Into The Sea

“Let’s go!” Lan Yuan snapped, grabbed Lan Wu and pulled her away.

She turned her head and shouted, “Fuyou!”

Fuyou understood immediately. Breaking free from the fight, she and Lan Yuan each grabbed one of Lan Wu’s arms and shot into the air, quickly putting a vast distance between themselves and the others.

“Come… back…”

Ji Lingyue fell to the ground, almost crawling as she tried to get up. She stumbled forward a step before her footing gave way, and she began to fall down the mountain. Thankfully, a hand reached out and pulled her back. Ji Lingyue coughed violently, blood spilling from her lips, and she looked up to see the pale-faced Yu Shanye.

The usually carefree girl now looked frightened and confused. She glanced at Ji Lingyue, then at the direction Lan Wu and the others had disappeared. “How can this be? How can this be… Lan Wu…” she mumbled.

Ji Lingyue swallowed the metallic taste in her throat, tears falling uncontrollably. She clung to Yu Shanye’s wrist like a lifeline. “Help me… take me… take me to her…” she pleaded.

Yu Shanye snapped out of her daze, shaking her head instinctively. “You can’t move anymore. Your injuries…”

“Please,” Ji Lingyue choked out, cutting her off. “I can’t… just let her leave like this. I’m begging you…”

Yu Shanye stared into her desperate eyes. After a long moment, she finally relented. “Alright.”

Meanwhile, three streaks of light were rapidly approaching the outermost barrier of Haochen Mountain. Lan Yuan saw a faintly visible farmhouse in the distance and sighed in relief. She turned to check on Lan Wu, but her body suddenly locked up.

A chilling sensation crept up her spine, and Lan Yuan felt as if she couldn’t move, as if she were a fish on the chopping block.

Sensing something wrong, Lan Wu turned her head just in time to see a sword flying straight towards Lan Yuan. Her eyes widened in shock. Without thinking, she threw herself behind Lan Yuan.

Lan Yuan shuddered, finally finding her voice. “No…”

Boom!!

A deafening explosion echoed through the air, followed by a powerful shockwave that sent them flying. They slammed into the ground, rolling over before finally coming to a stop.

Lan Wu gasped, pushing herself up on one arm. She wiped the blood from her mouth, clutching her chest as she looked up.

Through a curtain of silver hair, she saw the token that was always at her waist. It hovered in mid-air, emanating ripples of energy that intercepted the sword.

Even from this distance, her sharp eyes could make out the cracks spider-webbing across the token’s surface as it strained against the sword’s relentless force. With a final, heart-wrenching groan, the token shattered into a thousand pieces.

The token, symbolizing her identity as a disciple of Haochen Mountain, disintegrated into dust, disappearing in the night wind.

Lan Wu’s heart tightened. She closed her eyes as a metallic taste surged in her throat.

“Lan Wu!” Lan Yuan, shaking her head to clear the dizziness, rushed to her side. She carefully helped her up, both anxious and furious. “Are you crazy? How could you do that?!”

“I’m… alright,” Lan Wu choked out.

Fuyou also landed beside them, saying solemnly. “Your Highness, he’s here.”

Lan Yuan frowned as she followed Fuyou’s gaze.

The sword that had almost struck them had returned to its owner’s hand. The man had a dignified face and piercing eyes. Just standing there with a cold expression, his aura was overwhelmingly imposing.

His gaze swept over the three of them, lingering on Lan Wu for a moment. His eyes flickered, but the coldness quickly returned. “To think that you, mere demons, would dare trespass on Haochen Mountain and injure my disciples. Your audacity is astounding.”

Lan Wu took a breath and instinctively said, “Elder Qin…”

“Especially you,” Qin Yu interrupted, his gaze fixed on Lan Wu. “You’ve concealed your identity and infiltrated Haochen Mountain for so many years. What treacherous scheme are you plotting?”

Lan Wu clenched her fists, shaking her head. “I’m not plotting anything…”

Qin Yu’s gaze hardened. “We’ll see about that when you’re begging for mercy from Meng Po at the River of Forgetfulness.”

As soon as the words left his mouth, blinding golden rings of light materialized behind him, illuminating the night sky. He hovered in the air, long hair billowing around him, looking every bit like a wrathful god.

Knowing he wouldn’t hesitate to kill them, Lan Yuan gritted her teeth and charged. With a flick of her wrist, her silver sword sang, drawing water from the air to form a roaring dragon that surged towards Qin Yu.

The light in the sky grew brighter. After Lan Yuan flew up, they could only see two blurred figures. Fuyou turned away, pursing her lips as she supported Lan Wu and started to leave.

“Lan Yuan…” Lan Wu protested.

“Second Princess is destined to lose,” Fuyou said calmly. “If we leave now, we have a slim chance of survival.”

“What… what do you mean?!”

“Your Highness, we can’t all die here.”

“But we can’t just let her die here alone,” Lan Wu gave a bitter laugh, the corners of her eyes already reddening. “If she lives, Kunlun Sea will have a powerful princess. If I live… what use am I?”

Fuyou frowned. “Your Highness…”

Another sharp clang rang out, but this time, a figure came crashing down from the heart of the light. Lan Wu’s eyes widened in shock as she instinctively ran forward, stumbling, and managed to catch Lan Yuan before she hit the ground, the impact sending them both tumbling.

Scrambling up, Lan Wu cradled Lan Yuan’s limp form in her arms, her blood turning to ice. Lan Yuan’s eyes were closed, her face ashen. Her white robes were stained red, blood seeping from countless wounds.

Her breathing was weak Lan Wu called her name over and over, but there was no response. Panic welled up inside her, spilling over as tears streamed down her face. “Lan Yuan… Lan Yuan…”

In the ensuing silence, she buried her head in Lan Yuan’s neck, choking out. “Sister…”

Slow, deliberate footsteps approached. Qin Yu, his face like a stone mask, descended from the sky, stopping just a few feet away.

Lan Wu tensed up, instinctively closing her eyes and holding Lan Yuan tighter.

“Stop!”

A hoarse voice suddenly cried out, followed by the sound of someone falling to the ground. “Master, please… don’t kill her…”

Hearing this voice, Lan Wu froze. After a long moment, she slowly opened her eyes, tears blurring her vision as she looked up.

Ji Lingyue knelt between her and Qin Yu, her small frame trembling as she shielded Lan Wu with her own body. “Please, Master,” she begged, “don’t kill her. I beg you…”

“What are you doing?” Qin Yu’s voice was like ice. “Ji Lingyue, open your eyes! She’s a demon!”

Ji Lingyue sobbed and shook her head but couldn’t find words to refute. Overwhelmed by emotion, she began to cough violently, almost curling up on the ground.

Qin Yu frowned, glancing at Yu Shanye, who stood frozen in shock. “Take her away,” he ordered.

Yu Shanye hesitated, then stepped forward. To Qin Yu’s surprise, she dropped to her knees. “Elder Qin,” she pleaded, “I beg you, please spare her…”

She hesitated, then continued incoherently. “I know… Lan Wu… she’s a demon. But all these years, she’s never hurt anyone. Elder Qin, you’ve known her for so long. You know what kind of person she is…”

“Person?” Qin Yu scoffed. “She’s not even human! Have you both been so thoroughly deceived by this demon?!”

“But…”

“Enough.” Qin Yu shook his head. Suddenly, with a wave of his hand, Ji Lingyue and Yu Shanye were swept aside, suspended in midair. “You’ll understand one day. Demons can never be trusted.”

He raised his sword again, pointing it at Lan Wu. “Do you have any last words?”

Lan Wu lifted her head, her tear-filled eyes meeting his for a fleeting moment before turning to Ji Lingyue.

The girl was a mess of tears and bloodstains, her face etched with despair.

Lan Wu bit her lip, trying to offer Ji Lingyue a comforting smile. But it came out as a grimace, more painful than any tears. “I’m… I’m so sorry…”

Ji Lingyue sobbed, struggling to reach her but unable to move. Lan Wu took a deep breath, closed her eyes, and whispered, “Ah Yue… don’t look.”

Ji Lingyue trembled, her voice breaking as she cried out, “Master!”

Qin Yu, his face an emotionless mask, channeled golden energy into his sword, ready to deliver the final blow. But then he sensed it—a flicker of movement, a shift in the air.

He whipped his head to the side, narrowly dodging a thick vine that shot towards him. But the vine wasn’t aiming for him. It coiled around Lan Wu and Lan Yuan, dragging them away with incredible speed.

Frowning, Qin Yu was about to give chase when someone blocked his path.

His face hardened. “Ye Qingjun.”

Ye Qingjun inclined her head in acknowledgment. “Qin Yu.”

“Do you realize what you’re doing?”

“I do.” Ye Qingjun clasped her hands behind her back, her expression calm. “No matter what the consequences, I’ll bear them all.”

“And do you think you can bear them?” Qin Yu scoffed. “You always were so self-righteous, so certain of your control. Look what happened last time.”

Ye Qingjun stiffened, her gaze locking with his. The usual warmth in her eyes was replaced with a flicker of cold steel. “What happened then is over. I paid the price. It has nothing to do with the present.”

“Is that so?” Qin Yu challenged. “Back then, you knew she was a demon but helped her hide it. Now your disciple is a demon, and you’re repeating the same mistake. After all the chaos she has caused, you still choose to save her?”

Ye Qingjun’s brow furrowed. “Qin Yu, I killed her with my own hands. Isn’t that enough for you?”

“Why would it be enough?” Qin Yu’s voice dripped with ice. “My only sister died because of that demon you loved! Even if you killed her yourself, it doesn’t ease the hatred in my heart!”

Translation note:
Mengo Po and the River of Forgetfulness: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meng_Po