Chapter 37: The Vessel

She asked: “Why did you save me?”
“I already have what I wanted. Before I change my mind—you’d better leave now.” Jade Dust looked at her, word by word. “Team Leader Yi, this is your last chance. Next time we meet I won’t be merciful.”
She drew a transport array. In the last instant before reaching SI she saw Jade Dust turn slowly away, lonely, clutching the Spirit Tide jade pendant tight.
At SI she took Zhen Yao to the holding room.
Zhen Yao’s color worsened by the minute. She cast moon forbidden arts at once—stripped her own spiritual flame and passed it to Zhen Yao.
She was much stronger now—but the pain of stripping flame remained. Cold sweat. She leaned aside, greedy for air.
In the moment the pendant’s power went wild she’d really thought she might die.
Why had Jade Dust saved her? Really just appreciation, sparing talent—that simple?
Jade Dust hid her identity on purpose. Yi Ke had turned every mortal text—no line about Jade Dust anywhere.
When the art finished Zhen Yao woke fast.
Gifted indeed—as flame entered her body she awakened her ability at once. Wounds healed clean.
She returned the button in the clear bag. “Yours, right? Keep it safe. Don’t lose it again.”
Young—badly frightened. Zhen Yao watched her wary, then recognized late: “You—you’re the police sister who took me home that day.”
Yi Ke nodded. Zhen Yao took the button back. “Th-thank you, sister.”
“You’re welcome.” Soft. “Can you tell me why you snuck out again after we brought you home that night?”
“The sister in white came to me. She said she saw a button exactly like mine.” Zhen Yao took it from the bag and showed her. “Mom left it when she went away. Mom made it by hand. Only Mom would have one exactly the same.”
Her heart skipped. “Think again—was it really the sister who was with me that night?”
Zhen Yao nodded sure.
But that night Bai Yanci had stayed at her side the whole time. Nowhere else.
Shapeshifting arts existed—but always left tells. Zhen Yao hadn’t awakened then and didn’t know Bai Yanci well. Mistaking someone was normal.
She had people settle Zhen Yao and returned to SI offices. Jiang Ran’s group was back. She scanned the crowd—no Bai Yanci.
“Where is she?”
She didn’t name her. Jiang Ran understood. “Team leader, the woman who came with you—after she broke the barrier she held Yang Yufei. Our people are still there ready to support.”
“No need. Call them all back.” She stood slowly. “If she can’t handle Yang Yufei, our people there only make mess.”
Jiang Ran frowned and finally asked: “Team leader, who is that woman in white? You’ve brought her in and out of SI many times—is she bureau aid?”
“She has nothing to do with the bureau.” She laughed lightly. “Formal intro—her name is Bai Yanci. The person I chose to spend my life with.”
“Team leader, you’re…” Jiang Ran stopped mid-sentence.
SI had older members too—not all young like her.
Under SI’s stunned eyes she ignored them, drew transport—the destination Qixie.
Pain from carving out flame hadn’t eased. Zhen Yao had needed far more flame than before. She was drained badly. Power grew unstable with the hollow where flame had been.
But Bai Yanci still wasn’t back.
Yang Yufei obeyed Jade Dust. Given Jade Dust’s special treatment of her—even after the warning—she had to go again and bring Bai Yanci home.
Array active—she stepped out at Qixie’s gate.
The gate looked fresh—no sign of battle. But power residue all around said ability users had warred here not long ago.
She closed her eyes to sense—couldn’t find Bai Yanci’s breath. Not Yang Yufei’s either.
Bai Yanci, where are you?
Qixie’s barrier was broken, doors open. Ability aura didn’t fade—it thickened.
She knew it—the Spirit Tide jade pendant’s power spilling out.
No direction—but instinct said walk toward where power pooled strongest.
Then a familiar voice at her ear: “Xi Yue, where are you going?”
Hearing that name she stopped dead and turned—empty air.
A moment before she understood—the voice came from inside her mind.
Clearer now, still talking on its own: “Xi Yue, you’re the moon’s only fallen god—yet you kneel to the Lord? He’s only a powerful immortal. One day your cultivation will pass his. You could rebuild the moon’s order!”
Closer to the vortex, louder the voice—more it frayed her nerves. Head spun dull.
Still she walked forward. At the power’s center—the familiar white figure. Bai Yanci stood in the vortex, eyes bright with craving.
“Bai Yanci!” she shouted.
The one in the swirl heard and looked down, gentle: “Ke-ke, you came.”
“What is this?” She stepped forward—Bai Yanci blocked her outside the vortex in one move.
She didn’t understand. “Jade Dust took the pendant back—why is power still leaking?”
“Yang Yufei couldn’t win—released the pendant’s phantom.” Bai Yanci frowned. “Leave the phantom alone and when it stores enough it could destroy all of Jintian.”
Bai Yanci was herself again—as if the hungry look had been Yi Ke’s mistake.
Yang Yufei had emptied the phantom’s stored power. It had swallowed what remained from SI and Qixie’s fight and grown stronger still.
“How do we stop it?”
“The pendant is the moon’s artifact. You shouldn’t be dragged in. A small matter—I can stop it alone.”
“Small matter?” Angry and scared. “Bai Yanci, is this small?”
Bai Yanci didn’t answer. White immortal light in her palm—she tried to shrink the vortex—and backlash slammed her aside.
“Yanci!”
She rushed forward. Bai Yanci ignored the injury and set another barrier, keeping her out: “Don’t come close—it’s dangerous!”
Moon barriers were refined. Bai Yanci as great immortal excelled at arts.
Facing this barrier she felt sudden familiarity—raised her hand on instinct, drew a small array from nowhere, and shattered the ward.
Under Bai Yanci’s shock she walked into the tearing vortex toward her lover.
She couldn’t tell anymore—whether carving out flame hurt more, the vortex more, or both together.
“Didn’t we agree—whatever happens, we face it together?” She gripped Bai Yanci’s hand hard and threw her outside the swirl. “You left me behind again. Don’t next time.”
“Ke-ke, what are you doing!”
Bai Yanci tried to stop her—found a barrier as fine as moon art blocking the way.
“Power spilled because there’s too much—find a vessel.” She used the Spirit Tide Pearl in her body to draw all the pendant’s loose power beside her. “Then I’ll be the vessel.”
“Force-absorbing all of it—you’ll backlash!”
“Backlash—I can bear it.” As power gathered she pulled it all into herself. Pain lanced from her chest again, bone-deep.
She still forced a soft smile at Bai Yanci: “Sister, I’m a fallen god.”
Ancient gods forged artifacts. Only a fallen god could force-absorb spilled artifact power and hold it.
The pendant’s power wrapped her consciousness and dragged her down.
In the haze she saw bright scenes—sea, sky, immortal realm—last the moon palace.
She stood before the moon palace gates. A woman in red before her—half silver mask, heavy earrings.
She whispered: “Jade Dust?”
The woman seemed to laugh low, shook her head, and took off the mask before her.
Under the mask—Milt the evil god’s unbearably beautiful face.
“Ke-ke!”
Bai Yanci’s voice finally cut the false vision—real in her ears.
She came back—had absorbed all the spilled power.
Barrier broke. Vortex scattered. She fell with the wind. Before consciousness went she saw Bai Yanci running to her under the moon, desperate.
When Bai Yanci caught her she saw lips move but heard nothing—only made out two shapes.
She had called her Xi Yue.