The gates of Yuchuan Secret Archive groaned open, ancient wood trembling beneath their touch. The snow-dusted mountains behind them faded into silence, and all that lay ahead was shadow, dust, and forgotten truths.
Inside, the air was thick with the scent of parchment and decay. Shelves carved from black stone towered to the ceiling, packed with scrolls, tomes, and boxes sealed with jade locks.
Lin Xiyan knelt beside the unconscious man they had carried this far. His breathing was faint, lips blue. Shen Liufeng crouched across from him, carefully pouring a pale golden elixir into the man's mouth.
"Will this work?" Lin asked, brows furrowed.
"It's the last of the Phoenix Root I had," Shen replied. "If his soul's still tethered, it'll bring him back."
They waited.
Minutes passed.
Then—his eyelids fluttered open.
He coughed violently, eyes darting in panic. "You… mustn't trust… the scrolls. It's a trap. He's waiting. He—"
The torches lining the walls ignited all at once, flames roaring to life. Shen stood, sword drawn. "Someone's here."
The ground beneath them shifted.
Symbols carved into the floor began to glow red.
Lin cursed. "Formation magic!"
Stone spikes shot up, sealing the entrance. Walls shifted, dividing the hall into a labyrinth. The man screamed once, and vanished through the floor.
"No!" Lin reached for him—but Shen grabbed his wrist. "Too late."
A voice echoed from the shadows, cold and familiar:
"You always did run straight into fire, Xiyan."
Lin froze.
A slender figure stepped from behind a pillar, robes like falling snow, eyes sharp as shattered jade.
Fang Ziyue.
"You should've stayed lost in the woods," he said softly. "You're not meant for truth. Only for regret."
Shen stepped forward, blade gleaming. "You lured us here."
"Of course I did," Fang said, smiling. "Do you think I'd let you live after what you did to me? After he chose you over me?"
His gaze flicked to Lin, burning.
"Every scroll here has been tampered with. Every path marked to bring you deeper. I waited for you to walk in willingly—so I could watch you fall apart."
Lin's breath trembled—but not with fear.
"Too bad for you," he said coldly, stepping beside Shen, "we're not so easily broken anymore."
Shen's grip tightened on his sword. "You'll get no second chance."
Fang laughed, bitter and sharp. "You think your love can protect you now?"
"No," Lin said, voice like steel. "But it gives us the strength to finish what we started."
Without another word, they moved as one.
Steel clashed in the burning archive. Fang's blade danced like silver flame, swift and cruel, but Lin and Shen fought back-to-back, flawless and unshakable.
For every shadow Fang conjured, they struck through with light.
For every venomous word he hissed, they answered with silence—and a sword.
By the time Fang vanished again into the depths, bleeding and breathless, he had no victory—only fear.
And they stood victorious, not because of strength alone—but because this time, their hearts were unshaken.
They collapsed together in the dim light, gasping for breath.
Lin leaned into Shen's shoulder, whispering, "You still with me?"
Shen smiled, eyes dark with resolve. "Until the end."
Lin nodded. "Then let's see this through. No more running."
"Only forward," Shen agreed. "To the truth—and to his death."
To be continued…