Lang Huan returned to the villa with Lang Ruhua and half of the Falcon Army to rescue the Eldest Princess and those held captive by Bai Fei. The Villa was heavily guarded, with mountain bandits patrolling every corner. She gave the order to eliminate all of Bai Fei's men without mercy.
Dismounting from her horse, she drew her sword. The blade seemed bound to her palm, her eyes glowing red with deadly intent. Each swing carved a storm of blood, scattering bandits in terror and leaving the ground slick with blood.
"Lang Huan, leave them to me!" Lang Ruhua called out. "Go find the princess!"
"Okay," Lang Huan replied, trusting her completely, and rushed deeper into the courtyard.
---
Bai Fei, who was about to cooperate with the Eldest Princess, felt his blood boil the moment he heard that Lang Huan was still alive.
"Your Highness, the Bai Clan will stand with you, but Lang Huan must die—"
Before Bai Fei could continue, a familiar voice cut through the tension. 'I'll kill you before you kill me!' The window burst open as Lang Huan leapt inside.
Feng Yao gasped, startled as Lang Huan moved with lightning speed, pulling her waist close without warning. "Why are you here?" she glared fiercely.
"You're mine. Unless I die, no one can stop me from always being with you."
Warmth and happiness washed over her, though she was slightly annoyed because Lang Huan always acted on her own.
In just a few days, Lang Huan was thinner, her once-fair face marred by tiny scratches.
A pang of guilt tugged at Feng Yao's heart—after all, she was still a woman disguised in men's clothing. Had she pushed her too far?
She reached out, brushing her fingers gently across Lang Huan's cheek. Her black eyes, which sometimes turned blue, now glowed faintly crimson, like a demon's gaze. Lang Huan… what secrets lay behind those eyes? She felt this girl was wrapped in countless layers of mystery, someone she could never fully grasp or understand.
As Feng Yao's doubts and silence lingered, Lang Huan suddenly leaned closer, sealing Feng Yao's lips with her own in a deep kiss. The world around them seemed to fall away. Neither the presence of guards nor Bai Fei standing nearby could stop her.
Bai Fei's chest rose and fell violently, fury burning in his eyes at the sight of Lang Huan kissing the princess's lips. With a roar, he drew his sword and lunged forward.
Lang Huan moved instinctively, pulling the princess behind her, shielding her before meeting Bai Fei's strike head-on. Sparks flew as steel clashed, sharp and merciless.
Anger surged within her, fueled by Lang Ruhua's warning that Bai Fei wanted to marry Feng Yao, and the crimson glow in her eyes flared brighter.
Each strike she delivered was faster, harder, and hungrier than the last. The air thickened with killing intent, forcing Bai Fei to falter under the relentless storm of steel. Blades sang a savage song—one slash cut across his shoulder, another thrust nearly pierced his throat, stopped only by a desperate parry.
Blood stained Lang Huan's face, her gaze burning with predator's madness. Faintly, a sinister whisper slithered into her ears—"kill, kill, kill him…" She shook her head, trying to drive it away.
With a final push, she dragged Bai Fei out of the chamber and shoved him into the pond, cornering him.
Lang Huan's sword rose, tip aimed at Bai Fei's heart. Whoosh! A flying claw shot out from the shadows, striking her hand with brutal force. Pain seared her arm as blood sprayed, the blade halted just inches from Bai Fei's chest.
From the darkness of the trees, Bai Han emerged, clad in a black shaman's robe with a red band around his head. His bony fingers weaved a deadly mudra, releasing talisman flags that pierced the ground and glowed ominously.
The wind howled as if a thousand spirits had been summoned. In his left hand, he held the flying claw, still wet with Lang Huan's blood, the red droplets falling into a jar at his feet.
"With your blood as the key—return to where you belong!" Bai Han chanted, his voice echoing like whispers of countless demons. The symbols on the talismans blazed red, forming a coiling circle of darkness around Lang Huan. She roared as her body was dragged toward the vortex, her sword trembling violently, fighting against the pull as if it too refused to let her go.
The heavens erupted, a storm twisting violently above them. Lightning split the sky one after another, illuminating the chaos below. In that moment, as Lang Huan stared at the swirling tempest, memories of that night surged, how she had been sucked into the great Qi and flung mercilessly.
Her body slammed against a stone pillar, blood spraying from her lips. She clenched her teeth, gripping the pillar with all her strength as the dark wind lifted her off the ground.
"I won't go back… stop it!" she screamed.
The Eldest Princess's eyes widened in horror. She rushed forward, wrapping her arms around Lang Huan's trembling frame as the black wind tried to tear her away.
"Lang Huan… are you okay? What happened?" Feng Yao panicked, clutching Lang Huan's clothes tightly as tears streamed down her face.
Coughing up blood, Lang Huan's eyes burned with desperate resolve. "You can't send me back—I don't want to go back!" she shouted, locking eyes with the princess.
Seeing Feng Yao cry stabbed at her heart. Summoning every last thread of her inner force, she anchored herself to the cracking pillar, closing her eyes as she braced for whatever would come next.