They climbed the worn stairs to their room in the Floating Dreamers Pavilion and stepped inside. The chamber smelled faintly of incense and warm tea; silk screens let in a slant of late afternoon light. Xiu Mei closed the door behind them and let out a small, contrite breath.
"I'm sorry," she said quickly, meeting his eyes. "I'll never make that joke again. It—" her smile faltered, "it went too far."
Shi Yang's expression softened a fraction. She had pushed him, yes, but she was also the reason he was still breathing. You're too cute for me to be mad at. And there's still too much on my mind to pretend otherwise. He sighed at the thought, then bowed his head for a moment before sitting on the edge of the low bed and gesturing for them to join him.
"Don't worry, I'm not really mad at you," he said, looking into her eyes before turning to Han Jie. "But we didn't have much time to talk about what happened while I was unconscious. Might you explain why I woke up in a dress?"
Han Jie spoke first, blunt and practical. "The Willowshade enforcers tried to take you into custody. They believed you'd used an evil technique—the way you froze people in their tracks. That was more damning than your crimson river display. They came after you hard, but we fought them off, dragged you into the city, and started evading them." She paused, eyes narrowing.
"We only got a chance to escape when we found a carriage in the chaos. We bundled you in, masked you, and dressed you up so no one would recognize you. That's how we slipped out."
Xiu Mei nodded, adding a few details: how they took turns with the reins, faked their way past patrols, kept watch while one rested, and how close the enforcers had come before the carriage rolled away. "We did it to buy time," she said softly. "To keep you alive."
Han Jie folded her arms, her gaze sharp. "One question," she said. "How—why—do you have an evil technique? How did this happen?"
Shi Yang's stare flicked between them. For a long moment he said nothing.
"I couldn't tell you even if I wanted to," he said at last, voice low. "It isn't that I'm hiding anything. I just don't have a full explanation myself."
Xiu Mei's eyes flashed. "You said no secrets."
"It's not a secret," he corrected gently. "I simply don't fully know how I came by those techniques. But I do know when it began: when I visualized that waterfall from your village, Xiu Mei."
Her face stilled. "You think it could be tied to the Tide Sect?" she asked, voice tight with both hope and fear. "Or am I just jumping to conclusions because I want the answer to be… meaningful?"
"No — this time you're not jumping to conclusions," Shi Yang said, knowing she was really asking if she had tried to force him into her own puzzle, just as she had with the previous Shi, holding him up as a mentor figure for centuries despite having no ties to her inheritance.
He took a breath, choosing his words carefully. "I believe I somehow comprehended three separate things from that vision.
"First: a state—a way of witnessing spirits, both external and inturnal—this allowed me to see two of those ghostly attackers, to perceive them in a different layer beyond ordinary sight. It felt like a different sense entirely, as if the world had split and I could see the hidden current of intent.
"Second: two techniques that seem linked—one that summons rivers of blood through reflective surfaces, and another that called forth that vulture-like presence. They felt of the same category, as if powered by the same root principle.
"And third: I think I learned—subconsciously—to create a remnant or illusory world inside my spirit sea. Not just a memory or a mirror, but a whole pocket that could host time differently. Xiu Mei, your cave and the remnant you described… when I folded that image into my Dao manifestation, something in my spirit sea accepted it and birthed a landscape."
He looked into her eyes.
"But I don't know if ten years could pass inside while only days passed outside, like the real thing you've experienced."
Xiu Mei sat back, eyes wide. Han Jie's breath hitched.
"So you didn't steal the technique directly off this "waterfall" you mentioned. Instead... " Han Jie said slowly. "You… modeled it, grasping a fragment of understanding?"
"Something like that," Shi Yang replied. "Either I accidentally attuned to a technique bound to that Tide Sect remnant, or the waterfall's reflection acts as a node—something that multiplies or projects Dao-forms. Either way, the effect escaped me. That red river, the vulture, the spirit-sight—they're all branches of the same root. I can't fully control them yet."
Silence pressed in. Outside, the street noise drifted up from the market: the clink of a pot, a distant shout. The room was heavy with dangerous possibilities.
"If what you say is true," Xiu Mei whispered, "then the Tide Sect's remnants are far more dangerous—and powerful—than I ever guessed." She closed her eyes briefly, then opened them again. "I—no, I can't say that, can I?"
Shi Yang arched a brow. "Say what?"
"I was about to say I should get stronger and earn another ticket into the third remnant cave in the Eastern Sea." She stood, her voice softening. "But we're a couple now, so it's better if I include you in my decisions."
"So from now on," she said with a small smile, "I'll be saying we—not just I—when it comes to big choices."
Han Jie hummed. "What is this Tide Sect exactly? From the way you two spoke, it sounds worth pondering."
Shi Yang answered evenly. "It seems to have been an ancient sect, and from its name it might have originated from the sea. But I know nothing beyond what Xiu Mei has told me. If anyone has more answers, it's her."
Xiu Mei met their gazes, then shook her head. "Then I've no more interest in it," she said. "Though… I am interested in this waterfall you've based your Dao manifestation on. If it granted you such abilities, I'd like to see it myself."
"Don't bother," Shi Yang said flatly. "That hill and its streaming falls are gone. The formation that sustained them died when I cleared the path. It's a shame—if I'd known, I would've paid more attention."
He leaned forward slightly. "But didn't you just mention finding a third cave? That suggests there's more, doesn't it?"
"The second cave's formation was also destroyed," Xiu Mei said, stepping closer. "So I fear it's unlikely you'd comprehend anything even if we found it. But if we reach the Eastern Sea, all three of us could try our luck. We might learn whether what you experienced was truly part of the remnant caves' inheritance… or just a spark of insight."
Her voice dropped, serious. "But like I told you before, this cave will be far more dangerous than the others I've faced. We'll need a group of high-level cultivators to carve a path through the formation so I can slip inside."
"I'd planned to enter the tournament," she admitted, "convinced it would be held near the third cave. My goal was to use the gathering of talents as a shield, letting them battle through the dangers while I slipped into the ruins. But now…" She hesitated. "Now that the City Lord may be after us, we might need to lay low, reach the Eastern Sea on our own, or find another group with the same idea."
Shi Yang considered Xiu Mei's words carefully before speaking.
"I think that would be a waste," he admitted. "We already have a large quantity of one of the listed items needed to enter the tournament, and giving up on collecting the other three now might not be the best course of action. I feel it's better if we still participate in the City Lord's game."
He paused, his tone thoughtful. "After all, we haven't done anything that would cause a blood feud with the City Lord directly. If we returned once the fear died down, I doubt they'd pursue us. From what you told me, their concern was more about my blood-threading technique—it probably made them paranoid I'd use it for something evil."
He touched his chin, eyes narrowing slightly. "Still… for some reason I can't quite explain, joining the City Lord's tournament feels like the more adventurous path. But if you think it's truly a bad idea, then tell me."
Xiu Mei and Han Jie exchanged a long glance, their silence saying more than words. Both weighed Shi Yang's reasoning in their own way, the air between them heavy with calculation.
At last, Xiu Mei broke it. "If we stay in Yuefen Crossing and join the City Lord's tournament, then we'll need to be careful—more than careful. The moment you draw attention to yourself again, they'll connect it to what happened on the streets."
Han Jie nodded firmly, folding her arms. "She's right. We'll have to change aliases, new names and new faces. And you—" her gaze locked sharply on Shi Yang, "you'll have to promise not to use those techniques unless it's life or death. If anyone even suspects, we risk the City Lord's enforcers hunting us down again."
Shi Yang let out a quiet breath through his nose, but he gave a small nod. "Fine. I'll restrain myself unless there's no other choice."
The tension in the room eased slightly. Xiu Mei smoothed her sleeve, her tone softening. "Good. Then we'll prepare for the tournament on those terms."
Han Jie pushed off the wall and adjusted her robes. "But for now, we need to stabilize the Qi inside us. After everything that's happened, it's close to overflowing. If we don't temper it, it'll turn against us."
Xiu Mei glanced at Shi Yang, her expression warming despite the fatigue in her eyes. "Rest, Uncle Shi. You've been carrying more weight than either of us. Be ready for us later—we'll need you."
With that, the two women turned and made their way out, their footsteps soft against the polished wood. The faint trace of sandalwood lingered in the room as the door shut, leaving Shi Yang alone at last with his thoughts—and a brief, precious silence.