The forest at night was thick with mist, every shadow sharp under the pale moonlight.
The chase had gone on far too long, and Zhu Zhuqing's breath came in ragged gasps.
Her legs threatened to collapse, yet she pushed forward.
Behind her, the mocking laughter of her sister echoed like a predator savoring the moment before the kill.
"Haha… my sister is still as kind as ever," Zhu Zhuyun's voice rang cold.
"Even at death's door, you don't want to implicate strangers. Truly, you've always been like this. Naïve."
Her eyes glittered with a strange light. Beneath the cruelty, there was something else....something no one would notice unless they looked very closely.
"Miss!" one of the guards at her side suddenly shouted.
His gaze had fallen upon the campfire in the clearing ahead.
There, a young man sat casually, as if none of the chaos in the forest concerned him.
Zhu Zhuyun's eyes narrowed slightly when she noticed him.
For a moment, she hesitated....but then dismissed him with a shake of her head. "Ignore him. Chase Zhu Zhuqing!"
The group veered toward her sister again, leaving the man by the fire behind.
By the bonfire, Yuan Longxuan raised his brows, lips quirking in amusement.
"Oh? You saw me… and then just dismissed me?" His fingers tapped idly on the handle of his fishing rod.
"That's new. People usually fear me or worship me. This is the first time I've been… looked down upon."
The glow of his cheat-system panel flickered briefly before his eyes:
[Target: Zhu Zhuyun]
Age: 18
Soul Power: Level 38
Martial Soul: Nether Spirit Cat
Status: Eldest Daughter of the Nether Duke's Mansion, Xingluo Empire
Fiancée: Eldest Prince Davis
Yuan Longxuan chuckled, shaking his head. "Interesting. Sister cats really are a package deal."
The forest grew denser as Zhu Zhuqing fled. Her lungs burned, her vision blurred, and her soul power was nearly depleted. Each step felt heavier than the last.
She knew this couldn't last. If she reached Notting City, there might be hope—but her body screamed that she would collapse before then.
"Just… a little more…" she whispered to herself, forcing her legs forward.
Her strength finally betrayed her. A stray vine caught her ankle, sending her crashing to the forest floor. Pain exploded across her body, and she could barely raise her head as three figures descended upon her like hawks upon prey.
"My dear sister," Zhu Zhuyun stepped into the moonlight, tall and graceful, her beauty as cold as a blade.
"There's no need to struggle anymore. Accept your fate. Return with me, and perhaps I can spare your life."
"Spare my life?" Zhu Zhuqing spat blood, forcing herself upright. Her voice trembled, but her eyes blazed with defiance.
"Do you think I don't know your schemes? Better you kill me now than act so hypocritical!"
"Hahaha!" Zhu Zhuyun's laughter cut through the night, sharp and mocking. "Hypocritical? You still don't understand anything, little sister."
For just a moment, her gaze softened. A flicker of pity surfaced....but it was gone as quickly as it came.
Yuan Longxuan Intervenes
"Hello."
The voice was calm, unhurried. The sisters and their guards turned sharply.
The young man from the fire now stood between them and Zhu Zhuqing, his posture relaxed, his smile maddeningly serene.
Zhu Zhuyun's eyes narrowed. "It's you. That useless bystander…"
Her guards bristled instantly, machetes and hammers gleaming as they stepped forward. "Boy, the young miss has shown you kindness by ignoring you. Leave now, or die!"
"One…" one of them growled, his spirit power igniting. "Two…"
Yuan Longxuan tilted his head, half-smiling. "Are you certain you have the strength to kill me?"
His tone wasn't threatening...it was playful. Almost as if he were humoring children.
Without sparing them another glance, he walked past, kneeling by the fallen Zhu Zhuqing.
"Little girl," his voice softened, carrying a strange charm that made the guards' anger falter. "You and I are destined. Why not come with me?"
Zhu Zhuqing blinked, her body trembling from exhaustion. "Why… why would you help me? Who are you?"
Yuan Longxuan chuckled. Who am I? An old monster playing in a young man's body, perhaps.
Aloud, he said, "I cannot bear to see a kind soul perish. As for who I am… if you're willing to come with me, you'll find out in time."
For the first time, hesitation flickered in Zhu Zhuqing's eyes.
Could she trust him? He was a stranger...but wasn't he also the only one standing between her and death?
"No!" Zhu Zhuyun's composure cracked, her voice sharp as steel. "She cannot go with you!"
Her heart twisted, though she refused to show it. She wanted her sister alive, even if it meant imprisonment. But to leave with this mysterious man? That was unacceptable.
"Make your choice, little one," Yuan Longxuan's tone was serious now. "I will respect it."
Moonlight pierced through the branches, casting silver shards across the clearing.
At Yuan Longxuan's side, a nine-colored jade sword case shimmered into existence.
With a thought, an icy blue longsword slid into his palm, its edge glinting like frozen lightning.
The Shuihan Sword.
The guards froze. A suffocating aura rolled out from Yuan Longxuan, sharp and merciless, making their hair stand on end.
Zhu Zhuqing's lips parted. Her gaze locked with his. And then....
"I'm willing to go with you," she whispered, her voice steady despite her trembling body.
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