The path to the Temple of the Jade Lotus was treacherous. Hidden deep within the Heavenly Mist Mountains, the temple was said to be unreachable except by those fated to find it. Steep cliffs, thick fog, and unseen dangers lurked along the way.
Jiang Feng adjusted the sword on his back, eyeing the trail ahead. "Tell me again why we're doing this?"
Li Xue walked beside him, her expression serene. "Because the temple holds answers."
Jiang Feng exhaled. "And because you want to see if they'll worship you like a real goddess?"
Li Xue smirked. "Would that bother you?"
Jiang Feng scoffed, stepping over a fallen tree branch. "If they throw you on a golden throne and start making sacrifices in your name, don't expect me to stop them."
She laughed softly. "Noted."
They had left the village at dawn, traveling along an old mountain road. The mist clung to the trees, winding through the valleys like ghostly tendrils. Each step took them higher into the unknown.
Despite his usual wariness, Jiang Feng couldn't deny the strange sense of calm here. It was as if the mountains themselves were watching them, judging their worth.
Or maybe he was just losing his mind after spending too much time with Li Xue.
They had traveled in silence for a while when Li Xue suddenly stopped.
Jiang Feng followed her gaze. Up ahead, the road split into two paths. One led deeper into the misty forest, while the other twisted up a narrow ridge.
"There should only be one road," Li Xue murmured.
Jiang Feng frowned. "You've been here before?"
She hesitated. "…No."
But something in her voice told him there was more to the story.
He let it go for now. Instead, he crouched down, scanning the ground. "No tracks. If there were villagers or pilgrims coming through, there'd be signs of travel."
Li Xue looked around, her brows furrowing. "Which means…"
"This is a test."
The wind howled through the trees. Jiang Feng stood, gripping his sword hilt. "The temple is hidden, right? They wouldn't make the path easy."
Li Xue nodded. "Then we choose the right path, or we get lost forever."
Jiang Feng exhaled, watching the mist swirl around them. A hidden temple. A woman with a celestial mark. Assassins hunting her. This was starting to feel less like a journey and more like some ridiculous legend from an old storyteller's scroll.
And yet, he had already come this far.
Li Xue stepped forward. "The mountain calls."
Jiang Feng blinked. "What?"
She closed her eyes, listening. Then, as if sensing something unseen, she took a step toward the ridge.
Jiang Feng cursed under his breath. "If we die, I'm blaming you."
Li Xue only smiled.
And so, they climbed.
---
The higher they went, the stranger the air became. The mist grew thicker, curling around them like a living thing. Sounds warped and twisted—whispers that weren't quite there, footsteps that faded when turned toward.
Jiang Feng tightened his grip on his sword. "Something isn't right."
Li Xue paused ahead of him, her gaze distant. "Do you feel it?"
Jiang Feng frowned. "Feel what?"
She turned to him, and for the first time, there was something almost… ethereal about her.
"The mountain is testing us."
Jiang Feng opened his mouth to argue, but then the air shifted.
The mist in front of them parted, revealing a new path. Not stone, but a bridge of lotus petals, floating in the air.
Jiang Feng swore.
Li Xue, however, merely exhaled. "It seems we've been acknowledged."
Jiang Feng stared at her. "You're way too calm about this."
She turned to him, a playful glint in her eyes. "Are you afraid, husband?"
Jiang Feng rolled his eyes. "You keep calling me that, and I really will leave you here."
Li Xue chuckled, stepping onto the bridge. The petals didn't sink under her weight. Instead, they held firm, glowing faintly beneath her feet.
Jiang Feng hesitated. His instincts screamed at him to turn back. This was not natural.
And yet…
With a deep breath, he stepped forward.
The bridge held.
A path that only the chosen could walk. A woman that the heavens had marked. A swordsman with no sect, following a destiny he didn't understand.
The mist swirled around them, and the temple awaited.