Chapter 61: The Icy Veil
Li Feng tightened his grip on the Black Phoenix Talisman, its dark flames pulsing faintly in his palm. The others stood still, waiting. Yan Shun had already shifted into a defensive stance, his fingers twitching near his blade, while Zheng Wei, though weakened, steadied himself with quiet determination. Mei Lian, however, seemed frozen.
"I see you've all come far," Yuexiang said at last, her voice like silk gliding over steel. "And yet, the road ahead is far longer than you can imagine."
Li Feng narrowed his eyes. "Why are you here?"
A faint smirk touched her lips. "Not to fight, if that is what you fear."
Yan Shun scoffed. "Fear? After everything you've done, you expect us to believe you come in peace?"
"I expect nothing from you," she replied smoothly, her gaze flickering toward Mei Lian. "But I do expect wisdom from those who have been given power they do not understand."
The words struck something deep in Li Feng. He felt the talisman's heat surging against his palm, as if the artifact itself was listening. "You said before that I had a choice," he said carefully. "That I had to decide what kind of warrior I would become. What does that mean?"
Lady Yuexiang's smile deepened. "It means that the celestial alignment draws near. The forces in play are far greater than Shen Longwei's ambitions. Even he is but a ripple in a vast sea."
"What lies beyond the Jade Abyss?" Mei Lian's voice was quiet, but resolute. The tremor in her hands betrayed her, though she quickly clenched them into fists.
Yuexiang tilted her head slightly. "Answers. And destruction, should you tread blindly."
Li Feng stepped forward, his heart pounding. "Then tell us the truth. Stop speaking in riddles."
She met his gaze directly, her dark eyes reflecting the firelight from his talisman. "The truth is not something freely given, Li Feng. It is something earned."
The silence stretched between them. Then, slowly, Yuexiang raised her hand. In a swirl of mist, a small scroll appeared, bound in dark silk and bearing an intricate sigil that pulsed with energy.
Mei Lian inhaled sharply at the sight of it. "That seal…"
"You recognize it." It was not a question.
But Mei Lian said nothing. Her jaw tightened as she tore her gaze away.
Lady Yuexiang extended the scroll toward Li Feng. "You will find what you seek in time. But be warned—every answer comes with a price."
Li Feng hesitated, then reached out and took the scroll. The moment his fingers brushed the seal, the air around them shifted. A sudden pressure pressed down on his chest, and the sigil flared to life, sending a pulse of energy through his arm.
Then, just as swiftly, the sensation was gone. Yuexiang took a step back, her form already beginning to fade into mist. "We will meet again, Li Feng." Her voice echoed as her figure dissipated. "When you are ready."
And then she was gone.
A heavy silence hung in the air, broken only by the rustling wind.
Li Feng turned the scroll over in his hands, his fingers still tingling from the power it emitted. He looked at Mei Lian, who was staring at it as though it might explode. "You know what this is."
Mei Lian's lips parted slightly, but she said nothing. Then she turned away, her fists clenching at her sides. "We should go."
Yan Shun exhaled sharply, shaking his head. "So, that's it? She just appears, spouts cryptic nonsense, and leaves?"
"No," Li Feng murmured, staring down at the scroll. "She left us with something. We just don't know if it's a gift or a curse."
The sigil pulsed once more in his hand, as if responding to his words.
And the weight of the unknown settled upon them all.