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"You made a bet with Zhong Yilan?" Qi Lian stared at me wide-eyed after I signed up for the tournament and made it to their hall later in the day. "You're challenging her at the tournament?"

I sighed. "It probably wasn't the smartest idea … But I couldn't just take her insults meekly."

"Are the two of you within the same rank? Would it be considered a fair fight?"

I nodded. "Zhong Yilan has been at Mount Hua for six years. Not much longer than me."

The tournament allowed disciples of all levels to compete against each other. To make up for the gap in experience, junior disciples were given certain advantages when facing senior opponents: they could move first, or use talismans and artifacts that typically wouldn't be allowed, or be declared the winner if the result was a draw, and so on. None of those could apply in my case against Zhong Yilan though, since we were only a year apart in experience.

"That's tough … I heard she's one of the best among her peers," Qi Lian mumbled. "She was the champion last year, wasn't she?" he turned to Xie Lun and asked.

"Only because most of her opponents were her admirers and held back their best," Xie Lun scoffed. "She doesn't live up to her reputation. The bet might seem unfair at this point, Yun Qing-er, but if you keep improving at your current speed, I wouldn't be surprised that it becomes a close call. What did Master Bai Ye say about this?"

"He's away for a little while," I said, hoping that the longing in my voice wasn't too obvious. I wished Bai Ye could be back immediately. "I probably won't get to ask for his opinion until a week later."

"That's a whole week out of the one month you have!" Qi Lian said. "Will you be able to keep up the progress by yourself?"

"I … I hope so."

I wondered the same myself. Until recently, I had focused almost exclusively on medicine, which required much less personal instruction than martial skills. I was used to learning things by myself, but would the same routine work out for swordsmanship as well?

"Real-world fighting experiences would help you most," Xie Lun suggested. "It's the best way to improve your skills against an opponent, much more effective than sparring." He paused. "If only Master Bai Ye is here to give you permission … A few of us are heading to East Village tomorrow to investigate a demon attack from last week. It would be a very helpful experience for you if you could join us."

"East Village?" I recognized the name. That was the place where Bai Ye went last week. He hadn't told me much about the demon attack after his return though. Was the issue there still unresolved?

"It's not far from here. It'll be great if you can join us!" Qi Lian exclaimed, probably mistaking my question for interest. "Han Shu is coming with us too. She's the only girl among all our master's disciples, and I'm sure she'll enjoy your company. Can you just leave a note for your master and tell him where you are going? I'm sure he'll approve of your effort to better prepare for the tournament."

"Qi Lian has a point," Xie Lun agreed. "I'm leading the trip, so it's not like you'll be sneaking out of Mount Hua without notice. Masters are usually quite understanding when it comes to field excursions like this."

I wasn't prepared for such a wholehearted invitation from them. The idea of the trip was tempting indeed, as I desperately needed a way to improve my skills quickly within a month. And knowing Bai Ye, I was certain he would give me the permission if I asked for it.

But he would be worried for me when he returned, even if I were to leave him a note.

"How long will the trip be?" I asked, debating with myself.

"Most likely three to five days," Xie Lun replied. "We might even be back before your master."

I considered it. The Ice Mountains—where Bai Ye was heading—were far away and difficult to navigate. I wasn't sure which herb he was looking for, but it must be rare to warrant this much effort from him, which meant it would only take longer to find. It was quite likely that he'll be away for more than three to five days, and I could probably make it back before he knew it.

I made up my mind. "I'd love to join you if you'll have me."

~ ~

Bai Ye had warned me not to kill too much with Twin Stars, so I packed up my old long sword alongside the twin swords for the trip. I left a note on his desk that evening, explaining everything in detail and assuring him that I would be in good company. His room still smelled like his kiss, and I stood on the threshold for a while, reluctant to step away from it.

It had barely been a day, and I was already starting to miss him. Maybe a change of scenes wouldn't be a bad thing. At least it would help to keep my mind occupied.

The group I met with the next morning was a small one. Apart from Xie Lun and Qi Lian, there were only two others who I had met briefly before: Han Shu, an outgoing girl with a sweet smile and cute dimples, and Zhou Ziyang, a solemn young man that stayed quiet on our entire way to the village.

I thanked the heavens that my spiritual power was strong enough to command a flying sword now—otherwise, I would be the only one that had to resort to sharing a sword with someone else. My maneuvering was still a bit clumsy, but at least I was able to keep myself afloat.

"There was a demon attack reported here last week," Xie Lun explained as we approached our destination. "You might know of this, Yun Qing-er. Master Bai Ye was sent to see to the matter, but the demons sensed his power and cleared away as soon as he arrived, so the Gatekeeper had to make different assignments this time."

No wonder the group mostly consisted of junior disciples then. Who knew that weaker cultivators could hold such an advantage in situations like this?

"Master Bai Ye found no lairs or hideouts," Xie Lun continued, "which suggests that these demons likely live somewhere else and can fly long distances. We will need to speak with the villagers to find out what attracted them here."

"But how do we attack if we don't know where those demons are?" Han Shu asked.

"We don't," Xie Lun said.. "We lure them into attacking us."