Lian's breath hitched.
The man in black—Wuqian—stepped closer, his crimson-stitched robes gliding soundlessly across the forest floor. His eyes glowed faintly under the moonlight, like something not human.
She instinctively moved in front of the injured man, heart thudding. She didn't know who either of them were… but her body moved on its own. Protecting him felt like something ancient inside her had awakened.
"I won't let you hurt him," she said, voice trembling.
Wuqian smiled like a shadow curling into a grin.
"How quaint," he mused. "Even in this life, you still choose him."
The immortal behind her stirred. "Don't talk to her, Wuqian. She doesn't remember."
"Not yet," Wuqian agreed, now just a few paces away. "But she will. The lotus flame always blooms again."
A sudden surge of light erupted behind her—silver and gold, sharp as lightning. The man she'd rescued raised his hand, glowing symbols spiraling across his skin. Even injured, his energy radiated power.
Wuqian's smirk faded slightly.
"Still have some strength left, do you?"
"I'll use what I have to protect her," the man growled. "Now leave."
Wuqian paused, then gave a low chuckle. "Very well. I'll let you keep your little reunion… for now. But you can't hide her forever, Shengzhi. The sects are already searching."
He dissolved into mist—flesh vanishing into smoke—until only his voice remained, echoing through the trees.
"She belongs to the past. And the past… always comes back."
And then he was gone.
---
The forest slowly exhaled. Crickets returned. The wind stirred again.
Lian turned to the man—Shengzhi, Wuqian had called him.
"You okay?" she asked softly, her voice still shaking.
He nodded once, sweat beading on his brow. "For now."
She helped him sit up, eyes scanning the forest nervously. "Who… who was that? And who are you?"
There was a long pause.
"I am a cultivator of Mount Yunyuan," he said at last. "And you… are more than you know."
She blinked. "I'm just a girl from the village. My father's gone. My mother doesn't care if I live or die. I don't have anything special."
He looked at her—not with pity, but something heavier. Softer.
"You once told me the same thing," he whispered.
Lian stared, confused. "What?"
But he didn't answer. He tried to stand—and nearly fell.
She rushed to his side. "Don't move. You're still bleeding. You can't go anywhere in your condition."
His golden eyes flicked to her. "I must. If I stay, others will come."
"Then take me with you."
He paused.
"I don't belong here," she said, eyes fierce for once. "I've never belonged anywhere. But… if I'm in danger anyway, I want to know why. I want to know who I really am."
He studied her for a long moment, then finally gave a small nod.
"Very well."
---
By sunrise, they had left the shrine. The immortal carried her on his back when she tired, despite his own wounds. They climbed high into the mist-covered mountains, far beyond where any villager dared go.
By sunset, they arrived at the gates of a floating palace—Mount Yunyuan, a place untouched by time, hidden from the mortal world.
It was there her new life would begin.
And it was there the past would begin to awaken.
----------
To be continued....