Into The Sea

A black palace in the northeast corner of Yandu served as Ji Xing’s temporary residence. After leaving the Hundred Demon Scroll, it took her less than half an hour to return to the palace. She tossed the captive onto the cold floor and conjured shackles to bind her limbs.

They were ordinary chains, but with her spiritual roots sealed, Ji Lingyue couldn’t absorb the meager spiritual energy in the demon realm. She could only lie on the ground, gasping for breath.

Ji Xing crouched in front of her, grabbing her chin and forcing her to look up. “You formed a life-and-death contract with Lan Wu. Why?”

Ji Lingyue winced in pain. Under her thick lashes, one eye had returned to normal, while the other remained blood-red. Ji Xing stared at her mismatched eyes and asked, “Are you so obedient to her? Even if you can’t kill me, you refuse to fall into demonhood?”

“Heh…” Ji Lingyue let out a cold, hoarse laugh. “Would becoming a demon allow me to kill you? You just want… want to drag me down, to make me an outcast, hated by the world.”

“Wouldn’t that be nice?” Ji Xing tilted her head, gently wiping the blood from her face. “If you become a demon, we could be together openly.”

Ji Lingyue froze, looking at her in disbelief. After a moment, she began to tremble with laughter.

Ji Xing frowned. “What are you laughing at?”

Shaking her head, a single tear slid down Ji Lingyue’s cheek. She whispered, “If I had known it would come to this, I should have let you freeze to death in the snow all those years ago.”

The hand gripping her chin suddenly tightened. Ji Lingyue groaned, her reddened eyes staring stubbornly back at her.

The cat demon’s face darkened, “What did you say?”

“I said…” Ji Lingyue opened her mouth, laughing even more. “In this life, nothing, no one, will ever belong to you. You deserve… you deserve to be alone!”

Ji Xing fell silent, staring at her. The grip on her chin grew tighter, as if she wanted to crush her bones. Then, a cautious voice came from outside the door. “My Lady?”

She said impatiently, “What is it?”

The person hesitated, their voice much quieter, “It’s… the Second Princess of the Merfolk.”

Both women froze. Ji Lingyue glanced at the door, her surprise quickly followed by a glimmer of hope. Ji Xing snorted, tossing her back to the ground and sealing her throat before striding out.

At Qiyu Pavilion not far from the door, Lan Yuan stood with her arms crossed. Hearing the footsteps, she turned her head casually.

The sunlight danced over her thick lashes and smooth, silky hair, making her look ethereal. Yet her steady gaze was fixed on Ji Xing. Ji Xing paused, an involuntary smile tugging at her lips.

“Sister, what brings you here?” she asked sweetly.

Lan Yuan frowned slightly. “Didn’t you invite me for a boat ride this afternoon?”

Ji Xing remembered. She nodded quickly. “You are right. It was my fault. I should have come to pick you up.”

She reached Lan Yuan’s side, but the mermaid’s gaze suddenly shifted downwards. Before she could react, Lan Yuan reached out to touch the bruise on her neck. “What happened? Did someone hit you?”

As she spoke, a cool sensation covered the angry red mark, quickly taking away most of the pain. Ji Xing was stunned, looking at her with a hint of flattery. “Sister, are you worried about me?”

Lan Yuan clicked her tongue, pulling her hand back. “Don’t flatter yourself. It’s just an eyesore.”

Ji Xing nodded. “You are right, Sister.”

Lan Yuan couldn’t help but frown. Her ears twitched, catching a strange sound. She turned her head to the closed palace door. “What’s that noise?”

Ji Xing didn’t change her expression. “I just caught a demon pet. She’s too wild, so I locked her up. She’s probably throwing a tantrum.”

“A demon pet?” Lan Yuan’s brow furrowed. “You’re a demon yourself. Why would you keep another demon as a pet?”

“If you don’t like it, I’ll release her tomorrow.”

“Why would I care?” Lan Yuan said irritably. “Are you coming or not? It’ll be dark soon.”

“Of course, we’re going.” Ji Xing smiled and extended her hand. “Come with me, Sister.”

The two walked away, their voices fading into the distance. Ji Lingyue groaned, weakly lowering her hand. The areas where the chains bound her were raw and bleeding. She took a few deep breaths, trying to kneel upright, but suddenly shuddered.

A sharp pain surged through her body. Ji Lingyue collapsed to the ground, her body convulsing. She bit her lip to the point of drawing blood, her body covered in a cold sweat. As her consciousness faded, she understood what was happening.

The remaining demonic energy was corrupting her spiritual roots.

It was so cold…

***

The woman floating in the water fluttered her long lashes and finally opened her eyes.

All she could see was an endless blackness, like a gaping abyss that devoured all light. Lan Wu’s heart raced, and she quickly turned her head, looking upward.

A faint glow shimmered above her. She swam toward it, only to be blocked by cold iron bars. Lan Wu turned, scanning her surroundings, and realized she was trapped in a cage completely submerged in water. With a flick of her tail, she touched the icy metal walls surrounding her.

She swam in circles, growing increasingly anxious, then gripped the bars and strained with all her might to pry them apart. But intricate spells etched into the iron absorbed her demonic energy, rendering her efforts useless. Lan Wu gasped, exhausted, and rested her forehead against the cold bars. Her wounds, aggravated by her struggle, began to bleed again.

After a moment, she opened her eyes and noticed another cage floating nearby. Inside it, a figure lay curled up, its long snake tail coiled lifelessly at the bottom.

Lan Wu was startled, quickly recognizing her. “Bai Zhi?”

She swam over, pressing against the bars. Raising her voice, she called, “Bai Zhi! Bai Zhi, what happened? Do you know where this is?”

Bai Zhi didn’t move, as if she hadn’t heard her. Lan Wu grew anxious and slammed her fist against the bars. “Bai Zhi! Talk to me! You…”

Her voice trailed off as she looked at Bai Zhi, who had finally turned around. The woman’s eyes were red and swollen. Even in the water, it was clear that she had been crying.

Lan Wu froze, her voice hoarse. “Why are you crying?”

Bai Zhi said in a broken voice, “Ji Lingyue is still alive.”

Lan Wu pursed her lips, instinctively grabbing the bars in front of her. “What about Lin Jingzhe? Did you kill her? You… you…”

“She killed herself,” Bai Zhi interrupted, her gaze growing distant. “Before she did, she broke my contract.”

A deathly silence fell. It felt like they could only hear their own heartbeats. After a long moment, Lan Wu closed her eyes, slowly letting go of the bars, letting her body drift downwards, sinking to the bottom of the cage.

***

“Why?”

On the bustling street, Yao Zhu stood outside the Wanxiang Gate, blocked by guards clad in black armor. Her eyebrows were raised in anger. “Why won’t you let me in?”

The bird-headed guard on the left said, “This is the residence of the Demon Lords and the Demon Queen. Who are you, little demon, to demand entry?”

The goat-headed guard on the right said, “If you have urgent business, go to the Wantang Hall and report it. The hall master will review it and report it to the Queen.”

“What hall master?”

Yao Zhu turned around, confused. They pointed her in a direction. “That red-tiled house over there. Go on.”

She frowned, glancing back at the two guards and then at the house. After a moment of hesitation, she walked toward it.

Behind her, the two demons whispered. “Why did you send her to the Wantang Hall?”

“Nowadays, any demon thinks they can see the Queen. Let her get a taste of the hall master’s temper. It’ll teach her a lesson.”

“With the hall master’s temper, she’ll be scolded to death.”

“That’s not my problem.”

The two guards laughed, watching Yao Zhu’s retreating figure. Meanwhile, Yao Zhu stepped over the high threshold of the Wantang Hall. Looking around, she didn’t see anyone, only a few bare trees in the empty courtyard. It was a desolate scene. She backed out, checking the plaque on the door again, before hesitantly walking back in.

It was very quiet here. There wasn’t even anyone to guide her. Yao Zhu slowly walked to the back of the courtyard, where she saw a house with its door wide open. She perked up and hurried towards it. She knocked on the door. “Is the hall master…”

Before she could finish, a black object flew out, narrowly missing her. Yao Zhu jumped back in fright. When she saw that it was an inkstone, her anger flared up. “Are you crazy?!”

“Impudence!”

The person seemed even angrier than her. They stepped out of the shadows, their red robes billowing. “Who gave you the nerve…”

Yao Zhu’s face hardened, waiting for some harsh words. But the person suddenly froze, their eyes wide, staring at her in shock.

Yao Zhu raised an eyebrow impatiently. “Well?”

Lin Wantang blinked, her voice suddenly softening. “Elder Sister?”