Linyue gasped. A gasp of ultimate betrayal. She puffed her cheeks, then made the most pitiful, watery-eyed expression she could manage. "Master… really? Can't you stay in Shulin? Just for a bit? It's not even the Weeping Moon. And with how loud my senior brothers and sister are, I promise you'll be too distracted to fall into madness."
Shu Mingye added with a long-suffering sigh. "True. You'll still lose your mind, but in a different way. The kind where you get a headache by breakfast and start questioning your life decisions by lunch."
Qi Heng actually laughed. A soft, almost startled sound. His tired eyes gentled as he looked at her. "Yun Qi used to make that same face whenever she wanted something." He tilted his head thoughtfully. "Are you sure you're not her long-lost daughter?"
Shu Mingye muttered, "Oh no, it's contagious."
Fluffy barked once, tail swishing in approval. Or maybe it was just demanding snacks. Hard to tell with that beast.
Linyue ignored both of them and leaned closer toward her master, her eyes wide and shimmering with dramatic innocence. "He said this face can be weaponized. I'm using it against you now."
Before she could fully activate her lethal cuteness, Shu Mingye reached over and caught her chin between his fingers. He tilted her face toward him, eyes narrowing dangerously. "I said that," he murmured, "not so you could use it on another man."
Linyue raised an eyebrow, her voice laced with amusement. "What? Are you jealous of your… father?"
Shu Mingye groaned and let his head fall back dramatically. "He is not my father."
She tilted her head, pretending to think very seriously. "Master created an ancient tree, a secret passage, a spirit beast… maybe he secretly created you too?"
Shu Mingye groaned louder. "Whatever. You're not allowed to use that face on another man. Or woman. Or creature. Or demon. Ever. It's mine now."
Qi Heng chuckled softly, the corners of his mouth lifting. "Feels like I just acquired two children I didn't know I had."
Shu Mingye squinted at him. "You've lived for over a thousand years, and you never had a child?"
Qi Heng shrugged lightly. "I never thought about it. Not until I met Yun Qi."
Linyue gasped, pointing an accusing finger. "Master! Did you just disown Fluffy?!"
As if personally offended, Fluffy sneezed directly into Qi Heng's face and then turned its back on him, tail flicking like an offended cat.
A beat of stunned silence followed.
Qi Heng wiped his face slowly with his sleeve. "I deserved that."
Linyue pressed her lips together, trying very hard not to laugh.
Shu Mingye leaned over and whispered, "That's what happens when you abandon your firstborn."
Qi Heng sighed softly. "This is why I never had children."
Despite the teasing, the laughter, and the strange makeshift family gathered beneath a creepy tree in the heart of a corrupted land… their hearts were heavy. Because none of them said the truth out loud: they all knew time was running out. And even laughter, as warm and bright as it was, couldn't stop what was coming.
Qi Heng glanced up at the sky. Still dark, but clearly not getting any darker. "It's already late," he said quietly. "You should return."
Linyue's lips pressed into a pout. She looked thoroughly disappointed. But before she could come up with a proper protest, Shu Mingye had already wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her up to her feet.
"He's right," Shu Mingye said, brushing imaginary dust from her sleeve. "It's late. And if we don't go back soon, your loud companions will probably tear the palace roof off looking for us."
"I know…" Linyue muttered, dragging her feet in the most un-princess-like way possible. She glanced longingly back at Qi Heng. "Then… Master, we're leaving."
Qi Heng, always composed, stood up slowly. He put his white mask back on, tucked his hands behind his back, and said in a calm voice, "Let's go."
Linyue blinked. Then her entire face lit up. "Master! Are you coming with us?"
Qi Heng gave a tiny nod. "I've decided to come along. Someone needs to supervise my… three children."
Fluffy immediately let out a happy sneeze, raised its butt in the air, and wagged its tail with glee, clearly understanding it had just been promoted to "child."
Shu Mingye stared at them all, deeply unimpressed. "Great," he muttered. "We've suddenly become someone else's children."
Qi Heng chuckled. "Technically, I raised her."
Linyue beamed, seizing her chance. "Exactly. And since I'm married to him, that makes him your son too."
Shu Mingye closed his eyes in slow, dignified defeat. "We left as two. Now we're returning as three. The extras in this package just keep multiplying."
Fluffy barked proudly from the front.
"Four," Shu Mingye corrected himself with a sigh. "I forgot the furball."
Linyue leaned on his arm, giggling all the way. "No refunds."
The four of them strolled through the gates like some kind of very mismatched family drama cast. Shu Mingye, with his usual royal swagger. Linyue beside him, graceful and calm. Qi Heng, still mysterious and masked, trailing behind like an ancient legend that just stepped out of retirement. And Fluffy, wagging its tail proudly as if it was the one leading the group.
The guards at the gate stiffened the moment they saw their King. Their expressions quickly shifted from dutiful to confused. Their eyes landed on Qi Heng in his white robes and mask, then on the fluffy white dog happily prancing beside him. No one dared to speak, of course. Not when Shu Mingye was right there.
Shu Mingye just waved his hand lazily, voice calm and casual. "He's a new family member. The dog too."
Every guard blinked in perfect unison. Their faces smoothed into a blank expression guards only wore when they decided, for the sake of survival, that they had seen absolutely nothing at all.
Linyue lifted her hand to cover her mouth, her shoulders trembling with a stifled giggle. Her eyes sparkled with quiet amusement as they kept walking. None of them slowed, none of them explained. They simply passed through the gates as if it was the most natural thing in the world to adopt a masked ancient cultivator and a smug, fluffy spirit beast during a nighttime stroll.
They headed toward the stables and took two horses. Linyue mounted one, Shu Mingye settling behind her, his arms wrapping snugly around her waist. His presence was warm, steady, grounding. Qi Heng rode silently behind them, while Fluffy trotted alongside like a proud escort.
The night sky above was wide and dark, jeweled with stars. The road lay quiet and calm beneath them, and for a time, the only sound was the rhythm of hooves against stone. It wasn't a heavy silence anymore. It carried a strange peace, soft and fleeting. But inside Linyue's mind, peace refused to settle. Her thoughts circled again and again around the trapped souls beneath the wall, the impossible choices, and her master.
She knew she couldn't save everyone. But maybe, just maybe, she could save one. That small spark of hope refused to die, sharp and stubborn. Before it was too late, she would find a way.
By the time they reached the palace gates, the wind had picked up, carrying the sweet, sleepy fragrance of night flowers. The guards opened the gates at once, though their eyes lingered a little too long on the masked man in white and the fluffy white beast trotting proudly beside him.
Inside the palace, Qi Heng moved like a shadow behind Linyue and Shu Mingye, his steps light, quiet, unhurried. Fluffy padded loyally beside him, tail swaying.
Linyue turned her head, her voice soft. "Master, do you want to rest first? Or meet the others?"
Qi Heng lifted his head briefly toward the night sky peeking through the courtyard. "It's late. They must be asleep."
Shu Mingye gave a quiet snort. "Asleep? They're definitely still awake, just waiting for us to walk in so they can ambush us with gossip."
Linyue giggled. "Especially Sister Meiyu. She's probably already brewed a whole pot of tea and prepared snacks. Just for interrogation purposes."
Qi Heng's tone was slightly concerned. "Are you sure they'll be… fine?"
Linyue smiled sweetly. "I'm sure they will be. But Master, I don't think you will be fine."
Shu Mingye nodded. "I give him till dawn. At most."
Linyue raised a brow. "Should we bet?"
Shu Mingye's eyes gleamed with mischief. "What's the bet?"
Linyue tapped her chin thoughtfully. "I say Master can hold out until morning."
"I say he'll break by dawn."
"Deal."
Then, with an annoyingly innocent look, Shu Mingye leaned close and whispered in her ear, "If I win… you won't be able to get out of bed until noon."
Linyue's ears turned pink instantly. "We were talking about Master! Why are you suddenly betting me?"
Shu Mingye shrugged. "I'm multitasking. Strategizing. Investing in my happiness."
Behind them, Qi Heng gave a small sigh, as if wondering what he had gotten himself into. Beside him, Fluffy sneezed loudly, possibly out of judgment.
They walked down the quiet hallway toward Song Meiyu's chamber, their footsteps echoing softly against the polished floor.
Shu Mingye leaned close to Linyue, his smirk far too pleased. "Look. He sighed already."
Linyue glanced back at her master. "Master, it hasn't even started yet."
Qi Heng shook his head. "Are you betting on me now?"
Linyue nodded very seriously. "It's been hundreds of years, Master. It's time to try something new. Like Sister Meiyu's cooking. Just once."
Shu Mingye's grin stretched wider. "That's right. You've faced demons and tribulations. Time to face something truly terrifying."
Qi Heng said flatly. "That doesn't sound like food."
Linyue clasped her hands behind her back, bouncing lightly as she walked. "You'll never know until you try. Maybe you'll like it."
Shu Mingye muttered under his breath, "I doubt anyone's ever liked it."
They reached Song Meiyu's door. Linyue lifted her hand and knocked once.
Inside, there was a sharp gasp, followed by the dramatic crash of something being dropped and the sound of hurried footsteps scrambling across the room. Then the door burst open loudly.