Ningyan had kept the feather close for months, tracing the faint fluctuations within it for any sign of movement.

Jun Haoxuan and the others had done the same, quietly extending their awareness across the realms but nothing had surfaced. Until now.

The moment the feather stirred, Ningyan moved. A shadow slipping through the night.

He landed lightly atop the manor roof, already cloaked in his illusion mask as a tiger beastman. Without hesitation, he leapt down and vanished into the bustling streets below.

Fire City was alive as ever.

Lanterns swayed in the warm night air, music spilled from every corner, and fireworks bloomed endlessly across the sky.

Ningyan kept his pace, his senses honing to a point. His world narrowed to a single thread, the faint pull guiding him forward.

He pressed a thread of qi into the feather hidden within his robes, letting it resonate as he moved through the crowd.

Step by step, the pull grew clearer, until he stopped.

An ordinary inn stood before him. Yet the feather burned faintly against his chest.

They are here...

Ningyan took a step and stopped as he felt two presences nearby. He recognized them immediately.

"...What do you think you are doing, Ningyan?" Jun Haoxuan’s voice was calm, but it carried weight.

Ningyan stiffened.

For a brief, absurd moment, he truly did feel like he had been caught sneaking out.

He didn’t turn.

"Who is this ’Ningyan’ you speak of?" he replied lightly.

"I would recognize that illusion mask anywhere, Yan’er. And that sweet scent...." Yan Wuhen’s voice followed, threaded with amusement.

Ningyan exhaled, the tension slipping into mild frustration. He turned at last, lifting a hand toward his mask.

"You don’t need to remove it," Jun Haoxuan said, stopping him.

His golden gaze rested steadily on Ningyan. "We only want to know why you left without a word."

Wuhen shot him a look. "We? Speak for yourself."

Ningyan huffed a quiet laugh despite himself. "There are phoenixes in that inn."

He gestured subtly toward it.

Both beasts followed his gaze, interest sharpening instantly.

Silence lingered for a breath before their attention returned to him.

"I wore the mask for a reason. I intend to remain unnoticed." Ningyan adjusted his sleeve, his voice lowering. "None of you... are subtle."

Wuhen’s lips curved at once. "Then I’ll simply have to be."

He stepped closer, eyes gleaming with mischief. "I’ll come with you. In disguise."

Ningyan drew in a slow breath.

"Stay here," he said quietly. "If I call out, you’ll know something is wrong. I’ll send a signal."

Jun Haoxuan did not look convinced.

Yan Wuhen, on the other hand, had already wandered off toward a nearby fruit stall, as though the matter did not concern him in the slightest.

Ningyan held Haoxuan’s gaze.

For a moment, neither spoke.

Then, Jun Haoxuan let out a long reluctant but yielding sigh.

Ningyan’s lips curved faintly. He turned without another word and stepped toward the inn.

The moment he crossed the threshold, and vanished from sight, Yan Wuhen reappeared at Jun Haoxuan’s side, lazily biting into a spirit fruit.

"There are three divine beasts inside," he said between bites. "And one saint beast."

Jun Haoxuan’s golden eyes narrowed, fixed on the building. "...I know."

^

Inside, the atmosphere shifted.

The noise of the streets dulled, replaced by a quieter, more contained calm.

A staff member approached at once, all smiles and practiced courtesy. "Welcome, honored guest. Will you be dining, or staying the night?"

"Staying," Ningyan replied.

He passed over a small pouch of spirit crystals without hesitation.

The staff’s smile deepened. "This way, then."

They moved through the inner hall.

Ningyan followed in silence, his hand pressing lightly against his chest, over the feather concealed within his robes.

It started out as a faint pulse, but then it grew stronger. Each step sharpened the sensation, until it was no longer subtle.

It was calling to him.

They passed one door and Ningyan stopped.

"Here."

The staff, unaware, continued forward, even turning the corner before realizing his guest was no longer behind him.

Ningyan did not move. His gaze remained on the door.

Slowly, he stepped closer.

Then, with a steady breath, he pushed it open.

The presence was clear now.

So he went into the room, prepared for what was inside, but the chamber was completely empty.

"Huh...? Ningyan stood still, his brows knitting.

Slowly, he lifted a hand and removed his mask.

The tiger beastman form melted away like mist, revealing his true features as he suppressed his aura to its lowest trace. The chamber fell into a strange, hollow quiet.

Yet, as his hand pressed against his chest, the feather burned.

"I can still feel it..." he murmured, confusion deepening. "Are they... invisible?"

He moved further in, steps measured.

His gaze swept across the room before settling on a display shelf, lined with small carved figures of beasts arranged in careful order.

A lion beast, a tortoise beast, a nine-tailed fox, a dragon, a tiger, a serpent, and a phoenix.

Ningyan’s eyes narrowed.

Something was wrong.

Every carving stood in perfect alignment, except one.

The phoenix figure carving.

It had been pushed slightly forward... it looked out of place.

"...Has this been touched?" He reached out and picked it up.

The moment his fingers closed around it, a burst of power erupted beneath his feet and a blazing gold formation flared to life like fire given shape.

It burst upward in a pillar of light, swallowing him whole.

Ningyan’s breath hitched as space twisted. His body began to dissolve into the pull, and then,

"Ningyan!" Yan Wuhen’s voice cut through the distortion and seized his arm. 𝚏𝐫𝚎𝗲𝕨𝐞𝐛𝕟𝚘𝐯𝚎𝗹.𝕔𝐨𝗺

Red-gold energy exploded outward as Wuhen forced his power against the formation, resisting the pull of the portal.

The clash of forces trembled through the room.

"Break—!"

The pressure shook.

Ningyan reacted instantly, dropping the carving back into place.

The formation shattered. The golden light collapsed.

Wuhen pulled him back sharply, drawing him into his arms.

Ningyan exhaled, breath uneven. "That... was close."

Wuhen’s hold tightened.

"You need to be more careful, Yan’er," he murmured.

"I’m sorry." Ningyan sighed, resting briefly against him. "I didn’t expect a spatial trap."

Wuhen clicked his tongue softly, but loosened his grip.

Footsteps approached.

Jun Haoxuan entered the chamber and he was not alone.

A figure followed behind him.

Recognition struck instantly.

They pointed at each other at the same time. "You!"

Ningyan scoffed under his breath, straightening. "Tang Ruifeng?"