The first thing Lin Xuan felt was pain. A dull, heavy ache that pulsed through his limbs like the echo of distant drums. His chest rose and fell in shallow, ragged breaths. Slowly, his eyes fluttered open.
The world around him was red.
Leaves the color of fresh blood swayed overhead, their edges glowing faintly under the pale light of dawn. The soil beneath him was dark and damp, carrying a faint metallic scent. Even the mist here was tinged crimson, curling through the trees in heavy coils.
Lin Xuan blinked in confusion. The last thing he remembered was the blinding flare of Yu Ling's talisman, her hand gripping his arm as they vanished from Ren Hao's killing strike—and the beast's roar, echoing like thunder through the collapsing forest.
Now… this.
He tried to sit up, only for sharp pain to lance through his ribs. A soft gasp escaped him before he bit down hard, forcing his body upright inch by inch.
"You're awake."
The voice came from nearby, steady but faintly strained. Lin Xuan turned his head.
Yu Ling sat against the trunk of a crimson tree, her sword laid across her knees. Her robe was torn and stained with dried blood. One hand pressed against her side where the fabric was darkened, but her eyes were alert, watchful, scanning the mist.
Her gaze flicked toward him, and for a moment Lin Xuan thought he saw something soften there. But in the next instant, her expression was cool again, distant as always.
"You shouldn't move," she said quietly. "Your body hasn't recovered from channeling that much qi. You'll only tear yourself apart faster."
Lin Xuan swallowed, tasting the dryness in his throat. "Where… are we?"
Yu Ling's lips pressed into a thin line. "Not where I hoped." She turned her eyes back to the mist. "This is Crimson Star Dominion territory."
The words sent a chill through him. He'd never heard much of the Dominion beyond whispers in the village taverns—rumors of a land where crimson-armored soldiers marched like an army of cultivators, where the weak were enslaved and the strong crushed rivals beneath their boots.
Lin Xuan clenched his fists. "Then we should keep moving before they find us."
Her gaze flicked to him again, sharper this time. "You talk as if you could even stand."
He opened his mouth to protest, but she cut him off with a glance—cool, commanding. For a moment, Lin Xuan's chest tightened. Not from fear, but from something else.
That same look had deflected Ren Hao's blade in the night sky. That same will had stood between him and death.
"You… saved me," Lin Xuan said hoarsely, unable to stop the words. "Again."
Yu Ling's posture shifted slightly. For the briefest heartbeat, she looked away.
"Don't misunderstand," she said, her tone flat. "If you die, my mission fails."
But Lin Xuan noticed the way her hand lingered against her wound, the way her eyes avoided his. She hadn't needed to shield him so many times. She hadn't needed to risk herself against Ren Hao.
Something unspoken hung in the air.
Lin Xuan leaned back against the ground, staring up at the crimson canopy. "Then tell me," he whispered, "what is this mission of yours? Why am I worth so much trouble?"
The silence stretched long. Finally, Yu Ling let out a slow breath.
"You really don't know," she murmured, almost to herself. Her eyes dropped to the broken staff lying near Lin Xuan's hand. "That jade fragment you carry—it's not ordinary. It resonates with something older, something the sects have fought over for centuries. Do you understand what that means?"
Lin Xuan frowned. "That it brings trouble wherever I go?"
Her lips curved faintly—something that might have been a bitter smile. "Yes. And more than you realize. You're not a cursed boy, Lin Xuan. You're a seed. One that every sect will want—to claim, or to destroy."
Lin Xuan's chest tightened. He remembered the villagers spitting at him, whispering about misfortune. To them, he'd always been a burden, a curse. But now this woman—this cultivator—was saying the opposite. That he was dangerous, not useless.
His voice was low. "Then why save me? Why not finish me like Ren Hao wanted?"
Yu Ling's eyes met his, sharp as blades. But there was something else there too—something flickering, uncertain.
For a long moment, she didn't answer. Finally, she said softly, "…I don't know anymore."
The words struck deeper than any sword. Lin Xuan's throat tightened, his heart thundering in his chest.
But before he could speak again, a horn blast split the air.
Deep, resonant, echoing through the crimson forest like the call of a beast. The ground seemed to tremble with the vibration.
Yu Ling's eyes snapped wide. She rose to her feet instantly, ignoring the strain in her body. Her sword flashed to her hand, blade humming faintly with azure qi.
"They've found us."
Lin Xuan staggered upright, clutching his staff. "Who—?"
The answer came with the sound of armored footsteps. Dozens of them, heavy and synchronized.
Figures emerged through the mist. Crimson-armored soldiers, their helms shaped like snarling beasts, their spears glowing with etched runes. Their qi pressed outward in a suffocating wave.
A voice rang out, deep and cold. "Trespassers. Surrender now, or your corpses will feed the forest."
Yu Ling's jaw clenched. She stepped forward, sword raised. "Stay behind me."
Lin Xuan shook his head, gripping his staff until his knuckles turned white. "Not this time."
The soldiers surged forward.
The clash was instant, violent. Yu Ling's blade blazed through the first rank, cutting arcs of azure light. Blood sprayed, steel rang. But she was slower than before, her wounds stealing her speed.
Lin Xuan swung his staff, qi surging unstable through the wood. The weapon glowed faintly, cracks spiderwebbing deeper, but the force knocked a soldier sprawling. Shock rippled through the man's comrades.
A spear thrust at Lin Xuan's chest. He froze for a heartbeat—then Yu Ling's blade cut it aside, sparks flying.
"Fool!" she snapped, her voice raw. "Why would you stand there—"
"Because you risked yourself for me first!" Lin Xuan shouted back, eyes blazing.
Her heart faltered for half a breath. And in that instant, she almost forgot to strike.
The battle raged on. Soldiers pressed from every side, spears gleaming crimson. Yu Ling fought like a storm, but her blood dripped steadily, staining the earth. Lin Xuan forced his trembling body to move, to swing, to block. Every strike of his staff sent pain lancing through his veins, but he refused to fall.
Then the crowd parted.
A man strode forward, taller than the rest, his armor carved with crimson runes that pulsed with power. His helm bore horns, his spear wreathed in flame.
The Dominion captain. His voice was a growl. "So the Misty Cloud dogs are smuggling a seedling into our lands. Hand him over, girl, and I'll grant you a swift death."
Yu Ling's blade trembled faintly. But her eyes narrowed. "Over my dead body."
The captain's grin was cruel. "That can be arranged."
He lunged, his spear tearing through the air like a comet. Yu Ling met him, sparks erupting as steel clashed. The ground shook with the force.
Lin Xuan staggered forward, his chest heaving. He could see Yu Ling faltering, her strength failing.
Not again. He wouldn't stand helpless again.
He roared, forcing qi through his shattered meridians, into the broken staff. The wood groaned, glowing bright gold. Cracks split wider, but he didn't stop.
With a desperate cry, he swung.
The blast tore through the clearing, a wave of raw force that sent soldiers sprawling and even forced the captain back a step. The staff shattered in Lin Xuan's hands, fragments glowing before dissolving into ash.
Lin Xuan collapsed to his knees, gasping, his vision blurring.
Yu Ling's eyes widened. Without hesitation, she seized the moment—her blade flared with azure light as she struck, forcing the captain back another pace. Then she spun, grabbing Lin Xuan by the arm.
"Move!"
She dragged him into the forest, qi blazing in her legs, weaving through trees as horns blared behind them. Soldiers gave chase, the captain's roar shaking the air.
They stumbled into a cavern hidden beneath roots, collapsing against the stone. Lin Xuan's breaths came in shallow gasps. Yu Ling held him upright, her arms trembling.
For a long moment, the only sound was their breathing. Then Yu Ling whispered, her voice almost breaking:
"Why do you make me hesitate, Lin Xuan…?"
Half-conscious, he managed a faint, pained smile. "Maybe… because I'm not afraid of you."
Her eyes widened. She stared at him, torn between duty, fear—and something warmer, far more dangerous.
Above them, horns echoed again, closer this time.
Yu Ling tightened her grip on him, pressing her forehead briefly against his. "They won't stop hunting us now. Crimson Star Dominion has marked you. And once they mark… they never forget."
The crimson forest shuddered with the sound of pursuit.
And in that moment, the fragile line between survival and something far deeper blurred.
The cavern swallowed them in silence, the air cool and damp compared to the crimson forest above. Roots curled down like skeletal fingers from the ceiling, dripping with moisture. The faint glow of lichen lit the rough stone walls with a ghostly pallor.
Yu Ling lowered Lin Xuan gently against the wall. Her breath came uneven, her robe clinging to her from sweat and blood. She pressed her palm against her side where crimson still seeped through.
Lin Xuan forced his eyes open, vision swimming. "We… escaped…?"
Her lips tightened. "For now. Don't speak. You've already pushed your body beyond reason."
He gave a faint, bitter chuckle. "You sound like my grandmother."
Yu Ling's brows drew together. "Do not joke. What you did—forcing that much qi through untempered meridians—you're lucky to be alive. That kind of recklessness could cripple you permanently."
Lin Xuan tilted his head back against the stone, breathing raggedly. "And yet, if I hadn't, you would have died."
The words hung heavy between them. Yu Ling's eyes narrowed, but not with anger—more like conflict. For the first time, she had no quick retort.
Her hand shifted, brushing away a strand of damp hair clinging to her cheek. "You still don't understand. You think this is about bravery? About proving yourself?"
Lin Xuan's gaze fixed on her, sharp despite his exhaustion. "Then tell me. Stop circling shadows—just tell me why my life is worth all this."
The sound of distant horns echoed faintly from above, but Yu Ling didn't move. She stared at him, her jaw tightening. For a long moment, it seemed she wouldn't answer. Then, slowly, she sank to her knees beside him, her sword resting across her lap.
"The jade fragment you carry," she said at last, her voice low and steady, "is one of the Seven Vein Relics. Ancient remnants left behind by a cultivator whose power touched the heavens. They say whoever gathers them all can open a path to the Primordial Vein—a source of qi so pure it could elevate an entire sect to supremacy."
Lin Xuan's chest tightened. "And… mine is one of them?"
Yu Ling nodded once. "Yes. The Misty Cloud Sect has known of its existence for years. Elder Ji sent us to watch you because you… because you awakened it. That should have been impossible for a mortal."
Lin Xuan lowered his eyes, his fists trembling faintly. "So I was just a cursed boy to the villagers… but to you, I'm nothing more than a key."
Her head jerked slightly. "That's not—" She stopped, her lips pressing into a thin line.
He gave a harsh laugh, though it cracked into a cough. "Say it. That's why Ren Hao wanted me dead, isn't it? To remove the risk—or steal the glory of bringing me back?"
Yu Ling's silence was answer enough.
Lin Xuan turned his face away, bitter fire rising in his chest. "So all of this… it's never about me. Just the fragment."
The silence stretched. Then Yu Ling spoke again, softer this time. "At first… yes."
His eyes flicked to her, startled.
Her gaze met his, steady despite the turmoil in them. "But things change, Lin Xuan. I've seen cultivators with talent and arrogance beyond measure. None of them… none of them fought with the desperation you did tonight. None of them would risk tearing their own body apart just to stand beside someone else."
Lin Xuan's breath caught.
Yu Ling looked away quickly, her fingers tightening on her sword. "Don't misunderstand. I'm still bound by duty. If you lose control of that power, I may be ordered to end you myself."
The words were cold, but her tone wasn't.
Lin Xuan managed a faint smile, raw but unyielding. "Then until that day, I'll make sure you never have to choose."
Yu Ling's chest tightened. She hated how those words made her heart stutter, how her breath caught for just a moment too long.
Above, the horns blared again, closer now. She rose abruptly, forcing steel back into her eyes. "Rest while you can. We'll need to move soon. The Dominion doesn't relent once it marks prey."
Lin Xuan let his head rest against the stone, exhaustion dragging at his limbs. But as he drifted, his last sight was Yu Ling standing at the mouth of the cavern, her sword gleaming faintly in the lichen light.
A sentinel between him and death.
And for the first time, the thought of being cursed no longer haunted him. Because curse or key—he was still alive.
And he swore to the heavens he would not waste that life.