If the desks were still out in the yard, it was impossible to see them. The fog was even thicker here, curling up the sides of the walls and nearly covering the whole building. The whole area was utterly devoid of life.

As soon as they passed the height of the pavilion, Li Xiulan knew something was wrong. After all, they had been located in the heart of Judian City, and yet the city seemed to be gone. As far as she could see, there was nothing but gray sky.

Song Fen came to a stop with one hand in the air, seeming to check the clouds.

“Li Xiulan?”

“Yeah?”

“I can’t go any higher.”

At Li Xiulan’s questioning glance, Song Fen took Li Xiulan’s hand and extended it upwards. Li Xiulan’s fingers brushed against something, and a jolt of shock ran through her. It wasn’t hard like glass, but it was certainly some kind of barrier. She stretched both hands up and tried to push against it, but it wouldn’t budge.

“Looks like an energy field of some kind,” Song Fen said, worry creeping into her voice. She bit her lip, looking over to the door. “Let’s try to open the door. If we can’t… well, we need a new plan.”

The sword gracefully redirected itself, flying down across the courtyard at a slow pace to avoid drawing any attention. It came to a stop in front of the door and Song Fen threw her whole weight into it, attempting to get it to move even just a little. Li Xiulan joined in, but even together they were powerless to do anything.

Song Fen stood with both her palms flat against the door as Li Xiulan leaned back. She took a few shuddering deep breaths.

“Alright. Alright.”

“Song Fen?” Li Xiulan asked gently. She was worried Song Fen might start crying, and she wasn’t sure if she was going to be able to handle that right now. But when Song Fen raised her head, it was with an unusual determination shining in her eyes. The shift was so sudden that it nearly made Li Xiulan step back in surprise. Luckily, she remembered that she was floating above a sea of unfriendly fog and managed to keep her balance atop the sword.

“T…t-his means that we can’t escape. We need to go back for the remaining people and find a safe place to regroup.”

Song Fen’s stern tone was like an anchor to Li Xiulan’s racing thoughts. She grabbed ahold of it and let her racing heart envelope those words as she glanced around, thinking of every place she had been in the pavilion. Most were already beneath the fog or would be swallowed up soon. But, there was one place she hadn’t been that she was pretty sure would be safe.

“The roof,” she said, pointing across the way. Even though the fog was higher in the center yard, it still didn’t extend all the way up the wall. Seeing how slowly the fog level rose in the dining hall after the initial flood told her that they would probably have a good amount of time before the roof became dangerous.

Song Fen nodded sharply. “Good idea. Let’s get t…t-he others.”

With that, she redirected the sword towards the dining hall. Li Xiulan held on tight to her waist as they swooped back down, gliding over top of the beast hidden below. Inside the hall, Hou Jin was slashing wildly at the fog, trying to ward off the monster. The rest of the scholars huddled close to the wall, whispering prayers underneath their breath. Song Fen quickly lowered the sword down to their level.

“All the exits have been blocked. We need to get to higher ground, now.”

Hou Jin opened his mouth to speak, but Song Fen didn’t let him get a word in.

“Hou Jin, you take Xu Chang first and I’ll take Li Xiulan. Get everyone out as quickly as possible.”

Hou Jin looked taken aback, but Song Fen’s words seemed to take hold of him as well. Instead of complaining, he begrudgingly nodded, taking one last swipe at the fog before letting go of his sword.

“Come on, Li Xiulan. I’m t…t-aking you up,” Song Fen said.

“You’re just going to leave me there?” Li Xiulan replied, nervousness fluttering in her stomach. She was nervous to fly, but she was even more nervous to be left alone without being able to fend for herself. Her knees were already wobbling from just this short flight. Her breath was picking up again. But, as Song Fen lifted her into the air, she laid a hand over Li Xiulan’s.

“Breathe. I won’t be far. Nothing will hurt you, I promise.”

She nodded her head to the side, where Hou Jin was just taking off with Xu Chang.

“Besides, although Xu Chang may not look it, he’s a competent cultivator t…t-oo. He’ll take care of you.”

“He’d better,” Li Xiulan grumbled jokingly. “If I get swallowed up by a fog monster, I’m blaming you.”

“That’s fair,” Song Fen laughed. She pulled the sword through the air and towards the centermost part of the roof, furthest away from the fog. When they were hovering just above the ground, she extended her hand to Li Xiulan to help her down. Li Xiulan accepted it and jumped down, her stomach happy to be on solid ground again.

Hou Jin wasn’t far behind, Xu Chang behind him. He was far more confident than Li Xiulan had been, not even bothering to hold onto Hou Jin for stability. Hou Jin didn’t even stop or hover like Song Fen had; instead, Xu Chang lept from the sword, landing solidly next to Li Xiulan. He gave Hou Jin a nod, and immediately Hou Jin flew back down.

Song Fen watched, making sure that Li Xiulan wasn’t alone first. She gave her a quick smile.

“Wait for me here. I’ll be done soon.”

She waited until Li Xiulan gave her a nod, leaving much slower than Hou Jin had. By the time she left, Hou Jin had already brought another scholar, who flopped onto the roof and scrambled on his hands and knees to be as far from the edge as possible.

Li Xiulan took a few steps back herself. From the roof, she could see that the fog was a ways away, but even so she didn’t want to risk anything. Xu Chang followed her, stepping back towards the center of the roof. He glanced towards her, taking in her appearance. She tried to control her wobbling knees and shaky breaths, but she knew she was surely coming across as a mess.

“Is this your first time seeing a demon?” he asked. Li Xiulan was taken aback by the question. She had expected either judgemental silence or harsh words from somebody associated with Hou Jin. However, she did remember that Song Fen had said Xu Chang was much more reasonable than Hou Jin, and so she did her best to smile at him.

“Is it that obvious?” she replied. Her voice trembled.

“Mm.” Xu Chang hid a smile behind his hand, shaking his head. “I’ve seen worse. In fact…”

He tilted his head towards the scholar behind them, whose head was firmly planted against the hard wooden roof as he fervently recited prayers over and over. 

“Many grown men are brought to their knees by the sight of them. To be as calm as you are is impressive.”

Somehow, it felt like Li Xiulan’s heart slowed just a little bit. The next smile she gave was genuine.

“No need to flatter me, Xu Chang. Oh, uh, have we officially met? My name is Li Xiulan.”

Xu Chang laid a hand across his chest and bowed deeply, surprising Li Xiulan. She took a step back, the formality making her slightly uncomfortable.

“A pleasure to meet you, Li Xiulan. As you know, my name is Xu Chang. I serve as Master Hou Jin’s bodyguard and advisor, appointed by the White Snake sect. Let me know if there is anything I can do to be of service to you.”

A beat of silence passed between them. Li Xiulan didn’t have an answer to such polished and rehearsed words, and so all she could do was laugh awkwardly.

“Ah, thank you, Xu Chang. I appreciate the offer.”

By this point, a few more scholars had been brought to the roof and were in various states of disarray. Xu Chang watched carefully as Hou Jin let another off his sword and then flew back down. He stepped closer and leaned in towards her ear, whispering so as to not let anyone else hear.

“Please let Song Fen know that I apologize for my master’s behavior towards her, and of course towards you as well. He is an impulsive child. It is a trait quite useful for the battlefield at times, but never when he intends to socialize.”

He pulled back, pretending as though he had never said a word. Li Xiulan felt inclined to reply with positivity she did not feel, telling him that she didn't truly care, but she found that the words couldn’t leave her mouth. They felt insincere to a poisonous degree. Xu Chang seemed to notice this, for he didn’t give her a chance to respond, giving her the faintest of smiles.

“And, I apologize that you are in this situation at such a young age. Facing a demon is a horrific thing at any age, but it is quite unlucky to meet one this early.”

Li Xiulan raised an eyebrow. “What do you mean? Song Fen and Hou Jin are my age, and I’m sure they’ve fought plenty.”

Xu Chang’s smile faded. He glanced away, something clouding his features that Li Xiulan couldn’t quite comprehend.

“That is different. They are cultivators, as am I. We are raised to have the power to face them. You, however, are just a child. No one would expect you to do anything to help, much less stay composed.”

Those words left a sour taste in Li Xiulan’s mouth. They reminded her of everything her mother had told her. That she didn’t have power, that she was too naive and foolish to survive. She crossed her arms, defiance in the action.

“Xu Chang, you are aware that I aim to become a cultivator, yes?” she said, leaning away from him and turning her cheek. Xu Chang was clearly stunned.

“... Why?”

Li Xiulan tilted her head to meet his eyes. There was something there… pity, perhaps.

“I don’t have a reason, I suppose. It just feels right. Like I was born to do it.”

Xu Chang shook his head with a sigh. Li Xiulan noticed his fists clenched at his sides. When he looked back at her, she couldn’t help but feel small. Embarrassed.

“If you have no reason, then I advise against pursuing this path.” He looked off the roof, his gaze hardening. Li Xiulan followed his eyes to the fog below. Something was coiled beneath it there, watching them with shadowed, hungry eyes. It sent a shiver down her spine, which didn’t escape Xu Chang’s notice.

“You say you feel you were born to do this. Do you feel that you could defeat that monster, then?”

Li Xiulan’s gaze flickered to Xu Chang, her breath hitching in her throat when she tried to respond. She wanted to say yes. She wanted to say she was confident in her abilities, and that if she really put her mind to it, she could.

But when she saw that beast lurking in the shadows, she felt the fear resonate deep in her bones. She felt the intrinsic weakness of her body, the pathetic nature of her form. She had no power to do anything. That fear she felt was no more than a reflection of that.

“No,” she finally replied, swallowing. “No, I couldn’t. But, tell me this. Do you believe that you could, if you were in the same position as me?”

The seriousness on Xu Chang’s face seemed to break, even if just for a moment. He glanced away. “No, I suppose I couldn’t. After all, I have trained for this since I was a child.”

Li Xiulan crossed her arms. “If you’re going to say now that I can’t be a cultivator because I didn’t start my training that early…”

“No, no,” Xu Chang interrupted with a wave of his hand. “You misunderstand me. I don’t say this because of any sort of negative evaluation of your abilities or potential. I only warn you against it to save you from inevitable agony. You are free to choose your own path, assuming we survive. Just know that this-” he gestured towards the demon- “would be your fate. If you stay away from the path of cultivation and live a quiet life, chances are good that you would never see a demon again. Become a cultivator and you will be forced to face them at every step. If that is something you are prepared to do, then I can’t stop you.”

Li Xiulan pressed her lips together tightly as she peered down at the monster below. She knew, of course, that this was part of being a cultivator. In fact, it had always been a part of her fantasies, roaming the countryside slaying demons. But it was one thing to read excitement-inducing book passages and something completely different to see it in person. Her heart was racing, but not in the way she had always imagined. It was nearly sickening.

Even so, there was a glimmer of something that coursed beneath that terror. A thin thread of excitement. She imagined that was all that was keeping her on her feet in this situation. If that was present, if it was a part of her, she could learn to focus on it, and to put aside the fear one day.

She watched as Song Fen and Hou Jin each soared up for the last time, bringing the remaining scholars to the roof. Song Fen waved at her as she descended, and Li Xiulan stepped forward to go meet her. First, though, she gave a smile to Xu Chang.

“I appreciate the advice. I can’t say I’ll follow it, though. If I’m too afraid to face any spirits now, I’ll just have to get stronger and crush that fear, won’t I?”

Xu Chang was taken aback for a moment, but he nodded.

“If that is your resolve, then I will bother you no more. However, I would like to impart one final piece of wisdom to you.” He placed a hand on her shoulder, and Li Xiulan could feel his sincerity through it.

“Those who survive are the ones with purpose. Some fight for their greed, some for power, and some for a genuine desire to help. You must decide why you fight, or you will find the task too difficult to bear.”

From behind them, Hou Jin called for Xu Chang. He gave her one final nod before his hand slid off her shoulder and he returned to Hou Jin’s side. The two immediately returned to their usual dynamic, Xu Chang stiffening back up into the perfect bodyguard that he usually was.

He was an odd man, she thought. She placed her hand over where his had been, letting his words tumble around in her mind. 

“Li Xiulan!” Song Fen called, waving her over. Li Xiulan let her hand fall back to her side, broken from the cycle of thought. As she ran over to Song Fen, she let it fade to the back of her mind. After all, her reason wasn’t important if she didn’t make it out alive.