Everyone stared at Ling Yun in astonishment. No one quite understood what this "special gift" the young master had mentioned actually was.
Ling Yun smiled and turned to Huo Li. "We're heading to the mountains tomorrow morning. You're coming with me. Go inform the steward—I don't want any misunderstandings."
Huo Li gave a short bow and left the room without hesitation. Ling Yun watched him go, his smile deepening.
The steward sat at his desk, buried in scrolls and ledgers, overseeing the final preparations for the sect patriarch's imminent return from seclusion. A grand celebration was in the works, with cultivators from across the continent expected to attend, eager to congratulate Feng Dong on his advancement.
Amid the overwhelming workload, he rubbed his temples and called for a servant. "Bring tea." Then, with a sigh, he pushed aside the documents and tried to clear his thoughts.
A few minutes later, just as the servant arrived with a tray of tea, Huo Li stepped into the room. The steward, who usually met him in more discreet locations, regarded him with cold formality. "Come in."
Huo Li entered, gave a respectful bow, and spoke before the steward could ask any questions. "Sir, Ling Yun has decided to visit Phoenix Valley tomorrow. I came to inform you."
The steward raised an eyebrow. "You're going with him?"
"Yes."
The steward exhaled in relief. "Just make sure he doesn't die. Getting injured is fine. Tell the servants to fetch a few healing pills from the Alchemy Hall."
Then, in a graver tone, he added, "Listen, Huo Li. I know you despise the Ling family, but keep this in mind—Ling Yun must stay alive until the patriarch emerges from seclusion. He is the Feng Clan's phoenix hunt."
Huo Li clenched his teeth but, after a brief pause, responded in a controlled voice. "Understood, sir."
The steward nodded. "Good. Now return to the estate."
---
At dawn, with the last traces of night still lingering in the city's shadows, two figures stepped through the grand gates of the Feng Clan estate.
They wore wide-brimmed black hats and carried baskets designed for gathering spirit herbs.
Silently, two Foundation Establishment guards followed a short distance behind, ensuring their safety.
The small group passed through the city and made their way toward the towering mountains in the northwest. It was a long journey, and by the time they arrived, the sun was already high in the sky.
Huo Li halted, shielding his eyes from the sunlight as he pointed toward the mountain range. "Young Master, this is the famed Feng Ming Mountain. They say a phoenix once nested here centuries ago. The Feng Clan even took their name from this place."
Then, after a brief hesitation, he added cautiously, "There are plenty of spirit herbs here, but please be careful. It's unwise to venture too deep into the mountains."
Ling Yun smirked. "Huo Li, do you actually believe a phoenix lived here?"
Huo Li hesitated for a moment, then broke into an excited grin. "Yes, Young Master! They say its wings were so vast that when it spread them, they formed a fiery bridge connecting both sides of the valley!"
His eyes gleamed with enthusiasm. "Some even say that when it flew, people mistook it for the sun. There were nights when darkness never came…"
Ling Yun chuckled but remained silent, gazing at the towering mountains ahead. Could it really be…?
With a casual arm around Huo Li's shoulders, Ling Yun turned to the guards. "Stay here. My servant and I will go ahead—we'll be back in a few hours."
The guards, who had no desire to follow Ling Yun deep into the mountains, nodded without hesitation and set up camp near the foothills.
Ling Yun cast a lingering glance at Huo Li, his smile barely there. "Come on. I'd like to hear more about that legendary phoenix."
A shiver ran down Huo Li's spine. Today, the young master was acting strangely—far too friendly. He had always seemed odd since the day he arrived at the estate, but these smiles… there was something off about them.
Still, Huo Li pushed the thought aside. Ling Yun had lost his cultivation completely—or at least, that's what Huo Li had ensured by secretly poisoning him.
But what if Ling Yun knew?
What if the Feng Clan had told him in exchange for some hidden bargain?
Huo Li knew Ling Yun had met with Feng Shan. And ever since then, something had changed. His gaze, his presence—every time their eyes met, Ling Yun would flash that unreadable smile.
Even without his cultivation, Ling Yun was dangerous. Huo Li, barely at the first layer of Qi Refinement, couldn't even imagine standing a chance if the young master decided to end him.
They ventured deeper into the mountains. The farther they moved from the guards, the more uneasy Huo Li became.
"Young Master!" His voice wavered slightly. "I don't think we need to go any further. There are plenty of spirit herbs here."
In a hurry, he bent down and pointed toward a rock. "Ah! Young Master! Look! I found a firemoss!"
Ling Yun caught the unease in his voice and smiled calmly. He crouched down, plucking the firemoss from Huo Li's hands.
"That's true." His voice was quiet, almost amused. "But firemoss that grows on exposed rock doesn't contain much spiritual energy. Do you really think I'd bring something this worthless back with me, Huo Li?"
The color drained from Huo Li's face. He immediately fell to his knees.
"Please forgive my disrespect, Young Master! I was only concerned for your safety! You still haven't fully recovered, and this place… it's crawling with demonic beasts!"
Cold sweat beaded on Huo Li's forehead. His heart pounded furiously.
Ling Yun crouched beside him, his voice a soft whisper in his ear. "Don't be afraid. You haven't done anything wrong… In fact, you were so worried about me that you even brought healing pills."
Huo Li's terrified eyes locked onto the young master's wicked smile. Ling Yun's shadow loomed over him like a bottomless abyss. He tried to move, to stand, but his legs were frozen in fear.
Still smiling, Ling Yun grabbed him under the arms and pulled him upright. His eyes gleamed with something dangerous. "Now's not the time to falter, Huo Li. We still have a long way to go before we reach Phoenix Valley."
---
Hundreds of miles away, in the Ling Clan estate
In a vast, dimly lit chamber, Ling Hua sat in silence. Her emerald eyes glowed faintly in the dark as she took in her surroundings—the cold stone walls, the scattered scrolls, the suffocating stillness filling the air.
In that silence, only the quiet rhythm of her breathing could be heard.
It had been months since her elder brother, Ling Yun, had left. During that time, countless messages had arrived at the main estate—each more ominous and cryptic than the last.
She had spent her fourteenth birthday alone. Unlike every other year, Ling Yun had not been there to share the moment with her, to flash that mysterious, reassuring smile, to tell her that the world was not as terrifying as it seemed.
But this year, the world felt different.
"My lady! My lady! Ling Zhen has returned!!"
A frantic voice shattered the heavy silence.
Ling Hua sprang to her feet, her heart hammering against her ribs. Without a second thought, she rushed toward the main courtyard, so hastily that she forgot to fix her disheveled hair or change into more proper attire. The only thought pounding in her mind was: At last, news of my brother!
When she reached the courtyard, she was met with a sea of anxious murmurs and restless figures crowding around a lone man.
Atop the wooden staircase leading to the main hall, the sect patriarch stood beside the clan leader, his gaze sharp and commanding. Below them, kneeling in the dirt, was Ling Zhen—his body battered, his robes soaked in blood.
His pallid face bore the expression of a man who had weathered a relentless storm—a storm that had stripped him of everything.
The sect patriarch's deep, measured voice cut through the murmurs.
"Where is Ling Yun?"
Ling Zhen did not lift his head. Instead, with slow, deliberate movements, he unfastened the bloodstained sword at his waist and laid it upon the ground. His trembling fingers tightened around the hilt, knuckles white.
When he finally spoke, his voice was hoarse and hollow.
"I… killed the young master."
For a moment, the world stood still.
Something within Ling Hua shattered. Her vision blurred, her knees gave out, and before she could utter a word, darkness swallowed her whole.
When she came to, the bitter scent of medicine hung in the air. The muffled sobs of the servants filled the silence, pressing down on her like an unbearable weight.
But none of it mattered as her brother was dead.
In the courtyard, murmurs of unrest rippled through the gathered members of the Ling Clan. Faces reflected a storm of emotions—shock, rage, grief.
The sect patriarch, though his gaze burned with fury and sorrow, maintained his composure.
"Why?" His voice was calm, yet every syllable carried the weight of centuries of authority. "Why did you kill Ling Yun?"
Ling Zhen lowered his head, exhaling a shaky breath before answering.
"The young master… was poisoned by traitors. His cultivation was crippled. The Feng Clan sought to disgrace him."
He hesitated, as if even breathing had become a struggle.
"The young master learned of their plan… and he asked me to—" His throat tightened. His voice broke. "To end his life."
A heavy silence descended upon the courtyard.
The sect patriarch let out a deep sigh, his fingers tightening around the wooden staff in his grasp. "So the boy stood his ground until the very end, did he?"
His gaze lifted toward the sky, as though searching for something—something no longer of this world.
Then, without lowering his eyes, he addressed his son, Ling Wei.
"I know this is asking too much, but I need you to go to the Feng Clan's estate. Attend their patriarch's emergence ceremony. Bring Ling Yun's body back. He must be buried in his homeland."
Though Ling Wei's face was hardened with grief and fury, he bowed in obedience and left without hesitation.
The sect patriarch did not look away from the sky.
Gray clouds rolled in from behind the towering mountains, creeping toward the plains. A cold wind whispered through the trees.
He murmured, "So this is how the Ling Clan's greatest prodigy meets his end?"