Shu Ming had already entered the Duskvale forest, but Zhen Lixin stood frozen at the edge of the forest without stepping in.

Almost four centuries ago, when he was still a child, he'd been running away after seeing his family get murdered before his eyes. He ran out of the village, tripping and falling, but not giving up. He didn't look back, but he knew he was still not safe. Only after entering the forest and hiding behind a huge tree did he feel safe. Safe from the tall men with fiery spears. But... It didn't take long before it dawned on little Lixin where he had been.

The Duskvale forest, with many kinds of creatures lingering in it, was a sprawling forest with enormous trees with tangled, grasping branches that claw at the sky. Even in broad daylight, the forest was gloomy, with shadows flickering in the dim light that filtered through the thick foliage. The Duskvale forest was what separated two villages, and the path between this forest was the only way to get to the other village.

The Duskvale forest, where most mortals preferred not to go through or be in.

The Duskvale forest, where Zhen Lixin had been hiding in from the men that killed his family.

The Duskvale forest... where he had first met Ming Xuan.

Shu Ming turned around, his face holding a confused expression. "Your highness?"

Zhen Lixin snapped back into reality. The forest stood before him and Shu Ming was looking back at him. "Sorry," he said, and stepped into the forest.

The forest almost remained the same even after 400 years as it seemed to Lixin. He walked behind Shu Ming, who kept the feather on his palm, floating, and walked like someone who was asleep. Lixin walked with his hands behind his back, his senses alert for any approach.

A tall man in black robes, covered with blood, walking down the path in a calm pace. His long hair tied up in a pony-tail swaying left to right with his steps. One hand behind his back as he held the other up to his eye-level, and a black snake twirled around that hand.

Lixin recalled that sight as he now walked down the same path as that man once had, his light blue hair swaying because of the soft breeze. They had walked enough in to the forest in silence, until Shu Ming suddenly stopped in his step. Lixin had been walking behind him, looking around, and he hit Shu Ming's back when he'd unexpectedly frozen.

Lixin rubbed his forehead. "Ow, are you made of metal?" he asked, looking up at Shu Ming.

That's when he noticed that Shu Ming's eyes were squinted, and set on the far ahead of the path, but Lixin couldn't see what or who was there.

Zhen Lixin turned his head around to face Shu Ming. "Shu Ming?"

Shu Ming kept his eyes set on the path ahead of them, and took a step back.

"Shu Mi-"

"Your highness, come stand behind me." Shu Ming said, his tone firm.

Lixin turned away from him and stared into the pathway. He turned back at Shu Ming.

"Is something there?" he asked.

Shu Ming opened his mouth to speak, but his expression suddenly softened.

He sighed. "He's left," he said as he turned to Lixin.

"He? Who?" Lixin asked with his eyebrows rose.

"The Serpen-"

Zhen Lixin felt his own eyes widen. He took a step towards Shu Ming. "Ming Xuan was here?!"

Shu Ming looked at Lixin with confusion. "I'm not sur-"

"I need to go find him," Lixin said, and before Shu Ming could react, Lixin was already in a full sprint.

Lixin ran on the path ahead, his eyes searching around him, his ears alert for any other noise than the sounds of the animals and his steps. Shu Ming called after him, and Lixin knew he was running after him. Lixin didn't know the point of running, as it would've been easier to search if he had been doing anything but running. He stopped running.

Shu Ming reached him within a few seconds. "Your highness!" He exclaimed when he was finally standing next to Lixin again. "What was that about?!"

He didn't pant but Lixin noticed how fast Shu Ming was breathing. He looked up at Shu Ming with guilty eyes. "Forgive me for this," he said, pressing his palms together.

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Once again, he didn't let Shu Ming process the statement, as he clasped his pinky and ring fingers of both hands, but kept the index and middle fingers extended upward as he closed his eyes. Shu Ming looked down at Lixin's hands and he realized what he was about to do, but it was too late as a faint blue glow emanated from his hands.

Lixin had successfully created an illusion of a wall between him and Shu Ming, which now Shu Ming tried hard to pass, thinking it was real. Lixin felt pity at the sight, and if someone else was to see they would probably think that Shu Ming had gone mad, for attacking something that wasn't there. He tried to jump, but the wall was made high. He tried to dig but it seemed the wall went far down the earth. He tried to slash, strike, kick, and whatnot. For him, the barrier was unbreakable, but for others, there was nothing to begin with.

Lixin turned around from him and sighed. He began walking in that path, far into the forest as he looked around. He wanted to call after the man he was searching for, but he held it back.

Ming Xuan, The Serpent of the Abyss, had finally made an appearance after so many years... Lixin was not going to miss this opportunity.

He didn't get to walk much far as he suddenly heard the rustling of a bush near him. He froze in his step and paid attention to the bush, ready to attack at any given time. The bush slightly rustled again, and Zhen Lixin slowly stepped towards the bush.

From the bush came the sound of hissing.

Lixin's eyes widened. Soon after the hissing, the head of a black snake peeked out from the bush. Lixin was stunned as he took a step back, letting the snake entirely come out of its hiding bush. He recognized the snake in one glance. Its eyes were as black as its owner's, that gleamed even in the dark. It was long, but thin, its scales shining like polished black opal.

It was the same snake Lixin had attacked centuries ago, and the same snake that grew affectionate of him later.

Zhen Lixin shook off his surprise, and knelt down in front of the snake.

"Xue?" he asked, extending his arm so that the snake could twirl around it.

Xue hissed as he coiled around Lixin's right arm, its head popping out of the back of Lixin's hand. Lixin smiled at him, past memories flowing back to him. He gently patted Xue's head.

"Xue, is your master nearby?" He asked him in a low voice, to which Xue then replied by sliding away from Lixin's arm on to the ground.

Lixin stood up as Xue slithered and weaved away from him, past the bush where it was hiding, and deep into the forest. Lixin followed him, his gaze roaming over. The trees loomed over them, their branches like skeletal fingers reaching up towards the sky. The dense foliage cast eerie shadows on the ground and the air was thick with the scent of damp earth and decaying leaves.

Lixin had no doubt that this really was Xue, the famous deadly pet of Ming Xuan. But with each step he took, he grew more and more anxious. Was Xue really leading him to his master? Was he finally, really, going to meet the man he'd been searching for?

Xue stopped.

"Xue?" Lixin asked, looking around, but only the trees surrounded them.

Xue just hissed, and Lixin looked up at ahead of him. As he stared into nothing, a melodious, high-pitched cry was heard from above him. It was mesmerizing, like the sound of a harp, and Lixin tilted his head up.

It was the phoenix, flying above them, its fiery red plumage shimmered in the sunlight that filtered through the trees, and its wings beat the air with a powerful and graceful rhythm. It let out another loud, melodious cry, as it kept its fixed on him.

"The phoenix..." Lixin muttered, and hurriedly picked Xue up from the ground. Xue coiled around Lixin's arm, disappearing into his white robes. The phoenix let out yet another cry, and soared off into the distance.

Zhen Lixin leapt into a run, following the flying phoenix who flew above the forest. As Lixin ran, he pressed his palms together and did the same thing as he did with Shu Ming, and the phoenix suddenly stopped flying away. It remained in its spot in the sky, trying to fly away, but being hit by something invisible every time it tried. He had created an illusion of a cage.

Lixin stopped as the phoenix stopped, and panted. He summoned a sphere water into his palms, which then he used to make a whip out of. He brought the non-existent cage down to his level, and was about to step closer to the phoenix, but he stopped when he felt Xue slither out of his robe. He lowered himself and extended his arm for Xue to get to the ground. As he had himself focused on Xue, the phoenix cried. He turned back around to look at it.

He was shocked. The phoenix was not there. He stepped over to where it had been, and sure enough, his illusion spell was still there. The whip made out of water disappeared in his hand, and he snapped his fingers, and the non-existent cage had really become non-existent.

"Xue."

That voice!

Lixin spun around to where it came from. Xue coiled around Lixin's white boots, but it seemed that Lixin didn't even notice. His heart had started to beat rapidly, and his eyes were wide in shock. He recognized that voice. Deep but smooth... The voice that once soothed little Lixin.

The sun had gone under clouds, making the forest even more gloomy. From where Lixin had been staring at, came the sound of footsteps. What Lixin expected was that familiar silhouette of a tall man with his long hair tied up, but the man that appeared before him had his long hair let down.

"Return." The person commanded, his voice deeper than before and his tone firm.

He stepped out of the darkness in the forest, standing in front of Lixin as thin, faint shafts of sun light came through the tree branches. Lixin was sure that his heart had stopped working the moment he saw him. Almost 400 years ago, when he was taken into the arms of this man, he had a handsome, thin face. Now, he stood before him again, and he had not changed one bit. Except for the hairstyle, but Lixin couldn't complain.

Ming Xuan's black eyes stared briefly into Lixin's eyes, but turned down to glare at Xue, who was still twirled around Lixin's leg. Lixin followed Ming Xuan's gaze, and that's when he realized where Xue had been. He watched Xue halfheartedly glide towards Ming Xuan's black boots. Xue coiled around Ming Xuan's leg, and glided up, disappearing into Ming Xuan's black robes.

Zhen Lixin's eyes returned to Ming Xuan's face.

"Gege..." he muttered, almost to himself.