Immortal

Liyen meets with Aunt Shou and Chengyin in private. Liyen asks Aunt Shou if the ministers are plotting against her; Aunt Shou admits there is always plotting at court, but as long as she has the mandate from the Queen of the Golden Desert, her right to rule cannot be challenged. Liyen admits that she does not have the queen’s mandate, contrary to what she told the ministers earlier.

She reveals that Lord Zhangwei attempted and failed to take the lotus from her. Chengyin asks if the Winged Devils who attacked them when Liyen first received the lotus are after it as well. Aunt Shou states that the immortals will undoubtedly come for Liyen. Liyen assures them that they will not hurt anyone because they need her cooperation to get the lotus. She says that she decided not to serve Queen Caihong like previous rulers have. The immortals do not deserve Tianxia’s servitude, especially after treating Liyen as they have.

Liyen declares they must prepare for Zhangwei’s inevitable arrival. They agree to keep the lack of mandate secret from the rest of the court.

The following day, Zhangwei confronts Liyen in her rooms. They trade retorts and Zhangwei’s words suggest that Liyen hurt him. He says she must be as heartless as she accused him of being because the transfer of the lotus failed, meaning she did not love him. He asks if she planned to use him solely for Tianxia and nothing more. Liyen lies that this was exactly what she did. When Liyen asks what he wants in exchange for the lotus and the return of his sword, Zhangwei admits that he wants more from her, but a servant knocks on Liyen’s chamber doors, interrupting them. The servant delivers word that Chengyin is waiting for her to join him for the afternoon meal. Irked that Chengyin is familiar enough with Liyen to presume himself entitled to her company, Zhangwei decides to accompany her to the meal.

As he accompanies her to the dining hall, Zhangwei regards the damage his fire magic created to the palace. He admits that he administered that punishment when her grandfather failed to deliver the lotus but adds that it was before he learned Liyen’s grandfather did so to save her life. When Liyen admits Tianxia does not have the funds to restore everything, Zhangwei offers to pay for the repairs. In the dining hall, Zhangwei sits at Liyen’s side, drawing everyone’s attention. To further irritate Zhangwei and protect herself from further entanglements with him, Liyen lies that Chengyin, who sits on her other side, is her betrothed. Zhangwei becomes jealous and frustrated, clearly disapproving, and claims he will not give up on Liyen so easily. When Zhangwei suggests continuing their earlier negotiations at dinner, Liyen invites him to talk it over in her chambers later that evening. A woman begins playing music, captivating the hall and grabbing Zhangwei’s attention. When he joins the woman to play the qin beside her, Liyen watches with barely contained jealousy.

After dinner, Chengyin walks Liyen back to her chambers. He requests she end their betrothal because after enduring scathing looks from the God of War all night, Chengyin is worried for his own safety. Liyen promises that no harm will come to him. However, the topic of marriage makes her consider Chengyin as a potential prospect. Though they are friends and there is no romantic love between them, she trusts him and knows he accepts her for who she is. When she proposes real marriage, Chengyin says he wants to marry for love, and they are not meant for each other in that way. Chengyin suspects that Zhangwei wants Liyen romantically, but Liyen is quick to reject that suggestion. Chengyin makes a lighthearted jab about the situation, and Liyen playfully attacks him as Zhangwei arrives. Zhangwei believes Chengyin is harming Liyen and throws him against the wall. Liyen begs him to release Chengyin, explaining the situation, but Zhangwei’s jealousy-fueled dislike for Chengyin is evident even after he releases him.

After Chengyin leaves, Liyen says she is surprised that Zhangwei decided to come after his connection with the female musician at dinner. Her jealousy amuses Zhangwei, who assures her that his pleasure came from witnessing Liyen’s discontent at his interactions with the woman. Zhangwei states he is done playing games. He confesses his attraction to Liyen. Liyen begs him not to continue because she does not want the emotional boundaries between them to blur again, for her own safety. His body erupts in uncontrollable tremors, interrupting their conversation. At Liyen’s questions, Zhangwei admits that his condition is becoming worse as delays for the lotus cure continue.

Zhangwei’s injury is born of forbidden Wuxin magic that damaged his lifeforce, and the lotus is the only cure. He is dying. This revelation worries Liyen deeply because as much as she pretends otherwise, she cares for him. She agrees to negotiate for the lotus but makes him promise not to lie anymore. Zhangwei promises he will speak with Queen Caihong to return the Shield of Rivers and Mountains, dismantle the wall, and free Tianxia from the treaty. He asks if Liyen is willing to give him the lotus first, but she says that she must receive what he promised before she can give it up willingly, because she does not trust him. Zhangwei accepts her answer.

Zhangwei decides to stay in the Mortal Realm to protect Liyen from any threats because of the lotus. He does not believe the Winged Devil attacks were a coincidence. He hypothesizes that they either want Liyen as part of their own schemes for power or are working with the Wuxin. Liyen asks about the Wuxin, and Zhangwei tells her that they feed mostly on suffering. The most powerful of their kind can steal others’ forms. Liyen asks Zhangwei to train her to defend herself if the need arises.

The following day, their training begins. Zhangwei helps Liyen with her battle stance and teaches her how to grip and wield a sword. Zhangwei tells Liyen her sword must also act as a shield, and she challenges him to a demonstration, throwing several rocks at him quickly. He masterly deflects each with his sword, earning her rare appreciation. He is pleased to have impressed her.

A week passes, and Liyen and Zhangwei spend their free time training. As they spend more time together, Liyen recognizes a growing intimacy between them, despite her attempts to fight it. One day, Liyen tells Zhangwei that she wants to earn her throne and be worthy of her position. Zhangwei responds that she already is worthy, warming her.

Zhangwei eventually takes Liyen to train at the river, where he instructs her to balance on rocks in the water, shifting through various stances without falling in. After a while, Liyen loses her balance and falls in. She decides to prank Zhangwei by staying underwater as long as possible. Zhangwei becomes worried and dives in, only to pretend to drown himself, pranking Liyen into swimming to save him. When Liyen comes close enough, he grabs her and kisses her underwater.

Zhangwei swims them to shore, but Liyen breaks away when they exit the water. She brings up her betrothal to Chengyin, but Zhangwei insists she does not love him. Liyen claims there is no future between her and Zhangwei because he is immortal and she is mortal, but he says he wants to be with her regardless of the obstacles they face. Liyen asks if their intimacy is another one of his emotional games, but Zhangwei becomes frustrated and assures her that his feelings are real.

While by the river, Zhangwei senses an unfamiliar magic and informs Liyen that someone is coming. They race back to the palace, where they encounter immortal soldiers from Queen Caihong’s army. Lieutenant Yang, an acquaintance of Zhangwei’s, requests Zhangwei’s immediate return. The immortals sense a great disturbance—the same one Zhangwei felt—and need his counsel.

Zhangwei agrees to return once he has secured Liyen’s safety. The immortals cannot stay, explaining that potential enemies will detect their presence, drawing them straight to Tianxia and putting everyone in more danger. The immortals take to the skies to return to the Immortal Realm, but a thunderous sound in the sky follows, and the immortals fall from the sky, dead. Zhangwei mourns their losses, feeling guilty that he did not accompany them, but Liyen comforts him, grateful he was not among them.

Zhangwei attempts to test the sky but uses nearly all his magic attempting to break the magical barrier there. He informs Liyen that forbidden magic has magically sealed the skies, preventing the immortals from reaching Tianxia. He once again requests the lotus, as he needs more magic to protect her and her kingdom. Despite his assurances that he will keep his promises, Liyen cannot willingly give it to him. Zhangwei accepts this answer gracefully.

When they enter Liyen’s palace, she finds its entrance abandoned. Zhangwei suspects the Wuxin are on the premises and pulls Liyen into hiding just before they appear with the Winged Devils. After they pass, Liyen wonders how the Wuxin escaped the Netherworld, and Zhangwei suggests they check the gateway to find out. They suspect that the Wuxin are looking for Liyen and the lotus. Though Zhangwei argues that Liyen must leave and find safety, she insists on staying behind to protect her people. Zhangwei says that the Wuxin could take her and the lotus, and Liyen accuses him of still caring only about the lotus. Zhangwei admits that he cares most about her safety, unrelated to the matter of the lotus.

Determined to stay and protect her people, Liyen runs from Zhangwei, toward the sounds of the Wuxin and Winged Devils slaughtering her soldiers. As she enters the courtyard, she overhears the Wuxin generals ask for the Lady of Tianxia and reveals herself. The ruthless Captain Rao and the more docile Miss Lin mention a Lord Dalian, who has tasked them with retrieving Liyen and bringing her to him. Miss Lin promises Liyen that if she surrenders, no more of her soldiers will be harmed. As Liyen is about to accept this offer, Zhangwei appears in the courtyard with a blast of power. Zhangwei begins battling the Wuxin, but Captain Rao becomes suspicious when Zhangwei does not use his full power. He asks Zhangwei if he is still suffering from his cursed injury, and Liyen wonders if she can temporarily lend Zhangwei the power of the lotus without relinquishing it completely. In a moment of stillness, she grabs Zhangwei’s hand and channels the lotus’s magic into him, restoring enough of his magic to frighten the Wuxin into abandoning their mission and fleeing.

After the Wuxin leave, Liyen informs her court that the skies are sealed by forbidden magic, and the immortals will not be able to aid Tianxia against further threats. When Captain Li, of Liyen’s night guard, asks why the Wuxin came, Zhangwei explains that they covet the Mortal Realm, where they feed best and gain the most strength. The Wuxin wish to feed upon their people and believe that because the Mortal Realm is devoid of magic, the mortals will be unable to fight back. The meeting concludes when Zhangwei declares Liyen must go to Kunlun to secure the safety of the realms. Liyen tasks Chengyin with ruling the court in her absence and leaves with Zhangwei.

Zhangwei leads Liyen to Kunlun, which houses the gateway of the Netherworld. He informs her that the Ancient Grandmaster, “one of the oldest and wisest immortals” (246) who guards the Tree of Everlasting Life, resides nearby. Zhangwei claims the Ancient Grandmaster can help them get word regarding their situation to Queen Caihong. Zhangwei notices the gate to the Netherworld feels different, as if worn thin. Liyen worries that if a crack can form in the gateway, leading the Wuxin to invade her home, then it can break completely and unleash unimaginable terror and destruction on her people.

Apparent Kunlun guards arrive at the gateway, though Liyen and Zhangwei quickly discover they are Wuxin wearing mortal-looking skins. The Wuxin admit to killing the Kunlun guards and attack Liyen and Zhangwei, forcing them to split up. Captain Rao attacks Liyen, and to escape, she throws herself into the current of the nearby river.

Liyen allows the current to carry her downstream, swimming with it. She eventually comes across a young boy clinging to a log in the water ahead. Liyen helps the boy to the bank, and he tells her that he was traveling with his father nearby when the Wuxin attacked them. Liyen promises to send soldiers to search for the boy’s father as soon as she can. A snarl cuts off their conversation and Liyen comes face-to-face with a beast, which she fights off. The beast turns and escapes, and Liyen turns back to check on the boy, who reveals himself to be the Ancient Grandmaster. He says that he was testing her and Liyen’s decision to show him kindness earned her welcome into his home.

In the Ancient Grandmaster’s home, Liyen asks if he knows of Zhangwei’s whereabouts, but the immortal promises Zhangwei will find them. The Ancient Grandmaster offers Liyen a gift. He brings her to visit the Tree of Everlasting Life, which speaks to her, asking her to lay her hand on its bark. When she does, a current surges into her hand, bestowing its blessing. The Ancient Grandmaster explains the blessing is “one of protection, to seal [her] spirit from harm” (265). Then a deep sleep overtakes her.

Liyen awakens to overhear Zhangwei speaking with the Ancient Grandmaster. When Zhangwei asks if a mysterious something can be removed from her, the Ancient Grandmaster claims that it is her decision alone. Assuming they are talking about the lotus, Liyen is offended that after everything, Zhangwei still seems to prioritize it. In private after the Ancient Grandmaster leaves, Liyen confronts Zhangwei about what she overheard. Zhangwei claims he was not talking about the lotus, as she suspects, but will not reveal anything further. This makes Liyen distrust him more, but Zhangwei assures Liyen that she can trust him. He promises to reveal his secrets and keep his promises to her someday, but now is not the time.

The next morning, Zhangwei and Liyen leave the Ancient Grandmaster’s home and head away from Kunlun to put distance between themselves and the Wuxin, should more break through the gateway. They stop to eat along their journey, and Zhangwei asks Liyen why she is pulling away from him again. She responds that, no matter her feelings, he needs her to love him because he needs the lotus flower to live. It is difficult for her to trust him with her feelings, knowing he could be manipulating her. Zhangwei promises that his feelings are genuine, saying that if she did not possess the lotus, things would not be different. Hearing this, Liyen declares she is done running away from her feelings. They give into their feelings for each other for a moment before Liyen pulls away. They discuss marriage. Zhangwei is hesitant to offer himself as a betrothal prospect, and again Liyen shuts herself off from him emotionally. Interrupting the conversation, Zhangwei’s power becomes uncontrollable and blood leaks from his mouth, revealing his worsening magical injury. Worried their enemies can sense the magic and therefore know their location, Zhangwei urges Liyen to flee and find somewhere to hide away from him.

Liyen refuses to leave Zhangwei behind as he senses the Wuxin approaching. She decides to gift him the lotus of a willing heart, hoping that by doing so, she can restore his health and spare his life. As the lotus bonds with Zhangwei, he is unable to move or speak. To protect him from harm, Liyen promises to lead the Wuxin away. The Wuxin chase Liyen through the forest, bypassing Zhangwei. When Liyen hears Chengyin call her from nearby, she runs in his direction without hesitation. Too late, she notices the inconsistencies in his behavior and mannerisms. Before she can escape, the Wuxin inhabiting Chengyin’s body seizes her and takes her to the Netherworld as Zhangwei shouts her name from the distance.