Zhongyin Palace
He Xicheng stepped forward, his gaze lowered and his hands neatly folded in front of him.
"Young Leader Wen, may I step outside for a moment?" he asked, his voice soft and respectful. "There's somewhere I need to go."
Wen Yin raised a brow, his head tilting slightly as he observed Xicheng. "Outside? Where to?" he asked with mild concern. "Do you want me to go with you?"
Xicheng quickly waved his hands and offered a polite smile. "No, no. It's fine. I can go on my own."
"You sure?" Wen Yin studied his expression carefully.
Xicheng bowed gently, still smiling. "I just need some fresh air. I'll be back soon."
Wen Yin gave a faint nod, though his eyes lingered with subtle worry. "Alright… but don't be gone too long, okay?"
As Wen Yin turned and walked away, Xicheng's expression shifted—calmness giving way to the weight of secrecy.
Qi Ruhan's POV
I knew it—Young Leader Wen Yin has a soft spot for me.
But I couldn't let that slow me down on my task, someday I'll have to bear leaving it.
I slipped quietly out of the palace, tucking the map carefully inside my robe. Half of my face was wrapped in a thick cloth, obscuring my identity. The moment my boots touched the outer stone path, I veered toward the river. The skies had almost darkened with clouds, and the cool wind stung my skin—it matched my mood.
Even the rural paths beyond the palace had been swept under Wen Clan's vigilant eyes. Guards stood like stone, unmoving at the forest's edge.
As my footsteps cracked the brittle leaves beneath me, their swords were drawn in an instant.
"Who's there?!" one of them barked, blade pointed directly at my chest.
I said nothing. My gaze swept across them like sharp steel.
Then, in a slow motion, I pulled down my mask.
"Mister He?" the guard's eyes widened. He quickly lowered his blade, the others following suit.
"What are you doing here alone? Where is Young Lord Wen? Aren't you supposed to be with him?"
"I've come alone," I said coolly. "Go elsewhere and don't return until I'm finished. That's an order."
The guards exchanged uncertain glances but bowed without argument. Then they disappeared into the trees.
I took a deep breath, stepping over to the riverbank. My footsteps pressed into the soft, wet grass. A small boat drifted at the edge of the current, and inside it stood a man clad in deep crimson robes, his face hidden behind a silver half-mask.
I checked both sides of the forest—nothing but silence and trees. And I moved forward.
"Young Leader Qi Huaisang," I greeted, bowing.
"Qi Ruhan," Huaisang's voice was smooth, eyes glinting beneath the mask. "I received your message the other day. You said you had the map—the one that reveals the Jade Crystal's position inside the Jade Temple?"
I nodded and reached into my robe. The paper, though slightly creased, held the fate of many.
"Here. I've memorized it already. If anything happens to me... you'll be the one to carry on."
Huaisang let out a soft chuckle, raising a brow. "If you die? What on earth did you do now?"
I turned away, unwilling to meet his gaze. "I killed the Meng Clan Leader. The suspicions are already closing in. As an outsider, they'll soon come for me."
"You what?!" Huaisang let out a low whistle, leaning forward. "Qi Ruhan, you truly live up to your name. Let me guess—it didn't felt good, didn't it?"
Good? No. It felt like something inside me broke. All I could think of was my sister—how I needed to protect her. And then... there was only silence and blood in my palms.
"The less you know, the better," I muttered.
"Hmm. I see." Huaisang's voice was unreadable. "Well, you've done your part well. I'll handle the rest and hand this to my father."
"Leave now, tell uncle Qi I'm fine," I said. "If anyone sees us together…"
He gave me a small salute. "You did well this time... Qi Ruhan, father will be proud of you."
He pushed off into the current, his silhouette shrinking against the river's glimmering surface.
I stood there, staring into the flowing water, the wind brushing coldly against my skin. I wondered—maybe after I help steal the Jade Crystal, give it to uncle Qi, I could disappear. Take my sister and run far away from all of this.
I slowly removed my outer robe, letting the weight fall to the grass. One by one, I undressed until the chill of the air met my bare skin. I stepped into the river, the cold biting at my legs until it wrapped around my chest. I stood there, hoping the water could cleanse me, numb me, make me forget what I'd done.
But then—
"He Xicheng!"
A familiar voice rang out behind me.
My eyes widened. I turned around in shock.
"Young Leader Wen?!"
Wen Yin stood by the riverbank, eyes bright with excitement, his sword discarded behind him.
"You could've just said you were coming here to bathe," he grinned, beginning to untie his robes. "I would've joined you."
"Wait! Don't—!" I turned away quickly, my voice trembling. "I… I'm naked right now. Please, just leave."
But Wen Yin only laughed and dropped his robe fully, stepping into the river without shame.
I kept my back turned, eyes squeezed shut. "Young Leader Wen, I came alone because I didn't want your father to scold you again. Why did you follow me?"
"I felt bad letting you go alone," he said softly. "The guard told me where you went."
I exhaled shakily. "Leader Wen… don't you think this is… embarrassing?"
He moved closer. I could feel the ripples in the water nearing my skin.
"Why?" he teased. "Because we're both naked?"
"Exactly—"
Before I could finish, he closed the space between us, his face barely a handspan from mine. His smirk curved mischievously.
"Don't tell me… you've got a thing for Young Leaders like me."
I tensed, heat rising to my cheeks. "Please… can you close your eyes? I need to change."
"Why would I? It's not like I don't have what you have," he said playfully. "Unless… yours is smaller than mine?"
I wanted the water to swallow me whole right there and then.
"Please," I said again, voice tight. "I respect you. Just… give me this moment."
Wen Yin didn't budge. Instead, he stretched and stared at the sky, smug as ever. "No."
Giving up, I sighed and climbed out of the river, dripping with cold water. If he was going to stare, so be it. My pride was already in tatters.
I reached for my clothes, but before I could slip on my trousers, arms wrapped tightly around me from behind and pushed me to the ground.
"Y-Young Leader Wen!" I stammered, pinned and breathless. "Please—!"
His grip was firm, but then…
"Your body looks so nice," he smirked as his eyes traveled around my body, and so are his hands.
And then he burst into uncontrollable laughter.
"Pfft—HAHAHAHA!"
He let go and stood up, wiping tears from his eyes.
"I'm just kidding! You should've seen your face."
I scrambled to my feet, turning away as fast as I could. He was still completely naked, unfazed.
"We're both men, Xicheng. Don't act like it's a big deal," he said, stretching.
I clutched my clothes and ran into the forest, my heart hammering.
"He Xicheng, wait for me!" Wen Yin called behind me.
I didn't stop. My thoughts were chaos.
What was that just now? Was he trying to tease me—or seduce me?
Either way, I wasn't ready for this.
----------
XIPING
Zhong Jinxiao and Feng Baiying wandered around the streets of Xiping, searching for the woman who had taken the last passion fruit.
"Where do you think she lives?" Jinxiao asked desperately.
"I don't know, but she shouldn't be far from here," Baiying replied.
They continued asking around, stopping pedestrians to describe the woman—about five feet tall, long elegant hair, and fair skin.
"Excuse me, have you seen a tall girl? Her hair's long and her skin is fair?" Jinxiao asked one passerby.
"No, sorry," the man replied.
Just then, they spotted a woman standing in front of a fruit vendor—she perfectly matched the description.
"Look," Jinxiao pointed. "Is that her?"
Baiying glanced quickly and nodded.
They both hurried over, stepping in front of her.
"Hello, Miss, uhh…" Jinxiao began.
"What?! What do you two want?" she snapped.
"We were wondering if you still have the passion fruit with you?" Baiying asked politely.
"Yes," she said. "Why?"
"I'm the guardian of the passion fruit tree. I don't know if you remember, but I command you to give half of the fruit to this Childe," Baiying explained.
"Give half to you? Why would I do that?"
"Because my friend's mother is in danger. She was poisoned, and we need that fruit," Jinxiao added.
"And why should I believe either of you?" she asked skeptically.
"Because if we weren't telling the truth, we would've already slit your throat by now and taken the whole fruit from you," Jinxiao replied flatly.
The woman gasped, hesitating, her expression conflicted—then she gave in.
"Follow me."
She led them through winding streets until they reached her home.
"Come in, take a seat. I'll go grab it real quick," she offered.
Jinxiao's eyes scanned the interior curiously, and Baiying's gaze followed suit.
They sat on a small stool. Moments later, the woman returned, holding the fruit.
"Here it is."
"We only need half. You can keep the rest," Baiying said.
"Alright," she turned to leave.
"Wait," Jinxiao stopped her. She turned around—and in one smooth motion, Jinxiao drew his sword and sliced the fruit in her hand cleanly in half.
The woman froze.
Baiying pulled a cloth from his robe and wrapped their half of the fruit. He handed it to Jinxiao, who tucked it into the sash at his waist.
"Thank you. We really appreciate it," Jinxiao said.
"You're welcome… I hope your friend's mother will be okay."
They both smiled politely before heading out.
"I never thought I'd get along with you," Jinxiao teased.
"Well, I gave it some thought. You just needed some space in your head," Baiying replied.
Suddenly—
"Feng Baiying!"
They froze mid-step and turned slowly—two swords were pointed straight at their faces.
Both instinctively raised their hands, stepping back cautiously.
"You killed our leader, Lan Shen! You'll pay for that!" one of the men roared.
Without hesitation, Jinxiao dropped low and swept his leg, knocking the attackers off balance.
"Let's go!" he shouted, and they took off running.
But more enemies appeared, blades drawn, spreading out fast.
Within moments, they were surrounded.
Back to back, Jinxiao and Baiying stood, eyes piercing in unison.
PENGJUN DESERT
"Wen Lu, do you know how far the desert is?" Yuanli asked.
Guanlin pulled out a map from his robe, studying it closely. "We're in Pengjun now. Looks like we're almost there," he said, pointing toward a distant horizon where sand spun wildly in the wind.
"The map says the dragon is kept somewhere underground," Guanlin added, glancing at Yuanli. "But its skin and beard are hidden somewhere safe."
"Then let's go. We'll figure out who's guarding them—and maybe ask for a piece of that dragon's beard," Wen Lu said.
Everyone nodded, walking into the shifting sands with arms raised to shield their faces.
"Why is it so sandy and windy here?" Wen Lu groaned.
"Probably because… it's a desert," Yuanli replied dryly. "But it's more than that. I think it's a barrier—to keep outsiders out."
"This isn't much of a barrier if we're already walking in it," Wen Lu muttered.
Suddenly, Yuanli stopped in her tracks. The others paused in confusion.
"What is it?" Guanlin asked. "Why did we stop?"
"I think… this barrier isn't for us," she said, staring at the shaking ground.
Just then, the ground trembled. A strange sound rumbled from afar.
"What's that?" Wen Lu asked, looking scared.
"Run!" Yuanli yelled.
They sprinted through the sandstorm as a horde of massive lizards burst out of the dunes behind them.
The shifting sands flared up, blocking the creatures and tossing them away.
"This sandstorm barrier is for them?!" Wen Lu shouted mid-run.
"Well, you see it now, don't you?!" Yuanli snapped.
As they passed through the barrier, the wind suddenly calmed—the sand settled. They'd made it into the inner zone.
Breathing heavily, they stopped.
Before them stood a massive palace, its silhouette casting a shadow over the dunes.
"Whoa… Who lives here?" Wen Lu asked in awe.
"Probably someone filthy rich," Yuanli replied, equally stunned as she scanned their surroundings.