The memory of the farmhouse refused to leave them.
No matter how far they traveled from the burning fields, no matter how many rivers or mountain roads they crossed afterward, the image remained carved into their minds with terrifying clarity. The old woman's scream. The sight of flesh tearing apart. The endless writhing mass of Heart Worms spilling across blood-soaked ground while the farmhouse collapsed behind them in flames.
It lingered.
Like a stain no amount of time could wash away.
Even Peng Yang, who had long cultivated her composure within Cloud Peak Sect, found herself unable to endure the memory without feeling sick. More than once during their journey away from the farm, she had suddenly gone pale after falling silent for too long, only to turn away and retch violently at the roadside.
The scene haunted her relentlessly. It haunted all of them.
The sky above had already shifted toward evening by then. Long streaks of orange and fading crimson stretched across the horizon while shadows from distant mountains slowly swallowed the earth below. The road they traveled wound through sparse woodland now, quiet except for the occasional sound of insects hidden among the grass.
Yet even surrounded by nature's calmness, none of them truly felt at peace.
Peng Yang had tried repeatedly to convince them to return.
Especially Jiang Yunxian.
The situation had already surpassed the boundaries of an ordinary investigation.
Heart Worms were no small matter. Even the sect elders feared such things. Whatever force stood behind the deaths they had witnessed was clearly dangerous enough to threaten far more than a handful of wandering cultivators.
Cloud Peak Sect needed to know. The elders needed to intervene.
At least, that was what Peng Yang believed.
But Jiang Yunxian remained as stubborn as stone.
No matter how many arguments she raised, his answer never changed.
"You might be the most disciplined disciple in Cloud Peak Sect," he had said earlier with his usual maddening calmness, "but there is one thing I am exceptionally good at."
He had smiled then, though there had been no humor in it.
"That is refusing to rest until I uncover why this mayhem is happening."
The wind had stirred softly through the trees as he spoke.
"You may tell Elder Wong that I will return once this matter is settled," he continued.
"And you may also inform him about what happened at the farmhouse."
The way he said it left absolutely no room for negotiation.
Peng Yang knew it immediately.
Jiang Yunxian looked carefree most of the time, almost irresponsibly so, but when he truly made up his mind about something, even mountains would fail to move him.
In the end, she stopped arguing.
Not because she agreed. But because she understood it was pointless.
Now silence stretched quietly between them as they paused briefly near a shallow stream running alongside the road. The water reflected the dim evening sky while cool wind drifted gently through the surrounding trees.
Rong Qi remained in his feather form.
After what happened at the farmhouse, the little strength he had recovered seemed exhausted once again. The crimson feather floated weakly through the air before settling carefully into Jiang Yunxian's waiting palm.
Jiang Yunxian automatically adjusted his hand to support him better.
The gesture was natural now. Familiar.
The feather's warmth felt faint against his skin.
For a while, neither of them spoke.
Then Jiang Yunxian glanced downward slightly.
"What is it?" he asked quietly.
Rong Qi remained silent for a moment longer before sighing softly.
"I have lived for over a millennium," he said at last. "Yet I have never felt this helpless before."
The words carried an exhaustion deeper than physical weakness.
Jiang Yunxian scoffed lightly.
"Helpless?" he repeated. "Coming from the same feather that nearly burned my heart alive back then?"
At that, Rong Qi could not help scoffing as well.
"Oh, please," he replied dryly. "Do you know you almost roasted me alive during the time I was trapped inside that cage? The power you released nearly turned me into ash."
Jiang Yunxian grimaced immediately, visibly annoyed by the reminder.
"Let us just say desperation makes people unreasonable," he muttered. "Even the calmest man can become dangerous when pushed far enough."
He clicked his tongue softly.
"Aiya. Do not remind me of that incident. I still find it irritating."
Despite the lightness of the exchange, something quieter lingered beneath it.
The atmosphere between them slowly softened.
The stream beside the road continued flowing gently while the evening wind carried the scent of damp earth and pine through the darkening forest.
Then Rong Qi spoke again.
"That is exactly why I need to leave."
Jiang Yunxian's expression shifted slightly.
Rong Qi's voice remained calm, but there was unmistakable determination within it now.
"I am a Phoenix Monarch," he continued quietly. "What use is there in remaining like this? A fire-breathing creature reduced to nothing more than a feather."
The words struck harder than expected.
Jiang Yunxian looked down at him fully now.
"So," he asked carefully, "you wish to leave?"
Rong Qi gave a faint nod.
"Yes."
The feather stirred slightly in Jiang Yunxian's palm as wind brushed against it.
"But where would you even go?"
"To the Avalanche of Fire."
The moment those words were spoken, even the surrounding air seemed to still briefly.
"That is where every phoenix within my clan trained and awakened their true power,"
Rong Qi said. "It is a sacred land hidden beneath endless volcanic mountains. Dangerous. Violent. Merciless."
His voice softened slightly afterward.
"I will go there… and return stronger."
Jiang Yunxian said nothing. Rong Qi continued quietly.
"I wish to become strong enough to save you someday."
The words were simple. Yet they pierced deeply. For the first time since this journey began, Jiang Yunxian felt something tighten painfully within his chest.
Because suddenly he realized something he had never properly considered before.
This was their first true goodbye.
Not another temporary separation. Not another careless promise to meet again after a few days.
This time was different. There was no certainty. No guarantee. No promise of tomorrow.
And for the first time, Jiang Yunxian felt afraid.
The realization unsettled him deeply.
He had always treated Rong Qi's presence as something constant. Annoying at times. Exhausting occasionally. Dangerous more often than not.
But constant.
Yet now the possibility of losing him stood quietly before him like an unavoidable truth.
A strange ache spread through his chest.
Part of him wanted to refuse immediately.
To mock the idea.
To tell Rong Qi that leaving was stupid and unnecessary.
But he could not.
Because deep down, he understood. He understood far too well.
The image of Rong Qi's power draining away returned sharply to his mind. That frightening weakness. That fading fire.
Jiang Yunxian still did not fully understand where the strength he himself used during that incident had come from. He only remembered desperation so overwhelming that instinct had overtaken reason completely.
But one thing remained certain.
He never wished to see Rong Qi powerless again. Never.
And beyond that, Jiang Yunxian knew exactly what Rong Qi truly was.
A Phoenix Monarch.
A being born from ancient flames and endless skies. A rare existence carrying terrifying potential within him. Keeping him restrained in weakness would be cruel.
Even selfish.
So although allowing him to leave felt unbearably heavy, Jiang Yunxian also knew it was the correct choice.
The best choice.
And perhaps that was what made it hurt the most.
The evening wind moved gently through the forest around them while the last traces of sunlight slowly disappeared beyond distant mountains. Somewhere above, the first stars had begun appearing quietly within the darkening heavens.
Jiang Yunxian lowered his gaze toward the small crimson feather resting against his palm.
For once, his usual carefree smile did not come easily. Instead, he sighed softly.
A tired sound.
Then, after a long silence, he finally spoke.
"You had better return alive," he muttered quietly.
The words were light.
But the emotion hidden beneath them was anything but.
___
By the time Peng Yang returned to Cloud Peak Sect, night had already settled completely over the mountains.
The sect rested high among layered peaks wrapped in drifting silver mist, its countless pavilions and stone pathways glowing faintly beneath lantern light. From afar, the sect looked almost celestial, suspended between the dark heavens above and the endless mountain valleys below. Streams wound quietly through the cliffs, reflecting moonlight like ribbons of glass, while distant bells occasionally echoed through the cold night air.
Everything appeared peaceful. Too peaceful.
Especially after what she had witnessed.
As Peng Yang stepped through the towering gates of the sect, the memories returned once again with brutal clarity.
The burning farmhouse. The old woman screaming. The sound of flesh rupturing.
The endless mass of Heart Worms writhing across blood-soaked ground.
Her stomach twisted violently.
She stopped abruptly near the edge of a stone bridge and pressed a trembling hand against her mouth.
For a moment she thought she would vomit again.
Even now, hours later, the scene haunted her mercilessly. Every time she allowed her thoughts to drift back toward it, nausea followed immediately.
It was unbearable.
She closed her eyes briefly and forced herself to breathe steadily.
Then, after gathering what little composure remained, she continued deeper into the sect.
If there was one thing she had learned from Jiang Yunxian during this journey, it was that the man truly stood his ground once he decided upon something. No amount of persuasion could move him afterward. He might appear careless, lazy, and unserious most of the time, but beneath all of that existed an infuriating stubbornness that bordered on frightening.
And strangely enough…
Somewhere between fear and envy, Peng Yang found herself admiring him for it.
That realization irritated her more than she cared to admit.
Because once, long ago, she too had made a quiet promise to herself. If Cloud Peak Sect ever became too suffocating…
If duty and endless discipline ever ceased to mean anything…
Then she would leave the mountains for a while.
She would search for Jiang Yunxian.
And together they would wander the world recklessly.
No sect duties. No lectures. No expectations.
Just adventure beneath open skies.
At the time, she had dismissed the thought as foolish fantasy.
Yet watching Jiang Yunxian walk away earlier without hesitation, despite the dangers ahead, stirred something restless within her.
He really was living exactly as he pleased.
The realization left behind an odd bitterness she could not fully explain.
By the time she arrived at Elder Wong's territory, the moon had already risen high above the mountain peaks.
Unlike the grand residences belonging to some elders, Elder Wong's courtyard remained surprisingly modest. Bamboo groves surrounded the small stone pathways leading inward, their leaves whispering softly beneath the night wind. Lanterns hung beneath the eaves of the pavilion, casting warm golden light across the quiet courtyard.
Everything there felt calm. Ancient. Unmoving.
Peng Yang quietly approached the open pavilion at the center of the courtyard.
Elder Wong sat alone inside.
A scroll rested open in his hands, though one glance was enough for Peng Yang to realize he was not actually reading it. His eyes remained fixed somewhere distant, thoughtful in a way that made him appear older than usual beneath the lantern light.
"Elder," Peng Yang greeted respectfully, bowing.
Without lifting his gaze from the scroll, Elder Wong hummed softly.
"I suppose he refused you."
It was not a question.
Peng Yang sighed quietly before nodding.
"Yes," she admitted. "Just as you predicted."
At that, Elder Wong finally laughed.
It was not loud laughter, but warm and unsurprised, carrying the tone of someone who had expected exactly this outcome from the beginning.
Using one hand, he slowly combed through his beard.
"He has always been my disciple," he said calmly. "Naturally, I would know him better than most."
His eyes finally lifted toward her.
"Even if I understand almost nothing about that troublesome child, at the very least, I should understand his temperament. Do you not think so?"
Peng Yang used every ounce of self-control not to sigh openly.
Nor roll her eyes.
Truthfully, the relationship between Jiang Yunxian and Elder Wong was one of the strangest things she had ever witnessed within Cloud Peak Sect.
They hardly resembled master and disciple at all.
Jiang Yunxian constantly acted as though Elder Wong neither cared about him nor expected anything from him. Meanwhile, Elder Wong treated Jiang Yunxian with an odd mixture of resignation, amusement, and distance that nobody else fully understood.
And yet…
Perhaps they truly did understand each other more than they admitted.
Jiang Yunxian knew his master would never force him into obedience. Elder Wong knew Jiang Yunxian would never listen even if he tried.
A strange balance existed between them.
One built entirely upon silent understanding.
The thought left Peng Yang sighing inwardly once more.
However, before the silence could stretch any further, Elder Wong spoke again.
"What exactly happened out there?"
The question struck harder than expected.
Immediately, the memories returned.
The fire. The screaming. The worms.
Her stomach lurched violently.
Before she could stop herself, Peng Yang suddenly turned aside and vomited again.
The sound shattered the peaceful quiet of the courtyard.
When it ended, she remained bent slightly forward, breathing unevenly while shame and disgust crawled beneath her skin simultaneously.
For a brief moment, Elder Wong looked genuinely alarmed.
Then his expression shifted into something quieter.
Concern.
He did not press her further.
And honestly, Peng Yang felt deeply grateful for that.
Because at this rate, she genuinely felt as though she might become the next person vomiting out her own intestines if she continued thinking about the farmhouse any longer.
The image simply would not leave her mind.
Desperate to redirect both the conversation and her thoughts, she forced herself to speak again.
"But… what should we do about Elder Xuanjin?"
At the mention of that name, Elder Wong's expression dimmed faintly. He sighed softly.
"Leave it for now," he said. "He is likely occupied elsewhere."
His fingers tapped lightly against the scroll in his hands.
"If the matter truly requires his attention, then I will personally ensure he receives word of it."
A faint smile appeared beneath his beard afterward.
"I am still his master, after all."
The words carried quiet authority. Peng Yang lowered her gaze respectfully.
She understood immediately that there were deeper matters involved here than she should pry into.
Cloud Peak Sect carried countless hidden currents beneath its calm surface. Some truths were better left untouched unless one wished to invite trouble unnecessarily.
Curiosity kills the cat.
The saying suddenly felt painfully appropriate.
And after witnessing Heart Worms with her own eyes, Peng Yang had absolutely no desire to involve herself in mysteries beyond her reach.
So she simply bowed once more.
"Yes, Elder."
Then she quietly turned and departed from the pavilion.
The cold mountain wind greeted her immediately as she stepped back onto the stone pathways of Cloud Peak Sect. Above her, the moon illuminated the endless peaks surrounding the sect while mist drifted silently through the valleys below.
Everything remained calm.
Yet somehow, Peng Yang could no longer look at that peaceful scenery the same way.
Because somewhere beyond those mountains, beneath unknown skies, Jiang Yunxian was still chasing the truth behind horrors she desperately wished to forget.
And for reasons she did not fully understand herself…
A part of her wished she had gone with him.