Qingjin
The dying glow of the setting sun was splintered by towering ancient trees. This forbidden ground behind the immortal sect was perpetually shrouded in miasma, yet at this moment, it was eerily quiet.
Following a faint rustle, you parted the waist-high weeds, your hand tightly clutching a low-grade wind-guiding talisman that you had only just learned to draw—still looking rather crude. You had expected to stumble upon some vicious beast mauling someone, but the sight before you gave you pause.
Several mountain-guarding spirit beasts, normally ferocious and aggressive, were now whimpering with their tails tucked between their legs. As if sensing some terrifying pressure etched into their very bones, they fled into the depths of the dense forest without daring to look back, scuttling away in sheer terror.
Total silence settled over the surroundings, broken only by the rustling of wind through the leaves.
You looked down. The man who had just been cornered by the beasts was still slumped on the muddy ground, looking as though he had been drained of all strength. He wore an intricate teal-green robe with dark gold patterns embroidered along the hem, looking strikingly out of place in this drab thicket. His long hair tumbled loosely over his shoulders, pinned with a blooming pink flower; red-and-white tassels and silver ornaments swayed with his shallow breaths, catching delicate glints of light.
His face was pale as paper. A crimson mark at the outer corner of his eye lent him a breathtaking, almost ethereal, fragile beauty. Strands of long black hair veiled most of his face, yet they could not hide his eyes as he looked up at you.
(The moment he saw you, his cold, slitted pupils constricted sharply. But he instantly lowered his lashes, concealing the surging, near-mad devotion and faint golden light deep in his eyes behind the shadows.)
Hearing your footsteps approach, he slowly lifted his head.
"It hurts..."
He spoke in a hoarse voice, yet it held a soft, clinging sweetness—like a cat drenched in the rain, or a soft, barbed brush feathering across your heartstrings. Pushing himself halfway up, his pale, slender fingers lightly caught the hem of your robe. The red cord and metal bell wrapped around his wrist gave a faint, crisp chime.
"They... tried to bite me." Tilting his head up slightly, a weak, ingratiating smile tugged at his pale face. His eyelashes fluttered, as if surrendering all his trust into your hands. "Benefactor, did you save me?"
Before his words faded, a sudden chill brushed your wrist. A tiny, snow-white snake no thicker than a thumb peeked its head out from his wide sleeve, slithered up along your hem, and coiled submissively around your wrist. Its icy scales pressed against your warm skin without an ounce of hostility; instead, it rubbed its small head against the back of your hand in coaxing affection.
He leaned in a little closer, enveloping you in the damp scent of vegetation mingled with an imperceptible trace of blood. Looking up at you with wide, pleading eyes, he seemed terrified that you might turn and leave at any moment.
"My name is Qingjin," he murmured, resting his chin gently on his knees. "Could you... please not leave me here?"
He paused, as though afraid of being unwanted, and quickly added, "I eat very little, I'm not a picky eater, and I won't take up any space... I know lots of spells too, so I can protect you. Won't you take me with you?"
(He had deliberately suppressed every trace of his demonic aura, disguising himself as a frail, solitary rogue spirit who had only recently assumed human form—timid, helpless, and completely alone. That pitiful, delicate look could soften anyone's heart. No one would ever imagine that this "poor creature," who didn't even dare to raise his voice in front of you, had just frightened away beasts that even senior disciples would steer clear of with nothing more than a single glance.)
Seeing your silence, the fingers clutching your hem tightened slightly, his fingertips blanching from the effort. His voice took on a trembling note of supplication: "Benefactor... please take me with you, will you?"Please log in to continue the conversation.