Night fell quickly in Qingyang Valley.
Shen Liuxue walked with steady, silent steps through the underbrush, her breath forming faint clouds in the cold mountain air. Every rustle of leaves caused her shoulders to tighten. Every echo from a distance sounded to her like a warning.
The System's message still echoed in her ears.
[Recall Delayed. Celestial Enforcers Deploying.]
[Estimated Time of Arrival: within 2 hours.]
Two hours.
Two hours before the heavens reached for her again.
She clutched her satchel a little tighter. "I won't be caught. Not this time."
The mountain path twisted downwards, illuminated only by moonlight slipping between the pines. The night smelled of wet bark and moss and of storms somewhere distant. She moved quickly, guided more by instinct than by sight.
Yet beneath her determination was a quiet ache.
She had left Mei behind.
For the first time since she had awakened in this body, a sliver of guilt pierced her.
"She would have died because of me," Liuxue whispered to the wind. "It's better she forget I ever existed."
The forest opened into a narrow clearing, an abandoned meadow where fireflies drifted lazily through the tall grass. For a moment, Liuxue allowed herself a breath of stillness.
That was when she sensed it.
A ripple in the air.
A shift in the ground.
A presence moving with calculated grace.
Her heart tightened, Heaven's hunters were already here.
She crouched and drew the faint golden threads of her newly awakened energy into her fingertips. The mark on her wrist throbbed once with a sharp pain , warning of what was to come.
Something fell from the trees behind her.
Liuxue twisted, ready to strike—
A blade of translucent light struck the earth where she'd been standing, carving a deep fissure. The ground shook.
The attacker stepped from the shadows.
A tall figure armored in plates of shimmering jade, faceless, with only a smooth, glowing surface, like polished moonstone.
A Celestial Warden.
Liuxue gritted her teeth. "Heaven sent its soldiers early."
The construct raised an arm; chains of light spiraled outward like serpents. Liuxue dodged, feeling the air sizzle where the chains snapped shut.
Her heart was racing, yet her mind was clear, icy, controlled.
[Combat Tip: Divine constructs resist physical attacks. Exploit instability in core lattice.]
"Then aim for the core," she murmured.
She sprang forward, her feet making no sound against the earth, as she drew the golden energy up her arm. The Warden moved with a speed no mortal should have-but she was faster still. She slid beneath its swing and struck at the glowing node upon its chest.
Her palm collided with pure energy.
The shock wave threw her backward. She hit the ground hard, her breath knocked from her lungs.
The Warden staggered. A thin crack splintered across its chest, enough for golden light to leak out.
Liuxue pushed herself up, vision blurring, ribs aching. "One more."
The Warden charged.
Liuxue braced.
Before the construct reached her, a sharp whistle cut the air. An arrow tipped with silver light struck the Warden's neck. The energy inside the construct flickered violently and it turned, confused, searching for the new threat.
Footsteps approached.
Liuxue's eyes narrowed as a figure stepped from the shadow of the pines-young, slender, with scholar's robes tied loosely at the waist. A jade scroll case hung at his back and his long hair was tied with a simple cord. He looked harmless, almost mild.
But the arrow he held was glowing with the same faint energy as the constructs.
"Duck!" he shouted.
Liuxue dropped instantly. Another arrow flew over her head, embedding itself in the Warden's chest crack.
A flash of light burst-quiet, controlled, deadly precise.
The construct seized, light fracturing through its form like broken glass. With a final, soundless implosion, it collapsed into particles that faded into the night.
There was silence in the clearing again.
Liuxue rose slowly, eyeing the newcomer. Her muscles stayed tense, ready.
The young scholar lowered his bow. "Are… are you harmed?"
She didn't respond right away. She studied him closely the calm intelligence in his gaze, the steady hands, the strange glow of his arrows.
"You just shot a Celestial Warden like it was a common beast," she said. "Who are you?"
The scholar swallowed, his nerves suddenly on end. "I—I should be asking you that. That thing was hunting you."
Liuxue's eyes chilled. "So were you here to hunt me too?"
He shook his head quickly. "No. I-I sensed a distortion in the valley's spiritual flow. I followed it to see what caused it." His eyes shifted to her wrist. "And now I know."
She pulled her sleeve down before the mark could be seen clearly.
But the scholar had already noticed. His face changed from curiosity to wonder—and fear.
"That symbol… the crescent sigil…" He stepped backward. "You're carrying a forbidden mark. A Reversal Seal."
Liuxue froze. "You recognize it?"
He nodded slowly. "Only from ancient manuscripts. It's supposed to be extinct. Lost. Destroyed by the heavens themselves."
Her heartbeat quickened. "And what do the manuscripts say?"
The scholar was slow to respond.
"That whoever carries that mark has the power to disrupt fate itself."
Liuxue inhaled sharply.
And so the world still remembered her legacy that was deeply buried in forgotten ink and dust.
"Your name?" she demanded.
The scholar straightened, as if remembering his manners. "Xie Yining. Wandering archivist. And…" He swallowed again. "If you let me live—I can help you."
Liuxue's brow arched. "Help me? And why would I trust a stranger who follows distortions?"
Yining met her gaze with surprising steadiness. "Because more Celestial Wardens are coming. And only someone who can read Heaven's codes can guide you out of their reach."
He wasn't lying. She could feel the tremble of truth in his voice, the fear behind his determination. Behind them, the forest rustled-the warning that they were no longer alone.
[Warning: 3 more Wardens incoming full speed.]
Liuxue exhaled loudly. She didn't have time to trust him. Not now. She stepped forward. "Fine. You'll guide me." Relief flooded his face. "But understand this." Her voice turned cold as a blade. "Betray me, and not even Heaven will find your ashes."
Yining nodded quickly. "Understood." The wind shifted. Light flickered deep within the trees. Liuxue turned to the mountains. "Then move for The hunt has already begun." Together, they disappeared into the woods as starlight fell over Qingyang Valley, hunters going after the one soul Heaven had been afraid enough to kill.