Disappointment in a Cat's Eyes

The Riftshadow Cat had already taken seven or eight steps.

It did not run. Instead, it stopped before a clump of shrubs to the west, raised a front paw, and licked it ever so slowly. The silver markings on its back rose and fell faintly with the motion.

Zhu Zhuqing moved to the right. There was no sound of footsteps; when the hem of her clothes brushed the grass, not even a drop of dew fell.

She was quieter than the Riftshadow Cat.

Luo Yan had already arrived at the front left. He leaned against the back of a tree, his mask appearing soundlessly. He did not move any closer.

The Riftshadow Cat seemed to sense something. Its ears turned back, and it lowered its body. It began moving diagonally left, trying to circle out of the encirclement.

But Luo Yan had no intention of giving it the chance.

In the Riftshadow Cat's eyes, the world was a net woven from wind, shadows, and scents.

It watched its prey's movements. Any muscle tightening, any breath quickening—it could react before they did.

But this time, for the first time, it lost its certainty.

Because what it saw was not a person, but a burst of fire erupting from behind a tree.

The blaze was far too unreal. A massive fire phoenix burst forth from the gray mist out of nowhere, its spread wings nearly covering the treetops.

The Riftshadow Cat instinctively dodged right, but it was too slow. Illuminated by the light, its own shadow seemed to come alive and tugged at its feet.

It stumbled. In that instant, the fire phoenix had already slammed into its side.

Scalding. Pain. Fear.

But just as it tried to regain its balance in midair, an incredibly light, utterly cold wind sliced in from behind it.

Zhu Zhuqing had arrived.

"First Spirit Skill, Hell Stab!"

Light burst forth, but it was not bright.

Her nails pierced the back of the Riftshadow Cat's neck. It did not even have time to let out one last cry.

Blood surged out at once—blackish red, hot—a thread-thin river of blood splitting into two streams in midair.

The Riftshadow Cat's eyes widened enormously. It was still trying to flee forward.

But Zhu Zhuqing did not give it another second. With a flick of her wrist, she drove her nails another half inch deeper.

The cat's body suddenly stiffened. Its tail shot straight up, then slowly fell.

Then the entire cat dropped from the air onto the grass. It did not even struggle. Only its blood continued to flow.

Zhu Zhuqing landed as well, dropping to one knee. Her hand remained clawed, while the cat no longer moved.

Her chest heaved violently, and sweat mixed with blood ran down from her temple. Yet she did not let go. She wanted to use every last bit of strength to make certain it would never rise again.

Luo Yan emerged from behind the tree. The fire phoenix had already dispersed, and his mask was off. There was little expression on his face.

He looked first at the cat, then at Zhu Zhuqing. The night wind carried the smell of blood and her uncontrollable panting to him.

Above the Riftshadow Cat's corpse, an extremely faint purple Soul Ring slowly condensed.

It was not as dazzlingly bright as Luo Yan's Millennium Soul Ring.

Yet after only one glance, Luo Yan's brow twitched slightly.

"Absorbing it will be harder than absorbing a hundred-year one, but the Spirit Skill will be stronger."

Luo Yan looked at the purple ring as well. "If you regret this now, it's not too late. We can find another one. At our speed, it'll cost us five days at most."

Zhu Zhuqing did not hesitate.

She slowly sat upright and wiped the blood from her fingers on the grass, her eyes still fixed on the Soul Ring.

"This one," she said.

Luo Yan looked at her, stood up, then backed away three steps before stopping.

"While you absorb it, no matter what happens, don't lose focus. Your body will hurt. It'll hurt badly. Do you trust me?"

Zhu Zhuqing did not look at him. She merely closed her eyes and nodded lightly, placing her life half an inch farther into his hands.

Luo Yan said nothing more.

He walked five steps away, leaned against an old tree, and stood still.

The Soul Ring slowly rose from the Riftshadow Cat's body, like a speck of purple fire lifted by the wind, drifting quietly toward Zhu Zhuqing.

She raised a hand and drew it over.

The instant the Soul Ring settled above her head, Zhu Zhuqing's entire body tensed.

She could feel countless tiny needles stabbing into her from the crown of her head, the back of her neck, and all along her spine.

Her blood burned. Her meridians felt as though someone were tearing them open inch by inch, then sewing them back together.

She bit down on her lower lip without making a sound. Her nails unconsciously dug into the soil, clawing deeper and deeper.

Luo Yan did not move. His breathing slowed as well. He watched her thin shoulders tremble again and again.

He knew it hurt badly, but her back never caved in. If she could not endure this night, she would never grow new claws.

He suddenly asked in his heart, "Aha. Can she succeed?"

The wind was still. There was no response.

"If she fails."

Luo Yan continued in his heart, his gaze never leaving Zhu Zhuqing. "Can you save her?"

This time, he waited even longer.

Long enough for Zhu Zhuqing's breathing to falter for an instant, long enough for his own fingers to unconsciously dig into the tree bark.

Yet this time, laughter came.

Luo Yan gently closed his eyes and did not ask again.

"Fine, fine, God of Mirth... peerlessly brilliant, unrivaled beneath heaven, God of Mirth~"

Luo Yan recited the words in his heart with extreme reluctance.

Was he coaxing him? Cursing him? He could not tell anyway.

But that soft laughter dispersed because of it. Aha lightly flicked against his chest, then fell silent again.

He opened his eyes once more and looked at Zhu Zhuqing.

Her face was already so pale it was nearly transparent. Cold sweat slid down from her temple and dripped along her chin into her collar.

Under the moonlight, her skin looked as though it were covered in a thin layer of frost.

The purple Soul Ring had already sunk half a foot into her body, slowly merging into her flesh and bones.

Pain.

Luo Yan could tell. Her lips had already been bitten open, and an extremely thin line of blood seeped from the corner of her mouth.

Her nails clawed ever deeper into the dirt. Good thing it was soil and not floor tiles, or she might have had to pay for the damage.

"Mm..." She finally let out a faint, muffled groan.

He rested the back of his head against the trunk and said quietly, "Zhu Zhuqing, endure it. You can endure it. You've already killed people, and you've fought to stay alive. What's this? It's just some lousy cat. You killed it already—can't you even absorb its Soul Ring?"

"Come on."

Two years later, Suotuo City, an ordinary evening.

A man and a woman stood at the city gate, looking into the distance. The handsome man and beautiful woman drew quite a few gazes.

"So... I've never understood why this so-called prince of Star Luo would hide in a place like this." Luo Yan took the blade of grass from his mouth, his tone full of disdain.

Zhu Zhuqing glanced at him, her voice calm and flat. "It's more like he's lying low."

Luo Yan smiled. "Hiding among women, or in wine jars? If that counts as lying low, then all those times I skipped class could count as going undercover."

Zhu Zhuqing did not respond to his nonsense. "Let's go in and take a look."

Luo Yan spat out the grass and followed her.

Suotuo City was livelier at dusk than anywhere else. The streets were filled with cries of vendors, neighing horses, and the smell of oil drifting out from some unknown tavern.

Zhu Zhuqing did not walk quickly. Luo Yan stopped fooling around and followed half a step behind her, looking here and there.

Suddenly, Zhu Zhuqing stopped.

Luo Yan did not notice and continued forward a few steps. When he turned back, he saw her standing where she was, staring straight across the street.

He doubled back and followed her gaze.

A hotel stood there, its sign enormous. A red carpet stretched from the entrance, while two rows of lanterns dyed half the street crimson.

An overpowering scent of roses drifted from inside, mixing with the smell of wine, sweat, and horse dust outside. It was sweet enough to become cloying.

"Rose Hotel?" Luo Yan read the words aloud, his final tone lifting slightly.

He turned to look at Zhu Zhuqing. Her face was hard to make out beneath the lights, but her gaze was cold.

Luo Yan followed her line of sight farther inside.

The lobby glittered with gold. A blond man leaned against the reception desk, laughing and chatting with two flamboyantly dressed women.

He was tall, richly dressed, and when he smiled, his features were strikingly flamboyant. He radiated an excessive sort of carefree delight.

"He is...?" Luo Yan asked.

Zhu Zhuqing's tone was full of disappointment. "Dai Mubai."