Midnight in the Jinyue Clan was always quiet. The wind that passed through its white-crystal corridors sang softly like zither strings. Even the clouds that lingered above the mountains seemed too disciplined to drift out of place. Everything was orderly, clean, silent, and utterly sacred.
Everything—except the boy sprawled under the magnolia tree just outside the Lingxiao gate chamber.
"Ahhh~ This is life!" Ling Yiran exclaimed, tossing a chunk of roast meat into his mouth and chasing it with a loud gulp of plum wine. "Their rules may suck, but their mountain air is top-quality."
Several disciples walked by, staring at him like he was a tiger that had learned to tap dance. Eating meat and drinking? In front of the gate chamber? During the first day of formal entry?
Blasphemy.
Yiran couldn't care less. He hummed a little tune to himself, flicked a talisman at a bug, and lounged further back as he chewed on another skewer.
But then—
Footsteps. Light, precise, and unnaturally quiet.
Ling Yiran paused mid-bite, then slowly looked up.
Standing before him, arms behind his back and face carved from the coldest jade, was none other than Jin Suoxue—the infamous Young Master of Jinyue Clan. His white robes rustled slightly in the breeze, and his long hair was tied with a silver clasp shaped like a sword.
His eyes were sharp, unreadable. The faint shimmer of blue qi danced around his palm, subtle but unmistakable.
"Drinking and eating meat are forbidden within Jinyue grounds," Suoxue said icily. "This is not the Lingxiao Clan, Master Ling."
Yiran blinked. Swallowed his bite. Then dramatically rolled his eyes.
"Ugh. Seriously? Can you not appear every time I'm finally enjoying myself? You know, you're like a ghost—always cold, always sudden, and always ruining the fun."
Suoxue's jaw twitched. Barely. But he remained calm. Until Yiran tipped the wine jar back and slurped loudly, letting the excess dribble down his chin.
"Enough."
With a flick of his wrist, Suoxue released a sharp wave of spiritual force. The blue qi curved in the air like a sword's edge, slamming into the ground beside Yiran. The wine jar went flying. Meat skewers scattered like leaves.
"AHHH!! My WIIIINE!"
Yiran shot to his feet, furious. "Are you insane?! That was aged twenty years! Do you know how hard I had to lie to get that?!"
Suoxue simply narrowed his eyes. "You disgrace the sanctity of this place."
"You disgrace my lunch."
Before anyone could blink, Yiran whipped out a black talisman scroll from his sleeve. With a graceful stroke in midair, he summoned glowing red runes. "Let's see if you still look like a carved ice sculpture after this, Sword Boy."
A blast of fire surged forward, the talisman igniting mid-air.
Suoxue sidestepped effortlessly, his palm glowing with blue light as he parried the spell with a wave of spiritual energy. The air between them cracked.
"This is your warning," Suoxue said coldly. "Stand down."
Yiran grinned. "Oh? Did you just give me a dramatic line? Are we role-playing now? Should I call you 'Sect wanna be leader' next?"
The next blow came fast. Suoxue lunged forward, palm open and charged with spiritual force. Yiran somersaulted back, slapping another talisman onto the ground.
BOOM!
The earth cracked where Suoxue had stood. Smoke curled up as energy spiraled outward.
Disciples from both clans screamed and fled behind pillars. Elders watching from afar didn't interfere—this was still technically a 'duel of disagreement,' not open warfare.
Suoxue's robe fluttered as he summoned a long arc of defensive qi in one hand and launched a stunning wave with the other. Yiran ducked, rolled, and stuck out his tongue.
"Missed me! Try harder, Frost Prince!"
"You are insufferable," Suoxue hissed, lunging again.
Yiran held up a talisman and threw it high. It exploded midair into a blinding flash. Suoxue shielded his eyes for only half a second—but in that second, Yiran smacked him on the forehead with a meat skewer.
THWACK.
There was silence.
Suoxue slowly reached up to touch his forehead. Meat juice.
His eyes darkened.
Yiran laughed so hard he nearly choked. "That's what you get!"
And then—
A soft whistle split the air.
Both boys froze.
A tall figure strolled casually through the smoke, hands behind his back. His white robes were similar to Suoxue's, but trimmed with sky-blue rather than silver. His features were gentle, his smile warm.
"Honestly, Suoxue," said the man with a chuckle, "you've never even argued with the elders before, and now you're fighting a Lingxiao boy over food? What's next—duels over laundry?"
Suoxue stiffened. "Elder Brother..."
The newcomer turned to Yiran and bowed slightly. "Young Master Ling. A pleasure. I assume you're the source of the delightful chaos this midnight."
Yiran gave him a sloppy salute with a talisman scroll. "Ling Yiran, at your service. You must be Suoxue's older brother. You don't look like him at all. You actually seem... human."
Suoxue glared.
The elder brother only laughed. "Come. Both of you. Inside. Now. Before the Elders start whispering that Jinyue has turned into a playground."
Yiran and Suoxue exchanged mutual, lethal glares. Then, without a word, both turned and walked through the gate—shoulders bumping, eyes locked in eternal irritation.
Behind them, the elder brother smiled to himself.
It had been a long time since he'd seen his little brother act like a child again.