Into The Sea

The night passed peacefully.

As dawn broke, Ji Lingyue woke up right on time. She stared blankly at the ceiling for a moment and noticed that someone was tightly holding her hand. Turning her head, she saw Lan Wu lying beside her with closed eyes, her brows slightly furrowed as if she were not sleeping well.

Feeling a pang of tenderness, Ji Lingyue turned over to face Lan Wu. Somewhat bored, she traced the contours of Lan Wu’s face with her eyes. When her gaze fell upon those full, red lips, she blinked, carefully leaned in, and gently brushed them with her own.

Lan Wu’s long eyelashes fluttered. A moment later, she slowly opened her eyes and met Ji Lingyue’s smiling gaze.

“What time is it?” she mumbled.

“It’s early morning.”

Lan Wu groaned, turned over, and buried her head in Ji Lingyue’s chest, mumbling, “I don’t want to get up.”

“That’s not acceptable,” Ji Lingyue’s tone turned serious as she sat up, pulling Lan Wu up with her. “If you keep missing classes, Elder Ye will punish you.”

Lan Wu, though lacking her usual energy, obediently went to freshen up. They left their room together, walking side-by-side until they reached a fork in the path. Lan Wu was headed to the main peak, while Ji Lingyue had to return to Jinling Peak.

Seeing that they were alone, Ji Lingyue quickly stole another kiss, her usually cold face lit up with a rare, radiant smile. “You can’t skip class again today. If you get punished, I won’t have time to help you copy the scriptures.”

“I know, I know.” Lan Wu released her hand, hesitated for a moment, and then hugged her tightly again. “Ah Yue…”

“Hmm?” Ji Lingyue tilted her head, gently patting Lan Wu’s back. “What is it?”

“I…” Lan Wu hugged her tighter, her voice barely a whisper. “I had a dream last night.”

“What was it?”

“I dreamt… I was a demon.”

Ji Lingyue froze for a moment before quickly reassuring her, “Dreams are usually the opposite of reality. How could you be a demon? Don’t overthink it..”

Lan Wu persisted, “But what if I were a demon? Would you… kill me?”

Ji Lingyue frowned, her voice turning firm. “You are not a demon, so don’t ask such questions.”

Lan Wu fell silent for a moment before relenting with a quiet, “Okay.”

Ji Lingyue blinked, a flicker of unease in her heart. She cupped Lan Wu’s face, gazing into her beautiful eyes, her voice laced with concern. “Are you feeling unwell? If you’re not feeling well, go back and rest. I’ll let the elders know you’re not feeling well.”

“I’m fine. You should be the one to be careful during your night patrol tonight.”

“What could possibly happen? I’ll be with my senior brothers and sisters.” Ji Lingyue gently caressed Lan Wu’s cheek. “Alright, hurry up, or you’ll be late.”

Lan Wu nodded and watched as Ji Lingyue walked away. Once she was out of sight, Lan Wu turned and headed towards Wan Pavilion, where Fuyou was. As she passed a mountain stream, a gentle breeze blew by. Lan Wu stopped and turned around to see someone walking out of the depths of the forest.

The figure had black hair and black eyes, her appearance identical to Lan Wu’s. She was even wearing the same white robe. She stopped a short distance away from Lan Wu, and the two stood face-to-face like reflections in a mirror, their expressions equally indifferent.

“This is the real reason, isn’t it?” Lan Yuan’s voice was surprisingly calm after witnessing the earlier scene. “You don’t want to leave because you’ve fallen for a human cultivator.”

Lan Wu silently stared at her.

Lan Yuan scoffed. “A demon, in love with a cultivator. Should I praise you for your audacity? She wouldn’t even accept the possibility of you being a demon…”

“Stop it,” Lan Wu interrupted, her voice sharp. “I’ll get Fuyou out, but your soul lamp…”

“I know where it is,” Lan Yuan stated coldly. “I have my own methods. If you want to help, focus on getting Fuyou out.”

“Is there really no room for negotiation?”

“No,” Lan Yuan stated ruthlessly. “If you’re still hesitant, go hide behind your little lover. Let’s see if she’ll raise her sword against you when your true identity is revealed.”

Lan Wu stared at her for a long moment before lowering her gaze. “I understand.”

“You better. I’ll make my move tonight. If you don’t want us all to die here, don’t hold me back.” With that, her form began to dissipate into wisps of smoke, her voice a faint echo in the air. “Lan Wu, think carefully.”

Once again, Lan Wu was alone on the mountain path. She stood motionless for a long time, the autumn wind brushing against her forehead, until she finally snapped out of her daze. She looked up at the clear, cloudless sky.

Haochen Mountain remained peaceful and serene, no different from any other day.

As dusk approached, a slender figure appeared once more in the evening glow. Lan Wu, carrying a tray of food, arrived at the entrance of Wan Pavilion and smoothly made her way to Fuyou’s room.

“You again?” The disciple guarding the door looked at her in surprise. “Is Shi Yan sick again?”

Lan Wu simply hummed in response. The disciple shook his head, sighing. “You’re too nice, you know. You can’t keep covering for her laziness.”

Lan Wu paused before saying softly, “It won’t happen again.”

“Alright, go on in.” He added as a reminder, “Don’t stay too long. You were here for quite a while yesterday.”

Lan Wu nodded and entered the room, closing the door behind her. Setting the tray aside, she quickly made her way to the inner room. Fuyou, as if knowing she would come, greeted her with a small smile. “Right on time.”

Lan Wu didn’t reply. She stepped closer, examining the restraints binding Fuyou’s wrists. She realized that the only way to remove them, besides the owner undoing them, was to forcefully destroy them. She frowned, rummaging through her storage bag and pulling out a few high-level fire talismans. “This might hurt a bit,” she said, “but it’s better than being trapped here…”

Fuyou’s eyes widened. “Why not just destroy it?”

Lan Wu replied, “Have you forgotten? I have no power now.”

“Ah, right.” Fuyou nodded in understanding. She reached into her robes and pulled out a porcelain bottle. “Here,” she said, offering it to Lan Wu. “The antidote.”

Lan Wu was stunned for a moment, then said blankly, “Antidote?”

“Yes,” Fuyou replied simply. “Since my master made this kind of pill, of course she also made an antidote. Once we take it, we’ll return to normal.”

Lan Wu’s face turned pale, and she stood motionless like a statue. After a long pause, she lowered her head and suddenly let out a soft laugh.

All those years of struggle, all her efforts… and a tiny pill was all it took to undo everything.

She closed her eyes, her voice a choked whisper. “How ridiculous…”

“Lan Wu?”

“It’s nothing…” Lan Wu took a deep breath, lifted her moist eyes, and slowly extended her hand. “Give it to me.”

The sun seemed to set faster than usual that day. One moment the sky was ablaze with the colors of the sunset, and the next, only a sliver of light remained.

Fang Yuan stood clutching his sword, looking at the darkening sky and wondering if he should hurry along that direct disciple called Lan Wu, when the door creaked open and the beautiful young woman walked out.

He let out a sigh of relief, then noticed her empty hands. “Don’t you need to bring the tray back?” he asked.

Lan Wu shook her head and looked up at him, “I’m sorry…”

Before Fang Yuan could react, she suddenly darted forward. A wave of cold energy engulfed his entire body. The pain was so intense he couldn’t even cry out before his eyes rolled back and he lost consciousness.

In the blink of an eye, his eyes grew dull, staring at her like a puppet.

Lan Wu shook her head and looked up at him, “I’m sorry…”

After issuing her command, she turned and hurried away from the courtyard, heading towards the main peak. But as she flew, a muffled boom echoed in the distance. Lan Wu’s head snapped up. A plume of smoke was rising from the direction of Wuji Hall, even from a distance, the thick smoke was visible.

But it’s not time yet…

Her eyes widened in shock, and without further thought, she transformed into a streak of blue light, shooting towards the main peak like a falling star. Upon reaching the Wuji Hall at top speed, she saw a female disciple chasing after someone. Seeing Lan Wu, the disciple’s eyes lit up “Junior Sister! Quick! Stop her!” she cried, pointing.

Lan Wu looked up and saw a figure with flowing silver hair rushing towards her—it was Lan Yuan. She had clearly heard the shout and now fixed Lan Wu with a cold, piercing stare. A long sword materializing in her hand as a warning.

Lan Wu bit her lip, averting her gaze. She stepped aside, allowing Lan Yuan to pass.

“You…” The female disciple was stunned. She turned and flew upward, aiming to ring the alarm bell to alert the entire sect. Just then, a force wrapped around her limbs, yanking her down violently.

She landed awkwardly, looking up to see Lan Wu standing not far away, her brows tightly knit. Waves of deep blue demonic energy emanated from her, stirring up cold winds that scattered the disciple’s hair.

“You’re a demon!” the disciple gasped.

When Lan Yuan returned to the Wan Pavilion, she saw Fuyou waiting outside. Fuyou still had black hair, but her eyes had turned a demonic red. Beside her were two disciples, one standing and one lying down, both seemingly unconscious.

Lan Yuan, sparing the unconscious disciples a glance, grabbed Fuyou’s wrist and urged, “Let’s go!”

Even in this urgent situation, Fuyou remained calm, even finding the time to ask, “Aren’t we waiting for the Third Princess?”

“She can handle a single Nascent Soul cultivator,” Lan Yuan stated coldly. “That troublesome sect leader seems to be occupied in some scripture vault. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have acted early. We need to leave before she and those old geezers come out.”

As she spoke, her gaze swept forward, landing on a group of ten or so disciples approaching on their flying swords. Two were at the Soul Splitting stage, three or four at the Nascent Soul stage, and the remaining few were at the Golden Core stage, among them, Ji Lingyue.

They had run into the night patrol.

Lan Yuan frowned. She quickly changed her mind, asking Fuyou, “How much of your strength has returned?”

“Almost fully recovered,” Fuyou replied.

“Good. Hold them off for a bit. I need to kill someone before we leave.”

Fuyou didn’t question her. “Understood.”

As soon as the words left her mouth, Lan Yuan shot toward Ji Lingyue. The Nascent Soul disciples cried out in alarm and rushed to intercept, but Fuyou entangled them with a long whip. The whip seemed to dance effortlessly in the air, but as it neared the disciples, it crackled with power.

Like Lan Yuan, Fuyou’s cultivation was comparable to that of a Great Ascension cultivator. Even against seven or eight opponents, holding them off for a while wasn’t difficult.

Finding herself suddenly alone, Ji Lingyue watched in astonishment as the demon charged towards her. She instinctively raised her sword to block. But her already battered black sword shattered upon contact with Lan Yuan’s silver blade, unable to withstand the overwhelming demonic energy.

“Ugh…” A rush of metallic taste filled her mouth, and Ji Lingyue coughed up blood. She recognized the familiar demonic aura and looked up in shock, meeting a face just inches away.

Her eyes widened in shock, and she gasped, “Lan…”

Almost simultaneously, the fierce and beautiful demon struck her chest without mercy. Ji Lingyue cried out, blood spraying from her lips as she was sent hurtling through the air like a kite with a broken string. Lan Yuan gave chase, raising her sword again to stab at Ji Lingyue’s chest.

A sharp whistling sound pierced the air, followed by a resounding clang. A silver sword, identical to Lan Yuan’s, appeared out of thin air, intercepting the deadly blow at the very last second.

Lan Yuan’s eyes flickered. Seeing who had intervened, she laughed coldly. “Lan Wu!”

Lan Wu ignored her, instead turned to catch the pale-faced Ji Lingyue. Breathing heavily and drenched in cold sweat, she looked down at the girl. Ji Lingyue tried to speak but coughed up blood instead. Startled, Lan Wu hastily fed her a pill and placed her hand over Ji Lingyue’s chest, continuously channeling spiritual energy into her.

As Ji Lingyue’s consciousness slowly returned, she seemed oblivious to the danger, her focus solely on Lan Wu. She grasped Lan Wu’s robes, her voice hoarse and weak. “What… what are you doing here? Run… You need to run…”

Lan Yuan sneered. “Why would she run? She’s my sister. Do you think I would hurt her?”

Ji Lingyue froze, her gaze shifting between Lan Yuan and Lan Wu, her expression a mixture of confusion and disbelief. “You… What are you talking about?”

She clutched Lan Wu’s robes tightly and turned to her for reassurance, but Lan Wu’s face had turned an unnatural shade of white. Tears welled up in her eyes as she looked at Ji Lingyue, her voice choked with emotion. “I’m sorry…”

She closed her eyes, and her long, black eyelashes slowly turned silver, starting from the roots. Her ink-black hair followed suit, fading to a matching shade of silver. The ribbon holding her hair snapped, and her now moonlit hair danced wildly in the wind. Her eyelashes fluttered, and when she opened her eyes, they shone with an ethereal, captivating blue, as deep and alluring as the ocean depths.

A single tear escaped her eye, instantly solidifying into a pearly white bead as it fell, landing in Ji Lingyue’s lap with a soft clink.

Beyond the South Seas, there were mermaids who live underwater like fish, weaved without pause, and when they weep, their tears become pearls.

Ji Lingyue stared at her, her face pale, her throat constricting as if words had abandoned her.

“Lan Wu,” Lan Yuan asked coldly, “If you don’t want me to kill her, will you leave or not?”

Lan Wu looked up with a sorrowful smile. In a hoarse voice, she replied. “Things have come to this. How can I not leave?”

Ji Lingyue’s heart pounded in her chest. She clung to Lan Wu even tighter, her voice trembling as she asked, “Where… Where are you going? Lan Wu, tell me, where are you going?”

Lan Wu gently lowered Ji Lingyue to the ground, kneeling beside her. “Ah Yue,” she said softly, her voice heavy with sorrow, “I have to go home.”

Ji Lingyue’s eyes were red, tears streaming down as she clung to Lan Wu’s sleeve, refusing to let go. “No, you can’t go… You… You can’t leave!”

“But I’m a demon,” Lan Wu whispered.

“No, no,” Ji Lingyue choked out, tears blurring her vision. “You’re not a demon. You’re Lan Wu. You’re human. You’re… the one I love…” Her voice cracked. “You’re not a demon…”

She broke down, her sobs shaking her entire body. The movement aggravated her injury, and she started coughing again, blood staining her lips. Lan Wu bit her lip, holding Ji Lingyue close as she channeled her energy into her, her voice thick with tears. “Please don’t be like this… It’s my fault. I’m so sorry. Please… don’t… don’t love me anymore. I’m a bad demon… don’t love me anymore…”

“Lan Wu, what are you waiting for?!” Lan Yuan could barely stand to watch any longer. She hardened her heart, her voice sharp. “Can’t you see? She can’t even accept that you’re a demon. Why are you still degrading yourself like this?!”

Lan Wu wept softly, seemingly deaf to her sister’s words. She held Ji Lingyue tightly, tears falling like pearls onto the ground. Over and over, she whispered. “I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry…”