Re-birth: The Beginning after the End

The Darkness writhed within him like a living thing, each pulse a thunderous echo in his skull. It wasn't mere discomfort—it was a constant battle for dominance, the shadow essence seeking any crack in his control to seep through.

"Don't worry, Lord Mo. I'll find an inner disciple to give you a tour," Elder Sun fretted, his anxiety visible as he scanned the courtyard. "It's best to find a male disciple, but where in the heavens did they all go?" The last part came as a frustrated mumble.

Then he sensed her—a familiar presence that made both his heart and the Darkness stir. "Elder Sun," Mo Xing's voice remained steady despite the war raging inside him. "How about that direction?"

"Ah?" Elder Sun's brows shot up. "That's the women's residence." Discover stories with My Virtual Library Empire

Mo Xing kept his expression carefully neutral, though his pulse quickened at the prospect of seeing her. "Elder Sun, it doesn't matter who gives me a tour." His tone was measured, reasonable. "It'll buy you more time to arrange proper quarters afterward."

"Ah!" Elder Sun's face brightened with relief. "That's true. Then let's go."

As they walked, Mo Xing silently welcomed the distraction her presence would provide—anything to quiet the relentless pounding of the Darkness against his consciousness.

When he finally saw her, standing in the morning light with spring breeze catching at her robes, he let his power whisper through the air between them, gently unraveling the layers of concealment she'd wrapped around herself.

The careful concealment technique that hid her beauty from the world dissolved under his gaze like morning mist, revealing her true form. His carefully maintained composure faltered at the sight. As always, her presence made his heart forget to beat—but this time, something unexpected happened. The Darkness within him, which had been raging more violently than ever before, suddenly stilled. Not conquered, not defeated, but... calmed. Like storm clouds gentled by an unexpected ray of sunlight.

The realization made him pause. Her effect on him had always been profound—the way his breath caught, how time seemed to stop when she was near—but this was different. The darkness that tormented him recently, had quieted at the mere sight of her. In all his years of existence, nothing had ever achieved that.

He watched her stiffen at Elder Sun's call, watched the precise moment she recognized him, and felt that familiar warmth spread through his chest—a sensation he'd come to associate only with her. Yet today it meant something more.

Even more intriguing was how she'd changed. Six months in the mortal realm had somehow transformed her from a fierce-eyed child into this elegant creature before him. The way she carried herself, the subtle shifts in her spiritual essence—it spoke of years of growth, not months. Another mystery surrounding her, another piece of the puzzle that was his little tempest.

When Elder Sun finally departed, Mo Xing savored the moment he'd been waiting for. Finally alone with her once again. He watched as the realization dawned in her eyes—the subtle widening, the infinitesimal catch in her breath. The Darkness within him stirred appreciatively.

"I..." Her voice caught in her throat, and Mo Xing found himself fascinated by the delicate movement of her neck as she swallowed.

"Little Tempest," he said, unable to keep the genuine surprise from his voice. The girl he remembered had transformed in ways he hadn't anticipated. Her spiritual essence had deepened, matured. "You aren't so little anymore."

He observed with interest how his words affected her—the slight furrow in her brow, the flash of calculation behind her eyes. She was weighing her response carefully, as though navigating treacherous waters. To Mo Xing, who had spent centuries reading the fears and desires of others, her expressions were as clear as written text. Something had changed dramatically in the six months since he'd last seen her. The child of thirteen had somehow aged far beyond what time should allow.

"This is the women's residence," she finally said, gesturing to the buildings behind her.

Mo Xing noted how she retreated into formality like a warrior reaching for a familiar weapon. Her voice had strengthened, finding refuge in rules and protocol. He found it both amusing and intriguing how she tried to establish control of the situation.

"You shouldn't be here. If I'm to give you a tour, we should start elsewhere before your presence causes an incident."

He allowed himself to enjoy her discomfort for a moment longer, studying how the morning light caught in her hair. Even with her concealment technique—which he had to admit was impressively advanced—there was something undeniably captivating about her.

She led him through the sect grounds with quick, purposeful strides, her usual ice-cold composure fracturing with each stolen glance she thought he didn't notice. Her clipped sentences and hurried steps only made him more aware of how deeply his presence affected her—how desperately she was trying to maintain control of a situation rapidly slipping through her fingers.

But even as he watched her struggle with carefully concealed amusement, Mo Xing found his own composure threatening to crack. His attention kept straying to details he shouldn't allow himself to notice—the way her soft cherry-colored lips formed each carefully measured word, how stray wisps of hair danced across her smooth forehead in the mountain breeze, the elegant curve of her eyelashes as they swept downward each time she averted her gaze from his.

When they finally circled back to the residential area, he saw her subtle release of breath, the slight lowering of her guard as she prepared to escape. He couldn't help himself—wouldn't help himself. His hand moved of its own accord, catching her wrist with deliberate gentleness. The contact sent a jolt through his own system, her pulse racing beneath his fingers like a trapped bird. He wondered if she knew how much willpower it took to maintain this soft grip when everything in him demanded to pull her closer.

"Did you need something?" Her voice came out breathless, and the sound stirred something dangerous in his chest.

He let his chuckle fill the space between them, enjoying how the sound made her shiver. "Yes, where do I sleep?" He allowed himself to drink in her expression, letting a hint of darkness seep into his smile. "Or perhaps you're offering to share your quarters?"

She yanked her wrist away with more force than necessary, but he didn't miss how her fingers trembled slightly, how her skin had flushed where he'd touched her. "Do you even need to sleep?" she muttered, and the defiance in her tone only made his smile deepen.

He watched the way she unconsciously rubbed her wrist where his touch lingered, and for a moment, the Darkness within him stirred again—not with its usual violence, but with something that felt remarkably like pleasure.

"Li Hua!"

The call grated against his senses like rough stone, and the Darkness flickered with irritation at the interruption. But as Mo Xing observed the rapid rise and fall of Li Hua's chest, the way relief flooded her features even as she tried to hide it, he decided to allow this momentary reprieve. She was like a butterfly caught in his palm—press too hard, too fast, and she might shatter. Let her have this small escape; after all, they both knew this was merely the beginning of a much longer game.

He kept his expression neutral as a Senior disciple approached, though his eyes never left Li Hua's face, cataloging every minute shift in her expression as she grasped at this chance for escape. The slight tremor in her voice as she redirected attention to living quarters, the barely concealed desperation in her attempts to extract herself from his presence—each reaction was both amusing and oddly endearing.

He watched her retreat, noting how she tried to maintain dignity in her escape even as her steps betrayed her haste. The soft click of her door sliding shut echoed, and instantly, the warmth in his expression cooled. Without turning to face Senior Chen, his voice dropped to a temperature that could freeze flame. "Make this quick."