"A dark… feeling." Sima You Lin said in a daze, looking at Sima You Yue's current state.

"Wu---" Sima You Yue became extremely weak after yelling at the Dark River, and after putting up a struggle, she pa.s.sed out.

"You Yue!" Halcyon and Sima You Lin ran over and picked her up.

Halcyon held her hand, checked her and said, "Her body's aura is a mess, there are different spirits being in conflict with each other, and if this goes on her life might be in danger!"

What he didn't say was, that amongst all the spirits, there was one that was black.

"What do we do then? Can you save her?" Sima You Lin asked with worry.

"I cannot." Halcyon shook his head saying, but there was someone who could.

"Who?"

Halcyon did not say anything, but Crimson Flame started to emerge from within Sima You Yue's body.

"What's happening?" Crimson Flame asked Halcyon.

He was usually asleep, but each time Sima You Yue's life was in danger he would be awakened. And this time, it was the same. Halcyon then repeated what happened, starting from the creature's roar, to Sima You Yue's sudden unnatural state. After that, he saw Crimson Flame's egg going up in flames. Then, a cool, handsome man emerged from the flames.

"Your Honour." Halcyon knelt down on one knee, and bowed in respect.

"Arise." Crimson flame walked over, and took Sima You Yue from Sima You Lin's arms, holding her hand to check her condition.

A warmth emitted from the contact between the two people's hands and flowed into her body. The conflicting spirits started to calm down, and returned to rest within her. The dark aura also returned to its place, leaving a divide between the two inner realms.

Crimson Flame looked at that dark aura, and furrowed his brows in concern.

Sima You Yue felt like her body was about to be ripped into shreds and her body was in incomparable pain. However, as time pa.s.sed, the pain started to subside. She opened her eyes slowly, and looked at the handsome face above her. Although she had never seen him, she was able to recognise him right away.

"Crimson Flame…." She called out Crimson Flame's name, her voice as small as a sigh. But he was still able to hear it.

"You're awake." Crimson Flame's voice was as cold as ever, but Sima You Yue could feel his deep concern.

Sima You Yue smiled, saying, "So, you are this good looking, Crimson Flame." After saying so, she pa.s.sed out.

Halcyon and Sima You Lin saw her pa.s.s out, and turned to look at Crimson Flame. "She'll be alright. She just needs to take some pills and she will be fine." Crimson flame said, then proceeded to pull out a bed from his s.p.a.ce ring and placed her on it. "You guys take good care of her. When she awakes, bring her to see that suppressed creature."

"Your Honour, that creature is unbearably powerful, do we really have to bring her there?" Halcyon asked worriedly.

"Bringing her there will do her some good." Crimson Flame said. "Her current condition is terrible, but if she goes, she might get better." After he said his piece, he returned to Sima You Yue's body.

When Crimson Flame left, the heaviness in the atmosphere left immediately. Only at this time was Sima You Lin able to breathe properly again.

"Halcyon, that person was..?" Sima You Lin had to ask.

"That is You Yue's life contracted beast, but as for what he is, please do not ask me anymore." Halcyon said. "That is the existence that I yearn for, but although we are all have a contract with her, it isn't easy to talk about issues regarding him." Sima You Lin became more curious when he saw that Halcyon was so serious.

Unexpectedly, she had such a powerful life-contract beast, another sacred beast, and a whole herd of spirit beasts in contract with her. With her own powers as valiant as ever, she was also a Alchemy Master, Armament Master, and a Beast Tamer Master.

Thinking about these, the corners of his lips curled up into a bitter smile. He had always wanted to catch up with her, only to realise that she was so far ahead. It seemed that he had to work much harder indeed.

Sima You Yue ate the pills, and although she was asleep, was unable to rest peacefully with pictures and images appearing in her mind.

"Sister, get up, let's go catch rabbits." A young boy called out. Sima You Yue opened her eyes, and saw that that young boy was in front of her, and smiling as he looked at her.

"Feng'er, do you wish to eat roasted rabbit meat again?" Sima You Yue smiled as she sat up.

"That's right, the roasted rabbit that Sister makes is delicious." Ximen Feng pulled Sima You Yue's hand, saying, "Hurry, Sister, when Mother sees me she will force me to go learn those things again."

"Feng'er, you are the oldest son of the Ximen family, in the future you will have to take lead of the Ximen family. Mother makes you learn those things so that when you become the head of the family you can bring the family to greater heights." Sima You Yue said.

"But Sister is the one who is the most powerful in the house, if you become the family head, no one will dare to bully our family again!" Ximen Feng said.

Sima You Yue laughed, saying, "Don't you use me as your excuse. Go, let's go catch some rabbits, and quickly go to school after you eat."

"Alright, if Sister says so, how can I not follow suit?" Ximen Feng said as he smiled. "The moment you stop making food for me to eat, things will be terrible."

"Glutton!" Sima You Yue tapped Ximen Feng's nose, her eyes filled with love.

Suddenly the image changed, and Ximen Feng was no longer as young and innocent, but his body was covered in fresh blood. It started to become unclear if the person she was looking at was him, or someone else. He stood amongst the flames, shouting at Sima You Yue, "Sister, escape quickly!"

"Feng'er, let's go together." Sima You Yue held on to his hand, not letting go.

Ximen Feng struggled out of Sima You Yue's grasp, looked at her and smiled, the same way he did when he asked for his roasted rabbit.

"Sister, it has always been you protecting me, but now, I must protect you. You must leave first, and when your injuries are better, you can return to look for me. Sister, I will wait for you. You must survive."

When he had said his piece, he jumped off his flying beast, and rushed out to attack the pursuing soldiers, as he watched the flying beast bring his beloved sister further and further away.

"Sister, I will wait for you. And in my next life, I would like to be your brother again…" Although it was very far, and what he said was soft, Sima You Yue found that these words were always stuck in her mind, so loud that she was unable to ignore it.

"Feng'er…" Sima You Yue's eyes welled up with tears even in her sleep, her face pale with agony and self-reproach.

"You Yue? You Yue, wake up." Sima You Lin sat next to her bed, and seeing that Sima You Yue's eyes br.i.m.m.i.n.g with tears, felt a tinge of pain in his heart. He stretched out to hold her hand, hoping to lend her some strength.

"My younger brother, wait for me. I will return to find you." Sima You Yue said unconsciously.

"Feng'er? Younger brother?" Sima You Lin quietly repeated what she said, thinking that this might have happened in her childhood before she had been adopted, but something still felt amiss, since she had been in the Sima household since she was very young, and she could not have had these so-called childhood years.

"These people… who are they? And the person who ordered the River to retreat … Who is that as well?" He looked at Sima You Yue and suddenly felt that she still had plenty of secrets, and if he never figured them out, then he could never be close to her.