Chapter 19 – Road to Beijing: The Omen of White Wolf

The night in Tianjin was wrapped in a pale mist, the campfires burning weakly against the creeping cold. Away from the soldiers’ chatter, Meiyun stood silently beneath the trees, her purple cloak brushing the dirt. Her eyes were heavy, haunted by visions she could no longer ignore.

Footsteps echoed softly. From the shadows stepped a tall figure—an Elf woman with flowing black hair, crimson eyes gleaming like embers, and a traditional Chinese robe embroidered in obsidian threads. She carried herself with an aura that felt both ancient and unshakable.

Her name was Yolanda.

“You look troubled, Guardian of Beijing,” Yolanda’s voice was calm, almost melodic, yet every word carried weight.

Meiyun’s throat tightened. “I… I keep dreaming of the Black Dragon. In my dream, I face it in battle, but no matter how I fight… I die. And everyone behind me is slaughtered. Is this… destiny?”

Yolanda raised her hand, tracing a circle in the air. Crimson light shimmered, swirling until it became a vision—a battlefield of old. Fallen banners. Broken steel. A desperate army on the verge of collapse.

“It is not destiny. It is a warning,” Yolanda said firmly. “But fate can shift. If you bring with you the right person… someone who carries the energy of the ancients, that death will not come to pass.”

Meiyun’s eyes widened. “The ancients? Who are you speaking of?”

The vision sharpened. A lone warrior stood amidst a storm of fire and dragons. His hair was gray, wild as the wind, and his serpent-gold eyes glowed with feral power. In his hand, he wielded a spear that tore through armored legions and beasts alike. With one final strike, he raised his weapon high, the battlefield trembling in awe.

“He was Bai Lang Qiangsheng. The White Wolf Spear Saint,” Yolanda whispered.

The name struck Meiyun like a thunderclap. She had grown up with that legend: the hero who had once saved the Middle Kingdom when hope was all but gone.

Yolanda produced a small talisman shaped like a white wolf, glowing faintly in her hand. She placed it into Meiyun’s palm. “Take this. It may guard you from disaster. And when the one you seek arrives… you will know.”

Meiyun clutched the charm, her heartbeat racing.

Moments later, torchlight flickered through the mist. Kohaku, armored and silent as always, walked with Rika, Eva, Hana, and Agnes. The moment Meiyun’s eyes fell upon Kohaku’s towering figure, her chest tightened. The aura… the weight he carried in his steps… it felt too familiar.

“Could it be… him?” she whispered under her breath.

That night, she lay under the great Tianjin tree, drifting into uneasy sleep. And again, the dream returned.

The Black Dragon descended from the skies, its twin eyes red with fury, devouring soldiers and fire alike. Meiyun stood powerless, its shadow engulfing her…

But then—a radiant light split the heavens. A White Dragon soared down, scales gleaming like moonlight. With a roar that shook the world, it banished the Black Dragon into shadow and descended before her.

Trembling, Meiyun fell to her knees. “Will you… devour me too?”

The White Dragon lowered its head gently. Its voice was deep, ancient, echoing in her soul.
“No, my child. I have come to answer your prayer. I have come to deliver a message.”

Tears welled in her eyes. “What message?”

“A man from a distant land will come to you. He will fight not for riches, not for glory, but for hope. He is the one you have been searching for.”

Her voice shook. “Is… is he Kohaku?”

The White Dragon’s golden eyes glimmered. It did not answer directly.
“Soon, you will know. Until then, never surrender your hope.”

The dragon faded into light. Yolanda’s form appeared once more in the dream, her crimson eyes calm. “Seek him. Do not hesitate.”

When Meiyun awoke, the moon was high, the night wind scattering leaves around her. She clutched the talisman tight, her breath unsteady, but her eyes—sharp with new resolve.

“If it truly is you, Kohaku… then I will find the truth. I will not run from fate any longer.”