I gripped the glaive and imbued it with my Qi as I stepped forward. The two male Cultivators pointed their swords at me as they took defensive stances.

“Stay back!” One of them shouted. It was the one that had a shorter fuse, Gang. I couldn’t really distinguish them otherwise. They both looked similar in their green robes, a sword, the same length of hair, and style, which was a knot on the top of their head, as well as nearly equal facial structure. Brothers perhaps? I shrugged my shoulders and took another step forward.

[I said many times I do not want to fight, but you didn’t listen. Now step out of my way and let me return the kindness I have received.]

My words triggered frowns from the men and fear from Chun Ke woman. They came at me with a clear intent to fight.

[If you attack me, I’ll be forced to retaliate. I suggest you stay out of it.]

“Piss off! As if we’d let you kill our teammate!”

“Yeah, die you scum!” Gang shouted and lunged at me.

They attacked. A sword aimed for my head, and I just leaned to one side, letting it glide past me.

“Be careful, Fang!” The other woman shouted at one of the men. I looked and noticed one of them react. It was the more reasonable one. He was the next to attack.

Fang’s blade went horizontally and despite having predicted his move, I was too slow to step back and avoid it completely, so the tip of the blade sliced across my neck. It was a shallow wound.

However, his hand blocked the other one’s sight and I took that chance. Qi surged into my right hand holding the glaive and I struck forward in an upward swing. The man moved, yet with a pulse of my magic, the ground shifted beneath him, and he stumbled.

A golden barrier formed around his body, but it was made in haste, and not that strong. My blade pierced through by force alone and nicked his shoulder as it traveled up. He swung wildly in retaliation, but his footing was unstable, making him sloppy and predictable. I didn’t even have to move, yet his blade failed to reach me.

Fang, however, moved closer toward me and stabbed. I slapped the blade away from my heart and frowned as my palm got cut. I was certain I didn’t touch the cutting edge.

[You guys…]

I created an explosion of air that pushed them away and gave me some space. I couldn’t fight with both of them in my face.

Fang kept himself upright while Gang went tumbling on the ground. I shot a Fireball at him, but it exploded harmlessly on his barrier. I then immediately intensified the magic and shot a Greater Fireball created by my semi-Golden Qi.

“Ack!” The explosion blasted him in the sky and back while Fang rushed at me, his body similarly taking on a golden hue.

His blade turned pink and I moved to the side just as a beam pierced the place I was previously standing at. A dangerous attack, it was nearly instantaneous. But seriously, pink?

He fired off another which I similarly dodged, this one by jumping in the air.

“Gotcha!” He grinned and pointed his sword at me and fired.

I just blew some air to my side and moved out of the way and looked at him with a raised brow. Did he seriously think I couldn’t move in the air? I literally just used Wind magic.

I landed on the ground when I suddenly felt a sharp pain in my left leg. A sword beam came flying from my blind spot. I winced and glared at the other guy who was grinning at me from afar. That sneaky bastard!

I felt a sharp pain as another pink sword beam pierced my lower back. Those two positioned themselves so I couldn’t keep them both in my sight at once! Two more beams flew at me from both of them and I almost avoided them, only sustaining shallow cuts on my forearm and chest as I leaned back Matrix-style, letting them fly over me.

I just flipped around and readied myself to retaliate when I heard Fang’s shout.

“Canyon Carving Sword!” Qi surged into his sword and it glowed purple - seriously, what were these colors - and a superpowered beam obliterated my right side before I could even react, carving a fissure in the ground behind me at the same time. Simultaneously another smaller light blade cut my leg just above the knee, making me stumble.

Blood poured out of me for just a moment but then stopped, Telekinesis keeping it contained.

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[You… guys…] I spoke through gritted teeth, sweat pouring from my brow. It hurt, it hurt so much! Fang’s attack destroyed my liver and obliterated a great part of my stomach. My body began to smolder.

“Had enough yet?” He asked. As I glanced at him, he deactivated his shield and stood straight like some expert, but I could see him breathing hard. He probably spent a lot of energy on that attack.

“What are you waiting for, Gang? Finish him off! Do it, mhm-!” Chun Ke shouted. The other woman covered her mouth and dragged her back.

“Hehe, of course!” The other guy named Gang grinned at the girl and then turned back at me. His eyes widened.

[Solar Point!] I roared and my extended finger exploded. At the same time, a hole formed on his unprotected chest, stunning him into silence.

“Gang!” Fang shouted in panic and abandoned the battle to run toward him. Gang collapsed to the ground with blood already pooling beneath him.

I groaned and stood up, my glowing molten body already reforming and the wound on my stomach closing shut. Various places on my body also glowed orange and white as the nicks and cuts healed. My finger also reformed and was soon as good as new.

I groaned. [That really, really fucking hurt.] I gripped my glaive and walked forward.

“Gang! Gang! Don’t leave me!” Fang continued to shout and wasted his remaining energy to stop the bleeding.

I came to him and pointed down with my weapon. [Ready to continue?]

He roared back, eyes red in grief and rage. “Screw you! You killed my brother!” So they were brothers after all…

I looked at the other guy. [No, he’s not dead yet.] I shook my head and smiled victoriously. [But he will be, soon.]

“I’ll kill you!” Fang lunged forward and pierced my stomach with his sword. “If he dies, so do you!” His pitiful amount of Qi surged, if it could be called that. I could feel the flesh around the wound start to break down.

I just sighed and counteracted with an attack of my own. My fist found its way into his gut, the force of impact lifting him in the air and taking his breath away. He doubled over after landing on the ground.

I pulled out his sword and looked at it for a moment, before stabbing it into the ground. Then I kicked the man in the chest. He groaned and tried to claw at my leg.

The wound on my chest was already closing. I was getting better at it.

I kicked him again, this time in the face. He went sprawling on the ground and didn’t move again. Having removed the two obstacles, I turned towards the remaining two. Chun Ke just stared at me with hate in her eyes while the other one was trembling in fear.

And then something pierced my skull.

“Go for the head, huh? Thanks for the tip!” The illusion of Chun Ke on the ground disappeared and then the world became crimson as blood poured over my eyes. I felt the blade be yanked out of my skull and I fell down.

I watched the other girl’s eyes go wide as I grinned. [Yeah, but that was before.]

I watched her gape in horror as my head was set aflame and the wound in my brain closed at lightning speed. [I’m afraid your time’s up.]

I pounced from a crouched position and golden claws extended from my fingers. Another few quick swipes and...

“Aaaah!” Chun Ke’s other hand fell to the floor in multiple pieces. Her chest also carried a myriad of deep new wounds. And then my foot landed on her face as I did a roundhouse kick and she went tumbling on the ground, bloody and motionless.

[Hmm…] I turned to look at the last one.

“Eeek!” She twitched in fear and scrambled back as I took a step forward. “Please don’t hurt me!”

[What’s your name?] I asked.

“M- Mei.” She stammered out.

[Mei, do you plan to attack me?]

She rapidly shook her head.

[Good.]

I knelled beside Gang and rummaged through his pockets. I found a few pills in a bottle, some Talismans I didn’t recognize, and a storage pouch. I took all of them.

“What- What are you doing?” Mei quietly asked.

[Taking my payment.] I went to check on the body of Fang and ransacked his pockets too.

“Are… Are they dead?” Mei questioned in a barely audible voice. She had half her face hidden behind her knees as she sat on the ground, not moving.

[Not yet, but soon.]

I heard her begin crying quietly. I rolled my eyes.

Having collected what I could, including the weapons, I looted Chun Ke as well. She coughed as she choked on her own blood in her unconsciousness.

I quietly sighed, cursing my soft heart, and went back to Mei. I really hated people crying. Remnants of my less-than-stellar childhood, I guess.

[What do you want?] I asked coldly. I knew she wanted to help them, she was just afraid to do it with me there. Cowards didn’t deserve to get anything. I could be a dick and just wait until they all died, or…

“Please… I- I…”

[You want to save them?]

“…Yes.” She didn’t dare look me in the eyes.

[Hmm. Everybody deserves a second chance, I guess. But what can you offer in exchange for their lives?]

She immediately took her space pouch and sword and presented them to me on her knees.

[Is that it?]

She looked at me and gripped her robe. “I- I could offer you my-”

[You’d better not say what I think you were going to. Do I look like some bandit lusting after your body?]

She lowered her head. “...No.”

I snorted in annoyance. The mere thought was disrespectful, but I didn’t push it further. I took her storage pouch without saying anything else and looked inside. It was more of the same as what the rest had. Gear, food, money, pills… But the one thing only she had, and what attracted my attention, was a white crystal sphere.

[What is this?] I asked. It was about the size of an ostrich egg and just as round. It sparkled in the light like a massive diamond.

“It’s a Memory Orb. It contains my Martial Art.” Mei said meekly.

Memory Orb. Memory Orb… My mind went spinning, old memories flooding to the surface. I held objects like those before. A dozen of them. In the Before. Found in the ancient Phoenix Temple where I got my Phoenix Necklace that saved my life.

Back then I didn’t know what they were. I didn’t know what to do with them, or how to use them. And then I lost them. All of them. They were in my storage ring. The one that was destroyed when I resurrected.

[GOD FUCKING DAMN IT!] In my sudden rage, I smashed the Memory Orb into the ground. It broke the stone beneath it while not sustaining a scratch. Indestructible. Just like I remembered. Damn it.

[Mei.] I spoke in a somber voice.

“Y- Yes?”

[We are going to have a talk.]