The lotus illusion realm had shattered into dust hours ago.
Taiyi's robes still carried the faint fragrance of that realm's cursed petals when he stepped back through the gates of the Heavenly Realm.
The Purple Palace, his residence, loomed quietly before him—its white jade steps reflecting the moonlight, the roofs shimmering with a thin veil of spiritual energy. The guards bowed as he passed, but he moved without a word.
As he crossed into the inner courtyard, a familiar voice sounded.
"Master, junior martial sister is back."
It was the little fox, his tail swaying with excitement.
Taiyi paused mid-step. The faintest flicker passed through his eyes before his expression became unreadable again. He simply gave a short nod and continued toward the courtyard.
---
After returning from the illusion realm, Feng Jiu had not visited him. She had locked herself within her own courtyard, her phoenix aura withdrawn, healing in silence. Rumor had already begun to circulate among the servants—that her injuries were not physical, but of the heart.
The night was deep, the stars cold and sharp in the heavens, when Taiyi's shadow fell across the gardens of the Purple Palace. The scent of night-blooming lotus lingered in the air, mixing with the faint trace of snow that always clung to his robes.
He stepped soundlessly into her courtyard and pushed open the door.
---
A soft voice came from within.
"Your Majesty… hasn't anyone told you it's bad manners to intrude into a girl's room during the night?"
"If I wanted to sneak in," Taiyi replied evenly, "you would not have noticed me."
Feng Jiu's lips curved faintly. "Then speak. What do you want?"
"I came to give you this."
With a light wave of his sleeve, a jade bottle appeared on the table between them.
Her gaze lingered on it. "Why don't you have a drink with me?"
"…Alright."
---
Three bottles of wine materialized on the table. Moonlight spilled through the window, casting silver across their faces. She poured for herself without hesitation, while Taiyi took a single cup and a single bottle.
They drank in silence. The quiet between them was heavy—not the comfortable kind they had once shared, but something layered with unspoken truths, unacknowledged wounds. The only sounds were the faint clinks of porcelain cups and the soft wind outside.
Finally, she broke it.
"Master… why? Am I really unworthy of your love?"
Taiyi gave no reply. His gaze stayed on the wine as if the moonlight in it were more interesting than her question.
---
Her fingers tightened slightly around her cup.
"Ever since I was young, I dreamed of standing beside you, witnessing your glorious deeds. When I heard you'd taken me as a disciple, I was overjoyed. The day you saved me from that demon, I swore I would repay you… even if you asked for my life.
"But later, I realized I was falling in love with you. I tried to avoid you, but it was impossible. That day you saved me, you left a mark on my heart that could never fade.
"I pushed myself to become a Celestial God so I could stand at your side—not as a burden, but as someone worthy of you. I knew how lonely it was at the peak. I wanted to keep you company. You hid behind that mask of coldness, but I saw the solitude beneath it.
"And yet… you say you don't love me. But five hundred years ago, when I was trapped in the demon realm, you risked your life to save me. You were poisoned then, so badly you could barely use a tenth of your strength. You'll say it was because I am your disciple, but…
"When I was about to ascend to the High God Realm and was unprepared for my tribulation, you shielded me from it and took it on yourself. Every time I told myself to forget you… you made me love you more with your actions. Why, Taiyi?"
Her voice was quiet, but the weight behind it was like a blade sinking slowly into his heart.
"You are drunk," Taiyi said at last, taking another sip.
Feng Jiu laughed softly—without amusement—and refilled her cup.
---
The night deepened. Six hours passed. The table was now littered with shattered jars and empty bottles. The air was heavy with the scent of wine, its sweetness mingling with the faint heat of phoenix qi.
Taiyi noticed her unsteady hand, the flush on her cheeks, and decided it was enough. He raised his hand, channeling qi into a spell to knock her unconscious—but his dantian jolted in protest. His qi… would not move.
His eyes narrowed. "…Immortal Drunken Wine."
The name left his lips like a curse. This was no ordinary drink—it was the Wine Immortal's most infamous creation, a brew so potent that even Ancestral Gods could not resist its pull. Two cups were enough to muddle one's divine sense and suppress qi flow entirely.
"That old ghost gave you his secret wine?" Taiyi asked, his voice low.
Feng Jiu said nothing. She simply stood, her steps slow but deliberate, until she reached him. She swayed—pretending to lose her balance—and he caught her without thought.
Her arms slid around his neck, her breath warm against his jaw.
---
"Taiyi," she whispered, her golden eyes shimmering with moonlight, "can you fulfill this little wish of mine… and let me be willful, just for tonight?"
He looked at her for a long time, then sighed—releasing his resistance to the wine's haze.
A small, victorious smile touched her lips. "I'm leaving for the Fire Realm tomorrow. Mother has summoned me… and this might be my last trip home."
The words hung between them, heavy with unspoken danger. Taiyi knew of the Phoenix Empress's failing health, the resurgence of her old wounds. He also knew of Feng Jiu's sisters, whose ambitions for the throne would only sharpen with her return. The Fire Realm's succession war had begun, and she would be walking into a battlefield.
She leaned close, her voice no more than a breath in his ear. "Taiyi… I love you."
Her lips brushed his—soft, warm, and tasting faintly of wine.
---
Far above the Purple Palace, thunder rolled. Dark clouds coiled over the Heavenly Realm. Lightning licked the edges of the sky, yet the two within the room seemed unaware—or perhaps uncaring.
Taiyi's hands slid to her back, pulling her closer. Her outer garments loosened and fell soundlessly to the floor. The air between them thickened with heat, drowning the silence.
Outside, the storm deepened. The oppressive aura spilling from the heavens made lesser gods tremble. In the darkness above, an image began to form—vast and ethereal—a white dragon coiled around a blazing fire phoenix, their forms intertwined as if in eternal pursuit.
Few noticed. Fewer understood.
And in the moonlit chamber of the Purple Palace, the night pressed on, unbroken.
---