The narrow path stretched beneath the pale moonlight.
Wushi Taoyi and Mu Chen walked side by side, their steps slow and quiet.
The silver glow of the night turned Wushi Taoyi into a living statue of beauty.
She wore plain white robes, no ornaments, no jewels .... she disliked adornment .... yet her very simplicity made her radiant.
In contrast, Mu Chen's gray clothes looked worn and old, a faded sheath hanging at his side.
They walked together, but the silence between them was heavy ....
like two enemies forced to share the same road.
Then, breaking that stillness, Wushi Taoyi's gentle voice sounded, calm yet respectful.
"Master… I know you do not like us, but we have no choice."
She stopped, drawing a long, weary breath, her tone burdened with guilt.
"My father and I have searched for the prince countless times.
Father even sent men to infiltrate the palace, but Heng Yao Ren has vanished without a trace.
We tried every sealing art, every spell ..... but the palace is bound by an invisible barrier, one that recognizes our spirit energy and bloodline.
We cannot enter.
But you… you are an outsider. The sealing art will not recognize you.
And we need your soul-detection technique.
Father knows what you stole that day from Cang Ming Yuan Academy.
He also knows that you can use the Guan Shi Amulet .... and that is what we need."
She paused, her eyes dimming.
"I believe the prince is being kept in a secret chamber, one hidden beyond ordinary sight.
That is why only you can use the Guan Shi Amulet.
Its use is forbidden ..... especially for those belonging to a clan.
You must go alone from here, Master.
I will wait for you."
Her words faded into silence.
Wushi Taoyi's gaze lingered on Mu Chen, who stood expressionless, his voice cold and lifeless ....
as though emotion itself had long died within him.
"Why do you want to find that prince at all?"
Wushi Taoyi had expected this question. She lowered her voice.
"If Heng Yao Ren truly murdered the Emperor, he deserves punishment.
But if the prince is suffering unjustly… then We have to do this.
It is our duty to help him." We have to do this
At that, Mu Chen's calm cracked. His eyes flared, and his voice turned sharp, bitter.
"we? … There is no we.
If my sister hadn't gone to Cang Ming Yuan Academy,
I wouldn't even want to hear that prince's name, let alone help him.
Don't expect anything more from me.
My only task is to bring him back to you ....nothing else."
With that, he turned away, leaving her behind.
Wushi Taoyi stood quietly, her face calm despite his harshness.
She was used to such words ....they no longer hurt her.
And still, she knew: Mu Chen was not a bad man.
Circumstances had simply forced him to become one.
---
The night deepened.
The faint chirping of insects filled the air.
Hidden behind a tree, Mu Chen watched the distant palace, its walls gleaming under moonlight.
The rhythmic march of soldiers echoed; the entire palace was wrapped in layers of protection .... both human and mystical.
He threw a small talisman toward the barrier.
It burst into flames and turned to ash before it even touched the walls.
Mu Chen's eyes narrowed.
He understood ..... he would need the Guan Shi Amulet.
Without hesitation, he left for a desolate valley ..... a barren, stony place where even weeds struggled to grow.
He sat cross-legged upon the cold earth, closing his eyes as he began the forbidden ritual.
His fingers moved in precise patterns.
The amulet shimmered faintly, resonating with his spiritual energy.
This was no ordinary technique ..... it was a forbidden art, sealed long ago because it demanded a heavy price.
Those who practiced it risked their lives, for it split the soul in two .....
half remained in the body, half left to wander the world.
If the wandering soul failed to return in time,
the body would weaken, the spirit fade,
and the user's life ... lost forever.
Yet Mu Chen had used it many times before.
He knew the risk ... and no longer feared it.
When he formed the final hand seal, a glowing white circle surrounded him, enclosing his body in light.
That circle wasn't part of the spell .... it was Mu Chen's own creation,
a barrier to protect his body while his soul was away.
Then, in a sudden shimmer, half of his soul slipped free ....
a translucent mist, pale and luminous, drifting like white smoke into the night.
It knew exactly where to go.
Without pause, it soared away toward the palace ....
where fate awaited.