Autumn passed and winter arrived. The children had already spent two months at the Young Phoenix Academy, no longer as wide-eyed and fascinated by everything as they had been when they first arrived. They now rose on time, began their cultivation punctually, diligently practiced after lunch and dinner, and went to bed at the same hour each night. The young disciples gradually shed their former naivety, beginning to embody the demeanor and habits befitting true disciples of an Immortal Sect.
In November, the first snow fell at the academy. As sudden as the bitter cold was Hu Jiaping’s announcement: in ten days, there would be a test on the basic Five Elements Immortal Techniques. As always, the principle of survival of the fittest applied—those who failed the test would absolutely not be allowed to stay.
Though everyone had mentally prepared themselves, they hadn’t expected the test to come so soon. Panic spread instantly among them. The cries of the children who had failed the previous test and been expelled still echoed in their ears, and now each wished they had a hundred hours in a day to practice.
Since the departure of two disciples that day, their numbers had dwindled to sixteen. The initial random groups of three could no longer be formed, and Hu Jiaping showed no intention of reorganizing them. Moreover, over a month of practicing the basic Five Elements Immortal Techniques didn’t require group work, so gradually, the children forgot about the trio arrangements altogether.
One morning, thick snowflakes drifted outside again. Li Fei used a Fire-type Celestial Spell to envelop herself and ward off the cold as she flew on her sword to the Martial Training Field. Being a Celestial and learning Immortal Techniques certainly had its perks—like no longer needing to bundle up in bulky winter clothes. A simple spell was enough to let her walk bare-skinned through the icy snow without feeling the chill.
That morning was Mo Yanfan’s fist-and-sword class. Upon arriving at the training field, she saw the ground blanketed in white. The early arrivals had already taken the initiative to ask the female Demons for brooms, shovels, dustpans, and coarse salt to clear the snow away thoroughly.
At first, Li Fei had wondered if Mo Yanfan’s fist-and-sword techniques were literally about fists and swords—and unsurprisingly, that was exactly what they were. It was said that both fist techniques and swordplay were paths to physical cultivation. Celestials not only had to refine their Alchemical Furnaces but also needed strong, robust bodies to endure the rigors of Advanced Immortal Techniques in the future.
At the stroke of mao hour, Mo Yanfan’s snow-white figure appeared on the training field. Compared to the other instructors who were often capricious and tardy, this Mr. Mo was the very model of a good teacher—never late, never prone to scolding, and even allowing leave for illness. The children loved his classes, though the girls loved them even more.
"Ah, no matter how you look at him, it’s like gazing at a painting. Every movement is so graceful," sighed Baili Gelin, her youthful heart utterly captivated by the coldly handsome instructor. "If only I were a few years older..."
A nearby female disciple giggled. "Even if you were older, it wouldn’t be our turn. Have you forgotten about that Mr. Lin You..."
After two months of living and practicing together, the disciples had grown familiar with one another. Baili Gelin’s cheerful personality made it easy for her to befriend many, and the girls were all close to her, joking freely without reservation.
Baili Gelin glanced around curiously. "Hasn’t she arrived yet? She’s usually here by this time, isn’t she?"This was considered one of the biggest rumors at Young Phoenix Academy. That perpetually smiling, youthful-looking teacher Lin You was always late for class—often by a full two hours—and had a terrible temper. She frequently punished students by withholding meals, yet her moods were so unpredictable that no one could figure out her standards. Even Lei Xiuyuan and Ji Tongzhou had suffered under her.
Yet this same habitually late and ill-tempered Teacher Lin You would always appear punctually at the Martial Training Field whenever Mo Yanfan was teaching, whether it was early morning or late afternoon. She never spoke, just stood there watching silently until the class ended, then left without a word. Everyone speculated she had a secret crush on the handsome Mo Yanfan. Though they appeared similar in age, the actual gap between them was vast—enough to be mother and son, or even grandmother and grandson in the outside world. Presumably, Mo Yanfan wouldn’t want to be involved with an older woman, so she watched while he taught, with Mo Yanfan remaining utterly indifferent.
"She's here again!" someone whispered, pointing to the corner. Right on schedule, Lin You's pale pink figure appeared at the edge of the training field.
"Why the commotion?" Mo Yanfan's cool voice instantly silenced the children. "Begin. Assume your positions."
Fist and sword practice was far more interesting than Immortal Techniques like carving Alchemical Furnaces, at least for these energetic preteens. They were always excited for Mo Yanfan's combat classes.
Li Fei danced through the sword forms with her Stone sword, the movements soft and lacking power—clearly just for conditioning. In a real fight, this dance-like technique would leave her disarmed before she could strike.
Midway through a transition, a sudden cry came from behind: "Ah! You're bleeding!"
The children turned in alarm to see Lei Xiuyuan's sleeve soaked in blood, half of it completely stained red. Despite months of training, they were still children, easily frightened by blood. "Teacher! He's hurt! He's bleeding so much!" they shouted.
Mo Yanfan strode over and took Lei Xiuyuan's hands, only to find both arms tightly wrapped in bandages, now thoroughly drenched in blood. Even he was taken aback. "What happened? Who did this to you?"
Lei Xiuyuan lowered his sleeve calmly. "It's nothing. I did it myself. I haven't been feeling well lately. There's a folk remedy from my hometown—bleeding helps."
Mo Yanfan unwrapped the bandages and saw deep, long cuts covering Lei Xiuyuan's hands and arms, clearly made by a blade. He frowned. "Tell me the truth. Who hurt you? This is the Academy. You have nothing to fear."
Lei Xiuyuan pulled a small dagger from his robe and smiled. "See, Teacher? It really was me. First time bleeding myself—got a bit nervous and made too many cuts. Won’t happen again."
Seeing his insistence, Mo Yanfan let it go. He summoned female Demons to clean and dress the wounds, then kindly dismissed him for the day.
Baili Gelin snorted. "Not a word of truth from him! I’ve never heard of any 'bleeding remedy' from Gaul!"If it wasn't some folk remedy, then who injured him? Could it have been one of the Academy teachers? That didn't seem likely—the teachers wouldn't do something so harmful with no benefit to themselves. Was it another disciple? Also impossible—everyone knew Lei Xiuyuan's capabilities. Picking a fight with him would be asking for trouble.
Could he have done this to himself? Everything about this person was always so mystifying. Li Fei couldn't make heads or tails of it.
That night, Li Fei drifted into a heavy sleep but was abruptly awakened by thirst around midnight. As she got up to grope for the teapot, she heard the faint sound of a door opening in the courtyard, followed by footsteps heading outward—who would be going out at this hour? She went to the window and peered out, catching only a glimpse of a slender figure slipping through the main gate. It could have been either Ji Tongzhou or Lei Xiuyuan.
Her curiosity thoroughly piqued, all drowsiness vanished. Li Fei threw on her outer robe and silently pushed open her door to follow.
The moonlight tonight was so bright it turned the surroundings nearly daylight. Just outside the courtyard gate, she saw someone walking unsteadily down the stone path, their steps floating as if sleepwalking. Dressed in white underwear with disheveled hair and bloodstained sleeves—it was Lei Xiuyuan!
A mix of curiosity and shock filled Li Fei's heart. Not daring to make a sound, she trailed behind him barefoot, her steps silent against the ground. Strangely, he never once looked back—uncharacteristically unaware for someone as vigilant as Lei Xiuyuan.
Beyond the large courtyard of the Disciple Rooms lay the open field where they once practiced Sword Flying. Though his steps were weak and unsteady, he moved surprisingly fast, soon crossing the clearing. From the direction he was heading, it seemed he was making for the cliffs at the island's edge.
Suddenly, he stopped dead in his tracks as if jolted awake, looking around in terror before collapsing to his knees. After fumbling in his robes, he pulled out that small dagger. Li Fei bit her lip hard, horrified as she watched him stab his own arm viciously. Blood sprayed everywhere. It was as if he was battling some invisible nightmare—silent yet utterly terrifying.
Trembling, Lei Xiuyuan continued searching inside his robes until he finally produced a thin letter. He crumpled it fiercely and threw it toward the cliff's edge. Despite the windless night, the balled-up letter spun midair and landed neatly back at his feet. He threw it again—it returned. Again and again, until finally, the letter unfolded itself before him as if bewitched. Lei Xiuyuan stopped touching the eerie paper. Slowly, he stood up, his steps becoming unsteady once more as he inched toward the cliff.
It looked like he was under some kind of spell! Was he cutting himself to resist the Nightmare Art with pain? Horrified, Li Fei realized his movements suggested he intended to jump. She could no longer stand by and watch. "Wait! Lei Xiuyuan!" she shouted.
The slender figure seemed to shudder, but his steps didn't stop—slow, labored, as if being forced forward.Li Fei dashed over, grabbed him by the collar, and yanked him down hard, sending him tumbling several times across the ground. As he struggled to get up, seemingly still intent on throwing himself off the cliff, she pounced on him and shoved him back down. Sensing his fierce resistance, she plopped herself squarely on top of him and slapped him hard across the face—Master had said that those under the Nightmare Art needed a good smack to wake them up.
Lei Xiuyuan coughed violently from the blow, hacking for a long while before finally collapsing onto his back, his damp eyes fixed on her in silence.
“Are you awake now?” Li Fei asked.
His voice was weak but still icy: “...Get off.”
“You were about to jump off the cliff,” she stated bluntly. “You were under the Nightmare Art.”
“Get off. You’re crushing my chest.”
Li Fei eyed him suspiciously—was the Nightmare Art still affecting him? She cracked her knuckles loudly, ready to give him another smack.
The boy beneath her suddenly sat up with force, blocking her arms and shoving her aside. Li Fei found herself effortlessly toppled onto the ground. As she watched him bend down to pick up the letter, she blurted out, “There’s something strange about that letter!”
Lei Xiuyuan said nothing, tucking both the knife and the letter back into his robes as if he intended to go back to sleep like nothing had happened. Annoyed, Li Fei grabbed him again. “Explain yourself! Otherwise, I’m taking you to the teachers right now!”
Her hand was roughly shaken off. “This is my business,” he said coldly. “It has nothing to do with you.”
Furious, Li Fei stepped forward and punched him square in the head. Lei Xiuyuan hadn’t expected her to strike so suddenly—stars exploded in his vision, and he staggered, nearly falling over. Before he could recover, she yanked at his clothes, her hands rummaging wildly through his robes until she snatched both the knife and the letter.
“Give it back!” He seized her wrist, but the wretched girl mercilessly struck the wound on his arm, forcing him to let go with a sharp gasp. After the scuffle, he seemed exhausted, simply sitting on the ground panting. “Were you raised by bears?”
Li Fei warily backed away a few steps, stuffing his dagger into her sleeve before carefully unfolding the letter—who knew what he was up to? If it was something harmful to the Academy, this letter was crucial evidence.
She glanced down at the paper just as Lei Xiuyuan shouted urgently, “Don’t look!”
The letter was densely covered in writing, but every character seemed alive, squirming like tadpoles. The moment her eyes landed on the writhing words, dizziness overwhelmed her, and her body moved on its own—just like Lei Xiuyuan earlier, she began walking step by step toward the cliff.
A strong pair of arms wrapped around her, and the world spun. By the time Li Fei regained her senses, she was lying flat on her back. Lei Xiuyuan silently took the letter from her hand and folded it back up.
“Consider tonight’s events a dream,” he said, tucking the letter into his sleeve again.
Li Fei bolted upright. “Someone’s trying to kill you!”
Lei Xiuyuan remained silent.
“Who?!” she pressed. “Why haven’t you told the teachers?”
He replied flatly, “I can’t speak of this matter. Nor can I say anything about it. It’s the Art of Oathbinding.”
Oathbinding? She felt like she’d heard of it somewhere before.Lei Xiuyuan suddenly smiled again, self-deprecatingly. His damp eyes quietly watched her, filled with a mix of helpless frustration and a haze that seemed to veil his emotions. "This matter began because of you... Fine, blame me for not being careful."
He turned to leave again, but Li Fei hurriedly chased after him. "Wait, Lei Xiuyuan! What do you mean it began because of me? You deceived me for so long without any explanation, and now you're about to be killed just as mysteriously, and you say it's because of me! Don’t you think you owe me a proper explanation?"
"I told you, I can’t say."
Suddenly, he tilted his head and listened intently for a moment before grabbing Li Fei’s sleeve. "Come here! Someone’s coming!"
He pulled her into the bushes. Seeing him about to cover her mouth again, she glared up at him angrily. Instead, he placed a finger to his lips, signaling for silence.
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