The boy lowered his head, his voice trembling as he spoke."We were playing this afternoon… everyone was laughing and running around the meadow. But then, suddenly—people started screaming."
He paused, his small hands clenching tightly."The cries came from near our houses. As they grew louder, we tried to see what was happening… but then all my friends fell to the ground one after another. I—I also collapsed.
When I woke up, I was in the woods. My friends were lying there—still asleep. That's when those people attacked me. I ran… but they followed."
Ye Kaishan's eyes darkened. His gaze drifted toward the distant thatched houses beyond Heavenreach Citadel.
He recalled the cultivators flying hurriedly over the city that morning—their faces filled with panic. So that's why… something must have happened to the people outside the walls.
"Oh, is that so…" Shen Yao scratched his head, frowning. "You did well to escape, kid. Let's go check on your friends and wake them up."
The boy nodded quickly and led the way through the forest.
Ye Kaishan and Shen Yao followed close behind, the crunch of dry leaves echoing beneath their boots.
After several minutes, Shen Yao sighed. "Hey, brat, are you sure this is the right way? We've been walking forever."
"It's near," the boy said, quickening his pace, a faint eagerness in his tone.
They soon emerged from the woods into an open clearing.
"Did we reach?" Ye Kaishan murmured, scanning the empty space ahead.
The clearing looked unnaturally perfect, as though carved out by unseen hands.
The soil was smooth, too smooth—disturbed only by faint, overlapping footprints circling the center. The air felt heavy, thick with a faint metallic tang that clung to the back of his tongue.
Even the rustle of leaves seemed to hold its breath.
It was perfectly circular, surrounded by towering trees whose shadows stretched across the bare earth. The ground bore clear footprints, evidence that this place had been deliberately cleared… and used for something.
"There—they're over there!" the boy said brightly, pointing with a smile.
Ye Kaishan's gaze swept over the cleared ground—as he looked over it his gaze suddenly froze. His pupils contracted sharply.
A chill spread through his chest, his expression hardening like stone.
Beside him, Shen Yao's mouth fell open. Sweat trickled down his temple as his body trembled uncontrollably. He stumbled a step forward before collapsing to his knees, his voice caught in his throat.
"Here it is," the boy said cheerfully, stepping onto the open ground. "See? They're sleeping.
But...
why they look so pale… is it because of the sun?"
He tilted his head curiously—utterly unaware of the horror reflected in Ye Kaishan's eyes.
The silence was suffocating.
"…What did they do to them?" Shen Yao's lips finally parted after a long pause, his voice trembling. His eyes wavered, unable to believe what he was seeing.
He and Ye Kaishan stood still, gazing at the children lying in the center of the clearing—arranged in a perfect circle.
Their skin was pale, almost chalk-white. Dark circles hollowed their eyes, and their bodies were so thin that their ribs faintly showed beneath wrinkled skin. More than twenty children lay motionless upon the ground.
The air around them felt heavy—thick with a stillness that made the forest eerily silent.
Ye Kaishan's expression darkened, his gaze grim as he stepped closer. "They're not asleep," he muttered coldly. "Nor unconscious… they're dead."
His eyes narrowed, a faint frown creasing his brow. "Their blood and bodily fluids have been completely drained," he whispered—low enough for only Shen Yao to hear.
The young boy stumbled forward, panic flooding his face. He knelt beside one of the small bodies and began shaking them one by one. "Wake up… please wake up!"
His voice cracked as he went from one child to another, desperation twisting his words. Yet none of them even flinched.
Ye Kaishan sighed softly. Though he felt no personal connection to these children, a faint ache stirred in his chest as he looked at the trembling boy.
He placed a hand on Shen Yao's shoulder. "There's nothing more we can do," he said quietly. He could see the pain etched across Shen Yao's face—the grief of someone who had known these children, perhaps even cared for them.
"I—I know, Brother Ye…" Shen Yao's voice was hoarse. He slowly straightened, his complexion pale as ash. With heavy steps, he walked toward the young boy still kneeling in the dirt.
The boy's small hands trembled as he shook another cold, unresponsive body. Tears welled in his eyes. Shen Yao knelt beside him, resting a hand gently atop his head.
"B—Brother," the boy turned toward Shen Yao, his voice breaking. "Please look—they're not moving! What happened to them? Why do they look so pale? Why are they so cold? Why… why won't they wake up?" His eyes glistened, lips quivering.
Shen Yao stared at the boy for a long moment, his own eyes lifeless yet filled with sorrow. Gathering what little strength he had left, he finally opened his mouth.
The forest stilled. Even the wind seemed to stop.
"…Let's go," Shen Yao whispered, his voice hollow. "They won't open their eyes again."
"W—what?" The boy's eyes widened, the words hitting him like thunder.
The setting sun stretched long shadows across the forest floor. In its fading light, two figures could be seen walking away—the boy's small silhouette trailing behind Shen Yao's broad back.
Only silence remained in the clearing, broken by the whisper of wind brushing over the pale, lifeless forms.
Ye Kaishan sat upon a sturdy tree branch, his gaze following Shen Yao and the boy as they made their way toward the gates of Heavenreach Citadel. The child had fallen asleep on Shen Yao's back, his small face pale, dark circles shadowing his eyes.
"That boy…" Ye Kaishan's expression grew grim. He recalled how the child had cried until his eyes turned red before finally succumbing to exhaustion. "He's still only ten,"
Ye Kaishan murmured softly. "I hope… with time, the river of memory will wash away today's cruelty."
The warmth of day had long faded, replaced by the biting chill of night. The forest below was quiet—only the whisper of wind stirred the leaves.
Ye Kaishan leaned back against the trunk, his eyes drifting toward the horizon where the last streaks of sunlight melted into dusk. Stars began to appear one by one, faint yet steady.
"I wonder… has Song Yan returned?" he whispered, his gaze lingering on the distant heavens as thoughts of her filled his mind.
Meanwhile — Heavenreach Citadel
At the heart of Heavenreach Citadel sprawled the grand abodes and mansions belonging to the disciples of Yaochi Holy Land. The district stretched over a vast area, its elegant pavilions gleaming under the moonlight like scattered pearls.
At its center rose a tall tower adorned with a Heavenly Lotus crest, surrounded by expansive martial grounds where countless disciples practiced each day.
The clang of weapons and the hum of spiritual energy often filled the air here—but tonight, all was silent. The place stood serene and heavily guarded, the disciples already withdrawn for the night.
Above the city, the twin moons hung in a sea of dark clouds. A lone figure pierced through that veil of night, leaving behind a faint trail of drifting mist.
Hong Lian descended gracefully into one of the many courtyards below. Her Cyan robes rippled softly as she landed on the dew-laden grass, her brows faintly furrowed.
Hong Lian stepped forward, her light footsteps barely disturbing the still night air.
She approached a small pavilion nestled at the heart of the courtyard—elegant yet simple, built above a serene pool where lotuses bloomed in silent grace, their petals glimmering faintly beneath the moonlight.
Crossing the narrow bridge of white stone, she entered the pavilion and sat upon a cold stone chair,
her flowing sleeves brushing against its surface. The gentle ripples on the water mirrored the flickering moonlight, which danced across her delicate face.
Her gaze turned distant. Beneath the soft glow of the twin moons, Hong Lian's thoughts sank deeper, heavy with unease and unanswered questions.
What exactly was the mission behind these massacres? she wondered, her gaze distant, thoughtful. And that woman… what did she mean by "mission completed"?
A faint line formed between her brows, her delicate expression shadowed with unease.
Crack—
A sudden sound split the silence. Hong Lian's eyes snapped open—sharp, white lashes fluttering like blades. In an instant, pink petals spiraled around her, swirling in a deadly bloom. Spiritual power surged through the air, the fragrance of her technique mingling with killing intent.
"Hey—wait! Wait! It's me! Me!"
The startled voice made her pause.
A young man in his twenties stood before her, hands raised in surrender. His robe was white as frost, his gray eyes calm yet earnest under the moonlight.
"...Lian Yu?" Hong Lian's gaze softened as the petals slowly dissolved into drifting motes of light.
"Why are you here?" she asked calmly. "Have you completed your training?"
Lian Yu smiled faintly. "Well, my training is over—so I came to look for you."
He studied her face for a moment, then his tone shifted, quiet and probing.
"But it seems you've been busy yourself, Hong Lian. Your eyes… they carry trouble. What is it that's bothering you?"