The biting wind cut through the ruins of Nivarra, the sky above overcast with fast-moving clouds, as if the heavens themselves had been struck by lightning, one that had left the earth below trembling in its wake.
High within the fortress consumed by Demons and Devils, a single spire stood tall, and there, bound by blackened chains that pulsed with demonic energy, Xiyan woke up from a surge of pain rising in her ribcage.
She gasped and drew a sharp breath before opening her eyes fully, trying to make sense of where she was. Every muscle in her body screamed as if the very marrow in her bones had been broken into pieces, the unfamiliar pain radiating outwards from her core and burning through the sigil etched on her forehead.
With every move, every futile attempt to break free, the chains slithered tighter around her body like a hissing serpent, as if it had a life of its own, binding not only her flesh but also her spiritual core, refusing to release her. And when she realised she couldn't break free no matter how hard she tried, she redirected her focus back to her surroundings, noting she was back in the fortress of Nivarra. But why?
She blinked rapidly, trying to recall how she ended up here, but it was as if a veil had fallen over her memories and erased everything. Then, gradually, the fragmented images resurfaced from the depths of her mind, and she curled her hands tight, the images too hazy to be trusted yet so vivid at the same time that she couldn't ignore them.
When those disturbing fragments became too much, harder to control with each passing second, she clenched her hands so tightly that she cut herself. A groan escaped her dry lips. When she looked down, the Jade of Tear was gripped tightly in her hand, shining, its smooth surface stained crimson by the blood seeping from her palm.
That was when she finally recalled what had happened, but before she could make sense of it all, a sudden noise tore through the prevailing silence, snapping her senses into high alert in a heartbeat.
The approaching energy was laced with demonic power unlike any other she had known, one that made the blood in her veins run cold and set every nerve in her body on edge, causing even her frantic heart to skip several beats before she regained her bearings and acted quickly.
With a swift move, she jerked her hand to conceal the artefact from whoever was drawing close – only it was too late.
A gust of wind sliced through the keep as a figure emerged from the broken archway above, cloaked in robes the colour of darkness itself. The Demon God. And beside him, grinning like a vile beast, strode Baihu Mo, whose cold gaze swept over her like a predator.
The moment the ancient god set his crimson eyes on the Divine Artefact, his expression sharpened and with nothing more than a flick of his hand, demonic power whipped through the air and the Jade of Tear tore itself from her grasp and flung straight into his hand.
Seconds after the Jade of Tear was torn from her, a new set of energies stirred in the shadows, less foreboding this time, yet demonic in nature, nonetheless. She followed the intricate flow of energy, fearing the worst and holding her breath at the same time, just as Rongjie stepped onto the keep, behind the Demon God and his loyal servant, closely followed by Mo Ren.
Their sudden arrival, however, was met with neither kindness nor welcome, as Xiyan noticed the Demon God's eyes narrowing briefly as he cast a glance over his shoulder. But Rongjie stepped forwards unfazed, brushing past him to stand by his side, carrying himself not as a subject, but as an equal to the Demon God.
The tension between them was so deep that Xiyan sensed it right away, like a grudge shaped through thousands of years, running deep, palpable even from miles away, yet neither of them seemed to want to acknowledge that deep-rooted hatred. But it wasn't this strange tension that arrested her, not for long, at least.
Her eyes flitted between Baihu Mo and Mo Ren instead, who stood with similar bearings, mirroring movements without meaning to. It struck her in that moment how alike they looked, like two sides of the same mirror: one with long, snow-white hair, the other with dark locks cut short at the jawline. They even had the same eyes, same jaw. Twins?
But she had no time to dwell on such thoughts, or rather, she could not. Without warning, the masked figure dropped to one knee, bowing deeply to the Demon God, his henchman following suit, thus shattering her reflections and pulling her back to the present.
"My lord, I, Rongjie, salute you on behalf of my clan members and welcome your long-awaited return to lead the Demon Army against the Jinlian Sect and all Immortals, who conspired with the heavens to bind you in Wujing Yuan. Welcome back!"
Instead of responding to these words with no hint of sincerity, the Demon God let the artefact turn slowly between his fingers, his eyes glowing with the fierce hunger of someone who has once tasted power and now thirsted to seize it again. Then, without warning, his gaze cut through the air and settled on Xiyan as if a sudden thought crossed his mind right then and there, a thought that unsettled him.
"So this is her," he said, "the one foretold to replace me?" Then, unable to contain his contempt from the absurdity of these thoughts, he started laughing bitterly, causing everyone watching to hold their breaths. "The gods truly are arrogant, don't you agree, Rongjie? To think they can replace me with this lowly child!"
The bitter laughter died as quickly as it came, and the Demon God's expression shifted, as if some unwelcome memory had forced its way to the surface and stirred something dark within him. He then lifted the jade again, eyes narrowing, and turned his glaring eyes fully to Rongjie this time as he spoke.
"You," he said, the word slipping from his tongue like venom. "Tell me, why did I see a dead man in Wujing Yuan? The one you promised you'd take care of in return for protection?"
Rongjie dropped to his knees in an instant, head bowed so low his forehead touched the ground. "I have failed you, my lord! He must have survived, somehow. Please, punish me…"
"Punish you?" the Demon God murmured, as if weighing the options in his head before slowly shifting his gaze to Xiyan. Then, without warning, he lifted his free hand, so that a blast of hellfire gathered in his palm. "Why bother… when I can simply break the promise I gave you in exchange for Kaolin's life, the one you failed to keep so miserably?"
The sphere of fire roared to life with demonic energy in mere seconds, and Xiyan's eyes widened in horror as that brutal force surged towards her, causing even the dragon spirit of her clan to jerk violently against its chains on the tower across the keep.
She could only scream as the hellfire hurled towards her, or thought it did, that is. When she flung her eyes open, not sure what to expect, that was when she saw that the masked figure had launched himself between her and the fireball, taking the full force of its demonic energy as it slammed into his chest and hurled him across the stone floor.
His scream was raw, his body twisting as smoke rose from the wound infested with hellfire. Mo Ren was at his side in an instant, hands glowing with crimson light, pressing into the burn to seal the damage before it ate into his heart.
The Demon God watched, eyes unreadable for a long while, then a smirk of disbelief slowly crept at his lips at the sight unfolding before him. But not for long. Without a word, he turned his back and vanished into the descending shadows with Baihu Mo in tow and the Jade of Tear in his hand. Only after he was gone did the hissing dragon spirit quiet, though its eyes still burned with rage.
Xiyan's chest heaved as she tried to to make sense of what had just happened. She looked at the man on the ground, who was still writhing, his mask half-melted from the blow he had taken on her behalf, and his body trembled under Mo Ren's hands as healing qi flowed into him.
This was the second time, she noted, that this stranger saved her life, risking his own life in the process. But why would he do that? Just… who was he, even? Did they know each other?
Then slowly, the masked man turned to her, and his fingers rose and tugged away what remained of the mask. A face emerged, scarred, and with eyes hollow but gentle – eyes that studied her with the careful tenderness of a person recalling shared memories she no longer had. Before she could contemplate further, however, he addressed her with a pained smile.
"What? Don't tell me you don't remember me, Xiyan," he said. "It's me, Rongjie, your brother."
"Brother…?" She blinked, her brows arching low. "But why can't I—"
"I erased your memories," he interrupted. "For your safety. To protect you."
"I don't understand. Why would you… do that?"
"I had to choose between keeping you safe and letting you hate me for abandoning you. I chose the former… in a way, I had to."
Xiyan met his gentle eyes upon hearing those last words, the frown on her brows deepening by the second as he continued.
"I hoped you could live a new life, one far from the curses that bind our bloodline – even from the fate awaiting you like a fool. But it seems I failed, now that you're here, with me. And, Xiyan, I'm…" His voice broke, fighting the whirlwind of emotions stirring beneath the calm surface, yet unable to finish his sentence, so Mo Ren took it upon himself to continue on his behalf.
"Xiyan, you were born with the sigil of your clan, the exact same one as the Demon God was born with. That's why your brother had to protect you, from him, from everyone. Do you understand what that means? What that sigil… make you?"
"There must be some kind of mistake—"
"There's no mistake, Xiyan." Rongjie rose to his feet, barely standing up with the help of Mo Ren. "I know this is difficult to accept, that this is all too much, but we can't change what was written in the stars."
"But why are you,"—she tried to find the right words—"serving the Demon God if I'm truly the one you think I am?"
Mo Ren, "Rongjie pledged loyalty to the Demon God in return for your safety, Xiyan. Had he not betrayed his adopted family in Koryuthan and led the Demon Army against the Immortals of Huan-Yue, you wouldn't be here today."
"Koryuthan?" she repeated as Kaolin's words rang in her ear, recounting his life in Koryuthan and its downfall, and her expression hardened at once.
"Why, sister?" Rongjie said. "Do you too judge me for what I've done?"
She looked away as she realised she must've looked disturbed as several harrowing thoughts fought to take space in her distraught mind. She lived all her life thinking she was all alone in this world, and yet here he was, the only kin she had, and yet she never imagined that finding out the truth would be so… cruel and so tightly connected to Master Kaolin.
Before these thoughts had time to settle, however, a fresh surge of demonic energy flared without warning. The three of them quickly directed their attention to a demon guard staggering from below the keep, head bowed as he dropped to one knee before them, or rather, collapsed. His armour was drenched in blood from the throat down as he struggled to speak.
"The Demon God… he plans to give the artefact… to Master Kaolin—"
Xiyan flinched from where she was chained, her head snapping within seconds, as the words had barely left the guard's mouth when a sudden spike of demonic energy tore through the demon's throat, silencing him before a scream could form, and his body simply crumpled forwards, twitching once before falling completely still.
The moment was so sudden, so brutal, that for several seconds none of them could fully comprehend what had just happened. But not for long. Rongjie drew his sword instinctively, and Mo Ren tensed beside him, his eyes scanning the air with vigilance, ready to strike whoever had silenced the demon guard.
Right then, from a thin veil of red vapour, Baihu Mo emerged, floating like a ghost before he touched down atop the stone tiles of the keep. His robes shimmered like mist under the moonlight, and his lips curled in a cruel smirk.
"You've made quite a name for yourself, Rongjie," he said, slowly circling the slain guard. "Enough to make hose stupid creatures risk their lives for you. Admirable." Then, his eyes suddenly settled on Xiyan, and he took a step towards her, his eyes narrowing. "And all this fuss, for this lowly…"
Rongjie positioned himself between the white tiger devil and Xiyan without hesitation, cutting off his path and line of sight, his sword drawn and ready to strike should Baihu Mo make a reckless move.
Mo Ren stepped forwards too, blocking his twin brother from taking another step with a firm resolve. "Baihu Mo," he said. "You dare show your face without the Demon God to protect you!?"
"Baihu… Mo?" the white tiger devil hissed, his voice laced with disbelief at being called by his name. "Have you forgotten we were born from the same womb, on the same day, brother? Or has your petty loyalty to this traitor severed even the blood that binds us?"
"Don't mistake me for yourself," Mo Ren snapped, rage spilling from his voice. "Petty loyalty? You severed that bond the day you killed our father to prove your loyalty to the Demon God!"
Baihu Mo's smirk slipped away at those words, his piercing gaze abruptly shifting back to Rongjie and Xiyan. Even so, Rongjie neither flinched nor lowered his guard. He stood his ground like a sturdy barrier between the devil and Xiyan, forged by the unbreakable bond of a brother and sister.
Seeing this, Baihu Mo's smirk returned, albeit only briefly, as a memory resurfaced of a time when he and Mo Ren too shared such a bond. Yet, in that fleeting moment, the harsh truth bore down on him in all its brutality: the bond they once shared had been broken long ago, lost forever in the abyss of time.
"I have not come to spill your blood," he said, at last. "So lower your swords and let's have a chat."
Rongjie and Mo Ren exchanged wary glances before easing their hold on their blades, though they remained on high alert for good reasons. Baihu Mo was known for his cunning ways, and they knew better than to lower their guard completely, refusing to give the white tiger devil even the slightest chance to strike.
Rongjie arched a brow, a flicker of curiosity crossing his face. "Chat?" he mused, watching the white tiger devil closely. "What sort of chat?"
Baihu Mo let the silence between them stretch on for a bit longer before he spoke up, his eyes briefly resting on the slain demon sprawled on the cold stone. "What you just heard from this good-for-nothing guard… is true. The lord means to hand over the artefact to that Mortal."
Rongjie's frown deepened as those words sank in, getting under his skin and causing numerous dire thoughts to race in his mind. Why would the Demon God willingly hand over the Jade of Tear to the very person it had been brought into existence for? Doing such a thing would not only threaten the Demon God's own existence, but it would also—
"I know what you're thinking, Rongjie, but aren't you supposed to know Kaolin better than the lord as his sworn brother?"
"What's supposed to mean?" Rongjie snapped, his words laced with urgency. "What kind of games are you playing?"
"Games?" Baihu Mo hissed like a venomous snake, repeating with a hint of amusement in his voice. "What games?"
"Stop speaking in riddles! Why is the Demon God—"
"Because Kaolin won't use the artefact to ascend to godhood as the Gods and Goddesses intended, Rongjie," Baihu Mo interrupted. "He's going to use it… to save someone."
Mo Ren, "Nonsense! Why would Master Kaolin risk his life entering Wujing Yuan, if not to retrieve the artefact and use it to forge the Divine Bone for himself!?"
Hearing the desperation in his twin brother's voice, Baihu Mo burst into laughter and red mist coiled around his feet. With a mocking bow, he merged with the demonic mist and vanished into thin air, although his chilling laughter continued in the background for longer than either of them wanted.
Rongjie was still staring at the spot where Baihu Mo had stood, his eyes distant and fraught with dread, when Xiyan's low voice cut through the silence and snapped him out of his reeling mind full of unanswered questions.
"The one Kaolin wants to save," she muttered, her voice barely above a whisper, one that gave away that she, too, had a hard time coming to terms with the words now leaving her lips. "I… think I know who it is…" Then, as the last trace of doubt drained from her eyes. "It's Zhenhai." She looked at them in turn, her voice firmer now. "He wants to save Immortal Lord Zhenhai!"
Rongjie's frown deepened, his restless eyes flickering as countless thoughts battled for space in his dire mind. "Zhenhai?" he muttered, more to himself than to Xiyan, before one question finally rose above the rest: "But why? Why would he risk everything to save someone from the Jinlian Sect?"
"There's a rumour," she said, pausing for a few seconds to choose her words carefully, "about the Immortal being someone from Kaolin's past, even though I'm not sure whether there's any truth to those sayings…"
Rongjie's gaze sharpened, his mind racing. "Even if that were true, the Kaolin I know isn't one to risk his life for just anybody, unless,"—a sudden thought struck him mid-sentence, catching even himself off guard as the name escaped before he could stop it—"Yue'er?"