Sudden Chase, Qing Wan's Phoenix Mark Shines

The night wind swept past the alley entrance, and the metallic scent of rust still lingered in my nostrils. My fingertips felt slightly numb, and the golden line on my palm had long since vanished, yet it felt as if fine needles were coursing beneath my skin. The jade slip was sealed back into its brocade pouch, pressed close to my chest, still radiating a faint warmth.

I didn't return to my room, but instead took a detour, hurrying along the narrow alley outside East Street. My footsteps were light, and the medicine pestle gripped in my right hand made my knuckles turn white from exertion. That shadow I saw earlier wasn't an illusion; someone had tampered with the things my mother left behind, and they dared to leave a mark—in that case, they couldn't blame me for not playing by the rules.

The alley grew deeper, flanked by high walls on either side, leaving only a sliver of greyish moonlight overhead. Just as I rounded a corner, I suddenly noticed the flagstone beneath my feet was unusually warm, as if something had been pressing down on it for too long.

I didn't stop, but instead quickened my pace.

The moment my right foot landed, three cold glints shot out simultaneously from different directions!

A blade from the left aimed for my ribs, a poisoned dart from the right targeted my carotid artery, and a spiderweb-like chain materialized directly in front, intending to trap me.

I was prepared. My left foot slammed into the ground, my body leaned back, and I swept the medicine pestle horizontally, striking the wrist of the person on the left. They grunted, their weapon flying from their grasp, but I had no time to pursue—a sharp pain suddenly bloomed on my right shoulder as the poisoned dart pierced my clothing, leaving a scorched, black gash on my flesh.

Demonic Qi seeped into my meridians through the wound, like molten lead pouring into my veins.

I gritted my teeth and circulated my Spiritual Power to suppress it, only to find the power within me seemed to have been awakened by something. A scorching sensation surged from my Dantian, pressing towards my brow. My vision blurred for a moment, and when it cleared, the world was bathed in a faint golden-red hue.

A fine line, shaped like an unfolding wing, split open on my brow.

I didn't know how I attacked. I only remembered raising my right hand, the medicine pestle flying out and smashing into the center of the formation the three of them had created. Almost simultaneously, a layer of flames erupted around me, not red, but a nearly transparent golden flame.

The first person had just raised their shield when the flames spread along the metal. The shield warped and deformed, turning their arm into charcoal along with it. The second person attempted to form a seal and retreat, but the flagstones beneath their feet had already ignited. The flames exploded along the runes, and they ceased to make a sound in mid-air. The third person was the farthest away, but they couldn't escape either—as the command token in their hand began to glow with blood-red light, the golden flames had already reached their throat. They fell to the ground twitching before they could even cry out, leaving only a pile of ashes moments later.

The flames gradually receded, and I stumbled, catching myself against the wall to avoid falling.

My fingertips trembled, my palms slick with cold sweat. Those flames weren't mine; they had ignited on their own. I looked down at my right hand, where fine, cracked lines had appeared on the surface of my skin, like ice cracks on porcelain, or some ancient totem.

"Your mother hid you for ten years."

A voice came from behind me, deep and steady, devoid of surprise or admiration.

I spun around abruptly, the broken handle of the medicine pestle held defensively before my chest.

Ji Wuchen stood at the alley entrance, his black robes undisturbed. The faint red scar on his face flickered in the dying embers of the firelight. His gaze fell upon the Phoenix Mark on my brow, which hadn't fully closed, his eyes terrifyingly calm.

"But once this physique awakens, the heavens and earth will know," he said. "How do you feel now?"

I didn't answer, just stared at him. In the fight just now, the three assassins had coordinated flawlessly, clearly targeting me. And he... had appeared once again at the most crucial moment.

"Why are you here?" I asked.

"I can sense abnormal spiritual pressure," he said, taking two steps forward, his gaze sweeping over the three charred corpses on the ground. "Especially a bloodline outburst of this magnitude; it can be detected even from half a city away."

I sneered, "So you came specifically to watch the show? Waiting until I'm exhausted to talk about the 'secret of settling life and death through combat'?"

He ignored my sarcasm, walked directly to the nearest corpse, and crouched down. He picked up a partially unburnt black command token from the ashes. The edge was carved with twisted serpentine patterns, and the character for "Blood" in the center was so scorched only half of it remained.

"Outer disciples of the Blood Demon Sect," he said, standing up with the token in hand. "They don't act alone, nor would they target you without reason. Unless... someone told them your identity."

My heart jolted.

My mother's dying words echoed in my ears: "If anyone seeks your bloodline, it will be to refine their cultivation with it."

I stared at him. "You know this. Did you know I would be ambushed all along?"

"I didn't know the specific time," he said, his voice very faint. "But I knew something within you was awakening. Last night, when you were healing, the aura of the Pseudo-Primordial Body resonated with your meridians, triggering certain senses. These three people today are just the first wave."

"And you?" I took a step closer, pointing the broken pestle at his chest. "What do you want to get from me? Last time you said you wanted to uncover my secrets, and this time you save me? Do you think I'm a pawn you can control at will?"

He looked at me, then suddenly raised his hand, holding the black command token out to me.

"I'm not here to control you," he said. "I'm here to remind you—from now on, everyone who approaches you could be an enemy. Including me."

I froze.

His words didn't sound like a gesture of goodwill, but rather like drawing a line.

"Then why did you still show up?" my voice was slightly hoarse. "Why didn't you let me handle it myself?"

"Because you can't die yet," he retracted his hand and turned to look outside the alley. "Since the Blood Demon Sect has made a move, they won't send just these few people. There will be stronger pursuers, and it might even involve deeper factions. In your current state, you won't last three exchanges."

I clenched the broken pestle, my knuckles turning white. "That's my business."

"It's my business too," he turned back, his gaze calm. "The Blood Phoenix Power within you resonates with the power within me. In that moment just now, I sensed fluctuations from the Heaven-Slaying Origin—it's accelerating its condensation because of you."

My heart skipped a beat.

Heaven-Slaying Origin? What is that?

But before he could explain, he suddenly frowned and looked up at the sky.

I followed his gaze.

The originally overcast night sky was now faintly tinged with purple-red. The clouds churned like boiling water, and distant thunder rumbled, but no rain fell.

"This isn't right," he said in a low voice. "This isn't a natural phenomenon."

The burning sensation within me began to rise again, a dull ache in my brow, as if something was being summoned.

"We need to leave here," he grabbed my wrist. "The aura released in that fight was too strong; it has already triggered a backlash. Within half an hour, a lightning tribulation will descend upon this area."

"Lightning tribulation?" I shook his hand off. "I haven't even broken through my realm; how could I possibly attract heavenly punishment?"

"You didn't actively attract it," he stared at my brow. "It's the awakening of the bloodline itself that has violated the rules. The power of an ancient being has appeared, and the heavens and earth cannot tolerate it. If you don't leave, you won't be killed by people, but struck down by the heavens."

I didn't believe him, but the restlessness within me grew stronger, making even breathing difficult.

He said no more, turning to leave. "If you want to stay and verify, that's your choice, but don't expect me to turn back and save you a second time."

I stood rooted to the spot, watching his retreating figure disappear at the alley's mouth.

The wind whipped up the hem of my clothes, my hair ends inexplicably turning crimson. I lowered my gaze to my palm, where the golden line reappeared, deeper and longer than before, extending all the way to my wrist bone.

Thunder rumbled in the distance again, this time much closer.

I gritted my teeth and stepped forward to chase after him.

As soon as I exited the alley, I saw him stop beneath an old locust tree, pointing at the silhouette of a dilapidated temple on the desolate slope ahead. "We can hold out there for a while longer."

I didn't speak, quickly following him.

As we neared the ruined temple, I suddenly stopped.

A broken stele stood before the temple entrance, its inscriptions blurred, only a few strokes vaguely discernible.

And at the very bottom, a diagonal line was carved.

It was identical to the one on my wooden hairpin.