The next day I walk alongside the wagon again, enjoying the feeling of the sun on my face. Shia rests, still wrapped around my body and hidden by my robes.

  The majority of my excitement about traveling has passed, but I still stop to observe a particurly interesting animal or pnt.

  Overall, I enjoy the simple pleasure of walking with the sun shining on my face.

  The trees don’t cover the road, despite them being right on the edge of it. I’m sure some famous cultivator or another created the road this way for some profound reason, but I enjoy it because it lets the sun through.

  Occasionally, I feel the attention of something powerful from the side of the road. Shia always stirs when I feel it, then she falls asleep again after confirming there is no danger.

  I hadn’t realized how zy snakes are. She’s been sleeping most of the day away.

  Not that I mind. Her presence on my body is comforting in a strange way. It’s hard to describe the sensation of her scales against my skin.

  On the third day of traveling, we leave the forest behind, the ndscape turning into farmnd. The mortals watch us as we walk by, some with excitement, others with wariness.

  Shia curls down my arm, resting her head against the back of my hand so she can see the scenery around us.

  I walk far enough away from the caravan so no one can hear me.“We’ve left the forest. What are your pns now?”

  “I cannot roam this world on my own.” Shia says. “I am tied to your side until I can pass through human nds without worry.”

  “I understand, I’ll be happy to have you until those times come.” I'm gd she won’t be leaving me. Having her with me is comforting in a strange way.

  The caravan slows to a stop, and I look towards the front to see Qiu Tai looking around with a frown.

  Shia stirs underneath my robes, her head lifting and her tongue tasting the air. Her qi erupts out of her, forming a shield made of green scales in front of the both of us.

  Qi strikes down from the sky, slicing through the wagon I’m walking next to and cracking the shield Shia created.

  Men wearing strange clothing burst out of the fields around us, rushing towards the caravan.

  Shia squeezes my arm, breaking me out of my reverie as a rge man rushes towards me with an equally rge sword. The size and shape of the enemy sword is unfamiliar, but I draw my own sword and enter a stance from the Roars of The Ruinous Dragon.

  As his sword comes crashing down at me with speed bellying its size, I step out of the way, drawing my sword in one fluent motion to slice through his neck.

  My eyes are drawn to the blood as it spurts out of his neck onto my robes.

  I bring my attention back to my surroundings. I twist to dodge out of the way of an arrow coated in bck fire.

  Scanning the battlefield, I realize something very quickly.

  We are outnumbered.

  Qiu Tai fights multiple swordsmen on her own, and many of the masters and disciples were killed from the initial ambush. The strongest warrior she fights is at the level of Early Core Formation, and he is fnked by at least five men in Late Foundation Establishment. She won’t win on her own.

  I take a step towards Qiu Tai, only to be blocked by another man in bck. I step away from his initial strike and focus. The difference in cultivation is noticeable as his movements seem nearly twice as fast as mine. He must be in Early Foundation Establishment.

  “You need to run.” Shia says.

  I ignore her, my eyes focusing on the swordsman in front of me. His strikes carry weight and killing intent behind them, but he cks the techniques of a true warrior of the battlefield.

  I feint in and he matches my feint. My sword twists around his, guiding it away from me.

  My bde cuts through his stomach, and he stumbles backwards.

  I step back from his death swings. My eyes lock onto the guts spilling out of him, before I look back to Qiu Tai.

  I can’t reach her.

  “You must run.” Shia says again.

  My eyes catch Qiu Tai’s, her brow stained with blood.

  She wants me to run as well.

  I turn, qi flowing through me as I activate the Movements of The SIlent Monster.

  A man stabs at me as I run by him and I roll underneath his sword, I roll to my feet and continue my sprint.

  “Three of them are following you.” Shia says.

  I don’t say anything as I keep running.

  “Duck!” Shia says.

  I follow her order a second too te as I feel an impact on the back of my shoulder.

  I curse as I stumble. I zigzag as I get closer to the forest, dodging the occasional arrow until I reach the treeline.

  As soon as I am hidden by the trees, I jump onto a branch and climb into the canopy. I wait there, and hope my technique will completely hide my presence.

  My breath steadies as I watch three men walk below me. One at Early Foundation Establishment, the other two in the Eighth Level of Qi Awakening.

  I strain my ears, unable to hear them over my own heartbeat. Shia slithers out of my sleeve, her size growing as she travels along the trunk of the tree next to me. I notice she looks pale, an odd look for a snake to have. Still, she is so silent, that if I didn’t know she was there, I wouldn’t be able to find her.

  When she’s positioned above the man in Foundation Establishment, she strikes, her fangs sinking into his neck.

  As she does, I drop down on another man, my momentum pushing my sword through his back and out his chest.

  The third man turns to us, raising his strange sword, and lets out a roar, forcing me to step back, holding my ears to block some of the sound.

  The man charges at me, and I step back dodging his initial strike before cutting his sword arm off, then stabbing him.

  A bloodcurdling scream leaves his throat, silencing the forest.

  I step back, caught off guard by the sound.

  Shia slithers up to me, entering my robes through my sleeve. “We must leave, the sounds he made will attract others.”

  I nod, running deeper into the forest, keeping my technique activated.

  “They are colpsing on us from every direction.” Shia says. “We’ll have to try to break past them.”

  I frown, until my gaze stops on something.

  A portal.

  This one isn’t surrounded by chains, instead, two men wearing the same strange clothes stand guarding it. They are at the second and third levels of Qi Awakening. I don’t know why they left what are practically mortals to defend the portal, but I’ll take it.

  I walk forward, blood dripping down my hand and onto my bde from the arrow still in my back.

  I open my mouth and sing.

  The Third Requiem: Murder

  The young woman I’d seen murder men countless times steps in front of the two guards, her appearance captivating them.

  I walk towards them, their gazes caught by her.

  I cut both of their throats.

  My heart aches as I kill the two men who hadn’t even drawn their swords.

  The young woman winks at me as I stop my song and she disappears.

  I am disgusted with myself, and the killing I have done. But it doesn’t shock me as much as it should have.

  I’m desensitized to it.

  My hand tightens around my sword, and I step through the portal.

  Lai Ming

  Lai Ming pours Elder Wu’s tea, not a drop wasted. In a movement she’s practiced a hundred times, she presents the tea to her master with a slight bow.

  Elder Wu takes a sip of it as she reads a scroll. Her expression is as unreadable as always, her veil leaving only her eyes visible .

  Lai Ming turns away to pour herself some tea, when the sound of a cup shattering makes her jump. She spins around to look at the Elder.

  Elder Wu Li Mei stares at a paper that hadn’t been there before. It unfurls itself onto the table.

  The Elder’s eyes widen in an unusual dispy of emotion. She pulls butterfly pins from her hair. She blows on them, and they flutter to life, flying away to deliver messages.

  She stands, and rushes out of the room.

  Lai Ming gnces down at the paper to see one word written on it.

  Ambush

  Just the one word. Who sent the paper? The recent caravan to Tong Xun comes to Lai Ming’s mind, but they shouldn’t have left the sect’s territory yet. Plus they have an Elder with them.

  Worry fills her before she stomps it down.

  Lai Ming leaves the room, following Elder Wu. Ice forms underneath the core-disciple’s feet as she uses a technique to catch up to her teacher.

  Elder Wu stands in a clearing, the other Elders and Masters appearing around her.

  Water flows out of a nearby river, taking the shape of a human as the Matriarch arrives. Her gaze nds on Lai Ming for a moment, before turning back to Elder Wu.

  “Why have you called a meeting?” The Matriarch asks, her voice soft.

  “Elder Qiu Tai and the caravan have been ambushed by unknown forces.”

  Lai Ming grows faint as her thoughts go to Lin Jia.

  She must be fine, right? She’s so young, too young.

  Lai Ming didn’t say goodbye.

  It doesn’t matter. She must be fine.

  Ice forms on Lai Ming’s fingertips, and she works to soothe her qi. Tranquility, that is what she should have.

  The Matriarch’s voice is cold. “Gather the Master Warriors. Have Wan Chao gather together his finest men to search where they were st seen.”

  More ice forms, beginning to create a bde. Again, Lai Ming calms her heart before stepping forward.

  She bows to the matriarch. “Matriarch, please allow me to accompany the search party.” She hears the slight wobble in her voice.

  The Matriarch watches Lai Ming for a long moment.

  Making this request to the Matriarch is out of line. Still, if there’s a chance… she has to find Lin Jia. She has to make sure she’s alive.

  “You will have to stay. We don’t know what kind of danger awaits, and I don’t want to risk another core disciple.”

  Lai Ming bows again, turning away and leaving the room. Ice cracks in her hands as they clench into fists.

  Lai Ming knows that she can’t trust them to make sure Lin Jia’s alive. By the time they move, she will be… Lai Ming has to find her herself.

  The core disciple’s steps take her to the rooms of the inner disciples. The cold radiating from her prevents anyone from approaching as she bangs on the door to Xia Jing’s room.

  Xia Jing opens the door, her hair undone and her robes askew.

  She smiles wide. “So you finally have some time for your friends.”

  Her smile disappears as she notices the ice forming on Lai Ming’s hands.

  “The caravan to Tong Xun-” Lai Ming’s voice catches, “it was ambushed.”

  Xia Jing’s expression turns serious as she stands up straight. “Let me grab my things.”

  Lai Ming nods and Xia Jing closes the door.

  Lai Ming stares at the door as she waits.

  She should’ve said goodbye.