Chapter 7

The mist thickened around the lake.
Ran Yi stood still, his gaze distant—somewhere far beyond the present.
“…I just want to take her back,” he said quietly. “Back to where we belong.”
Zhou Yi Chen stepped forward.
His voice was steady.
“No.”
Ran Yi looked at him.
“You’ve killed seven innocent brides,” Zhou Yi Chen continued. “You will answer for your crimes.”
Silence.
Then—
Ran Yi laughed softly.
“Always the same,” he murmured. “The righteous hunter.”
His eyes flickered.
“…Even after everything.”
Zhou Yi Chen didn’t waver.
“I’ll speak for you,” he said. “I’ll ensure you’re not executed.”
A pause.
“But you will be imprisoned.”
Ran Yi’s gaze sharpened.
“…How long?”
Zhou Yi Chen didn’t hesitate.
“A thousand years.”
The words fell like a blade.
Ran Yi went still.
Then—
He shook his head.
“…No.”
The air shifted instantly.
“I won’t go back to chains,” he said quietly. “Not again.”
Zhou Yi Chen’s grip tightened on Yun Guangjian.
“Then you leave me no choice.”
Ran Yi smiled faintly.
“Then come.”
Scene: Clash
They moved at the same time.
Steel met illusion—
Water surged—
The lake exploded into motion as Ran Yi’s power twisted the space around them.
Zhou Yi Chen cut through it, his blade glowing faintly—
Precise.
Relentless.
Ran Yi slipped through shadows, his form flickering in and out like a dream refusing to break.
“Still so sharp…” Ran Yi murmured, dodging another strike.
Zhou Yi Chen didn’t respond.
He pressed forward—
Faster.
Stronger.
Driven.
Ran Yi’s smile faded.
“…You really will kill me.”
Zhou Yi Chen’s voice was quiet.
“If I have to.”
Their powers collided again—
A shockwave rippled outward.
Zhao Yuanzhou stood nearby, watching.
Silent.
But his gaze never left Zhou Yi Chen.
Scene: The Truth That Slips
Ran Yi staggered back slightly.
Then laughed—
Soft.
Knowing.
“…Mr. Zhou,” he said suddenly, glancing at Zhao Yuanzhou.
Zhou Yi Chen froze for just a fraction.
Ran Yi’s eyes gleamed.
“You’ve loved someone too… haven’t you?”
The words cut through the air.
Zhou Yi Chen’s breath hitched.
Zhao Yuanzhou’s expression stilled.
“…What?” he said lightly. “Ran Yi, don’t joke.”
Ran Yi smiled wider.
“Oh?” he murmured. “Then why won’t you answer?”
A pause.
Zhao Yuanzhou stepped forward slightly.
“Focus on yourself,” he said calmly. “You’re about to lose.”
But something had shifted.
Zhou Yi Chen’s grip tightened.
His voice came out quieter now.
“…I know.”
Both of them looked at him.
Zhou Yi Chen didn’t look at Zhao Yuanzhou.
His gaze stayed on Ran Yi.
“I know how it feels,” he said.
The wind stilled.
The water calmed—
Just for a moment.
“To lose someone,” Zhou Yi Chen continued. “To hold onto something you can’t have anymore.”
Ran Yi’s expression changed.
Zhou Yi Chen’s voice hardened again—
But the crack was there.
Barely hidden.
“But that doesn’t justify what you’ve done.”
Silence.
Ran Yi exhaled slowly.
“…No,” he said. “It doesn’t.”
A pause.
“But it explains it.”
Zhou Yi Chen raised his sword again.
This time—
There was no hesitation.

✨✨✨✨❄️❄️❄️

The clash reached its peak.
Water surged violently—
Zhou Yi Chen’s blade cut through the illusion—
“End this!” he shouted.
Ran Yi staggered—
Then suddenly—
His body twisted.
Distorted.
The air warped.
And in the next instant—
His face changed.
Not Ran Yi.
But—
Li Lun.
Zhou Yi Chen’s eyes widened.
“…You.”
A soft laugh echoed.
“Surprised?”
The “Ran Yi” before them smiled—
wrong.
Familiar.
“Did you really think he was acting alone?”
Zhao Yuanzhou’s expression darkened instantly.
“…You attached yourself to her.”
Li Lun tilted his head.
“To Miss Qi,” he confirmed lightly. “Such a fragile little thing… so easy to use.”
Zhou Yi Chen’s grip tightened violently.
“You used her?!”
Li Lun ignored him.
His gaze slid toward Zhao Yuanzhou.
“I’ve been watching you,” he said softly. “Waiting.”
The air grew heavy.
Ran Yi’s real presence flickered weakly beneath the control.
Struggling.
Fading.
Scene: The Strike
“Move.”
Zhou Yi Chen stepped forward—
But in that instant—
Li Lun moved faster.
A shadow shot forward—
Straight for Zhou Yi Chen’s heart.
Time seemed to slow—
Then—
A body stepped in front of him.
A sharp sound—
Impact.
Zhou Yi Chen froze.
“…Zhao Yuanzhou?”
The arrow had pierced through.
Deep.
Zhao Yuanzhou’s body tensed—
But he didn’t fall.
“…You’re too careless,” he murmured softly.
Zhou Yi Chen’s breath hitched.
“Why would you—”
Zhao Yuanzhou didn’t answer.
He simply pushed him back slightly.
Away from danger.
Scene: Truth Laid Bare
From the side—
Li Lun clapped slowly.
“How touching.”
His voice dripped with amusement.
Then—
It turned cold.
“Tell me, Zhou Yi Chen…”
His eyes gleamed.
“Do you know who you’re protecting?”
Zhou Yi Chen’s jaw clenched.
“…Shut up.”
But Li Lun only smiled wider.
“Zhao Yuanzhou…” he began, voice almost gentle, “once had a bond just like this.”
Zhao Yuanzhou went still.
“…Don’t.”
Li Lun ignored him.
“With Zhao Waner.”
The name struck like lightning.
Wen Xiao’s eyes widened slightly.
Zhou Yi Chen frowned.
“…Zhao Waner?”
Li Lun stepped closer, savoring every word.
“They were like siblings,” he said. “Closer than anyone.”
A pause.
“Do you know what she did?”
Zhou Yi Chen didn’t respond.
Li Lun’s smile sharpened.
“She gave him a name.”
Silence.
“Her brother’s name.”
The air seemed to freeze.
Zhou Yi Chen’s eyes flickered toward Zhao Yuanzhou.
Li Lun’s voice dropped—
soft.
Cruel.
“Zhuyan.”
The truth settled like a blade.
Zhao Yuanzhou didn’t move.
Didn’t speak.
Li Lun continued,
“And he wore a mask,” he said, almost mockingly, “to hide everything he felt.”
A pause.
“Grief. Loyalty. Love.”
The last word lingered.
Heavy.
Unavoidable.
Zhou Yi Chen’s grip on his sword trembled—
Just slightly.
“…Is that true?”
Zhao Yuanzhou said nothing.
Li Lun laughed.
“Look at him,” he said. “Still silent.”
Zhou Yi Chen stepped forward.
“Answer me.”
A long pause.
Then—
Zhao Yuanzhou spoke.
Quiet.
“…Yes.”
Zhou Yi Chen froze.
The world seemed to tilt.
“You were—” he started, but the words caught.
Zhao Yuanzhou didn’t look at him.
“I was many things,” he said softly.
A beat.
“But none of them matter now.”
Zhou Yi Chen’s chest tightened.
“…They do.”
Zhao Yuanzhou finally looked at him.
And for once—
There was no teasing.
No distance.
Only something raw.
“Why?” he asked.
The question hung between them.
Zhou Yi Chen didn’t answer.
Because he didn’t know how to.
Scene: The Breaking Point
Li Lun watched them both.
Amused.
Satisfied.
“Such a mess,” he murmured.
Then his expression darkened again.
“But I’m not done yet.”
The lake roared—
The illusion deepened—
And the battle was far from over.