In the depth of the night, when all were asleep, the palace of Bi An Island was still awake with its usual business. Under the starry night, a servant was carrying a tray of hot tea and steamed cake down the hallway. The hem of her dress fluttered from her light and quick steps as if she was floating atop a cloud. 

Arriving at a pair of grand doors, she knocked three times and settled the tray of food on the ground. Just as she was about to leave, the doors swung open and a long, red ribbon shot out from the dark room. Like the tongue of a frog, the ribbon wrapped around the tray and brought it inside the room in a flash. The doors closed with a silent creak.

The servant stepped back in shock. She rested a hand on the right side of her chest, attempting to calm herself down. 

“I’ve been serving tea and food for almost an entire month and this never happened!” She exclaimed. “I must report this to the high priestess!”

Not long after the servant left, a proud figure casually strolled to the room. The hall echoed with the sound of wooden heels. The figure knocked on the door thrice.

“If you’re not dead then open the door.”

“...”

“You’re not going to open the doors? Fine, I guess you really are dead then.”

Without warning, the doors opened with a ferocious force, nearly knocking the doors off their hinges. Unstartled, the high priestess walked into the room, gently fanning herself with a black fan.

“Aiyah, you’re finally awake,” Qin Dan said casually. With a flick of her hand, the doors closed shut behind her. “Well?”

Behind a large screen of embroidery, a tall, slender man stood up from his bed. Even through the man’s shadow on the fabric screen, one could tell that this man was well built. But the man was in no mood for a showcase of himself. A long, silk ribbon shot out from behind the screen and wrapped itself around a set of clothes hanging from the wall. With a single tug, the ribbon retracted and brought the robes to the man behind the screen. He quickly slid them on and walked out from behind the screen.

“I can’t believe you lost it.” Lanyue complained, sitting down at a table in the middle of the room.

“What happened?” Qin Dan asked. She reached for the pot of tea at the center of the table and poured it into a cup.

Lanyue frowned. “Where’s your black cloud badge?”

Qin Dan froze. She gently settled the pot down and searched in her pockets. After a moment, she took out a cloud-shaped black piece of wood.

“Right here.”

Lanyue grabbed the piece of wood and examined it under the candlelight at the table. “What the… Then where did he get the first badge?”

“Well I’m glad you’re finally asking.” Qin Dan said.

Lanyue shot her a look. “What? You knew? Tell me.”

“I went to do a little investigating, like you asked me to. And there were traces of a failed dual cultivation near the bamboo cottage.” Qin Dan explained. “My guess is that is where he found the first badge.”

“A failed dual cultivation…” Lanyue pondered at his cup of tea. “It must be the work of that disgusting slug. Probably trying to summon one of his friends through the disrupted Yin and Yang. That slug also came to us.”

“Us?” Qin Dan looked confused. “I never saw him.”

Lanyue rested his forehead on his hand. “I meant Yuelong. That slug appeared with his underlings and slaughtered the Lishui Sect. Not that I care, but that’s what happened these past couple days.”

A snappy sound came from Qin Dan unfurling her fan. “That’s not good, Lanyue.”

“Why should I care? You should have seen that old man’s face when they tried to kill me that day on the cliff. Wah—! But who knew? He died so easily from that reptile.”

“Lanyue,” Qin Dan started. “You do know who this reptile is, right? He’s not an easy foe. And besides—”

Lanyue held up a hand. He stared blankly at the cakes on the table. He felt a sudden chill and discomfort in his chest. Out of the blue, he spat out a mouthful of blood. The clean, white cakes were now stained with a dark, crimson ooze. 

“Lanyue!” Qin Dan stood up from her chair. She focused her energy into the palms of her hands and placed it on Lanyue’s back. At once, a powerful flow of spiritual energy coursed through Lanyue’s body.

“This is exactly what I warned you about! Those books that you found in the secret room are forbidden spells! They will harm your body!”

Lanyue shook his head. “I’m fine… Just a little tired.”

Qin Dan looked down at Lanyue. “Yeah, yeah, yeah, you stubborn fool. There’s no one else here, there’s no need to pretend in front of me, you know?”

Lanyue smiled. “I can never trick you…”

“Of course you can’t! I’ve eaten more rice than you have eaten salt! You think I can’t see through the hearts of youngsters? But seriously, you need to stop using the Dreams of Duality.”

“...”

“I mean it! It will wear down your body and in the end, you’ll just become what you fear the most!”

Lanyue sighed. “I get it, but I can’t stop now. I’m already halfway there and I won’t give up so easily. I will make him pay for betraying me…”

“Whatever you say,” Qin Dan muttered. Deep down, Qin Dan already knew the true purpose of why Lanyue was so desperate to use the spell of Dreams of Duality. Even when his life was at risk, he was still determined to continue the spell. 

Qin Dan muttered to herself, “Who in the world can tell me what true love is? Only those, festered by love, die and live for it.”

“What was that?” Lanyue asked. “Did you say something?”

“Just be quiet and let me heal you!”

After a moment of silence. Qin Dan took her hand off from Lanyue’s back and sat down. She began to fan herself gently like nothing had happened, but her forehead was glittering with dews of sweat.

“You didn’t really have to waste so much energy on me, you know.” Lanyue said. “If you use too much, the change will happen.”

“So what if it happens? You think you’re capable of suppressing the demonic effects? With that body?” Qin Dan refuted. “Don’t forget who cursed you in the first place. I told you, that reptile isn’t so easily dealt with.” 

“At least the curse gave me immeasurable power.” Lanyue smiled like a young boy gifted with sweets. But no matter how sweet the candy was, there will be a hint of bitterness behind the cooked sugar. Lanyue’s smile quickly faded as he was once again reminded of the consequences behind his powers. “But I think he’s making his move again. He failed here with us and now he’s going after the other sects.”

Qin Dan’s fanning became slightly quick. “But what can we do at the moment? We don’t know where he’ll be next. The dude is literally in another world. And there are thousands of rifts between this world and the Wastelands, it’s impossible to know where he’ll come out.”

“He really is persistent isn’t he?” Lanyue smirked sarcastically.

“If you lived for a long time and murdered thousands, you’ll obviously be somewhat persistent in what you do,” Qin Dan explained. “Especially if the Heavens sealed up your freedom for thousands of years.”

“Well no one told him to anger the Heavens!” Lanyue slammed the table. “That selfish freak spreads his anger like a marsh! Literally! The northern part of Bi An Island is still a deadly swamp thanks to him!”

“Well obviously, did you think the powers of us humans alone can compete with an evil god from the ancient times?” 

“...”

“Sometimes, Jingfeng, we have to know our own limits,” addressed Qin Dan.

“Don’t call me that name!” Lanyue ordered.

Qin Dan sighed. “Alright, alright. But someone who was your master even for one day, you should respect them like your own father.”

“I’ve repaid him with my death.”

Qin Dan shook her head. “You will still need to find a way to stop the reptile, you know. Does Yuelong even know what he is facing?”

“Maybe, maybe not,”

“What do you mean? Did he not figure it out yet? And how are you able to conceal your identity?”

Lanyue shook his head. “I used the needles to reshape my face.”

“You’re not serious. You know who taught you that demonic skill? And besides, are you going to tell Yuelong about him?”

The images of his vision once again rose in his mind. An unclothed Yuelong is suppressed by a naked beast. He could feel a pang of jealous anger boiling inside of him. Now, Lanyue was even more certain of what would happen if he didn’t interfere. 

“Don’t worry, I’ll tell him when he needs to know.”

With a flick of his sleeve, a red silk ribbon shot out from his sleeve towards his dresser. The ribbon wrapped itself around a bronze mirror and retracted back into Lanyue’s sleeve. In the dim candlelight, Lanyue looked at his own sickly face.

“See, I told you those forbidden spells would do you no good. But you never listen.” Qin Dan sighed.

Lanyue looked at the strange face in the mirror. He had sunken eyes and hollow cheeks, like a man who hadn’t eaten or slept in ages. Lanyue placed the mirror face down. He didn’t want to see the horrible sight again.

“But it’s well worth it, isn’t it?” Lanyue smiled grimly. “To return what was done to me back to him! And once I’m done, that slug will be next!”

Qin Dan shook her head in disapproval but remained silent about her opinion. 

On the opposite side of the land, a shadow lurked atop the roof tiles of the Yanren Hall. Concealed in the darkness by the powers given to him by his master, the spy was collecting the energies of the moon. 

Swirls of dark wind gathered at his fingertips and into his veins. It coursed through his entire body before entering the spiritual dan deep inside of him. 

“I need to get stronger…” He muttered to himself.

He moved his arms in a circular motion and took in deep breaths of the chilly night air. A small wisp of silver flowed down from the moon’s chilly glow. Like the threads of fabric, the silver strings followed the motion of the shadow’s hands and encircled him completely. At once, the silver threads of moonlight were tainted by the impure aura of the shadow and turned as black as night. The wisps condensed and swirled around his fingertips before entering into his body.

A small glowing object at the corner of his vision caught the sight of the shadow. 

“What is that?” The shadow thought to himself.

Using his powers of the moon, he summoned a claw of darkness from within. He reached forth with his claw and snatched the glowing object. It was a paper crane.

“Huh, a letter.”

The shadow unfolded the letter:

“Lishui has fallen. The “Teng” have withered. Wastelands are opened. Beware of Demons.”

The shadow chuckled. In a blink of an eye, the letter was shattered into a million pieces by the dark claws.

“Fan Yiheng, how nice of you to send a warning to your dear old pops. But I’m afraid it is too late. Your father will be visiting Murong Teng very soon…”