While Lin Yaochen and the others waited for Luo Yan, two plainly dressed men sat at a wine table pressed against the wall in a distant corner of the tavern. Their clothing was unremarkable, yet their expressions were unnaturally sharp. Through the crowd, their gazes settled on Zhiyao—not with admiration, but as if comparing her to a portrait hidden in a sleeve.
"It's her—Ge Zhiyao," one of them murmured, his voice low, a cold glint flashing in his eyes. "She matches the description from the report."
"And that man?" the other asked.
"The young one driving the carriage. I don't recognize him, but he doesn't look insignificant. Be careful—these people aren't simple."
The second man tapped his fingers against the table, his tone dark. "If what the pavilion master said is true, and she's carrying design drafts on her, then they must be taken. Don't alert anyone else. Cut off their escape routes first. We'll find an opening to strike later."
As he finished speaking, he reached inside his belt and took out a small bronze whistle etched with faint patterns. He blew softly. No sound was heard, yet invisible ripples slipped out through the window.
Moments later, several indistinct figures silently appeared in two nearby alleys outside the tavern—Shadow Pavilion listeners, moving like smoke, swift and elusive, specialists in ambushes and pursuit.
Inside the tavern, the atmosphere remained lively. The scent of wine mingled with cooking smoke, laughter and chatter filling the air. Everything seemed normal.
Except that, in that instant, Ge Zhiyao felt a gaze like needles against her skin.
Her fingers tightened unconsciously. She glanced sideways, just slightly. The people at that table immediately lowered their heads, pretending to focus on their food.
But she already knew—something was wrong.
Her eyes flickered faintly as she whispered to Lin Yaochen and Mozi, "We're being watched. People from the Shadow Pavilion…"
Mozi's expression darkened. "So they've come after all."
Lin Yaochen clenched his teeth and muttered, "We're just having a meal—how do we always run into people like this?!"
Zhiyao's gaze sharpened, cold as newly drawn steel. "They won't act immediately. They'll wait until we leave and set an ambush. We can't use the front entrance."
Just then, Luo Yan returned to the table, his expression noticeably calmer. Lin Yaochen asked, "All done? Did Uncle Fu say anything?"
Luo Yan pulled out a chair and sat down. In a flat tone, he said, "He gave me this." From his waist, he removed a silver longevity lock and gently placed it on the table.
Zhiyao's eyes narrowed slightly. "This is…?"
"Uncle Fu said it was hanging around my neck when he found me as a child."
His tone was almost casual, yet his fingers unconsciously tightened around the lock.
"Then the character 'Luo'—that's your surname?" Lin Yaochen asked.
Luo Yan shook his head slightly. "I don't know. Uncle Fu said the lock was already on me when he found me. He couldn't tell whether it was a surname or a given name, so he took it as my surname and called me Luo Yan. He said I was a child rescued near a fire scene—someone connected to fire."
"Uncle Fu is a good man," Zhiyao said softly.
"Mm." Luo Yan nodded, then looked up at them. "Where are you headed… on this journey?"
Lin Yaochen met his gaze for a moment. "Golden Yao Valley."
Luo Yan froze. Weren't miners imprisoned there? Doubt flickered in his heart, yet he still spoke. "Then I'll go with you. I want to try and find my own origins as well."
"But first, we need to shake off those tails," Mozi said, turning to Luo Yan, who still looked confused. "Can you open the back kitchen door?"
"Huh? What tails?" Luo Yan asked blankly.
Lin Yaochen grabbed him by the arm. "Don't ask—I'll explain later. From now on, just run with us!"
Before Luo Yan could fully react, Lin Yaochen dragged him toward the back kitchen. Zhiyao followed closely behind, while Mozi brought up the rear, alert to every movement around them.
But the moment they turned into the back corridor, three dark figures appeared like ghosts, blocking the rear exit—Shadow Pavilion listeners, arriving faster than expected.
"Don't move," the leader said coldly. A slender dagger gleamed in his hand, reflecting the chill of the oil lamp. "Hand over the person obediently, and you might be spared."
Lin Yaochen was about to strike, but Mozi raised a hand to stop him. "No need to waste your strength."
He looked at Luo Yan. "Kid, this one's on you."
"Me?"
"If you want to know who you are, it starts now."
The shadows advanced step by step, pressure crashing down like a tide. Luo Yan's hands trembled, his throat dry—yet at that very moment, his chest suddenly burned. A scorching heat surged from his heart through his limbs—
The resonance of the Fire Yao.
He raised his hand instinctively, slapping aside a nearby wok. The remaining embers flared violently, flames surging up like living creatures, spiraling through the air like fiery serpents!
"Watch out!" Lin Yaochen shouted.
But the flames didn't strike anyone. Instead, they sliced precisely across the floor beneath the enemies' feet. A row of ceramic bowls exploded instantly, sparks and smoke bursting everywhere!
The shadowy figures staggered back.
Mozi leapt forward, transforming into his spirit beast form, and slammed open the back door. Lin Yaochen and Zhiyao immediately rushed out with Luo Yan.
"I—I did that?" Luo Yan stared in shock. He had always known he could handle fire—but only for cooking. Using it to blast the ground?
Zhiyao said softly, "Yes. You are… a Fire Yao."
Lin Yaochen ran ahead, grinning like a child. "That's insane! I thought you only knew how to cook—who knew you could play with fire like this?!"
Mozi led them straight to the carriage. They mounted swiftly, and with a snap of the reins, the carriage shot out of Liuchuan Town like an arrow, leaving the growing chaos and pursuers behind.
The night wind howled. The force of the flames seemed to linger in the air.
And the heat still burning in Luo Yan's chest seemed to tell him one thing—
His life was about to begin a new chapter.
His destiny, from this night on, had completely changed.
Luo Yan pressed a hand to his chest. The heat felt like something awakening within him. He lowered his head, looking at the faint scorch marks still glowing on his fingertips in the darkness, like a call rising from deep within.
"A Fire Yao…" he murmured. The words felt both unfamiliar and strangely familiar, like scenes he had seen in dreams but never remembered—now ignited at last.
"Can I… really control it?" he asked himself softly.
The carriage sped on. Lin Yaochen turned back excitedly and shouted, "Hey! Lord Fire God, next time give us a warning! You almost roasted us like midnight snacks!"
Luo Yan laughed, the corners of his lips lifting—but his gaze soon steadied, fixed on the winding mountain road ahead. The night wind poured into the carriage, his fingers tightening slightly as the lingering heat pulsed in his chest.
That was no ordinary fire.
It was… a response.
For the first time, his eyes held a clear sense of direction and resolve.
They traveled until the night deepened, finally stopping to rest in a wooded area by a stream. Mozi went to scout the surroundings, while Lin Yaochen crouched by the fire pit, struggling to start a fire and boil water, muttering, "This time I'll cook. Fire God, don't steal the spotlight—let me prove I'm useful too."
Luo Yan sat nearby, quietly watching Lin Yaochen fumble with the fire. His hand, however, gripped the longevity lock at his chest—the silver token tied to his past, now unusually warm, as if responding to his awakened Yao power.
"So it wasn't just my imagination," he said softly. "I always felt fire was close to me."
"You're not ordinary," Zhiyao said calmly from across the fire. "You're a Fire Yao. Fire listens to you."
Luo Yan lowered his head, silent for a moment. "But… I only know how to cook. I don't understand cultivation or fighting…" He hesitated, then added, "By the way, I still don't even know your names."
"You can learn if you don't know," Lin Yaochen looked up and grinned. "I'm Lin Yaochen. Call me Yaochen, or A-Yao. Just don't call me Young Master Lin—it sounds way too awkward."
"I'm Ge Zhiyao. You can call me A-Yao too," she added gently, then her tone shifted. "As for those people earlier… they were after me."
Luo Yan froze. "After you? Why?"
"Yes." Zhiyao nodded, her expression calm but guarded. "They're from the Shadow Pavilion. Marquis Yao Tie Ye sent them to capture me."
The three of them sat by the fire as Zhiyao explained her situation and how she had met Lin Yaochen. In turn, Lin Yaochen told Luo Yan about the Five Yao—their innate abilities and their shared mission.
With a sudden whoosh, the fire flared high, orange flames surging upward with a wave of heat, casting a warm glow over their faces.
Lin Yaochen jumped, instantly pulling Zhiyao behind him, his voice trembling. "H-hey! Big brother, calm down! Don't get excited!"
Luo Yan clenched his fists and took a deep breath. "Sorry—I scared you." The flames churned as if responding to his emotions, only settling when he muttered, "I'm just… a little angry."
The fire gradually subsided.
He looked up and saw Zhiyao's profile softened by the firelight—her calm, resolute expression carrying no hatred, yet aching nonetheless.
In that moment, he understood that this world wasn't only filled with the warmth of kitchens and human lives. It also held clashes of power and blood. Some people, like him, had grown up in quiet stability. Others, like Zhiyao, struggled to survive between nobility and darkness.
He lowered his head, reflecting—and deciding.
After a moment, he finally spoke, his voice low but firm. "What can I do to help?"
Zhiyao looked at him, approval flickering in her eyes.
Lin Yaochen grinned and slapped his shoulder. "From today on, you're one of us—the Fire Yao chef!"
Luo Yan couldn't help but laugh softly.
This time, he was no longer just a boy who knew how to wield a ladle.
He knew he was about to walk a different path—
And his story had only just begun.