Chapter 18

Zhou Yi Chen folded his arms.
“What are you doing here?”
Zhao Yuanzhou looked genuinely offended.
“What kind of greeting is that?”
“The appropriate one.”
The ancient demon sighed dramatically.
“Well…”
He lifted his gourd.
“I don’t exactly have a place to live anymore.”
Zhou Yi Chen blinked.
“What?”
“Li Lun destroyed my pavilion.”
A pause.
“The one in the woods.”
Another pause.
“And I don’t particularly want to return to the Great Wilderness right now.”
Zhou Yi Chen was already suspicious.
“So?”
“So…”
Zhao Yuanzhou smiled.
“I thought I’d stay here.”
Silence.
“No.”
The answer came immediately.
Zhao Yuanzhou looked wounded.
“What do you mean no?”
“I mean no.”
“You’d let me sleep on the streets?”
“Yes.”
“Heartless.”
“You survived thirty-four thousand years.”
“I could freeze.”
“You control fire.”
“I could starve.”
“You own half the forests in the wilderness.”
“Emotionally starve.”
“…”
“…”
“Still no.”
Zhao Yuanzhou placed a hand dramatically over his chest.
“You wound me.”
“Good.”
For a moment, the ancient demon simply stared at him.
Then unexpectedly-
Zhou Yi Chen’s expression became serious.
The teasing vanished.
“Zhao Yuanzhou.”
“Hm?”
“The mark.”
The smile faded slightly.
The night suddenly felt quieter.
“I don’t understand.”
Zhou Yi Chen looked down at his hands.
“I’m not from the Baize bloodline.”
His voice was softer now.
More uncertain.
“So why did it appear on me?”
The question lingered between them.
For once-
Zhao Yuanzhou didn’t have a joke ready.
His gaze drifted toward the pond.
Moonlight reflected in his golden eyes.
“…I don’t know.”
Zhou Yi Chen frowned.
“You do.”
“I don’t.”
“You always know things.”
“Not everything.”
The answer came immediately.
And strangely-
It sounded honest.
“I truly don’t know.”
Silence settled over the garden.
Zhou Yi Chen studied him carefully.
“Are you hiding something?”
The question struck deeper than intended.
For a brief moment-
Something flickered across Zhao Yuanzhou’s expression.
Sadness.
Regret.
Pain.
Then it vanished.
“No.”
His voice was quiet.
“I’m not.”
A pause.
“And I won’t.”
The answer confused Zhou Yi Chen even more.
Before he could ask again-
Zhao Yuanzhou lifted his gourd and took a drink.
The familiar scent of alcohol drifted through the air.
Zhou Yi Chen frowned.
“You’re always drinking that.”
“It’s medicinal.”
“That’s a lie.”
“It absolutely is.”
Without warning-
Zhou Yi Chen grabbed the gourd.
“What are you doing?”
“Investigating.”
Before Zhao Yuanzhou could stop him-
He took a sip.
Silence.
A single second passed.
Then-
“WHAT THE HELL IS THIS?”
Zhao Yuanzhou immediately burst into laughter.
Zhou Yi Chen nearly spat it out.
“It tastes like poison!”
“It’s expensive poison.”
“IT’S HORRIBLE.”
The bitterness exploded across his tongue.
His face twisted immediately.
Worse.
Much worse than any medicine.
Zhao Yuanzhou was laughing so hard he nearly dropped the gourd.
“I warned you.”
“You did not.”
“I did.”
“When?”
“Many times.”
“No.”
“Beauty comes with pain.”
“…”
“…”
Zhou Yi Chen stared at him.
Then suddenly-
He stood.
Slowly.
Dangerously.
“Draw your weapon.”
Zhao Yuanzhou blinked.
“What?”
“Duel with me.”
The ancient demon looked completely confused.
“What does that have to do with the alcohol?”
“Everything.”
“Explain.”
“I refuse.”
Zhao Yuanzhou started laughing again.
The sound echoed through the moonlit garden.
And for the first time in a very long while-
Neither of them noticed that they were smiling.

❄️❄️❄️❄️⚔️⚔️⚔️⚔️✨✨✨✨

Moonlight reflected across the courtyard pond.
Silver light danced over the water.
The night breeze carried the scent of flowers.
And in the center of it all-
Yun Guangjian flashed.
Clang.
Zhou Yi Chen attacked again.
And again.
And again.
The duel had long stopped resembling a fight.
It looked more like a dance.
White robes moved through moonlight.
Sword-light scattered like falling snow.
Water rippled beneath their feet.
The stars reflected around them.
If someone had seen them from afar-
They would’ve thought immortals had descended to earth.
Unfortunately-
The immortals wouldn’t be arguing.
“Answer me!”
Zhou Yi Chen’s sword swept toward Zhao Yuanzhou’s shoulder.
“What question are we on now?”
“The mark.”
Clang.
“Don’t know.”
“The Baize Order.”
Clang.
“Still don’t know.”
“My dreams.”
Clang.
“No idea.”
“You’re lying.”
“I’m fencing.”
“You can do both.”
“I am talented.”
Zhou Yi Chen swung harder.
“Shameless.”
“Accurate.”
Moonlight shimmered around them.
Zhao Yuanzhou wasn’t even drawing a weapon.
He simply dodged.
Turned.
Moved.
Like flowing water.
Every strike missed by a hair.
Which only made Zhou Yi Chen angrier.
“Fight properly.”
“I am.”
“You haven’t attacked once.”
“I’m protecting my face.”
“What?”
“If I get injured, you’ll feel guilty.”
“I absolutely won’t.”
“You might cry.”
Zhou Yi Chen nearly threw the sword at him.
Then-
His foot slipped slightly on the wet stone.
For only a second.
But Zhao Yuanzhou noticed.
Of course he did.
The ancient demon moved instantly.
An arm wrapped around Zhou Yi Chen’s waist.
Steadying him before he could fall.
Everything froze.
The distance between them disappeared.
For one brief moment-
Their faces were only inches apart.
“…”
“…”
Then Zhou Yi Chen immediately pushed away.
“Let go.”
“You were falling.”
“I was not.”
“You literally were.”
“I had it handled.”
“You were horizontal.”
“I was not horizontal.”
“You were becoming horizontal.”
“That’s not a thing.”
“It was.”
Zhou Yi Chen took three steps backward.
His ears suspiciously warm.
Then he raised his sword again.
And asked the question that had been bothering him for weeks.
“Why?”
Zhao Yuanzhou blinked.
“Why what?”
“Why do you always treat me like I’m made of glass?”
The courtyard fell silent.
Even the wind seemed to stop.
Zhou Yi Chen lowered his sword slightly.
“Why do you always act like…”
His voice grew quieter.
“…like I’m some priceless pearl.”
The words slipped out before he could stop them.
For once-
Zhao Yuanzhou didn’t joke.
Didn’t smile.
Didn’t flirt.
He simply looked at him.
And for a brief moment-
His expression was heartbreakingly sad.
As if he’d heard those exact words before.
Long ago.
Then the moment vanished.
The familiar smile returned.
“Maybe because you’re beautiful.”
“Get serious.”
“I am serious.”
“Zhao Yuanzhou.”
The ancient demon sighed.
Then slowly raised his hand.
Water from the pond lifted into the air.
Moonlight reflected inside countless floating droplets.
The entire garden glowed.
Zhou Yi Chen stared.
“What are you doing?”
“I’m changing the subject.”
“…”
“It works surprisingly often.”
“It really doesn’t.”
The water continued floating.
Then suddenly-
The droplets froze.
One by one.
Transforming into tiny crystals of ice.
Hundreds.
Thousands.
Suspended beneath the stars.
The sight was breathtaking.
Even Zhou Yi Chen forgot to argue.
For a moment.
Zhao Yuanzhou stepped beside him.
Looking up at the frozen constellation.
Then he spoke softly.
“I’ll teach you something.”
Zhou Yi Chen looked at him.
“A technique?”
Zhao Yuanzhou nodded.
“A very old one.”
The floating ice reflected in his golden eyes.
“It’s called…”
His fingers brushed through the frozen droplets.
“Water Drips Into Ice.”
The ice bells chimed softly in the wind.
“A technique?”
“A philosophy.”
Zhao Yuanzhou smiled.
“Water seems weak.”
“It yields.”
“It bends.”
“It waits.”
Another droplet froze.
“But if enough time passes…”
His gaze shifted toward Zhou Yi Chen.
“Even water becomes ice.”
The frozen crystal glimmered between them.
“Soft things can become strong.”
“Broken things can heal.”
“And some things…”
His voice lowered.
“…remain unchanged no matter how many years pass.”
For some reason-
The way he said it made Zhou Yi Chen’s chest tighten.
As though the words weren’t about cultivation.
Or swordsmanship.
But about someone.
Someone Zhao Yuanzhou had never forgotten.