The question hung in the dusty air of the cellar, a whisper more powerful than any shout. Why did you stop me?
Hua Qian looked at the tall, dark figure before her. The celestial soldiers were gone, but the air still crackled with the energy of their brief, violent clash. She could feel his turmoil through the strange bond between them—a turbulent sea of rage, confusion, and a sliver of something that felt like… awe? No, that couldn't be right.
"Because you made a promise," she said, her voice still trembling but firm. She took a step closer, her healer's eyes scanning him. He was pale, his breathing shallow. The fight, though short, had cost him dearly. "And because killing them would have brought more. A war. I will not let my home be the first battlefield in your war."
Di Jun stared at her, his expression unreadable. He, the Asura Blood Emperor, who had toppled kingdoms and faced down celestial armies, was being lectured on restraint by a mortal girl. And the most infuriating part was, she was right. He had acted on pure instinct, the primal urge to destroy any threat. But her plea, echoing not in his ears but in his very soul, had stopped him cold.
He turned away from her, a clear dismissal. "They will be back. With more."
"Then we will be ready," she said, a surprising boldness in her tone. She climbed the stairs out of the cellar, peering out into the night. The village was quiet. The warning horn had fallen silent. The attackers had vanished as quickly as they came.
She felt him behind her, a cold presence at her back. "Ready? You and what army, little healer?"
"This army," a new voice cut through the night, clear and strong like the call of a hunting hawk.
They both turned. Standing at the edge of the clearing, where the woods met the village path, was a man. He was tall and broad-shouldered, dressed in the simple but well-made robes of a traveling scholar. His hair was tied back in a high, neat topknot, and at his waist hung a long, narrow sword in a scabbard of dark green jade. But it was his presence that commanded attention. He stood with an easy confidence, his feet planted firmly on the ground as if he owned the very earth beneath them.
His eyes, sharp and intelligent as an eagle's, first took in the scene—the shattered trapdoor, the two figures emerging from the darkness—and then locked onto Di Jun. A flicker of recognition, and deep dislike, crossed his face.
"General Xiao," Di Jun's voice was flat, cold. "I should have known the Celestial Realm would send its favorite dog to sniff around."
The man, Xiao, gave a slight, mocking bow. "My lord, Di Jun. It is an honor, as always. Though I must say, you look unwell. Hiding in cellars now? Your standards have certainly fallen."
His gaze then shifted to Hua Qian, and his expression softened slightly. "Miss Hua. I heard the horn. I came as fast as I could. Are you alright?"
Hua Qian's heart warmed with relief. "General Xiao! I am fine. We are fine."
Xiao Longwei was not just a traveler. He was a retired general from the Celestial Realm, one who had grown tired of the endless political games and chosen to live a quiet life in the Mortal Realm. He was a regular visitor to her village, often bringing rare herbs for her clinic and sharing stories of the world beyond the woods. He was her friend.
And he was Di Jun's enemy.
Xiao's eyes narrowed as he looked from Hua Qian to the Demon Lord. "I felt the energy of a celestial blade. And the stench of demonic power. What is going on here? Why is he in your clinic?"
"It is a long story," Hua Qian began, but Di Jun cut her off.
"The little healer and I have a contract," Di Jun said, a cruel smirk playing on his lips. He stepped forward, placing a possessive hand on Hua Qian's shoulder. She flinched at his cold touch, but also felt a strange jolt—a warning through their bond. Play along. "She is my personal physician. I am… under her care."
Xiao's friendly demeanor vanished. His hand went to the hilt of his sword. "You lie. She is a healer of light. She would never bind herself to a creature of darkness. Release her, or I will cut you down where you stand, wounded or not."
"You are welcome to try," Di Jun purred, his golden eye glowing with a deadly light. The air grew heavy, the pressure of his demonic energy making the very leaves on the trees tremble.
Hua Qian felt like she was caught between two tides. She could feel Xiao's righteous, burning Yang energy, a warm and protective sun. And she could feel Di Jun's cold, deep Yin energy, a dark and powerful ocean. They were opposing forces, and she was the small patch of land caught between them, about to be torn apart.
"Stop it! Both of you!" she cried, stepping out from under Di Jun's hand. She turned to Xiao, her eyes pleading. "General, please. It is true. I have agreed to help him. He is… my patient."
Xiao looked at her, his gaze searching her face. He saw the fear there, but also the stubborn resolve. He knew Hua Qian. Once she had made up her mind to heal someone, nothing could stop her. But this… this was madness.
"Qian'er, you don't know what you're doing," he said, his voice softening. "This is not a sick man you can mend with herbs. This is the Asura Blood Emperor. His very nature is to corrupt and destroy. He is using you."
"He is not," she insisted, though a seed of doubt was planted in her own heart. Was he using her? Of course he was. But it was more complicated than that. "He is wounded. And I am a healer."
Di Jun watched the exchange with a detached amusement. He could feel the general's protective feelings for the girl. It was pathetic. And it was useful. Let the mortal hero think he was a savior. It would keep him distracted.
Xiao Longwei took a deep breath, his hand falling from his sword. He knew he could not fight Di Jun here, not with Hua Qian in the middle. And he could not force her to abandon her principles. It was what he admired most about her, and what frustrated him the most.
"Very well," he said, his voice hard as steel. "But I will not leave you alone with him. I will be staying in the village. If one hair on your head is harmed, if he so much as looks at you wrong, our agreement is void. And I will personally send him back to the Underworld in pieces."
He turned his glare back to Di Jun. "Do you understand me, Demon Lord?"
Di Jun simply gave a lazy, unconcerned shrug. "Stay or go, it makes no difference to me. But the girl's clinic is small. I doubt there's room for three."
With that, he turned and walked back into the clinic, leaving Hua Qian alone with her fuming friend.
Xiao looked at her, his expression a mixture of anger and deep concern. "Qian'er, what have you done?" he asked, his voice barely a whisper. "You have just made a deal with the devil himself."