The Curse Revealed
Still inside the cave, the soft light of the glowing silk threads cast eerie reflections on the stone floor.
Mo Yan stared at the shining white band around his wrist, frustration slowly building in his voice.
"Master Fung Shu Ri never told us… anything about this kind of spell."
Yu Sui, eyes fixed on the thread, didn't respond at first. His voice was quiet, thoughtful, but uncertain.
"I've never seen a binding spell like this before.
It's… ancient.
It doesn't feel like ordinary spirit magic."
Their spirits had vanished into their bodies once more, leaving only the strange bands of light tethering them together.
A silence hung between them-tense, heavy, full of questions neither could answer.
Then-suddenly-an argument sparked.
Mo Yan turned to Yu Sui, his voice sharp.
"What did you do in there? Was this your clan's plan to sabotage me?"
Yu Sui narrowed his eyes.
"Don't flatter yourself, Mo Yan. If anyone is cursed here, it's me, being stuck with you."
"You"
"Enough!" Yu Sui barked, pointing toward the altar. "We've completed the trial. Whether we like it or not, we should at least pay respect to the sacred book."
Both of them, still fuming, turned to the altar. Together, they knelt and bowed deeply toward the Golden Book-the silence in the cave now deeper than ever.
---
Outside the Cave
As the two emerged from the shadows, all eyes turned toward them. The crowd gasped.
The two heirs walked side by side-not in unity, but in visible confusion and restraint, connected by the glowing threads that shimmered like divine silk.
Master Fung Shu Ri stepped forward in alarm.
Master Chui Yong and Master Kin Lishuan followed him, expressions grave.
Fung Shu Ri's brows furrowed.
"This… this was not part of the ritual."
They examined the white threads with care. No spell circle, no talisman, no inscription. The threads pulsed softly, as if alive.
"The trial is supposed to end when the spirit beasts are marked. This… this is something else entirely."