BY MIDNIGHT, Chu Wanning still had not come.
Taxian-jun first became frustrated, then gloomy, then worried. Those lavish black robes swept across the golden paving stones. He paced back and forth, unable to keep himself from wondering—had something happened to Chu Wanning?
The Space-Time Gate of Life and Death had been torn open. Chu Wanning should've come to Wushan Palace in search of him, whether to learn the truth or attempt to stop him. Given the Beidou Immortal's temper, he'd come kick up a fuss even if he was missing a limb.
So why hadn't he come?
Is he sick? Absolutely not; he'd come even if he was ill.
Does he not know? If he didn't before, the transformation of the sky and the earth after the rift made it impossible for him not to have realized.
Or could it be…
Taxian-jun froze in place. In the dim candlelight, that black silhouette looked like a jagged-edged horror. Is he dead?
His nails sank deep into his palms at the thought. Taxian-jun clenched his jaw, and his whole body began to shake.
Eight years together in Wushan Palace, two years with his corpse. He and Chu Wanning had spent the greater part of their lives together—it was little wonder that finding even his ashes gone upon returning to life had driven Taxian-jun past the point of madness. He could accept Shi Mei's death, though he hoped with everything he had that he would return to life. He could not accept Chu Wanning's death and remain sane.
Night had fallen. The candle in that final lamp was guttering on its last inch of wick; wax had pooled at the base of the lamp, but the moth did not come.
The fear in his heart intensified, spreading through his limbs like ink on paper. He peered around the room like a circling vulture, pacing back and forth.
Finally, he collapsed back against the bed.
It was then that he heard a faint noise on the roof. Taxian-jun jolted to his feet; light and warmth seemed to rush back into his body. His eyes burned with a terrifying brightness, only half hatred. Had he been handed a mirror at that moment, he'd have seen that his face was the very image of the spurned empress Chen A'Jiao as she sang "Changmen Lament" after losing the emperor's favor—miserable wives stewing in resentment, waiting for a man who would not come.8
He ground his teeth. Taxian-jun didn't wait for his opponent to make a move before kicking open the doors and leaping onto the roof in the pouring rain.
"Chu Wanning!" he cried, frenzied. "Did his death reduce you to this? Have you forsaken even your precious mortal world?"
He struck out blindly in the storm. Their opening blows filled the sky with the harsh clanging of weaponry.
"Haven't you always said to put the people before the self?! Were you so devastated you waited until now to come duel this venerable one? You call yourself Yuheng of the Night Sky? Is the Beidou Immortal so pathetic?"
His opponent finally spoke, voice muffled by the downpour. "What the hell…"
Taxian-jun narrowed his eyes. This wasn't Chu Wanning's voice. A knife of lucidity slashed through his rage; when his opponent brought his weapon down on him again, the hot madness in his eyes had cooled. Bugui flared green. He struck.
With a harsh clang, his opponent's weapon snapped in two before it could answer Bugui's glow with its own. Bugui's brutal strength had left it in pieces on the roof tiles.
"What rat bastard is this?" Taxian-jun was doubly irritated at mistaking the interloper for Chu Wanning. "Trying to kill this venerable one without a proper holy weapon?" He leveled the point of his sword at his opponent's downturned face. "Raise your head," he hissed.
The man slowly obeyed. Lightning crackled across the sky, illuminating his pale face. Taxian-jun's nose wrinkled, his expression dangerous. "You again?"
Xue Meng rose, hands shaking. Taxian-jun looked down and saw Longcheng in two pieces, shattered on the soaked roof tiles, and understood. He watched the sodden young man from behind dark lashes. "Perhaps I shouldn't say again," said Taxian-jun. "I should say…so it's you, dear little brother."
Thunder pealed like a drum about to split. Xue Meng closed his eyes.
"This is the first time you've fought this venerable one, isn't it?" Taxian-jun continued. "How sweet. You're much cuter now than you ended up being in this world."
"Give me back…" Xue Meng's throat seemed to close as soon as he started speaking, but he pushed through. "Give me back my mom and dad."
"You already said that to this venerable one in your previous life."
Xue Meng's eyes flew open, fury and grief blazing in his gaze. "Give me back my ge!"
This time, there was a too-long pause before Taxian-jun scoffed. "Being a zongshi really is a sweet deal. All of you miss him so very much. But did he never tell you that he was me, reborn? He remembered all the sin and hatred of the past life." Taxian-jun's eyes glinted with frost, his teeth deadly fangs. "He was a liar!"
Xue Meng and Taxian-jun faced each other on the roof like two shadowed beasts locking horns. Taxian-jun's fury grew, his features twisting. "That bastard lied to have peace in that life—he lied to have a brother, lied so he'd be surrounded by friends and family, lied to build his reputation as the great Mo-zongshi. He deserved to die. How was he any different from this venerable one?"
Through gritted teeth, Xue Meng said, "You two are nothing alike."
Rain funneled through the grooves in the tiles beneath their feet. Taxian-jun barked a laugh. "Ridiculous! How are we not alike? In what way? You think he was pure? A hundred years in this rain couldn't wash the filth from him!"
Xue Meng's long lashes were spiked with rainwater. "You're two different people!"
"Fuck your mother—two different people, my ass," said Taxian-
jun, cool and malicious. "Keep closing your eyes to the truth, then."
Considering Madam Wang's recent demise, these words were unspeakably crass. Xue Meng snarled, flame rising in his palm as he brought a spell slamming down on the emperor.
Yet not even the Xue Meng from ten years later was a match for Taxian-jun, let alone this puppy on the roof tonight. Taxian-jun dodged the attack with no change in expression. The spirit flame whistled past without singeing a hair on his head; he reached out and caught Xue Meng's arm with ease.
Those purple-black eyes slid toward the eaves. "You two down there better get the hell out, or this venerable one might just crush this birdie's precious claws."
The Mei brothers leapt onto the roof, one cradling his qin while the other drew his sword. Taxian-jun glanced at them, unsurprised. "You two live such interesting lives," he scoffed. "In either world, no matter what, you stand beside Xue Meng."
The older brother said nothing, while the younger grinned back at Taxian-jun. "Why shouldn't we? Does Your Majesty the emperor imagine everyone is like you—vindictive, pitiless, and cruel?"
The words struck Taxian-jun like a slap. Chu Wanning, Xue Zhengyong, and Wang Chuqing's faces flashed before his eyes. Vindictive…pitiless…cruel…
He forced his lip to curl in a sneer. "It seems you two are looking to die." Tendons stood out on his arms as he yanked Xue Meng's head back by the hair. "Xue Meng is at least the Beidou Immortal's cherished disciple. You two have no connection at all to this venerable one—aren't you scared I'll mince you up for dumpling filling?"
Xue Meng's temper flared at the mention of Chu Wanning. "How dare you bring up Shizun? You beast! Monster!"
"And why shouldn't this venerable one dare?" Taxian-jun raised Xue Meng up to stare into his rain-soaked face. He suddenly thought of those scattered memories belonging to Mo-zongshi: The moonlit sword ride on Flying Flower Isle, the rainy night at Wuchang Town, even the foggy mists of Melodic Springs… Jealousy sprouted in his heart like weeds.
"Go on," he said darkly. "Tell this venerable one what I should and shouldn't dare. Did that good and righteous gege of yours never tell you what Chu Wanning is to this venerable one?"
Xue Meng jerked in his hold, his eyes gone wide. "Wh-what are you talking about?"
"Don't tell me you didn't notice." Taxian-jun stared into his eyes, reveling in the feeling of pressing his prey closer and closer to the precipice. "The way they act around each other, the rumors people repeat."
Xue Meng froze. He shuddered in Taxian-jun's hold, which only pleased Taxian-jun further. Yes—just like this. He wanted to stain Chu Wanning, to make him filthy. Wasn't that goddamn Mo-zongshi always so polite and deferential toward Chu Wanning, so terrified people would find out about them? He refused to let that false gentleman succeed.
"Come, do you really not know?"
"No… N-n-no, don't say it."
"So you do know?"
Xue Meng shivered, his scalp prickling. "Don't say it!"
Taxian-jun burst into laughter, his eyes ferocious and mad. "You do. You knew all along."
"Mo Ran—!"
"You knew Chu Wanning was in this venerable one's bed."
Xue Meng stilled. Even the storm seemed to quiet around them.
The sight of Xue Meng's hollow eyes and shaking body filled Taxian-jun with glee, so he tore into the young man's heart again, harder. "Isn't it funny? In the past life and this one, this venerable one fucked your shizun. In Wuchang Town's Fengya Inn, in Melodic Springs at Sisheng Peak, in the guest room at Taobao Estate. Not just once but over and over again."
Eyes dull, Xue Meng stood frozen.
"That reminds me." Taxian-jun's eyes flashed dark and cruel. He bared his teeth. "That big brother you're shielding? He defiled your shizun right in front of you. Before you went up Mount Jiao, when you went to Chu Wanning's room. You reached out and touched his forehead—you asked him if he had a fever."
Xue Meng's face drained of color.
"Can't you think of any reason why Chu Wanning's cheeks might be flushed?" Taxian-jun's mouth twisted into a smile. "Why he had tears in his eyes?"
"Enough!"
But his fury was useless; it only goaded Taxian-jun on. "Behind the curtain, beneath the blankets, your dear gege had your shizun in his mouth. He was having him, don't you see?"
Xue Meng's face went red and white and then green, passing through every hue in between. He turned, sick to his stomach, and dry-heaved with a spasm. Gooseflesh had broken out all over his body.
The demon was delighted with the reaction he'd gotten. He laughed wildly, his eyes glinting bright. "How about now? Do you still insist your ge is different from this venerable one? He never told you the filthy things he did, so you thought he was—"
An earth-shattering boom swallowed the rest. Taxian-jun whirled to see flames rising from the Heaven-Piercing Tower; countless faebeasts transformed into beams of golden light, arcing out into the downpour.
"What's this?"
The thrum of qin strings answered him. Like a phoenix's cry, the heavenly music threaded through the air, coaxing those faebeasts to take form. They dove, clawing at the air, toward a point on the ground, the wood-elemental faebeasts at their head.
Taxian-jun's pupils shrank. "Jiuge…?"
Without sparing another glance at Xue Meng, Taxian-jun sprang into the sky, summoning Bugui with a flick of his fingers as he dashed off in the direction of the Heaven-Piercing Tower.
The grounds around the tower had become a sea of flame. Countless Zhenlong pawns were fighting the faebeasts, and at the core of the clashing forces were two men, both dressed in pristine white.
One stood with his hands behind his back—Hua Binan, controlling his pawns.
The other glared daggers—Chu Wanning, playing his qin in battle.
At the sight of Yuheng of the Night Sky with his robes fluttering amidst the flames, Taxian-jun felt a wash of pure relief: Chu Wanning had finally come. Yet his relief swiftly turned into fury. Even though Chu Wanning had come, he hadn't come to him; he'd sought Hua Binan out first—he'd tricked him into waiting in Wushan Palace for so long!
"What are you doing standing there?" Hua Binan's spiritual energy was weak; he was relying completely on the pawns to keep Chu Wanning at bay. When he caught sight of Taxian-jun, he gritted his teeth. "Hurry up and help me!"
Taxian-jun's head ached, but he obeyed. He fluttered down and stood before Hua Binan, a dim glow flashing in his palms as the blade appeared in his hands once again. "Go. This venerable one will take it from here."
The fight had already taxed Hua Binan considerably. He was on the verge of defeat; Taxian-jun had arrived not a moment too soon. "Be careful," he said, relieved. "Once you've defeated him, lock him up. We can't afford for him to escape and ruin our plans." With a flash, he disappeared into the night.
Taxian-jun turned back to his opponent. "Chu Wanning, this venerable one knew you wouldn't be able to stand by. But I didn't think you'd go to him first, spoiling for a fight."
Chu Wanning's face was bloodless, his eyes shadowed. His expression was unreadable.
"Why didn't you come to this venerable one first, hm?"
He made no reply. Between him and Taxian-jun, it was Chu Wanning who more resembled a corpse. It was as though the souls in the Beidou Immortal's body had been stripped away, leaving only instinct to guide him in completing his final task on earth.
Taxian-jun rose into the air, and the two exchanged a flurry of blows. Eyes narrowed, Taxian-jun met each swift strike, watching Chu Wanning in the fire and rain. "Because you feared you'd lose?" He brought his blade down against the power of the qin music. "Because you couldn't face Xue Meng?"
Pain ate at him, and his movements grew more malicious. Every strike was impossibly fast, impossibly powerful: Mo-zongshi's spiritual core had made him unstoppable. He'd already closed in on Chu Wanning's qin.
"Or is it because…" Jealousy dripped off the words.
Jiuge's golden light interlaced with Bugui's jade halo. The sword came down and the qin shrilled; a sweep of Chu Wanning's fingers brought down an unbreakable barrier. With an explosive hiss of spiritual energy, Taxian-jun's sword came to a halt against it. Through that thin shield patterned with haitang petals, they met each other's eyes.
"Is it because…"
The glow in Taxian-jun's hands dimmed. When it flared once more, it was no longer the jade of wood but the red of fire—the spiritual stream most favored by Mo-zongshi.
Chu Wanning froze.
Gold and scarlet clashed, the sparks pouring off their fight rivaling the deluge around them. Behind the barrier, Taxian-jun's handsome face took on a gentle cast. "Shizun, is it because…" Beneath those thick lashes, his eyes were soft with plaintive sorrow. "You can't bear to watch me die a second time?"
Strings clanged as Chu Wanning plucked the wrong note—the light of his barrier dimmed, and Bugui slammed down. The golden veil shattered, disintegrating in a flurry of haitang blossoms.
Brutal spiritual energy overpowered him. Just before he plummeted to the muddy ground below, an arm reached out and wrapped around his waist. Chu Wanning knew he'd been tricked. "Mo Weiyu—!" he snarled.
Drenched by the sheeting rain, Taxian-jun burst into gleeful laughter. The curve of his lips betrayed a twisted satisfaction—at last, he'd gotten what he wanted. That flash of gentleness disappeared as quickly as it'd come. When he spoke again, it was with fangs bared. "Very good. You're finally speaking to me."
Taxian-jun gripped his jaw, yanking his face so close their noses were almost brushing. "If you hadn't said anything," he said, voice going low and silky, "this venerable one would've taken you for a mute."