BRDM 89

chapter 89

The feathers of her flame-born wings flickered as though about to die out.

Upper body human, lower body bird—half-human, half-bird.

The Phoenix Demon King dangled in midair, her right arm bound by chains, forcing her fading eyes to remain open.

How… how did it come to this?

After suffering a crushing defeat in the war against the High Gods in the Celestial Realm,

she plummeted to the mortal world in disgrace, stripped of her glory.

Together with the sixth, the Old Immortal Ape King, she was captured and imprisoned somewhere.

And from then on… a truly hellish time began.

– Codename: Specimen VZ-351.
– Part of the project to attain immortality and eternal life…
– The framework of Logos is hardened by the completion of narrative. Then what of its outer origin?
– To achieve “Transcendence,” there must be prerequisite conditions.
– What defines divinity? Is it tied to faith? Then how do narrative and faith intertwine?

Deep underground, in a hidden laboratory, the Phoenix Demon King and the Ape King were treated as mere specimens.

Not as a human to be respected, nor as a god to be worshipped—

just test subjects, playthings to sate mankind’s greed for immortality and eternity.

Their limbs were torn, their souls dismantled…

The humiliation was countless and immeasurable.

Because of this, the Ape King’s mind half-collapsed.

But—

– Just a little longer… hold on a little longer. As long as we’re alive, there will be a way.

The Phoenix Demon King clung to life, biding her time for an opportunity.

And one day, that chance came.

When their captors’ vigilance slackened, she attempted an escape.

Half a success, half a failure.

She managed to flee with her own life—but failed to rescue the Ape King.

– He can’t have gone far!
– Find her! If it’s discovered we secretly secured the Phoenix Demon King apart from the others, we’re ruined!
– Hunt her down, no matter what!!

– I’m sorry, old friend. I’ll come back for you, just hold on a little longer.

Thus began her desperate flight, forever chased and chasing.

– Wukong… I must find traces of Wukong.

Her escape wasn’t without plan.

To grasp at hope, she needed a counterstrike.

Two keys could bring that:

Her eldest brother, the Ox Demon King.

And the youngest—her former lover, Sun Wukong.

But the Ox Demon King’s whereabouts were unknown; during the war, the High Gods had taken his family hostage.

As for Wukong, his myth had collapsed with his death.

But unlike her, he hadn’t been imprisoned.

His fragments—shards of myth—were scattered across the mortal realm.

The Phoenix Demon King sought them out, one by one.

Perhaps she would find a fallen Wukong, or another companion she had yet to recover.

For a brief time, she found peace.

Unlike her, tied intrinsically to Wukong’s myth, the pursuers had no way to track those fragments.

And so, she left traces within the dungeons—breadcrumbs, in case Wukong ever returned.

Until one day—

– …The Fifth is imprisoned in India?

She learned the fifth sibling, like herself and the Ape King, was being held in another lab.

She hesitated. Should she try to save them?

Though she’d recovered somewhat, she was still far from regaining her full stature.

Would it even be possible?

But she couldn’t ignore their suffering.

The image of the Ape King she’d left behind in China kept haunting her.

So she moved—

– Just as I thought! Ha! Word reached us that a specimen escaped from China, so I leaked this information to fish… I didn’t expect to reel in something this big!

Only then did she realize it was a trap.

But it was already too late.

In that desperate moment—

– Honestly… too kindhearted for a Demon King. What are you doing? Go! At least you must survive.

The Fifth sacrificed themselves, allowing her escape.

And in the process, they were annihilated.

– …I… I…

The guilt crushed her.

Her recklessness had led to another sibling’s death.

But she could not simply stop.

And so, she threw herself deeper into seeking Wukong’s fragments, determined not to cause more sacrifice.

It was then she met others—like Sahun—and forged new bonds.

But perhaps because of the commotion in India, the net around her tightened.

Her pursuers grew relentless, her body ever more battered, until she stood on the brink of obliteration.

– I can’t go on like this.

She faced a choice:

Keep fleeing until she faded away—

Or risk everything for a chance at true recovery.

After long thought, she chose the latter.

– Even if I die trying… I must survive long enough to meet Wukong.

Her siblings had sacrificed everything for that.

It was the only purpose left to her.

The dungeon she chose for recovery was the Well of the Three-Legged Crow.

– The Three-Legged Crow symbolizes the sun. If I can draw fire essence from where such a divine beast died…

Her greatest problem was her dwindling flames.

If she could replenish her fire—even if not fully restore her stature—she could regain some strength.

So she sought the crow’s abandoned nest.

But of course, her pursuers would not let her slip away so easily.

– We’ve been waiting, Phoenix Demon King. Our first meeting, is it not?

While she rested, submerged in the volcanic crater born of the crow’s nest, the hunters arrived and encircled her.

Among them was one who called himself Zhang Baiyan.

His attribute was her bane—Ice.

He froze the entire crater itself.

And the result was her present state.

Clinging to fading consciousness, the Phoenix Demon King relived her past, stoking her rage.

“Truly… you are stubborn,” came a voice from above.

She forced her head up.

The cavern was now entirely frozen, though only days ago it had been a cauldron of molten lava.

A man descended a spiral staircase of ice from the ceiling.

Zhang Baiyan—better known as Snowstorm, a high ranker after baptism.

“How long do you plan to endure like this? Surely it’s time to give up.”

“…”

“Sun Wukong. If you tell me what you’ve learned of him, we can end this happily. Why drag it out?”

He stopped at eye level with her.

Her ruby eyes blazed.

“Just kill me.”

“There you go again.”

“I’ve nothing to say to you. Kill me, or drag me back to your country.”

“Parrot, are you? Same lines every time. Got nothing fresh?”

Smirking, Zhang Baiyan tilted her chin up.

“Or is it just that your bird brain can’t think of anything?”

Still, her fury did not waver.

“Tch.”

He released her chin with a click of his tongue.

“Well, fine. If you won’t speak, what can I do?”

He hadn’t yet departed with her. He needed Wukong’s location first.

If this goes nowhere… ugh. Brother Changyu will lose his mind.

Xu Changyu wanted Wukong’s secrets before the Committee did, to break through his stagnation.

He had even lent Zhang Baiyan a shard of Pure Ice Crystal—not the real one, but potent enough to freeze even the Phoenix Demon King.

But if this brought no results? Zhang Baiyan would fall out of favor, lose his luxuries.

She definitely knows something. I just need to break her.

His eyes narrowed.

“Ah… I really didn’t want to resort to this.”

He scratched his head, then said:

“Very well. I’ll release you here, if you give me solid information on Wukong. Ex-boyfriend, wasn’t he? Shouldn’t be hard to talk, given how you ended.”

“…”

“If not Wukong, then Ox Demon King. Give me a fatal piece of intel, and I’ll set you free on the spot. What do you say?”

He smirked.

“Of course, I’ll have to ‘chase’ you again tomorrow, but that’s still a good deal, isn’t it? And maybe you’ll find the Crow’s fire essence in the meantime. Don’t you need to live, if you want another chance?”

He was sure she couldn’t refuse.

But then—

“Hm?”

Her lips moved. Too faint to hear.

He leaned close.

“Damaged your vocal cords—”

“Your breath stinks. Mind moving your face away?”

“…!?”

A cold sneer, dripping with mockery.

His face twisted with rage.

SLAP!

He struck her, then pulled out a dagger carved from pure ice crystal.

“You bitch! Still mocking me? Do you think you’re still a god?”

The dagger radiated a killing chill—enough to snuff out her last embers.

Yet she laughed, as if relieved.

I couldn’t save my siblings… but better this than their torment.

He drove the dagger toward her—

She shut her eyes tight.

The last image in the darkness:

A man with hair white as snow, eyes golden as the sun, smiling mischievously as always.

But—

KRRRRRAAACK!!

Thunder split the frozen cavern, earth-shaking.

Something blazing, scorching, plummeted down.

BOOOOM!!

Her eyes flew open.

A heatwave burst forth, scattering ice dust and steam.

Through the mist, a handsome man emerged, gently caressing her face.

The very same man she’d just seen in her vision.

“…You…”

White hair, golden eyes.

But instead of a mischievous smile, his expression was pained.

He spoke, voice tinged with sorrow.

“I’m here, Lye.”

“…!!!”

It wasn’t an illusion.

It was real.