"See? I told you."
Shangguan Yue Ling tossed the pill into Langtian's hand and stepped out of the bed.
As she walked in front of him, his heart skipped a beat.
She was just so... different.
The Shangguan Yue Ling he remembered from ten years ago had always worn pristine white robes trimmed in gold, her hair tied in a neat high tail, her demeanor calm and graceful, just like a lotus blooming beneath the morning sun. She had always carried an air of serenity. Even the way she walked felt composed, measured, and elegant.
But now...
Now she wore black robes, long and flowing, the sleeves edged with deep crimson embroidery like streaks of blood woven into shadow. At her waist hung a pair of curved sabers—the Twin Yangling Blades. Her long hair was still tied back, but much looser than before. Strands had escaped the ribbon, falling freely around her cheeks and brushing her collarbone.
Back then, she had kept everything immaculate. Her hairpins were carved from jade, and there had always been faint touches of rouge and floral balm on her skin.
But here, in this shadowed valley surrounded by mist and ash, of course, there was no room for such refinement.
And yet, she was still utterly beautiful, just the way she was.
If anything, this raw, untamed version of her was even more striking.
It was just...
Now, she felt a little bit... more dangerous.
Something about her aura had changed. It was colder now, sharper, like the edge of a blade hidden beneath silk, sending a chill crawling down his spine. And as she moved, there was a pressure in the air around her, the kind that made him sit straighter, breathe quieter. Like she was silently a predator.
Yue Ling pulled over a flat stone slab and sat down across from him, legs crossed casually.
Langtian tried not to stare.
But his eyes kept drifting back to hers.
Because they now gleamed crimson.
The color of blood.
The color of violence.
Of course, Yue Ling had already noticed her junior brother stealing glances her way.
"What? Do I look that different?" Yue Ling leaned in with a mischievous glint in her eyes, one brow arching with playful challenge.
"N-No, not at all!" Langtian jolted, stammering as he quickly turned his head away. His ears burned red, his heart pounding faster than it had during the pill's rampage. "Senior Sister, y-you're just as young and beautiful as you were years ago!"
Yue Ling chuckled softly, a low, amused sound that made his stomach twist.
"You're a terrible liar, Junior Brother," she said, folding her arms with a knowing smirk. "Your reaction told me everything I needed to know."
Then, without warning, she leapt forward.
Langtian barely had time to blink before her hands clamped onto the sides of his head, her face suddenly inches from his.
"Now tell me the truth!" she demanded, locking eyes with him. "Do I look scary now?"
Huh?
Scary?
What?
Langtian froze. His thoughts scrambled like frightened birds. Her eyes were close now, too close, and those crimson irises shimmered with unreal intensity, not quite the murderous intent, but enough to made him sweat coldly.
'Well...'
Now that he thought about it...
'She's indeed a little scary.'
So, very reluctantly, he gave a small, sheepish nod.
"Aahhh! I knew it!"
Yue Ling groaned, dramatically slumping back onto the stone stool as if struck by a fatal blow. She puffed a stray lock of hair out of her face and sighed heavily.
"Senior Sister is ugly and scary now… I've become an old hag, haven't I?"
"Wait! No!" Langtian blurted, panic flaring across his face. "S-Senior Sister, what are you talking about?! Y-you might be a tiny bit scary, sure, but definitely not ugly!"
"Heh?" Yue Ling blinked at him, clearly not expecting that. The corners of her mouth twitched upward into a smile. "Really?"
"R-Really!" Langtian nodded vigorously.
"You're not lying to me?"
Without hesitation, Langtian straightened his back and raised his right hand, voice solemn and loud.
"No! I swear I'm not lying! You're still really beautiful! The most beautiful woman I've ever met!"
And then, just to make sure she believed him, he raised his hand even higher and declared:
"I, Bai Langtian, swear before Heaven and Earth! If I have lied to Senior Sister Shangguan just now, may thunder strike me where I stand, may my soul scatter across the winds, and may I be bound to the 18th layer of the Nether Abyss, never to reincarnate for ten thousand lifetimes!"
Hearing that, Yue Ling finally heaved a sigh of relief.
"Alright, alright. Chill down. I believe you."
Then she exhaled deeply, the tension draining from her shoulders. She shook her head and let out a soft laugh, almost hysterically. "Well, that's what ten years of living alone in this hellhole does to you. I don't even know what counts as beauty anymore."
Gulp.
Langtian swallowed hard, a bead of sweat rolling down the side of his face.
"But… Senior Sister, what happened to your eyes?"
"Oh, this?" Yue Ling raised a finger and casually pointed to her crimson eyes. "Nothing really. It's just a side effect of staying here for too long. The demonic miasma seeps into everything. I guess it got into my eyes too."
"I… I see," Langtian murmured, nodding slowly.
And then... Yue Ling suddenly went quiet.
She leaned back slightly, resting her chin on her palm as she gazed at him across the firelight. Her expression softened. For a moment, she just sat like that, saying nothing.
Langtian fidgeted under her stare, suddenly unsure what to do with his hands.
"S-Senior Sister Shangguan?" he asked hesitantly.
Yue Ling finally said in a soft voice:
"…Wow… You've really changed." Her lips curled slightly in a wistful smile. "You've grown into quite the handsome man, haven't you?"
Langtian's entire face lit up red.
"Ah—uh—yeah… it's been ten years, so… haha… I guess I grew taller, at least…" he muttered, scratching the back of his head awkwardly.
"Yup." Yue Ling smiled a little wider now, tilting her head slightly. "And I suppose… you already have someone in your heart, don't you?"
"Eh?! N-No!" Langtian flailed, waving his arms defensively as his voice jumped an octave. "I—I've only been focused on cultivation! I haven't even thought about romance! I just… left that part of life aside!"
"Oh…" Yue Ling's smile faltered just a little.
She didn't speak again right away.
She simply kept gazing at Langtian.
Ten seconds passed.
'What's going on inside her head now…?' Langtian wondered, fidgeting under her quiet stare.
Still, he couldn't help it either, he took the chance to admire her.
Even now, even like this, even in this strange and mist-shrouded valley… she was breathtaking. Older, yes. Changed, definitely. But something about her drew him in all the same.
A long, quiet moment stretched between them.
Yue Ling suddenly stood up, her expression shifting into something playful. With a mischievous glint in her eyes, she leaned in close and ruffled Langtian's hair.
"Ah—!" Langtian flinched, startled at first, but he quickly relaxed, eyes drifting closed as her fingers combed gently through his hair.
Yue Ling chuckled under her breath, her touch lingering just a moment longer.
Because… back then, she used to do this all the time.
She liked ruffling his hair, patting his head, teasing him when he pouted and calling him cute when he sulked.
He had always been such a good boy.
"Looks like no matter how much you grow up, Bai Langtian, you're still my dear little junior brother."
She let her hand fall away at last.
"…And I missed you," she added in a murmur.
Langtian opened his eyes, his chest tightening with emotion.
"…Yes, Senior Sister," he replied. "I missed you too."
His heart ached.
Just a little, but it was enough to sting.
If anything… he was just glad.
Glad that after all this time… after years of searching, of longing, of wondering if she was still alive, he had finally found her again.
Even though this might not have been the perfect place for a reunion.