The forest of Qingrui was no longer quiet.
Since the night the three red spirits had come and vanished in silver fire, shadows seemed to move of their own will. The birds sang in mournful calls, and the wind spoke in whispers only Mingyao could understand.
But it was not the gods who haunted the woods now.
It was something darker.
---
The sun was a dull orb behind the gray clouds when Tianzuo awoke from a restless sleep. His eyes flicked to the small figure curled beneath the straw-thatched window. Mingyao slept, but even in dreams, his brow was furrowed.
Tianzuo rose, careful not to wake him. Outside, the village lay quiet — too quiet.
A sudden chill touched Tianzuo's spine.
He stepped outside.
The air was thick with fog, curling like tendrils through the tall grass. Something moved in the mist — silent, swift.
Before Tianzuo could call out, a low voice hissed from the shadows:
"You hide a child of gods and demons. That is dangerous."
Tianzuo spun around. The figure stepped into the clearing, tall and slender, draped in dark robes embroidered with silver serpents.
A pale face smiled, sharp teeth glinting.
"I am Liuxian," the stranger said, voice like a blade sliding over silk. "And I am here to speak with your son."
---
Back in the hut, Mingyao stirred and opened his eyes.
The wind carried a faint melody — a haunting tune that tugged at something deep inside him. He rose, his steps silent.
Outside, Tianzuo confronted the stranger.
"Why do you seek my son?" Tianzuo demanded, hand gripping the wooden staff.
Liuxian smiled wider, revealing fangs.
"To offer him a choice," she said. "The path of power. The path of vengeance. The path of darkness."
Tianzuo tightened his grip.
"I will not let you corrupt him."
Liuxian laughed softly, a sound that chilled the bones.
"Corrupt? No, old god. I offer him truth. The truth no mortal or god dares to tell."
---
Mingyao approached silently, drawn by the stranger's words. He stood beside his father, eyes bright but cautious.
"Who are you?" Mingyao asked.
Liuxian bowed gracefully.
"I am an emissary from the Nether Court — the realm of demons and forgotten shadows."
Mingyao frowned. "You want me to join demons?"
"Not join. Learn," Liuxian corrected. "Your blood is a bridge between worlds, boy. The heavens and the underworld war for your soul. You can be their weapon, or their master."
Mingyao looked at Tianzuo. "Is it true?"
Tianzuo hesitated.
"It is true that you carry power beyond this world," he said slowly. "But you must choose wisely."
Liuxian stepped closer. "Your mother died because she loved you. The gods fear what you can become. The demons desire you for their wars."
Mingyao's gaze hardened. "I don't want to be a weapon."
"Then become a king," Liuxian whispered, offering a black pendant etched with a serpent coiled around a bleeding moon.
"Wear this, and you will hear the secrets of the Nether Court. Your power will awaken."
Mingyao looked at the pendant, then back at Tianzuo.
---
That night, Mingyao lay awake, the black pendant cold in his palm. His mother's last words echoed in his heart: Let him choose. Let him be free.
But how could he be free when gods and demons sought to claim him?
The pendant pulsed softly like a heartbeat. The whispers came again, soft and compelling.
"Power… power… power…"
Mingyao closed his eyes.
A vision unfolded:
A throne made of shattered stars, a crown of flames, a kingdom divided by war.
A voice called to him.
"You are the child of war and peace, light and shadow. Will you sit on the throne of heaven, or drown in the abyss?"
---
The next day, Tianzuo took Mingyao to the ancient temple ruins beyond the hills — a place untouched by gods or men for centuries.
"Here," Tianzuo said, "you will learn the truth of your heritage."
Inside the crumbling stone walls, inscriptions glowed faintly. Stories of gods who walked the earth, mortals who wielded divine power, and the prophecy of a child born to decide the fate of worlds.
"This temple was built by your grandfather, the Phoenix God," Tianzuo explained. "He was a god who loved mortals. He defied the heavens to walk among men."
Mingyao ran his fingers over the carvings — a great phoenix with wings of fire, clutching a human child.
"But why did the gods turn against him?"
"Because love is dangerous," Tianzuo said. "Because a child born of god and human breaks the order. Because power unbound threatens the balance."
Mingyao clenched his fists.
"I don't want to be their pawn."
"Then you must become stronger than them."
---
Suddenly, the ground trembled.
From the shadows emerged three figures — the red spirits, reborn and more terrible than before.
Their eyes blazed like molten gold.
"You cannot hide, child of storm," they intoned.
Tianzuo stepped in front of Mingyao.
"Fight," he commanded.
Mingyao closed his eyes, feeling the pulse of power rise within him.
A silver flame ignited on his skin, spreading warmth and fury.
He took a deep breath and struck.
---
The battle was fierce.
The spirits moved like storms, their forms twisting and shifting. Mingyao's flames flared, cutting through mist and shadow.
With each strike, the spirits screamed — not with pain, but rage.
One spirit lunged, clawed hand reaching for Mingyao's throat.
In that moment, the pendant around his neck glowed.
Mingyao grasped it tightly, and a voice echoed inside his mind:
"Claim your destiny."
With a roar, silver flames burst outward, forcing the spirits back.
Tianzuo watched with awe as Mingyao's power grew — not just divine, but something ancient, something forbidden.
The spirits vanished into smoke, leaving behind silence.
---
Exhausted, Mingyao collapsed into Tianzuo's arms.
"You are ready," Tianzuo said softly. "But your journey has only begun."
Mingyao looked toward the horizon, where dark clouds gathered.
"The gods and demons will not stop," he said.
"No," Tianzuo replied. "But neither will you."
---
Far away, in the Jade Pavilion of Heaven, Nüxi's cold eyes watched the battle's echoes ripple through the cosmos.
She smiled, sharp and cruel.
"Let him grow," she whispered.
"And when the time comes, we will see which path he chooses."
---
To be continued