"This is as far as I go, Xiao Qian," Xing Jue announced, stopping at a plain about ten miles from the Heavenly Wind Pavilion. He turned to the stunning young woman by his side. "I'll contact you if I need you."
During their time together, Xing Jue had told Xiao Qian about his plans to join the prestigious sect. However, her… unique nature made it impossible to bring her along. It was too risky. He wasn't sure how the Pavilion would react to her, to what she was. It was better if she remained hidden, at least for now.
"As you command, Master," Xiao Qian replied dutifully, standing beside him with the grace of a seasoned handmaiden rather than a creature of darkness.
Xing Jue smiled, unable to deny a thrill at having a powerful, beautiful woman like her at his beck and call. It wasn't an entirely unpleasant feeling. Once he was sure she understood his instructions, he turned towards the towering silhouette of the mountains in the distance, the home of the Heavenly Wind Pavilion, leaving her behind.
The Heavenly Wind Pavilion was the most influential sect in the entire Heavenly Wind Empire. Its reach extended far and wide. Although he'd already crossed into their territory, it would still be several days before he reached his destination.
He encountered numerous young men on their way to the same destination, all eager to prove themselves and join the prestigious sect. However, Xing Jue chose not to travel with them. After surviving the Death Mountains, he'd found he preferred solitude. What did he have in common with these pampered sons of nobles? He'd had to fight for everything he'd ever had.
Besides, the territory controlled by the Heavenly Wind Pavilion was safe, patrolled by their disciples, feared by bandits and rogues.
Finally, after days of travel, Xing Jue arrived at his destination: Floating Cloud Mountain, home to the Heavenly Wind Pavilion. He paused, awestruck.
Towering peaks pierced the heavens. Countless waterfalls cascaded down the mountain sides like shimmering veils, the air alive with their roar. A dazzling array of rainbows danced across the cascading water, while high above, fluffy white clouds drifted lazily, adding to the ethereal beauty of the scene. It took his breath away.
Rather than heading directly towards the pavilion, Xing Jue decided to take a detour. He'd spotted a small, secluded lake, its surface sparkling like a thousand scattered jewels. A wave of heat washed over him, a final parting gift from his time in the heart of the Death Mountains. He needed this – a chance to wash away the lingering grime and sweat, the memory of fear and uncertainty.
Moments later, he stood at the water's edge, clothes discarded on the bank. He dove in, the shock of the icy water stealing his breath. His muscles protested, but it was a good protest. A necessary one.
"Amazing!" he gasped, when he finally surfaced.
He had almost forgotten how good it felt to swim, to be free. Taking a deep breath, he plunged back into the cool depths, letting the water envelop him, wash away the memories that clung like shadows. He hadn't noticed the sign hidden amongst the trees, nor heard the whispers, the warnings passed down through generations: "Beware the lake at the heart of the mountain… It is forbidden…"
As he swam, he became aware of a strange current tugging at him, pulling him deeper into the heart of the lake. Curious, he didn't resist. The lake bed came into view – along with the reason for the strange current. A series of tunnels were carved into the rock, their mouths dark and inviting. Who could've built such a thing? And why? Intrigued, he reached out, fingers brushing the rough stone.
The current surged, and then he was sucked in.
It swept him through the tunnels, the water churning, tossing him about like a rag doll. He held his breath, heart pounding a frantic tattoo against his ribs. If these tunnels didn't lead back to the lake… he was going to drown. Just when panic began to set in, he was spat out into the blinding sunlight. He surfaced, gasping for air, the taste of salt water in his mouth, only to realize this wasn't where he'd started. This lake was different. Smaller. Enclosed, somehow. As he struggled to get his bearings, his gaze fell upon a figure at the edge of the water. It was a woman, her back to him. Her long, dark hair spilled down her back like a silken waterfall, barely concealing the curves of her exquisite form.
She was naked. Completely, utterly, breathtakingly, naked.
He couldn't help himself. His mouth fell open, and a torrent of water poured down his throat, effectively drowning any coherent thought he might have managed. Startled by the splashing and the choking sounds, the woman turned, her eyes widening as they met his. "Escape!" his panicked mind screamed at him. He dove, kicking off the bottom of the lake, desperate to disappear.
"Don't you dare run away!" a voice like shattered icicles cut through the water. Then, against his will, he was rising, dragged upwards by an unseen force until he was hurled through the surface of the water.
Xing Jue crashed onto the bank with a groan, gasping for breath, utterly humiliated, a shivering, soaking mess of his former confidence. As he pushed himself up and turned back towards the lake, he realized with a jolt that this wasn't even the same lake. This one was inside… a palace?
"Who are you?" the icy voice demanded.
He looked up, bracing himself for…whatever punishment awaited him for trespassing, and stared straight into the enraged eyes of the most beautiful woman he'd ever seen.
As Xing Jue turned to face the source of the voice, his entire body seemed to freeze, his heart the only part of him that still worked—and it was working overtime, pounding against his ribs like a war drum.
Standing before him, wrapped in a white linen sheet, was the most beautiful girl he'd ever seen in his life. Long, silken hair, the color of dark honey, cascaded over her shoulders, framing a delicate, heart-shaped face. Her eyes were large and luminous, shining with a mixture of anger and something else...curiosity? A perfectly formed nose and a pair of delicate, rosebud lips completed the picture. She was breathtaking.
Despite the sheet wrapped around her, her curves were impossible to miss. Her skin, what he could see of it, was flawless - as white as the purest snow, a stark contrast to his sun-weathered skin. A hint of some intoxicating fragrance reached him, teasing him, making him forget his own predicament.
For a moment, Xing Jue could only stare, open-mouthed, all traces of his usual composure forgotten, replaced by something akin to awe.
"I said, who are you?" the girl snapped, her voice cool and sharp as a shard of ice. "And what are you doing here?"
Xing Jue blinked, dragging his gaze from… well… from her, back up to her face. "Uh… Xing Jue," he stammered, "My name… is Xing Jue. And you are?" He winced, mentally kicking himself. What was wrong with him? He was acting like a tongue-tied idiot! He was usually much smoother than this, especially around beautiful women.
Her brow furrowed. An invisible force slammed into him, pinning him in place, stealing the air from his lungs. It took him a moment to recognize it for what it was: Aura. And not just any Aura—this girl, this slip of a thing, was a high-level Martial Venerable. Even more powerful than Xiao Qian. The thought sent a shiver down his spine. If he was a freak of nature, what did that make her?
"Let's try this again," she said, her voice deceptively soft despite the power that crackled beneath her words. "I ask the questions, you answer them. And try to keep the stammering to a minimum."
Xing Jue found himself nodding eagerly, agreeing to anything that would appease the beautiful, terrifying girl in front of him.
She fixed him with a steely gaze. "Are you with the Heavenly Wind Pavilion? And how did you get here?"
"I, uh… I'm going to be with the Heavenly Wind Pavilion," Xing Jue replied, stumbling over his words. "Once I formally register, that is. I came here through a… a tunnel. At the bottom of the lake." His eyes widened in sudden alarm. "Oh, no! My registration letter! It's back there, on the shore! What am I going to do?"
He realized, with a sinking feeling, that it would be almost impossible to find the exact tunnel he'd come through. There were so many of them… The lake, he now suspected, was some kind of… focal point, a hub for all those tunnels. But without his letter of introduction… well, he might as well kiss his dreams of joining the Heavenly Wind Pavilion goodbye.
"Let me guess… You have no idea where you are, do you?" She'd lost some of her initial hostility - he could hear the amusement creeping into her voice. She'd probably already figured out that he'd stumbled into this situation completely by accident. Another point in the 'idiot' column, then. Great.
"Last question," she continued, her expression turning serious once more. A faint blush tinted her cheeks. "What… What did you see just now?"
"See?" Xing Jue feigned innocence, laying it on thick. "I get yanked out of the water, land face-first on the ground, look up, and there you are, glaring at me as if I'd just stolen something precious from you…"
The girl burst out laughing, the sound as light and sweet as wind chimes. "Oh, you're in so much trouble…" she said.
"Trouble?" Xing Jue echoed, utterly lost.
"You're not supposed to be here, you know," she said. "That lake… it's not just any lake. It's… how do I put this delicately? It's the central hub of our sect's protective formations. And you just took a bath in it."
A wave of cold washed over Xing Jue as he realized the magnitude of his error. He had wandered into something far more complicated, far more dangerous, than he could ever have imagined. It was then that it hit him - this girl, she was clearly a high-ranking member of the Heavenly Wind Pavilion. So much for joining the sect…
As if reading his mind, the girl leaned closer to him, her eyes twinkling with amusement. "Relax, Xing Jue," she said, her voice barely a whisper. "I might be persuaded to help you. Consider it… a welcome gift."
"Help me?" Xing Jue echoed, struggling to keep up.
She nodded slowly. "For starters, no one needs to find out about your little swim in our most sacred site. Consider this… our little secret." She paused, letting her words sink in. "And… I could always arrange for you to receive a certain letter of introduction, ensuring your acceptance into our esteemed sect."
"And what would you want in return, for this… favor?" Xing Jue asked, already suspecting he wasn't going to like the answer.
The girl didn't answer right away. Instead, she studied him intently for a long moment, her gaze intense, unsettling. Then, a mischievous smile spread across her face.
"My price?" she purred, her voice barely a whisper, sending shivers down his spine. "It's quite simple, really. You just have to be… my boyfriend."