The mist thickened around Yu YongTian, swallowing the path ahead in a ghostly shroud. Each step he took was soundless, his robes barely disturbing the eerie silence that clung to the air. He had followed Shen YiJun's trail into this forest, but now, the man was nowhere to be seen.
Pausing, he flicked his crimson fan open, its lacquered surface gleaming under the pale light that filtered through the canopy above. With a single, deliberate motion, he whipped the fan forward, sending a sharp gust of wind slicing through the mist. The dense fog parted like silk being unraveled, revealing a clearer path ahead, but still, no sign of Shen YiJun.
His voice rang out, steady yet edged with something unreadable. "Shen YiJun."
Only his voice echoed back. Yu YongTian frowned slightly but went silent. Instead, he listened for the faintest shift in the wind, the rustle of a leaf, the breath of another presence hidden within the mist.
A sudden, loud voice shattered the stillness. "Palace Lord! Palace Lord! Wait for me!"
Yu YongTian's fan stilled just short of his lips his as he turned. Ling You's small form emerged from the fog, bounding forward with an urgency that sent his long, bushy tail whipping behind him.
Yu YongTian raised a single brow. "Hurry up."
Ling You, panting slightly, leaped up onto Yu YongTian's shoulder with ease. His gleaming blue eyes glared at him accusingly.
"What?" Yu YongTian asked lazily, his tone holding the faintest note of amusement.
Ling You scoffed. "You forgot about me! You left me to be torn apart by those smelly humans!"
Yu YongTian gave a slow, dry "Oh," as if realizing it only now. Then, just as indifferently, he added, "Be more careful next time."
If Ling You were human, his face would have turned red from sheer rage. His tail bristled, his small frame trembling with barely contained frustration. His voice wavered as he turned his head away, refusing to acknowledge Yu YongTian any further.
Yu YongTian sighed, reaching up to stroke Ling You's soft fur in a calming gesture. "Fine. I apologize." His voice, though laced with amusement, held sincerity within its depths.
Ling You sniffed and turned his back on him, though not completely. Yu YongTian observed him with narrowed eyes, knowing that look all too well.
"Come on, help me track down Shen YiJun." His voice lowered, a hint of persuasion threading through it.
Ling You refused to look at him.
Yu YongTian exhaled through his nose, his patience thinning. "What do you want?"
As if waiting for this moment, Ling You slowly turned, his expression smug and knowing.
Yu YongTian's gaze darkened in realization, and before Ling You could even voice his demand, he shook his head firmly. "No."
Ling You immediately turned away again, his tail flicking in irritation.
Yu YongTian's fan snapped shut with a sharp click. "Ling You," he warned, but he was only met with silence.
The corner of his eye twitched, pointing at Ling You. "Fine... but later" he gritted through his teeth.
Ling You grinned victoriously before leaping off his shoulder. "This way." He bounded ahead, his movements swift and fluid as he led Yu YongTian deeper into the forest, his smile never ending followed by satisfied chuckles.
Yu YongTian followed with a heavy sigh, his fan tapping against his palm. "Annoying beast. Aren't you ashamed of blackmailing you master? Where else do you find someone as kind as me nowadays. Yet you only know how to—"
The complaints faded when they reached a part of the forest untouched by mist. Now, the air thrummed with the sounds of rustling leaves, the distant call of birds… and something sharper. It was the whistle of a blade slicing through air.
Yu YongTian's gaze sharpened as he stepped into the clearing. Before him, Shen YiJun moved like a spectral blur, his sword cutting arcs of silver through the air as he clashed with Jiu Lian.
The nine-tailed fox, no longer in her human form, darted around him with deadly grace, her claws glinting under the fractured light.
Yu YongTian did not move. He stood, watching with unreadable eyes, his fan held idly in front of him.
He noticed Shen YiJun's swordsmanship… had improved. There was a precision to his strikes, an efficiency that spoke of long years tempered by discipline and something colder. Something relentless. Yu YongTian's gaze tracked every movement, every shift of Shen YiJun's stance, noting how he never faltered, never hesitated.
Then, in one final strike, Shen YiJun drove Jiu Lian back. She stumbled, her form flickering before she shifted once more, her human body collapsing to one knee.
"Surrender," Shen YiJun's voice rang out, unyielding. "Or I will kill you."
Yu YongTian's expression did not shift, but deep within his gaze, something flickered. Kill? That was a word that had never passed Shen YiJun's lips before.
Yu YongTian smirked, his eyes colder than earlier, as he shut his fan slowly. Then, with a smooth motion, he slid one hand behind his back while the other rested lightly on his stomach, the fan poised between his fingers.
Step by step, he made his way toward Shen YiJun, his presence effortlessly weaving into the moment as if he had been there all along.
Yu YongTian's steps were slow, deliberate, as he closed the distance between himself and Shen YiJun. His half-smile was dark, unreadable, the kind that made the weak tremble and the strong wary. His robes, deep as the abyss, swayed slightly with each step, the hem dragging along the damp earth of the mist-laden forest. Before him, Jiu Lian lay on the ground, writhing in pain yet holding herself together with remarkable resolve.
Shen YiJun stood beside her, his sword glinting faintly with residual energy from the battle. He raised his gaze to Yu YongTian, his expression unreadable. Anger? Contempt? Or something far more complicated? The weight of those eyes made Yu YongTian sigh heavily, yet he did not return the look for long. Instead, his gaze fell upon Jiu Lian, studying her with a detached curiosity, as if assessing an insect caught beneath his fingers.
His voice, laced with cold amusement, cut through the stillness. "Why have you been tarnishing my name?"
Jiu Lian's brow creased in confusion. Her lips parted slightly, as though she struggled to comprehend his question.
"Who are... you?" she asked, her voice hoarse.
Yu YongTian chuckled. A sneer, laced with mockery, curled his lips as he flicked his fan open. He fanned himself leisurely, his motions unhurried yet carrying a distinct chill.
"Does it matter?" he replied, voice dropping into an icy drawl. "Just know you've offended me."
The moment Jiu Lian's eyes fell upon the intricate patterns of the fan, a flash of realization struck her. Her pupils shrank, and she stiffened as if struck by lightning.
"Palace Lord—" she whispered, her body involuntarily pressing back against the earth.
Yu YongTian paused his fanning and crouched before her, his sharp eyes narrowing in a feigned amusement. His fingers idly tapped against the ribs of his fan, creating an unsettling rhythm in the thick silence.
"So, you do remember me?" he mused, tilting his head slightly. "After stirring trouble in my lair, now you've decided to ruin my reputation in the mortal world. What a loyal servant you are to him. I'm impressed."
His words were laced with mockery, but his eyes graced with endless darkness, also brimming with something deadly. He held no trace of amusement from earlier. Without hesitation, his free hand shot forward, grasping Jiu Lian's throat, a trace of dark energy emanating from his hand. The force of his grip crushed the air from her lungs, and her fingers clawed at his wrist in desperation.
"Where is he?" Yu YongTian's voice was dangerously soft, the kind that sent shivers down spines.
Jiu Lian's lips parted, but no words came forth. Despite the pain twisting her features, her eyes burned with silent defiance. She refused to speak.
Yu YongTian's grip tightened. His fingers dug into her delicate skin, and a faint crackling sound echoed in the air. Just a little more force, and her neck would snap like brittle wood.
But before it happened—
"Yu YongTian."
Shen YiJun's low and deep voice cut through the tension like a blade.
Yu YongTian's breath paused and his entire body tensed. His fingers, as though commanded by some unseen force, loosened. His gaze which was unreadable even to himself, flickered toward Shen YiJun, different from when he glared at Jiu Lian.
In that moment, nothing moved. The world felt suspended between past and present, between a time when they stood side by side and the reality of where they stood now, worlds apart. Yu YongTian gulped, memories surging like a tidal wave.
Jiu Lian gasped desperately for air as Yu YongTian finally released her, stepping back in silence. He moved to Shen YiJun's side, his posture screaming mystery, while his eyes cast away as if refusing to meet the other's gaze. And he did not know why. Maybe deep down somewhere... he didn't want Shen YiJun to see him for the demon he was. But that was his wishful thinking. So he thought.
Shen YiJun's fingers moved with ease, unfastening the Demon-Sealing Pouch attached to his belt. He lifted his handand traced a slow circle in the air. The place crackled, golden runes shimmering before forming into a glowing vortex. The moment the light touched Jiu Lian, her body jerked violently.
"You—!" she snarled, her form twisting as she was forcefully pulled into the pouch. "Let me go! Go to he—"
The pouch sealed with a faint hum, silencing her completely. Shen YiJun remained motionless for a moment before lifting his gaze. His eyes, deep as the night sky and clear as the sea, settled on Yu YongTian who was still looking away.
Then, his voice, calm and firm, broke the silence. "Come back with me, Yu YongTian."
Yu YongTian exhaled slowly, his fingers tightening around his fan. He did not respond immediately, a feeling if self mockery creeping in. What had he expected? That he would at least ask how he is? Where he had disappeared to?
He chuckled dryly, then turned slightly, his lips curving into a faint smile—one that held no joy, only quiet defiance.
"If YiJun also misses his Shixiong so much, I'll allow you to… come with me."
Shen YiJun's expression did not change. He simply waited, unwavering, but the next moment, Yu YongTian's fan swiftly flashed in front of him catching him off guard.
"You..." His statement was left incomplete, and he fell unconscious. Luckily, Yu YongTian caught him by his waist before he fell to the ground. His eyes were darker than hell, as they slowly lifted and settled on the soft glowing light, that was a bit shadowed by the trees.
"YiJun, it's twilight." His expression colder than ice, he said to the unconscious man, and carried him away.
"Palace Lord! Palace Lord! Master!!! Hey!... You are leaving me behind again?" Ling You cried and wailed in anger but Yu YongTian was long gone. He gazed at his disappearing silhouette above the trees in disbelief. "I'm not coming back! You better find yourself another... another spirit beast?"
Ling You's expression twisted in horror at the thought of Yu YongTian replacing him. With a loud deafening scream, he fell to the ground kicking his little paws on the air angrily, while also plotting how to make Yu YongTian pay.
______________________
End Note
"Time changes all things—some bend, some break, and some… become unrecognizable."