Few Hours Later!
Peng...
Outside the prison cell, the sound of a soft censer clinking against the stony floor echoed through the dim corridor.
Whisp...
A delicate fragrance of sandalwood and jasmine wafted through the air, emanating from the intricately carved silver incense burner.
The smoke curled upwards in graceful tendrils, adding an ethereal touch to the scene.
A woman entered, her presence like a serene moonlit night.
She wore a translucent veil that barely concealed her face, her eyes shimmering like twin stars in an endless void.
Her robes, of deep emerald and gold, shimmered in the faint light, giving her an otherworldly aura.
She was guided by a stern guard, whose armor clanked softly with each step.
With a quick nod, the guard retreated, leaving the woman alone.
She approached the ancient runes etched into the prison cell wall, her fingers tracing the symbols with reverence.
Her touch was gentle, almost caressing the stone, before she pricked her finger and let a drop of blood fall onto the runes.
Tap!
Su Xiaobai watched silently from within the cell, leaning against the cold, rough wall.
His eyes narrowed as the metallic rods receded into the ground, as if an ancient mechanism had been triggered by the woman's actions.
The sudden change filled the air with a tense anticipation.
The woman stepped into the cell, her veil barely concealing the graceful contours of her face and the soft glow of her eyes.
Her presence was both calming and commanding, like a moonlit night over a tranquil lake.
The incense burner continued to release its soothing fragrance, blending with the mysterious aura that surrounded her.
Su Xiaobai felt a strange mixture of curiosity and unease.
Who was this woman, and what did she want with him?
She moved like a wisp of cloud across the night sky, her movements fluid and deliberate.
Her eyes, framed by long, dark lashes, held an inscrutable depth, as if they harbored the secrets of the cosmos.
Beneath the veil, her lips were a delicate shade of rose, hinting at a beauty that could stir even the most stoic hearts.
She paused, her gaze locking onto Su Xiaobai, her eyes twin pools shimmering with the luminescence of the starlit heavens. "Su Xiaobai," she murmured, her voice a delicate whisper like the rustling of willow leaves caressed by a serene zephyr, "You need to leave."
"Leave? And why should I do that, so you can later use it as an excuse to justify killing me?" Su Xiaobai retorted with a sneer, his eyes piercing through her celestial veil as though divining her true essence.
His heart harbored no fondness for the beautiful faces of these celestial maidens; their beauty was but a mask for deceit.
His mother had warned him: do not be trapped by their doe-like eyes, for beneath their gentle gaze lies the ferocity of a tiger, ready to devour at the slightest misstep.
And she, the epitome of heavenly beauty, would consume him whole without so much as leaving bones.
Yet, Su Lingxi, unfazed by Su Xiaobai's distrust, let out a sigh that seemed to carry the weight of foregone conclusions. "So guarded..."
Her voice trailed off, steeped in a melancholy familiarity that bewildered him, stirring whispers of forgotten memories, 'Have I seen her before?'
He could not recognize the face behind the silken veil, though the silhouette hinted at a grace so profound it could only belong to a being of unparalleled grace.
Su Lingxi turned her gaze back to him, her eyes glinting like rubies under the moon's tender glow, "If you insist on staying, Su Liang will have your head by dawn's first light. I came here not to rescue you, but for Su Yiran's sake."
"Su Yiran? My sister, then... You are Sun Lingxi!" Su Xiaobai's brows knitted tightly, a wrinkle of realization crossing his features.
His elder sister, Su Yiran, was a lonely figure, scarcely entertaining friends, save for one mysterious girl whose image danced faintly in the corners of his memories.
Sun Lingxi was no ordinary woman; her identity was filled in complexity and secrecy, always flanked by a phalanx of stern-faced guards.
Thus, Su Xiaobai had never truly met her, only catching glimpses as she swept through their home to visit his sister's secluded chamber.
Yet, Sun Lingxi had observed him on multiple occasions, her gaze piercing through the crowds to mark his presence.
Su Xiaobai had always imagined her to possess an air of haughty arrogance and had steered clear of her, preferring simplicity.
Today, however, the veils of his assumptions were lifted, revealing a demeanor far removed from haughtiness.
"...What has happened to your eyes?" he questioned, his voice tinged with confusion, for he did not recall the crimson fire that now danced within Sun Lingxi's gaze.
Sun Lingxi's expression tightened, her brows furrowing in frustration. "Are you even listening? If you don't flee now, Sun Liang will execute you! I've drugged the guards; this is your chance to escape."
She stepped aside, her movement fluid like silk, but Su Xiaobai's hand shot out, capturing hers.
The sudden contact startled her, and the unexpected warmth of his touch enveloped her hand.
Her skin was as soft as polished jade, cool and soothing, slipping seamlessly into his grasp and strangely comforting. "If Sun Liang wants my life, why— then do you intervene?" His voice carried a hint of suspicion.
Aren't they both scions of the Sun Dynasty?
And why would Sun Liang, an icon of power, bother with him?
Isn't Sun Liang the revered S-ranked guardian, the crown prince enshrined at the top of the star guardian list?
The Sun Dynasty holds sway over Wuxia Province, a realm under their rule.
Though siblings, Sun Lingxi and Sun Liang share no semblance of familial closeness.
Sun Liang, an ancient being, spans millennia, while Sun Lingxi shares her era with Su Xiaobai's elder sister, Su Yiran, a mere twenty-nine summers to her name.
The Immortal Emperor, Sun Jianhong, father of Sun Liang, boasts a lineage vast as the stars, with Sun Lingxi being his newest flower, a fresh blossom in his garden.
"Leave..." Sun Lingxi's voice was tight with urgency, her brows furrowing deeply as she snatched her hand away, a trace of resentment flickering in her eyes. "Do you even grasp the seriousness of what's happening outside?"
Su Xiaobai's response was grim. "What is happening outside?"
Sun Lingxi bit her lip, her hesitation evident.
Too much stress from the last few days has made her short-tempered.
After a moment, she divulged just enough to paint a picture, "Do you know about the fiancé of Long Lifen?"