From the corner of Shao Qing’s eye, a red glint sent his heart pounding. It was quick but the adolescent caught the shine from the ring around Mei Ying's finger. It twinkled once more, putting his mind to rest.

“Can’t you send someone else for this family business?” It was the gold-robed stranger, still holding onto the unconscious huntress.

“I needed to see her for myself! You, of course, sent over a clone!”

“Xi Feng...”

Since the man’s back was facing Shao Qing, he was unable to see Mei Ying’s face. Still, the demon remained as stiff as possible. The adolescent even shut his eyes closed in case the person turned toward his way.

The woman snapped, “After all, I had waited so long for her reincarnated form to regain the ability to cultivate! She can be one of us again! It already drove me crazy, waiting for each fracture of her soul to heal!” Then, her voice broke, “...But why the Hell is Mei Ying with Jian Yu--of all people?!”

From the way the woman had spoken, it was as though fate made a mistake. As though Heaven’s predetermined destiny for the Child of Red Omen was not supposed to pan out like this.

What's wrong with the Young Miss meeting His Highness? Shao Qing wondered, resisting the urge to get back up and punch someone. He had lost feeling in his left arm as well. The young man almost wanted to laugh. Their relationship is treated in the same way as the cow-herder and the Heaven Immortal’s.

“This is strange... Her soul has First Judge's sigil.” Wang Lei appeared shocked by the sound of it. “Where is the Heavenly curse mark? It must be--”

“TAKE YOUR HANDS OFF OF HER!” Unexpectedly, a harsh, livid yell jolted Shao Qing awake. His eyes snapped open.

Quickly, Third Official turned his head. There, a few arm lengths away, stood a young man, with scarlet maple leaves gathering around his boots. In a cold breath, Jian Yu emerged just before the gold-robed man.

Wang Lei flinched from being so close to the other. Before the person knew it, with a flick of her wrist, Mei Ying yanked the chain whip off of her waist.

Tiny silver bells chimed along the circle formation, inflicting itself against the gold-robed Heaven Immortal. Feeling the burning strike, he recoiled from the lengthy weapon in its brilliant silver glory.

During the martial arts tournament, the scourge was doused in the Song clan’s Spirit Water. Not once was it ever rinsed off. As long as the entity holds evil intent, their soul would be met with pain and even be repelled by the shaman’s protective spell. Even in death, old Shaman Hua protected the child...

With ease, Mei Ying rolled out of the person’s arms and landed onto her feet. Immediately, Jian Yu wrapped one arm around her and pulled the huntress closer to his side.

Wang Lei, though, jumped back to widen the distance between him and the pair. He went to feel the scorched mark that he received on the cheek.

As the gust blew back his long, black hair and half-ponytail, Jian Yu coldly said, “That Old Man had sealed Mei Ying’s powers as a Heaven Immortal before he tossed her into the Mortal realm! Of course, over time as each fracture of her soul has regained its Immortal powers, the curse is pushed back by her spiritual energy!”

Mei Ying looked up at her friend’s furious expression. You…

Jian Yu was not someone who simply ascended to Immortality after the Ninth Flower Maiden’s fall. He clearly would risk anything and even cared deeply for someone who did not exist when he came to. But why?

“Not once did you concern yourself with Mei Ying's wound, which was inflicted by your beloved there.” The frosty breeze billowed through the young man’s crimson outer robe, with the ornate embroideries of maple leaves and chrysanthemums. “Instead, you are more worried about a curse mark!”

The huntress then felt someone grab her right wrist and held it up. Jian Yu pressed two fingers to feel her pulse. As a shower of red maple leaves fluttered over the pair, Mei Ying observed the frantic young man. She studied how his long lashes quivered with distress.

Oh, wasn’t Jian Yu this worried in the secret realm? While in disguise, the foolish Mei Ying was injured from trying to save him from his own fire magic. Then, she actually fainted after their run-in with the Song cultivators and Kong.

With a prickled heart, the maiden called to him, “Jian Jian...” Well, she is not hurt...this time.

Though the purple lightning strike was agonizing, when Mei Ying fell earlier onto the pavement, she slowly breathed in and out like Hong Rui had taught her. In time, the huntress gathered enough clean spiritual energy to soothe her aching oblique, which was close to the stomach. Once the healing worked, the maiden stayed ‘fainted’, and the stranger picked her up.

“That was too close!” Jian Yu released the other’s hand, with a frown. “So, I came to help just like last time!” He broke eye contact, refocusing on the man in front of them. “All you have to do is call for me…and I will be there, you know.”

So, the mischievous person can make that kind of face too.

Meanwhile, at a far distance away, Xi Feng whispered, “She tricked us.”

A shimmering scythe flew in, and Xi Feng froze as Yong Nian held the curved edge upon her neck.

In that moment, the gold-robed Heaven Immortal hissed, “Fuzhi Jian!”

No sooner did he cast the spell, the sword shot out of its golden sheathe. Running alongside the serrated edge was a gleaming snake that only grew larger and larger in size. The beast opened its huge mouth, bearing its pointed fangs with the long tongue. Such a fiendish hiss came bursting across the Bridge of Forgetfulness!

Jian Yu too murmured an incantation, and his black blade zipped toward the golden weapon! As the sword clashed against the other, it snapped the golden clones back into the original with mere clouds! Following that, a substantial seismic wave swept across the enormous overpass; thus, shredding the snake illusion into ribbons.

Now that the Heaven Immortals, gods, and demons are away from the Mortal realm, they are much closer to their domain; hence, their source of unimaginable and terrifying power. In a neutral territory, both realm inhabitants’ potential are maximized by two hundred times more.

Due to the collision of powers, a mighty surge of wind pushed Yong Nian away from the woman, who speedily made her escape.

While nearly blinded, Mei Ying swiped her two fingers in the air a couple of times. Out of the ground, a tall partition of stone and earth sprung up, shielding the huntress and her friend. Another wall emerged to cover the poor Shao Qing, who was still lying on the bridge.

Gold light outlined Mei Ying’s figure as she listened for further movements. Her grip tightened against the whip. Without warning, a large wooden stall hurled over the enclosure. However, the maiden’s glowing vines and red chrysanthemums burst from both ends of the wall to slap it away.

As the wind died down, the huntress began to hatch a plan. It was difficult to think, with her cultivated core trembling so violently!

“Are you alright, Jian Jian?” She asked, without looking at her friend.

But Mei Ying’s worries were no more--when a gentle hand pressed against her back.

She glanced back over her shoulder, only to see that Jian Yu was passing a stream of spiritual energy into her back. Whether it was the sincerity of his eyes or the support, Mei Ying did not know. Jian Yu had calmed the chaos inside of her lower dantian.

“I am alright...if you are.” The young man replied, with his intense gaze. “Must you always do everything by yourself?”

Mei Ying was speechless. She decided that the wall before her was more interesting to look at.

“Rather than bearing all the weight of everything, if there is something that you cannot do, allow me to share the burden then.” Jian Yu said to her. “You’re not alone anymore.”

Mei Ying stiffened. Ah, the roles were reversed. If Jian Yu was a wolf, the rabbit should be the one crying. She glanced back at him and nodded. “I will take that to heart then.”

The young man’s red lips curved up at one end. “Good then.”

Swiftly, the maiden turned away. There were other priorities.

With that in mind, Mei Ying peeked out from behind the partition and threw the extensive scourge out into the air. It darted across the sunset-ruby skies. Zhufu! The chains grew a hundred times more than before and coiled above her head and everyone else’s.

“O Blessed One, Shakyamuni Buddha…” Mei Ying held a hand in the prayer position. She chanted, “Precious treasury of compassion. Bestower of supreme inner peace… You, who love all beings without exception, are the source of happiness and goodness…”

Sheathed in golden spiritual energy, the whip was about to wrap around Xi Feng and Wang Lei… However, much to the young woman’s surprise, just as the chains brushed against both Heaven Immortals, they faded into mist. The chains collapsed to the ground, having held nothing in its grasp.

“Are they both clones?” Yong Nian raced over to join Mei Ying and Jian Yu behind their mighty enclosure.

“Ah, Jian Yu, you are quite rude to your guests...” echoed the man’s voice. “You have not changed at all since you’ve hurt me.”

Mei Ying raised her eyes toward the skies, listening to the disembodied voice whirl around her and the others. After withdrawing the chain whip, the huntress coiled it securely and back around her waist, along with the little silver bells. She stopped.

Could it be…? Recalling Bing Wen’s anger toward the Demon King’s betrayal, Mei Ying could only conclude that, based on the fairytale, this person must be...

“Heavenly Emperor, state your business.” Jian Yu commanded, firmly. He glanced at Yong Nian, who then rushed over to Shao Qing. “I am honored that the Heavenly Emperor and Empress both paid a personal visit to this person. It must have been a dire issue that could not be delayed.”

“Well, my beloved has caused trouble for your Netherworld Officials but, as you can see, it is believed that the Child of Red Omen, now identified as the lost Ninth Flower Immortal’s seventh incarnation, has been captured by yours truly.”

Such an accusation, while phrased politely, was bold.

All of a sudden, the bridge and everything that encompassed the Netherworld surroundings morphed into a whirlpool of darkness.

❁❁❁

Mei Ying fell. Just as she closed her eyes, crimson wrapped around her. Her eyes opened. Her chest began to pound. Quickly, the young woman grabbed onto Jian Yu as they floated inside the cold void. She was unable to see anything at all.

Everything around them was so dark, that Mei Ying could not see her own hands, but Jian Yu’s touch was reassuring. It meant that the young woman was not alone.

“Don’t worry,” said Jian Yu. His voice was close to Mei Ying’s ear, allowing her to feel his warm breath. A dozen red fireflies clustered around the huntress and her friend, bringing some light to whoever was closeby. “No matter what happens and wherever you go, I will be with you.”

It was true. Jian Yu had never let Mei Ying down. Not once.

Soon, the huntress realized that they were standing on Jian Yu’s floating sword. Thankfully, Yong Nian and Shao Qing were drifting on their own since they were demons, with their robes flapping in the darkness.

“What the f*ck is going on?” asked a voice.

Peeking past Jian Yu’s shoulder, Mei Ying spotted the unexpected: the twins!

“Xiao Li, Xiao Dan!” The young woman exclaimed. Her voice was much louder than she had intended. It was as though a mother was scolding her children. “Why are you two here?”

“When we arrived at the Bridge of Forgetfulness, we were unable to find the assailants…” Xiao Li replied, hovering closer to the huntress and Jian Yu. His expression was a mix of confusion and irritation, given by his pinched lips. “But we saved old Meng Pao from being blown away!”

His sister, Xiao Dan, floated nearby. She smiled. “When we saw that everyone was getting warped, we then decided to jump in!”

These two are so cute, ah… Mei Ying thought, saying nothing. She looked at the white-haired girl, then, at the black-haired boy. I wish that we can always be like this…

“Oh, I thought that children are supposed to stay at home!” Yong Nian shouted.

“Shut up!” Xiao Dan pointed at herself and back at the teasing Fourth Official. “We are about a hundred years-old!”

“Now, if we are talking about age here, believe it or not--I am hundreds of years older than His Highness.” Shao Qing chimed in, grinning. Demons tend to recover from non lethal wounds better if they were in a yin territory, especially in the Netherworld. It seemed that the lightning did not hurt him as much as Mei Ying had thought. “He hails from the oh-so-great Xieye Kingdom era, if you all remember how that went...”

“Shush!” Frantic, the twins covered Shao Qing’s mouth with their hands. “Shut up!”

This piqued Mei Ying’s interest. As the others bickered, the young woman averted toward Jian Yu whose arm remained wrapped around her waist. He was nonchalant about the teenager’s blabber.

Wait, but, if that is true, if the divine magical sword as mentioned in the story…is true as well… Mei Ying looked down at the black sword that she and her friend were standing on. Her heart itched at the thought of dirtying the flat blade with her white boots. Aiya… The disrespect!

May the ancestors forgive this dumb person for this as well!

“Huang Hun does not mind.”

“Is Huang Hun...the divine magical sword that was mentioned in the fairytale?” asked the huntress.

“Yes and no. Huang Hun is only one-half of the original sword.”

At once, the white-robed maiden became still. She stared at the young man, wrapped in all-red. Likewise, he held her gaze, refusing to look away.

“Where is the other half, then?” Mei Ying inquired. “I do not understand why someone would want to split such a powerful sword into two weaker weapons.”

Just like with Fa Guang.

“The other blade was given to someone for safekeeping.” Jian Yu replied in a soft, tender voice. “While it is true that the process would weaken both swords, it is best to ensure the master’s safety when they are unable to take on the entire burden.”

The young man paused with a grim demeanor. “Not only that, the original blade only invited disaster to all those who owned this particular divine weapon. I do not wish that on the master.”

Mei Ying’s brows raised. Her heart softened. She was moved by the other’s thoughts and actions. How her friend spoke of the ‘master’ seemed like Huang Hun was merely loaned to him.

“Even at the expense...of a power that could belong to you?” She asked, curiously.

“Yes. Besides, what’s the point of having power and Immortality when you have lost everything? Even if you possess those, if you cannot have what you lost back, the way to live a proper life is meaningless.”

Perhaps, it was the sorrowful way that Jian Yu said those things that struck a chord in Mei Ying’s heart. She watched the young man as he stared off into the black abyss. The fire in his red eyes faded for a moment as he recalled a time in his life when all was much simpler.

Then, Mei Ying remembered that when Jian Yu was still a human, he used to dig for bamboo in the forest with other villagers. However, he did not seem to hate it when sharing that story. In fact, Jian Yu appeared to have missed that faraway memory from hundreds of years ago…

“I sense a change in our environment!” Yong Nian declared, holding onto his scythe. “Prepare yourself!”

❁❁❁

Everyone had landed on a tremendous mountain top of flowers, soft lime-green grass, blossoming trees, and flat-topped rocks. A light veil of white frost covered the ground. The air was clean, free of any demonic miasma. Birds filled the blue skies, soaring from treetop to treetop and singing sweet songs across the white clouds.

In a blink, both Xi Feng and the gold-robed man re-manifested themselves before Mei Ying, Jian Yu, and the others. While the two was familiar to the huntress, Mei Ying remained close to her friend’s red sleeve after he let go of her waist. Jian Yu passed her a reassuring glance. As long as he was there, everything would be fine.

Red petals fluttered in the breeze, with a few falling into Mei Ying’s hair. She sniffed the air and thought it was quite lovely, but now was not the time to appreciate the Mortal realm.

“Why did you allow yourself and the others to be brought here?” Wang Lei asked, raising a brow.

“Seeing that you two are so bothersome, it’s easier to just go along and get this over with.” Jian Yu admitted, flatly. “There’s no reason to prolong this dispute when Xi Feng already wounded one of my Netherworld Officials and, Mei Ying, your person of interest.”

From the sideline, Mei Ying did not need to see Xiao Li and Xiao Dan’s panicked expressions. Already, she knew that the twins were internally screaming, ‘Your Highness, ah!’

At the same time, Yong Nian and Shao Qing tried to muffle their snickering.

Bearing witness to the varied reactions, Xi Feng’s face reddened. “She…!”

“Ah, y-yes, I chose to step in front of Shao Qing.” confessed Mei Ying, bringing out her white fan. She sighed and fanned herself. “That one is on me, of course. Sorry, sorry…”

A moment later, an afterthought occurred to her. Oh… Why did that man bring us to the Mortal realm anyway?

“Your Highness, earlier, you insinuate that I might have kidnapped Song Mei Ying.” Jian Yu said, cheerily. Both Xiao Li and Xiao Dan made their way over to him and the huntress. “I have no need to do that.”

Of course not. The huntress thought to herself. While knowing that an unstable Heaven Immortal has initiated wrath and violence on the Mortal realm, none of the Heaven Immortals and gods took any responsibility… Instead, the blame was shifted to Jian Jian!

At an instant, the Heavenly Emperor’s golden eyes gleamed. He smiled.

Abruptly, a bright flash filled the murky airspace, followed by an ear-deafening thunder.

“Jian Yu, the Demon King of the Netherworld, one of the fallen Heaven Immortals, and a former hero of the Mortal realm…” Wang Lei began, “...you are under arrest for kidnapping the Ninth Flower Immortal of the Heavenly Court’s seventh incarnation, Song Mei Ying, from the Mortal realm! By doing so, you are charged for conspiring with demonic cultivators, breaking the ancient treaty across all Three Realms, and also for violating one of the top ten injustices!”

“And you are supposed to be 'justice'?”

Across from her, the huntress saw Xi Feng open her mouth to refute but stopped. Even Wang Lei appeared surprised by the what came out of the mortal's mouth.

Momentarily, fifty armored warriors appeared by the royal couple. All were led by a familiar person and his whipping red cape. With his tightly-bound bun and tuinga hairpin, the man, donned in emerald scales, floated down from the dark storm. Instantly, the imposing dragon head spear flared into his right hand.

Lightning flashed across the mountain peak. Cold rain began to pelt down from overhead.

Mei Ying whispered, “Bing Wen.”

The other person was silent, only meeting his former friend’s eyes. His expression was stony and without a sliver of remorse.