Chapter Four: Severance
Morning.
The mountain forest was still shrouded in mist. Moisture clung to the skin, seeping into the bones.
Yue Yao sat at the edge of a rock, the sect leader's token in her fingers already rubbed to a shine. She ran her fingers over the engraved edge again and again, as if forcing herself to memorize the mark. Her nose was red, her breathing stuffy and strained—it could've been from the cold, or the toll of enduring the night.
She hadn't cried. She wasn't running a fever. But after a sleepless night, she seemed hollowed out, barely held together by willpower.
Leaves rustled lightly. Xuan Jin's footsteps approached through the forest.
He glanced at her from a distance, speaking lazily, "Yo, that's some reception."
His gaze fell on the token. He smirked. "Damn. Fancy."
Yue Yao didn't reply. She tucked the token into her chest, movements crisp and emotionless.
Xuan Jin kicked a pebble aside. "Still sitting there? You know they're not just sending one group."
She rose slowly, movement a bit stiff. Her voice was quiet and cold. "I can't beat them alone."
Xuan Jin raised a brow. "So what's your plan?"
She didn't answer right away. She tugged at her sleeve, fingers trembling briefly before she forced them still. Mist clung to her lashes. She sniffled lightly and said, "Cooperate."
Xuan Jin chuckled and spread his hands. "Alright, I guess I'll take care of you a bit."
Yue Yao looked up at him. Her gaze was still cold, but exhaustion bled through. "My nose is stuffed. I don't want to argue."
"No worries." Xuan Jin started walking ahead. "I'm not in the mood for romance either. Just don't fall behind."
Yue Yao shouldered her pack and followed in silence. Her foot slipped on the muddy ground, nearly falling, but she steadied herself without a word and kept going.
Xuan Jin heard the unsteady steps behind him and glanced back without comment, his smirk deepening.
A few steps later, he turned back again. "Seriously, don't die."
She said nothing.
He shrugged, like talking to himself. "If you die, I might end up in hell too."
Yue Yao lowered her lashes, murmuring, "Might not be so bad. At least I'd have company."
"…Shut up." Her voice was hoarse, nasal, teeth clenched as she quickened her pace.
Xuan Jin gave a short laugh. "Pleasure working with you."
She didn't respond, but her steps quickened. One foot sank into a pile of leaves with a dull crunch.
 Meanwhile · Yue Clan, Floating Pavilion
The charred corpse lay silently before the grand hall. Its soul had long since faded, memory traces slowly dissipating.
"It's her for sure?" a clan elder asked, voice low.
"We confirmed the soul resonance," the Soulkeeper replied. "Yue Yao did it."
The hall fell into brief silence.
Atop the high seat, Sect Leader Yue Yunxuan's gaze was indifferent. His voice carried no emotion. "Who issued the kill order?"
"You did," the Soulkeeper answered softly.
Yue Yunxuan lowered his head slightly, gaze unclear—perhaps on the corpse, perhaps on nothing. After a long pause, he said, "No more men."
"Sect Leader?" someone questioned. "If she's really turned—"
"She's no longer the same child," Yue Yunxuan said calmly, as if expecting this outcome. "Sending more will only get them killed."
"Then let her go?"
"No." His voice turned colder. "The further she walks, the tighter she's bound to the Yue Clan. Once she's gone far enough, she'll turn back on her own. And when she does—"
"We won't need to act. She'll come back by herself."
 Edge of the Forest
The mist slowly cleared. Light filtered through the trees, falling on the muddy trail.
Yue Yao kept walking, pack on her back, boots caked in wet earth. Her steps were unsteady. She clenched her teeth, silent, breathing through a clogged nose like something was caught in her throat.
Xuan Jin walked ahead, glancing back now and then.
"You want medicine or not?" he asked. "Your nose sounds awful."
Yue Yao sniffled, still quiet.
He sighed and pulled out a pill. "Take one. If you drop dead on the way, it's gonna be a hassle."
She hesitated, then accepted it. "Thanks," she muttered.
Xuan Jin grinned. "Oh? You know how to say thanks?"
She glared at him—eyes still cold, but the corners were red, like she was barely holding it together. It wasn't illness. Just emotional backlash.
Xuan Jin pretended not to see and turned away.
A few steps later, he looked back again, voice half-joking, half-warning:
"You better not die. I'm not ready for hell yet."
Yue Yao sniffled, muttering, "Then walk slower."
Her steps were shaky, but she bit down hard, as if pushing forward—
or shaking the past off her heels.
The mist lingered behind them.
But the road ahead grew clearer and clearer.
[End of Chapter Four]