White Sage (Part 1)

The journey to find the White Sage took us through rugged hills and steep mountains, each step carving deeper exhaustion into my limbs. Ruan Yanjun strode ahead, his movements fluid and unbothered, as if the uneven terrain was nothing more than flat ground.

The air was heavy with the scent of moss and rain, the dense canopy above casting dappled shadows on the forest floor. I stayed close to him, keeping my thoughts to myself as usual.

It was quiet—until it wasn't.

A violent rustling broke the calm, and before I could process the sound, a thick vine shot out from the underbrush and wrapped itself around my torso. The force of it yanked me into the air so fast I didn't even have time to scream.

The creature was a massive mutated plant, its main body resembling a grotesque fusion of tree bark and flesh. From it, long, sinewy vines writhed with unnatural speed. The tips of the vines glistened with sharp, needle-like thorns, and its central "mouth" was a gaping bloom lined with teeth-like petals. The plant exuded an eerie, pulsating glow, as if it thrived on something far more sinister than sunlight.

"Lord Ruan!" I managed to choke out, the vine tightening around my chest.

He didn't even flinch. With a flick of his wrist, he conjured a crackling flame in his palm.

My stomach sank.

He wouldn't.

But of course, he did.

Without hesitation, he launched it toward the vine holding me captive. The fire roared to life, consuming the vine in an instant. The heat was close enough to sear my skin, but I bit back a cry of alarm. The plant's screech reverberated through the forest, its remaining tendrils flailing in desperation.

The burned vine loosened, and gravity took over.

I plummeted toward the ground.

Only when the ground was perilously close did Ruan Yanjun move. In one fluid motion, he caught me mid-fall, his grip firm but unyielding. He held me as if I weighed no more than a feather, his expression inscrutable.

"You didn't even try," he said sharply, his tone laced with exasperation.

"I—" I started, but he cut me off.

"You could've used your staff to fend it off, or at least tried to break free. But no, you hung there like a damsel in distress, waiting for me to save you."

His words stung, but what cut deeper was the way he refused to set me down. His arms stayed firmly around me, holding me close. My cheeks burned as I looked away, trying to ignore the way my pulse quickened under his scrutiny.

"Put me down," I said finally, my voice quieter than I intended.

He didn't move. Instead, his lips curved into a teasing smile. "Not until you stop blushing."

I gritted my teeth, forcing myself to calm down, but his gaze didn't waver.

"You're so pretty when you blush," he added, his voice softer but no less infuriating.

"Lord Ruan," I said, exasperated.

He laughed, a low, rich sound, and finally set me down.

I turned away from him, my hands tightening into fists. He always did this—treating me like some delicate flower, only to turn around and mock me for it.

His expression sobered as he crouched near the remains of the plant. "Someone's been experimenting," he muttered, examining the scorched vines.

"Experimenting?" I echoed, stepping closer despite myself.

"This isn't natural," he said, standing and brushing his hands off. "Someone's tampering with the forest."

"Are we going to investigate?"

He shook his head, his usual smirk returning. "No time. Let them play their games. We have more important things to do."

We pressed on, encountering more of the mutated plants as we ventured deeper. Each one fell easily to Ruan Yanjun's flames, their threats rendered meaningless in the face of his power. But as the hours wore on, no guardian appeared, and the legendary White Sage remained elusive.

It was only when we stumbled upon a small clearing that we found something—or rather, someone.

The old man.

His wild, unkempt appearance was even more deranged than before, his eyes bloodshot and darting nervously. He stood before a patch of dense foliage, his body half-shielding it as if it were his most precious treasure.

"Give me the flower," he barked the moment he saw us, his voice hoarse with desperation.

I stared at him, my earlier sympathy eroded by the sight of his erratic behavior. "I'm sorry, but I need the flower to save my life."

"My wife is dying!" he snapped, his voice breaking. "Doesn't anyone care?"

I glanced at Ruan Yanjun, who looked more amused than concerned.

"There's only one flower," Ruan Yanjun said casually, stepping forward. "You both want it. So why don't you fight for it? Winner takes the prize."