Short update
Continued (First Time Loop)
Lu Wuyi heard footsteps coming from behind her and turned, catching the sight of Wu Shiguang, Li Jie, and the weasel demon. They were running into the weaver’s workshop.
“Ji Ling, what are you doing?” Wu Shiguang’s eyes were dark with rage, lingering on Wu Wangyan’s broken form, the beads around his wrist illuminating a blood red glow.
He lashed his wrist and the beads flew out, thinning into long strands of power. He looped one end around his palm and swung the other one at Ji Ling, creating a web.
“You killed my beloved!” His voice broke momentarily, layered with grief and anguish that penetrated Lu Wuyi’s soul. The normally calm Wu Shiguang was now radiating with a powerful aura of rage that pushed him beyond reason. “I will make you suffer!”
“Wait!” Lu Wuyi spoke, regaining her breath. “Wu Shiguang, please calm down!” She didn’t want him to be controlled by Jiu Ying, didn’t want him to fall under the hands of the demon who had controlled her entire life. She had already seen him before the first loop fell into the same trap. Afterall, Wu Wangyan could be reborn.
“How can I calm down?” He shouted angrily. “When everything is being taken away from me?” He stepped towards Lu Wuyi. “What do you know about pain? What do you know about losing your loved one in front of the person you called your friend? What do you know about spending years with that person and then losing them?”
Lu Wuyi felt a stab of pain in her heart. Wu Shiguang’s words tore her apart, reminding her of that day beneath the rain, holding Ji Ling’s corpse, feeling the heavens pouring their sorrow. She knew that deep down, Wu Shiguang clearly didn’t mean to hurt her, he was lost and hurt and needed a motive.
They were all too similar.
(End of text)
Author’s Note:
I want to end this part of the writing quickly before I get lazy again and write some boring stuff! This was written during my classes so I didn’t have a chance to really proofread it.
Rank me one through ten:
How good am I at writing painful scenes?
Also:
Should I try to write in Victorian style? (English from years ago)
Continued (First Time Loop)
The events went by very quickly, almost identical to the first time that it happened: Wu Shiguang getting controlled by Jiu Ying; Ji Ling seizing the dragon deity’s power and retreating to the altar with Bai Ze; transporting Wu Wangyan to the Formless Moon Sect for revival; appeasing Wu Shiguang and sending him on his journey to Chi Wen.
Soon, the very event that led Lu Wuyi to use Ji Can’s power arrived: the sacrifice of Ji Ling. She approached the spot, glancing upwards at the large staircase where wind was blowing over lightning.
“Ji Ling!”
She could see his cloaked form, rising high above the clouds, fingers raised, his hair flickering with flashes of light, illuminating the sides of his face.
Lifting up her red skirts, she approached the stone steps, feeling droplets of water drenching her hems, glancing at the swollen clouds above. She gripped the railings for support.
Ji Ling seemed so far yet so close, only separated by a large staircase that fed into the entrance of Shilin Sect. Rain pelted his form, staining his robes and cascading down the sides of his chin. However, his smile remained unaffected.
Lu Wuyi felt a stab of pain shoot through her heart, sending her body into an uncontrollable frenzy. She had never seen Ji Ling so happy and relieved before; even with her, he seemed to be in a constant state of melancholy. His duties as the Dragon Deity forced him in despair to the point where he barely smiled. Only now, at the edge of death, did he seem to look finally free.
His smile gradually froze and he started to fall back towards the earth, lightning striking his entire body, casting it into darkness.
Lu Wuyi managed to reach the platform and used her own body to cushion his fall, feeling his weight slam against her ribcage, sending her into pain so great, she had to bite her lip to regain her blurry vision and scratch at the ground below her.
After recovering, she checked on Ji Ling, cradling his blood soaked body, shaking and shielding him from the rain. “Ji Ling! Ji Ling! Wake up! Please wake up, I’m begging you…”
She wiped a trace of blood from his lips and pressed her index finger decisively against his philtrum, trying to simultaneously stir him awake while checking for breath.
The taste of salt flooded areas around her mouth, combined with rainwater. At some point, she had started crying, unreservedly pouring streams of water down her chin.
Her hair had come loose and was clinging with sediments and dust around her shoulders, tangled into an absolute mess. But Lu Wuyi didn’t care about her appearance. All she cared about was the man that gave her hope, the man curled up in her arms.
“He cannot be saved. You are too late. Go again”
Lu Wuyi turned to see Ji Can floating above the steps, his long white hair curling around his flowing simple robes, blue eyes rimmed with elegant lashes, staring at her, sadness in his expression.
She frowned. “Must you strike a sword into my heart?”
Ji Can touched the ground and calmly lowered his head. “This was your first rewind,” he said quietly. “Your second time losing Ji Ling. I will send you back at the same time as before.”
“I hope you will have better luck”
(End of Text)
Author’s Note:
End of first time loop.
econd Rewind
When Lu Wuyi woke up in the same exact spot as before, she calmed down her racing heart and decided to sit at the table where the group- Wu Wangyan, Wu Shiguang, You Chi, Ji Ling, and Li Jie- usually sat for meals, nodding to Hanba who was still at the front desk.
Hanba glanced at her, confused. “Miss Lu,” he said hesitantly. “Why are you here instead of in your room? Was it unsatisfactory for you? What… are you planning on doing here?”
Lu Wuyi looked at him. “I want to eat something, prepare food for me.”
Hanba was taken aback. “I’m not your maid servant. Why ask me? Can’t you cook?”
“Do you want me to burn this entire inn down?” she asked dryly, not bothering to speak nicely. “Because I am glad to. Let me go grab a firestarter and a pot-”
She started to get up from the table but Hanba quickly interjected. “Wait… Don’t move. What do you want? I’ll make it for you…”
“Nevermind, I’m not that hungry anymore.”
Hanba: “...”
“Then what do you want?”
“Go grab me an orange”
Hanba exhaled sharply. “Miss Lu,” he complained. “Can you make up your mind? You just told me you didn’t want any food.”
“Do you want me to give you negative reviews so you don’t have any more customers?” Lu Wuyi shot back.
Hanba walked away, cursing. “Females and their constant needs. I’m not a servant…. Why are they so good at blackmailing?”
Lu Wuyi grabbed a porcelain bowl from the table and threw it in the air, hitting Hanba on the back and causing him to fall near the doorway. She yelled, “I heard that!”
Hanba scrambled up and cursed again before ducking out into the corridor. “Now I have to clean that mess up too! Females always create messes! I’m going to change the policy once…”
His voice faded into silence.
…
When the sun struck the clouds and illuminated the platform with a soft glow, the others gradually went into the hall, meeting with Lu Wuyi at the table.
Wu Wangyan set down a plate of fruit and glanced at Lu Wuyi with surprise. “Sister! What are you doing here so early? You normally sleep in. Are you feeling alright?”
Wu Shiguang was frowning at Hanba who stood near the entrance, trying to hide in the shadows, his hair slightly disheveled. “What is going on with him?”
Li Jie followed his gaze and scoffed. “Perhaps he woke up on the wrong side of the bed…”
Lu Wuyi stretched her hands, whistling. “He did something that annoyed me so I taught him a lesson”
Ji Ling approached and sat down beside her, a plate of vegetables in one hand and meat in the other. He handed the plate of meat to Lu Wuyi, smiling slightly.
“Thank you husband…”
Ji Ling’s ears turned bright red and he quickly whispered, each word drawn out. “Don’t call me that in front of others. It’s embarrassing.”
Wu Shiguang smacked him playfully. “When did you guys marry? Why was I never invited? Why didn’t you tell us?” He turned to look at You Chi and Li Jie, sighing. “How unfortunate that you two don’t have any bit-”
“Shut up!” Li Jie interrupted him. “I’m not looking for one”
“Wu Shiguang,” You Chi looked at him. “You don’t need to inflict more moral damage to me. I’m already suffering quite enough. Your pouch is so small, I can’t even move around to stretch my legs.”
“Maybe you’ve grown fat,” Lu Wuyi told him bluntly, picking up a piece of meat and glancing at Ji Ling. “How do you know how to season a steak so well? Have you been eating behind my back?”
“You know I don’t eat meat,” Ji Ling told her, placing one hand on an enraged You Chi, gripping his head and preventing him from moving any closer. “Why do you keep on bringing this up?”
(End of Text)
Author’s Note:
I have been gatekeeping this chapter for a couple days now and I would like to apologize for that. I recently just got back from a camping trip and in a week, I won’t be able to see you guys for a week. Therefore, I want to push as much out for you to enjoy!
Continued (Second Time Loop)
Li Jie snorted, turning his expression away from the both of them, focusing instead on You Chi, trying to calm him down. “Don’t worry, You Chi,” Li Jie said lightly. “Maybe in several hundred years, you can get a person”
You Chi sighed, standing up and walking away.
“Li Jie, go watch over him,” Wu Shiguang told him. “Make sure he doesn’t get into trouble.”
Li Jie turned and raised his eyebrow. “You want me to look over him? I’m not supposed to be a baby sitter!” He glanced pleadingly at Ji Ling who shook his head slightly.
Fuming, Li Jie stood up and dragged his sword across the floor,
Lu Wuyi smiled. “Because you are a fox and you spent many years eating vegetables. It is time to eat some protein. Maybe then you can use spiritual power of your own rather then borrowing others”
This had a matter of bringing up old grievances. Ji Ling felt like he just got slapped with a slipper and couldn’t help but protest. “Hey, foxes can survive on a diet of vegetables”
Wu Wangyan smiled and picked up a piece of fruit from her plate, savoring the juicy flesh while turning to look at Wu Shiguang. “Hey, you.” She whispered, tugging at his sleeve from underneath the table.
Wu Shiguang raised his eyebrow and asked. “What do you want?”
Wu Wangyan shoved him slightly, glancing mischievously at Ji Ling and Lu Wuyi. “When do you think the wedding ceremony will be announced?”
“What do you mean by that? They are clearly just really good frien-”
Wu Wangyan took an apple and shoved it into Wu Shiguang’s mouth, glaring at him. “You are as blind as a bat! Didn’t you notice the changes in their relationship? It might not be as profound as our love together but I can see it!”
Lu Wuyi, who had noticed their whispering, turned to give them a stare before grabbing Ji Ling’s hand and yanking him upright. “We are going to go on a walk!” she announced before dragging him towards the door.
“Where are you guys going?” Wu Shiguang asked.
“Hey, you can’t just drag me away like that. If others see that the Dragon Deity is being-”
“-If others see, they can meet my fist,” Lu Wuyi interrupted him, giving Hanba who had just went through the doorway with a glare. “And if you by any chance get any love-crazed maniacs, I’m going to beat you with a steel pole”
Hanba turned. “I didn’t see anything,” he said, lowering his eyes. “I’m going to go check on Mu Long’s work. Dragon Deity and Miss Lu, I’m taking my leave now”
He quickly maneuvered himself back the way he came from, allowing them to pass by.
Wu Wangyan propped her head up with her arms and sighed. “I wonder where they are going? Perhaps they are walking to the bedroom?”
“Do you always think of romance?” Wu Shiguang frowned, looking at her. “You are hundreds of years old; why are you trying to play matchmaker?”
“That is my sister’s-”
Wu Shiguang placed his palm on her lips, bending closer, their foreheads touching, eyes meeting. “If you really are thinking about romance, what about ours? Its been stagnant for several months now”
He released his palm and picked her up gently, heading back to his courtyard, picking a path where no one could see the two. His voice whispered through her ear. “I promise to be gentle…”
…
“Where are we headed?” Ji Ling asked, noticing that they weren’t headed back for their courtyards but in the opposite direction, taking long pathways and corridors.
Lu Wuyi hesitated before speaking. “Picking flowers”
“Oh, so do you want me to be your flower picker?”
Lu Wuyi: “...”
They approached a courtyard situated at the back of the inn, moving close to the sound of water passing by. Rocks littered the edges of the pathway and surrounded a large area up ahead, their surfaces a bright shiny glow, mist drifting from the top. Flowers and trees filled the open area, sweet fragrance wafting around, coloring the courtyard with lush and vivid colors.
On the waterfall lay a massive flowering tree, roots gracefully stretching down small cliffs, branches shading the deep blue pool below where flickers of steam rolled away into the air, half layered with plum blossom leaves.
Lu Wuyi removed her shoes, grabbed one of the roots and placed her foot in a man-carved hold, driving herself forward while maintaining balance, focused on the flowers just beyond her reach.
Ji Ling grabbed her shoulder. “Be careful, it is slippery,” he warned. “You might fall into the water” He halted, looking at it carefully before adding. “Could this be a hot spring?”
“Partially. It’s heated by Hanba’s power and preserved to a certain degree where the water would not ”
“Have you been here before?”
Lu Wuyi blinked; she had indeed come here before. Not in the first rewind, but the original timeline, where a day before Wu Wangyan’s death, Ji Ling had brought her to this place.
She stared up at Ji Ling, thoughts swirling through her mind. Despite having deep affection for each other, they kept things from each other which ended up causing major misunderstandings. She should tell the truth; perhaps the disasters wouldn’t happen again.
“Yes and no”
Ji Ling grabbed her wrist and sat her down, taking off his shoes, settling right above the hot spring, warm water lapping against their feet, turning her to face him, concern showing in his eyes. “What do you mean by this?” His eyes turned yellow and he repeated it, using Word Magic.
“Ji Ling, I’m a little scared to tell you. I don’t know if this would help but I'm giving it my all.” Lu Wuyi stared at him with wide eyes, recalling painful memories. A tear streaked out from the corner of her eye, quickly wiped by Ji Ling. Under the influence of the spell, words fell from her mouth.
“This isn’t the first time I’ve been here overall but it is the first time this round. Ji Ling, I’ve gone through time from a few days in the future to here in the past multiple times.”
“How?”
“Ji Can’s power”
“Who is that?”
“Your sadness, loneliness, and desperation gave rise to the development of a Lonescale inside of you. It has time warping powers and allows me to go through loops how many times I can”
“H-how many loops have you done?”
Lu Wuyi squeezed his hand. “I’m on my second loop,” she said quietly.
“Then surely I will be able to use that power in a few days. I wondered how I activated it”
“Ji Can is your inner demon,” Lu Wuyi told him, shaking her head. “You can’t wield his power”
“Then how are you here?”
“Be-because I’m trying to prevent a calamity from happening.”
“What calamity?”
“Your death”
Author’s Note:
Short update
Continued (Second Time Loop)
Ji Ling abruptly cancelled his Word Magic and stared as Lu Wuyi bent her head down, tears pouring from the corners of her eyes. He had never seen Lu Wuyi like this before and was frightened by the words she had spoken.
He cupped Lu Wuyi’s chin in his hands and brought his forehead to hers, stroking her back, trying to comfort her. “There is no way I will die in a few days,” he said, rubbing his thumb over her temples. “I’m perfectly healthy”
Lu Wuyi sobbed even harder, her body shaking, eyes red and bloodshotted. “You wouldn’t understand. I wouldn’t be here if not for you. I’m not the original Lu Wuyi who came with you to the inn.” She grasped Ji Ling’s robe sleeve and shook it, clutching his shoulders.
Ji Ling wiped off her tears and gently tilted her chin, eying her lips, talking softly. “Please tell me so I can ease your burden. I don’t care if you are not the same person who walked through the doors of the inn. You went back in time for me. That is enough for me.”
Time seemed to freeze as he placed his lips against hers, sighing softly, wind swirling around them, petals flying in the air, bringing a sweet fragrance.
The chirps of birds and slight flutter of wings were almost imperceptible to Ji Ling who could feel his heart beating loudly against his ribcage, feeling their breaths merge together.
Lu Wuyi allowed him to hold her, her emotional agitation easing in his comforting embrace, closing her eyes and accepting the rare moment of love they had together.
Ji Ling felt her body slowly ease and carefully supported her head, gathering up Lu Wuyi’s robes and picking her up, pressing her shoulders and stroking her face.
It seemed that the burden that was placed on her was greater than he imagined, constantly weighing her down, disturbing her peace of mind, not allowing her to sleep.
He brought her onto his back and grabbed the root, launching himself on top of the waterfall, gripping the tree trunk for support, picking bundles of unfurling plum flowers from the tree.
He sat against the tree, holding Lu Wuyi in his embrace, slowly undoing her hair and smoothing it out with a wooden comb he found in his pocket.
He weaved plum flowers into her hair, curling a couple around her ears and brushing petals into the lower parts of her hair. In his hands, Lu Wuyi’s hair was as smooth as a waterfall, soft as feathers; he couldn’t help but play with it.
“A’Wu, with you, my bitter and cold life has sunshine in it. I have some idea of what you were talking about earlier. It is about Hanba’s heatstorm, right?”
Lu Wuyi’s eyelashes fluttered but she didn't wake.
“I feel like my purpose is coming to an end,” he continued. “However, yours has just begun. We are both puppets in the world but what differs is that I was born naturally and had several years of peace whereas you were created and thrown in as a pawn in a world unfamiliar to you”
@author can you make this the most heart wenching gut twisting tragic SLB-typa ending?..... (SLB refers to Sanjay Leela Bhansali) especially the scne where lu wuyi is drained of life and is lying down on ji ling with the flower and the rain pouring....... but youve already done the loop so i suppose its a no
no problem. I can make it very sad if you want it to be but it is I am trying to make it as canon as possible so after the loops, everything will be about the same. I will start making it where they both met and have fun together as shown at the end of season 1. I’m kinda lazy though
Yes please that reincarnation story is much needed 🫠
Continued (Second Time Loop)
When the sun rose higher in the sky, Lu Wuyi woke up, bathed in warm light, resting against Ji Ling, fragrance flowing through the air.
“Awake?”
She raised her head and saw Ji Ling staring at her, his eyes like deep pools of water, calm and comforting.
She stretched and realized that at some point, flowers have been weaved into her hair. She stared at him, annoyed. “What did I say about putting flowers in my hair?”
“Hmm?” Ji Ling feigned innocence. “What did you say?”
“Don’t put flowers in my hair. How can I smell them if they aren’t near my nose?” Lu Wuyi asked, aggrieved. “And have you been playing with my hair?”
“No”
“Liar”
Ji Ling began to get up. “Are you feeling any better?”
Lu Wuyi froze, remembering that before she fell into slumber, she had vented her grievances to Ji Ling through Word Magic. Did he think of her as crazy?
She searched his gaze and inwardly sighed, relieved. “Yes, I am better,” she lied.
Until Ji Ling could be saved from death, how could she feel better? He was her support- without him, how could she live on?
“Then are you hungry?”
“Hungry?”
Lu Wuyi thought for a moment before replying. “No I am not.” She blinked, trying to drag her gaze away from Ji Ling’s eyes.
They were so beautiful, radiating with sparks of the galaxy, as luminous and bright as the moon. If she continued looking at those eyes, she might be trapped there for eternity, fixed in a state of infatuation.
Ji Ling lowered his eyes and his long eyelashes brushed slightly downward, concealing the depth in his gaze, glancing down Lu Wuyi’s lips.
Slowly, he gently brushed her hair to one side and pulled at her shoulder straps, revealing a slender pale shoulder.
Lu Wuyi leaned closer to him, breathing in his scent, closing her eyes as Ji Ling traced her collarbone up to her chin.
As Ji Ling’s lips followed down towards hers, Lu Wuyi softly spoke, her words as breezy as the wind. “Destiny can be rewritten for the one you love”
…
In the inn, Wu Wangyan approached Hanba, exchanging a greeting with Mu Long who sat beside him, her hand tracing characters on paper.
Hanba stared at her. “You really do not remember the last time you have been here?” He asked hesitantly.
Wu Wangyan sat down. “Is this the reason why you called me over? What did I do? When was I last here? I met up with Si Feng who said that my answers lie here in this inn.”
“Then I can tell you the truth,” Hanba said reluctantly, his eyes briefly flashing towards Mu Long. “We last met over fifty years ago”
“Fifty years ago?”
Wu Wangyan couldn’t remember- she had been with Lu Wuyi ever since she was born and was certain that they had spent centuries together. How did she have time to go out to this place? Especially since she didn't remember anything about it?
“At the time, the heatwave hadn’t started yet,” Hanba continued. “And you had taken the mission alone.”
Author’s Note:
Normally, I make this on docs on my school computer but since I am out of state without access to my computer, I have to improvise
I apologize for my six days of absence, I was hiking in the mountains and wilderness in New Mexico; I needed to conserve my battery. I wrote this in notes on my phone on a bus. (Luckily, it has charging ports)
Details
- Title: Veil of Shadows
- Type: Drama
- Format: Standard Series
- Country: China
- Episodes: 29
- Aired: Apr 1, 2026 - Apr 17, 2026
- Aired On: Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday
- Original Network: Youku
- Duration: 45 min.
- Genres: Romance, Wuxia, Fantasy
- Tags: Nine-tailed Fox, Demon, Martial Arts, Xuanhuan, Double Identity, Demon Supporting Character, Demon Male Lead, Priest Male Lead, Deity Male Lead, Age Gap [Real Life]
- Content Rating: Not Yet Rated
Statistics
- Score: 8.1 (scored by 7,008 users)
- Ranked: #1861
- Popularity: #1206
- Watchers: 21,505
- Favorites: 0
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