A FIRE BETWEEN TWO WORLDS

Zhao Ming stared at the two women before him with growing confusion. How could two different people-a palace astronomer and a princess-have the same dream about Mei Lian? His head throbbed as fragments of memories came flooding back: Mei Lian smiling at him from a heavenly flower garden, then the same face staring at him in horror as a great battle broke out in the sky palace, and finally...

"She's divided," Zhao Ming whispered suddenly, the words simply slipping from his lips.

"What do you mean?" asked Xiao Ying.

"Mei Lian's soul," his finger touched the jade necklace that felt increasingly hot around his neck. "When she died in the battle against Ying Feng, her soul was split into two. Heavenly Emperor Guan Yu Xian-" Zhao Ming stopped his words, startled by his own memories returning.

Princess Yue Hua stepped closer to Zhao Ming. "Your memories are starting to return."

Zhao Ming nodded slowly. "The Jade Emperor sacrificed half his strength to save Mei Lian's soul, but in the process, his soul was split. Half remained in the Eternal Sky, the other half... was sent to the mortal world."

"And found two containers," Xiao Ying continued, beginning to understand. "Me and Princess Yue Hua."

The palace horn sounded closer and closer, followed by the sound of soldiers approaching the pavilion.

"We don't have time," Princess Yue Hua said, panic evident on her face. "Follow me. I know a secret passage outside the palace."

"We can't just leave," Zhao Ming shook his head. "The Nine Flame Mirror-"

"You won't be able to find it if you get caught," Princess Yue Hua cut in with a stern voice that didn't match her young age. "It's too risky to look for it now. My brother-or whatever now controls him-will guard that mirror closely."

"I know where the mirror is kept," Princess Yue Hua said, surprising the other two. "But we need a plan and help to retrieve it."

Without waiting for an answer, Princess Yue Hua pushed a wall panel at the back of the pavilion. The wall shifted silently, revealing a dark, narrow passageway.

"This secret passage was made by my grandmother, Emperor Tai Zong," Princess Yue Hua explained as she took a small lantern from the shelf. "Only members of the royal family know about it."

"What about your personal guards?" asked Xiao Ying worriedly. "They'll be looking for you."

"There are no personal guards anymore," Yue Hua replied bitterly. "Li Chen replaced all my loyal servants and guards a week ago. They're all surrounded by a... dark aura, just like the one that now surrounds my brother."

Zhao Ming felt the tension rising. "Dark aura? Like the golden mist that enveloped the city this morning?"

"No," Yue Hua shook her head. "More like moving shadows... alive. They have eyes, Mr. Zhao. Those shadows have eyes."

Those words triggered another burst of memories in Zhao Ming's mind. Qing Lei-Black Shadows! Ying Feng's elite troops in the Eternal Sky, demigods who were able to move in the dark and spy through any shadow.

"We have to move quickly," Zhao Ming said, pushing the two women into the passage. "If Qing Lei is already in this city, then Ying Feng is much stronger than I feared."

They hurried down the narrow passageway that swooped down, sometimes crossing small spaces hidden behind the palace walls. The air was stale and damp, the smell of earth and moss filling their lungs.

"This passage will lead us to the north gate," whispered Princess Yue Hua. "From there, we can reach the merchant district and blend in with the crowd."

"And then?" asked Zhao Ming.

"The Seven Moon Temple," replied Xiao Ying. "Lang Fei and Master Fu will be waiting for us there."

Princess Yue Hua stopped abruptly, listening warily. "There's something ahead of us."

The three of them froze. There was a faint sound of movement-like cloth rubbing against a wall, or perhaps very subtle footsteps. Then the sound disappeared, replaced by an eerie silence.

"It's probably just rats," Xiao Ying whispered, though her tone was unconvincing.

Zhao Ming stepped forward. "Let me take the lead." He took the lantern from Princess Yue Hua's hand and advanced cautiously. The narrow path took a sharp turn in front of them, leading them into a wider room.

As Zhao Ming raised the lantern to illuminate the room, his breath caught. Before them, an old man leaned against the stone wall. Blood flowed from a wound on his abdomen, forming a dark puddle on the dirt floor.

"Master Fu!" exclaimed Xiao Ying, rushing over to the old man.

Teacher Fu opened his eyes with difficulty. "You guys... should... run," he faltered.

"What's going on? Who did this to you?" asked Zhao Ming, kneeling beside the old man.

"Shadows... they're... everywhere," Master Fu coughed, blood dripping from the corner of his lips. "Lang Fei... caught."

Zhao Ming's heart seemed to stop beating. "Where is he?"

"Pavilion... Secret," Master Fu replied, his voice growing weaker. "Li Chen... wants... a mirror."

"Why are you here?" asked Princess Yue Hua, tearing off part of her robe to press on Master Fu's wound.

"Told... by... my own shadow," Master Fu smiled weakly. "Xiao Ying, your robe... hurry."

With trembling hands, Xiao Ying took off her astronomical robe studded with star symbols. Teacher Fu weakly pointed to the ceiling of the room. "Hang... over there."

Zhao Ming immediately understood. He picked up the cloak and threw it up, hooking it onto a stone protrusion on the ceiling. The cloak spread out, covering most of the room from above-and immediately, the shadows on the floor became distorted, no longer sharp.

"Shadows can't... see... if they're blocked," Master Fu smiled weakly. "But it won't... last long."

"We have to get you out of here," Zhao Ming said.

Teacher Fu shook his head. "Too late... for me." He took Xiao Ying's hand. "Listen... The Nine Flame Mirror... isn't just for... saving. It's... to unite."

"Unite what?" asked Xiao Ying, tears streaming down her cheeks.

"Two worlds..." Master Fu smiled weakly. "And two souls..." His eyes turned to Princess Yue Hua. "Your Highness... go to the... storage room below... the Emperor's personal library. There... are answers about... who you really are."

Master Fu's breathing was getting weaker. He grasped Zhao Ming's hand. "Fire... is... the key. Not... anger... but... love."

With those last words, Master Fu's eyes slowly closed, and his body went limp. A painful silence enveloped them.

"He left," Xiao Ying whispered, her voice trembling.

Zhao Ming felt anger flaring within him. His hands clenched tightly into fists, and for the first time since arriving in the mortal world, he felt the power of his fire rise sharply. His fingers glowed red, and the jade necklace around his neck shone brightly.

"You remember how to use your powers," Princess Yue Hua said, staring at Zhao Ming's glowing hands.

"Anger is always the trigger," Zhao Ming replied, his eyes now flashing with hatred. "But Teacher Fu is right. A fire fueled by anger is a fire that destroys without purpose."

With great effort, Zhao Ming calmed himself down. The luminescence in his hands didn't disappear, but changed-from deep red to golden, more restrained and more focused.

"We have to move quickly," Zhao Ming said, standing up. "Lang Fei is in danger, and we now know that Ying Feng is after the mirror as well."

"But how can we save Lang Fei and get the mirror at the same time?" asked Xiao Ying. "The Secret Pavilion must be heavily guarded."

"We split up," said Zhao Ming firmly. "Princess Yue Hua, you need to go to the storage room that Master Fu mentioned. Whatever is there, it might help us understand more about what really happened."

"I'll go with him," Xiao Ying said. "I'm familiar with the secret passages of the palace."

"And you?" asked Princess Yue Hua to Zhao Ming.

"I'm going to the Secret Pavilion to rescue Lang Fei," Zhao Ming replied. "And if possible, retrieve the mirror."

"That's too dangerous," Xiao Ying protested. "You'll come face to face with Li Chen-or Ying Feng, whoever he is now."

"That's exactly what I was hoping for," Zhao Ming said, his eyes flashing. "It's about time we met again."

"How are we going to find each other again?" asked Princess Yue Hua.

Zhao Ming removed the jade necklace from his neck and split it into two. He gave half to Xiao Ying. "This will guide us to find each other. This stone has the power to sense the other half, no matter how far away."

Xiao Ying grasped the jade piece, and for a moment, their fingers touched. A wave of warmth traveled between them, and Zhao Ming felt a strong urge to pull the woman into his arms. But he held back, aware that the feeling was probably just a reflection of his memories of Mei Lian.

"Be careful," Xiao Ying whispered.

"You too," Zhao Ming replied. "We'll meet at the Seven Moon Temple at dawn."

Reluctantly, they parted ways at the intersection of the passageway. Xiao Ying and Princess Yue Hua took the path that led to the Emperor's library, while Zhao Ming continued on toward the north gate-from there he would find a way to enter the Secret Pavilion.

As he traveled alone through the dark passages, Zhao Ming's memories grew clearer. He remembered the first time he met Mei Lian in the Immortal Peony Garden, how the wind goddess smiled shyly at him when they were introduced by the Jade Emperor. He recalled training together on the celestial practice field, where his fire and wind powers came together in perfect harmony. And he remembered the quiet nights in their pavilion, lying together under the stars while Mei Lian whispered about her dreams-dreams that strangely often involved the mortal world.

"I've always felt tied to the underworld," Mei Lian once said. "Like there's a part of my soul left there."

Those words now seemed to have a completely different meaning. Was it possible that Mei Lian had indeed had a connection with the mortal world from the start? Was that why her soul easily divided and found a container here?

Zhao Ming's thoughts were interrupted when he reached a dead end. The secret passage ended at a stone wall with no visible exit. He groped around the wall, looking for a hidden mechanism, but found nothing.

Frustrated, Zhao Ming clenched his hands that were still glowing golden. Perhaps... He pressed his glowing palm against the wall, and instantly ancient symbols etched with fire appeared all over the stone surface. The symbols arranged themselves into a familiar shape-the ancient characters for "Eternal Flame".

"With fire, I open the way," Zhao Ming whispered, the words sliding from his deep memories.

The stone wall shifted silently, opening a path to a small room. However, instead of an exit, Zhao Ming found himself in a storage room filled with ancient scrolls and strange artifacts. In the center of the room, a long sword stood on a simple altar. The sword was a deep red color, with a dragon carved around the hilt. As Zhao Ming approached, the sword glowed red-just like his hands.

"Huo Long-Fire Dragon," Zhao Ming whispered, recognizing his own sword that he thought he had lost when he fell to the mortal world.

Without hesitation, he reached for the sword. As soon as his hand touched the hilt, a wave of energy spread throughout the room, and his last lost memories returned instantly-the final battle in the Celestial Palace, the unexpected betrayal, and the true mission the Celestial Emperor had given him.

"Not just to save," Zhao Ming repeated Master Fu's words. "But to unite."

Now he understood. The Nine Flame Mirror wasn't just a tool to restore the Heaven Immortal from Ying Feng's attack. The mirror had the power to unite the two worlds that had begun to shift against each other-and perhaps, to unite Mei Lian's divided soul.

With Huo Long's sword in his hand, Zhao Ming felt much stronger. His fire power flowed more freely, and his courage was renewed. He stepped out of the room, back into the secret passage that now looked different-the walls were covered in ancient carvings that glowed as he passed.

At the end of the hallway, she found an exit that led to the palace gardens. The full moon was still high in the sky, creating sharp shadows between the trees and buildings. Zhao Ming had to be careful-if what Teacher Fu said was true, then those shadows could be Ying Feng's spies.

With calculated steps, Zhao Ming moved from one bright spot to another, avoiding the shadows as much as possible. He realized that some of the palace guards moved in an unnatural way-their eyes were too sharp, their movements too graceful for ordinary humans. Qing Lei in human form, she thought.

The Secret Pavilion was located in the inner complex of the palace, surrounded by an artificial garden with strange stones and exotic plants from various parts of the empire. The building itself wasn't very large, but its design was very different from the other pavilions in the palace-darker, with black pillars and eagle-shaped ornaments watching from every angle.

Four guards stood in front of the entrance, as still as statues. From this distance, Zhao Ming could sense a dark aura enveloping them-not human at all, but Qing Lei in perfect disguise.

He needed a distraction. Casting his eyes around, Zhao Ming saw a small shed near the garden. With a flick of his hand, he sent sparks towards the shed. Within seconds, a small fire ignited, quickly growing larger.

The alarm sounded, and two guards left their posts to check. With only two guards left in front of the pavilion, Zhao Ming clenched his hands into fists, concentrating on the power flowing through him. This time, he tried to remember what Master Fu had said-not anger, but love.

He imagined Mei Lian's face, then it changed to Xiao Ying. Warmth spread from his heart to his entire body, and his hands now emitted bright blue flames. With one swift motion, he threw two blue fireballs that shot out in the darkness, hitting the two guards without a sound.

Instead of burning, the two guards were frozen, trapped in glowing blue ice crystals. The fire of life, Zhao Ming thought, surprised by his new power. A fire that didn't scorch, but froze-a power that was said to only be possessed by supreme fire gods.

Wasting no time, Zhao Ming rushed to the pavilion door. The door was locked with a strange padlock that had no keyhole, only symbols engraved on its surface. In the moonlight, Zhao Ming recognized the symbols-the same as the ones engraved on Huo Long's sword.

He pressed the blade against the lock, and the symbols lit up, releasing the lock with a soft click. The door opened, revealing a staircase that led downwards, deep into the ground.

With sword in hand, Zhao Ming descended the stairs. The air grew colder and damper as he descended deeper. He could hear voices from below-conversations that sounded like whispers, but with an intensity that made his hair stand on end.

At the bottom of the stairs, a large hall stretched out before him. The ceiling was high, with intricate carvings depicting battles between heavenly beings and demons of darkness. Torches with blue flames illuminated the room, creating strange shadows that seemed to move on their own.

In the center of the hall, Lang Fei knelt, surrounded by six Qing Lei in their true form-tall figures with black robes that blended into the shadows, and eagle masks covering their faces. And before Lang Fei, sitting on a high throne made of obsidian stone, was a figure wearing the face of Prince Li Chen, yet with a much more powerful and terrifying aura.

"Fire God Zhao Ming," the voice echoed in the hall, deeper and older than Li Chen's young body should have been. "You've finally come too."

Zhao Ming stepped forward firmly, Huo Long's sword raised in his right hand. "Ying Feng. It's been a long time since we've met."

The figure on the throne smiled, but his smile didn't reach those eyes that were now gleaming golden like an eagle's. "Unfortunately, time in the mortal world has not been kind to your memory, it seems. You don't even remember me properly."

"I remember a traitor who seized power by force," Zhao Ming retorted sharply. "A power-hungry winged clan leader."

Ying Feng-in Li Chen's body-laughed a little. "Traitor? Is that what the Jade Emperor calls me? Interesting." He stood up from the throne, and for a moment, a large shadow of eagle wings appeared behind him. "How is Mei Lian doing? Oh, I forgot. She died in battle, right?"

Rage flared within Zhao Ming, and the fire on his sword rose. "Because of you! You killed her!"

"No, Zhao Ming," Ying Feng shook her head softly. "It wasn't me who killed him. You did."

Those words hit Zhao Ming like a physical blow. "You're lying!"

Lang Fei, who was still kneeling on the floor, looked up with an expression of pain. "Don't listen to him, Zhao Ming. He's trying to play you."

One Qing Lei touched Lang Fei's shoulder with his long fingertips, and the former robber leader screamed in pain, his body convulsing.

"Stop it!" exclaimed Zhao Ming, stepping forward.

"Stop where you are," Ying Feng ordered, "or your friend will feel much greater pain."

Zhao Ming stopped, but his sword remained raised. "What do you want, Ying Feng?"

"The same thing you want," Ying Feng replied calmly. "The Nine Flame Mirror."

"What for? You've already mastered the Immortal Sky."

"Not completely," Ying Feng shook his head. "The Jade Emperor and his loyal warriors are still holding out in the Inner Palace. And as long as the Nine Flame Mirror isn't found, the balance won't be restored." He looked at Zhao Ming with his eagle eyes. "Didn't you feel it, Zhao Ming? How the two worlds began to shift to crush each other? The golden mist in the city, the changing star patterns, my ability to take over human bodies... Those are all signs."

"What signs?"

"Signs that the Eternal Sky and the Mortal World are heading for a complete collision," Ying Feng replied. "Without the Nine Flame Mirror to stabilize the balance, both worlds will be destroyed."

"And you think I'll believe you?" Zhao Ming snorted.

"You don't need to trust me," Ying Feng smiled faintly. "Ask this friend of yours. Let me guess-he's been having nightmares about the sky collapsing and the stars falling? All sensitive humans have been having them lately."

Lang Fei looked at Zhao Ming with a surprised expression. "How would she know?"

Zhao Ming hardened his jaw. "If you care so much about the balance of the world, why start a war in the Eternal Sky?"

"Because true balance requires change," Ying Feng replied. "The Jade Emperor has been in power for too long. He's become blind to new possibilities. He was afraid of change-and that made the heavens static, decaying from within."

"You talk about evolution, but what you're doing is destruction," Zhao Ming retorted.

"Sometimes destruction is necessary before creation," Ying Feng stepped down the steps of his throne. "But that's not why I called you here."

"You didn't call me. I came to save my friend."

"You came because I wanted you to," Ying Feng smiled. "And I want it because I know that you, Zhao Ming, are the key to finding the Nine Flame Mirror."

"What do you mean?"

"The mirror isn't here," Ying Feng extended his hand, and a black wooden box floated from behind the throne into his hand. "When I took over Prince Li Chen's body, I thought that the mirror was kept in this Secret Pavilion. But all I found was this."

Ying Feng opened the box, revealing an object that made Zhao Ming's heart skip a beat-a shard of mirror that glowed with nine different colors.

"Only fragments," Ying Feng continued. "Mirrors that have been broken, scattered all over the empire-perhaps all over the world. And only those marked by the eternal flame can find the other fragments."

"Marked?"

"The jade necklace you halved earlier," Ying Feng smiled at Zhao Ming's surprised expression. "Yes, I've been watching you since you arrived in Chang'an. That necklace isn't just jewelry-it's a key. The Jade Emperor gave it to you before sending you to the mortal world, right?"

The memory flashed through Zhao Ming's mind-Sky Emperor Guan Yu Xian placed the jade necklace around his neck, whispering, "It will guide you to what you seek, and also to who you love."

"Even if that's true," Zhao Ming said, "I won't help you find the other shards."