A Love Beyond Time

What Still Holds

Truth wears falsehood.
Falsehood carries truth.
Within truth, a lie takes root.
Within lies, truth survives.
This is how myths endure.
This is how legends are made.

The Valley—Central Region, Current Times

Saito's quiet words resounded in the cave before fading into a deep silence. Nevertheless, the meaning of his utterance continued to linger, to fill the empty space and sink into everyone's whirling minds.

Moments passed. The silence deepened, lengthened, stretched to a nearly unbearable tautness.

They are pledging full allegiance to Yu-Hu.

"So, well..." Xue Chen scratched his nose, winching slightly at how loud he sounded in the dead quietness. "What does that mean, exactly?"

"Exactly what the letter means." Saito exhaled and spread the scroll out on the stone table. "They had signed and endorsed their pledges."

The Byakko jabbed a trembling finger at the names—Xuan-Tian Shang-Di (玄天上帝)*, Holy Emperor Lord Guan (關聖帝君)*, Zhong Kui (鍾馗)*. His action was jerky, almost violent, and his Adam's Apple bobbed sharply as he swallowed hard in a vain attempt to quell his pounding heart.

Xue Chen continued to stare at the names blankly, his brows furrowed in complete befuddlement. Sensing the young dragon prince's confusion, Yang Jian touched his arm.

"Xue Chen," He asked carefully. "Do you know who they are? Other than they are the Grand Deities?"

That head of platinum moved from side to side.

No. And who the Kunlun are they?

Yang Jian sighed, looked up at Saito. Crooked an eyebrow.

Saito grunted and, resigned, began to elucidate quickly.

"They are deeply revered by the mortals for their moral integrity, righteousness, as well as protectiveness against evil."

Evil.

An involuntary shiver shot through Shion. Without turning to look at him, Seimei reached out, reached slightly behind, and took his icy hand.

Little one, you are not evil. You are just misunderstood.

The 4th-ranked Asaemon nodded stiffly, unconvinced. But he said nothing, allowing his immortal lover to ghost a caress along his arm through their telepathic link. Opposite the couple, Xue Chen's frown deepened—not from confusion, but from worry at his brother's sudden pallor.

However, he curbed his urge to check in with Shion via their twin link. Seimei was here, and his presence was the soothing balm that the latter needed.

More than his own.

A sting of melancholic loss pricked at the younger northern dragon, though he tucked it away and turned his attention back to Saito's explanations.

"Moral integrity? Protectiveness against evil?" His lips twisted in a derisive sneer. "Then why did they secede from Zheng-Yu only now? After all these centuries? Why did they not do anything about the evilness and rot in their own realms?"

Seimei cleared his throat and traced a long finger along the gold-leafed edge of the scroll.

"They are not Celestials, Chen. They do not reside in the Kingdom, nor do they deal with related affairs. In terms of societal and ruling hierarchies, they are fully autonomous. Perhaps—"