"Where are the others? Get him out," Yu Lingyu demanded, pointing at the coffin.
"Don't worry," the stranger said, rubbing his hands together with a sly smile. "She won't kill him." His blue eyes sparkled every time he spoke. "I haven't killed the others yet either."
He had a long face, sharp jawline, and stood taller than Lingyu. His features were handsome, almost too perfect. "Still," he added, waving his hand in a slow circle around Lingyu, "whether they all live or die depends entirely on how you behave."
His other hand made a dramatic, triumphant gesture.
"What about that mask?" the stranger asked suddenly, reaching toward Lingyu's face.
Yu Lingyu backed away. "Don't touch-"
But the stranger brushed his hand aside and ripped the mask off, tossing it carelessly.
"You-!" Lingyu shouted in anger, shoving the man back.
"Oh, you're still so beautiful, as always," the stranger said, ignoring the shove and gently brushing Lingyu's cheek.
"Stop that," Lingyu said, turning away. His voice was sharp, but it trembled slightly. "I thought you were dead. How are you still alive?"
The stranger placed both hands over his chest and let out a soft groan of mock pain. His hood slipped off, and long hair spilled down over his shoulders.
"Don't say such cruel things, Zi Feng. Do you hate me that much?" His voice sounded hurt, but his smile never left his face.
"Hu Mao!" Lingyu growled.
"Zi Feng!" Hu Mao shouted back gleefully. "Ah, look at your face, that's priceless." He bent over laughing, slapping his knees.
"I was really shocked to see you alive," Hu Mao said, straightening up. "But when I think about my brother, who searched for you all those years... ah, now that's sad."
He sat down on the pedestal beside the coffin, rested his chin in his right hand, and leaned his elbow on his knee. His blue eyes never left Lingyu.
Lingyu gave up trying to scowl. There was no point.
"Don't tell him about this," he muttered, folding his arms.
"Oh, don't you know?" Hu Mao tilted his head. "Even if I wanted to, I couldn't tell him. He's been kicked out of Heaven."
Yu Lingyu stiffened. "..."
"You know how he is. Stubborn to the end. It happened after he attacked the Heavenly Emperor," Hu Mao said, savoring the words like a sweet fruit. His tone was more amused than regretful.
"Where is he now?" Lingyu asked, his voice tight with concern.
"I don't know. Not like I care to find him," Hu Mao said with a shrug. "He never liked me much anyway."
But even as he spoke, his gaze didn't waver from Lingyu, not for a second.
Lingyu sighed. The Story sounds just like Li Jiu, stubborn and impulsive to the bone. It was honestly surprising he'd lasted so long in Heaven.
"You're about to ask how I'm still alive again, aren't you?" Hu Mao grinned. "Zi Feng, oh, Zi Feng… If you didn't let me live back then, I might as well be dead anyway."
He paused, letting the words settle before adding with a knowing look, "And if Li Jiu finds out you let me live, well… he'll probably break your legs. Right?"
A slight smile appeared on Yu Lingyu's face. Hu Mao seemed amused by it.
"Disappearing villagers here, is that your doing?" Lingyu asked, taking a seat beside him.
"What? There's nothing wrong with that. They see me as a demon anyway."
"Using human essence to survive isn't right. Once you get used to it, you can't stop." Lingyu said.Though seated at the base, Yu Lingyu kept his gaze on the cluster of strange plants, never once looking at Hu Mao.
"Mhm." Hu Mao followed Lingyu's eyes, then placed his hands behind his head and leaned back against the coffin.
"I'm glad you're alive," he said sincerely. "I'm sorry… for not doing anything when that happened."
A single tear slipped down Hu Mao's pale cheek.
"It's not your fault," Yu Lingyu said softly, patting his shoulder. Dwelling on the past wouldn't help either of them.
"If anyone ever looked out for me… it was you. But I could never do anything for you. Zi Feng, I really-"
"It's okay," Yu Lingyu cut him off, slightly firmer this time. "In this life, I'll be free. Away from everything. Free."He turned his head toward the moon. Its silver reflection shimmered in his brown eyes.
"Now that I've found you, I'm never going away again," Hu Mao whispered.
"Hu Mao, do you realize how unbefitting this behavior is for the God of Destruction?" Yu Lingyu asked. But before he could say more, Hu Mao pulled him into a hug, burying his face into Lingyu's shoulder and crying like a child.
After a while, Lingyu began to gently stroke his head.
After all this time, Yu Lingyu still didn't know what kind of bond he and Hu Mao shared. Brothers? Friends? Master and disciple?The only thing he knew was that he couldn't bring himself to turn away from Hu Mao.
"Are you masked because of your demonic mark?" Hu Mao asked between hiccups.
"Hmm."
"Then take me with you. I can hide it. Zi Feng, I'm serious."
"I'm not that important. How can I take you with me?" Yu Lingyu said truthfully. His status at Jun Peak never rose. He couldn't tell Hu Mao that he was nothing more than a clownish poet.
"Oh, you forgot? I'm a god."
"Hu Mao, let's go our separate ways."
"I'd consider that advice if it came from the Wind Lord. But you-?"
"You-"
"Zi Feng, let me in. Or I will wipe out the entire city of Lilan."
"Why are you-"
"And your brothers too. Do you think I can't?" Hu Mao leaned back, his voice calm but chilling.
Yu Lingyu "…"
Indeed, he couldn't understand this God of Destruction. But he also couldn't ignore his threat. Hu Mao always meant what he said. And if he listened to anyone at all, it was the Wind Lord, Commander of Wind, Zi Feng.
"Forget it. Free my brothers first. I'll think about getting you in," Yu Lingyu said carefully, trying to balance both sides.
"Haha, don't show me those little tricks of yours," Hu Mao said with a smirk.
"Okay, fine. I'll take you with me. Happy now? Just release them." Yu Lingyu snorted. He had no idea how to smuggle Hu Mao into the sect, but he couldn't afford to gamble with Wu Xuan and the others' lives.
"Come with me," Hu Mao said with a bright smile, walking toward the cluster of plants where the plaques were hanging.
"Wait! Take him out first," Lingyu said, pointing to the coffin.
Hu Mao's expression darkened. "Oh, my vassal, still a virgin in death. Zi Feng, why not leave him there till the end?"
Yu Lingyu: "..."
"Hu Mao!!"
"Okay, okay, no need to scream!" Hu Mao grumbled. With a flick of his hand, the coffin's lid flew off.
Wu Xuan shot out with a shriek as Yu Lingyu ran over to him.
"Damn it!" Wu Xuan cursed, sitting in the mud. His hairband had fallen off, his robes were in tatters, and he looked like a deranged man who'd crawled out of a nightmare.
"Wu Shixiong?! Are you okay? Are you hurt?" Yu Lingyu asked, kneeling beside him. Just then, he glanced at the coffin and jumped back in horror.
The girl inside was leaning toward them with her hands on the coffin's edge, head tilted curiously.
"My God!" Yu Lingyu yelled, rolling backward into the mud.
Startled by the shout, the girl quietly lay back down again.
"Who are you?"
It was sudden.
Wu Xuan's cold sword pressed against Lingyu's neck, knocking him to the ground. Wu Xuan pinned him down with one knee.
"It's me," Yu Lingyu winced, trying to push Wu Xuan away. He forgot his mask had been thrown away. "I am Yu Lingyu."
Wu Xuan hesitated for a moment, staring at Yu Lingyu. The young man was undoubtedly handsome, even tho covered in mud, with a gentle air that made him seem different from what Wu Xuan had imagined. But this was Yu Lingyu? The clownish poet?
"Wu Shixiong, I-I can't breathe."
As if snapping out of his daze, Wu Xuan quickly moved away from him. Yu Lingyu, gasping for air, stood up, his hand instinctively reaching to pull his hair over his face as he remembered his mask was thrown away. Oh my god, he screamed internally.
Without the mask, his Demon Mark was exposed. If Wu Xuan saw it, he would be in danger. Lingyu's eyes searched desperately for Hu Mao, but the god was nowhere in sight. Instead, a small black weasel curled up next to the coffin, staring at Lingyu with a knowing glint in its eyes.
Hu Mao?
"Yu Shidi? Is this really you?" Wu Xuan asked, still gripping his sword tightly, his gaze flicking between Lingyu's exposed face and his reddened cheeks. "You don't have any scars, so why-?"
Lingyu glanced at Wu Xuan's face, still full of confusion and lingering traces of lipstick. As he struggled to find the right words, the weasel at his side suddenly stirred, and Hu Mao's voice echoed in his mind.
He can't see the Devil Mark. Don't worry.
Lingyu stopped tugging at his hair, his pulse still racing. "I- I-I'm just scared. I'm scared to show my face," he muttered, sounding far weaker than usual. Taking the weasel into his arms, he stood up slowly, not daring to meet Wu Xuan's eyes.
"Wu Shixiong, I found where the rest of us are," Yu Lingyu said, breaking the silence that had fallen between them.
"Eh? Oh, so? Where?" Wu Xuan asked, his voice still full of uncertainty, as if he was trying to convince himself of the truth. Lingyu didn't see where his mask had been thrown and gave up on searching. His powers were no longer limited without it anyway.
"Lead the way," Yu Lingyu whispered to the weasel.
Go ahead directly, Zi Feng, let me ride on your shoulders, okay? I'll lead the way. Hu Mao's voice sounded again in Lingyu's head.
Lingyu nodded slightly, then turned to Wu Xuan. "Come with me," he said, leading the way.
The two continued walking through the dark forest. The air felt thick, damp, and still, save for the occasional rustling of leaves or snapping branches. The tall plants towered over them, their branches reaching skyward like grasping monsters. The smell of rotting leaves and damp soil filled the air, adding to the oppressive atmosphere.
"Yu Shidi, are you sure you're on the right track?" Wu Xuan asked, tying his hair into a tight bun. He unsheathed his sword, ready for any danger.
"I think so," Lingyu replied, his voice quiet. He trusted Hu Mao; he always had. The weasel had never once betrayed him.
"Yu Shidi," Wu Xuan grabbed Lingyu's arm and motioned for them to hide behind a nearby plant. A low chant echoed in the air, sending a chill down their spines. The words were in a language neither of them understood, but the tone of it was so eerie, it felt like it was alive.
In front of them stood a huge stone statue, its shadow looming in the dim light. A person, draped in a long black robe, knelt before it. Their face was hidden, but they held something in their arms, something small, glowing faintly. It was a white skull, and from its eye sockets, a bright green light radiated.
"What is that?" Lingyu whispered to the weasel.
I don't know that either. I've never seen him before, Hu Mao replied in his mind, his voice sharp and tense.
"It must be the demon," Wu Xuan answered, as if the words had been asked of him. His gaze never left the figure.
Lingyu's heart skipped. The talisman that had been burned away when Wei Yunhe checked for demons once again. And it had reacted the same way in the temple. The talisman hadn't burned because of Hu Mao. Hu Mao was still a god. But this-this was different. Was the cause of the talisman's burning the presence of the devil?
Before Lingyu could process his thoughts further, the chant intensified. The skull began to glow more brightly, pulsing in rhythm with the words. A deep sense of unease settled over him.
"Yu Shidi, we need to get out of here," Wu Xuan urged, his voice tight with alarm.
"If we leave now, what happens to our brothers?" Lingyu asked, his eyes never leaving the strange scene.
"It doesn't concern me," Wu Xuan said flatly, stepping back into the shadows.
Lingyu's heart sank. It was still like this. Wu Xuan, who cared for nothing but himself, and Lingyu, who cared for everyone else.
"Wu Xuan! Go if you must!" Lingyu muttered angrily. But just as he finished speaking, the singing ceased. The mysterious figure threw his head back, and Wu Xuan quickly pulled Lingyu back. However, as he moved, a rotten branch cracked under his foot. The skull in the mysterious figure's hands shattered with a loud crash, and a blinding flash of light erupted through the forest.
The figure slowly rose, towering and slender. His cloak billowed in the wind, swirling like a flag caught in a storm. He raised his arms to the sky and let out a powerful cry.
At the same moment, the stone statue cracked, and a faint green light pulsed from the broken edges. A terrible sound reverberated through the forest, shaking the very ground. The plants trembled and swayed, and the earth itself seemed to explode in a series of violent eruptions.
"What the hell?!" Wu Xuan grabbed Lingyu's hand, pulling him to safety. They barely escaped as a tall plant, which had been hiding them, exploded in a burst of green light. Wu Xuan stumbled, falling to the ground, while Lingyu crashed onto him. In the chaos, a sharp branch impaled Wu Xuan's shoulder.
"Look out!" Lingyu shouted, pulling Xuan closer to him as a massive root shot through the air toward them.
Wu Xuan, grimacing in pain, tore himself free from the branch, blood seeping from the wound. Lingyu didn't have time to worry about his bleeding shoulder. The darkness and the green light masked the blood staining his clothes as they faced the mysterious figure. His eyes, glowing green now, were all that could be seen beneath his black attire, two eerie green orbs floating in the dark.
Wu Xuan stood up, sword in hand. Without a word, he twirled the blade and sent a powerful wave of energy toward the figure. The attack tore through the air, ripping nearby plants from their stems. But the energy dissipated harmlessly before reaching the figure, as if an invisible barrier blocked it.
Undeterred, Wu Xuan launched several more strikes, each one more ferocious than the last. But every time, his attacks met the same fate, unable to touch the mysterious figure. The stranger muttered something incomprehensible, his right hand raised. With a single motion, Wu Xuan was thrown backward like a weightless kite, crashing into the earth.
"Wu Shixiong!" Lingyu cried, rushing toward him. But Wu Xuan didn't need help. He coughed up blood and stood, wiping it away, determined to continue his fight. He charged at the mysterious figure again, his sword swinging through the air.
The blade collided with the figure's shoulder, a sharp metallic clang echoing through the air. The green eyes focused intently on Wu Xuan, and the figure reached out, gripping Xuan's neck. With a brutal strength, he lifted Wu Xuan off the ground, squeezing tightly.
Wu Xuan's sword fell to the earth with a heavy thud, and he struggled in the figure's grip. Lingyu stood frozen for a moment, unsure of what to do.
A surge of spiritual energy pulsed around Lingyu, causing the air to whirl around him. His hand clenched into a fist, and with a flash of determination, he pressed his fingers to his forehead, muttering an incantation. A sword appeared, materializing through the air, cutting through the fabric of space itself. It gleamed with a brilliant light as he grabbed it with his left hand.
Lingyu quickly hurled the sword at the mysterious figure. The blade, charged with rebellious spiritual energy, cut through the air, missing Wu Xuan by a hair's breadth, and struck the mysterious figure in the waist.
Wu Xuan slipped from the figure's grip and fell to the ground with a heavy thud, coughing up blood. For a brief moment, Xuan caught a glimpse of a white shadow, flitting through the air near him. Lingyu yanked the sword free from the mysterious figure's waist and spun around, launching another attack. The air around him pulsed with powerful energy as the figure staggered back.
The force of their clash shook the entire forest, trees swaying violently in the wake of their battle. The mysterious figure, now glaring at Lingyu, muttered something under his breath. This time, Lingyu understood.
"Fierce wind!"
A black mist erupted from behind the figure, engulfing him in an instant. The eerie green light in his eyes vanished, swallowed by the darkness.
The figure's voice echoed from within the mist, faint but clear.
"Nice to meet you again, Wind Lord!"