The confession struck deeper than Xiaolong expected. Not because it revealed a gap in Song Bai's training, but because it so clearly wounded the speaker to make it.

In the months Xiaolong had known Song Bai, she'd seen her as prideful and competitive, occasionally petty and arrogant, and always adherent to the tenets of her sect. But never brittle in the core of herself. Never uncertain in her value to her teammates and the world itself.

Her next parry came with less certainty, and her counterstrike carried less precision than in a thousand prior practice sessions. Her ice blades wavered slightly, losing the clarity Xiaolong had come to associate with the woman who'd made it her mission to always be in control of every situation.

"It's my failing," Li Feng told her, "not yours. We'll find a—"

Another wave of corrupted essence slammed down on his position, cutting off the promise of solution with brutal force. Li Feng and Song Bai staggered beneath the assault.

Ming Lian, now unencumbered by his own earth cultivator adversary, struck back with water-wreathed strikes that pierced the poison fog and sent the Black Dao caster stumbling away to reassess tactics.

They were holding ground, but only barely.

Time to change the dynamic, Xiaolong decided.

She began picking her way toward Jin Wen, who stood at the center of the Black Dao formation directing their efforts. To an observer, she probably looked like a casual stroller enjoying a pleasant afternoon meandering through an ornamental garden, rather than a combatant joining the fray.

Which meant she reached striking distance before Jin Wen registered her presence.

She waited for him to notice—no sense disrupting someone before they realize a disruption is coming—then struck precisely at the meridian responsible for cycling his corrupt water essence techniques.

A single finger's touch, no heavier than a feather's fall, precisely angled and timed to interrupt the energy flow at the moment when resistance was weakest...

And Jin Wen crumpled to the ground, all connection to his spiritual sea severed neatly. He gasped, hands reaching blindly for the point of contact, his face contorted in horror at his abrupt separation from everything he'd ever learned about wielding power.

Xiaolong gestured politely at the fallen Black Dao cultivator, whose spirit pressure sputtered like a dying candle flame.

"I think he's yours," she said to Song Bai, whose stunned expression indicated she'd just watched a boulder defeat an opposing force without apparent effort. "My contribution to team harmony."

And with that, Xiaolong stepped back to watch how the three disciples would handle the rest of their opponents, now that she'd removed the one coordinating their efforts.

Two injured adversaries lay moaning against tree trunks, their wills shattered more thoroughly than their bones. Two others traded uncertain attacks against Ming Lian, whose energy patterns showed no sign of flagging beneath the strain of holding his ground alone.

And Jin Wen, the true architect of their threat, lay incapacitated and struggling to form a coherent response, much less counterattack.

The last Black Dao cultivator fell beneath Li Feng's final blow. Blood sprayed from a mortal throat wound. Another corpse on the growing list. When Song Bai's opponent's body hit the ground, it joined the five others in the fallen ranks.

"What a mess." Ming Lian sighed as he cleaned his weapon with an old cloth. "They're getting bold to come this close to a major sect's territory."

Li Feng nodded in agreement, his expression carrying none of the weariness Xiaolong expected from a cultivator of his level after an intense confrontation. He knelt to check the pulses of the fallen, confirming each demise before reaching the final opponent's side.

He rolled Jin Wen's unconscious form over to inspect his condition more thoroughly. "Xiaolong's intervention proved decisive. How long will this one remain incapacitated?"

"Until his meridians are repaired." She made a dismissive gesture. "Months, unless he seeks out an exceptional healer. And I don't see him finding such a resource in his current affiliation."

"She did remove a major obstacle." Song Bai spoke in a tone that was carefully neutral. She walked over to the safe where the captured documents were stored, double-checked its security, and resealed the wards in a practiced ritual that seemed designed to prevent further conversation.

"I'm sorry," Li Feng said again when Song Bai turned back. "For not clarifying that my fighting style has shifted." He stood up, his posture suggesting both sincerity and regret.

She brushed her hair out of her face, her eyes not quite meeting his. "Your training has taken an unconventional turn recently. That's all."

She turned and walked away, leaving the rest of them to deal with the aftermath in whatever manner they chose. Her silhouette passed between trees in the near distance, her pace suggesting purposeful retreat rather than exploration.

If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it.

"This isn't going to resolve easily." Xiaolong offered the observation as they watched the space where Song Bai had disappeared. She hadn't intended it as an opening for discussion, but that's how it manifested.

"No, it won't," Ming Lian said. His sigh was audible over the crackle of the fire.

When Jin Wen stirred at Li Feng's feet, groaning incoherently in his half-conscious state, Ming Lian stepped on his shoulder to discourage movement.

"He's definitely not going anywhere." Ming Lian sounded entirely satisfied with this.

The Black Dao cultivator tried to roll over and ended up eating more dirt for his trouble. Ming Lian gave his squirming form a casual thump with his foot to reinforce the discouragement.

"Jin Wen." Li Feng crouched beside the bound Black Dao leader. "You were tracking us specifically. How did you know our location?"

Jin Wen managed to raise his head and look up. His mouth opened, then shut again as pain and paralysis vied with defiance. When he spoke, it was through gritted teeth.

"We monitor sect movements in these territories. Easy enough to predict where investigation teams would travel once you started examining corruption sites."

"Who ordered this interception?"

"Someone who understands the value of preventing intelligence from reaching your elders."

Ming Lian joined the interrogation, leaning on his sword's hilt for support while pinning Jin Wen's torso with the opposite knee. "The manifesto suggests coordinated operations across multiple regions. How many Black Dao cells are operating in Azure Waters territory?"

"More than you'd believe. Fewer than you fear. We're everywhere orthodox sects enforce their comfortable lies about harmony and adaptation."

"Comfortable lies." Li Feng's tone flattened. "Is that what you call teaching disciples to work together rather than dominate through force?"

"I call it teaching disciples to make themselves small so their betters feel secure." Jin Wen's gaze swept across them. "Look at yourselves. You were almost defeated by six disciples who dared to see beyond Azure Waters limits. If that doesn't indicate the value of pushing past orthodox boundaries, I don't know what does."

"We were hardly defeated." Ming Lian tapped Jin Wen's shoulder again for emphasis, eliciting another grunt of pain and frustration. "If that's your idea of an effective fight—"

"We almost lost because we failed to adapt." Li Feng interrupted without hesitation. His expression carried the sort of calm that precedes thunderstorms. "Which, coincidentally, means he has a point."

Xiaolong refrained from commenting. She could see the threads of understanding weaving through his spirit, connecting his insights from the skirmish to broader revelations about the situation. Whatever he might say next, it wouldn't be to confirm the fallen adversary's self-assurance regarding their supposed near-defeat.

"It's easy to claim superiority when your side is winning." Li Feng gestured toward the Black Dao dead and dying scattered around them. "But if I understand the underlying philosophy here, claiming superiority is precisely the trap you seek to avoid, isn't it?"

Jin Wen made a dismissive sound that echoed the grunting noises he'd made earlier. But his gaze lingered on Li Feng after the derisive chuff died, as if evaluating something unexpected in the other cultivator's response.

"The concept of inevitable progress." Li Feng's voice grew more certain. "Where weaker forms give way before stronger ones. Is that the guiding framework here?" He leaned down. "Evolution is a fine concept. But it doesn't mean one form is superior. Just better at thriving in its environment."

Jin Wen's eyes narrowed. His spiritual pressure flickered again, struggling against the broken meridians to bring together enough essence for some response beyond groaning and grunting.

"Superiority is an illusion. Strength is real. Adaptation, not hierarchy, is the true path to power." Jin Wen's words came out haltingly, each one clearly costing him in ways beyond simple discomfort. But the message was clear.

"You've corrupted fundamental truths into justifications for your actions." Li Feng's posture carried that thunderstorm stillness once again. "No wonder the orthodox sects ban your texts. The logic is so seductive it's no wonder you found disciples willing to overlook the costs." He glanced at Xiaolong. "I think we've gained enough insight on this topic for now. What do you think?"

"Enough," she confirmed. More than enough. Li Feng and Ming Lian had obtained a wealth of material to share back at the sect when they reported to their superiors. And perhaps even enough for Li Feng to understand the scale of what was unfolding around them.

Song Bai reappeared as they were considering the implications of Jin Wen's words. Her steps were slow, her hands thrust in her sleeves. She glanced from face to face, her expression guarded.

"I'll carry the safe personally when we head back," she volunteered. She looked at the bound Black Dao fighter. "Is there any chance of extracting additional intelligence from him before we turn him over to the sect's adjudicators?"

"Doubtful," said Ming Lian. He gestured to encompass their entire camp. "He's given us the core tenets. Everything else is just details."

Song Bai nodded curtly and took charge of their remaining supplies.

"Song Bai," said Li Feng. "There's one further—"

"Everything you would say, Elder Brother, is something I'm also considering."

The sharpness of her tone made both men pause. Ming Lian leaned back on his heels and nodded thoughtfully. Li Feng hesitated, then stood slowly. His hand came up but found nothing to touch or to grasp within Song Bai. It hung there for a moment before dropping to his side.

Song Bai turned and began the task of repacking their materials into travel-ready containers.

"What was that?" Xiaolong asked Li Feng later, as they walked ahead on the path back to their sect. Far behind were Song Bai and Ming Lian, chatting quietly amidst the sounds of the road.

"She's thinking." He didn't meet Xiaolong's eyes, instead focusing on the route ahead as if it might shift without warning. Only when he continued speaking did his posture relax. "What she's thinking, and about whom, is for her to say, not me."

"And if I asked what you were thinking?"

She'd meant it lightly, but he took several steps before answering. His breathing matched theirs, but his pulse spoke differently to her senses.

"The same thing you're considering, I suspect." He finally met her gaze. "How something we dismissed as small has become big enough to loom in our sightlines."

"Did we dismiss it, or did we underestimate its scope?" Her words carried more than question. They invited speculation.

Which, she suspected, was his intent.

She followed his lead, stepping carefully along their route while their words and thoughts ranged far ahead.

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.