Mud and water mixed with blood crawled across the Stone Slabs; I was prone, unable to move. The gash on my Shoulder was still flowing, hot, running down past my Ribs, dripping onto the platform with a sound like broken beads. The Pendant was cool against my chest; the previous burning sensation was like iron overheated, now only the temperature of Ashes remained.
Situ Lie’s Sword Tip was still propping up my chin, the taste of Rust rising in my mouth. He wasn't in a hurry to strike, as if waiting for something. The people below the platform hadn't moved either; the Torchlight made faces flicker between light and dark, and no one dared to speak.
"You misspoke," I heard myself say, my voice sounding as if dredged from the bottom of a well.
He paused for a moment.
"It didn't save me," I raised my hand, my fingertip stained with blood, and touched the Pendant. "It... chose me."
Before the words settled, a cracking sound suddenly echoed from above.
It wasn't thunder, but the sound of Roof Tiles exploding. The entire roof seemed to be split down the middle by a sharp blade; wooden beams snapped, and broken bricks scattered. A Silver Light descended from the sky, too fast to track its trajectory; there was only a *zheng* sound as it struck directly at Situ Lie's wrist.
He violently pulled his hand back, dropping his saber, which clattered onto the platform. The Soul Devouring Lamp also fell, rolling twice, its Lamp Flame suddenly surging high, turning Ethereal Blue to purple. A puff of Black Mist jetted from the lamp's opening, instantly transforming into a Humanoid figure, twisting as it lunged outward in all directions.
I turned my head and saw that person land amidst the pile of broken tiles.
Silver Hair, tied up, not messy. The hem of his Black Battle Robe was dusted with grime, but he stood steady. He held a sword in his hand; it had no Inscription, nor any light, yet the Sword Body was vibrating, humming.
He didn't look at Situ Lie, nor at the people below the platform. His gaze fell upon me, pausing for two seconds.
In those two seconds, I memorized his eyes. They weren't cold, nor fierce, but like the water at the bottom of a deep pool—still, yet capable of sucking a person in.
"Academy Instructor, since when do you meddle in Black Market affairs?" Situ Lie retreated two steps, clutching his wound with his right hand, blood leaking between his fingers.
That person finally spoke: "From the moment you touched her."
As the words fell, the sword was already drawn.
He swung his sword backhand, and a wave of Sword Qi swept out, instantly blasting three approaching Black Shadows into ashes and smoke. The remaining Soul Shadows shrieked and retreated, circling in the air, daring not to approach further.
I tried to move my fingers, but my arm felt disconnected. Too much blood had been lost; my head felt heavy, and my vision began to gray out. The cries of the Soul Shadows grew distant, sounding as if coming from underwater.
"Return... Blood Sacrifice... Open longevity..."
The voice drilled into my ears, not coming from outside, but seeping from the Pendant. I fiercely clenched it, the edge digging painfully into my palm.
A sudden chill swept over my ankle.
Looking down, a semi-transparent Chain had coiled around me, extending from the direction of the Soul Devouring Lamp. It seemed formed of smoke yet was piercingly cold. It tightened relentlessly, dragging me toward the Center of the Altar.
I opened my mouth, wanting to shout, but no sound emerged.
That person moved.
He leaped up, slashing horizontally with his sword; a section of the Chain snapped. But in the next instant, new links formed at the break, continuing to entwine. As he landed, he bent one knee slightly, formed a seal with his left hand, and a talisman light descended, enveloping my entire body. The Chain struck the light, producing a harsh scraping sound, and paused temporarily.
He took a breath—not much, but his shoulders hitched once.
Situ Lie stood by the lamp, making no further advance. He stared at the man, a Red Light shining from the gap in his Ghost Mask. "Lu Jiuxuan," he called out the name. "The last seed of Xuanmen, you dare interfere in my affairs?"
Lu Jiuxuan.
That name falling into my ears made me pause. Not because it was familiar, but because it was impossibly strange. Yet, the Pendant suddenly grew hot for a moment, as if responding to the name.
Lu Jiuxuan did not reply. He straightened up, pointing his Sword Tip at Situ Lie's throat, not taking a single step back.
"Her, I am taking."
Before finishing the sentence, he bent down, one arm sliding under my armpit, the other supporting the back of my knee, lifting me up directly. The movement was swift, without the slightest hesitation.
My head rested in the crook of his arm; my vision tilted, and I saw Situ Lie raise his hand, the Soul Devouring Lamp suddenly blasting out a Blue Flame that chased after us like a snake.
Lu Jiuxuan turned, blocking with the back of his sword; the tip of the flame struck the Sword Body and exploded into a burst of Firelight. He used the force to leap up, stepping on the broken crossbeams, rushing toward the hole in the roof.
Wind rushed in, momentarily disturbing his Silver Hair.
I was groggy, feeling only my body suspended in the air. The figures below blurred, and the Torchlight stretched into Red Threads in my eyes. The Pendant pressed against my chest again, feeling somewhat stuffy, but it was no longer hot.
As we neared the hole, an angry roar came from behind.
"Lu Jiuxuan! She is not someone you can protect! She was meant to die thirty years ago, and today is no different!"
I didn't look back.
Lu Jiuxuan vaulted onto the edge of the roof, his steps unbroken. Holding me, he moved quickly across the Roof Tiles, each step steady. The Black Market streets below receded in my view, the figures shrinking, the Torches becoming mere dots.
I turned my head and saw his jaw was tense, his lips bloodless. A drop of sweat slid down his temple, landing on his Shoulder, soaking a small dark patch.
How long we ran, I didn't know.
The wind blew constantly, clearing my head slightly. The bleeding had slowed, though it hadn't stopped. I raised the hand that wasn't holding me; my fingertips trembled as I slowly reached toward my chest.
The Pendant was still there.
I gripped it tightly, as if afraid of losing it.
"Don't let go," he suddenly said.
I started.
He didn't look at me, his gaze fixed on the night ahead, his voice low but clear: "If it recognizes you, it won't let you die."
I didn't answer. It wasn't disbelief, but I couldn't speak.
He asked again: "What is your name?"
I closed my eyes.
"Ye... Zhen."
The last word felt like my throat had been cut.
He made an 'mm' sound and asked no more.
We passed through several narrow Alleys, roof connecting to roof. He jumped steadily, landing lightly, as if accustomed to such paths. Carried and unable to move, I could only watch his profile. Moonlight shone down, casting a shadow beneath his eyelashes—very short, very straight.
Suddenly, his steps halted.
He stopped on a roof ridge.
Ahead, three Black Shadows stood on the opposite rooftop, blocking the way. They were not Guards, nor buyers. They held no sabers, but in their palms rested three small lamps, their Lamp Flames Ethereal Blue, the same color as the Soul Devouring Lamp.
"They caught up fast," he murmured.
I looked up and saw those three lamps light up simultaneously, spitting out Black Mist from their openings; Soul Shadows formed and lunged toward us.
Lu Jiuxuan pulled me tighter into his embrace, freeing his right hand to hold his sword horizontally before him. He formed a seal with his left hand, tracing his fingertip along the Sword Body, and a Golden Light spread along the blade.
"Hold tight," he said.
I didn't move.
He looked down at me, his expression serious: "Don't fall."
I reached out, hooking my fingers around his arm, digging my fingertips into his robe.
He raised his sword and charged toward the lunging Soul Shadows.
The Sword Light cleaved through the first Black Shadow, a Golden Flame exploding outward. He dodged the second by sidestepping, then flicked his wrist back, slicing the Soul Shadow in half. As the third lunged close, he abruptly pushed me backward, holding his sword with one hand, meeting it head-on.
Sword met Soul Shadow with a harsh scraping sound. His arm vibrated numbly, his tiger's mouth split open, and blood streamed down the Sword Hilt.
I was pressed against his back, watching the Soul Shadow open its mouth, as if smiling. It extended a claw toward his Back of the Neck.
I raised my hand and pressed the Pendant against his back.
Instantly, a point of Golden Light seeped from the edge of the Pendant, spreading along his robe like a talisman. The Soul Shadow shrieked upon touching the light and recoiled.
Lu Jiuxuan seized the opportunity to draw his sword and slash horizontally, dispersing it.
He breathed out, turned, and readjusted his hold on me.
"What did you just... do?"
I shook my head: "I don't know."
He glanced at me but asked no further.
He jumped off the roof and turned into a dark Alley, quickening his pace. At the end of the Alley was a small door, pitch black and unlocked. He kicked it open, carried me inside, and locked the door behind him.
There were no lights inside, but moonlight filtered through the window cracks.
It was an abandoned storeroom. Old crates were piled in the corner, and the floor was covered in dust. He placed me on a wooden table, his movements gentle, but there was no time for tenderness. As I lay down, my Shoulder bumped the tabletop, causing me to gasp in pain.
He drew his sword and stuck it by the table, then turned to close the window.
"Don't sleep," he said with his back to me. "You've lost too much blood; if you sleep, you might not wake up."
I nodded, though I didn't want to sleep; my eyelids were drooping on their own.
He walked back, squatted down, and pulled out a cloth bundle from his robes, opening it to reveal some Dried Grass and a leaf. He bit his finger and dripped two drops of blood onto the leaf, then applied it to my wound.
The smell of medicinal herbs mixed with blood made my nose sting.
"You'll live," he said, "but you have to hold on."
I looked at him and suddenly asked, "Why did you come?"
His hands paused in their work.
He looked up at me, his eyes very calm.
"Because you being alive is more useful than being dead."