"The one who made the poison using Crimson Bloodroot," she said softly. "The one who handed it to the emperor in the first place."
Shu Mingye stiffened at her words. Linyue had always been sharp. Sometimes it made his job easier. Sometimes it made him feel like he should study harder just to keep up. That thought hadn't even crossed his mind. The one who made the poison, the one who might be controlling everything from the shadows. A completely different player on the board.
"Do you have any idea who it was? The one who's backing King Shen?"
Linyue shook her head without looking up. "I'm not sure. But it's not really our problem. As long as that person doesn't bother us, I don't really care."
And just like that, she continued reading, completely unbothered.
Shu Mingye stared at her for a moment, then chuckled. It was a low, amused sound that warmed the room. "Of course. My Pie is here. The imperial palace can burn for all I care."
She didn't say a word. Which, as always, meant she agreed.
Then a knock interrupted the not-so-royal study session.
Shu Mingye raised his voice lazily. "Come in."
The door opened and Boyi stepped in, as stiff and proper as ever. His posture perfect, his face blank. He bowed. "Lord. Madam."
Linyue's eye twitched. There it was again. The "madam" thing. She glanced up at Boyi with a blank face, then looked back down and pretended her scroll was the most fascinating thing in the room (It was not).
Shu Mingye's lips twitched with amusement, but he didn't say a word.
Boyi either didn't notice or was very good at pretending he didn't. "Lord, there's trouble outside the wall. Soldiers were fighting off demons when… someone appeared."
Shu Mingye's expression sharpened. "Who?"
Boyi hesitated. "A lightning cultivator. Very powerful. He's wearing a plain white mask that covers his entire face."
Linyue's fingers froze on the scroll. Her head shot up so fast it startled even Boyi.
No. No, no, no. He shouldn't be here. He never came this close to the wall. Never.
"Where are the others?" she asked sharply.
Boyi blinked, clearly confused by her sudden tone. "The others? Oh, you mean the other three? They're outside too. Helping fight the demons."
Of course they were. Of course her chaos-prone trio couldn't resist running straight into danger. Linyue didn't waste a second. She stood up so quickly the scroll flopped to the floor. Before she could take another step, Shu Mingye's hand shot out and caught her wrist.
"Where are you going, Pie?"
She turned to him, her expression serious. "Outside."
Shu Mingye frowned. Her tone made something twist in his chest. Her usual calm was gone. She looked tense. That wasn't a good sign. Linyue could probably watch an entire state explode and just blink. So for her to be like this—
"You know that person?" he asked, his voice quieter than he meant it to be.
Linyue nodded once. "He's dangerous. I need to go."
Shu Mingye's grip tightened. "Then I'll go. You stay here."
She turned her head and met his gaze. Her eyes were clear, steady, and completely unshaken. "No. You can't fight him."
He raised an eyebrow. "Pie, I'm the Demon King of Shulin. People have nightmares about me. Parents use my name to stop their children from stealing chicken legs."
"You can't fight him," she repeated. "I can't fight him. We can't fight him."
Shu Mingye paused. "…Wait," he said slowly, "is this one of those poetic no one-wins-in-war speeches or are you actually serious?"
"I'm serious."
Shu Mingye's brain had the tiniest glitch. Linyue was many things: calm, wise and slightly scary when disappointed. She didn't even flinch when she fought Zimo. So if she said no one could fight this masked man, she wasn't exaggerating.
"Then it's even more reason you shouldn't go," he said firmly.
Her eyes didn't waver. "I'll be fine."
Shu Mingye's jaw tightened. He held her gaze for a long moment, then let out a sharp sigh. "Fine. We'll go together."
Boyi straightened. "Then I—"
"Stay," Linyue said without even glancing at him.
Shu Mingye gave Boyi a nod that meant, Listen to her.
Linyue was already heading toward the palace stables, moving faster than usual, almost running. Shu Mingye followed close behind, still holding her hand tightly. He picked the fastest horse without hesitation. As soon as they were both seated, he kicked off. The horse shot forward in a blur, hooves pounding hard against the ground as they sped out of the palace. Shu Mingye kept one arm firmly around her, his expression dark as the wind whipped past them.
Shu Mingye leaned forward, his chest brushing lightly against Linyue's back as they rode. He could feel the tension in her body. Linyue never rushed. Not her words, not her emotions. But now she was on edge, and that alone told him this wasn't some small problem.
He lowered his voice near her ear. "Pie, can you explain a bit?"
Her eyes stayed fixed on the road ahead. "If we don't have to fight, then don't fight him."
That wasn't the kind of warning people gave about a normal enemy. His frown deepened. "Lightning cultivators are extremely rare. I've never even seen one before. How dangerous is he?"
She was quiet for a moment. Then she answered, calm but certain. "He… is the most powerful person in the realm."
The most powerful?
Shu Mingye's grip on the reins tightened. He kept his voice steady. "Do you know his cultivation level?"
Her reply came without hesitation. "Beyond us."
Shu Mingye leaned back slightly, trying to process what he just heard.
Beyond them? Him and her? Who exactly was this us?
"…So, we're galloping straight toward him?"
"Yes."
"And we can't win?"
"Yes."
Shu Mingye muttered, "Great." Then his voice turned serious, quiet but intense. "Pie, I don't care who he is or what he wants. Just don't get hurt."
Linyue gave a small nod. "I know."
That was enough. Neither of them said another word after that. The ride continued in silence, broken only by the horse's pounding hooves and the wind tearing past their ears. The moment they reached the inner wall, Linyue jumped down without hesitation and sprinted toward the gate. Shu Mingye followed, not about to let her out of his sight.
In the distance, a crack of lightning split the air. The atmosphere shifted, heavy and charged. The fine hairs on Linyue's arms stood on end. Shu Mingye felt the prickling sensation that made every instinct in his body tighten. Far down the battlefield, the masked man stood in the middle of the wreckage. Sparks danced across the ground near his feet, flickering like fireflies. There were no demons left, only black ash scattered everywhere. The only ones still standing were that man and a few unlucky soldiers trying, and failing to face him.
Linyue's chest tightened as her eyes swept over the scene. Where were the others?
Then she spotted them.
He Yuying was sprawled on the ground, motionless. Shen Zhenyu was kneeling beside him, checking for signs of life. Across the field, Song Meiyu lay half-buried in dirt, her hair sticking up at odd angles.
Linyue ran straight for her.
Song Meiyu's eyes went wide when she saw her. "Sister Linyue! That's the mask man from last time!" she squeaked, pointing with a trembling finger. "The zzt-zzt one!"
Linyue knelt quickly and took her hand, helping her sit up. "Are you hurt?"
Song Meiyu shook her head. "No! We just got thrown by the impact. I think I did a somersault. It was actually kind of fun if I ignore the part where I almost died."
Linyue let out a relieved breath. "Good. Don't stay here. He's dangerous. Go back."
Song Meiyu's eyes grew even rounder. "And what about you? You're going toward him??"
Linyue didn't answer. She stood up, her eyes sharp as another crack of lightning split the sky.
"Of course you are…" Song Meiyu mumbled to herself. "Everyone in this group has brain damage."
Linyue glanced down at her. "I'll handle it. Don't worry."
Song Meiyu sat up straighter, panic flashing across her face. "No! He's too strong! I… I can't even tell what stage he's at!"
Linyue's expression didn't change. "I know. You also can't tell my cultivation stage, right?"
Song Meiyu opened her mouth, froze, then squinted suspiciously. "That's true, but—"
"Sister Meiyu," Linyue said gently but with a firmness that left no room for argument, "tell Brother Yuying and Brother Zhenyu to go back inside. Don't let them come closer."
Before Song Meiyu could protest again, Linyue had already turned and sprinted toward the battlefield.
Up ahead, Shu Mingye was facing the masked man. His black robes whipped in the wind. Fire spiritual energy flared at his side, bright and unyielding. The masked man stood still with his hands clasped behind his back. He looked calm, almost bored, like he was waiting for tea to be served, not a fight to begin.
Linyue's steps quickened. This was not good.