Chapter 88 – Convergence

The world, for once, was quiet.

Mount Sangzhao's peaks blushed gold under morning light, mist curling through the trees like silk ribbons. The chaos had passed. The kidnappers were gone. Bai Ru had been rescued.

And Kai Jin—tattered, scorched, exhausted—had broken through.

Now, the group gathered atop a sunlit terrace carved into the mountain's edge. A simple wooden table sat at its center, steam rising from tea cups and dishes laid lovingly by Yue and Lin Su. The soft aroma of ginger porridge, rice buns, and honey-glazed peach slices filled the air.

It wasn't a feast.

It was a return to normalcy.

And in a world that demanded blood for every breath—this was sacred.

Kai sat cross-legged, a wool shawl around his shoulders. His shirt was open at the chest, still faintly glowing with golden spiritual script—evidence of his Fifth Ring breakthrough.

He looked tired. But whole.

"Eat," Bai Ru urged gently, placing a bowl in front of him. "Please. For me."

He gave her a tired smile and obeyed. "Did you make this?"

"With help," she said, glancing at Lin Su.

The demon-blooded girl arched a brow. "Don't expect me to scrub cauldrons twice. I'm a warrior, not a chef."

But her voice lacked its usual venom. In fact, she was sitting closer to Bai than usual—close enough that their knees brushed. Neither seemed in a rush to move.

Yue poured tea, her hands steady. "We've been given a small blessing of peace," she said quietly. "Let's not waste it."

Kai looked at her across the table. She wore her hair loose today, a single red ribbon trailing down one shoulder. Her eyes—so often sharpened for battle—held only softness now.

He nodded. "To peace," he murmured, raising the teacup.

They toasted in silence.

⸻

After the meal, Yue and Bai cleaned the dishes. Lin Su lounged under a cherry tree, her head tilted back, golden eyes closed. The breeze made her hair dance.

Kai sat beside her, finally breathing freely.

"You okay?" he asked.

Lin Su didn't open her eyes. "No," she said. "But I will be."

He looked at her, really looked.

Her skin was paler than usual. Her demon mark still flickered faintly near her collarbone—never quite fading anymore. She was holding herself tighter, quieter. Something had shifted since Bai Ru's abduction.

"She's precious to you," she said suddenly.

He nodded. "She is."

Lin Su's eyes opened, fixed on the sky. "I don't like how that makes me feel. But I don't want her hurt either. I'm… still figuring out what that means."

Kai smiled faintly. "It means you care."

"That's the problem."

She turned her head slightly. "If I let myself feel too much, I become something I can't control. And I don't want to lose myself. Not again."

Kai reached out slowly, brushing a fallen cherry blossom from her hair.

"You're not losing yourself," he said. "You're becoming whole."

Lin Su stared at him for a long moment—then looked away, cheeks faintly pink. "That's the worst kind of cheesy thing you've ever said."

"And yet, you're still sitting here."

She didn't deny it.

⸻

That night, they gathered by firelight under the stars. No guards. No teachers. No courtly spies.

Just the four of them.

Yue rested against Kai's shoulder, her fingers gently weaving through his. Bai Ru leaned her head against Lin Su's thigh, eyes half-lidded. Lin Su absentmindedly stroked Bai's hair, fangs slightly visible as she hummed a forgotten lullaby.

Kai closed his eyes.

In this stillness—no grand battles, no blood, no glory—he felt something deeper than any spiritual ring.

Belonging.

No title could name it. No sect could claim it. It was theirs.

And in the center of it all, he whispered, barely loud enough for them to hear:

"Thank you… for choosing me."

Yue smiled.

Bai Ru squeezed his hand.

Lin Su huffed. "We haven't chosen you yet."

"But you will," Kai said, smiling up at the stars.

"Eventually."

The fire cracked. The stars pulsed.

And in that moment, love was not a battlefield—

It was a hearth.