Anqi finally pushed herself up after lying there for a while, but her steps were unsteady. She could only prop herself against the doorframe to keep from collapsing.
She shuffled laboriously to a large tree by the entrance and leaned against its trunk.
*This won’t do. I have no idea what they’re doing to Yuchi. I must alert her family immediately!* Anqi bit her lip, slumped against the bark. Utterly drained, she could only watch time crawl by, hating her own powerlessness.
...
Nian Xifeng walked slowly toward Tianqin School. An ominous feeling had gnawed at him since earlier—a deep unease, as if something vital was being torn away. His chest tightened, breath catching like a trapped bird.
That sixth sense screamed at him to hurry.
At the school gates, he spotted Anqi slumped against a tree. He’d met her a few times; she was Yuchi’s desk mate. Seeing her distress, he approached.
"Miss Anqi? Are you alright? Why are you resting here?" Nian Xifeng asked, puzzled.
Anqi blinked open her eyes at the voice. The face was unfamiliar yet faintly recognizable. After a moment, her eyes widened.
"You’re Yuchi’s brother!" she blurted, ignoring his question.
"Yes. I am," Nian Xifeng replied calmly, though curiosity flickered. *She has urgent news.*
"Oh thank goodness—you’re here! Please, save Yuchi! The Yu Family took her!" Anqi’s voice trembled with panic, her fear unmistakable.
Nian Xifeng’s earlier dread crystallized. *Yuchi.* She was his Achilles’ heel. Harm her, and death followed. He’d erased Rain Tian without hesitation for far less.
"Explain. Everything." His voice turned glacial, freezing the air around him.
Anqi flinched at his sudden shift but recounted every detail.
Nian Xifeng’s fury simmered beneath his skin, his very energy crackling. After she finished, he turned away.
"Rest. I’ll bring Yuchi home."
"But—you alone? Against the Yu Family?" Anqi called after him. The Yu Family dominated the city; no one walked into their stronghold unchallenged.
Nian Xifeng waved dismissively.
He sprinted without hesitation, as if the path was etched in his bones. The Yu Family’s headquarters was no secret.
Minutes later, he stood before their gates. The golden characters "Yu Family" blazed on the archway, igniting a cold fire in his chest.
He strode forward—only to be blocked by two guards.
"State your business," one guard growled, eyes narrowed.
"Did you take a girl named Nian Yuchi?" Nian Xifeng’s tone was flat, devoid of warmth.
"The pretty one? Fresh as a daisy," the guard mused, leering as he recalled her face.
"So you did take her." Nian Xifeng’s calm was a thin veneer over molten rage.
"Hah! What’s it to you? Scram. This isn’t your playground." The guard shoved him back.
That was confirmation enough.
Nian Xifeng raised a hand. Black wind spiraled from his palm, swelling in an instant. It swallowed both guards before they could scream. Their bodies hit the ground, lifeless.
He kicked the gates open.
Inside the Yu compound, he moved like a shadow. Anyone who didn’t know Yuchi’s whereabouts died without a sound. Finally, a mid-level thug gasped out her location before Nian Xifeng silenced him too.
...
In a sparse, dim room, Nian Yuchi lay bound, wrists and ankles tied. Her hair spilled across the dusty floor, matted with grime. She ignored it, eyes fixed ahead.
"Boss, we’ve got her!" The middle-aged man who captured her knelt, head bowed.
Before him stood a towering figure—nearly six feet tall, broad-shouldered, face lined with age. A cigar smoldered between his teeth; his gaze cut like a blade. Gold-trimmed robes draped over a crisp suit, polished shoes gleaming.
"Good." The man—Yu Jiawei, head of the Yu Family—stepped toward Yuchi, pride thick in his voice. "Know why you’re here?"
Yuchi stared silently, defiance burning in her eyes.
"Ah. Rudeness. I am Yu Jiawei. You know my family’s name. So why harm my people? Bold? Or just foolish?"
Silence.
"Hmph. No words? Then let’s teach you manners." He turned to his subordinate. "Don’t kill her." With that, he left.
"Heh heh... ‘Don’t kill her.’ Means I can play however I like." The man’s eyes roved over Yuchi’s trembling form.
Fear coiled in her chest, but she held his gaze. *Brother did this. I stand by him—even now.* She squeezed her eyes shut as he drew near.
***BOOM!***
The door exploded inward. Dust filled the air.
Yuchi’s eyes flew open. In the shattered doorway stood the one she’d prayed for.
The captor whirled around. "Took you long enough. Ruined my fun. How will you repay me?" His voice dripped with venom.
Nian Xifeng ignored him. He knelt beside Yuchi, cutting her bonds with swift motions. Only she mattered.
"Brother... you came." Tears welled in Yuchi’s eyes.
"Hush now. Don’t cry." Nian Xifeng brushed the tears away, his voice soft as silk. But seeing those tears extinguished his last shred of mercy. *They made her cry.* His precious sister—his most guarded bloom—had been broken. Earlier, he’d only meant to vent his rage. Now? They didn’t deserve to breathe.
"Let’s go home," he murmured.
Yuchi nodded fiercely.
Nian Xifeng swept her into a princess carry. Black wind erupted from his body, surging outward. In a heartbeat, the Dark Mist swallowed the entire Yu estate. Every soul within perished silently, unaware—as if granted a painless death.
Minutes later, Nian Xifeng carried Yuchi out through a rear wall. Outside, crowds gaped at the unnatural black fog engulfing the compound. Unseen, he leapt over the perimeter.
He held her close all the way home. Yuchi nestled against his chest, silent. No words were needed.
