Wu Jian was confused. The last thing he remembered was attempting to use Teleportation to escape from Blonde’s powerful technique, but they were nowhere to be seen now. Instead, he stood in a room that he would have recognized anywhere. It was his old bedroom that he had grown up in.

This must be a dream, right? I have to be dreaming.

Wu Jian had dreams like this before, though few were so vivid. Wait. Maybe the dream had been what he experienced before and he had just woken up? Perhaps everything he had been through so far, the Wu Clan’s destruction, the battle against Blonde and Black, all of it had just been on massive dream.

I won’t get anything if I just stand here.

Leaving his room, Wu Jian wandered down the short hall to the exit and walked outside. He wished he hadn’t. Corpses littered every inch of the clan grounds. Lying before him was Wu Lan and Grandpa Son. Wu Lan had been split in half as though he’d been cut through with a giant sword. Grandpa Son was missing his arms and legs. Blood pooled across the ground.

Wu Jian pressed a hand to his mouth as vomit threatened to spew out. He took a step back, but his foot landed in something wet. He looked down, eyes wide, and felt the blood drain from his face as he realized he was standing in a puddle of blood.

“Wu… Jian…”

Don’t turn around. Don’t turn around. Don’t turn around!

Even though he repeated those words like a manta, Wu Jian’s body disobeyed his will. He turned around. His knees went weak as a person stood before him, a gaping hole in their chest. It was his father. The man’s face was ragged and pale. Blood flowed from the wound in his chest, streaming down his body to form an expanding pool of blood on the ground.

“How could you… abandon your clan like that?”

“I-I didn’t! I would never!”

“I am… disappointed… in you…”

Wu Jian tried to take a step back, but something grabbed onto his legs. He looked down and screamed as several faces and hands emerged from the bloody pool. Every face belonged to a member of the Wu Clan. They latched onto him and dragged him down. He soon began sinking into the blood.

“Traiter.”

“You abandoned us.”

“Why are you the one alive when the rest of us died?”

“It’s not fair! You should have died too!”

Wu Jian struggled to break free, but their hold was ironclad, and he couldn’t call upon his chi.

“Join us.”

He soon saw his reflection in the blood and realized the truth. He wasn’t a seventeen year old cultivator anymore. He was just a child, a little fifteen year old boy not yet a man.

“Join us!”

Wu Jian was helpless as they dragged him under. Before long, his head was fully submerged in the viscous fluids.

JOIN US!!”

Wu Jian awoke with a gasp. He tried to sit up, but overwhelming pain struck him. He cried out as he flopped onto his back and reached for his arm… only to realize it wasn’t there. He gawked as he looked at the place where his arm should have been. Why wasn’t it there? What happened to it--

Oh. I remember now. It separated when I tried to teleport.

During his battle against Blonde and Black, Wu Jian had enhanced his chi using Byakko’s blood and attempted to use teleportation. He didn’t know quite how it worked. His only thoughts had been making it back to Zhou Lihua’s side. Things hadn’t gone as planned. He’d bent the space around him, but he didn’t have enough chi, and his arm had been torn off as a result.

“You finally woke up,” said someone with a grunt. “You had my disciple quite worried, you know.”

“Master… Wong Jiu…”

Wu Jian gritted his teeth as he slowly sat up. He used his remaining arm to push himself, biting back a cry of pain.

Master Wong Jiu sat on the opposite side of a fire, staring into the flames. It looked like they were in some kind of hollowed out tree.

“What… happened? Where are we?”

“We’re currently in the Cuòjué Forest. It’s a forest in the Zhou Kingdom that borders the Ice Phoenix Mountain Range. As for what happened… I do not know. My disciple is the one who found you unconscious.”

“I see.” Wu Jian struggled to get his bearings as he looked around. “And where is Zhou Lihua?”

“She went to get a monster core. She wants to reattach that limb of yours, but we’re missing a tier 5 monster core with a wood element. There is supposedly a magical beast in this forest that has what we need.”

“And you let her go alone?!”

“Let her go? Boy, do you even realize what you’re saying? I didn’t let her do anything.” Master Wong Jiu sighed as he threw a twig into the fire and watched it burn. “Zhou Lihua has already surpassed me. There’s nothing more I can teach her. Not only is she more talented than me at alchemy, but she’s stronger than me. I can no more stop her from doing what she wants than the moon can stop the sun from rising.”

“… I’m sorry. I know that. I didn’t mean to lash out like that.” Wu Jian pressed a hand to his face… or rather, his mask. It looked like it was still in place.

“It is fine. I know you are just worried about her.” Master Wong Jiu smiled, but it was only brief. His expression soon shifted into a frown. “Though I do wonder about your relationship with her. You two are far too close for a pair who just met recently. Explain this to me. Why are you so intimate with my apprentice?”

“Ah? What do you--”

“Do not try to play dumb. Do you think I am blind? I noticed the looks she sent you, the intimate way she touches you when she thinks no one is looking. I am more than capable of distinguishing the leaves from the trees, so you had best not lie to me.”

Wu Jian was not expecting to be interrogated so soon after waking up, but come to think of it, this was the first time he and Master Wong Jiu had ever been alone together. He hadn’t been able to talk to him like this before. Maybe that was why? But now the question was how should he respond. Wu Jian could not reveal the truth, but he didn’t want to lie either.

He didn’t know if it was fortune or fate, but the matter was taken out of his hands when Zhou Lihua suddenly returned.

“I’m back, and I’ve brought the monster core we need… Jian! You’re awake! How are you feeling?”

Zhou Lihua rushed to his side the moment she realized he was awake. He appreciated the way she fond over him, but he was now keenly aware of Master Wong Jiu’s eyes on them. He did his best to reassure her that he was fine. Zhou Lihua didn’t look convinced, which made sense. His arm was missing. If their positions were reversed, he would have trouble believing her.

“You should stop fonning over the boy,” Master Wong Jiu said with a grunt. He placed his hands on his knees and stood up. “If you have the monster core, then we can get started. I know how to refine a Low-Grade Regeneration Pill, but like I said, I do not have confidence in refining it myself. I’ll instruct you in how to refine it.”

“Understood, Master.”

Zhou Lihua cleared a section of the ground, summoned her cauldron, and brought out a glowing green monster core. Master Wong Jiu summoned the other ingredients from his storage ring.

Since it looked like he had nothing to do, Wu Jian decided to get some more rest. His chi had been severely depleted and he needed to recover quickly. There was no telling when those two women would show up again.

***

It had been over a month since Wu Jian and Zhou Lihua had left. The tournament should have been coming to an end soon if it hadn’t already. Hou Jingshu wondered how long it would be before she could see them again. She missed spending time with them.

She was very fortunate Wu Jian had left Yōuměi with her; she might have gone stir-crazy if that had not been the case. Yōuměi was a breath of fresh air. The gigantic panther was like a child. She was innocent incarnate and didn’t seem to have a beguiling bone in her body. That also meant she was easy to deceive, though Hou Jingshu would never do something so cruel.

Hou Jingshu spent most of her time playing with Yōuměi. The game they played the most was tag. Well, Yōuměi called it tag, but it was more like hide and seek. Yōuměi would hide somewhere, and Hou Jingshu had to find her. It was a game that Wu Meiying and Wu Jian used to play with her all the time. It didn’t just serve as a way to pass the time. It was also good training for her spatial awareness. Since Yōuměi hid within shadows, finding her was difficult.

That day was just like any other. Hou Jingshu had been woken up by a long tongue licking her face, she freshened up and had breakfast with Yōuměi, then they played tag in the palace’s many gardens. They played until lunch.

It was during lunch when something strange happened to break their routine.

“Your Highness!”

Hou Jingshu and Yōuměi both turned to find Wu Yong running toward them. His face was pale and his eyes wide. He looked like he had seen an evil spirit.

“What’s the matter, Wu Yong?” asked Hou Jingshu as Yōuměi growled at the young man.

Wu Yong stopped short and eyed the black panther. He didn’t know Yōuměi since she had appeared in the Wu Clan long after he was sent away to the academy.

“Your Highness… Hua Xue is here, and she… she brought your brother with her.”

“My… brother? You mean Hou Chao?”

“Yes.”

Hua Xue had gone to investigate the Burning Hand Sect and had returned with her second eldest brother. Hou Jingshu didn’t know how to feel. However, as she looked at Wu Yong, she felt like several pieces to a puzzle were falling into place.

She stood up. “Where are they now? What is my brother’s condition?”

“They are in the hospital wing. Your brother is… well, it might be better if you saw his condition for yourself.”

That didn’t sound ominous at all. Hou Jingshu did not expect her heart to tremble so much after listening to Wu Yong’s vague response, but tremble it did.

She and Yōuměi followed Wu Jian’s brother to the hospital wing, which was located in a building near the south-west side of the complex. Several people were already present when they reached the entrance. Hua Xue, of course, stood beside the doorway, hands clasped before her and a veil covering her gorgeous face. Yu Chenguang was also present as was the Hou Family’s personal doctor.

“Don’t make me ask you again! What happened to his Royal Highness?!”

“And I’m telling you, I won’t say anything until Her Highness Hou Jingshu arrives.”

The doctor was a man named Fujan Huang. He looked to be in the middle stages of life, but he was around 120 years old. He was an Asura Realm cultivator with no hope of going much higher given his already advanced age. His salt and pepper hair was long and tied into a topknot on his head. He had black eyes, lightly tanned skin, and wore white robes with gold lining--the outfit of a royal physician.

Doctor Huang looked like he was about to start arguing again, but Hou Jingshu spoke up moments later.

“I am here, Hua Xue. Apologies for taking so long.”

The trio turned to her. While Doctor Huang eyed the panther with something like fear, Yu Chenguang looked relieved. She imagined he had been present to keep the peace between these two.

Hua Xue expressed no emotion as she bowed to her. “Your Highness, I have returned from my investigation.”

“I heard. Wu Yong mentioned you brought my brother home, but he did not tell me much more.” She paused. “I assume he is not in good shape. Can you explain in detail what you discovered?”

“Of course.”

Hua Xue glanced briefly at the doctor. Hou Jingshu took the hint.

“Doctor Huang, would you look after my brother? I’m worried about him.”

“… Of course, Your Highness.”

Doctor Huang entered the hospital wing. As he did, Yōuměi settled down.

“I don’t like that man. He smells funny.”

Hou Jingshu didn’t know what to make of that statement. What did she mean? Did Yōuměi mean he smelled like medicinal ingredients, or was she capable of smelling something beyond what a normal person could smell? Either way, Hou Jingshu vowed to keep a closer eye on the doctor. She hadn’t trusted him for a long time now anyway.

Once Doctor Huang was gone, Hua Xue launched into an explanation. After infiltrating the Burning Hand Sect, she gathered information from an Inner Court Disciple and discovered something strange about the Disciplinary Hall. She made her way there and discovered Ye Chun and Hou Chao. While Ye Chun had been driven mad with yang chi, Hou Chao had become completely unresponsive. While that was worrying in and of itself, what worried her even more was knowledge of the Deva Realm cultivator who had been the sect’s head elder.

“So the Burning Hand Sect’s head elder is actually the Burning Flame Pavilion’s ancestor,” Hou Jingsu bit her finger.

“This is a grave situation.” Yu Chenguang crossed his arms. “If he has indeed infiltrated one of our sects, then it means they are planning to act against us--I can only assume they mean to invade.”

“You’re right. I would normally say they would never risk it, given our alliance with the Heavenly Sword Sect, but considering what happened in the Yuan Peninsula, I’m not sure they have the manpower left to send us reinforcements,” Hou Jingshu said.

Yu Chenguang nodded. “I’ve recieved a report from Húndàn Wang not long ago. The Heavenly Sword Sect has sent most of their cultivators to quell the magical beasts rampaging across the Xaio Continent. They will not be able to lend us aid at the moment. The timing is awfully convenient.”

“I took care of Yi Fu, but I doubt that will stop them. If anything, I’m certain this will speed up their plans,” Hua Xue said. “Your Highness, war is likely upon us. As head elder of one of the Three Major Sects, I offer you my support.”

“Thank you. In that case, can I ask you to report back to the Ice Phoenix Sect and have them send reinforcements to the Imperial Capital?”

“I will depart at once.”

Hou Jingshu nodded and turned to Yu Chenguang. “We need to act fast. Contact your men at the border towns near Zhiong Pass and have them observe the situation. We should also begin evacuating our civilians.”

“Shall we bring them to the capital?” he asked.

She shook her head. “We won’t have enough supplies to feed them all here, and I plan to have your men scorch the land so as to avoid letting our enemies gather food and other resources from us. Have your men escort them to towns and villages further out. The Four Great Pavilions won’t be able to conquer those towns right away. They’ll want to conquer our nation in one fell swoop before the Heavenly Sword Sect can recover, so they’ll come directly here.”

“I understand. Then I, too, shall depart immediately,” he said with a martial bow.

“Thank you,” Hou Jingshu said to bother Hua Xue and Yu Chenguang. “We’re running against the clock, so let us move quickly.”