The forest beyond the southern perimeters of the Lin clan laid quiet— too quiet to be real. Only the dull hum of insects and the crackle of wind over dead branches spoke through. The journey to the village of Qinghei was marked by a thin mist clung to the roots of those dead branches— like silk unwashed, smearing the outlines of the path ahead.
Bai Suwei rode a luminously adorned white horse at the center of the group, surrounded by her adoring shadows.
The incessant, saccharine chatter of Bai Suwei's attendants who fluttered around their mistress like moths, disrupted the calmness before the Strom.
" Truly, lady Bai…. You were so brave to answer that question in the first place. I could have fainted if I was questioned like that…"
" Indeed….that's why no one can be compared to miss Bai…" another chimed in, conveniently forgetting her subsequent failures.
" Your insight was remarkable! So quick!" Meiling chirped.
"Even the Lotus General must have been impressed," one of the boys whispered, his voice dripping with devotion.
Suwei smiled demurely, as if the flattery embarrassed her. Her laughter tinkled like wind chimes—too delicate, too rehearsed. But her gaze occasionally slid toward the tall figure, who rode in silence a few paces behind the main group, her expression unreadable.
Finally deciding her silence was an insult to her, Suwei spurred her horse slightly to fall back beside Lian Zhiqiu.
Not a single ornament, not even a hint of rouge. Yet somehow, all eyes drifted towards ZhiQiu time to time.
Suwei felt her jaw tighten.
"Lady Lian," Suwei began, her tone dripping with false concern. "You are so quiet. A lady should cultivate a pleasant disposition, you know. If I didn't know much, I would think you're a— man"
Her followers giggled on cue. "Indeed, Lady Suwei. A man's temper in a woman's skin—it's unbecoming."
"Such a stern, masculine air is… improper." One of the male disciples said eyeing here up and down.
" You won't be able to find a betrothed if you continue this way…. Miss Lian—"
JiLan didn't stop nor she turned back. The faintest flicker of amusement ghosted across her lips.
Only when Suwei dared to move closer did she turn her head slightly, her gaze sweeping Suwei from head to toe, expression utterly flat. The assessment was swift, complete, and utterly dismissive. Suwei flushed, momentarily speechless. Before she could retort, JiLan turned her gaze forward again and spoke, her voice calm and level, carrying easily over the chatter.
"I prioritize substance over performance."
The silence that followed was suffocating.
" More over…." JiLan looked directly in Suwei's eyes "I'm not the husband type…."
" What—"
The words hit harder than a slap. Suwei's painted smile faltered. The minions fell silent. A soft, surprised chuckle drifted back from the front of the column where Lin Yuehan rode.
Yuehan turned slightly in her saddle, a flicker of amusement in her eyes, just as JiLan glanced forward. Their gazes met for a split second—a spark of shared understanding—before Yuehan quickly looked away, a faint warmth rising on her cheeks and her heartbeat oddly uneven. JiLan allowed herself a tiny, almost invisible smirk.
Suwei saw the exchange, and her face tightened with fury. Her minions, sensing her displeasure, resumed their noisy chatter, though they carefully avoided addressing Lian Zhiqiu again.
The noise level continued to rise until Yuehan, her patience finally snapping, shot a single, icy glare back at the group. Silence fell instantly.
The forest path widened as they arrived at the Qinghei village. Or what was left of it. The devastation was absolute. Homes were reduced to smoldering rubble, the air thick with the stench of decay and lingering demonic energy. Shock rippled through the young disciples.
Yuehan dismounted, her face hardening into the mask of the Lotus General. " spread out. Groups of four. Search for survivors, identify the demonic signatures, and report anything unusual. Check for any traces of defensive barriers too…"
As the disciples nervously formed groups, Yuehan's gaze found JiLan. "Lian Zhiqiu. You're with me. Along with Yao Ming and Qin Ruo."
JiLan met her gaze, a picture of calm obedience. "let's begin the fun" she heard the whisper of her crimson mourning.
Their search led them towards the village's ruined temple. The path was suspiciously clear, littered with small, almost staged clues—a torn demonic banner here, an unusually placed ritual knife there.
Bai Suwei, determined to regain her spotlight, knelt beside a burnt altar and lifted a discarded amulet bearing the sigil of the Shadow Claw clan.
"General!" she called out. "I've found it! It was the Shadow Claws!"
The others gasped; Yuehan's gaze flicked toward her.
"Noted. Continue the search."
"But, General Lin," Suwei protested, "if the shadow claw Clan was here, then the case's clear—why waste time?"
"There are multiple qi energy signatures," Yuehan snapped. "Keep moving."
As they moved deeper into the temple ruins, Yuehan subtly directed Yao Ming and Qin Ruo down a side path, leaving herself alone with JiLan. The air grew heavy, the silence charged. JiLan knew the setup was coming, but played along, examining a faded mural with feigned interest.
"Miss Lian, You—" Yuehan's words were cut out by a sudden attack. A hidden trap, triggered by a pressure plate Yuehan "accidentally" stepped on, sprang from the ground, hoisting the Lotus General into the air, dangling her upside down from a gnarled tree branch.
"Lian Zhiqiu! Help me!" Yuehan called out, injecting a note of panic into her voice. She watched JiLan closely, expecting hesitation, perhaps even malice. "If she's an ally of Han, she might see this as an opportunity…" Yet a small, unwanted part of her hoped she wouldn't.
JiLan simply turned, looking up at the dangling general, arms cross and stared with an expression of mild amusement.
Yuehan's simulated panic turned into real fury. "What are you doing?! Cut me down!"
A soft laugh escaped LiuYan's lips. "My apologies, General. I was just admiring the complexity of the trap."
Yuehan's pride flared. "Are you just going to watch?"
"A simple reflection snare," JiLan said. "For a general—well…that's careless."
"Are you mocking me?!" Yuehan spat, already reaching for a hidden blade to cut herself free.
" No way…. Absolutely not…. I wouldn't dare— your highness.."
Yuehan glared down at her. " You little—"
"I just, can't believe you're the Lotus General of the East," JiLan replied, voice smooth as glass.
"If you wished to test my loyalty, General— you should have devised a scenario more challenging than this—child's play."
Yuehan froze, eyes wide. "How?—"
Her eyes darted across the tree line. Had JiLan somehow seen through the illusion formation she'd set?
Before Yuehan could respond, JiLan's head snapped back. Her amusement vanished, replaced by a sudden, intense alertness. A high-pitched, discordant sound echoed from the distance, like a warped music box.
"Something's wrong," Her senses screamed at her. Without another word, she drew Shattered Radiance and, with a single, precise slash, severed the rope, catching Yuehan deftly before she hit the ground.
"We need to move. Now."
They sprinted back the way they came, only to find Yao Ming, Qin Ruo, Suwei, and all the other disciples lying unconscious, felled by some unseen force.
Suddenly, Yuehan grabbed JiLan's arm, pulling her towards herself, just as a sleek, green-glowing dagger embedded itself in the temple pillar where JiLan's head had been. They spun around, only to find themselves surrounded. Shadow Claw demons materialized from the ruins, their eyes burning with hunger. And perched atop the crumbling temple gate, legs crossed elegantly, was a figure in alluring, emerald-green robes—a fox demoness with eyes that sparkled with manic glee.
"Well, well, well!" the Vixen chirped, her voice a bizarre, high-pitched melody that grated on the ears. "Look what a lovely playdate this turned out to be! The famous Lotus General and—oh wait, who's that? A new plaything? Looks pretty though…. Ohh…How delightful!"
"Identify yourself, demon!" Yuehan commanded, drawing her sword.
"Me?" the Vixen giggled, bowing her head in a theatrical way. " Emerald Khaos1 ….at your service, my lord.…Ohh wait! No YOUR service…just mine."
"I'm just here to clean up a mess, darling….. Someone left some rather, umm…untidy evidence behind— and my employers do dislike loose ends… Especially involve— little dead princesses…." She winked, a gesture made grotesque by her razor-sharp teeth. Suddenly her giggle vanished.
"Enough chit-chat! Boys, playtime!"
Her hand flicked. Dozens of demons surged from the fog.
JiLan and Yuehan moved as one. They carved through the initial wave with contemptuous ease. The Vixen watched, tapping a clawed finger against her chin.
"Hmm, you two are rather good together! Why you have to make me feel so single??? You're making me sad…hmph—" she jumped down from the gates. "So, let's see how you handle things solo!"
The vixen let out a piercing shriek, and half of the remaining demons peeled off, swarming JiLan. The Vixen herself lunged at Yuehan, her movements impossibly fast, her green dagger leaving toxic trails in the air.
JiLan met the demons onslaught, deliberately holding back, relying on pure defense and evasion, making it look like a desperate struggle. She allowed herself to be pushed back, away from Yuehan, seemingly overwhelmed.
Yuehan saw JiLan, but the Vixen gave her no quarter. The demoness fought with a joyful, theatrical sadism, her laughter echoing as Yuehan parried her poisoned blade. It was then Yuehan realized the horrifying truth—this wasn't her illusion. This was real.
Hidden from Yuehan's line of sight, LiuYan's act dropped. A single, invisible pulse of pure qi erupted from her. The demons surrounding her screamed as they dissolved into dust. She turned her attention to the main fight, her eyes narrowing as she assessed Yuehan's battle prowess.
"Fast. Powerful. Excellent technique. But predictable. Relies too much on overwhelming force." Crimson mourning spoke through her mind again.
" How—"
" At your service— master. But you hurt me. I should be in the battlefield, not that fancy cupcake.." the voice was clear. But it dripped with manipulation.
" Who's cupcake –" shattered radiance snapped but was cut in the middle by the sight In front off them.
JiLan saw the Vixen's feint—and the other dagger, long, sharp, and dripping with a viscous black poison, appearing in the Vixen's free hand, aimed at Yuehan's exposed side.
" Ummm… this IS getting fun. A lethal neurotoxin. A fatal blow. What do you gonna do—master"
Just as the Vixen lunged, Yuehan finally tried to dispel the "illusion." But nothing happened. The Vixen laughed maniacally. "Surprise, darling! Reality check! Wrong timing" The poisoned dagger shot towards Yuehan's ribs.
There was no time. Shattered Radiance flew from LiuYan's hand like a silver comet, deflecting the killing blow but scoring only a shallow cut across the Vixen's cheek. The demoness shrieked in rage, her vanity wounded.
" Just a scratch…. How insulting…. Cupcakes— you're bad.". But LiuYan interrupted. "Not now…" and the dark sword went quite.
Yuehan's grip around her sword tightened. Her crimson blade burned with fire qi, the heat shimmering around her form. She slashed forward, flames tearing through the greenish haze.
For a heartbeat, the vixen vanished—then reappeared behind her, laughing.
"Too slow, pretty general."
Her dagger sliced across Yuehan's shoulder, the wound sizzling with green.
Yuehan hissed, spiritual fire rushing to her veins, trying to burn away the toxin.
Just then LiuYan met the Vixen's charge, still holding back, testing the demon's limits. She scored several deep cuts, but the Vixen fought with a desperate, unpredictable fury.
Yuehan, struggling against the wounds, was unable to move. She focused on JiLan's back — that poised, unhurried stance even mid-battle. There was something terrifying about her composure.
In a final, desperate gamble, the Vixen's left arm elongated unnaturally, becoming a grotesque, snake-like appendage, like a long, poisoned dagger. She plugged forward, aimed at LiuYan's heart. LiuYan twisted, but deliberately not quite fast enough. The blade sank deep into her right shoulder, shattering her clavicle with an audible crack.
"No—!" Yuehan's cry broke midway.
LiuYan grunted, stumbling back. The Vixen grinned triumphantly. She was pushing down the dagger, deep in LiuYan's body. "How does it feel….Your clavicle is shattered, little one! The poison's already—"
Her gloating was cut short. LiuYan, ignoring the blade embedded in her shoulder, raised her free hand. With a surge of pure, focused qi, she directly snapped the protruding half of the dagger clean off. She caught the broken shard and, in the same impossibly swift motion, plunged it directly into the Vixen's throat—the Gate of Stillness2, a place only masters of medicine and martial precision would dare aim for.
The vixen's smile froze. Her eyes went wide. No sound escaped, only a wet gurgle as blood flooded her airway.
She fell wordlessly, clawing at her neck, limbs twitching, emerald poison was pooling around her.
LiuYan swayed back, the remaining half of the dagger still protruding from her shoulder. Yuehan, finally regaining control of her limbs, rushed to her side, catching her as she staggered. "Don't move! Let me—"
" It's fine.." LiuYan grunted, reaching for the blade embedded in her shoulder.
"Stop!" Yuehan grabbed her hand, terrified. "Pulling it out will make you bleed faster!"
"Leaving it in will only allow the remaining poison to spread," LiuYan countered, her voice strained but firm.
"Stop being stubborn, will you!" Yuehan snapped, panic cutting through her composure.
But LiuYan only smirked, the corner of her mouth stained with blood. "Says the one who walked into her— own trap."
She gently pushed Yuehan's hand away. Yuehan, torn between fear and stubbornness, glared at her. "Don't be ridiculous! Let me—"
Yuehan tried talking the blade out but her hands were shaking slightly. LiuYan looked at her, a flicker of amusement in her pain-filled eyes, and scoffed softly. Then, with a single, sharp intake of breath, she gripped the broken edge and ripped the blade free herself, tossing it aside with a clatter. Blood spattered her hand, dark and hot against the fading light.
Yuehan stared, speechless, at the clean wound, the bleeding, the woman's impossible endurance. LiuYan met her shocked gaze, a faint, knowing smirk playing on her lips despite the pain.
"Don't look so surprised, General," she murmured, her voice barely a whisper. "Surely you've figured it out by now?"
"Save your strength," Yuehan said softer, yet her mind racing. She simply moved to support LiuYan by her waist as the sounds of arriving backup echoed through the ruined village.
Author's Note:
1. KHAOS WAS THE GREEK GODDESS OF CHAOS AND AIR. ALSO THE MOTHER OF BIRDS. SHE WAS A PRIMORDIAL ENTITY, A FORMLESS VOID THAT EXISTED BEFORE THE CREATION.
2. THE GATE OF STILLNESS : THIS IS CLOSE TO THE CAROTID ARTERY , IN THE SIDE OF THE THROAT, JUST BELOW THE JAWLINE. IT'S A SPOT THAT CONTROLS THE FLOW TO THE CEREBRAL ARTERY . TO STRIKE AT THIS PLACE, THE ATTACKER HAS TO MASTER IN BOTH MEDICINE AND MARTIAL ARTS, BECAUSE THE POINT IS TRICKY. THE OUTCOME IS OBVIOUS DEATH BUT IT COULD BE EITHER BOTH THE VICTIM AND THE ATTACKER OR JUST THE VICTIM. IF STRIKE THE WRONG ACCUPOINT, THE QI INSIDE THE VICTIM WILL BLAST OFF KILLING BOTH THE VICTIM AND THE CULPRIT, BUT PRECISELY THE RIGHT PLACE, ONLY THE VICTIM WILL SUFFER A QUICK DEATH. THE VICTIM'S HEART IS TOLD BY ITS OWN NERVES TO IMMEDIATELY SLOW, AND THE BLOOD PRESSURE PLUMMETS. THE QI TO THE BRAIN IS INSTANTLY CHOKED OFF. THE OPPONENT DOES NOT FEEL PAIN BUT A SUDDEN, OVERWHELMING SLEEP. THEY DROP UNCONSCIOUS ALMOST INSTANTLY, HAVING LOST THE SUPPORT OF THEIR VITAL ENERGY. IF THE STRIKE IS TOO BRUTAL AND EFFICIENT, THE INTERNAL DAMAGE COULD SEVER THE FLOW OF LIFE PERMANENTLY, WITH NO WAY TO REVERSE.