RUAN YANJUN
The note left on my bed had been terse, its handwriting hasty and deliberate. I stared at it for a long moment before slipping it into my robe and leaving the inn. The location it mentioned was remote—an abandoned ruin far from the bustle of Baixu City.
My heart clenched at the thought of what might have happened to Luo Fan, but I forced myself to stay calm. Fear and anger would do him no good if I lost focus.
The mansion came into view just as the sun dipped low on the horizon, casting long shadows over its decaying facade. The place bore the marks of past tragedy, with charred wood, crumbling stone, and an eerie silence that spoke of a once-thriving community reduced to ash. Only this mansion remained intact, its looming structure serving as a grim monument to the catastrophe that had befallen this place.
Whoever had taken Luo Fan wanted me here. That much was clear. But the why remained a mystery. The possibilities churned in my mind, and none of them were comforting.
I leapt over the dilapidated courtyard gate, my boots landing silently on the cracked stone below. The air was thick with the scent of damp earth and decay, and my voice cut through it like a blade.
"This venerable one has arrived," I announced, the authority in my tone reverberating through the stillness. "Show yourself."
For a long moment, nothing stirred. Then, with a groan that echoed like a sigh from the past, the front doors creaked open. From the darkness stepped a figure I recognized immediately, his smirk as infuriating as ever.
"Wang Bei," I said with a sigh. "How many times must I break your bones before you understand you'll never win?"
"As long as I live," Wang Bei snarled, his fists clenching tightly at his sides. A blue flame erupted around his knuckles, crackling like a living entity. "I'll face you again and again, until the day I crush you beneath my feet!"
I gave him a flat look. "You can't even warm my tea with that fire, let alone defeat me."
With a roar, he lunged. His fists blazed with blue flame as he swung at me, the heat distorting the air. I dodged effortlessly, stepping to the side as his punch cracked the stone where I'd been standing. He followed with a spinning kick, the fire trailing behind him like a whip.
Still, I didn't bother attacking. Instead, I danced around him, studying his movements. "You've gotten faster since the last time," I commented lightly. "Still sloppy, though. Too much rage. It blinds you."
"Shut up!" Wang Bei roared, thrusting both hands forward. A wave of blue flame surged toward me, the courtyard erupting in light and heat.
I leapt into the air, somersaulting over the flames, and landed behind him. Before he could react, I struck—my palm glowing faintly with controlled qi as I pressed it against his back. The force of the blow sent him sprawling, skidding across the stone until he hit the courtyard wall with a grunt.
Wang Bei struggled to his feet, his flames sputtering. Blood trickled from the corner of his mouth, but his eyes burned with defiance.
"Still standing?" I raised an eyebrow. "Impressive. Most would have fled by now."
"You haven't seen the last of me," he snarled, his fists reigniting.
I sighed, stepping forward to end this. With a twist of my body, I dodged his wild punch and grabbed his wrist, twisting it sharply. His flames extinguished with a pained grunt, and I swept his legs out from under him, slamming him onto his back.
"Give up, Wang Bei," I said, my voice calm but firm. "You're no match for me."
He glared up at me, hatred and humiliation warring in his eyes. "Why don't you just kill me and be done with it?"
I shook my head, a low chuckle escaping my lips. "As much as I might want to, I find you oddly entertaining. That fire in your eyes, that unyielding defiance—it's almost commendable." I knelt beside him, my gaze piercing. "But there's another reason. I see potential in you, Wang Bei. With proper guidance, you could ascend to the eighth level of cultivation, a feat unmatched in this age. Perhaps even immortality."
His breath hitched, but his glare didn't falter. "Are you offering to train me?" he spat.
I smiled faintly. "Join my sect, and I will make you my fifth disciple. I'll train you personally, mold you into a cultivator worthy of the heavens. Or..." I tilted my head, "you can continue this futile game, challenging me only to be defeated every time."
Wang Bei's lips curled into a smirk, blood staining his teeth. "I'd rather die than serve you, Ruan Yanjun."
I straightened with a sigh. "Suit yourself. But when you're ready to stop being a fool, you know where to find me."
Leaving him in the dirt, I turned toward the mansion. Luo Fan's absence weighed on me. Somewhere in this accursed place, he was waiting for me.