front.
Cang Shuo's smile hardened into something brittle. He stepped up, trying to salvage the performance of princely magnanimity. "Royal Sister, Fairy—are you certain you wish to oppose us? If you persist, you declare war on the Blue Wind Empire and the Burning Heaven Clan. Do you understand what that entails? Do you truly think you are prepared for the consequences?"
The guards shifted. Fen Juecheng's hand drifted toward his sword, the old, practiced menace returning to his features. Around them the forest seemed to lean in; even the night wind held its breath.
Retsu's reply was slow and polite—and lethal in its calm. "We understand the consequences quite well. We are not naive children playing at politics. But know this: if either of you lays a hand on my sister—if you send a single soldier into that cave with the intent to drag out our innocent man—then you will not be teaching anyone a lesson. You will be burying your own bodies."
Her words were not bluff. The subtle pressure that had already made lesser men buckle now rolled outward like a tide—quiet, inevitable, and cold. In the silent pause that followed, every present noble felt the faint echo of something far more dangerous than rank or money.
Cang Shuo's jaw clenched. Fen's face whitened. The attendants hesitated, unsure whether to obey a prince who might be sending them to die.
Cang Yue's hand tightened against Retsu's sleeve—not from fear, but as a promise. She would not be moved. She had chosen.
Retsu smiled softly, her fingers intertwining with Cang Yue's. The gesture was gentle, but her gaze — sharp as a blade — never left the two men before her.
"For my sister, I am prepared."
Her voice was calm, resolute.
"Besides… our fiancé would do the exact same thing."
Cang Yue turned toward her, warmth flickering in her eyes despite the tension. That word — our — gave her strength. Facing her brother once more, she raised her chin with the quiet grace of a princess who had long forgotten fear.
"We are declaring war, Third Brother," she said evenly. "Not on the Empire. But on you. And trust me, Royal Father will hear of this — and he will believe me before he ever believes you."
Cang Shuo's smile finally broke. His composure, built upon years of royal pretense, cracked into something feral.
"Royal Sister… no. Cang Yue. This will be the last time you defy me." His voice trembled, equal parts rage and desperation. "Looks like I'll have to cripple you before bringing you back to the Empire. You'll still be alive — but obedient. And I'm sure Young Master Fen won't object."
Cang Yue froze, disbelief flashing through her eyes. Cripple me?
Her own brother would destroy her body, silence her voice, just to use her as a bargaining piece?
Fen Juecheng stepped forward, smirking like a serpent slithering through his moment of opportunity.
"Cripple her? That's far too kind, Your Highness." His tone dripped with obscene delight."That beauty beside her, however… she'll serve me well as a slave. As for Cang Yue—" he paused, eyes dark with hunger, "I'll make her mine before you take her back. And after that, silence her permanently. A mute princess won't tell anyone what happened here."
Cang Yue's stomach churned. She'd been disgusted by his false chivalry before — but hearing his true self stripped bare made her skin crawl.
Retsu's expression didn't change. Only the air changed.
The faint warmth of the bonfire vanished — replaced by something dense and suffocating.
A crimson shimmer began to rise from her hand, liquid light coiling around her wrist like ribbons of molten silk.
Without a word, she extended her arm and let the energy flow outward.
The ground beneath her feet quivered. Her spiritual pressure condensed — not wild, but impossibly controlled. The red aura rippled once, then solidified into form.
With a single elegant motion, she drew her hand to the side — and an ethereal katana took shape in her grasp, forged entirely of her own reiryoku. Its crimson blade glowed faintly, alive with the pulse of her soul.
Her eyes lifted — serene, merciless, divine.
"You speak of luxury," she said softly. "Of riches and power. But you have no idea what either truly means."
She stepped forward, the tip of her spirit-forged blade dragging across the stone — no sound, only sparks of red light.
"You call us rebels, but you are the ones who betray blood and honor. To harm your sister… to enslave a woman… to soil her name with filth from your mouths—"
She lifted the katana, her spiritual energy crackling against the night.
"—such acts are not sins. They are death sentences."
Cang Yue stood behind her, heart pounding — not from fear, but awe. Retsu's entire form glowed faintly red, like a goddess of judgment descending from the heavens.
Cang Shuo's soldiers hesitated, shifting nervously as their instincts screamed at them to stop. But Cang Shuo's pride—and Fen Juecheng's madness—drowned out reason.
Cang Shuo sneered. "You dare raise your blade against royalty? You will regret this, woman!"
Retsu tilted her head slightly. A small, haunting smile curved her lips beneath the veil.
"Royalty? Then bleed like one."
Cang Yue drew her blade with hands that trembled for only a heartbeat. She did not shape a weapon from spirit energy—Yun Che had warned her of that fragility—but the steel in her hand hummed as if answering some deep, ancestral call. Retsu's expression softened for a fraction of a second at the sight of the princess bearing arms—not as a pawn, but as a woman who could fight for herself.
Across the clearing, Cang Shuo and Fen Juecheng's eyes widened. That simple act told them more than words could: Cang Yue was not helpless, and someone had taught her to survive. Suddenly their earlier confidence flickered; they had not expected a true backer to be answering the princess's flight. If Cang Yue fell here, they might have to answer to a power far, far above them.
"Men—attack! Cripple their cultivation first. Bring them to me," Fen barked. The venom in his tone was no longer gentlemanly charm; it had become a command to hunt and break.
Cang Yue felt nausea at the order, and something like grief: these attackers were people she'd grown up beside—guards and retainers she'd once trusted. She realized then how thin the veneer of loyalty could be when titles and orders demanded sacrifice. She had trained to strike hollows and beasts, not to sever ties with childhood people. But the moment had arrived. Survival did not wait for sentiment.
Several Spirit Profound warriors surged forward—solid, coordinated, confident. Retsu's eyes narrowed. She let Cang Yue move forward to face her own past; Retsu's role was clear: defend. If Cang Yue hesitated, Retsu would be the wall between the princess and the spear.
The first wave crashed against them.
Retsu fought with economical, surgical motions—no flamboyant show, only efficiency. Her spirit-forged katana moved like a red slash of moonlight; each strike was measured to disable, to punish, to silence the most dangerous motion before it could be completed. She never overcommitted. Men who thought to test her blade found their attacks bent aside, their momentum weaponized into ruin. The few who tried to flank were met with cold, precise counters that left them gasping and disarmed.
But the real surprise came from Cang Yue.
A tremor ran through the attackers as they read her aura. Whispers spread among Cang Shuo's men—confusion, then alarm. "Impossible," one breathed. "She left at Second of True Profound Realm. Now—she's pushing Peak Spirit Profound Realm!"
Her movements were raw but honest—less polished than Retsu's, more desperate, more human. She parried, stepped, and drove forward with a ferocity born from necessity, not training. Where Retsu's blade was a scalpel, Cang Yue's was a hammer: each strike carried the force of someone who would rather break herself than see loved ones sacrificed to schemers.
A captain lunged with a spear that would have pierced an unprepared defender's chest. Cang Yue met it mid-swing, steel clashing and ringing like a bell. For a second, the world narrowed—metal, breath, the thump of a heart that refused to yield. Her blade bit true; the captain's stance collapsed. He crumpled, eyes wide with the recognition of betrayal: the princess he'd served had the strength to fell him.
Fen Juecheng's smug façade faltered. He barked orders, thrusting more skilled men forward—the Earth Profound and higher Spirit Profound practitioners who had lingered in reserve. His voice tried to regain control: "Send the rest. Overwhelm them! If the girls are protected by some backer, then crush the following wave before it declares itself!"
Cang Shuo's jaw clenched. The forest of torches around them seemed to pulse with tension. He had called for a simple drag-and-arrest, not a battle. Now the air tasted of war.
Retsu's composure did not crack. She advanced a fraction, red steel singing, and her reiryoku thrummed like distant thunder. "Send them," she said softly—almost kindly—"and I will carve a reminder into every name in your ledger."
Fen glanced at Cang Shuo, panic beginning to lace his commands. The men hesitated—some bowing to fear, some shouting to cover it. The first line of reinforcements trod forward anyway, armor clanking, determination masking doubt. They were prepared for a raid, not a duel with a goddess and a princess newly born in pain and steel.
In the eyes of every soldier present, the math had shifted: they had gone from hunting two women to fighting a force capable of shredding reputations and crushing houses. The gamble Fen and Cang Shuo had made now glowed red-hot and reckless in their hands.
Retsu's sword hummed, and Cang Yue drew another breath—this time steadier, colder. They would not be dragged out of the cave. Not by anyone.
The first true line of reinforcements collided with Retsu like thunder. Blades flared; the clearing became a red-bloomed storm. Retsu moved like calm lightning—precise cuts, disabling blows, a terrifying artistry that left men alive only long enough to realize they should have never moved. Cang Yue, beside her, fought like a woman reborn: raw, unpolished, unstoppable in the brutal clarity of someone defending home.
Fen watched his plans crumble into blood and iron. He felt, for the first time since arriving, the cold wind of consequence on his shoulders.
The clash intensified. The Earth Profound Realm warriors finally moved in, their profound energy surging like an approaching tide. The air cracked with their combined aura—pressure enough to make the weaker guards falter.
Retsu's eyes narrowed. She sensed the rising danger instantly. "Kon! Take one of their bodies and assist us!"
The order was sharp, and Kon didn't need to be told twice.
"All right! Kon-sama is on the move!"
With a burst of golden light, the small plush form launched from behind Retsu's shoulder like a comet. He streaked across the battlefield and dove straight into one of the oncoming Earth Profound warriors before anyone could react.
A pulse of energy erupted.
================
[Ding... Host's soul power exceeds vessel's soul core. Initiating takeover.]
================
The surrounding fighters froze as one of their own suddenly stiffened mid-stride, aura flickering.
"Oi, Xiong Kuan! What are you doing?! Move, damn it!" one of them shouted.
The warrior turned slowly, his eyes now glowing faint gold. Then, with an absurdly dramatic flex of his shoulders, he announced—
"Xiong Kuan? Never heard of him! I am... KON-SAMA!"
Before anyone could comprehend what that meant, he blurred forward with a speed that didn't match his cultivation rank.
DUSH! DUSH! DUSH!
Each strike landed like a thunderclap.
Kon's legs became a blur—spinning, sweeping, hammering through armor and bone with acrobatic kicks that sent warriors flying in every direction. A cyclone of dust and shattered stones rose where he fought.
"TAKE THAT! AND THAT! AND ANOTHER ONE FOR GOOD MEASURE!"
The battlefield fell into chaos as the possessed warrior—now fully in Kon's control—leapt, flipped, and performed moves no sane Earth Profound cultivator would ever use. Each motion carried the refined force of Yun Che's Black Leg Fighting Style… though, admittedly, Kon added his own brand of reckless flair.
Cang Yue, despite herself, blinked in disbelief. "Is that… him?"
Retsu, holding off a pair of attackers with her crimson blade with less effort, exhaled softly. "Unfortunately... yes."
One particularly bold warrior lunged toward Kon. Kon simply cartwheeled midair, spun around, and planted a brutal kick into the man's stomach—launching him through three trees and into the darkness.
"Who's next?! Kon-sama is just getting warmed up!"
Retsu could feel his fighting spirit radiating like a wildfire. For all his antics, he was doing exactly what she needed—disrupting the enemy's formation and drawing attention away from Cang Yue. The battle rhythm shifted in their favor.
Cang Shuo's eyes went wide as he watched one of his Earth Profound elites dismantling his own soldiers. "That traitor! Kill him! Kill the traitor of the Empire!" he roared, desperation creeping into his voice.
But none of the men dared approach the whirlwind of destruction that Kon had become.
Retsu smirked faintly, crimson energy flickering across her blade as she slashed through another warrior's weapon and sent him reeling.
The ground between the two sides glowed faintly red — the aura of two powerful women and one overconfident plush soul reshaping the rhythm of the battle entirely.
Cang Yue steadied her sword beside Retsu, breathing hard but standing firm.
Retsu's crimson blade shimmered as she lowered it slightly. "Sister Yue… now's your chance. Show them that the princess doesn't need control."
Cang Yue nodded, her eyes burning with resolve. "Understood, Sister Retsu."
And with that, the princess of Blue Wind charged forward — side by side with the crimson reaper and the most unpredictable fighter alive.
The tides of battle had shifted.
With Retsu carving through the Earth Profound Realm warriors and Kon spinning through the ranks of the Spirit Profound Realm like a golden hurricane, the battlefield had finally bent in their favor.
That left Cang Yue free to fight — and fight she did. Her movements, still unrefined but resolute, carried the will of someone who refused to retreat. Each parry and strike came from her heart, not from training drills. The men surrounding her began to falter.
Within minutes, she had them all at swordpoint — their blades scattered, their breathing ragged.
Her sword hovered inches from the nearest man's throat, but her voice trembled with compassion, not triumph.
"Please... stop this." she said softly, her chest rising and falling with exhaustion. "I don't want to fight you. You're my father's men. How could you raise your blades against him—against his daughter?"
The group froze. None dared move. Her words carried something sharper than steel — conviction.
"Please... go back to the Empire. Apologize to Father. Tell him you were deceived, and I won't say a word of this. You still have your honor. Don't throw it away here."
She lowered her sword. The gesture was meant as mercy, but mercy was a dangerous thing in the world of men drunk on orders and pride.
She turned slightly, ready to move toward Retsu — her heart lightening with relief that perhaps, just perhaps, this could end without more blood.
Then—
A flicker of killing intent.
It was faint, a whisper of malice in the corner of her senses — and it came from behind her.
Retsu's eyes snapped open in alarm. Kon froze mid-kick, his borrowed body's pupils shrinking.
"Sister Yue!!!""Nee-san!!!"
The warning came too late.
One of the men she had spared — face twisted in desperate fear, pride shattered by defeat — lunged from the ground with trembling rage. His sword thrust forward, wild and unsteady but fast enough to find its mark.
Cang Yue turned instinctively—
SHIK!