I'm floating at the intersection of the Celestial Highway, eyeing every immortal that zips by in the sea of clouds. Long Yan hovers beside me in his human guise, his fiery wings flapping. "Ling Yue, we've been here for quite a while. Can you at least tell me why?"
I place a finger to my lips. "Shh... I'm trying to concentrate."
"Fine, if you're going to be that way, I'm leaving." He turns away.
With my eyes still fixed on the highway, I grab his arm. "Just wait. I need you to approach a certain immortal."
"Why can't you do that yourself?" He raises a brow at me.
I let out a long sigh, flicking my silver-blue hair back. "They always call me 'demon', probably because of my skin color. So what if it's azure-hued? It's not that my skin color is different—everyone else's is just the same."
"Oh... I'm sorry." Long Yan's jaw tightens, his wings flare up, and the temperature rises. He opens his palm, and a ball of flame appears. "Do you want me to torch every immortal who calls you by that name?"
I wave my hand at that kind gesture. "Nah, don't worry about it. Sticks and stones will break my bones, but words will only bore me."
He closes his palm, and the flame snuffs out. He crosses his arms, staring down each immortal that dares glance our way. Some notice his intensity and steer away from us.
Finally, the immortal I was searching for appears, and I tug at his arm. "That's him! The one wearing the green robe with a golden sash. I need you to talk to him."
My fiery companion flies over to the one I pointed to. He grabs the unassuming immortal by the collar of his silk robe and drags him back to me.
"What in the Heavens?" the immortal says, squirming. "Master Long Yan, I swear by the stars, I didn't do anything wrong."
I cross my arms and lean in. "Many full moons ago. Try to remember. You saw me at this exact spot and tucked your pouch into your robes when you saw me. Why did you do that?"
"How do you expect me to remember that far back? It's preposterous," the immortal sputters.
Long Yan flicks his free hand, and a flame appears on each of his fingertips. He brings his flaming hand closer to the immortal's face, and sweat beads form on the captive's brow. "Does this refresh your memory?"
The immortal's eyes widen. "Please, I don't want any trouble." With trembling hands, he reaches into his robe and pulls out a scroll. "This is what I saw that day."
I snag the scroll out of his hand and eagerly unfurl it. It's a picture of me that day with a person reaching for my satchel. "You carry a picture of me around in your pocket?"
"Well, with your affiliation to Master Long Fei, I thought one day he would come searching for me because of what happened that day. It was the first time I witnessed pickpocketing in broad daylight. That's why I put my pouch in my robe."
Master must be terrifying in the Celestial Realm, if this random immortal kept a picture of me as a precaution. I give a curt nod to Long Yan, who blows out the fire on his fingers and releases the trembling immortal. I've never seen someone run in mid-air so fast.
Long Yan brushes his hands as his flaming wings flap. "Now, can we go have lunch?"
***
By the stream of jumping fish, I take it upon myself to catch our food, releasing two air bubbles to trap them mid-jump. They float toward us, slowly cooking as I channel my frustration into the bubbles. "Try this—my first attempt at air-cooked fish."
Long Yan takes a bite, then clicks his fingers. Both fish flare up for a few seconds. "It was just a bit too raw for me to stomach. Nice try, though."
We munch on perfectly grilled fillets, tossing the bones back into the stream and letting out resounding burps.
"Are you going to tell me what that picture was all about?" he asks, leaning back onto the grass, hands behind his head.
I scoff. No way am I going to confess that I was planning to take up Celestial Highway robbery. I nonchalantly reply, "Someone slipped the map of the location of the treasure chest into my satchel. You were right that it was not from Master."
I study the picture more closely, rotating it at different angles, squinting.
"Ling Yue, do you recognize who that person in the picture is?" Long Yan casually exhales little rings of smoke—probably conjured from his inner flame.
The wind blows a ring of smoke into my face, making me cough. I glare at him. "Hey! I'm not a smoker, you know. Keep your dragon breath to yourself."
Spittle from my cough blurs the mysterious man's hair. "It's him! The wanted criminal." I shove the picture into my companion's face.
Long Yan studies the picture. "I don't see the resemblance, but if you say so... I'll take your word for it."
"Well, that picture looks suspiciously like one of the merchants who took a shooting star from me. Since the scoundrel is a master of disguise, it's him, without a doubt."
"Shall we report this to the Crown Prince?"
"No need to waste time. I have a score to settle with him. Afterwards, I'll drag him back to the Crown Prince, maybe in one piece. Depends on my mood."
I clench my fist, just thinking about it. That scrawny, frazzled-hair scoundrel set me up from the beginning. He messed with the wrong demon.