Lixuan and Zhichen were both sitting in meditation. Rongwei was sleeping deeply. The room was quiet, with only the soft sound of breathing being heard. Just then, Lichen had that same dream again.
The same field, filled with dust. In the middle, a person was kneeling with their head lowered. From afar, a man was walking toward him holding a sword. The wind was blowing strongly. The sword was raised. Just as he was about to strike, another person suddenly ran in between them. The sword hit both of their hands directly. Blood began dripping onto the ground.
This time, everything was not the same as before, but one thing was different. Lichen heard a voice. A person shouted loudly,
"Lixuan!"
That scream was filled with pain and panic.
Suddenly, everything went dark. Lichen's eyes snapped open. Breathing heavily, she sat upright and said,
"Lixuan!"
Her voice echoed in the room. Zhichen immediately opened his eyes. Lixuan also suddenly sat up.
He saw that Lichen's face had turned pale. There was sweat on her forehead. Zhichen and Lixuan both quickly got up and came to her side. Both asked at the same time,
"Lichen, what happened?"
Lichen's breathing was still fast. Without thinking, she tightly grabbed Lixuan's hand.
"That... that same dream..." she said while trembling slowly.
"A person was kneeling, and another person was walking toward him with a sword. Just as he swung the sword, a third person came in between... probably to save him. But the sword hit both of their hands."
Her fingers were still tightly wrapped around Lixuan's hand. Then she tried to remember.
"This time, there was also a voice. Someone shouted loudly—Lixuan!"
Lixuan and Zhichen fell silent for a moment.
"My eyes opened immediately," Lichen said. "I had this dream once before too, but back then there was no voice."
She paused for a moment, then said softly,
"I can't see their faces. Everything is blurry. I can only see shadow-like figures."
Lixuan and Zhichen became completely silent for a moment, as if time itself had stopped. The same scene appeared in both of their minds—that same old day, when Lixuan's father was about to strike him with a sword and Zhichen had stepped in between. The sword strike, the blood, and that painful scream...
But Lixuan did not let any expression show on his face. He was hiding his identity. This truth was something he did not want to tell anyone yet.
Zhichen's eyes became slightly teary, but he immediately lowered his face.
At that moment, Lixuan thought to himself,
"I know you still remember me, Zhichen... but forgive me. I cannot tell you the truth yet."
Just then, Rongwei turned over and woke up. In a sleepy voice, he asked,
"What happened?"
Lixuan replied in a direct and calm tone,
"Nothing. Lichen just had a terrible nightmare. Go back to sleep."
Rongwei looked at Lichen.
"Should I bring you some water?"
Lichen slowly shook her head.
"No, I don't want any. You should sleep."
Her voice was breaking now. Tears began falling from her eyes.
"Master..." she said while crying, "I'm scared. You'll stay here with me, right?"
Lixuan gently held her hand.
"Yes," he said in a soft but firm voice, "I'm here with you. Go to sleep. Nothing will happen to you."
Silence filled the room once again, but this time everyone's sleep was gone.
Lichen slowly calmed down. Her breathing gradually returned to normal, and after a while, she fell asleep again.
Lixuan remained seated beside her. Her hand was still in his, as if he wanted reassurance that everything was alright.
Zhichen sat upright on his bed, eyes open. The night still felt heavy.
Rongwei asked softly,
"Master Xiu, is something wrong?"
After remaining silent for a few moments, Lixuan replied,
"No, nothing is wrong."
Then his gaze settled on Lichen.
"It's just... I'm worried about her. Maybe I shouldn't have brought her along."
Silence once again filled the room.
Zhichen said softly,
"This is not the time to regret it. You should get some rest for a while."
He looked toward the window. The moonlight was gradually fading.
"It will be morning soon."
Lixuan was still sitting there. His gaze was fixed only on Lichen, as if he wanted to understand every emotion written on her face.
Lichen was peaceful now. In her sleep, her face looked completely innocent, as if just moments ago she had not been trembling in fear at all.
Zhichen was sitting upright on his bed, but his eyes were not closed. He kept thinking about only one thing,
"How can this girl have that dream? She doesn't even know us. Then how did she see that same scene?"
His heart felt slightly restless.
Rongwei had slowly fallen asleep again. This time, he did not ask any questions. The room became quiet again.
Slowly, the air in the room began to change. Outside, the faint sounds of birds echoed. Morning had arrived.
Zhichen was the first to wake up. Sitting up straight, he saw that Lixuan was still sitting beside Lichen. His back was slightly bent, but there was exhaustion in his eyes from staying awake all night.
Zhichen asked softly,
"Xiu, you didn't sleep?"
Lixuan replied calmly,
"No. I couldn't sleep."
"Everything will be fine after bathing in the morning."
Just then, Lichen shifted slightly. She lightly moved her hand across the floor, as if recognizing her surroundings.
"Master..." she asked softly, "has morning come?"
Lixuan immediately leaned down and replied,
"Yes, morning has come."
Zhichen quietly walked outside. The same woman was sitting in the courtyard. In the morning light, her face looked calm.
Seeing Zhichen, she bowed slightly and said,
"Prince, the bathing room is that way. You may bathe there."
Zhichen paused for a moment, then walked in that direction without saying anything.
Inside, Lichen nudged Rongwei.
"Wake up, it's morning. How much do you sleep?"
Rongwei rubbed his eyes and said,
"A little longer..."
"Absolutely not," Lichen replied directly.
By then, Lixuan had also come outside and sat silently in the courtyard.
After some time, Rongwei and Lichen also came outside. Rongwei said in a slightly excited voice,
"You know..."
"There is a pond nearby. Beside it, there is a tree where very good apples grow. Today, we will go there." "Really?" Lichen asked. "Yes," Rongwei replied with a smile. Lichen paused for a moment, then said, "But we have to go to the mountain." Rongwei immediately replied, "By the time Master Xiu and Zhichen finish bathing, we will be back." Lichen thought for a few moments, then said, "Then I will bathe first." She slowly walked toward the bathing room.
After some time, Zhichen returned after bathing and sat beside the woman in the courtyard. Lichen also came out after bathing and then went into the room.
While searching with her hands, she realized that master had not taken his clothes.
She immediately called out to Rongwei, "Rongwei, can you give these clothes to master?"
Rongwei quickly said, "We will get late. Let's give these to Master Zhichen, he will give them. Come on."
"Alright," Lichen said.
The two handed the clothes to Zhichen.
"We'll be back soon," Rongwei said.
Zhichen tried to stop them. "Wait—"
But Lichen and Rongwei had already left for the pond without stopping.
Zhichen stood there for a few moments, holding the clothes in his hands. There was slight hesitation in his heart. How was he supposed to go inside the bathing room?
Zhichen stood near the door for a few moments. The clothes were in his hands, and there was slight hesitation in his mind. Then he slowly opened the door and walked inside.
There was steam inside. A wooden bathing tub was filled with hot water. Hearing the sound of footsteps, Lixuan became alert. He immediately placed his mask over his face, but did not get enough time to tie it. He remained sitting quietly in the water.
Without lifting his gaze too much, Zhichen said, "Your clothes."
Lixuan's voice turned slightly colder. "Do you have no shame? You came inside while someone is bathing."
Zhichen replied directly, "I only came to give you your clothes."
As he stepped forward to place the clothes nearby, his eyes landed on something—the mask was only being held by hand, not tied.
For a moment, it felt as though both of their breaths had stopped.
Zhichen slowly stepped closer.
"So, what exactly are you hiding?"
He reached out his hand to remove the mask.
In the very next moment, Lixuan suddenly splashed water. The hot water fell directly onto Zhichen's face. Zhichen shut his eyes and stepped back, but Lixuan tightly grabbed his hand and with one sudden pull dragged him into the bathing tub.
Water splashed loudly.
"Are you crazy?" Zhichen shouted as he fell into the water.
But the water was slippery. Zhichen tried to steady himself, but lost his balance. He leaned directly forward, and this time the two of them collided.
A small unexpected moment... their lips brushed lightly against each other from the collision. Completely suddenly.
Both of them immediately pulled away.
The ripples in the water shook the bathing tub.
Zhichen's face turned red.
"I... I'm sorry. I fell," he immediately said.
Lixuan looked at him for a few moments, then said in a calm voice, "That is why I told you not to come close."
The steam was thick. The water was slowly calming down now, but the waves inside both of them had not settled yet.
Zhichen immediately stood upright, but standing inside the bathing tub was not that easy.
"I really did fall," he said again in a low voice, lowering his eyes. "I had no other intention."
Lixuan released his hand, but did not move his gaze away.
"I know," he said calmly, "But you should not have come that close."
For a few moments, there was only steam and heavy breathing between them.
Zhichen slowly turned around, placed his hand on the edge of the bathing tub, and tried to get out. This time, he carefully stepped out.
"I left the clothes outside," he said while turning his back. "I will wait outside."
Lixuan let out a faint breath. "There is no need."
Zhichen stopped.
"Then at least do not let anyone else come inside."
Saying this, Lixuan rose from the water and properly tied his mask. Now his voice had once again become cold and composed.
As Zhichen walked toward the door, he paused for a moment and said, "Why do you distrust me so much?"
Lixuan took a little time before answering.
"Not distrust," he said softly, "Caution."
Zhichen said nothing else. He walked outside.
The cold air of the courtyard hit his wet clothes. He took a deep breath, as if trying to calm his heart.
Zhichen had just taken that deep breath when the bathing room door opened. Lixuan came outside after changing clothes. His mask was properly tied. His face was calm again, as if nothing had happened.
For a few moments, both remained silent. The moment in the bathing tub was still hanging between them in the air, but neither of them turned it into words.
Just then, Lixuan looked around.
"Why is it so quiet?" he asked directly. "Where are Lichen and Rongwei?"
Zhichen replied, "They went to the nearby pond."
Lixuan's voice immediately turned stern.
"Why did you let them go? There could be danger here."
"I tried to stop them," Zhichen said, "but they didn't listen."
The two immediately rushed toward the courtyard, but the woman was nowhere to be seen.
Lixuan looked around.
"Where did she go?"
They searched inside the house, the back area, the kitchen, and even the small chamber, but the woman was nowhere to be found.
Zhichen's eyes sharpened.
"That woman was an illusion."
As soon as those words left his mouth, the sound of staggering footsteps was heard approaching from ahead.
"Rongwei!" Zhichen immediately said.
Rongwei stumbled into the courtyard. Blood was flowing from his hand. His breathing was fast and weak. He nearly collapsed to the ground.
Lixuan immediately rushed to him.
"Where is Lichen?" Rongwei's breathing was growing heavier. At that moment, Zhichen placed his hand over Rongwei's wound, and because of Zhichen's power, Rongwei's wound began to heal. Lixuan asked again, "Where is Lichen? Where did you take her? Answer me."
Rongwei's voice trembled.
"We went to the nearby pond. As soon as we got there, Lichen said, 'There is danger here.'"
Lixuan's brows furrowed.
"I asked, 'How do you know?'" Rongwei continued.
"Then she said, 'The bracelet on my hand glows whenever there is danger nearby.'"
For a moment, the two looked at each other.
Then Rongwei's voice broke.
"Fog started spreading all around us. Thick fog. From within that fog, a person appeared, dressed in black clothes. I couldn't see his face clearly."
"I pushed Lichen behind me. He drew his sword and attacked. I blocked the strike, but because of the fog, I couldn't see anything clearly."
Rongwei looked at his hand.
"He struck my hand. I wanted to stop him... but I couldn't see anything."
His voice cracked.
"He took Lichen away."
Silence fell over the courtyard.
"I'm sorry," Rongwei said softly.
"I couldn't save her."
Lixuan went completely silent for a moment. Everyone standing in the courtyard was looking at him. His eyes slowly turned red, as if anger and worry were rising together inside him. He clenched his fists tightly.
"We can't waste any time," he said in a cold but sharp voice.
"We need to find Lichen as quickly as possible. I don't know where she is now."
Zhichen also nodded seriously.
At that same moment, far away between several mountains, there was a dark black cave.
Cold wind was blowing inside the cave. Water droplets were dripping from the walls. Lichen was lying on the ground. Her hands were tied tightly with rope, and her legs were bound as well.
After some time, she regained consciousness.
She tried to move, but immediately realized that her hands and feet were tied.
"What is this—"
Her heart started pounding rapidly.
"Who is there?!" Lichen shouted loudly.
"Untie me! Let me go!"
Her voice echoed through the cave.
For a few moments, no answer came. Then the sound of footsteps echoed through the darkness. Slowly, someone was walking toward her.
Lichen's breathing nearly stopped.
Then a voice was heard.
"Lichen... so you've finally woken up."
Lichen's face turned pale.
"Who are you?" she asked, caught between fear and anger.
"And why have you tied me here? Let me go!"
The footsteps came closer. That person was now standing right in front of her, but Lichen could not see him.
That voice softly said,
"Let you go?"
Then a faint laugh echoed through the cave.
"I worked so hard to bring you here, and you want me to let you go?"
Lichen sat silently for a few moments. Then she softly said,
"I've heard this voice before..."
She thought to herself, then suddenly said loudly,
"You're the one who committed the murder, aren't you?"
The figure standing in the darkness fell silent for a moment. Then his voice suddenly turned cold and serious.
"You can't see... and yet you still recognized me."
He laughed softly.
"Good. It's me—Moren. The same one who killed them."
Lichen's face trembled with fear.
"Why did you tie me up?" she asked in a frightened voice.
Moren bent slightly closer to her.
"Because you are blind, yet you still recognized me. That is why you have to die."
Then he paused slightly before saying,
"To tell the truth, I don't want to kill you. You are very beautiful."
"But anyone who gets in the way of my work must die."
He turned and began walking away. Then he looked back and said,
"I will kill you tomorrow. Tonight, you will stay here. Goodbye."
Lichen listened as the sound of his footsteps slowly faded away.
The cave became completely silent again.
Lichen was left alone. She immediately tried to untie the ropes, but they were extremely strong. The more she pulled, the more the ropes rubbed harshly against her wrists. After some time, blood began flowing from her hands, but she still did not stop.
Meanwhile, Lixuan, Zhichen, and Rongwei had already reached the pond.
They carefully looked around, but there was nothing there. Only a deep mark on the ground.
Zhichen bent down to examine it.
"This is a sword mark," he said softly.
"But this is no ordinary sword. This strike was made by a very powerful sword."
He looked at Lixuan.
"Xiu, this seems like a very big conspiracy. We need to find Lichen as quickly as possible."
Lixuan stayed silent for a few moments. Then he softly said,
"But why did he specifically take Lichen? She can't even see."
Rongwei lowered his head.
"This all happened because of me," he said quietly.
"If I hadn't brought Lichen here, none of this would have happened."
Zhichen immediately said,
"This is not your fault. What was meant to happen has already happened. Now we need to think about what to do next."
At that moment, Lixuan closed his eyes. He focused all of his concentration in one place.
In his mind, he said,
"Lichen... can you hear me? Can you hear my voice? Lichen, answer me."
Meanwhile, inside the dark cave, Lichen was still trying to untie the ropes. Blood was flowing from her wrists, but she refused to stop.
Then a faint voice echoed in her ears.
"Lichen... can you hear me?"
Lichen froze completely for a moment.
"Master..." her voice trembled.
Tears started flowing from her eyes.
"Master... it's you, right?" she cried.
Standing near the pond, Lixuan immediately said,
"Lichen!"
As soon as Zhichen and Rongwei heard this, both of them were shocked.
Rongwei said in shock, "Are you… talking to Lichen right now?"
Zhichen immediately asked, "Can you hear her voice?"
Without opening his eyes, Lixuan said, "She can hear me."
Zhichen quickly said, "Ask her quickly, where is she? Who took her away?"
Lixuan closed his eyes again and deepened his focus.
"Lichen, it's me… your master," he said softly. "Are you alright?"
Inside the cave, Lichen's voice was trembling. "Master… please save me. He is going to kill me."
Lixuan's voice became slightly stern. "Who is he? And where are you?"
Lichen softly said, "I don't know what place this is. I cannot see."
Lixuan immediately said, "Feel it. Feel the things around you."
Lichen took a deep breath and focused.
After a few moments, she softly said, "There is a waterfall somewhere nearby. Water is dripping inside the cave. There is a strange smell of soil, as if the earth is very wet. But there is another strange thing…"
She paused for a moment.
"It is probably cold outside, but inside the cave it is very warm."
Standing near the pond, Lixuan listened carefully to all of this. His eyes sank into deep thought.
Lixuan softly said, "Stay alright, Lichen. Do not be afraid. I will find you and reach there soon."
Lichen's voice trembled again. "But Master… he said that tomorrow he will kill me."
Then she softly asked, "If I die, will you forget me? Once you said that if someone took me away, you would not come to save me."
Standing by the pond, Lixuan went completely silent for a few moments.
The air became utterly still.
Then he said in a soft but firm voice, "Lichen, stay calm. Try to keep yourself safe. I will find you, no matter where that place is in this world."
Inside the cave, Lichen's lips curved into a faint smile.
She softly said, "Master… I will wait for you."
Lixuan slowly opened his eyes. His gaze landed directly on Zhichen.
"We have to find Lichen as soon as possible," he said in a deep and restless voice. "But how will we find that cave?"
Zhichen remained completely calm and reassured Lixuan.
"Do not worry, Xiu. Nothing will happen to Lichen. We will definitely save her."
He stepped slightly forward, as if remembering some clue.
"A nearby waterfall… water dripping inside the cave, yet still warmth…"
He softly said, "This cannot be an ordinary place."
Then his eyes sharpened.
"That cave must be somewhere near Chandrakoot Mountain."
Meanwhile, inside the cave, Lichen was still trying to untie the ropes.
But those ropes were not ordinary. There was magic within them.
The more she tried, the stronger they became.
Slowly, time passed and night descended once again.
Exhausted, Lichen sat there.
Her breathing had become slower.
Then the sound of footsteps echoed once more.
Lichen's heart pounded loudly.
"Master?" she immediately called out.
But it was not her master.
A cold voice came near her.
"I am Moran."
He slowly came closer to her.
"Your master will never be able to reach here," he said with a cold laugh. "How would he ever know that you are here?"
Lichen closed her eyes.
But even though her voice was weak, it was still firm.
"My master will definitely save me. And he will not spare you either."
Hearing this, Moran's face hardened.
Suddenly, he grabbed Lichen's hair and yanked it backward forcefully.
"You are very stubborn," he said angrily. "You cannot see, yet you still have such courage?"
Tears streamed from Lichen's eyes because of the pain.
"Let go… it hurts," she cried.
But Moran tightened his grip even more.
"Remember this, Lichen," he said in a soft but terrifying voice, "tomorrow will be your last day. No one will be able to save you tomorrow."
He pushed her away forcefully.
Lichen fell onto the ground.
Silence once again filled the cave.
Only the faint sound of her sobbing echoed through it.
And with very hurried footsteps, Lixuan, Zhichen, and Rongwei were heading toward the dark mountains.
The darkness of the night was gradually growing deeper.
Rongwei was walking ahead, showing the way.
Suddenly, Zhichen reached out and grabbed Lixuan's hand.
Lixuan stopped immediately.
He looked sharply at Zhichen.
"Why are you holding my hand?" he asked coldly.
Rongwei turned back to look, but after seeing the two of them, silently continued walking ahead again.
Zhichen's gaze remained fixed on Lixuan.
"Xiu," he said in a low but deep voice, "you are hiding something."
For a few moments, the air became completely still.
"A little while ago, you spoke to Lichen through your mind," Zhichen continued. "This is not an ordinary power."
He softly said, "This is the power of mind communication, which only a few people possess."
His grip became slightly firmer.
"This power exists only within the royal family. How do you have it?"
Without saying anything, Lixuan freed his hand from Zhichen's grip.
His voice was even calmer now, but something was suppressed within it.
"Right now, our focus should only be on saving Lichen," he replied directly. "Ask the rest of your questions later."
Saying this, he walked forward without looking back.
Zhichen remained standing there.
For a few moments, both doubt and certainty existed together in his eyes.
Then he said in a low voice, "Soon enough, I will learn your truth."
And then he too moved forward.
Between the two of them, it was no longer only a path that existed, but also a hidden truth.
The moon was slowly setting, and light was beginning to return.
Lixuan, Zhichen, and Rongwei had reached very close to the mountain.
But the problem was still the same—it was not easy to find the cave.
Chandrakoot Mountain was a vast place, where many caves existed.
Rocks everywhere, twisted paths, and deep silence.
Looking around, Lixuan said, "Where there is a waterfall, the cave will also be there."
Zhichen nodded. "The sound of water will guide our way."
The three of them began moving deeper into the mountain without wasting any time.
Meanwhile, inside the cave, Lichen was sitting there.
Her hands were still tied with ropes, and she was continuously trying to untie them.
But every time, she failed.
Her breathing became faster.
"Why won't this rope come undone?" she said loudly in frustration and anxiety.
Her voice echoed through the cave.
Then suddenly, the bracelet on her hand began to glow.
A faint light slowly started becoming brighter.
Lichen froze for a moment.
"What is this now?"
In the very next moment, the rope broke on its own.
Lichen became completely still.
She touched her hands.
The rope had truly come undone.
"I have been trying for so long… and now?"
She said softly in surprise.
But she did not think much about it.
Immediately bending down, she tried to untie the rope around her legs as well.
As soon as the bracelet glowed faintly again, that rope also broke.
Now she was free.
Lichen slowly stood up.
She felt her surroundings—the cold walls, dripping water, and the faint breeze coming from afar.
Lichen slowly walked forward, carefully with each step, sensing every sound.
The dripping water inside the cave and the sound of her breathing echoed around her.
Then suddenly, she heard the sound of someone's footsteps.
She froze instantly.
Her heart began pounding rapidly.
From the darkness, a voice slowly echoed.
"I think you are not someone who gives up so easily, Lichen."
And this time, even fate stood there silently—watching to see whether it would once again take Lichen's life away, or lose this time.