Chapter 34 — The Crimson Moon
The forest whispered with rain.
Drops slid down jade-green leaves, pooling in the cracks of old stone. A faint mist curled around the roots of trees, where foxfire lights flickered and faded like fading dreams.
Ye Tianlan and Mei had taken shelter inside a ruined shrine — its roof half-collapsed, moss growing over carvings of forgotten gods.
A single candle burned between them, its flame trembling with every sigh of the wind.
The Calm Before
Mei sat cross-legged on a stone, drying her tails with mild annoyance.
"You know," she muttered, "for someone hunted by every major sect, you sleep like a rock."
Across from her, Tianlan sat in meditation, eyes closed, aura steady as a still pond.
"I sleep lightly," he said without opening his eyes. "You just talk too much."
She puffed up. "Excuse me for keeping things lively. Silence gets boring."
"Silence keeps you alive," he replied calmly.
"Yeah, yeah," she said, rolling her eyes. "You and your dramatic one-liners."
She paused then, glancing at him. His robes were still slightly torn from the battle. The faint light revealed scars on his arms — old, but deep.
"Does it ever stop hurting?" she asked quietly.
He opened his eyes at that. "What?"
"The memories," she said. "The people you couldn't save. The ones you had to kill."
The candlelight flickered between them.
Tianlan looked down at his hands — the ones that had cut, saved, and lost.
"No," he said softly. "It doesn't stop. You just learn to live with the ache."
Mei went silent for a while, her expression softer now. Then she hopped to his side and grinned.
"Well… good thing you have me, huh? I make the ache talk back."
He gave her a sidelong look, and for the first time that night, a faint smile touched his lips.
"You do."
The Relic Beneath the Shrine
As the storm passed, Tianlan stood and stepped deeper into the shrine.
Behind the cracked altar, something pulsed faintly — like a heartbeat buried in stone.
He knelt, brushing away moss and dust. Beneath it lay a circular seal, engraved with complex runes.
A faint hum of spirit energy radiated from it, pure and cold.
Mei hovered near him. "That's not normal. Is it a barrier?"
He nodded slightly. "An ancient one. Protective — and broken."
With a flick of his fingers, he traced a small sigil in the air. The seal flared briefly, then cracked open with a low hiss.
Inside the hollow beneath it rested a small crystal sphere, its core swirling with blue mist.
"A Memory Orb," Tianlan murmured.
"From the First Era."
Mei blinked. "Those things are rare, right? Like, they record visions or history?"
"Yes," he said, lifting it carefully. "Fragments of what once was."
He pressed his palm against it.
A soft light filled the shrine. Images flickered — battles, temples, dragons soaring through golden skies. And then, a single voice echoed through the silence:
"To the one who finds this — beware the Crimson Blade. When the sky bleeds red, their oath will awaken again."
The vision shattered.
Tianlan stood motionless, the light fading from his eyes. Mei floated close, uneasy. "That was… creepy."
"The Crimson Blade…" he muttered. "An ancient sect. The predecessor of the Crimson Saber Sect."
Mei's tail twitched. "So their roots go back that far?"
"Yes," Tianlan said grimly. "And if this warning still exists… they're not done cleansing the world."
The Retaliation Begins
The candle flickered and went out.
Tianlan's head snapped up. The forest outside had gone unnaturally silent.
Then came the first tremor.
The ground shook lightly followed by a deep hum of energy that rippled through the trees.
Mei's eyes widened. "We're surrounded."
Flames bloomed across the forest floor crimson, forming a wide circle. Within moments, shadows stepped into view, their robes marked with the burning sigil of the Crimson Saber Sect.
Dozens of cultivators. And at their head the woman from before, her crimson braid now loose, her aura much stronger.
"Ye Tianlan," she called, her voice sharp as a blade.
"You've slain my brothers. Burned our pride. For that you'll die."
Tianlan exhaled slowly. "So soon," he said. "I was hoping for at least another night of rest."
Mei cracked her knuckles, glowing faintly. "Guess nap time's over."
The Trap Within the Trap
The sect charged crimson blades cutting through rain and mist.
But as they entered the shrine's clearing, the earth shimmered glowing faintly with hidden symbols.
Mei's tails flared wide, her eyes gleaming mischievously.
"Surprise."
A surge of blue light erupted from the ground.
The runes Tianlan had drawn earlier seemingly random came alive in sequence, forming a spiritual mirror formation.
Every attack the sect unleashed was reflected back fire turned against fire, blades slicing through their own ranks.
The forest exploded in chaos.
Screams and sparks filled the night. Those who tried to escape found their steps looping endlessly trapped in an illusion so subtle they never realized it.
The woman slashed through the air, trying to break the spell, but Tianlan appeared behind her in an instant his sword resting lightly against her back.
"You should've listened," he said coldly.
"You can't hunt a dragon in shadow."
He struck once clean, silent and she fell.
The crimson flames died down, replaced by the quiet crackle of rain.
Mei floated down beside him, panting slightly. "That… was terrifyingly satisfying."
Tianlan sheathed his sword. "You helped more than you know. The formation wouldn't have worked without your energy threads."
She smirked. "I told you I'm useful."
He looked at her, expression unreadable. "You're more than that."
For once, Mei didn't have a snarky reply. She just smiled small, genuine.
End of the Night
By dawn, the forest was silent again. The ashes of the Crimson Saber scouts were scattered by wind.
Ye Tianlan stood at the edge of the clearing, gazing eastward toward the rising sun.
"Their leader will come next," he said quietly. "The real fight hasn't begun."
Mei floated beside him, her glow dim in the morning light.
"Then we'll be ready," she said. "Together."
He nodded once and walked on, the horizon blazing red like the memory of war.