Chapter 1 : Exchange one life for another

Mid-Autumn had passed, and the atmosphere in the Eastern Sea was especially heavy. The evening sea breeze carried a chilling bite, the golden sunset obscured by dark clouds, and the oppressive thunder added to the tense ambiance.

At dusk, above the clouds, two figures—one black, one white—stood in opposition.

"Dongqing is dead, Junyu is gravely injured. Sijiang, there's no turning back for me," said the man, his voice filled with sorrow and resignation. His upper body was bare, covered in black scales. His full red lips moved slightly, his high straight nose and almond-shaped eyes making him appear incredibly alluring. He gazed deeply at the woman opposite him, his eyes brimming with sadness.

The woman, called Sijiang, wore a simple white dress, her long black hair casually tied with a white ribbon. Her melancholic and lonely demeanor was now filled with anger. In a low voice, she said, "Stubborn fool."

It began to drizzle, and Sijiang's eyes darkened. "Then go reflect in the underworld," she said. Instantly, the air around them froze, the raindrops transforming into thousands of arrows aimed at the man.

"Swish!"

Before the man could react, Sijiang suddenly appeared behind him. A silver longsword like amber pierced through his heart.

"This sword is for Dongqing," Sijiang said, her eyes red with tears, her body trembling with sorrow. "This one is for Junyu and the dragon clan you slaughtered!" Without waiting for the man to respond, she pulled out the sword and stabbed him again in the chest.

It wasn't supposed to be like this.

The man, disbelief written across his face, was about to turn when Sijiang suddenly appeared in front of him, grabbing his chin. "Yingjiu, this last sword is for me," she said, staring into his eyes as a tear slid down her cheek. With her right hand, she drove a jade dagger into his heart.

"Heh, I knew," the man chuckled bitterly, then laughed maniacally. Suddenly, he struck Sijiang on the left shoulder with a forceful blow, sending her flying several meters away. "But Sijiang, your water spirit techniques can't kill me now."

Yingjiu pulled out the sword and dagger from his body as he slowly approached Sijiang, his wounds healing rapidly before her eyes.

"Tch," Sijiang scoffed, wiping away the blood at the corner of her mouth. In a flash, she appeared in front of Yingjiu, her cold eyes and killing intent revealing a beast's fury. She punched him in the left cheek, unleashing a powerful force that sent Yingjiu skimming across the sky.

"This is the Yingjiu I know," Sijiang said, standing firm and smirking. "Come, show me if you can handle the dragon bones and spirit power you gained from slaughtering the dragon clan and ambushing Dongqing." Her bloodshot eyes fixated on him, her words contradicting her heart.

Yingjiu, relieved, laughed excitedly, "This is my Sijiang." She remained silent.

In an instant, they clashed, exchanging hundreds of blows. After an incense stick's worth of time, they were still evenly matched.

In a moment of distraction, Sijiang slapped Yingjiu across the face, their wide sleeves brushing each other as they both lost their composure. Gradually, their anger and agitation subsided.

Breathing heavily, they stood there silently.

At some point, the rain had stopped. Under the moon partially obscured by clouds, they stood facing each other, saying nothing. A few stars flickered faintly. The only sound was the occasional crash of waves on the shore, bringing a sense of calm.

"Sijiang," Yingjiu broke the silence. "You're of the dragon clan, or at least you have dragon blood, don't you?" He gazed at the frail woman before him, her cold demeanor a stark contrast to the fierce warrior she had been moments ago.

Sijiang did not answer, instead, she looked into his eyes and asked, "You incited the war between humans and dragons, injured Junyu to gain the dragon-slaying technique, and slaughtered the dragon clan, ambushing their leader. Wasn't it all you?"

After a moment, Yingjiu responded, "So, I can't turn back, Sijiang. I'm sorry." Before she could reply, he soared into the sky, transforming into a massive black dragon within the rolling thunderclouds, letting out a deafening roar filled with despair and helplessness.

Sijiang snapped back to reality, looking up at the colossal figure. She laughed softly. "So you were holding back your transformation, waiting for me to confirm I was part dragon," she mocked herself. "It seems you knew dragons can't harm each other."

As a dragon, Yingjiu lowered his head, speaking after a pause, "Sijiang, I'm sorry. I had to do this."

"Yes, you made your choice again and again," Sijiang said, turning to face the exposed moon. "But none of your choices ever included me." She looked back at him, her eyes filled with disappointment and determination. "For Junyu, for the capital, for the people. Yingjiu, I can't let you leave."

"You can't stop me, Sijiang," Yingjiu's deep voice tried to hide his tenderness.

This time, she answered him. "You think I can't stop you just because you're in dragon form? You know dragons can't harm each other, but you don't know about the sacrificial seal, do you?" As she spoke, Sijiang raised her right hand, releasing a powerful energy.

Yingjiu's face filled with shock. "You're going to use your life to seal me?!" He tried to flee, only to find himself trapped in a glowing silver formation, unable to move. He heard chanting behind him.

"You lured me to the Eastern Sea on purpose!" Yingjiu roared in anger.

Sijiang, her hands crossed before her chest, looked skyward and recited, "I am ashamed of my dragon lineage and ancestors. Today, I request permission! With my body as the sacrifice, my bones as the contract, marking the domain as the seal, I exchange one life for another!"

"Sijiang, don't! You'll die!" Yingjiu shouted, his voice like thunder shaking the heavens, tears streaming down his face.

He watched as Sijiang's body was torn apart, blood flowing freely, a section of her spine slowly separating from her body. Gradually, she opened her eyes, a white dragon appearing behind her, its scales shimmering with iridescent light. In a blink, the white dragon lunged at the black dragon, biting his neck and dragging him into the sea.

Sijiang, her human form barely holding together, murmured, "You were right, Yingjiu. I am of both human and dragon blood. Today, I strip my dragon bones and dragon form, trading my life for yours. From now on, I am only Sijiang, the human spirit mage, no longer the dragon girl."

"And you, stay in the depths of the sea. Don't worry, I will guard you."

With a loud crash, the sea surface exploded, indicating the fall of a giant, stirring up massive waves. The silver light of the formation and the dragon's figure disappeared beneath the sea.

"That's good, I will return, Sijiang," Yingjiu's voice faded with the sea breeze. The jade dagger fell onto the beach, glinting unnoticed.

Everything returned to calm, the Eastern Sea as if nothing had happened. But the faint scent of blood in the wind seemed to mourn the events that had transpired. Sijiang, too weak to stand, fell into the sea.