Fire of anger
The clouds that day seemed to bleed, staining the sky in hues of violent crimson. When Yunhu stood before Saoji's aunt, his eyes burned with the fury of a thousand hells. As the greedy woman raised her hand to strike, Yunhu caught her wrist in a vice-like grip. His voice was as cold as a winter grave. "Who gave you the audacity to lay a finger on my wife?"
Trembling, the aunt stammered, "She... she does all the chores! She didn't show up today, so I came to fetch her. But she had the nerve to talk back! She refused to come!"
A dark, mocking smile curled Yunhu's lips. He pulled a heavy pouch of gold coins from his pocket and hurled it at her feet. As the coins clattered with a metallic ring, he roared, "Saoji is no longer yours to command. She is my wife. What lies in that bag is more than enough to sustain seven generations of your kind. Now, vanish—before I ensure this hand of yours never sees the light of day again!"
Once the wretched woman had scurried away with her loot, Yunhu placed a tender hand on Saoji's shoulder. A single tear escaped her hollow gaze. "Why did you endure it in silence, Saoji?" he asked softly.
She let out a long, ragged sigh. "My world was very small, Yunhu. In that world, there was no language for protest."
Yunhu knew his life was split between two worlds; while his heart walked the Earth, his duty lay upon the throne of Fairyland. He warned Saoji to remain vigilant and told her he had urgent matters to attend to. He had to return to his kingdom for just one day. He had no way of knowing that a single day in his realm would mean a lifetime of catastrophe for hers.
Ash-Shattered Dreams and the Emperor's Lament
When Yunhu returned to Earth after settling the complex affairs of Fairyland, a cold dread seized his chest. Stepping through the portal, he saw that the humble cottage was no longer a home—it was a towering inferno.
"Saoji!" His scream drowned out the howling wind.
From within the blaze, Saoji's agonizing cries echoed. Because the cottage was tucked deep within the forest, no one had heard her, and no one had come to her rescue. With a flick of his spiritual power, Yunhu extinguished the flames in an instant. Inside, he found her—her body scorched, lying lifeless amidst the embers.
Consumed by rage, he invoked his power to peer back through time. The horrific scene unfolded before his eyes: he saw her uncle and aunt, driven by a thirst for her property, locking the door from the outside and setting the house ablaze.
Yunhu's eyes turned a terrifying, incandescent red. "Earth has become a living hell for you, Saoji. I will take you to a place where sorrow will never dare to touch you again."
Memory of Dust
When Saoji was brought to the Royal Palace of Fairyland, her body was a map of scars. Yunhu's loyal attendant, Dian, gasped in horror. "My Lord! You have broken the sacred law! If the Lord of the Island finds out, your crown will be forfeit. Bringing a mortal here is strictly forbidden!"
Yunhu silenced him with a sharp gesture, his voice laced with iron resolve. "Wipe her memories. Let her forget she was ever a fragile human on that wretched Earth. From this day forth, she belongs to Fairyland."
Using his spiritual essence, Yunhu meticulously erased every tragic memory from Saoji's mind. In their place, he wove visions of Fairyland's eternal skies.
When Saoji finally opened her eyes, the shadows of grief were gone. She looked at Yunhu and bowed with grace. "My Lord, you are here. Do you have any commands for me?"
Yunhu arranged for her to live in a magnificent new estate. Though his heart ached with a profound emptiness, a smile of quiet satisfaction touched his face. He knew she had forgotten him, but at least she was safe. He watched her begin her new life, no longer the forsaken girl of the mortal world, but a true citizen of Fairyland. Satisfied, he retreated into the shadows.
Present Day
Yunhu sat in Saoji's shop, lost in the haunting echoes of the past. Suddenly, Saoji approached and called out to him, "Ming!"
The name—the identity he wore in this world—snapped the thread of his memories. The Emperor of Fairyland vanished, and Yunhu, disguised as Ming, looked up to answer her call.