Be Gentle, Immortal Master

Warmth bubbled through me with those words. I buried my face into his chest. "Even after I've already misstepped once in my previous life?" I asked. "Even if … Even if we might discover stronger forces that push me towards the same path?"

The vision I saw at Azure Dragon Palace flashed back in my mind. I hadn't told Bai Ye about that vision of my worst fear—partially because ever since I found out about the truth behind his "retreat", my worst fear had been replaced by the thought of losing him—but what we saw today unavoidably reminded me that the worry of history repeating itself was still lurking deep inside me. I couldn't afford to lose this fight, yet I also couldn't deny the power of the enemy I had to face.

He tousled my hair. "Remember what you told me in that meditation chamber, Qing-er? You said you might be young in this life, but you know what you want and how to stay true to your heart. You have proven that to me many times since then … So I mean it when I said I believe you, because you've truly grown stronger now, in more ways than one."

He held me closer, and his voice turned a little wistful as he continued, "Besides, it wasn't you who misstepped last time. I was too careless … I underestimated the threat you were facing, and I neglected all the danger signs until it was too late. I was the one who led you in the wrong direction—" he pressed a finger onto my lips, stopping the protests that didn't get a chance to come out of me, "—but this time will be different. You know your path, and I know mine. We'll even get to find out more about the power we need to fight against … What else is there to be afraid of?"

The finger on my lips released me then, and he replaced it with a kiss. Soft, but warm and without any uncertainty. My heart melted. Circling my arms around him, I inched closer, letting his scent and taste soothe me along with those comforting words. Ever since we left Mount Hua, every night in this bed had been wild, but at this moment, just lying in his arms and letting myself loose in the tenderness of his kisses was such a different but equally blissful feeling that I had almost forgotten we shared. "Bai Ye," I whispered against his lips, "I … can't be thankful enough to have you."

He laughed softly. "I should be the one saying it," he breathed. "Don't worry. We'll face this together, and we won't let it separate us a second time."

I nodded. Closing my eyes, I rested my head on his shoulders, and I felt more calm and at ease than ever. The scent of him filled my nostrils, finally lulling me to sleep.

~ ~

We made our way to the Vermilion Shrine the first thing next morning. I had half-expected a sect known for its reclusiveness to be located at a remote forest or mountain top, but I was surprised to find us arriving at a ragged cliff overlooking the East Sea, with no signs of any buildings around us. "Are we stopping by here for something else?" I turned to Bai Ye and asked.

He smiled and fetched a talisman from his sleeve. "The Vermilion Shrine disguises its entrance to protect its reclusiveness. Only cultivators that are able to break the spell and see the gate are granted a reception." He passed me the talisman sheet. "You've learned enough about symbols and summoning. Would you like to try?"

Another test for visitors then, just like the vision at Azure Dragon Palace. I plucked the sheet from his hand. The symbol resembled the character "gate", with intricate patterns decorating each stroke. I ran my thumb over the drawing, recalling what he had taught me about how to examine the symbols, and I pushed my spiritual power through it. Reaching out with my consciousness, I uttered the words that came to my mind to control that flow of energy. A wisp of white smoke rose from the talisman, and as it slowly ascended in front of us, the cliff surface started to morph. Gradually, a golden gate appeared at the center of the obsidian rocks, glowly softly against the morning sun.

Bai Ye gave me a proud look, and we stepped through the gate. The moment we crossed the threshold, the doors closed on their own behind us, and the entrance became a solid sheet of dark stone once more.

"Are we inside the cliffs now?" I gasped at the sight that greeted us. Under an expanse of clear sky, an open grassland stretched in front of us, dotted with a myriad of temples. How could we have just walked into solid rock and be facing a landscape like this?

"You just stepped through a chasm in space, into another 'world' that isn't visible to most." A voice replied on the opposite side of me from Bai Ye. I swirled, finding an unfamiliar face suddenly appearing out of nowhere. The man nodded politely at us. "Welcome to the Vermilion Shrine. I am your guide, and you may call me Thirteen."

Vermilion Shrine was certainly an interesting place, I thought. Both in location and the way people chose their daoist names. Bai Ye and I offered our greetings and introduced ourselves. "We are here to trouble you about a seal that someone from your sect has put down at the Misty Mountains," I said. "A seal that has trapped some type of soul at the bottom of a cave there. Its power seemed to have created a resonance with a demonic sword I possess, and we'd be grateful if you could help us find out why."

I had prepared more explanations to convince them to help, but Thirteen nodded with no hesitation at all. "It is every cultivator's responsibility when it comes to trouble against a demonic sword," he said. "Please come with me."

Well, if only the Gatekeeper at Mount Hua had this kind of attitude towards Twin Stars … Rejoicing that our progress had been easy so far, I clutched Bai Ye's hand, and we followed our guide. Google search 𝙛𝓇𝘦e𝙬𝑒𝚋𝒏૦ѵel. c𝒐𝚖