The streets of Fanghua had cooled slightly as evening settled, lanterns flickering along cobblestone paths, their soft glow reflecting in the gentle currents of the nearby canal. The smell of sizzling skewers and spiced broths drifted from street vendors, mingling with the faint scent of incense from nearby shrines.
Felicity walked beside me, her silver eyes bright, lips curved in an amused grin. "I still can't get over it," she said softly, "three of you at once… Ash, this is...insane."
I chuckled, tugging her gently toward a stall with steaming bowls of fragrant noodle soup. "It's just practice. A bit of skill, a bit of eon qi and mental energy."
She shook her head, laughing lightly. "You mean a lot of eon qi? You've split your mind into three high functioning versions, just to bake clay and pour chameleon steel. Normal people—well, normal prodigies—would collapse under the effort."
I shrugged, trying to seem casual, though through my vast mental pool the lingering heat from the forge still tingled at my fingertips. "Maybe. But it's easier when someone's here to remind you to eat." I gestured to her with a grin.
She rolled her eyes but didn't let go of my hand. "Flattery won't get you extra dumplings."
We found a small street-side table, simple wooden boards with bowls and chopsticks. The vendor, recognizing the unusual pair, offered a shy nod but otherwise left us to enjoy our meal in peace. Steam rose from the bowls, carrying the savory aroma of broth, roasted meat, and fresh herbs.
I took a careful sip of my soup, letting the warmth spread through me. "You know," I said, leaning back slightly, "it's… nice, just being here. No forges, no molten metal, no impossible tri-emblems to cast."
Felicity mirrored my lean, elbows on the table, gaze soft. "I like that you can be...normal sometimes," she said quietly. "Even if normal for you is sitting next to someone who's technically three people at once."
I laughed softly, shaking my head. "Point taken. I'll try to keep the cloning to a minimum during dinner."
She smirked, eyes twinkling. "No promises, then?"
"Of course not," I said, reaching across the table to squeeze her hand. The warmth of her palm grounded me in a way the forge never could.
For a few moments, we ate in comfortable silence, letting the bustle of the city flow around us. Lantern light danced on her silver hair, and for the first time in days, I let myself relax completely.
"You're really something else, Ash," she murmured, a playful edge in her voice. "I mean, I knew you were good… but that forging back there? That was… godlike."
I smirked, sipping the last of my broth. "Maybe. Or maybe I just got lucky. Or maybe I just like showing off when the audience is small."
Her laugh was soft and genuine. "Then I'm glad I'm here to witness it."
I tilted my head, smiling at her. "And I'm glad you're here, period. Makes everything else… easier."
She rolled her eyes, hiding a blush, but didn't pull her hand away. Outside, the city hummed with life—street performers, merchants calling their wares, and the occasional horse-drawn cart passing by. It was ordinary. It was peaceful. And for once, that felt as powerful as any talisman, any forge, or any impossible craft I could make.
For tonight, the world was just us, lantern light, and warm noodles.
The bowls were empty, the lanterns above beginning to dim as the night deepened. Felicity tugged my hand as we left the food stall, weaving us through the crowded streets until the noise faded into the quiet of a narrow canal-side walkway. Moonlight spilled across the water, silver ripples gliding with the current.
She stopped beneath a low-bending willow and looked at me with that mischievous glimmer. "So, Ash," she said softly, "was dinner enough...or do you want dessert?"
Her tone carried more than a joke. I felt the pull in her eyes, the spark of cultivation energy simmering beneath her skin. I stepped closer, my hand brushing her cheek. "Dessert sounds perfect."
In the hush beneath the willow we embraced, we sank into the Heavenly Organa sutra—her breath mingling with mine, our bodies folding together in a spiraled embrace, legs and arms entwined like a living knot. It was more than closeness; it was resonance. Flesh and qi aligned. Heartbeats synced.
Silver threads of her Lunar Path aura coiled around my core, weaving seamlessly into the steady, molten rhythm of my Eon Force. The connection was electric, not explosive but flowing like a tide. Every inhale drew her energy into me; every exhale returned mine into her.
Her forehead pressed against mine, her voice a whisper: "Ash! to co-cultivate with me in public like this! your even more daring than I thought." Felicity licked my face, "I like it."
I smiled, even as sweat beaded at my temple. "What can I say, you make me wanna do bold things."
Her laugh was low, husky and tinged with warmth. "Then I'll never stop."
Our qi streams spiraled tighter, forming a luminous helix that wound around our bodies. The willow's shadows shifted in rhythm, swaying as though the world itself bent to our co-cultivation.
And far away, back at the forge, the two Ashes paused mid-motion. The molten rainbow steel hummed as though struck by an invisible hammer. A fresh tide of vitality surged through them both, clearing fatigue, steadying their minds.
One Ash glanced at the other, lips quirking into a grin. "She's working her magic again."
The other smirked, adjusting the flow of the furnace flame. "Then let's not waste it."
As Felicity and I drew deeper into resonance, a sudden spark of insight flashed between us. I saw her silver moonlight bend into crescent shapes, sharper than blades yet nurturing as rain. She glimpsed the roots of my Eon Force spreading endlessly, a tree drinking from time itself.
Together, we shaped that union into something greater than either path alone—an unspoken vow carried in eon qi.
The city went on around us—merchants, music, moonlit canals—but beneath the willow, in our spiraled embrace, it was only us.
And the forge, miles away, burned hotter than ever.
The residents of Fanghua watched us co-cultivate, ''Oh to be young and in love!'' a passing old man said as he watched us with admiration in his eyes.
But not every gaze on us was tender.
From the mouth of a narrow alley across the canal, the dismissed apprentice leaned against a post, eyes glinting with bitterness. He had followed them from Jorun's forge, curiosity at first—but when he saw the way the crowd revered Ash, when he watched Felicity pressed close beneath the willow's silver glow, that curiosity soured into something sharper.
A thin grin spread across his face as he slipped a folded parchment from his satchel. A wanted poster, ink still fresh, bore Ash and Felicity's likeness. Alongside heavy script that promised reward for information leading to their whereabouts or capture.
Boots scuffed the cobblestones beside him. A cluster of cloaked figures emerged from the shadows—the air around them chilling, breath frosting even in the warm night. Their presence was unmistakable: Frozen Heart Clan disciples.
The apprentice's grin widened. He held the poster out like a prize jewel. "See? That's the guy. The Sovereign-Slayer, the one you wanted tracked down. He's right there—with the silver-eyed girl. So…" His voice turned sly, eager. "…do I get the reward?"
The Frozen Heart cultivators studied the willow where Felicity and Ash sat entwined, their qi spirals blazing faintly like ghost-light to their sharpened senses. One of them took the poster, eyes narrowing.
"Yes," the lead figure murmured, voice crisp with frost. "That's him."
The night air dropped a degree colder. The willow's leaves trembled as though already sensing a storm.