Yoonji was enjoying herself immensely. She had infused her spear with lux, doubling its length, and filling it with a killing Intent that was part of her will. Every poke and slash sent ripples searing through the air of the valley. She kept her techniques low enough not to interfere with the field over top the valley.

Meanwhile, her opponent darted in and out, his great black sword cutting through her techniques as he launched his own back at her. Yoonji dodged a pair of Rainbow Strikers, then followed up with an Earth Shaker of her own. Noren easily avoided that, but it put him right in the path of two Hemorrhage Seekers. One struck him. Yoonji couldn't tell how much damage it had done, but if it had cut one of his lux channels, the technique would worm its way in toward his core. If it reached his center, it would lodge there, disrupting his cycling.

Noren disappeared. Yoonji had an instant of awareness to whirl as he emerged from the air behind her, slicing. She flipped over and over in the air. His sword caught the edge of her robes and sliced a great chunk from her hem, but didn't touch her. Yoonji bounced away.

She didn't try to re-weave her Shadow Cloak. It hadn't done a thing to dissuade Noren, and she was rapidly adjusting her opinion of him upward. Instead, she pulled an artifact out of her void space, a Triplicate Mirror. The device was a small brass-backed glass circle that fit neatly into her hand.

She raised it until she could see her own face. Then, meeting her own eyes clearly, she spoke aloud: "Duplicate."

At once, two copies of herself appeared at her right hand, each bearing a spear like hers. One raced toward Noren while she and the other duplicate looped around behind him.

Yoonji spared a glance at the Morning Mist Sect headquarters down below. The building was full of chaotic activity as low-level techniques were launched and died. The Morning Mist were putting up a good fight, it seemed, but Yoonji expected Soaring Heavens to best them easily enough. Morning Mist just didn't have the cultivators ranked high enough.

She felt a twinge, and suddenly her divided lux became less divided. Noren had destroyed one of her duplicates.

Time to return her attention to this fight.

It was fun, but Yoonji had seen better cultivators than herself being taken down when they underestimated an enemy. Time to bring Noren in. She began to weave a finishing blow, watching carefully for any signs of a trick.

Down below, a wayportal opened just for an instant. Yoonji almost missed it. She froze, her technique half made, and extended her awareness across the valley.

No, it was gone. Had she imagined it? Yoonji didn't think so. She would look into this matter after the fight. If Morning Mist had a wayportal into void space, they might be hiding truly powerful treasures.

It would mean she'd have to eliminate every member of Soaring Heavens and Morning Mist both in order to ensure that no word of the bounty could reach official ears. But she'd already been prepared to do that.

Grimly, Yoonji resumed weaving her technique as she watched for Noren. There was another disconcerting snap as he destroyed the second of her duplicates, and now he was racing toward her. She raised her spear and focused her will through it, pushing with her own Intent, her awareness of who she was and what she did.

I am the truth, and the truth shall make you fear.

She launched the attack through her spear, a variant on a Truth Strike that she used only when she was willing to kill her opponent. The attack raced out on all sides of her, like ripples in a pond, seeking Noren.

She felt it crash into his own will and dissolve.

His will was tightly focused around him, harder than diamond, and it absorbed the lux around it, weakening any attack before it even touched him.

Startled, Yoonji reconsidered once more. Who was this man? What was he capable of?

She blinked. There was a disturbance. She couldn't feel Noren anymore, even though she still had eyes on him. He must be trying a new technique.

Yoonji raced forward, not yet bothering to unleash her finishing attack. It wasn't quite ready. She instead propelled herself through space using an indigo-powered Skip, disappearing from where she was and reappearing right in front of Noren.

She struck. He turned, slower than she expected, but just in time. His sword and his will came up, blocking her blow and knocking her back.

She tumbled through the air, wind whistling in her ears. Yoonji felt stunned.

What was that blow?

Now, Noren was racing toward her, no longer making any attempt to hide himself. She gathered her will once more, shaped it with Intent, and pushed it forward. This time, it broke like surf against the shore, fizzling into nothing long before it reached Noren.

His will had stretched out from himself for several hundred yards. Something had changed.

Noren raced toward her, his sword in his hand, his will and his Intent murderous. She could almost sense the meaning of his own Intent.

Then it slipped away as she was forced to defend herself. Her complicated technique fell into shards around her. Noren crossed blades, and she was forced to respond, defending herself , but just barely.

He forced her back. She gave, and they began an aerial dance through the air. Every time she could, Yoonji tossed out a technique, but Noren destroyed them easily. Almost, she got the sense he was toying with her.

Stolen story; please report.

Yoonji sweated. She was becoming tired, even with all of the lux in the area at her disposal. They had been at this for ages now.

She risked a quick look outward and was shocked to see the battle in the tower was over. Soaring Heavens must have defeated Morning Mist while she wasn't looking. Well, that was only to be expected.

She felt a couple of cultivators fleeing the valley. That was no good. She'd have to put a stop to it quickly.

Noren's attacks redoubled. Yoonji shouted and used her will to block them. But when his Intent struck her will crumbled under the onslaught.

Yoonji dropped from the sky, no longer able to maintain her flying technique. She caught herself just before impact and lowered herself to the ground.

Noren descended. His robes fluttered out behind him. His will and Intent shrouded him. They passed over Yoonji, and again she got a hint of his Intent.

I persist?

Remain? No, that wasn't quite it.

I survive?

Not that either.

She shook herself, preparing. He would have to try and land a killing blow. That might open a hole in his Intent for her to strike. She'd had closer calls before.

Yoonji readied a pair of constructs she had hoped never to deploy. She would win, or she would die — or perhaps both. There was no holding back now.

Noren landed beside her. His will and Intent shrank back down, and now he appeared to be just an ordinary cultivator. He raised a sword, and then, as Yoonji prepared her Death Rods, he pointed it at the earth and set it down.

"I am prepared to discuss terms of surrender, Inquisitor Pak."

Yoonji froze. She hadn't been expecting that. Cautiously, she said, "Ah... what sort of terms?"

"I am prepared to surrender myself and all members of my sect in this valley in exchange for certain assurances," he said. "First, that any member of my sect in this valley be permitted to remain here, engaged in the work of rebuilding our sect headquarters, pending the outcome of my imperial hearing."

"I can agree to that," Yoonji said at once.

Even if Soaring Heavens hadn't wiped out all of Morning Mist, she could place them under such restrictions. Enforced by a high-level lux technique, they could labor here to rebuild Morning Mist, and when the trial was over, she would return and reap the rewards.

"Second..." Noren said. He paused, cocking his head to the side as if listening for something. "Oh, by the way, Inquisitor, have you noticed that your allies have all been defeated?"

Yoonji suspected a trick. Without taking her focus from Noren, she stretched out her will, feeling the Morning Mist headquarters. There were wounded people there and scared people, some cultivators, some not. She couldn't feel the presence of anyone above the Peak of Mental Refinement, which was odd. Those half-trained cultivators should not have been able to defeat Exalted Master Feng.

Then again, he had been arrogant and full of himself, just the sort of cultivator to fall for traps he should have easily avoided. If the Morning Mist cultivators had perhaps located a stash of ancient scripts and used them wisely, they might have taken him down.

No matter. She glared at Noren. "That's of no import."

"Very well," Noren said. He cleared his throat. "Next, as the acknowledged grandmaster of one of the ancient sects with charter rights on the Empire, I claim my chartered rights to a full judgment panel, with at least one Prism and two other cultivators at the Lux Domination rank, hearing out my claims."

Yoonji froze.

"Charter rights?" she whispered.

"Well, yes," Noren smiled, pleasantly.

"You mean to tell me this, " she gestured around, "this abandoned sect, this heap of ruins, is a charter sect dating back to before the formation of the Heavenly Empire?"

"As a matter of fact, I do," Noren agreed.

Yoonji considered. What he said was possible. It explained the presence of the lux well. But no — she shook her head.

"It's clear that the prior sect here was wiped out long ago. You people may have reclaimed the name, but it doesn't give you charter rights."

Noren's expression, a look of mild amusement, didn't change. "I would like to appeal that decision."

"Appeal denied," Yoonji snapped. "I am an inquisitor and have the power of summary judgment here."

"Ah. Well, then…" Noren cleared his throat. "In that case, I must invoke the statutes of Grand Treason."

Yoonji's blood froze. She held perfectly still for a long moment, expecting the sky to break open and the Emperor himself to descend.

When that didn't happen, she carefully forced words to her mouth. "Do you have any idea what you're saying?"

"As a matter of fact, I do." Noren looked smug. To her great relief, he did not repeat that fateful phrase.

"And who exactly are you accusing of this crime?"

She half expected him to name her, which would be absolutely ridiculous. Or perhaps Prism Eri, who had certainly committed such a crime, but had no relevance here.

Instead, he merely smiled. "Why, my disciple, Cultivator Wu Chang-Li."

She boggled. "You're accusing your own disciple of this crime?"

"I must denounce him," Noren said, "for he is certainly guilty of profaning the statute. However, I also invoke my right as his master to offer a defense on his behalf. And I think you will find, Inquisitor, that all statutory law is on my side."

Yoonji was torn. "What if I just execute you now and be done with all of this foolishness?" she asked, pointing her spear directly at his heart.

"I assure you," Noren said, "you will find that a harder task than you wish it to be."

For an instant, his will returned, flaring up, walls like diamond surrounding him. Yoonji gasped and stepped back. In her heart of hearts, she no longer believed she could defeat this man. But in that case, why was he surrendering?

His will let up.

"What are you playing at?" she demanded.

Noren's smile broke. He appeared honestly remorseful. "I am attempting to repair a mistake I made long ago," he said quietly. "Inquisitor, I assure you, this is the best offer you're going to get all day. Place my remaining people under this writ and take me to face a full panel of judges."

"Agreed," Yoonji said.

"I need you to make our agreement backed by your will."

Yoonji sighed, suddenly tired. She dismissed her spear and extended her will against Noren's. "I will allow your remaining disciples, with the exception of Wu Chang-li, to remain here in this valley, under a lux seal, to rebuild it until the conclusion of this trial. You, Master Noren, will accompany me at once, for your case to be heard, sentence to be pronounced, and executed by the justice of the Empire."

Noren's will extended against hers. She felt them meet. Yoonji spoke aloud her Intent in order to seal the contract. "I am the truth, and the truth shall make you fear."

Noren bowed his head, allowing her Intent to wash over him. Then he met her eyes and spoke his own Intent. "I alone remain, but I will not remain alone."

It pushed against hers, and Yoonji gasped as the vow sealed itself. After she recovered, she glared at Noren.

"Very well. Let us go. I will seal whatever of your disciples remain. You did not ask me to remove my own reinforcements."

"No need for that," Noren said carelessly. "Shall we?"

"And I will be forcing your disciple Wu to accompany us as well," she added.

With that, Noren smiled. "Unfortunately, he's already left the valley, and your vow didn't include in it any provision for hunting him down. In fact, Inquisitor, I must demand you escort me to the Emperor at once so that I can tell him what I know of this Grand Treason."

And this time, the heavens above rumbled in response to his words.

Yoonji stared at him in horror.

"Do you even know what it is you've done?"

"Do you?" he shot back.

With a heavy heart, Inquisitor Pak Yoonji feared she might have just made the first and last mistake of her career.

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