Chapter 12 – Shock and Vows

Xiao Xuan sat back, his mind still reeling from the events of the past few hours. The woman, who had fallen from the sky and now lay in his arms, was no ordinary mortal. Her power, even in her weakened state, was something beyond his comprehension. She had drained his life Qi and yet, instead of feeling weaker, he felt invigorated—more alive than he had ever been. It was as though his Qi had been transformed into something purer, something more potent.

"Who are you?" he asked, his voice hoarse with confusion. The question seemed simple, but there were so many layers to it. Why had she fallen from the heavens? What was her connection to him? And most importantly, what had she meant by her cryptic words before? "If you die, then I shall be your widow. If you live, I shall be your wife."

Her eyes fluttered open again, but this time, they were clearer, more focused. She glanced up at him, her gaze sharp despite the injuries she had sustained. For a moment, there was a flicker of something in her eyes—regret, perhaps, or maybe something deeper.

"Forgive me," she said, her voice raspy but steady, "I didn't mean to shock you." Her eyes closed briefly, and when they opened again, there was a deep, almost sorrowful gaze that she fixed on him. "You are... unlike anyone I've ever met before. Your Qi… it's infinite."

Xiao Xuan stared at her, his heart racing. Infinite? How could she know about his immortality? Could she be another immortal like him? He was about to ask more, but she held up a hand, stopping him.

"There's no time for explanations yet," she said softly, though there was an undeniable authority in her tone. "You must listen, Xiao Xuan. I… I am Feng Qin, a Phoenix from the Phoenix Clan. I have been sent here for a purpose. The heavens have their designs, and I am but a small part of it."

Her words struck him like a hammer. Phoenix Clan? He had heard of such things in stories and books, but to hear it from her lips… it was overwhelming. He had so many questions, but the way she spoke made it clear she wasn't ready to reveal everything.

"You… you're a Phoenix?" he asked, his voice filled with awe.

She nodded slowly. "Yes, though not in the way you might think. My bloodline is powerful, but it is also cursed. The Phoenix is a creature of rebirth, yes, but it is also one bound by the cycles of life and death. I… I have lived many lifetimes, Xiao Xuan. I have seen the rise and fall of my clan, and I have suffered greatly."

Xiao Xuan's heart clenched. There was pain in her eyes, a pain that mirrored his own in some ways. The endless cycle of life and death—he understood that well. But to hear that she, too, had lived through it… it made him feel less alone.

"Why did you say… if I die, you will be my widow?" he asked quietly. "What did you mean by that?"

Feng Qin's gaze softened, and she took a deep breath. "I meant what I said," she replied, her voice low, almost like a whisper. "But I will explain fully later. For now, all you need to know is that your life is tied to mine, whether you understand it or not."

Xiao Xuan's mind swirled with a hundred questions, but Feng Qin raised a hand to silence him. "There is much you do not yet know, Xiao Xuan. But you will learn. The key to everything lies within your immortality. The heavens are not as impartial as they seem, and there are forces at work in this world that will stop at nothing to control you."

Xiao Xuan felt a surge of unease, but he pushed it down. He wasn't just going to sit back and let whatever forces these were control his life. He had spent enough of his time being a pawn in other people's games. He was going to carve his own path, no matter what the cost.

Feng Qin seemed to sense his resolve. She looked at him, her expression unreadable for a moment, before she nodded, as if making a decision.

"I have lived a long time, Xiao Xuan," she said, her voice steady. "And in all those years, I have never met anyone like you. You are the key to something greater, something that could change the course of the world. But you must make a choice, and you must choose wisely."

Xiao Xuan felt a weight settle on his chest, a feeling he hadn't experienced before. He wasn't just a man in a new world, struggling to survive anymore. He was part of something bigger—something much bigger. And the weight of that responsibility was more than he could have ever imagined.

Feng Qin's eyes softened as she reached out, her hand trembling slightly as she placed it over his. "Will you walk this path with me, Xiao Xuan? Will you join me in this journey? Together, we can build something immortal. A legacy that will transcend time itself."

Xiao Xuan stared at her hand, his mind racing. There was so much he still didn't understand—so much about her, about his immortality, about the world they were in. But one thing was certain: she wasn't asking him to follow her blindly. She was offering him a choice. And the path he chose would shape his future forever.

"I'll walk with you," he said, his voice firm. "But know this, Feng Qin—I will not be your tool. I will not be anyone's pawn. I will create my own destiny, and I will not be bound by the chains of fate."

Feng Qin smiled, a glimmer of pride in her eyes. "Then we are alike, Xiao Xuan. I knew you were different from the others."

With that, she reached out and placed her hand on his chest once more. "Then let us begin," she whispered. "Let us build a future together."

And as their hands touched, Xiao Xuan felt something stir deep within him—an ancient power, a promise of things to come. The world was shifting, and with it, his path was being rewritten.