Mystique Soul: A Cultivator's Flame
Chapter 110: A reunion... with a stranger

Chapter 110: A reunion... with a stranger

The glass was cool beneath her fingertip. It tapped softly, once, twice, then again...

Tap, Tap, Tap

...and so it goes...

The lively chatter of vendors, the rustle of silk from passing sleeves, and the laughter of children squeezing through legs and carts were all illuminated by the pale gold rays of the morning sun. Almost none of it was noticed by Feng Jiao Xue. Too familiar, too much like the one he carried to irritate her on summer patrols, her eyes followed the edge of a red parasol, catching the memory of how it had swayed when it passed earlier.

Tap. Tap. Tap.

She leaned forward slightly, trying to see through the crowds, heart skipping in a way she hated. The parasol had already vanished into the flow of foot traffic, and yet her eyes lingered, like a fool who couldn’t stop hoping.

A man in long black robes crossed the corner below, walking with the same tilt of the head, the same lazy gait Lou Xi always had. Her breath caught. But when he turned, it wasn’t him. Just another stranger.

Tap. Tap.

Her finger stilled. Her reflection looked back at her from the glass, pale and drawn. Shadows under her eyes. Eyes that searched for ghosts.

’It’s not about Lou Xi’ she told herself but the lie tasted bitter, even unspoken.

Behind her, the door creaked faintly.

"Sister?"

She didn’t answer right away. Just dropped her hand from the glass and leaned back with a sigh.

Mo Tianze stepped closer, his tail swaying lightly behind him. "You’re staring again."

She arched a brow at him.

"At the window" he clarified. "Not in general."

"I’m just thinking."

"You’re always thinking," he said, a little too cheerfully. Then his voice softened, ears drooping just a little. "...You’re not okay."

She glanced up, surprised by the certainty in his tone.

He stepped beside her, looking out the window as well. "You’ve been doing that more lately. Watching the street like it’s going to give you answers. And you never blink when you do."

She looked away.

He hesitated then held out a small coin pouch.

"What’s this?" Feng Jiao Xue asked curiously.

"I’m taking you out." He replied, his palm sweats slightly but he hids it underneath his sleeves, clutching at the cloth.

She blinked.

He puffed up slightly. "You’ve been gloomy. I know we’re busy, but it’s not like the world’s ending this second. Besides, I found a place. It smells like grilled meat and I saw someone flipping skewers out front like weapons."

That earned him a soft snort. "Weapon?"

He took that as victory. "Come on, just for an hour? It’ll be crowded, noisy, and possibly oily. What’s not to like?"

She stood slowly, brushing the creases from her robes. "If it’s terrible, I’m blaming you."

He grinned. "Fair."

As they stepped toward the door, Feng Jiao Xue allowed herself one last glance at the window.

The crowd was still there. The shadows still moved.

But for now, she turned away.

The streets were louder than she remembered.

Or maybe she’d just been quieter lately.

Feng Jiao Xue walked beside Mo Tianze, the press of the crowd brushing at her sleeves like waves lapping against stone. Lanterns strung from the balconies swayed in the wind, and vendors barked out their prices with practiced cheer. Spice, roasted meat, and something suspiciously sweet-and-burnt hung in the air.

Mo Tianze was grinning.

"Okay, okay, so it’s two stalls up from the guy selling mystery fish cakes."

"Are they really a mystery," she asked, "if everyone knows they’re just yesterday’s leftovers?"

"That’s the mystery part." He smirked, tail flicking once. "Reused? Repurposed? Saved up? You decide."

She shook her head, but didn’t fight the smile tugging at her lips. The rhythm of his steps beside her was oddly steadying, like an anchor in the ebb and pull of the city.

"There" he pointed ahead. "That’s the one. Look, he’s doing the thing, see?"

The grillmaster was, indeed, flipping skewers into the air with exaggerated flair, catching them with tongs mid-spin. Sparks flew when he dropped them onto hot coals, and a small crowd had gathered, oohing at every toss.

Mo Tianze handed over two coins without pause and pointed at the skewers glazed in dark sauce. "We’ll take two."

Feng Jiao Xue raised an eyebrow. "You’ve already eaten twice today."

"I’m growing," he said with mock seriousness. "You wouldn’t want to stunt my spiritual development, would you?"

"I’m sure your stomach is enlightened by now."

They stepped aside once they had their food, leaning against a shaded post as they ate. The skewer was hot, dripping a sticky-sweet glaze, and laced with just enough spice to make her pause.

"...This is actually good."

"Told you." Mo Tianze beamed, already halfway through his second bite.

People passed them by in waves, some shouting greetings to each other, others haggling in shrill tones. A child tugged at her mother’s sleeve, pointing at a jug of glimmering blue liquid being sold by a robe-clad apothecary. A stray dog darted between stalls, chased by a laughing vendor wielding a broom.

For a moment, just a moment, the world felt like it wasn’t crumbling under secrets.

Feng Jiao Xue let herself breathe.

"You used to do this a lot?" Mo Tianze asked, licking sauce off his fingers. "Before all this?"

She tilted her head. "What do you mean?"

"Be around people. Walk around. Go out and do stuff." He gestured to the crowd vaguely. "You don’t seem like the kind to stay still for long."

Feng Jiao Xue glanced sideways at him, chewing thoughtfully. She can’t tell him about... what she had been doing, before this life.

"...I was good at pretending I belonged," she said eventually. "It helped get information. Getting things done. Keep eyes away from the real things."

"But not anymore?"

"I don’t pretend as much these days."

He nodded, like he understood that more than she expected.

Their quiet was interrupted by a sudden burst of drumming nearby. A street troupe in blue and gold burst into the clearing in front of them, banging on pots and drums, juggling sticks of flame and twirling long ribbons in a practiced dance. The crowd parted to watch, clapping and laughing.

Mo Tianze’s eyes lit up. "Oh!"

She caught his sleeve before he could get too close.

He turned back, sheepish. "Sorry. I got excited"

She didn’t answer, but her grip on his sleeve loosened. Her eyes fond and softening without her even knowing.

They watched together from the edge, the color and chaos before them like a fleeting dream. Then, just as quickly as they had arrived, the performers moved on, swallowed by the current of the market.

Mo Tianze leaned closer. "Thanks for coming out with me."

"I should be thanking you. I... needed it."

He tilted his head. "You... looked for him again, didn’t you?"

Feng Jiao Xue didn’t answer right away. She stared at the space where the performers had disappeared, where the last trailing ribbon had vanished from sight.

Then she said softly "Sometimes I think I see him. Like a ghost out of the corner of my eye. He was always good at hiding in plain sight. Now it feels like he’s haunting me."

"Do you want to find him?" Mo Tianze asked gently.

"...I don’t know." Her voice was barely above a whisper.

There was a long pause between them.

"Even ghosts get tired of being chased," he said at last. "Maybe he’ll show himself when he’s ready."

"Or when I stop looking."

Mo Tianze bit his lips before asking "Will you ever tell me who your looking for?"

Feng Jiao Xue paused mid bite. "Just... nobody."

They didn’t say anything for a while.

Then Mo Tianze nudged her with his elbow. "Alright. We’re not ending this trip with that kind of thought. Pick another stall."

She raised an eyebrow. "So you can eat a third meal."

"I didn’t say it had to be food" he said, ears twitching. "Maybe there’s a game stall. I’ll win you something ugly."

Feng Jiao Xue smirked. "I’d like to see you try.

They turned back into the crowd, shoulders brushing, laughter almost lost beneath the noise but still there.

They were mid-step when the voice came.

"Fate really is strange," a man said behind them, tone light, almost teasing. "Care for a walk, miss?"

Feng Jiao Xue stopped cold.

The noise of the street dulled, like her ears had dipped beneath water. Her breath caught, chest suddenly too tight, the half-step forward frozen mid-shift.

She turned slowly.

There he stood.

A soft halo of sunlight filtered through the gaps between hanging lanterns, catching in the tousled chestnut strands of his hair. It shimmered faintly, unruly in a way that had always looked accidental, but somehow intentional, too. A book rested in one hand, spine cracked open and still warm from reading. The cover, embossed in silver, read Stellar Drift: Volume IX.

He wore the same glasses, slightly skewed on the bridge of his nose, as if he didn’t notice or didn’t care.

His blue eyes were all the more piercing because of the round frames that framed his boyish yet sharp face. Curious, warm, and disarming, they shone with a familiar mischievousness. And yet... There was something different about him.

He was more composed but still kind and soft-spoken. Calm enough to trigger her instincts. Like still water right before something arose from underneath it.

Feng Jiao Xue’s throat tightened.

No.

No, it couldn’t be.

Her mind screamed it wasn’t possible, that she’d buried that face in the silence of a shattered past. And yet here he was, smiling like no time had passed at all.

Beside her, Mo Tianze stiffened, ears twitching in alert. He caught the look on her face first, then followed her gaze, and frowned deeply.

"...Sister?" he asked softly. "Who is that?"

Feng Jiao Xue didn’t answer.

She couldn’t.

Because the man standing before them...

Looked exactly like Lou Xi.

Look exactly like the one in her memories.