Suddenly, the blades whirled around both the children in a tight gold-and-silver glaring circle. Quickly, they melded together with flashing light. The weapons threatened to encase the ghost and the little disciple into a silver prison, with no way out!

Just as the swords closed in, Yue Liang locked his crimson eyes with Kong. A small but rather baleful smile crept into the boy’s lips. There was a glint in those all-knowing eyes.

The man nearly choked.

“What’s wrong, shifu?” asked one of the younger students.

“It’s another trick!” Kong hissed. “STOP! CALL BACK YOUR SWORDS!”

Quickly, the Song shifu sped through the field of burnt grass and ravaged greenery, despite the mutated nature of these seemingly beautiful vegetations. He whistled and was about to approach the silver wall—

However, a bright red light crossed the man’s vision. The next second, the ground was up where the skies used to be at! He was dangling up in the air like a fool!

“EN! LAI!” Kong screamed. He needed to exterminate that ghost from up close! “DAMN YOU!”

“I’m sorry…” The floating Heaven Immortal smiled, instantly burning the surrounding hills of plants into black ashes. As if to agree with them, the colossal tiger growled by their master’s side. “My divine weapon has a mind of its own. You know how they are…”

In a flash, a red, piercing illumination overtook the entire meadow from where the two children were last seen at.

Straight away—En Lai’s whip released hold of the ill-mannered mortal’s leg, allowing the man to crash into the earth.

With ease, the Heaven Immortal’s extensive scourge managed to delicately deflect back the dozens and dozens of shining blades from puncturing all the cultivators’ hearts. One by one, they caught each pointed end. It was a nasty trick, all right.

But it was simple and rather elegant for the otherworldly person—like playing the strings of a guqin.

“Shifu!” Many of the Song cultivators rushed over to the man, trying to brush the dirt and cinder from the man’s cloudy appearance. “Celestial En Lai had just saved your life, ah!”

“WHAT?!” Quaking all over, Kong did not know if he was going to have a heart attack or a stroke. His face was so heated, he needed to break someone’s arm—right now!

“L-look!” Another disciple pointed out. “Everyone! They’re gone!”

What remained of the scarlet luster were a hundred shining swords, all clattering to the ground and ashes.

Kong wanted to wreak havoc. “F*CK THE ANCESTORS! THEY F*CKING ESCAPED!”

❁❁❁

Bit by bit, Mei Ying felt the soft tickling water against the crown of her long, dark hair. Slowly but surely, many red orbs of light fluttered close by. But none could compare to the small disciple’s surprise when she opened her eyes and found Yue Liang’s arms wrapped firmly around her.

Ah, the spirit was pressing an open palm against the child’s back. From Yue Liang to Mei Ying, there was a steady transfer of warm spiritual energy. While the disciple was not seriously wounded by her internal bleeding, she had overexerted herself this time by using too much power.

Tears were dripping down the boy’s snow-jade cheeks. Mei Ying knew, because she gingerly felt his smooth, soft face and wetness met her little fingers.

All around them was inky darkness. Though the drafts were quite cold, the child was not afraid. Her body was slowly recovering, all thanks to her kind friend’s help. The girl had nothing to fear. Yue Liang was still here, sitting on the ground with her.

The Song cultivators, her shifu, and the Immortal beast did not get to exorcise the mischievous spirit. It was a relief!

“When you cannot see…I will be your eyes.” The boy knew his friend had awoken; yet he spoke softly while bathing in the silver moonlight. “When you cannot walk, I will be your legs. And when you cannot speak, I will be your voice.”

For some strange reason, the spirit could not stop crying. He laughed bitterly. “…Mei Ying, your three souls are finally one…but that does not mean that you could just use all your power to protect this person. It’d all be for nothing, then.”

My three souls…are finally one? It was a pity, because the little girl did not quite understand the implication behind the older child’s words.

Of course, the child has three souls! Everyone has them, right?

It has been known that a typical mortal must always possess three, and when they pass on: one would join the ancestors, the other would remain with the corpse, and the last would reincarnate again. However, if the soul that goes to the Netherworld for its rebirth is fractured, the reincarnated person would suffer a difficult but brief life. They may be born with physical defects, be unstable in the mind, or endure lifelong sickness and fragility.

To recover from such injuries, the reincarnation soul would have to go through the life cycle over and over until it heals completely.

“…Yue Liang.” The stupid disciple blinked, listening for sounds to help her guess where they may be at. “My uncles and cousins are quite ruthless with the dead. They would have scattered your soul, which is the cruelest fate ever…”

The girl’s voice echoed in the dark. The constant sounds of water droplets were faint but clear. It was incredibly spacious at where the two children sat, with the strong lingering scent of dampness and earth.

Moreover, there was a hole somewhere above from among the hanging stalagmites and limestones. It allowed a rather beautiful beam of silver moonlight to shine on the boy.

To the small disciple, no one could possibly be dearer to her than Yue Liang himself. It felt as though she had known him for lifetimes.

Gradually, Mei Ying realized that they were both hiding out in a cave, hidden somewhere in the expansive Minjue Forest.

“The cruelest fate?” Letting go of the child, the spirit laughed bitterly again. Glimmering red fireflies drifted toward the boy. “Ha!”

“I would never get to see you again.” Mei Ying insisted, shaking her head. “You would be excluded from the Wheel of Reincarnation forever.”

“…and that is the cruelest fate for anyone?” asked Yue Liang, gently wiping away his tears. He smiled sadly, with a pale hand still covering his handsome face. “If I could, I’d welcome it, you know!”

Listening to this, the girl watched the spirit’s red lips turn into a slow frown. His jaw tightened. All of a sudden—Yue Liang slammed his fist into the boulder nearby, splintering the stone in half. It was so abrupt, that the disciple nearly jumped in her seat.

As though they were frightened, the sparkling cluster of red lights swarmed over to the girl. Steadily, their warm presence shined upon her friend’s dejected expression and the sheathed sword by his side.

Ah, the boy’s eyes were filled with such heart-piercing sorrow. His red lips nearly broke into a quiet sob. Tears continued to stream down his chin.

“Yue Liang…” The child stared, feeling as though her own heart was breaking. A peculiar sense of nostalgia fell over her. She shook off the feeling and added, “It was never Ying Ying’s intention to sadden you like this! I only wanted to protect you!”

“Ying Ying, you betrayed them!”

Oh.

Little by little, the disciple realized what she had done to her own clansmen.

“Aren’t you the Mortal realm’s Child of Red Omen?!” asked the spirit. “The future savior who will stop the war between the Heaven realm and the Netherworld from happening?!”

“That…” Mei Ying did not know how to explain herself. It was inexcusable. Her actions of hurting her own people had inflicted more pain to her friend. “I…”

“You need to follow your own path!” The boy’s voice deepened. Perhaps, it was partly of the disciple’s imagination—but for a second, it sounded a bit husky and older. “Do not protect this one for Yue Liang needs to walk his!”

“No!” Hurriedly, the child crawled over and seized hold of the spirit’s hand, feeling for the cold silver bangle. “Don't leave!” Her voice cracked. “I’m sorry!”

Don't leave.

Whether the other was at his limits or trying to pry the child off, the boy, at long last, snapped, “I’M NOT A GHOST, MEI YING!”

There was silence, saved for the soft sobbing and sniffling from the little girl, whose small hands trembled against the shining bracelet.

When did Mei Ying knew?

Perhaps, it started when the girl noticed how immensely overbearing Yue Liang’s spiritual presence before he manifested. Maybe it was when he summoned his flying sword. The demon also lit on fire and did not flinch. He had breathed spirals of fire. He extinguished the three thousand golden talismans from a Heaven Immortal.

What happened with the attempted Silver Sword Containment formation from Kong and the others?

Yue Liang was not a ghost.

“Nor am I a mortal like you…” The demon shakily whispered. “You will inevitably be punished and shunned by your people if you don’t let me go.”

Lowering his eyelids, the youth pursed his lips together. His long lashes trembled slightly like butterfly wings, ready to withhold any more tears from falling. He became still, allowing the small child to weep and hold his hand. Occasionally, the disciple also rubbed her thumbs over the deep engravements of dragons, flowers, and fireflies of his silver bracelet.

“I know…but Yue Liang is the best person.” Her tiny response caused the boy’s heart to waver. “…He has a good heart.”

For the small Mei Ying, she had once thought her shifu was the most irreplaceable person in the entire world.

However, what was the invincible En Lai to a kind-hearted demon, who could be extinguished within a heartbeat?

Just as the child thought that—several blue arrows instantly zipped by.

The darts were glowing quite elegantly in the cold night. With just a simple glance, Yue Liang sent them clattering to the cave floor, lit by brilliant flames. Soon, hundreds and hundreds more flew into their direction, and the boy murmured an incantation.

Rising to his feet, the demon’s eyes glared red. All the shafts lit up in irradiant fire and black ashes, falling flat to the wet ground. Slowly, they all faded away, saved for the original arrow that was used in cloning the rest.

Shouting could be heard, echoing from the distance.

The children were found, probably with the help of En Lai and their Immortal beast.

MEI YING! ARE YOU ALRIGHT?! It was First Disciple, the eldest of Kong’s students, shouting through the girl’s mind. Did he hurt you?!

Massaging her temple, little Mei Ying felt her head pound like pots and pans bashing together!

Without hesitation, the child hopped onto her feet and held onto her friend’s cold hand again. “Yue Liang, let’s run away!”

Gold, shining aura lined the girl’s small body. Determination was fixated into her shining eyes. She was ready to teleport them—thanks to the boy’s transferred energy.

“…Run where?” asked the demon, quietly.

The other shrugged. “As long as the big brother is with Ying Ying, anywhere would be fine, ah!”

Yue Liang became silent, gazing at the girl standing next to him.

Don't leave.

Smiling, the disciple stared back with her large, honey-hued eyes and oblivious expression. Her hair was long and black, hanging over her shoulders. At that moment, Mei Ying resembled a shadow of someone whom Yue Liang once knew from so long ago.

In the luminous, silver moonlight, the girl was precious and quite endearing, even with her smudged face. Ah, it was truly blissful to be a child again!

But the little disciple was dumb.

The girl can only teleport a short distance away from the cave. After that, she would have expended her energy for nothing when En Lai captures her.

“Mei Ying, listen to me…carefully.” Yue Liang began.

Swiftly, the demon unsheathed the sword. He held onto the black handle. The gleaming weapon was pointed down toward the wet cave floor.

The boy creased his brows together. “Only you can do this.”

Being naïve, the girl nodded obediently.

“You need to thrust this sword into my heart.” The demon said.

Handing the blade toward her, the boy’s eyes hardened. As if to urge Mei Ying, the soft clouds of red lights hovered around the bright edge.

“Do it now.” ordered Yue Liang.

A ghost-like paleness washed over the little girl’s face. Her eyes blinked back the rapidly forming tears that were so hot that they burned red already. Her lips quivered. The lovely light that surrounded her body vanished.

The deep affliction in the disciple’s chest worsened than before. It felt like a needle probing there, slowly with mockery.

“Do it, and your clan will be convinced their future hero was simply possessed by the evil demon.” Flashing a small, regretful smile, Yue Liang went on, “They would understand and not abandon you or brand you as a traitor. By doing this, you, the hero, will restore hope and faith in not just them—but the entire Mortal realm.”

“Are you telling this one…to pick the entire Mortal realm and everyone else over you, my only friend?” asked the shocked child.

The girl did not reach for the dazzling sword that was offered to her. A warm tear steadily slipped down the corner of her eye and rolled down her cheek. Another fell when her friend nodded.

Closer and closer, the shouting of the Song cultivators proceeded to blare louder and louder.

“YING’ER!” shouted the uncles and cousins. “LITTLE YING!”

It was inevitable that the cave tunnel would turn and lead the people into the large vicinity where the two children were hiding in. Though they were all a long way off, their voices carried far.

More tracking blue arrows shot across the darkness. Again, Yue Liang sent them falling to the ground, engulfed in red flames. All but two original shafts dissipated into thin air.

“Ying Ying does not want to hurt you.” Mei Ying uttered out.

“I’m not asking.” Pushing the weapon toward the little disciple, the demon trembled. “I’m telling you to do it. Stab me!”

Quickly, the boy seized hold of the child’s small hand and wrapped her fingers around the sword’s handle. For a moment, Mei Ying was stunned. She tried to retract her grip—but Yue Liang was too strong!

At that moment—the demon snapped, “MEI YING!”

Startled by the sharp tone of Yue Liang’s voice, the girl flinched.

The heavy sword dropped. It clanged loudly before falling flat on the ground. Knitting his eyebrows together, the demon kicked the blade across the cave floor. Soon, it spun into the sloped cave wall behind the little disciple and stopped.

Backing away, Mei Ying did not know what to do.