In the ink-black cave, Ouyang walked a while. Thud—the wall hit him back, cold stone like a coffin lid. He turned. Thud again, the dark boxed him in like a blind well.

Heat flared; his temper snapped like dry tinder. He pictured that keen Divine Sword, slicing light through night like lightning through cloud. He raised his hand—empty. The long blade once used by the God Emperor was gone, lost like a fish in black water. "Sword-bro, where’d you run off to? I’m timid; don’t spook me."

Silence pooled; the dark held its breath like a sleeping beast.

"Sword-bro, come back..."

But the world doesn’t bend to one man’s will. The Divine Sword was lost, a fallen star in a sea of rock.

"A trash blade. Lost is lost. I don’t care," he bluffed, pride bristling like a porcupine. Fwoom—fire blossomed in his palm, a small sun caught in his hand. Light revealed a narrow tunnel, ribs of stone gleaming like old bones.

"What is this? Playing maze with me?"

He frowned, a storm cloud creasing his brow, picked a direction, and walked, footfalls ticking like pebbles in a brook. He never saw it: not far behind, a rust-scarred Divine Sword lay there like a dead eel. One step back and he’d have kicked it. A patient search and he’d have found it. Instead, they brushed past like strangers in fog.

After a while, the rusted blade stirred, lifted like a ghost fish. Its tip spun, a compass needle hunting fate. At last, the point fixed on Ouyang’s path and shot after him like a hawk.

It should’ve caught him quickly. Mid-flight, the Sword halted, hanging like a nail in air. It seemed to think, a pause like a held breath. Then the tip turned down toward the earth’s heart and drove in.

The Divine Sword was sharp as winter wind; even the hardest rock parted like wet clay. It tunneled on and on, a silver drill through night, until molten red opened below. In magma glow, crimson chains bound a man tight, trussed like a zongzi rice dumpling, steaming in hellfire.

It was the one who called himself Shadow. At the Sword’s arrival, his face went dark, ink soaking paper.

"Sword-man, move along," Shadow said, voice flat as still water. "Don’t disturb my contemplation of life."

A laugh burst from the blade, bright and cruel, steel ringing steel. "Cheap bastard, look at you now. Debts get paid; the river turns back."

"Sword-thing, go play with crap," Shadow snapped, words sharp as gravel. "When I’m free, I’ll dunk you in a public latrine and suppress you for ten thousand years."

"Don’t kid yourself," the Sword sang, merry as a juggler with knives. "You’re a mere projection from that Gate. How much power’s left? The Supreme Law chained you here—there’s your proof. Beg me. Beg, and if I’m in a good mood, I’ll let you out to breathe, like a fish back to river."

"Hmph. Even sealed, there are thousands of me. Want me to beg? Dream on."

So man and Sword faced off, two storms glaring across a valley. Shadow shut his eyes, like closing a door on flies. At last, the Sword tired. "Fine. You win. Stay here in the planet’s heart and marinate," it said, voice like a shrug. Swish—the blade pierced rock and fled, a streak of cold light.

"Litian, you bastard! Get back here! Let me out!"

His roar rose like smoke, useless against stone. The Sword wasn’t the hesitant sort; when it left, it was gone, a fish flicking away. Regret curdled; Shadow’s guts turned green.

Where did the Divine Sword go? It arrowed upward, breaking rock like crusted ice. It hummed a nameless tune, a dead blade pretending to be a lark. Joy bubbled in steel.

"Whew, almost slipped. Good thing I bolted."

Back in the earlier cave, it let out a shaky sound, fear cooling like sweat. "Sigh, Litian’s in bad shape. Where am I supposed to find fine metal? Devouring a hundred planets’ worth might not be enough to wake me."

"Forget it. I’ll wander. Later I’ll come back and tease that guy."

Ouyang knew none of the Sword’s sly business. Even if he knew, he’d care little now. In front of him rose a mountain blazing gold, sunrise trapped in stone, a heap of treasure glittering like fallen stars.

"I’m rich. I’m rich…" He wiped drool, pinched his cheek like pinching a dream, then dove for the glitter like a gull for fish. "Worth the trip. Xiao Jin and Xiao Yin really came through. I wronged them. Shame on me."

"Good thing that damned Divine Sword isn’t here. With its appetite, it’d swallow every shiny scrap."

His mouth jinxed the sky. A Divine Sword flashed by, a comet ripping the air. Whoosh—and the gold mountain collapsed into particles, a sandstorm of light winking out. Only nonmetal junk remained, dull as dust.

"What was that?" The Sword’s speed was lightning. He heard the whistle; then his gold was gone. Gone.

He stared at the dull rubble, lightless as dead eyes. A nameless fire rose, a forge roaring. In fury, he kicked a white sphere, a moon-bright boulder. "Bad luck day!"

The sphere slammed the wall. Crack—the shell split. From the break, a silver tail slipped out, mercury-bright.

"A tail?" Ouyang froze, mind blank as cold ash. What was that? A dragon egg? No. Dragon eggs weren’t that small. Half a meter tall looks big to common folk, but to a true dragon it’s stunted, a winter fruit that never ripened.

"It must be dead… dead… braised or steamed?" He licked his lips, hunger curling like smoke. He’d promised Valiant and the rabbit some dragon meat. Then he’d run into that guy Lagu and missed the feast.

Suddenly the flame in his hand flared, a flower licking high. In the glow, his face twisted, a demon mask painted by light. "Little cutie, don’t move. Let me eat you," he crooned, velvet over a blade.

The shell trembled, a shiver across still water.

"Still alive… That won’t do. Kid, go reincarnate. Don’t get between me and dinner."

Crack—the shell split again. Silver dragon wings unfolded, wet and shining like new leaves in rain. A hand, clawed like a dragon’s, punched free, silver scales glinting like coins. Above the wrist, the skin was pale and human, milk-white as snow.

The struggle grew; breath steamed. At last, a half-human, half-dragon girl stood before him. Wide silver wings cloaked most of her, moonlit steel shielding her form. Emerald eyes locked on Ouyang, wary as a deer.

Her silver hair fell long and tangled, a wild waterfall. Aside from hands and feet, the tail, and those sweeping wings, she was a human girl. Fresh from the egg, she was slick with clear mucus, dew beading every strand and sliding down her face in shining threads.

Seeing her, Ouyang felt wickedness bloom, a dirty flower opening. A naked girl, covered head to toe in clear slime…

"You… want to eat me?" Her emerald eyes held pure confusion, a newborn staring at thunder. She looked so pitiful, so easy to love.

Ouyang sighed long, wind over graves. "Kid, can’t you turn into a dragon? Then braised or steamed, I could eat. In human shape, I’ll just puke it back up."

"You… want to eat me?" she said again. Same words, but this time a blade of threat edged her voice.

Ouyang didn’t think. He nodded, a hammer tap.

In a blink, something lightning-fast hit his chest. Squelch—razor claws slid into his heart, cold as moonlight.

"I… don’t hate… you…" she breathed in his ear, soft as lovers’ murmur.

She drew her claw back slowly. A bright red thing thumped in her grip. Thump. Thump. Ouyang’s heart.

"You can’t… kill… me…" he rasped. Her claws tightened. The heart burst, a red firework. Blood painted her body, a wild mural. Slime and blood mingled, rain and wine.

She lifted the shredded meat to her mouth and chewed, gentle as tasting spring buds. "Meat… tastes bad…" She didn’t swallow. She spat, a red flower on stone.

She stepped forward. Her dragon-clawed foot came down on his head. Crunch—like a watermelon under a cart, red and white flowed together, a grisly river.

Blood kept running, a dark stream. Without Ouyang’s flame, the cave dimmed, dusk folding in. Faint light from wall crystals held on like stubborn fireflies.

"Humans… Dragonkind…" The girl looked up at the roof, emerald eyes sprouting hate, a thorn vine coiling. "Human, I didn’t want to kill you…" She bent; her claws stirred through the crushed head like a spoon in soup. "But you wanted to eat me, so I killed you."

"If not for you, I might’ve stayed trapped in the shell and turned to stone. You broke it. You let me be born."

She whispered to the corpse, explaining to a sleeper, words falling like rain on a grave.