Captives

His condescending gaze fixed on those magnificent sapphire-gold eyes, beautiful as gemstones. He wanted to find a flaw in them, to see that infuriating smile fade from her face, to see this lawless demoness crack.

But none of it happened.

Tianye was still smiling, her red lips as vivid as blood.

The two stood frozen like statues before the grand Meridian Gate, close enough to hear each other breathe as they stared into one another's eyes.

Tianye slowly raised her slender hand toward the hand clamped around her jaw, but before the two could touch, time itself seemed to fall into stillness.

Beneath the sunlight, dust on the city tower mingled with snowflakes and swept past the vermilion steps, falling with a soft rustle like frozen clouds. Bewilderment and panic froze upon the old and young faces of the officials. Iron boots crushed the scattered crystals of snow on the ground, and the burly old man abruptly clenched the cloud-and-tiger-engraved hilt at his waist over the sudden disturbance behind him.

A wisp of blood flame lit up, and the smile turned cold.

Smack.

It was the sound of a hand being slapped away.

It was like the scenes that played out daily in Di'an's streets and alleys, where frivolous young masters harassed respectable women. The difference was that Tianye's slap had been forceful—forceful enough to send Xu Yuan's hand flying outright.

Bzzzz—

A razor-sharp gale howled forth from where their palms had met. The blast, carrying snowy mist, plowed a slash mark through the solid bluestone ground with blood.

His arm was flung high by the force. Piercing pain surged from his wrist into his mind. Xu Yuan calmly lowered his gaze to look at his right hand, now gone skin and flesh alike, before looking at the golden-eyed girl