~~~
How many years has it been?
Three? Four? Liu Jin is not quite sure. The older he grows, the harder it becomes to keep track of time. Sometimes, the years feel like months. Sometimes, the months feel like years.
Sometimes, it feels like no time has passed at all.
“Are you sure you wish to do this, Your Majesty?” General Nie Dan asks. As if there is even the slightest chance that Liu Jin will change his mind. Not here. Not now.
Not with Eastern Port City right in front of him.
“More than anything, General.” Liu Jin looks back at the man and smiles. “Thank you for bringing me here, but I believe I will do the rest of the trip alone.”
General Nie Dan inclines his head.
“I thought as much,” he says. “I suppose it does not matter. I cannot protect you here.”
Liu Jin wishes he could contradict the general, but any attempt would be a lie. They can both feel the large presence that looms over all. Mighty as the Heavenly General is, he cannot hope to compete with someone in the Ninth Level of the Emperor Realm. It is already enough that General Nie Dan trusted him enough to bring him here despite knowing the risks.
Giving the man one last nod, Liu Jin goes on ahead.
Eastern Port City is waiting.
The image of the city has been a constant companion to Liu Jin. Every time he dives into his soul, he sees it in never-ending flames. According to the notes Old Jiang left him, that is a sign of how deeply its destruction scarred him. Liu Jin thought that would mean the real Eastern Port City would hold no surprises for him.
He was wrong.
Unlike the one in the depths of his soul, the fires of the real Eastern Port City have long since faded. Liu Jin walks through the narrow streets and sees nothing but desolation. The earth is blackened in the spots where Murong Bang’s fireballs struck, the aftermath of the attack not allowing even plants to grow where his power touched the earth. The buildings that did not burn down during that terrible night have fallen prey to time. Dust and ashes have settled over everything, painting the city brown and gray.
Everything is quiet. Everything is ruined.
The houses of the patients he used to visit. The streets where he used to walk. Liu Jin thought he’d recognize them, but he doesn’t. Is his house nearby? Was it perhaps a little more to the west? He couldn’t have forgotten that, right?
Liu Jin walks through his old home and feels like a stranger.
Familiarity only starts to set in once he gets nearer to the center of the city. The arena, what remains of it, is distinctive enough. It is where he fought in his first tournament and met Song Daiyu. The memory feels bittersweet now.
The Xiao Sect’s compound comes next.
Even broken and burnt down, it is unmistakable. Once upon a time, it had been the seat of the most powerful sect in the city. Now, it is nothing but a husk. Liu Jin walks through the old training grounds that used to be full of disciples and can only be grateful that there are no corpses. Most likely, they were all cleared out and buried before Murong Bang’s army sold those who survived as slaves.
Anger brews inside Liu Jin, but there is no one for him to direct it at. Murong Bang is dead. His army is broken.
Their deeds cannot be undone.
Liu Jin breathes. There is no time for thoughts like this. Getting angry is not what he came here for.
She is waiting.
Liu Jin’s steps take him deeper into the Xiao Sect’s compound. There is a small house there. The windows are broken, and vines have climbed over the walls and roof. However, it is still standing.
Liu Jin enters.
As the two speak at the same time, Liu Jin and Xiao Shuang look at each other and smile. Xiao Shuang even lets out a small giggle.
"I missed you," Xiao Shuang says. "Talking through the mirror is not the same as meeting in person. You look well."
"You as well," Liu Jin says. "The Divine Frozen Palace seems to have been good for you."
Liu Jin cannot sense her cultivation level. Xiao Shuang must be wearing an item to hide it, probably at the behest of her master. However, it is obvious Xiao Shuang has grown much. Her formerly light brown hair has fully turned white, a visible sign of her mastery of Yin Qi which adds to her loveliness.
Beyond that, there is something more. Xiao Shuang had never been shy, but there is confidence in her that was not present before. Or, to be more accurate, the foundation of her confidence is much sturdier now
"They worry too much at times, but they truly mean well," Xiao Shuang admits, smiling. "I like it there."
"Tell me about it."
Xiao Shuang does. In no time, she is talking without any signs of stopping, her mood lightening considerably as she recounts her experiences.
She talks about what she has seen.
"It is all ice as far as the eye can see. The peaks can be very treacherous, but they are also very beautiful."
She talks about what she has experienced.
"She kidnapped me! My own master! I was sleeping soundly, and I woke up in the middle of a snowstorm! Husband, do not laugh! This is serious."
She talks about what she has done.
"The foxes are everywhere now! They are cute, so everyone likes them, but the cooks keep complaining they are stealing the food. To be honest, I opened the door for them once. I am pretty sure other disciples have as well."
In short, Xiao Shuang talks about her life, and Liu Jin is happy to listen to her, not caring as the hours pass.
"Husband!" Xiao Shuang frowns at him when she looks out the window and realizes dawn is approaching. "I was supposed to hear your stories, but you let me talk all night!"
"I thought it fair," Liu Jin says. "After all, now you have stories to tell."
The Xiao Shuang before him is no longer the girl locked in her room but a cultivator who has experienced the world in her own way.
She pouts at him. "You are unfair, husband," she says. Nevertheless, she leans her head against his side. Liu Jin reflexively wraps his arm around her waist. "I wish we could stay like this longer. Is the Crimson Cloud Tournament so important?"
"It is," Liu Jin says, resolute.
“I know,” Xiao Shuang says sadly. “I never knew her, but Sister Su’s fate sounds like a tragic one. If there is something that can be done...”
“I will do everything I can, but it is not only that,” Liu Jin says. “There are still many things I do not know, and I do not understand. The Crimson Cloud Tournament is an opportunity to find some answers.”
“Even so...”
Liu Jin closes his eyes and leans against her. “I wish we had more time too...”
One day, not far away. Maybe then, they’ll have time. However, until that day comes...
They watch the sunrise together as they did a long time ago.
~~~