Hua Lin crouched behind a thick trunk, her heart racing as she observed Zhang Li from a distance. The flickering lantern light cast shadows on his face, revealing the weariness etched into his features. He had always been her master, the one she looked up to, but ever since Yinou went missing, he had become a shadow of the man he once was.
She remembered that day vividly—the moment she had struck an arrow into Yinou's chest. The fury that had burned in Zhang Li's eyes was something she never wanted to witness again. After that, he had nearly choked her to death, his hands around her throat, the power of his rage palpable. It was not a mistake, it was born from her loyalty to Zhang Li. She had thought she was protecting him, but all she had done was drive a wedge between them.
As she watched him from afar that day, a pang of guilt washed over her. Zhang Li had retreated into the shadows after the incident, nursing his injuries and his pride. Yet, she couldn't shake the feeling that he still cared, just as she longed for the affection he had given to Yinou.
Initially, she had believed in Zhang Li's righteousness, thought him a beacon of hope in a world filled with deception. But that belief began to crack when she witnessed the darkness within him—the way he had killed to keep Yinou alive, how he had turned into a monster in his desperate quest to protect his sister. In those moments, Hua Lin had felt her initial admiration shift, twisting into a bitter hatred for Yinou, who had so effortlessly transformed a man she had once revered into something monstrous.
Even with this realization, Hua Lin couldn't turn away. She had made a choice to follow him, determined to serve him, to become the light in his growing darkness. There was a twisted sense of honor in being by his side, even as she grappled with the moral complexities of his actions.
Zhang Li had begun to watch Yinou from afar, a silent sentinel hidden in the night. Hua Lin could see it in his eyes—the flicker of regret, the way he softened when he thought no one was looking. She had overheard him one night, his voice slurred with drink as he lamented his curse upon her. "Let her have her fun," he had muttered, "but she will return to me."
Hua Lin shivered at the thought. The spell he had cast on Yinou was meant to bind her to him, to control her, and now it was a source of torment for them both. But then, everything changed when Zhang Li discovered that his sister was missing. The frantic energy that had replaced his calm demeanor was unsettling. She had witnessed the despair that wracked his body, the way he had become a storm of rage and sorrow.
"Yinou might be dead," Hua Lin had said softly one evening, desperate to comfort him. He had shooed Hua Lin away, his eyes wild, filled with grief. "Don't say such things! She is alive; I can feel it!" In that moment, Hua Lin realized that his love for Yinou ran deeper than any bond he could ever share with her.
Zhang Li had saved Hua Lin once, years ago, when she was just a child lost in the woods. A feral animal had cornered her, and he had swooped in like a dark knight, dispatching the creature with a swift motion. From that day, he had become her confidant, her protector. He had shown her the world of cultivation, of power and strength, and even the times he cultivated Yinou back to life when she was in a deep sleep. During that time, he had treated Hua Lin like a sister, but the moment Yinou awoke, Hua Lin had felt the shift. His devotion to Yinou had eclipsed everything else, leaving her in the shadows.
Now, as she observed Zhang Li, a tumult of emotions swirled within her. She wanted to be loved like Yinou, to receive his affection in the same way he had given it so freely to her. But that love felt forever out of reach, tainted by the darkness that surrounded him and the shadow of his lost sister.
She had once admired his dedication, but now she understood the cost of that power. The facade he had worn was nothing more than a mask, hiding a pitiful monster beneath. And yet, she longed to be by his side, to serve him in the hope that she could redeem him, or perhaps redeem herself in the process.
In recent months, she had taken in a child, an innocent abandoned by the world. A small girl, no more than one, with wide eyes and tangled hair. The child had been left to fend for herself, and something deep within Hua Lin had stirred. She had named the girl Mei, and in caring for her, Hua Lin had found a purpose beyond serving Zhang Li. Mei's laughter filled the void left by her and Zhang Li's distance, and the warmth of her small hand in Hua Lin's made her feel less alone.
But the burden of her master's darkness still hung heavily on her shoulders. As she observed Zhang Li, she made a silent vow. She would find a way to heal him, to draw him back from the precipice of despair. Perhaps if she could uncover the truth behind Yinou's disappearance, she could mend the rift between them.