The twilight deepened rapidly as Kai, Yin, and Han moved swiftly through the dense, shadowed forest. Trees loomed tall and silent around them, their ancient limbs stretching upward into the encroaching darkness. The sounds of evening insects filled the air, mingling with the gentle rustle of leaves stirred by a chill breeze. Despite the urgency of their pursuit, nightfall forced them to halt. Tracking Shen Zhenhai through darkness would only lead them further astray.
"We should stop here," Kai said gently, breaking the silence. "If we press on blindly, we might lose the trail completely."
Han clenched his fists in frustration, anxiety etched deeply onto his face. Meng Yao's frightened cries still echoed sharply in his ears, tormenting him with every passing moment.
"Stopping means losing precious time," Han argued tersely. "Meng Yao is in danger every second we delay."
Kai placed a reassuring hand on Han's shoulder. "I know how you feel, but wandering aimlessly in the dark will serve no purpose. Resting now will allow us to travel faster tomorrow."
Han glared at him for a long moment, defiance battling with reason in his eyes. Finally, he relented, exhaling deeply in resignation.
"You're right," Han muttered bitterly. "I'll hunt for food. If we must rest, at least we won't waste time scavenging in the morning."
Before either Kai or Yin could protest, Han turned and vanished into the darkened woods, his form swiftly melting into shadows.
Kai watched him go, sympathy mingled with quiet understanding. Han's impatience was borne from love and guilt—two emotions Kai knew well. He felt responsible for Meng Yao's fate, yet dwelling on such guilt wouldn't help her now. Taking a deep breath to steady his troubled mind, Kai began gathering firewood, preparing their temporary camp.
Yin stood quietly at his side, lost in thought. She had been unusually silent since their pursuit began, eyes shadowed by internal conflict. Kai stole a glance toward her, heart softening at the sight of her troubled expression.
"Yin," he spoke gently, breaking her reverie, "are you alright?"
Yin looked up quickly, startled from her contemplation. She hesitated briefly before shaking her head gently, sadness clouding her delicate features.
"I keep thinking about my mother," Yin admitted softly. "About what truly happened to her."
Kai paused briefly, placing the gathered wood into a neat pile. Sitting carefully beside the makeshift campfire, he motioned for Yin to join him. She did, sitting close enough for him to see the subtle emotions flickering within her dark eyes.
"Tell me what's troubling you," Kai prompted softly, voice warm with sincere concern.
Yin sighed gently, her gaze distant as memories resurfaced. "When I confronted Shen, I saw clearly through the Peerless Sword's projection that my mother was poisoned—by Shen himself, before she confronted the Obsidian Peak Sect. He weakened her deliberately, ensuring she wouldn't survive that confrontation."
She paused, voice catching slightly with emotion. "But now I realize something doesn't add up. Shen implied that my mother directly challenged your sect after the massacre, blaming you all. Yet I never heard any mention of such a significant confrontation. If my mother truly appeared at Obsidian Peak, why would nobody remember?"
Kai's expression sharpened instantly, intrigue blending with suspicion. Yin was right—Jiang Xue confronting their sect would have been monumental news. Yet he himself had no knowledge of such an event, nor had he ever heard elders mention it.
"You're absolutely right," Kai murmured thoughtfully. "A cultivator as powerful and revered as your mother challenging Obsidian Peak would be remembered vividly. Yet our sect records hold no account of such an encounter. It's as if this confrontation never took place—or at least, was carefully erased."
"Erased?" Yin repeated softly, confusion and unease deepening within her. "But why?"
Kai's brow furrowed deeper in contemplation, mind racing swiftly through possibilities. Slowly, a dark realization took shape, chilling him deeply.
"What if Shen's actions were part of a larger conspiracy?" Kai mused quietly, gaze growing distant as his thoughts unfolded. "Your mother was legendary—possibly nearing ascension to immortality. Her sudden retreat into closed-door cultivation left Azure Cloud Sect vulnerable. The massacre, your mother's poisoning, her supposed confrontation—all seem orchestrated deliberately."
Yin's eyes widened sharply, her heart quickening anxiously. "A deliberate plot? But who could possess such power and motive to target my mother specifically?"
Kai's expression darkened further, suspicion coiling tighter within him. "Elder Pu, from our sect, specialized in poison techniques. She bore a personal grudge against your mother. He paused, eyes narrowing as he spoke. "If Shen Zhenhai poisoned Jiang Xue to weaken her, Elder Pu would have immediately understood the type of poison used and its limitations. Someone of your mother's cultivation wouldn't fall so easily. But Elder Pu could have exploited that exposure, she may have intercepted your mother before she ever reached Obsidian Peak. Finished what Shen started and presented the Peerless Sword to him in return."
Yin shivered, drawing her cloak more tightly around her as a quiet unease settled over her heart. "Then… you're saying they were working together?"
Kai shook his head slowly. "I think they were being used. Shen's ambition, Elder Pu's expertise—together, they were the perfect instruments. But neither had the vision to orchestrate something so elaborate. No, there's someone else—someone who manipulated them both and patiently planned all the moves."
Yin stared into the fire, the flickering flames reflecting in her wide, haunted eyes. "But why?" she whispered. "Why go through so much just to eliminate her?"
Kai met her gaze, and the weight of his next words hung heavy between them. "I think it ties into the massacre of Azure Cloud Sect as well. It wasn't just meant to destabilize a rival sect—it was bait. A calculated provocation. They wanted to draw your mother out, knowing she wouldn't sit idly by after such a slaughter. They used the destruction of your home as the first move in a much larger game."
Yin's breath trembled in her throat, the implications dawning on her like a slow, cruel dawn. Her mother's death. Her sect's annihilation. Her childhood stolen. All part of a single, methodical plan.
The forest around their small fire growing darker as night deepened further. Yin stared into the flickering flames, heart heavy yet mind racing. Kai's theory made terrifying sense, yet the identity and purpose of this mysterious mastermind eluded her completely.
After several moments of tense silence, Kai spoke softly again, voice hesitant yet hopeful. "Yin, when you witnessed the past through the Peerless Sword, did your mother appear truly weakened, defeated? Could there be a chance she survived?"
Yin's gaze sharpened, startled yet intrigued by Kai's suggestion. "Shen's poison was meant to hinder her, yet perhaps not sufficient to guarantee death. I only assumed she died confronting your sect."
Kai hesitated briefly, uncertainty and hope warring within him. Taking a steadying breath, he continued gently, "In a dream, I once met an immortal woman. Her presence felt powerful yet deeply compassionate. She closely matched your description of Jiang Xue."
Yin's eyes widened sharply, hope igniting suddenly within her heart. "You truly think…my mother could still live, perhaps as an immortal?"
Kai reached out instinctively, gently taking her hand within his own, fingers weaving together naturally. "Yes, Yin. I believe it's possible. Your mother might yet live, hidden beyond our world. Perhaps she awaits the right moment to return, to set things right."
Tears shimmered faintly in Yin's eyes, hope and longing flooding her chest. "I want so desperately to see her again, Kai. To speak with her, share everything I've endured."
Their gazes locked deeply, shared longing and understanding connecting them profoundly. Unconsciously, they leaned closer, drawn inevitably together by unspoken emotions that had quietly blossomed between them during their shared trials. Kai's hand tightened gently around Yin's, heart beating rapidly in shared anticipation.
Slowly, hesitantly, their lips met softly—a tender kiss filled with mutual trust, hope, and quiet yearning. The gentle warmth enveloped them completely, momentarily erasing their burdens and fears.
A sudden, deliberate cough shattered their quiet intimacy abruptly.