"I... I cannot find Brother’s things."
Mingzhu opened his eyes in a daze, hearing a voice whispering in his ear like a low chant.
The sound of roaring flames crackled and hissed, filling the air. Clouds of fire blanketed the horizon, and the bright moon was scorched a deep, bloody red.
Mingzhu stared blankly at the scene around him, a purgatory of salt and flame. For a moment, he could not even remember who he was.
Groggy, he lifted his head and saw a man dressed in black staring at him expressionlessly. Upon closer inspection, the man was covered in blood, his clothes a mess of gore.
"If you cannot even find a simple object, what use do I have for you?" the man said, coldly sweeping his sleeve. "Get out and find it. Do not come back until you do."
Mingzhu’s mind was a chaotic mess. His body felt as though it were being controlled by another as he lowered his head and whispered, "Yes."
He stood up, staggering. Suddenly, a blood-soaked figure rushed over and knelt in haste. "Lord Nalian, the gates of Guifang City have been breached! Someone has destroyed our earth veins..."
As soon as the words left his mouth, the ground began to heave and tremble.
Nalian spoke coldly, "Tell Kongzu to take his men and block the earth veins. If the veins are lost, they shall be buried with them. The rest of you, follow me to the city gates."
"Understood!"
The messenger acknowledged the order and whistled away.
Mingzhu watched the decisive, battle-hardened man with a vacant gaze, his lips trembling. "Bro... ther..."
Nalian turned back. Seeing that he was still standing there, he strode forward, grabbed the front of his robes, and hoisted him up. His beast-like pupils drew close, his words falling like shards of ice: "Xi Chu, I have no time to play with you right now. You lost the item, so go find it. If you cannot bring it back, do not return to Guifang for the rest of your life."
In a trance, Mingzhu felt as though his name truly was Xi Chu. He nodded blankly. "Alright."
Nalian slammed Xi Chu back onto the ground and barked, "Konggu!"
A figure descended from the sky and knelt. "Present."
"Escort Xi Chu out of the city. The further, the better." Nalian looked at the dazed Xi Chu, the ferocity on his face slowly fading. In the distance, waves of screams and roars echoed amidst splashing sparks—the tragic wails of countless Cheng-yao being slaughtered.
Konggu hesitated. "But Young Master Xi Chu..."
Nalian said, "His mind is not yet fully formed; he doesn't quite understand what we are saying. Just take him away. Do not let him fall into the hands of others. If necessary..."
Before he could finish, he looked down to see Xi Chu, who only reached his waist, blinking as he tugged at the hem of his robes. Those gentle beast-eyes reflected the surrounding fires like shattered light. He spoke haltingly, "Xi Chu... wants to be... with Brother..."
Nalian’s pupils trembled. Then, he suddenly dropped to his knees and pulled Xi Chu’s small body into a protective embrace. His lips moved slightly, the harsh facade he had forced himself to maintain finally crumbling.
*I have guarded Guifang for centuries, and today I shall be buried with it,* Nalian thought, feeling the child’s soft, fragile body, fearing that any strength would crush him. *This is my only selfish wish.*
Being held, Xi Chu’s eyes brightened. He struggled to speak through his slurred speech, "Xi Chu... not afraid... wants to be with Brother..."
A shimmer of light flickered in Nalian’s eyes. He released Xi Chu and gently stroked the boy’s flushed cheek, his voice uncharacteristically tender. "But Xi Chu lost Brother’s thing. That item is very important to me. You must find it and bring it back, do you understand?"
Xi Chu struggled to process the meaning of the sentence, a look of helpless confusion crossing his face. "Xi Chu... doesn't know... what was lost..."
Nalian hadn't lost anything at all; he simply wanted a reason for the boy to leave willingly.
Nalian rubbed his head. "Think for yourself, search for yourself. This time, I will not help you. When you find it, come back and hand it to me personally, alright?"
As he spoke, he tapped Xi Chu lightly between the brows, imbuing him with a wisp of spiritual energy that vanished instantly.
Xi Chu had always been the most obedient. He nodded submissively. "Okay."
Nalian gave him one last hug before standing up. "Konggu, I leave him to you."
The man named Konggu nodded and transformed into a massive grey wolf. Carrying Xi Chu, he bolted into the endless darkness, leaving the crumbling, broken mountains and rivers behind.
Xi Chu watched Nalian’s receding figure. Something flashed through his clouded mind, and he reached out desperately toward that mountain-like silhouette that refused to fall, but he caught nothing but air.
A day later, Guifang was annihilated. The city burned for three days and nights until it was reduced to a pile of ash.
Xi Chu and Konggu traveled away from Guifang. Xi Chu was oblivious to the outside world, his heart consumed only by the thought of finding Nalian’s "thing." Even though he didn't know what Nalian had lost, he searched with earnest devotion.
Once the Cheng-yao race gains the ability to shapeshift, their bodies grow rapidly. In just three years, he grew from a young child into a graceful, elegant youth. None who saw him could help but be captivated.
Konggu followed behind him in silence, watching him tirelessly tread across every inch of the Five Provinces, searching everywhere like a fool.
Konggu had always wondered what Nalian’s unfinished words were. He didn't find out until three years later, when they encountered Nan Yue outside Shuoyu City.
*"Do not let him fall into the hands of others. If necessary..."*
Watching Xi Chu being easily captured by Nan Yue, Konggu let out a sudden, sky-rending roar. He transformed into the giant grey wolf and charged at the man like a gust of wind.
Nan Yue tossed Xi Chu to the ground and lifted his chin, sensing the Cheng-yao inner core within his body. A cold smirk played on his handsome face. "As expected, the little young master who escaped from Guifang."
Without even looking up, he struck out with a palm toward Konggu’s massive, incoming form. The blow was so powerful it punched a bloody hole straight through the wolf’s sturdy body.
Konggu’s eyes widened in shock. Seeing the small golden pupil in Nan Yue’s hand, he let out a heart-wrenching howl of agony.
That was Nalian’s demon eye.
Xi Chu stared blankly at the glowing object. His dull eyes slowly lit up. He tilted his head slightly, looking at the man before him with a docile, harmless gaze. He whispered, "That is... my brother’s thing. Please... give it back to me."
Nan Yue seemed to think of something. He leaned down and stroked the youth’s head. "Very well. As long as you are obedient."
Xi Chu nodded. "Xi Chu... is the most obedient."
Nearby, the dying Konggu watched through a blur as Xi Chu offered up his slender neck without resistance, allowing Nan Yue to fasten a collar and chain around it.
*"If necessary... it is better that he dies by your hand."*
Darkness slowly descended. Konggu thought vacantly, *I have failed my mission.*
Day after day, Xi Chu tirelessly searched for that unknown object. But when he saw the demon eye carrying Nalian’s aura, his simple mind mistakenly believed that was what Nalian needed him to find. He didn't even consider the fact that Nalian’s eye hadn't been missing when he left. For the sake of that eye, he willingly allowed the enemy who had slaughtered his entire city to put him in chains. He tucked away his claws and endured centuries of humiliation.
***
Mingzhu opened his eyes in a daze. He reached up to touch his face and found it covered in hot tears.
A wild wind whipped around him, fluttering his wide robes and loose hair. A bright moon hung suspended in the sky. Mingzhu slowly sat up and looked around. Then, he very promptly fainted again.
—That damned Xi Chu had brought him directly to the very top of Lveyue Tower!
By the time Mingzhu finally regained consciousness, Xi Chu was sitting beside him, looking down at him. His hand was gently touching the Red Lotus mark on Mingzhu’s left hand, as if trying to grasp something.
Feeling the bone-chilling wind, Mingzhu sat up shivering. He didn't have the courage to look over the edge. He shoved Xi Chu’s hand away, buried his face in his knees, and said with a trembling voice, "What exactly do you want?"
Xi Chu gently brushed his wind-blown hair behind his ear. Having lived for so many years in a state worse than death, his eyes were still as pure as they had been in his childhood. "The deal..."
Mingzhu, who had been so tough before, was now a ball of cowardice. "Fine, fine, fine! Deal, deal, deal! Just let me down first!"
Xi Chu seemed to pause, looking confused as to why he would make such a strange request. However, for the sake of the deal, he obediently grabbed Mingzhu by the collar and dragged him toward the edge of the tower.
Seeing the ledge inches away, Mingzhu nearly lost his mind. "What are you doing?!"
Xi Chu said, "Letting you down."
Mingzhu: "..."
Mingzhu struggled desperately. "I didn't mean 'let me down' like *that*! Ahhh, stop! Don't move!"
Confused, Xi Chu still obediently set Mingzhu back down.
Mingzhu scrambled on all fours to hide behind the bell tower on the high platform. Breathless and shaken, he said weakly, "Let's just talk here."
Xi Chu sat opposite him, his posture indescribably elegant—a stark contrast to Mingzhu’s huddled, pathetic form. He said softly, "I want to see my brother..."
Mingzhu followed his gaze to the Red Lotus mark on the back of his hand. "You’re saying... your brother is inside the Red Lotus Sword?"
Xi Chu picked up Mingzhu’s hand and tilted his head. Suddenly, he extended his crimson tongue and licked the burning red mark. "I... don't know. But it has the scent... of my brother’s blood..."
The lick made Mingzhu’s hair stand on end. He pulled his hand back, shivering, and tried to act calm. "You should have seen the message on the jade slip. Ming Zhao’s Red Lotus Sword only heavily wounded Nalian; it didn't kill him. So there will be blood on the sword, but your brother’s soul won't be there. Do you understand?"
Xi Chu stared at him expressionlessly, seemingly trying his best to process these words. After a moment, he tilted his head. "Eh?"
Mingzhu: "..."
Combining this with the memories from centuries ago he had just inexplicably witnessed, Mingzhu finally realized: this ice-cold beauty was, in reality, a fool who understood nothing of the world or its emotions.
Mingzhu had no choice but to point bluntly at the red mark on his hand. "Your brother. Not. Here."
Xi Chu understood this sentence. He lowered his eyes, his long lashes veiling his clear, vertical pupils. He spoke again, "Then is the demon eye the thing my brother lost?"
Mingzhu thought to himself: *Dear mother, how am I supposed to answer that?*
***
| Chinese | English | Notes/Explanation |
| :--- | :--- | :--- |
| 那帘 | Nalian | Xi Chu's elder brother, former leader of Guifang. |
| 鬼芳 | Guifang | A city/region inhabited by the Cheng-yao race. |
| 成妖 | Cheng-yao | A race of demons or transformed beings. |
| 空谷 | Konggu | A subordinate of Nalian, a grey wolf demon. |
| 妖瞳 | Yao Tong | Demon Eye/Pupil; specifically Nalian's golden eye. |
| 掠月楼 | Lveyue Tower | "Moon-Plucking Tower," a very high structure. |
| 朔玉城 | Shuoyu City | A city mentioned in the flashback. |
| 明昭 | Ming Zhao | Likely the previous owner of the Red Lotus Sword. |
