Fusion

Deep inside the cave, the walls are made of ice that has never melted for thousands of years, reflecting a faint light that seeps in from who knows where.

Ling Gu leaned against the innermost ice wall.

His lips were bloodless, and his already thin frame looked even more frail. He was wrapped in a thick, dark fur coat. The frost flowers that had condensed on the ice wall fell on his shoulders, but he only received a fleeting glance from them.

His breathing was light and slow; if it weren't for the slight rise and fall of his chest, he would almost have blended into the ice cave.

Ling Gu dared not close his eyes. The hateful gaze of Yin Chen Guan Bu Jiu had tormented him for many days.

Rather than being completely loyal to Yueyuan's orders, he harbored a twisted thought that he dared not delve into: whether he would notice his former brother again if he lost control due to his actions.

"You're just going to stay here to recover? Why don't you walk a few more steps?" Yue Yuan stepped into the ice cave, his tone devoid of reproach, purely mocking, "You wouldn't normally treat yourself like this."

Ling Gu's eyelashes trembled. He looked in the direction of Yue Yuan, but did not get up. He simply lowered his gaze, his voice low and hoarse from weakness: "...Your Excellency."

He took a breath, as if gathering some strength: "It's quiet here."

"Quiet?" Yue Yuan approached, bringing with him a chill. "I sensed the presence of the Tracking Token as soon as I reached the door."

Ling Gu neither denied nor was surprised: "...I know, it has locked onto me."

"Oh?" Yue Yuan's voice trailed off slightly, tinged with amusement. He took another half-step closer to Ling Gu, his oppressive aura causing the ice wall to groan as if it were about to collapse. "What? Are you just going to stand here motionless? Are you so badly injured that you only want to die?"

After listening, Ling Gu's face remained expressionless.

He forced a smile, causing his chapped lips to bleed slightly: "Your Excellency, please don't mock me. Hasn't my fate long ago... no longer been in my own hands?"

After listening, Yueyuan stared at his subordinate, who was barely breathing, for a long time.

“It’s not up to you, but it’s not something to be wasted.” Yueyuan took off his cloak and tossed it aside. The garment, still warm from his body, landed on Linggu’s cold knees. “Jiehai Mountain has come following the scent. My junior brother and his little fox will probably be here soon.”

He leaned down slightly, his shadow completely enveloping Ling Gu's body: "Do you want to stay here like a useless piece of trash, waiting to be found by them, and then become a trophy for them to sacrifice to their own kind and boost their morale?"

These words carried a chill that crept up Ling Gu's spine inch by inch.

He lowered his eyes, his gaze falling on the cloak embroidered with dark gold patterns on his knees. This sudden gift made him feel more uneasy and at a loss than direct coercion.

Seeing that he didn't move, Yueyuan actually squatted down himself.

He reached out, took the cloak from Ling Gu's knees, unfolded it, and draped it over the thin shoulders of the person in front of him, his fingers deftly fastening the hidden buttons at the collar.

Throughout this process, Yueyuan's gaze remained fixed on Linggu's face, as if he were assessing a tool that was about to be put to use.

After fastening his cloak, he didn't immediately step back. Instead, at this extremely close distance, in a lower and slower voice, he etched his final choice into Ling Gu's consciousness as if branding it:

"Or would you rather... find the last bit of use for your life during the transition between the old and the new?"

Silence spread through the ice cave.

After a long while, Ling Gu finally spoke with great difficulty.

"Your Excellency... I am willing to dedicate everything to this great cause." He raised his eyes, his pupils reflecting Yue Yuan's silhouette, which held no light, only desolation. "I also know that my desertion before was a moment of confusion..."

He took a breath, as if he needed to use all his strength to say what he was about to say: "Your Majesty, after you succeed, may I take my own life?"

The words "self-destruction" fell lightly, yet were more poignant than any weeping or shouting.

This is not bargaining, but the last humble plea that a person who has already given up hope can think of.

He didn't even dare to hope for being let go; he only asked for a way to end things that he could choose himself.

After saying this, he sank even deeper into the space between his cloak and the ice wall, his eyelids half-closed, his voice so weak it was like a murmur: "At first, I just wanted my brother to have a good life and no longer be bullied... but it seems I've gone further and further astray."

These words didn't seem to be spoken to Yueyuan, but rather to a weary sigh directed at a hazy memory of himself.

Yueyuan squatted down in front of him and listened quietly.

After a long silence, he slowly stood up: "...Who isn't?"

These five light words sound like a sigh.

It acknowledges that the initial, insignificant obsession, and that in the pursuit of some "great cause" or "power," the two had long been unable to control their own destiny.

The ice cave returned to a deathly silence, even more so than before Yueyuan arrived.

Yueyuan's last words still echoed in my ears: "The formation is set up. You lure them in, and I will send people to assist you."

The task was clear, leaving him no room for doubt or retreat.

This was his final value, the final use of his life.

Suddenly, a faint sound of wind being blocked came from the direction of the ice cave entrance.

That was the invisible barrier that Yue Yuan set up with a wave of his hand when he left, completely blocking out the endless raging blizzards of the far north.

Was this insignificant cover something Yueyuan did casually, or was it an extremely subtle act of care?

Ling Gu didn't want to think about it, nor did he dare to. He dared not have any extra thoughts now; thinking too much might cause his already numb heart to surge with even more unbearable bitterness and self-loathing.

He simply wrapped his cloak tighter around himself, his shoulders trembled slightly, but there was no crying, only suppressed breathing.

That initial, faint wish to protect his younger brother had long been tainted beyond recognition by the long darkness and bloodshed, and he, along with himself, had fallen into this boundless, cold abyss, with no end in sight and no possibility of redemption.

When the door to the stone chamber was pushed open, Bujiu was leaning against a pillar outside the door.

He wasn't waiting there from the beginning. After sorting through the last batch of herbs that might be needed in the far north with Huaiqing, he went out to look for Ji Wang when he hadn't returned for a long time.

However, after searching the temple, he couldn't find Ji Wang anywhere, and several disciples he asked also said they hadn't seen him.

Just as Bu Jiu reached the corridor near the quiet room at the back of the mountain, he happened to see Ji Wang walking hurriedly towards the stone chamber heavily guarded by restrictions. Even from a distance, Bu Jiu could clearly sense the unusually chaotic aura emanating from Ji Wang.

Bu Jiu hurriedly called out to him, but Ji Wang seemed to be focused on suppressing the strange phenomenon within his body and ignored his call. With a flash, he disappeared into the stone chamber. Immediately afterward, the stone door closed quickly, completely isolating all breath and sound.

Bu Jiu stopped in his tracks on the corridor. He knew the restrictions on the stone chamber; forcibly entering would only disturb Ji Wang, and might even trigger a worse backlash.

Worry and anxiety clung to his heart, forcing him to stay here, leaning against the cold pillars, using all his senses to detect any unusual sounds that might come from inside the stone chamber.

Time seemed to drag on endlessly in the silence until finally the stone gate opened.

Ji Wang happened to see Bu Jiu when he came out. He paused for a moment, then quickly stepped forward.

"Why are you guarding this place? It's windy." He spoke with concern, reaching out to grasp Bu Jiu's hand and gently rubbing it in his palm.

Bu Jiu said helplessly in a low voice, "It's warm spring now...it won't be cold." Even so, he did not pull his hand away, letting Ji Wang continue his seemingly fussy actions.

Ji Wang smiled and said, "It does feel a little cool to me."

Bu Jiu's voice was filled with lingering fear: "You scared me... You just walked in without saying a word, and your breathing was very disordered."

Ji Wang stopped rubbing his fingers.

"It's my fault." Ji Wang's voice was apologetic. "It happened so suddenly, I was only thinking about figuring out the situation as quickly as possible to avoid affecting you."

He recalled, "I wanted to go find you at the time, but I felt Daoyuan being pulled by something for a moment, and then he became restless... but he is much better now."

Upon hearing this, Bu Jiu's eyes darkened. Before Ji Wang could react, his fingertip was already touching Ji Wang's wrist.

A wisp of demonic power probed in, avoiding the path of Ji Wang's own spiritual power circulation, and only gently wrapped around that source of Dao power, feeling its flowing rhythm.

A moment later, Bu Jiu withdrew his hand, his expression still showing no sign of relief: "Circulate your Dao Source again. Slowly, just a trace."

Ji Wang closed his eyes as instructed, cleared his mind of all distractions, and carefully guided a wisp of Dao source, as thin as a spider's thread, along the most basic path of the Heavenly Cycle.

Bu Jiu focused intently on sensing the subtle differences in the flow of that power compared to before—it was smoother, more obedient, and seemed more complete.

A moment later, Ji Wang opened his eyes and looked at Bu Jiu: "How is it?"

A hint of uncertainty lingered between his brows, a sense of unease about his own subservience to his power.

This feeling of smoothness came too suddenly, a stark contrast to the restlessness he had felt not long ago, which made him wary.

“I find it a bit unbelievable…” Ji Wang said before Bu Jiu could reply.

Bu Jiu nodded: "This was originally your Dao source, it was just merged. The power of your past life and this life comes from the same source, but the bodies and experiences you have are different, so there will always be a barrier. Now, perhaps a crisis is approaching, or perhaps you are just prepared."

Ji Wang suddenly realized.

Bu Jiu is right. This power originally belonged to him, whether it was the Daoist Yun Shen three hundred years ago or Ji Wang now.

The previous awkwardness and obstacles may not have been due to a lack of strength, but rather because he had not yet fully accepted the heavy burden of his past life and the mission associated with it in his subconscious.

"So, this might not be a bad thing?" He looked at Bu Jiu, seeking confirmation.

“Power itself is neither good nor bad; it depends on where it is used and who controls it.” Bu Jiu’s voice was steady. “At least for now, it listens to you. As for that feeling of being drawn in, perhaps it can become a clue for us to find our target when we reach the far north.”

“You’re right, I was being a bit paranoid.” Ji Wang breathed a sigh of relief. “But this fusion came so suddenly, it feels like a sweet date given by God before the storm.”