Earth City lay buried beneath an endless hush of snow.

White stretched as far as the eye could see, rooftops, streets, distant peaks, all glazed in frost that shimmered under the sun’s pale gold light. The wind howled through the high structures, cold enough to bite into bone, yet the city itself stood serene... almost deceptively peaceful.

At the heart of it, the great pagoda towered into the heavens.

Within its highest chamber, warmth gathered.

A steady fire crackled within an ornate hearth, its glow dancing across carved walls and polished floors. Yet even that warmth did little to soften the presence standing by the window.

Rong Yue.

His hands were clasped behind his back, posture straight, unmoving. Only the faint rise and fall of his chest betrayed life, each breath leaving behind a thin veil of mist in the cold air.

The frozen city reflected in his blue feline eyes, which were tight with a sudden urgency.

The doors opened slowly.

Old Beast Gu stepped in. Her nine tails fanned behind her like drifting snow, each strand of white fur catching the firelight in a quiet, ethereal glow. Her ears twitched once as the doors shut behind her with a heavy thud.

"Rong Yue," she said calmly, taking her seat as though nothing in this world could disturb her peace. "How have you been faring?"

Rong Yue moved slowly. Each step stern as he approached her.

"I did not come here for pleasantries." His voice was devoid of warmth as he stopped before her.

"I have been living peacefully with my family." His gaze hardened. "Days I would call... beautiful. And now..."

He leaned forward, his hand slamming against the armrest of her chair. His claws extended in a flash, long, gleaming, merciless, dragging across the polished wood with a violent scrape that split the silence.

The sharp and ugly sound echoed.

But Old Beast Gu did not flinch.

"You had one responsibility," Rong Yue said, his voice dropping further, edged now with something feral. "One thing you have always prided yourself on."

His claws pressed deeper into the carved wood. "To collect, to guard, and to keep what is entrusted to you far from the realm’s reach. And yet, I hear every demon tool under your protection vanished in a single night."

Old Beast Gu’s composure cracked.

Her brows drew together faintly, and she turned her face away, closing her eyes as though something within her ached.

Rong Yue straightened and let his hand fall from the armrest. "How could something like that happen?"

Old Beast Gu opened her eyes. "I do not know. My collections are bound to my spiritual space. No one enters it but me."

"And yet... they are gone." Disbelief was clear on Rong Yue’s expression now.

"We finally brought an end to Lan Yunlai. The spread of demon qi has been contained. Do you understand what it took to reach that point?" His eyes darkened. "Do you know how many lives were lost... just to gather those tools?"

He took a step closer. "And now you tell me that every single one has vanished without explanation?"

"I would not lie about this." Old Beast Gu rose to her feet.

Her nine tails shifted behind her, no longer graceful, but restless like snow disturbed by a hidden wind.

"You know what my collection means to me. This... should not have been possible."

Rong Yue’s eyes narrowed.

"Only the demon tools?" he asked. "Nothing else was touched?"

Old Beast Gu nodded. "Yes."

Then her expression changed subtly. "I may... have something."

She raised her hand.

Pure white spiritual energy gathered instantly, coiling above her palm before taking shape.

A golden feather. It hovered there, pulsing faintly with heat and ancient power.

Rong Yue’s gaze sharpened the moment he saw it. "A phoenix."

He stepped forward without hesitation, taking the feather into his grasp.

The warmth seeped into his palm immediately.

It was familiar. Too familiar.

"It’s the same," he muttered. "The same as the one Ningyan and I encountered."

Old Beast Gu’s eyes widened. "You’ve seen this before?"

Rong Yue did not answer immediately. His gaze remained on the feather, his thoughts already moving ahead.

"Yes." His voice lowered. "But that only makes this worse."

He lifted his eyes to hers. "If the phoenixes are trying to reach Ningyan... Why are they also stealing demon tools?"

No answer came. Only silence.

Rong Yue’s jaw tightened.

Because every path his thoughts followed led to the same conclusion and none of them were good.

"I will be leaving now." The golden feather dissolved into his essence as he turned, already heading for the doors.

"Wait." Old Beast Gu’s voice stopped him.

He paused, glancing back over his shoulder.

She stood still. "You must not let the phoenixes get to Su Ningyan."

Rong Yue tilted his head, a faint crease forming between his brows.

"Why?" he asked. "They are his kind."

Old Beast Gu exhaled slowly. "The Phoenix Clan was torn apart long ago. What remains isn’t unity, but fragments such as hatred, rage, vengeance, envy, and sorrow. They carry it all, and they will never be free of it."

Rong Yue’s gaze darkened. "And Ningyan?"

"He is powerful," she said immediately. "Far too powerful."

Her eyes lifted to meet his. "If they reach him... if they influence him even slightly... Then that power will no longer belong to him alone."

The air in the chamber seemed to tighten.

"And when that happens," she finished quietly, "it will not be one clan that suffers. It will be all of us."

Rong Yue held her gaze for a moment longer and gave a small nod. "I understand."

Without another word, he exited the pagoda.

The cold wind of Earth City greeted him at once, biting through layers of warmth.

Snow drifted across the stone paths as he made his way to his carriage.

He stepped inside, settling into the seat and paused. There was a scroll tucked neatly at the side.

His eyes narrowed as he reached for it, unrolling it in one smooth motion.

Rong Chao’s handwriting.

He had arrived at the Azure Dragon Clan... with his betrothed.

Rong Yue stared at the words for a moment before rolling the scroll shut again.

His brother was there to make trouble.