As the morning light filtered through the window lattice, it touched Su Luowei's thin eyelids, gently waking her. The other side of the bed was already empty, and the soiled sheets had been meticulously cleaned.
Even the sticky honey on her legs had been wiped away with a warm cloth.
She remembered crying quite a bit as the night wore on, and Meng Shuying had made sure she drank plenty of water. Despite the long and tumultuous night, Su Luowei felt surprisingly well-rested, with no trace of exhaustion in her eyes.
Upon reflection, she realized it was all thanks to Meng Shuying. No matter how intense things had become the previous night, Meng Shuying had treated her with great care, pausing often to infuse her with spiritual energy, fearing she might not be able to endure it.
Su Luowei wrapped herself in her robe and sat up, staring off into space. Suddenly, she heard the door open and saw Meng Shuying enter, carrying a tray.
On the tray was a small blue bowl and two dishes of fresh green vegetables. Meng Shuying glanced at her, a flash of awkwardness crossing her face, as if she didn't know how to face Su Luowei. Her demeanor was somewhat cold and stiff.
Su Luowei, unsure of how to respond either, reflexively forced a smile, a habit from years of trying to please others.
"You don't have to smile if you don't feel like it." Meng Shuying placed the tray on the table, her tone slightly detached. "Eat. After you've finished, tell me where your sister is."
"Are you willing to save her?" Su Luowei's head shot up, her eyes filled with hope. Although she had nearly given up, Meng Shuying's words rekindled a spark of hope within her.
Su Luowei had originally planned to bid Meng Shuying farewell today and then descend the mountain to seek another way to save her sister.
Meng Shuying didn't meet her gaze, instead, she looked down at her own hands. Her fingers were long and slender, like jade.
Last night, these very hands had taken Su Luowei's purity as a woman.
Meng Shuying had traveled through the world years ago and knew what purity meant to a mortal woman. She had taken it from her, but she couldn't promise her anything in return, so the least she could do was help her fulfill her wish to save her sister.
Su Luowei reached past the steaming porridge to grasp Meng Shuying's hand. Her hand felt strong and reassuring.
"Meng-jie…" Su Luowei stood on her tiptoes and pressed a kiss to Meng Shuying's jaw, near her lips. "Thank you…"
Blushing, Su Luowei quickly sat back down, using the small blue bowl to hide her face.
Outside, the wind swept up heaps of snow. Meng Shuying didn't dare to touch her burning ears until she had stepped out of the room.
After the demon clans had overtaken the Kunlun Sect, they didn't stop there. Like a relentless force, they pushed their way further into the heart of the region. It didn't take Meng Shuying long to find the group of people who had captured Su Luowei's sister.
However, there were far more of them than she had anticipated. From a distance, she could see dark clouds looming over a city, the sky heavy and oppressive.
Meng Shuying quickly performed a hand seal and sent out a talisman. In the next instant, a narrow pathway appeared before her. Ignoring the tangled vines obscuring the entrance, she hesitated briefly, then frowned and walked in.
Clouds blocked the moon, and its light couldn't reach the ground. Only a few stars remained, their faint light forming a line.
Su Luowei's sister was imprisoned deep within the demons' lair, guarded by red-tailed phoenix butterflies. These small creatures, each about the size of a palm, had black rings on their lower wings and were highly sensitive to unfamiliar scents. The powder falling from their wings could bewilder the minds of intruders.
Perhaps sensing a kindred spirit in Meng Shuying, the butterflies didn't show any hostility toward her, even though she was an intruder.
Meng Shuying passed through a long, narrow, dark passageway, then through two doors, until she finally arrived at a water dungeon.
The moment her hand touched the door, she felt a bone-chilling cold that made her heart beat irregularly. She paused before pulling the door open, only to be confronted by a massive, serpentine demon.
The demon snake's eyes were crimson, devoid of any intelligence. Without hesitation, Meng Shuying drew her sword and struck at its vulnerable spot.
Blood spurted out, splattering across Meng Shuying's face.
Her sword had pierced the snake's vital point, but it wasn't a fatal blow. The snake, enraged by the injury, thrashed even more violently.
It took all of Meng Shuying's strength to wrestle the snake to the ground, binding its sharp fangs with a demon-binding rope to prevent it from closing its mouth. The commotion had already alerted the demon guards, so Meng Shuying took advantage of the dust the snake stirred up in its struggle to slip into the water dungeon.
Su Luowei had been waiting at the peak of Kunlun Mountain for an entire day and night. It wasn't until the sky began to lighten the next morning that she saw a figure flying toward her from the horizon.
Meng Shuying was flying on her spiritual sword, holding someone securely in her arms with one hand and keeping the other hand behind her back.
The person in her arms appeared unharmed, save for a pale complexion. When she saw the figure standing in the snow, the girl was overjoyed. If not for the fact that she was still on the sword, she might have jumped up right then and there. "Sister! Sister, I'm here!"
Miaomiao was Su Luowei's half-sister, born to the same mother. Su Luowei had always protected her well. So despite the turmoil and upheaval, Miaomiao had remained innocent and kind-hearted.
After Kunlun's fall and her capture by the demon clan, she had not suffered much before being rescued by Meng Shuying.
Even so, the little girl, who had always relied on her elder sister, immediately threw herself into Su Luowei's arms, seeking comfort.
"Sister, I missed you so much."
Su Luowei's eyes stung as she gently patted her sister's head, meeting her gaze. "I'm just glad you're safe."
Miaomiao's eyes were as clear as crystal, reflecting her pure, untainted view of the world. "I'm fine, thanks to this kind sister."
She turned, wanting to introduce her sister's savior, but Meng Shuying had already vanished.
In the biting wind, Su Luowei only heard her voice, "Now that you two have been reunited, you should leave the mountain today."
Miaomiao couldn't understand why, despite seeing her sister, Su Luowei's face still showed such sorrow.
Su Luowei stood in place for a long time, long enough for the warmth in her heart to be chilled by the icy wind. Then, as if waking from a trance, she pulled Miaomiao into her arms and whispered, "I'm sorry, but I can't take you home right away."
Even if Meng Shuying didn't ask for repayment, Su Luowei didn't want to be indebted to her.
Miaomiao was still too young to understand her sister's meaning. The concept of "home" was vague to her; as long as she could be with her sister, that was enough.
She stood on tiptoe, grasping her sister's hand, trying to offer what warmth she could.
"We should really thank that sister."
Meng Shuying, with her demon bloodline, was constantly tormented by the demonic energy within her. Su Luowei had realized this that night. But now she sought out Hongdou for another reason—
"I think I can only temporarily alleviate her discomfort. I can't truly help her." She clenched her fists, her cheeks tinged with a shy pink.
"I want to repay her. Can you tell me how?"
Hongdou hesitated, as if she wanted to say something but held back. "There is one way, but… are you sure you can handle it?"
Her face was full of doubt.
"For Meng-jie, I can do it." Su Luowei nodded firmly, her eyes full of determination.
Not long ago, this room had been filled with warmth and fragrance. Now, only one person remained.
Meng Shuying stood by the window. The wooden boards sealing it had all been removed, and the wind from the mountain blew in, making her wide sleeves flutter and her hair dance in the air like a cascade of moonlight.
She extended her hand, which she had kept behind her back. Her sleeve was torn, and her hand was stained with blood.
The battle against her kin had left her wounded. The demons that had broken free from the seal were more formidable than she had anticipated.
To rescue that little girl, she had killed those demons. To them, she was now an enemy. From this day forward, peace would no longer reign on Kunlun Mountain.
But it didn't matter.
Xie Hanzhu was more than capable of protecting herself, and she could leave Kunlun whenever she wished. As for herself and Hongdou, it didn't matter where they went.
The world was vast, but there was no place for her.
Standing in the wind, her thoughts drifted aimlessly. Eventually, she wondered whether the wind today was too strong for Su Luowei and her sister to safely descend the mountain.
If she had known the wind would pick up, she would have let them stay another night.
Suddenly, a pair of slender arms wrapped around her from behind, their fingers warm and strong.
Meng Shuying froze, feeling an unexpected weakness in her limbs.
Her voice was hoarse. "Why haven't you left?"
Su Luowei leaned forward, resting her head on Meng Shuying's shoulder. "Meng-jie, you're hurt."
She lifted Meng Shuying's hand to her lips and gently licked the wound, tasting the metallic tang of blood.
Meng Shuying flinched as if struck by lightning. She was about to pull her hand back when she heard Su Luowei say, "I'm not going anywhere."
Su Luowei moved to stand in front of her, wrapping her arms around her and pressing close, feeling the warmth of her body and the rapid beating of her heart.
This person, why is she so dishonest?
If it weren't for Hongdou revealing her true feelings, how much longer would she have continued to deceive her?
"Hongdou told me that while Miaomiao and I were on Kunlun Mountain, you often watched us in secret."
"Miaomiao is just a child, only ten years old. You weren't watching her, were you?"
She paused, as if summoning great courage.
"You were watching me, weren't you?"
Half of Meng Shuying's body went numb, especially when she realized that the person in front of her had taken her finger into her mouth, sucking gently before letting it go.
She was completely paralyzed.
And yet, she couldn't deny it.
After the fall of Kunlun, Su Luowei had encountered countless demons, all of them brazen and unrestrained, their desires and intentions laid bare, so different from humans.
That's why, when she first learned that Meng Shuying had demon blood, she had been afraid—afraid that she might be no different from them.
But she was different.
Meng Shuying had spent many years alone, silently battling the demonic energy within her during those long nights. Suppressing her desires had become second nature.
But that didn't mean she had lost her demonic nature.
And now, this person was adding fuel to the fire.
"I've liked you ever since I first laid eyes on you. The other night, when I came to your room, it wasn't because I wanted to use myself as a bargaining chip to save my sister."
"I just wanted to hold you."
That's why she didn't leave.
She didn't stay to repay a debt—she simply didn't want to go.
She wanted to be with her.
Su Luowei's fingertip brushed against Meng Shuying's lips as she led her back into the room.
The wetness of teeth and tongue teasing her earlobe sent warmth surging through her. She was pushed onto the bed, someone entwining with her.
Meng Shuying's throat tightened. "You don't have to do this…"
Kisses trailed down her neck, moving slowly lower. Long hair brushed against her waist, cool and smooth.
It felt as if she were being shattered from the inside, only to be pieced back together.
Meng Shuying watched as the water droplets clung to Su Luowei's nose and the shimmering line of saliva on her lips. After two deep breaths, she slowly opened her eyes, her dark lashes fluttering like crow feathers.
"I gave you a chance to leave, but since you stayed…"
Before she could finish, Su Luowei kissed her, swallowing the rest of her words.
Then don't leave.
The frost-covered, snow-laden flower that had once bloomed proudly on the peak of Kunlun was finally plucked by someone's hand.
In a room a few doors away, Xie Hanzhu held the small figure of Miaomiao in her arms, teasing her with a piece of malt candy, trying to coax her into calling her "sister."
But the child was too cheeky. After eating the candy, she turned her back on her benefactor, insisting on finding her real sister.
Meanwhile, in the other room, things were anything but appropriate for a child. Xie Hanzhu wouldn't dare let her run over there.
As she continued to entertain the child, she suddenly heard Hongdou say, "Next spring, when the snow melts, flowers should bloom on Kunlun Peak."
"Yes," Xie Hanzhu replied, resting her hand on the back of Miaomiao's neck, her eyes curved in a smile as she watched the girl shiver from the cold.
"It's been cold for so long. It's about time for flowers to bloom."