Night settled over the village like a heavy curtain.
The fog returned with greater determination than before, spilling down from the mountains and creeping between the wooden houses. It curled around tree trunks and seeped through narrow alleys, swallowing lantern light and dulling the sounds of the night.
By the time the moon rose behind the clouds, the village had almost completely disappeared beneath the thick white mist.
Inside the small cottage, the air was quiet.
Too quiet.
Xing Yue lay on the narrow bed assigned to her, staring into the darkness. Sleep refused to come. She had turned over so many times that the thin blanket had twisted around her legs. Each time she closed her eyes, her thoughts only grew louder.
The village. The temple. The children carried up the mountain.
And most annoyingly—
Jiang Yunxian.
Xing Yue let out a soft sigh. That carefree fool.
Where could he possibly be right now?
Knowing him, he might very well be lounging somewhere while danger quietly closed in around him. The thought irritated her more than she wanted to admit. That man could walk straight into the mouth of a beast and still act as if the entire situation were merely an inconvenience.
And even if he realized the danger—
He would likely shrug, yawn, and lazily wonder how troublesome it would be to escape.
Xing Yue turned onto her side and buried half her face in the pillow.
"Honestly…" she murmured quietly.
"That man."
Her thoughts drifted restlessly like the fog outside.
Just then—
The cottage door creaked open. The sound was soft, but in the stillness of the night it was unmistakable.
Xing Yue froze. Her body did not move.
Not even slightly. She kept her eyes closed, though every one of her senses sharpened instantly. From the corner of her awareness, she could see the faint outline of the doorway.
A small shadow slipped inside. The young village girl.
She moved carefully, placing each step with exaggerated caution as if she feared waking the sleeping guests. Her footsteps were light. Barely audible.
She paused just inside the door, listening.
Satisfied that the cottage remained silent, she crept further inside.
First, she approached the figure resting near the far wall.
Hong Tian Luo.
Even in sleep—or what appeared to be sleep—his posture remained strangely composed. He had chosen a corner of the room and lay there neatly, taking up as little space as possible.
The girl crouched beside him briefly.
She studied his face in the dim light filtering through the window. Her expression was unreadable. Then she stood and moved on.
Her steps carried her slowly toward the other bed.
Toward Xing Yue.
Xing Yue's breathing remained slow and steady.
But inwardly, she was alert. The girl stopped beside her bed.
And simply… stared. For a long time. The silence stretched uncomfortably.
Xing Yue could feel the weight of the girl's gaze moving over her face, lingering for reasons she could not quite understand.
Even with her eyes closed, the sensation made her uneasy.
Something about the look felt wrong.
As though she were being examined rather than simply observed. Xing Yue subtly slowed her breathing even further, pretending to be deeply asleep. Eventually, the presence moved away.
The girl stepped back.
Xing Yue almost relaxed. Almost. Because moments later, the soft footsteps returned.
The presence stood beside her again. This time closer.
Then—
She felt it. A hand lifting her hair.
Xing Yue's brows immediately furrowed.
If there was one thing in all her long existence that Xing Yue absolutely could not tolerate, it was disheveled hair. Her hair had always been her pride. No matter the circumstances, it remained perfectly smooth, straight, and silky—falling like dark water down her back.
Others might pride themselves on immaculate robes or elegant accessories.
But for Xing Yue? Her hair was her crown.
If others were meticulously neat, then her hair was meticulously perfect.
Even this morning, despite the strange village and uncomfortable travel, it had remained flawless.
Now…
This mortal girl was lifting it. Handling it. Examining it.
Xing Yue felt irritation rising rapidly.
No.
This is unacceptable. Her brows tightened slightly.
But the young girl seemed far too absorbed in what she was doing to notice the change in Xing Yue's expression.
Had anyone been watching them closely in that moment, they might have seen something unsettling.
Two expressions.
Two very different intentions.
The girl's face held a strange, focused intensity. And beneath Xing Yue's closed eyes—A faintly sinister glimmer flickered through her thoughts.
But before Xing Yue could react—a sharp sound cut through the silence.
Snip.
For a brief moment, Xing Yue did not fully process what had happened.
Then—
A lock of hair slipped free. The realization struck her like lightning.
Her hair—Had been cut.
In her entire hundred thousand years of existence, no one had ever dared to touch her hair like this.
Not a single person. Not a god. Not a demon. Not even the boldest celestial general had ever attempted such madness.
And yet—
This small mortal girl had done it.
Casually. Without hesitation.
Without even realizing the magnitude of the crime she had just committed.
The sheer audacity of it nearly disoriented Xing Yue. For a terrifying second, she nearly opened her eyes and exploded.
But somehow— Miraculously, she restrained herself. Her fists tightened beneath the blanket.
How…
She struggled to understand. How has my tolerance become this high? Had she truly changed this much? Even something she hated with her entire being—
And yet she was still enduring it.
Xing Yue felt faintly disturbed by the realization. If she ever saw Jiang Yunxian again, she would absolutely demand an explanation. Surely that man had done something to corrupt her patience.
Just as she was drowning in these thoughts—
The girl muttered softly to herself. "This will be useful soon."
The words were barely audible. But Xing Yue heard them clearly.
And in that moment, curiosity betrayed her.
Her eyes opened a fraction. Just enough to glimpse the girl's face.
And what she saw sent a sudden chill down her spine. The girl's expression had changed. Gone was the innocent look of a simple village child. In its place was something cold.
Calculating.
Her eyes held a strange sharpness that did not belong to someone her age.
Xing Yue immediately closed her eyes again. Her mind turned rapidly.
That girl…
She cannot be trusted. But then—
Another thought surfaced quietly in her mind. (If she cut my hair…
What exactly does she intend to use it for?)
__
Morning arrived slowly.
The fog that had swallowed the village during the night thinned once more under the pale touch of dawn. It drifted lazily between the wooden houses, dissolving into faint silver ribbons beneath the early sunlight.
But where Xing Yue was, there was no sunlight. There was only darkness. Not the soft darkness of night, nor the gentle shade beneath clouds.
This darkness was thick. Dense. Almost tangible.
It wrapped around her like layers of black silk, swallowing sound and dulling the faint warmth of the morning outside.
Xing Yue stirred.
Her mind surfaced slowly from sleep. And the first thing she realized—Was that something was wrong.
Her brows knit together.
Fragments of memory returned. The sinister look on the girl's face.
Her hair—
The sudden snip of steel against silk. Somewhere between fury and exhaustion, she must have drifted into sleep without realizing it.
Now—
She opened her eyes. Darkness greeted her.
Not normal darkness.
Blackness.
It was so complete that even her immortal eyes struggled to pierce through it. Xing Yue moved instinctively.
Or rather—
She tried to. The moment she shifted her arms, she felt it. Rope. Thick rope.
It bit tightly against her wrists and shoulders, binding her firmly against what felt like a wooden support behind her. Her brows furrowed deeper. She pulled slightly. The rope did not budge.
Not even a little.
This was no ordinary binding. Xing Yue stilled. Her mind sharpened immediately.
This is strange.
First, she considered the obvious suspects.
Zinglong. Lingjin. Fengdo.
But somehow—
They did not seem like the culprits behind this. Those three were wicked men, yes.
But this?
This felt… different. Too deliberate. Too careful.
Her thoughts turned quickly.
This is not the work of an ordinary mortal.
Nor did it feel like the work of an immortal either.
Which meant—
Someone was controlling the situation from behind the scenes.
Xing Yue inhaled slowly, calming her mind.
Her thoughts drifted further back in time.
Millennia ago.
There had been a mission assigned by the Heavenly Emperor.
Lady Cangyin had been sent to this region.
Meanwhile, Xing Yue herself had been assigned to the mortal realm alongside Jiang LuCi.
Their task had been simple in theory. Understand why mortals turned evil. At first, the matter had seemed manageable. Until the incident with the child. And the tragedy that followed.
Xing Yue's eyes darkened slightly.
That single event had shattered everything.
Lady Cangyin had gone into missing shortly afterward.
When Xing Yue returned later after the massive walks were opened for her to declare the end of her cultivation, chaos had already spread across the heavens and mortal realms alike.
Jiang LuCi had risen to become the Sovereignty of Ten Arc. The child had vanished. Friends had disappeared.
Allies had been lost. Everything had changed. Xing Yue exhaled quietly.
Her own conclusion had always been the same.
Lady Cangyin must have failed her mission.
Or worse—
She had abandoned it. But if that were true…
Why was Hong Tian Luo still alive?
Her thoughts circled back to the present problem. That man should not exist anymore.
The founder Hong Yanli had only lived eighty years before turning himself into a statue to watch over the Yanli Continent.
Yet Hong Tian Luo— Still breathed. Still ruled. Still walked the mortal world as if time had no hold over him. It made no sense.
Just then—
A voice drifted through the darkness.
Smooth. Sweet. Like honey poured over glass."I bet Miss wonders what's happening." The sound cut through Xing Yue's thoughts like wind slicing through flame.
But she did not respond.
She remained perfectly still.
Silent.
There was something about Xing Yue's strength that few people truly understood.
The night was not merely her domain.
The stars were not merely her power.
Her greatest ability came from something far simpler.
Loneliness.
A hundred years of seclusion had sharpened her senses beyond ordinary limits. Imagine being locked inside a chamber of endless stars.
No voices. No footsteps. Nothing but silence stretching across centuries. One learns to notice everything. CThe smallest breath. The faintest movement. Even the shift of air.
Xing Yue's eyes remained closed. But her ears listened. Her senses stretched outward. She felt the subtle tremor of movement in the dark. The soft disturbance of breath. The faintest hint of fragrance.
Still, she said nothing. The voice spoke again.
"Aiya? I was wondering earlier, but now I'm tired of wondering." she said this time, still trying to understand this situation. She didn't want to give this person, whoever it was the benefit of doubt.
Xing Yue spoke. Her voice carried open annoyance. And dizziness. "I don't want to wonder anymore." she completed. She sighed dramatically.
And to be fair—
She was telling the truth. After spending the entire night tangled in thoughts and memories, her mind truly felt fogged. She was exhausted.
"But I bet you cannot guess who is here with you now," the unseen speaker said playfully.
Xing Yue finally opened her eyes.
Slowly. She tilted her head slightly. Then she sniffed the air. The fragrance was faint.
But unmistakable.
Soft. Floral. Luxurious.
And suddenly—
It clicked, a moment later—
Xing Yue began laughing. The laughter echoed strangely through the darkness.
It was not nervous. Nor fearful. It was outright absurd.
The unseen person sounded irritated.
Xing Yue tilted her head and spoke calmly.
"The darkness here…"
"…is far too familiar."
Her voice thickened slightly. "The fragrance here is even more familiar." She scoffed.
"Young brat."
"If you want to mimic me…"
"…do it properly.You are insulting my intelligence."
A sharp gasp echoed in the darkness. "You… how did you know?"
Xing Yue rolled her eyes. "Rosy Alluring Fragrance is famous in Heaven Cloud Woven."
"It is ridiculously expensive."
Her voice sharpened. "I haven't even settled the score for you cutting a strand of my hair."
"And now you dare use my own power against me? How audacious."
The voice on the other side fell silent for a moment.
Then—
It brightened with excitement.
"It's no wonder you are the Star Goddess!"
"I've been your fan for years! And now my admiration has grown even greater!"
"Pah!"
Xing Yue spat the word instantly.
"Admiration my foot! Have you ever seen a fan tie up their idol? Or a worshipper bind their own god? Do I have that little value in your eyes?"
"Oh!"
The voice sounded delighted. "You really are just like the books say!"
"…."
Xing Yue blinked slowly.
Has this brat gone insane?
Before she could respond— The darkness suddenly shifted. Light flickered. The heavy black veil dissolved like smoke. And standing right in front of her, was the village girl. The same girl who had offered them food. The same girl who had hunted in the forest.
Except now—
Her eyes shone with unmistakable intelligence.
Xing Yue narrowed her gaze.
(Who exactly is this child?)
"And what do you want?" she asked. The girl clapped her hands excitedly.
"I'll answer that! But first…I have to introduce you to a friend of mine!" Her smile widened.
"I'm sure you two have already met!" She stepped aside.
The door at the far end of the room creaked open.
A figure entered.
Sunlight from the morning outside poured through the doorway, forming a bright halo around him. His silhouette was tall. Lean.
Confident.
Even from posture alone, it was obvious—
This was no ordinary person.
Xing Yue prepared to sneer. Prepared to mock. Prepared to destroy whatever ridiculous play this brat had arranged.
But then—
The light shifted.
And the man's face became visible. Xing Yue froze.
Her eyes widened.
Of all the possibilities she had imagined—
This had not been one of them.
The girl spread her arms proudly. "Say hello to my friend—"
"Aiya." The man interrupted lazily. "Calling me a friend sounds improper." He stretched his shoulders casually."I'm a grown man."
"And you're just a kid. Show some respect. Shouldn't there be some boundaries?"
His voice was exactly the same as always.
Carefree. Annoyingly relaxed. Xing Yue stared at him. Then slowly exhaled.
Of course. Of course it would be him.
"Jiang Yunxian…"
Her voice carried deep exasperation.
"You fool."
The man grinned brightly. He raised his hand and waved at her. "If it isn't the most impeccably beautiful woman I've ever seen. Xing Yue."
He tilted his head with casual charm.
"It's been a long while."