Chapter 2.2 Raven the Phoenix
"Is this the AshWood Empire?"
A beautiful woman in red stood before the grand gates of the AshWood Empire, her graceful figure enchanting every passerby.
Even though half her face was hidden beneath a cloth veil, none doubted that she was an earth‑shattering beauty.
Clear—now known by her new name, Raven—made her way toward the central plaza, where the selection of disciples for the Seven Guardians was taking place.
Countless cultivators had gathered, each hoping to earn a place under the tutelage of one of the Guardians of the Seven Towers.
Those who failed would simply return to their sects, but only the most gifted dared to compete here, for their rivals were all top‑tier talents.
Raven walked at her own unhurried pace, her eyes sweeping over the long line of hopeful disciples. Eventually, she approached a middle‑aged man seated at a table, busily writing.
Sensing her presence, the old man looked up. His brow arched slightly in surprise before he returned to his writing, as though dismissing her at a glance.
"Good day to you, brother. I am here for the selection of disciples." Raven smiled politely and waited for the old man to respond.
The old man did not immediately hand her a number tag. Instead, he continued writing, ignoring her presence for nearly an hour. Yet Raven remained patient, her polite smile never faltering. Finally, after what felt like an eternity, the old man wordlessly handed her a number tag before returning to his writing.
Raven accepted it with a nod of thanks and quickly left. Glancing down at the tag in her hand, she couldn't help but smile.
"No. 1? With so many people already holding their numbered tags, why is mine number one? It seems this test won't be so simple after all."
Tucking the tag away, Raven made her way to an inn. With two days left before the disciple selection began, she still had plenty of time to prepare.
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Raven sat in a lotus position at the center of the pond. Slowly, her eyes fluttered open, and she exhaled softly.
In the next instant, she rose gracefully from her position and appeared at the edge of the lake, her clothes perfectly dry.
"What's that?" she murmured, noticing a faint glimmer by the water's edge. She bent down to pick up the shining object, only to find another hand reaching for it at the exact same moment.
Their eyes met. Ruby‑red clashed with sapphire‑blue, and sparks seemed to ignite in the air between them. Raven's heartbeat quickened, her soul tugging irresistibly toward this man.
At last, she had found him.
"I... is this yours?"
Raven holds the silver mask in her hands. A radiant smile bloomed across her face.
The silver‑haired man blinked, as though waking from a trance.
Flustered, he turned away abruptly, hiding his face from her gaze, so hastily that he even forgot about the mask still resting in her hands.
"Did you see?" the silver‑haired man asked, his voice barely above a whisper.
"What?"
Raven blinked in confusion.
What was she supposed to have seen?
"Did you see it?"
The masked man's voice suddenly rose, sharp and demanding, as he peered at her through the gap between his fingers. His ruby‑red eyes burned into hers with an emotion she couldn't quite name.
"What do you mean? What did I see?"
Raven was utterly puzzled.
Why was her husband suddenly raising his voice at her? Had she done something to anger him?
"Did you really not see?" Suspicion laced his tone as he studied her intently.
"I don't understand," Raven admitted, clutching the mask tightly against her chest. "Why do you keep asking me if I saw something? What is it? What is it that you don't want me to see?"
Her sapphire eyes searched his face, confusion clouding her expression as the tension between them thickened.
Did her husband become a psycho in this lifetime?
"Did you really not see?" the silver‑haired man pressed once again.
"What is it? What do you want to know? What is it that you don't want me to see...?"
Raven's words trailed off, her eyes widening as realization struck.
Seeing the sudden change in her expression, the silver‑haired man's heart pounded frantically. Without thinking, he reached out and gripped her shoulders, forcing her to meet his gaze.
Now that he no longer hid his face, Raven could clearly see the bulging red veins crawling across his skin—squirming like living worms, writhing as though they had a will of their own.
"You..."
Raven softly whispered, the mask slipping from her grasp.
Almost unconsciously, her hands lifted, reaching to caress his face despite the grotesque sight before her.
A hint of sadness and love shimmered in Raven's doe‑like sapphire eyes. The silver‑haired man was utterly puzzled by her expression. Never before had anyone looked at him that way upon seeing his face.
'My child, run! '
The Phoenix's voice suddenly rang out inside Raven's mind, sharp and urgent.
'Get away from him—he's dangerous!'
The Phoenix hissed, its cry sharp and venomous, as though it had just laid eyes on its greatest enemy.
'What do you mean? ' Raven asked, bewildered.
'Just do as I say and run! You don't understand what kind of monster you're facing. He is one of the creatures of the night. Once, they were humans, but they were cursed by the Demons sealed behind the door that the Seven Guardians protect. When cursed, they transform into monsters who survive only by drinking the blood of the living. Unless they slay the very monster that cursed them, they can never be freed from it.'
'The Phoenix's tone grew heavier, urgent. Those red veins crawling across his face are proof enough—he is one of them. You must run now, before it's too late! Tonight... tonight is the night when they feed on the blood of the living!'
As if on cue, the sun began to set. The sky darkened, and the forest was slowly swallowed by shadows. The red veins on the silver‑haired man's face twisted and writhed as though in agony.
"Ahhh!"
He screamed, collapsing to his knees. Both hands flew to his face as he howled in pain.
"Are you alright?"
Raven reached out to help him, worried, but the man only glared at her through his torment.
"L‑Leave... leave me alone if you want to live!" he growled through gritted teeth.
"I... I can't. I won't leave you here to suffer alone."
Raven's voice was firm, her resolve unshaken as she dropped to her knees beside him.
"L‑Leave!" he roared again, his voice guttural and strained. Yet Raven remained where she was, her sapphire eyes fixed on him, her face full of worry and determination
"Are you in any kind of pain? Tell me how I can help—I'll do whatever I can."
Raven showed no fear as she supported the man, her sapphire eyes filled with concern. The silver‑haired man looked back at her, his gaze clouded with complicated emotions.
'Child, what are you doing instead of running?' The Phoenix's voice trembled with unease, sensing the hungry gleam in the man's ruby eyes.
For a moment, the silver‑haired man seemed to lose all rationality.
When Raven's smooth, pale neck brushed against his face as she helped him up, his self‑control faltered. His grip tightened painfully around her arms, his breath ragged, his eyes fixed on her as though entranced.
"B‑Blood..." he stammered, his voice hoarse and desperate. "Give me your blood.