Chapter 278: The First Step
Wuhen froze, his hand hanging uselessly in the air as he stared at Ningyan.
The expression in his red gold eyes was impossible to read, but the slow, miserable droop of his fox ears and the sudden, unnatural stillness of his nine tails betrayed him.
It hurt. Even fully understanding that the corruption was driving the outburst didn’t make the sting any less painful.
Rong Yue’s expression tightened. "Ningyan."
A small, silver dagger materialized in the tiger beast’s palm. Without a moment’s hesitation, he dragged the blade across his own hand.
Blood welled instantly, its rich scent filling the confined space of the carriage.
Ningyan’s pupils contracted. He moved before conscious thought could catch up.
Ningyan seized Rong Yue’s wrist, and the instant his fingers brushed the crimson liquid, the blood vanished directly into his palm.
Instantly, the suffocating pressure inside his body eased slightly like someone had finally allowed his head above water after holding him under for too long.
Ningyan closed his eyes, his lips parting on a shaky, desperate breath.
Then, realizing what he was doing and whose blood he was consuming, he instinctively tried to pull away.
Rong Yue didn’t let him as his arm wrapped securely around Ningyan’s waist, pulling him smoothly onto his lap.
Ningyan’s eyes snapped open. The blackish-red glow had already receded, leaving behind only his soft, familiar violet hue.
Rong Yue held him firmly against his chest, studying his drained face. "Do you feel better?"
Ningyan lowered his gaze, his voice barely a whisper. "No... It’s not enough."
His eyes shifted toward Wuhen.
The nine-tailed fox sat directly opposite them, completely silent. His tails moved behind him... slowly, devoid of their usual dramatic flair.
Ningyan’s heart sank. "Wuhen?"
Wuhen didn’t respond. He kept his gaze fixed somewhere beyond the frosty window frame.
For three hundred agonizing years, he had carried the suffocating guilt of failing to protect Ningyan. He had replayed that single nightmare over and over... the night Ningyan was taken from them..... And now, Ningyan was finally alive, standing right in front of him... yet some unknown, dark corruption was still stealing him away piece by piece.
It was driving Wuhen mad. He wanted his Ningyan back. He wanted to stop his suffering at all costs.
Ningyan’s chest tightened with a heavy wave of guilt. He opened his mouth, his voice small. "Wuhen, I—"
The nine tailed fox didn’t turn to look at him. It was his turn to sulk.
Ningyan closed his lips, the apology freezing in his throat. He leaned back against Rong Yue’s warm chest, suddenly unsure of what he was even supposed to say to fix this.
Rong Yue watched the quiet exchange between the two of them, keeping his arms anchored around Ningyan’s waist, but saying nothing more.
They eventually arrived at the grand manor.
The moment the carriage ground to a halt, Wuhen was the first to step down onto the snow. He didn’t look back once.
Attendants immediately began unloading the heavy treasure chests from Rong Chao and Tang Ruifeng’s carriage, while the couple entered the manor ahead of them to settle the deliveries.
Ningyan climbed down moments later, his eyes instantly tracking Wuhen’s retreating figure across the courtyard.
"Wuhen, wait!"
The fox didn’t slow his pace.
"I didn’t mean—"
A sudden, brilliant burst of red-gold radiance erupted around Wuhen’s frame. In the next instant, he vanished entirely into thin air, leaving only a fading trail of sparkling light where he had stood.
Ningyan stopped dead in his tracks. His shoulders slumped, his white hair falling around his face as he pressed two fingers tightly against his forehead.
"Damn it..." He turned toward Rong Yue, who had just stepped up beside him. "He’s furious with me."
Rong Yue looked at the fading red-gold light dissolving into the icy air, then looked down at Ningyan’s frustrated face. A tiny, rare smile touched his lips.
"Well..." he reached out and gently patted the top of Ningyan’s head. "It is a good first step."
Ningyan blinked up at him, bewildered. "What is?"
"That you are actually affected by his emotions."
Ningyan eyed him. "I just don’t like anyone being angry with me."
"He isn’t angry with you," Rong Yue’s voice was soft. "He’s hurt."
Ningyan pressed his lips together into a thin line. "I didn’t mean to shout at him. I just..." He trailed off, his gaze dropping to Rong Yue’s hand. "Has your wound healed?"
Rong Yue raised his palm, displaying his smooth, unblemished skin. The cut had already vanished without a trace.
Ningyan’s shoulders dropped slightly as he visibly relaxed.
Rong Yue didn’t miss the subtle change in his posture. "Did you find what you were looking for in Earth City?"
Ningyan held the tiger beast king’s sharp, blue feline gaze for a long, silent moment. "Yes..." He hesitated, his violet eyes clouding over. "...And no."
Before Rong Yue could press him further, Ningyan turned on his heel and hurried into the manor.
He needed to apologize to Wuhen. He couldn’t leave things like this.
"Wuhen?" Ningyan pushed open the heavy chamber door.
He found the nine-tailed fox seated quietly by the high window, a scroll unfolded between his hands. Wuhen was reading it with an expression of profound displeasure.
"Wuhen?" Ningyan approached him carefully, stepping softly across the stone floor.
The moment Wuhen heard his voice, his eyes snapped up. The dark solemnity on his face vanished for a brief second, replaced by an instinctual flicker of warmth. But almost immediately, he remembered himself and quickly rolled the scroll closed. A pulse of red-gold light wrapped around it, and vanished in his grip.
"I’m sorry," Ningyan blurted out, barely managing the words before Wuhen cut him off.
"I know," Wuhen’s voice was quiet, stripped of its usual playful arrogance. "I know you didn’t mean it."
Yet his fox ears remained drooped, and his nine tails swayed listlessly behind him. That silent vulnerability somehow made Ningyan feel ten times worse.
"I..."
"Please." Wuhen stopped him again, his sharp, red-gold eyes locking onto Ningyan’s. "Let us go to Jun Haoxuan."
Ningyan’s expression changed instantly. His gaze turned cold and guarded as Old Beast Gu’s words echoed through his mind.
A perfect puppet... And how he hated his cure...
Ningyan shook his head, taking a step back. "No."
Wuhen’s eyes sharpened.
"I don’t want to," Ningyan said, his tone resolute. "I’ll find another..."
A tiny, razor-thin thread of red-gold light suddenly flickered between Wuhen’s fingers. With a flick of his wrist, the light shot forward and struck Ningyan precisely between the brows.
Thump.
Ningyan’s eyes rolled back and his body went instantly limp.
Wuhen moved like a shadow, catching him before his head could hit the floor. For several long breaths, he simply sat on the floor, cradling unconscious Ningyan tightly against his chest.
"I’m..." Wuhen’s fingers gently brushed the loose strands away from Ningyan’s pale face. His expression turned unbearably solemn, heavy with grief.
"I’m sorry, Yan’er..." He tightened his arms around the sleeping phoenix, his nine fluffy tails curling around Ningyan in a protective, impenetrable barrier.
"But I can’t sit back and watch you destroy yourself simply because you refuse to trust the one beast who might actually be able to save you."
Wuhen lowered his head, pressing his forehead gently against Ningyan’s cool skin.
"So forgive me," his eyes closed, a silent breath escaping his lips. "Even if you hate me for this forever."