Chapter 228: I Should Have Been There
Rong Yue looked at the doors.
Before another second passed, an emerald portal burst open beneath both him and Lan Meishan, swallowing them whole.
The next instant, they reappeared inside the underground prison chamber.
What greeted them froze the air itself.
Yan Wuhen stood before Xie Menghua.
One hand was wrapped around her throat, hoisting her effortlessly into the air while her feet kicked uselessly above the ground. His claws had already ripped through the side of her face, blood staining her pale skin, yet the terrifying part was not the violence, It was the expression on his face.
Or rather... the lack of one.
The playful nine tailed fox prince who laughed too loudly, flirted shamelessly, and burned like untamed wildfire was nowhere to be seen.
His ears drooped lifelessly atop his head. His nine tails hung low behind him.
His red-gold eyes were empty. Utterly empty.
It was the face of a man whose soul had already shattered.
And Rong Yue realized instantly. This beastwoman was the one who had harmed Ningyan.
Neither he nor Lan Meishan spoke.
Neither tried to stop him.
A sharp crack echoed through the chamber.
Wuhen snapped Xie Menghua’s neck with one brutal twist before flinging her body across the prison like discarded trash.
Her corpse slammed hard against the stone wall.
Yet moments later, a brilliant golden glow erupted around her body, the immortal flames of a phoenix already beginning to restore her flesh.
Wuhen appeared before her again before the regeneration could even complete.
His claws plunged directly into her chest.
Blood splattered across the floor. And before the phoenix could even scream, he ripped her heart out.
The golden healing light vanished instantly.
Her body collapsed limply to the ground.
Dead.
This time, truly dead.
Silence swallowed the chamber whole.
Then Wuhen slowly turned toward them. His face remained terrifyingly emotionless.
Yet somehow that made it worse.
Because it was obvious, he was still not satisfied. Not even remotely.
His head tilted to the side before he finally spoke. "She told me something."
His voice was calm.
"She said they needed him dead so he could return again." His gaze lowered slightly. "The rebirth of the phoenix."
Lan Meishan’s hands clenched violently. "It takes hundreds of years for a phoenix to be reborn and—"
His voice abruptly stopped.
Realization struck him like lightning. His face lost all color.
"No." The words sounded strangled coming from his throat. "He cannot be dead."
Rong Yue swallowed hard before stepping closer toward Wuhen carefully. "What exactly did she say, Hen’er?"
Wuhen looked at him.
Those once-burning red-gold eyes now looked hollow beyond measure.
Then he whispered softly, "He’s dead."
And just like that, he walked past them.
With no hesitation. No anger. No grief. Just emptiness.
Rong Yue felt something inside his chest sink. "I should have been there..."
An emerald portal suddenly opened beneath Lan Meishan’s feet.
Without another word, he vanished through it.
Gone.
Leaving Rong Yue alone in the prison chamber with the corpse of Xie Menghua.
The snowstorm outside rattled faintly against the palace walls.
Rong Yue stared at the dead phoenix for a long moment before lowering his head heavily. "I should have been there."
^°^
A few days passed after the night of the Blue Moon.
Then days became months.
Months became years.
And still, Su Ningyan never returned.
The search for the hidden Phoenix Clan spread endlessly across the realms. Countless traces were followed. Ancient ruins were explored. Forbidden records were unearthed.
Nothing.
It was as though Ningyan had vanished completely from existence.
Three years passed in silence.
Three years since his death.
Three years since his disappearance.
^
Within the Azure Dragon Clan, the Dance of Dragons Festival was underway.
The palace blazed with celebration.
Lanterns floated through the heavens while enormous dragons spiraled through the night sky amidst bursts of brilliant fireworks. Music echoed across the clan grounds as invited beast clans celebrated together beneath the glowing moonlight.
But despite the grand celebration, there was still emptiness.
Jun Haoxuan eventually stepped away from the festivities.
The cold night wind brushed softly against his robes as he stood beneath one of the high pavilions overlooking the illuminated palace.
His golden reptilian eyes reflected the fireworks silently.
Then another presence approached.
Lan Meishan.
Dressed in dark robes, silver-framed glasses resting neatly upon his nose, Meishan stepped beside him without speaking.
The two stood quietly together.
Neither spoke for a very long while.
The silence between them was not uncomfortable. Only tired.
Then suddenly, they spotted two familiar figures approaching from the opposite side of the bridge pavilion.
Yan Wuhen and Rong Yue. Or rather, Rong Yue following after Yan Wuhen.
Wuhen’s expression was cold and stern as he walked ahead without slowing down while Rong Yue seemed to be trying to speak to him. Clearly unsuccessfully.
Wuhen looked exhausted. Not physically, emotionally.
The once bright arrogance within his red-gold eyes had dimmed greatly over the years.
Even his nine tails swayed slower now.
He stopped walking the moment he noticed Jun Haoxuan and Lan Meishan.
Rong Yue noticed them as well.
For a brief second, all four men simply stared at each other beneath the glowing festival lights.
Then they slowly approached one another.
Over the years, they had remained together. Searching. Waiting. Refusing to stop believing.
But Ningyan’s absence had carved a wound into all of them.
And slowly, that pain had begun straining the fragile balance between them.
Jun Haoxuan finally broke the silence. "What happened?"
His gaze shifted between Rong Yue and Wuhen.
Wuhen sighed heavily, folding his arms across his chest. "Yue’er has brought very unhelpful news."
"It is not unhelpful," Rong Yue countered immediately, frustration flickering across his features before softening again.
Clearly, he was already tired from arguing with Wuhen.
So instead, he looked toward Jun Haoxuan and Lan Meishan.
"Do you remember what happened in Fire City that night," Rong Yue said quietly. "The phoenix-carved figure Ningyan touched before everything happened..."
His voice lowered. "It was likely part of a portal formation."
Jun Haoxuan frowned slightly. "I remember."
Rong Yue nodded. "It was specifically meant for phoenix bloodlines." He inhaled slowly. "A pathway to wherever the hidden Phoenix Clan exists."
"If Wuhen had not killed that phoenix," Lan Meishan said coldly, "we could have forced her to reveal the location."
Wuhen immediately shot him a sharp glare.
The atmosphere instantly tensed.
But Lan Meishan ignored him completely.
Jun Haoxuan finally spoke again. "Then we simply find another way."
His eyes sharpened thoughtfully. "Perhaps Su Mian can activate the portal again."
"No." Wuhen answered firmly.
The others looked at him.
His tails swayed once behind him before stilling completely.
"It will not work." There was something strange in his voice.
Something almost defeated. "We should stop forcing possibilities onto ourselves."
And with that, he turned and walked away. Straight back toward the palace festivities without another word.
Jun Haoxuan watched him leave quietly.
Lan Meishan frowned. "Why is he so certain it will not work?"
Rong Yue let out a tired sigh. "Because he already checked."
That made both of them pause.
"The phoenix figure from Fire City disappeared long ago," Rong Yue continued quietly. "Wuhen searched personally."
His blue feline eyes dimmed. "He is grieving."
The words lingered heavily in the cold night air. "We all are."
Lan Meishan’s expression tightened instantly. "There is nothing to grieve."
His voice came out sharper than intended. "Ningyan is not dead."
The certainty in his tone was almost frightening. It was as though denying it was the only thing keeping him together.
Silence fell again.
Then Meishan took a step backward. "...Perhaps we should return to the banquet."
He adjusted his glasses lightly. "I will leave first."
Without waiting for a response, Lan Meishan turned and walked away into the glowing palace halls.
Rong Yue and Jun Haoxuan remained standing beneath the pavilion afterward.
Watching him go. Watching the loneliness in his retreating figure.
Above them, fireworks continued exploding across the heavens. It was beautiful, bright and unbearably hollow.
"Do you believe he is alive?" Rong Yue asked suddenly.
Jun Haoxuan tensed. "I..."
His voice trembled. "I have felt the connection of the dragon crystal break off since that night. I can’t feel him. The last time I did, I felt his pain. His fear. I..." He stopped, looking at Rong Yue with sudden clarity. "I do not know what to believe."
Rong Yue sighed and looked up at the sky. "I don’t believe he is dead, either."