What a drag

As his eyes roamed over her face and body, he suddenly remembered where he had seen her. It had been two years ago when she had first joined the Ashen Flame Sect. She was one of their recruits; however, she had been quickly dismissed due to her inability to keep up with their rigorous training regimen. Nevertheless, Mason remembered how beautiful her face looked underneath her mask—like that of a princess in disguise.

Recognizing her, Mason's eyes widened in shock. "Bai...?" he said in disbelief, his mind struggling to process the sight before him. She had been weak, yes, but her determination was something he admired.

She gave him a contemptuous smirk, her icy gaze never leaving him. "So you remember me after all, Mason," she said, her voice laced with a bitter tinge.

Mason's mind raced as he tried to make sense of the situation. This woman, Bai, had disappeared from the sect years ago, and he had assumed she had moved on with her life. But here she was, standing before him as an assassin, attempting to take his life.

The silence stretched between them, filled with the chirping of the nocturnal creatures in the background.

Mason was still in shock. He couldn't understand why the woman he'd once shown kindness to, had become the enemy now. "Why are you here, Bai? Why did you attack me?" he asked, the confusion clear in his voice.

Instead of answering, Bai managed to wriggle out of his loosened grip and made a swift backflip, landing a few feet away from him.

Before he could pry further, she swiftly moved towards him. Caught off guard, he didn't have time to react. He could only watch as she pointed her dagger toward his throat.

[Does she really think that dagger could harm you?]

Mason battled his emotions, feeling slightly amused, on the verge of laughter while hearing Kitanai-kun laughter in his thoughts and keeping a straight face while helping Bai's confidence on cornering him with a mere dagger probably infused with a few runestones he could see gleaming on its grip.

"Do you remember, Mason? Do you remember the promise you made?" she asked, her voice laced with venom. "You promised to love me, remember? To stand by my side and protect me? What happened to that promise, Mason?"

Mason felt his breath hitch in his throat. He remembered the promise he had made to her. He remembered the time they spent together, the feelings they shared, and the bond they formed.

"Things changed, Bai," he said, finding his voice. "I met Fiona, and she is my destiny."

"Your destiny?" she spat out, a derisive laugh escaping her lips. "Your destiny is to be a traitor, Mason? To abandon those who cared for you for some royal princess?"

Mason didn't know how to respond. He had indeed promised Bai to protect her, to care for her. But his feelings for Fiona were different. She was his mate, his companion, his lover. He loved Bai, yes, but not in the way he loved Fiona.

"I'm sorry, Bai," he finally said, his voice heavy with guilt and regret. "I didn't mean to hurt you."

"Your apologies mean nothing, Mason," she said, her voice cold and hard. "You betrayed me, and now it's time for you to pay."

With that, she raised her dagger, ready to strike. But before she could, Mason's eyes glowed as he stared at the blade which had radiated enough heat to force Bai to hiss and drop it on the grassy floor.

The dagger instantly began to melt in, its molten metal turning into a liquid that soaked into the grassy floor beneath. The metal glowed with a dark red glow before turning black and vanishing completely into nothingness.

"What the..." Bai said, shocked as she watched her dagger melt before her eyes.

"Even after you've advanced in your rank and gotten more proficient in your cultivation as well as its techniques, It would seem you had forgotten what I can do," Mason replied coldly. "I have been a cultivator for much longer than you."

Bai gritted her teeth as she glared at Mason. Her blue eyes burned with disdain.

She sneered at him, the glow of her eyes becoming more intense under the moonlight. "You promised to love me, to protect me, and yet you abandoned me for a princess from the Golden Dragon Dynasty, a place that has held my brother captive for decades."

Mason was stunned. He knew Bai had a brother who had disappeared years ago, but he had no idea he was held captive in the Golden Dragon Dynasty, the same place Fiona was from.

Bai's accusations took him by surprise. His relationship with Fiona had never been a secret, but he hadn't realized it would cause such resentment. He knew he needed to control this situation and quickly decided to cast a barrier around them. This would ensure their conversation was not overheard by any patrolling guards or sneaky servants.

Once the barrier was set, Mason turned back to Bai. "I never abandoned you," he pleaded, his voice tinged with desperation. "I cared for you, but I had no choice but to fulfill my duties as the future patriarch of the sect. I couldn't let my personal feelings interfere with the greater good, besides I do love her uncontrollably."

'She is after all not really from this realm. But mine, I bought her here.' Mason completed in his thoughts.

Bai's eyes narrowed, and she took a step closer, her voice dripping with venom. "Greater good? Is that what you call it? Using me, leading me on, only to discard me when someone more suitable came along?"

"Bai, I didn't know about your brother," he said, his tone earnest. "But attacking me will not help you rescue him. Why don't we talk about this? We need to talk, to understand each other."

For a moment, Bai remained silent, her expression unreadable. Suddenly, a bitter laugh escaped her lips. "Talk? Is that what you think will fix everything? You're a fool, Mason. Words mean nothing when actions speak louder. And your actions spoke volumes when you chose her over me."

'Would you just stop with the obsessive shit! This is getting ridiculous!' Mason thought angrily.

[She possesses all the requirements needed to cultivate to contribute to your ascension]

Mason stared at the translucent screen with a deadpan face as Kitanai-kun gave his input.

'Although she does seem to look the part, this is the first time I do wish to back away from a female,' Mason thought sarcastically as he continued to watch Bai pour out her anger at him.

He lowered his head in regret at his next action, hoping it was worth the trouble.

'Here goes nothing.' He chided himself as he let his hands fall to his sides. "Let's talk. I want to understand why you disappeared all those years ago, why you tried to attack me today. We can find a way to resolve this, to heal the wounds between us."

Bai's expression softened slightly, a flicker of uncertainty passing through her eyes. She hesitated for a moment, considering Mason's words.