Jin Yue stood alone in the temple's inner garden, surrounded by the scent of blooming lotus flowers and the hum of ancient rituals echoing through the stone walls. He should have felt at peace — the tranquil sounds, the beauty of nature surrounding him. Yet his mind was anything but calm.
Li Feng's past weighed heavily on him, like an unseen hand pressing against his chest.
He couldn't shake the feeling that he had just uncovered only a fraction of the truth. That forbidden scroll… the sigil, the Voidborne Order, the ominous mark — all of it tied to the man he had come to rely on.
But the question that lingered at the forefront of his mind was this: Why had Li Feng kept it from him? What else was hidden beneath his cold exterior?
The words you shouldn't trust me echoed in his mind, but Jin Yue couldn't help the warmth that sparked every time he thought of him.
Despite it all — despite the darkness in Li Feng's past — Jin Yue couldn't dismiss him. He wanted to trust him. He wanted to believe that the man standing before him wasn't the same as the monster who had abandoned everything for power.
Jin Yue clenched his fists.
"Fool," he muttered to himself. Why do I even care?
His gaze shifted toward the temple's high towers. Li Feng had said he didn't care about anyone — but that was a lie, wasn't it? No matter how cold, no matter how distant, there were moments — small, fleeting moments — when his eyes softened, when he hesitated just a breath too long before pushing Jin Yue away.
It was there, in those fleeting moments, that Jin Yue felt a strange tug in his chest.
And then there was the matter of the mark.
Jin Yue's mind raced. If Li Feng was truly tied to the Voidborne Order, then how much of him had truly changed? The man standing before him now, the one who had caught him when he fell, seemed so… different from the one described in the scroll. But was it possible to bury such darkness? To leave a past like that behind?
The thought of him, the ruthless warrior, cutting through his own master, ripping apart everything he had built — it made Jin Yue's skin crawl.
But then why… why did he leave it all behind?
Jin Yue sighed, running a hand through his dark hair. It was clear that Li Feng didn't want him to know this side of him. But the question remained: why let him close at all?
He couldn't pretend he wasn't drawn to Li Feng. No matter how cold, how reserved he tried to be, there was an intensity there that made Jin Yue feel alive, like he was teetering on the edge of something dangerous.
Jin Yue shook his head, the dizziness of conflicting emotions swirling inside him.
Maybe it wasn't about trusting Li Feng right now. Maybe it was about understanding him — understanding the man before him. Only then could he truly decide whether the person who had stepped into his life was a protector or a monster.
Suddenly, the stillness around him was broken by the sound of soft footsteps approaching. Without turning, Jin Yue knew who it was.
"Li Feng," he called, his voice steady but unsure.
The tall figure appeared in the corner of his vision, moving as silently as ever, his cold eyes never leaving Jin Yue's face. Li Feng's presence had a weight to it — one that made Jin Yue's heart flutter and his instincts scream.
"What do you want, Jin Yue?" Li Feng's voice was low, without inflection. But there was something more, something that Jin Yue couldn't place — a kind of tension that was unmistakable.
Jin Yue turned to face him, his heartbeat louder in his chest than the wind rustling through the trees.
"I… I need to know more," Jin Yue said, his voice quieter now, betraying his resolve. "About you. About your past. The Voidborne Order."
Li Feng's eyes flickered for a moment, but his expression remained unreadable.
"You don't need to know," he said curtly. "It doesn't concern you."
Jin Yue stepped closer, his gaze unwavering. "But it does. You can't keep running from it. Not from me."
There it was — the vulnerable crack in Li Feng's stoic façade. Just a brief flicker, but Jin Yue saw it.
"I don't want you involved," Li Feng finally spoke, his tone flat. "This is my burden."
"But it's my choice whether to carry it with you," Jin Yue shot back, his voice firm.
For a long moment, they stood there, the distance between them stretched thin. Jin Yue could feel the heaviness of the air, the weight of the secrets hanging between them.
And then, unexpectedly, Li Feng stepped forward, closing the distance.
"Don't make promises you can't keep," Li Feng said, his voice low, the intensity of his gaze making Jin Yue's breath catch.
"I'm not making promises," Jin Yue replied, just as quietly. "I'm making a choice. To stand with you. No matter what."
The tension between them was palpable, like a string pulled too taut, threatening to snap. Li Feng studied him for a long time, his expression unreadable.
And then, in a rare moment of vulnerability, his eyes softened.
"…You're a fool," Li Feng whispered, but there was no malice in his words. Only… resignation.
Jin Yue's heart pounded in his chest, but for the first time, he didn't feel afraid.
He felt alive.