Chapter 4
The agony of dragging his broken body across the stone path was the last thing Ye-Liyun remembered. He woke up sitting cross-legged on a soft mat inside the elegant, wooden pavilion, his internal pain miraculously gone.
He was only a few feet from the man he had seen before. The man was facing away, looking out at the dense, towering trees.
"Where… where am I?" Ye-Liyun's voice was a dry whisper. "And why am I here?"
The old man slowly turned his head. "You are in the Pocket Realm of the Ancient Wood, young one. And you are here because you were on the verge of death. This realm, and the one who resides within it, cannot afford to lose you."
"Who are you?"
"I am the Ancient Immortal Emperor, and you are my lifeline." He gestured to the wooden ring on Ye-Liyun's finger. "That ring is a supreme artifact. Your mother gave it to you. For the last four years, the ring has been intentionally siphoning the spiritual energy you cultivated to sustain my existence. The energy you thought was vanishing was simply being transferred to me. That is why your cultivation stagnated. That is why you were humiliated."
The truth hit Ye-Liyun like a physical blow. "My mother… she knew?"
"She knew the price, and she paid it," the Emperor confirmed. "But the price is too high now. If I continue to siphon, you will die, and I will perish with you. We are bound together."
The Emperor leaned forward. "So, we will form a contract. You help me, I help you. I will stop the siphoning, and I will give you the knowledge to become an Immortal. Do you accept?"
Ye-Liyun's mind reeled with rage and betrayal. He raised his hand and slapped his own face, hard. "Wake up! This is a nightmare! Take me back!"
The Emperor remained impassive. "Slapping yourself will not change the truth. You will remain here until I send you back."
Ye-Liyun scrambled to his feet, his eyes wild. He ran to the edge of the pavilion, finding no exit. He turned back, his voice cracking with desperation.
"Take me back! I don't care about your contract! I want to go home! If you don't, I will destroy this ring and end both of us!"
The Emperor smiled faintly. "You cannot destroy the ring, Liyun. And you cannot leave until I allow it. Now, sit down. We have a contract to discuss."