He Yuting shook her head. "No, Your Greatness. You are not a prisoner."
Her voice carried unusual urgency now, enough to make Ningyan pause.
"Lord Zhenting merely... cares deeply for you." Her hands tightened at her sides. "We lost everything. Family. Friends. Our home. The future we were meant to have." Her gaze lowered briefly before rising again. "You are the only one capable of restoring what was taken from us. That is why he is protective of you."
Ningyan fell silent.
Something inside his chest ached faintly at her words.
Because she was right.
They had suffered.
And since awakening, he had devoted himself to rebuilding the Phoenix Clan, restoring its glory, strengthening its foundations, giving its people hope again. Every phoenix looked toward him as though he were salvation itself.
Slowly, Ningyan exhaled.
Xie Zhenting was not his enemy.
At least... that was what he told himself.
"I apologise," he finally said, his voice calmer now. "I have merely been tense recently."
His violet eyes drifted away thoughtfully.
"But as I said before, I still intend to leave for a while." He looked back at her. "And while I am gone, I wish for you, not Xie Zhenting, to oversee matters in my stead."
He Yuting visibly stiffened again, though she quickly hid it.
Even so, Ningyan noticed the anxiety still lingering beneath her composure.
After a long pause, she bowed deeply. "As you command, Your Greatness."
A faint smile curved Ningyan’s lips before he walked past her and returned to his chambers.
Later that night, after changing into darker travelling robes, Su Ningyan quietly departed the Vermilion Fox Clan alone.
Meanwhile, He Yuting remained standing within the silent corridor long after he had left.
Her chest tightened violently.
"We should never have come here..." she whispered under her breath.
°^°
Fire City.
Daylight poured across the bustling streets while countless beasts moved through the markets, their laughter and chatter blending into one endless wave of noise.
Ningyan walked calmly amongst them, his demonic aura suppressed so thoroughly that not a single beast recognised the terrifying Phoenix Beast King hidden beneath those robes.
He stopped near a crowded stall after noticing a gathering forming there.
At its center sat an elderly tortoise beastman, speaking dramatically while the surrounding beasts listened with interest.
"It is said," the elder began, lowering his voice ominously, "that the Phoenix Beast King was reborn from darkness itself. A wrathful existence sent by the heavens to punish the realms for the sins committed against the phoenix beasts centuries ago."
The crowd immediately erupted into murmurs.
Some looked uneasy.
Others scoffed dismissively.
"The Mist Deer Clan was nearly wiped out overnight."
"And the Earth Serpents suffered the same."
Another beast snorted coldly. "I do not care what happened centuries ago. That Phoenix Beast King should be killed before he destroys us all."
The instant those words were spoken, Ningyan’s expression darkened.
His fingers curled tightly.
A dangerous black-red aura almost slipped free from beneath his skin...
"Do not let them trouble you."
The calm voice beside him struck like lightning.
Ningyan’s heart skipped.
Just like that, the anger vanished.
He turned sharply.
Standing beside him was that familiar serpent beastman once more.
Black hair cascading over pristine white robes touched with traces of dark jade. Silver-framed glasses rested elegantly upon his nose, softening the cold beauty of his features, while those emerald serpent eyes regarded Ningyan with impossible calm.
Beautiful.
That was the first thought that entered Ningyan’s mind again.
And once more, he hated how naturally it came.
The serpent beastman glanced toward the gossiping crowd before speaking quietly. "People fear what they do not understand."
Ningyan stared at him carefully.
"And you?" he asked at last. "Are you afraid of me too?"
The serpent beast man said nothing to that.
So, Ningyan said, "It’s you."
The serpent beastman paused mid-step and looked at him. "I..."
"I saw you before," Ningyan interrupted immediately, pointing at him. "A few nights ago. You were following me."
The serpent beastman did not deny it. "...You noticed."
Ningyan blinked at the answer before tilting his head curiously. "Why were you following me?"
Silence.
The serpent beastman merely stepped around him and walked away.
Ningyan stared after him in disbelief.
He had just been ignored.
"Hey!" he called out before quickly hurrying after him. "I am speaking to you!"
He rushed ahead and planted himself directly in the serpent beastman’s path, spreading his arms dramatically to block him.
"Why were you following me that night?" Ningyan demanded.
The serpent beastman lowered his gaze toward him, his expression as unreadable as ever.
That calm, impassive look strangely made Ningyan feel as though he were the unreasonable one.
He straightened himself and cleared his throat, restoring the dignified bearing expected of the Phoenix Beast King.
"You know who I am," Ningyan said coolly.
"I do."
"And?" Ningyan raised a brow. "Do you intend to kill me like the rest of the realms seem eager to?"
The serpent beastman remained silent.
Then once again, he simply walked away.
Ningyan remained standing there as the tall figure disappeared into the crowded streets.
Something inside his chest tightened unexpectedly.
He did not understand why watching him leave made him feel... disappointed.
But Ningyan did not chase after him.
Instead, he released a slow breath and turned away himself.
^°^
Later that evening, Ningyan entered a modest inn within Fire City.
Because his aura remained perfectly concealed, the beasts around him merely sensed him as a powerful cultivator rather than the infamous Phoenix Beast King himself.
After eating and drinking to his satisfaction, he returned to his chamber and entered meditation, allowing his consciousness to sink into the Demon Crystal Space.
Dark crimson mist swirled endlessly around the corrupted crystal.
But before Ningyan could settle fully into cultivation, he suddenly sensed a familiar presence nearby.
His eyes opened instantly.
He rose to his feet and stepped out of his room, moving silently down the corridor until he reached a quieter section of the inn.
There, he froze.
The serpent beastman stood nearby speaking to a younger serpent beast youth.
The boy looked no older than twenty one or twenty two, with long black hair and warm hazel serpent eyes. His caramel-colored robes swayed lightly as he stood with his head lowered beneath the older man’s calm gaze.
"I told you to stop fighting with your sisters," the serpent beastman said softly.
Though it was clearly a reprimand, his voice remained so gentle it sounded more soothing than scolding.
"Because of the letter your father Wuhen sent me, I had to personally come here to retrieve you. Do you know how many important matters I left unfinished?"
The younger serpent beast lowered his head further. "I’m sorry, Baba... It’s just that A-Ruo keeps bullying me."
The serpent beastman sighed quietly. "She bullies everyone, Miao."
Despite the words, there was unmistakable fondness hidden beneath his tone.
"Go back to the chambers. We will leave soon."
The youth nodded obediently before turning away.
And then, those emerald serpent eyes lifted directly toward Ningyan.
Ningyan stepped out from behind the pillar after realizing he had been caught listening.
"I apologise," he said quickly. "I was merely passing by. I did not intend to interrupt you while you were scolding your son."
The moment those words left his mouth, something strange crossed the serpent beastman’s face.
A flicker. Brief. Almost....painful.
Ningyan frowned."...Did I say something wrong?"
"No." The answer came immediately.
And just like before, that perfectly impassive expression returned to the serpent beastman’s face as though nothing had happened.
Ningyan nodded slowly. Awkwardly.
Then turned to leave only to stop at the exact same moment the serpent beastman seemed about to speak as well.
"I..."
"Are you...?"
They both paused simultaneously.
For the first time since meeting him, Ningyan saw genuine surprise appear within those emerald eyes.
Then Ningyan laughed softly.
The sound was light, unexpectedly warm within the quiet corridor.
And to Ningyan’s complete fascination, the serpent beastman’s ears slowly turned red.
Ningyan blinked.
Adorable.
"I apologise," the serpent beastman said quietly after a moment. "You may speak first."
Ningyan’s smile deepened faintly. "Are you married to this... Wuhen?"
The question clearly caught the serpent beastman off guard.
His emerald eyes widened behind those silver-framed glasses before he answered,
"He is my co-husband."
"Oh?" Ningyan blinked rapidly in surprise.
"So the two of you are married to the same person?" His lips twitched upward with amusement. "How greedy must this beast be?"
For some reason, Ningyan suddenly found himself wondering what sort of beast could possibly marry someone this beautiful.
Surely that person must be extraordinary too.
The serpent beastman simply looked at him quietly.
Then, after a brief pause, he asked, "Would you... like to have dinner with me before you leave Fire City?"
This time, Ningyan was genuinely stunned.
He stared openly at the serpent beastman, unable to hide his surprise. "You wish to dine with me?"
"Yes."