Chapter 7: Jade Dust

Still no reply for a long while.
Asking Bai Yanci was forward—but she didn’t know who else to ask.
Ordinary people couldn’t see spiritual flame, let alone interfere.
Bai Yanci could hide her flame constantly—whether she could intervene was another matter, but she could perceive it. Maybe she knew something.
Just as she gave up hope, a familiar voice in her mind: Go out. Pick me up.
She’d only just left the holding room, heart puzzled—and through the window there was Bai Yanci.
---
Her step lightened: “You came?”
Seeing Bai Yanci in person brought a surprise she couldn’t name.
“You had a question?” Bai Yanci rolled her eyes, turned to leave. “Then I’m going back.”
“Don’t don’t—” She grabbed Bai Yanci’s sleeve. “Come with me.” Low voice.
Spiritual-flame holding rooms fell under SI jurisdiction.
Ability Bureau seniors above, Ji Chengfeng indulging below—no one dared stop who she brought in.
Seeing unconscious Jiang Ci, Bai Yanci looked toward the flame, brow knit: “She’s…?”
“Sister, what do you see?”
Bai Yanci didn’t answer. Walked to the bed, touched Jiang Ci’s brow.
Pale white light gathered at her fingertip—easily pressed the filth inside the flame down. Jiang Ci’s state improved visibly fast.
“Temporary only. Not the root.” Bai Yanci stopped, slow: “I’ve seen this before. Forcibly stripping spiritual flame causes exactly this. On the moon it’s an extremely cruel punishment.”
Yi Ke sucked in cold air: “Forcible stripping… how is that different from murder?”
When a person’s flame was whole, a delicate balance held.
Positive emotion fed it like nutrients—steady cycle and renewal, enough for an ordinary human life.
Forcible stripping destroyed that inborn balance—like shattering the core immune system inside the body.
After that, the stripped person lacked energy to resist negative invasion—outside harm poured in, burdening the flame until it turned filthy.
Filth was only step one.
Worse—the gap couldn’t heal itself. Imbalance worsened day by day until the flame went out.
“How do we save them?” She rushed the question.
That was what she cared about most right now.
Bai Yanci slowed her voice, advising: “Ke-ke, I told you—everything has balance. Don’t lightly interfere with others’ fate.”
“The moon palace strips flame—not only punishment.” Voice very soft. “In the immortal realm flame is scarce too. Executing the vilest and taking their flame counts as contribution to the realm.”
“You must know a way—right?” Though Bai Yanci’s stance was clear, she still looked at her pleading: “Sister, I can’t watch them die.”
Bai Yanci unmoved, voice as calm as ever: “She’s no kin of yours. Why insist on saving her? Worth it?”
After the words her head buzzed. Bai Yanci was right here—yet felt far, far away—to the horizon, to the moon palace.
A long while before she heard clearly, understood the meaning.
Yes—Bai Yanci had lived centuries, seen countless meetings and partings. Life and death were drifting clouds to her.
In an immortal’s long years—what was one stranger’s life?
She couldn’t stay unmoved.
No answer here—she’d find her own.
“What are you doing?”
Gaze firm: “Finding a way to save her.”
Since getting the ancient book she’d shrunk it with ability, carried it always.
She’d turned every page—no method to mend flame.
Jiang Ci was stable for now—but any day could kill her.
Maybe a month. Maybe three days. Maybe… now.
She wouldn’t gamble a life.
Eyes closed, focus—forced her ability until power resonated hard with flame!
When she opened again—she stood before the Ability Bureau gates.
Long-distance displacement cost serious stamina.
Cold sweat on her forehead. Step by step toward the closed doors.
The bureau sat in the suburbs—far from the city. Bai Yanci was far behind.
“Team Leader Yi.” The guard respectful at once.
No pause—straight to Mu Wenxin’s office. Mu Wenxin had researched flame for years—maybe a clue.
An experimenter warned: “Director Mu ordered—without permission…”
She waved a barrier—shut everyone out.
The day Bai Yanci opened the Qiming barrier she’d watched and learned the trick in reverse.
Far from mastery—but enough to hold bureau staff a long while.
Since SI assignment she’d rarely seen Mu Wenxin. Not distance—Mu Wenxin was avoiding her on purpose.
She didn’t know what Mu Wenxin was hiding from.
Less hiding—more like… fear.
The office empty. Mu Wenxin gone. By memory she found a shelf—books on spiritual flame stacked high.
One after another—still no record.
Long delay. Nothing gained.
Lin Qingzhu’s message popped up.
【Lin Qingzhu: Leader, Jiang Ci suddenly worsened. I’ve suppressed the news for now—notify Jiang-jie?】
【Yi Ke: Current status?】
【Lin Qingzhu: The lord you brought said… Jiang Ci may not make it.】
【Yi Ke: Coming back now.】
Deep breath. Closed the chat.
Heaven against her—exactly what she feared.
Even if she returned—what could her power alone do?
Too limited.
She could touch flame—but only stoke it.
Couldn’t relight a dying flame. Hadn’t found how to mend a gap.
“Team Leader Yi.” A strange woman’s voice behind.
Heart jolted—she turned. A woman in red robes stood there somehow, half a refined silver mask hiding her face.
The My Lord from the lab reports. Strength far above hers.
Head-on fight—egg against stone.
What chilled her more—the red-robed woman carried something like Bai Yanci’s aura!
“You’re from the moon palace!”
The woman smiled wider, didn’t deny: “Mere human—you know quite a lot.”
Alert at once. Ability gathered in her palm. Vast gap—but she wouldn’t stand open before an enemy.
Red robes didn’t strike—probably not here to kill her.
“No need to tense. We needn’t fight.” Soft laugh. “I hear you’re seeking a way to mend spiritual flame. I happen to know.”
How did she know?
Someone who could strip flame could likely mend—logical—still wary.
Qiming’s big shot—stripped lives without care—now offering repair.
Fox visiting the henhouse.
Seeing her face change fast, red robes’ eyes lit with pleasure.
“You were born to govern flame. Voluntarily peel part of yours into another—and the gap mends completely.”
“Don’t worry.” Reading her fear, unhurried: “Voluntary stripping isn’t forced. Given time it grows back.”
“Why tell me? What do you want?”
“Consider it making friends.” She melted into shadow. “Next time call me… Lord Jade Dust. Team Leader Yi—I look forward to meeting again.”
Gone.
Red robes. Jade Dust.
Instinct to chase—but Jiang Ci was waiting. She ran back to holding.
Opening the door—Jiang Ci’s flame breath was faint—worse than the rooftop.
Bai Yanci still inside. Looked up when she returned: “Back?”
Soft “mm.” She dismissed everyone.
Three left in the room.
Step by step to Jiang Ci—gripped her hand—eyes closed.
She would try Jade Dust’s method.
Breath held. Flame-governing power woke—a cluster of blue flame rose from her chest.
Next instant—will moved—she actually tore a piece from her own whole flame!
The moment it separated—agony from her heart, tearing.
She grunted. Blood at the corner of her mouth.
“Stop!” Bai Yanci shocked. “Moon palace forbidden art—how do you know it!”
She rushed to block—blocked by the flame aura around Yi Ke—pure, strong, no gap.
Mortal body… how this much power?
She wasn’t fully grown yet—only the tip of the iceberg.
Yi Ke ignored the warning—teeth clenched through pain—guided the torn flame slowly into Jiang Ci’s gap.
In a flash Jiang Ci’s flame took the graft and burned again—color clearing.
When the art finished, Bai Yanci burst in, gripped her wrist: “Yi Ke, do you know what you’re doing!”