I snap my head to the side as I press my bleeding cheek. Long Yan had already disappeared. Did he seriously just shove me and run?
I scan the stream, searching for the arrow that whizzed past me. It's wedged in a tree across the water. It has my blood on it, so it's mine. Bleeders, keepers.
I leap across the stream, my foot skimming the water. A fish jumps out; I snag it mid-air and bite into it as I land on the other side, yanking the arrow from the tree. Whoever shot this arrow at me is going to regret it. I growl, finish the rest of the fish, and toss the bones back into the stream.
I sniff the arrow tip. It has my blood on it, and a green tint. Typical. Poison-tipped. My cheek stings and burns. I grit my teeth.
Another arrow whizzes toward me. I catch it mid-air—another green-tipped one. I scan the direction it came from but can't see anyone.
I sniff the air. I'm going to search for Long Yan and see what he's up to. I catch his scent and trace it back to the other side of the stream. I leap back over, skim the water, then land on the other side. I stride through the forest, following his trail. He literally smells like smoke.
I hear screams of pain and run toward them. Deep in the forest, Long Yan stands with arms crossed in front of a masked figure dressed in black stealth clothes, a fire tendril cinching and singeing the captive. Without looking, he says, "Ling Yue, it took you long enough. I found the culprit who attacked you."
"Did you find him after the first attack, or after the second?"
"You were attacked twice?"
"I see. So there are two culprits."
The stench of burnt flesh from the masked figure fills the air.
"Did you get anything out of him besides screams of pain?"
"I haven't actually asked him anything. I was waiting for you."
"How do you know if you've got the right person?"
"Well, he was sneaking around wearing a mask, and when he saw me, he bolted off. So, if he's not the culprit, he's involved somehow."
"Have you ever considered that the sight of you scared him off?"
He shamelessly points to his face, grinning. "Actually, no. I'm one of the best-looking immortals in this realm."
I cough, then recompose myself, rolling my eyes. "As much as I'd like to see you torture this soul, he's not the culprit. He doesn't have the same scent as the arrow. It's someone else."
Long Yan's eyes widen. His cheeks redden as he quickly snuffs out his fire tendril. The masked figure coughs as waves of smoke blanket him.
"Oh, by the way, I owe you this."
I shove Long Yan, and he stumbles back, frowning. "Now, what was that for?"
"That's for shoving me."
"I was saving you from death."
"You could've caught it mid-air before it hit me."
"I thought you would've noticed it flying straight at you, but then you didn't move, so I had no choice but to shove you at the last second."
"I was following your instructions—to catch a bloody fish." As I glare at him, I casually fling the two arrows to the side. They pin the masked figure, who was trying to escape, to the nearest tree.
He points to the pinned captive. "See? If you can do that, you could've noticed the arrow."
"Yeah, but I thought you had my back." I jab his chest with my finger.
He flicks my hand away. "I do have your back. That's why I ran after the culprit."
I place my hands on my hips. "Well, you didn't find the right one. You found a random masked fool."
His hair bursts into flames, he tilts his head back and breathes fire into the air. "How does Elder Brother deal with you? You know, a simple thank you would've sufficed."
"Well, thank you for letting me get poisoned. The arrow tip was drenched with poison."
His hair snuffs out and turns back to ebony, his eyes soften, and he rubs the back of his neck. "Are you alright?"
"Nah, don't sweat it. I was trained with pufferfish. Poison doesn't work on me."
"Elder Brother trained you with what?!"
"Didn't Master use the same method on you?"
He shakes his head and scratches his brow. "We don't have pufferfish in the Celestial Realm."
"Well, pufferfish are very poisonous, and Master set up a minefield of them and made me swim through it. I was so swollen the Queen of Merfolk had to extract all the poison out."
He covers his mouth, eyes wide. "I don't envy you at all."
"Well, in his defense, he did cook one for me after. It tasted delicious. And the result was fantastic, so I can't complain."
Long Yan plucks a little jar from his sleeve and hands it to me. "Here. This is the remedy for all common poisons. It should help with the sting and burn."
He's not that bad after all. I grab the jar from him and start dressing the balm on the graze, feeling the soothing relief. That feels much better.
"Thank you. Now that it's all water under the bridge, let's see what you've caught here." I turn my attention to the masked figure. A devilish grin curls on my lips. The figure's eyes widen. He starts kicking, clearly afraid of me. I peel the mask off—revealing a pretty female immortal. Her face flushes as she averts her eyes and stares at the floor.
"Ling Yue, find me when you're done. I'll chase after the real culprit." Long Yan flicks his long sleeves back, summons a fire portal, and disappears into it.
I let out a sigh. I can't believe he did that. I turn back to her, giving her the look Master always gives me. "Speak."
She starts whimpering. "I only wanted to admire Master Long Yan from afar. I didn't think he would chase after me. I didn't think he would be so ruthless." She bites her lower lip.
I run a hand down my face. For Ocean's sake! Did he just waste precious time on his secret admirer? I extract the arrows from the tree, and she falls to the ground with a thud, rubbing her bottom.
My nostrils flare and I cross my arms, tapping my foot. "Just leave, and find a more suitable immortal to admire. You're wasting your time with the Dragon of Fire. He's clearly not interested."
She timidly nods. But I caught a strange glint in her eyes. I hand her the jar with the balm. "Here, this is for your wound."
Her eyes light up as she takes it, bowing gratefully.
"Just one moment. I have something else for you." I reach into my mystical satchel and pluck out some rope. With a quick flick, I whip it around her feet, tie them tight, and leap over a branch. She dangles upside down like a skinned duck. The jar slips from her hands. I catch it before it hits the ground and slide it back into my satchel.
"Did you honestly think I'd believe that sob story with the way you're dressed? Who in their right mind stalks someone in broad daylight in stealth clothes? I wasn't born yesterday. After I'm through, you'll be writing sonnets about how gentle Long Yan was."
I lied to him about the arrows. One of them did have her scent. I just wanted some time alone with her while he finds the other culprit.