The crowd broke into shouts and cries.

"Holy shit..."

"I must have seen wrong, right? Did Bai Chunxue just kill Long Guoqiang? What kind of insane technique was that?"

"He's still alive, but his dantian got destroyed."

"Are you sure?"

"His heart is beating, but all the qi is flowing out of his body. His dantian really did get destroyed."

"Now he can never cultivate again, right?"

"The Long family will have a Phoenix Elixir, definitely."

"But Long Guoqiang has brought such shame to the Long family, how could they give him a Phoenix Elixir in return?"

"I mean, it's not that shameful, since Bai Chunxue is also in Core Formation. And that technique, I've never seen anything like that before."

"Dumbass, just look. Bai Chunxue has no qi! You can't even see his golden core!"

Suddenly, angry shouts welled up from the Long family.

"What is this bullshit?! What do you mean his dantian is broken?!"

"How dare that bastard cripple the young master! I'll kill him myself!"

"Fool! First get the resuscitation pills for the young master!"

Cultivators from the Long family began to clamber over the wall of the arena, when—

"You dare disrespect the sanctity of this duel?!"

Bailian's voice howled through the field.

"I am your master and I have acknowledged this duel! Whoever of the Long family dares step into the arena while the duel is not yet complete, I will flay you and feed your hide to the dogs, for even the dogs know loyalty better than you!"

The Long family cultivators stepped back, and now all gazes in the arena turned to me. After all, the duel was— strictly speaking— not over yet.

I hated Long Guoqiang. I hated him so much than I wanted nothing more than to summon Natsuki's crows and have them carve through his flesh in front of the audience. That was how much my hatred outweighed my guilt, my guilt that was in comparison but a starved whimper. But I did not hate him to the extent that I wished to kill his entire family. My guilt would certainly feast upon such a weak and untargeted hatred.

That is why, even in this situation, I had no choice but to give the Long family some face.

"Ahem." I cleared my throat loudly enough to draw everyone's attention. "I have a great amount of respect for Senior Long. Though unfortunate circumstances have forced us to have this duel, my heart aches at the thought of killing him, and I do not think I have it in me to snuff out one of the preeminent talents of our generation, who has at such a young age reached the realm of Core Formation."

Of course, that was all a lie. I had, in fact, already killed him. He would just not die for another forty-nine or so days, at which point nobody could reasonably blame me.

"—Professor Jibeidi is an alchemist recognized by the Emperor himself for her contributions to the practice and pedagogy of alchemy. I would like to ask her, in her position as an impartial observer of unassailable virtue, to call the match here."

With a confused frown, Professor Jibeidi stepped out of the box where the public officials were sitting and walked over to Guoqiang's unmoving body. Everyone else, though they were itching to run onto the field and find out just what I had done, could not interfere, since it was not their duel. She kneeled by his side and inspected his stomach. After a few minutes, she stood up and said,

"Long Guoqiang failed to maintain the protective qi around his dantian, so a horizontal cut to his abdomen in the process of Bai Chunxue's final technique— Darkmoon Sword Technique, I believe was the name— ended up cutting through his intestines as well as his dantian. This was an unfortunate accident that shows the importance of studying the basics of internal qi management." She breathed in and solidified her voice. "I declare this under the authority granted to me by the Emperor, and any objections hereto shall be considered as criticism of the Emperor. As Long Guoqiang is no longer able to fight, there is no need to continue this match. Bai Chunxue has won."

The crowd broke out in cheers and shouts— and questions.

"I knew you could do it, Bai Chunxue! Can you teach me that technique?"

"Dark Sword Moon Technique? Have you ever heard of that?"

"No, is it a secret technique of the Bai family?"

"Maybe it's from the Phantom Orchid Sect? I want that technique."

Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

"It is not a technique!" I cried out. "It is a proof! It is a ma'k—"

Professor Jibeidi grabbed my arm. "You come with me," she whispered, somewhat sternly, and then she dragged me off.

----------------------------------------

Professor Jibeidi took me to an administrative room of sorts underground of the arena. She sat me down in a chair, then silently paced around the room for a few minutes, before she finally sighed and asked,

"So how did all that happen?"

How? I was not sure how to answer that question. I did not wish to lie to her, not to Professor Jibeidi. But even if I did tell her about Natsuki, what sense would it make?

I frowned. I was caught between a lie and a nonsensical truth. I could not figure out what words to offer her.

"Are you unable to answer?"

I looked up into her eyes. She seemed to me to be above all confused, somewhat surprised, and— a little bit betrayed. I knew why. After all, if I had gained power, then Jibeidi, the only person who had watched over me kindly during my imprisonment in the sect, was the first person I should have told. I shouldn't have kept it a secret from her, and honestly, I had never really wished to. But how could I have shared my secrets without the power to protect them? I had not had the confidence, neither to defend myself against Canyue and Xiaolong, nor to tell her the details of my situation. I had not had the confidence, but now I did.

If only I knew how to express it!

I shook my head. "I can answer, but... I don't know how to answer in a way that would make any sense."

If only Natsuki were here. She could... explain everything. And I wished for nothing more than to tell Professor Jibeidi everything. If nobody else, she would understand. I was sure of it.

—"Good afternoon, Feixing."

A familiar voice called out from behind me, so I looked over my shoulder. There in the doorway stood Natsuki, smiling faintly. Stepping into the room, she continued,

"I would ask you how you have been... but I can see the stress and confusion in your brow. Well, if anyone here has the right to know the truth, it is you. And if Chunxue cannot speak the ineffable, then I shall."

Natsuki stood over the chair in which I sat. Professor Jibeidi squeezed her eyes shut, then opened them, then squeezed them close and opened them once again. Finally, she managed to say,

"Natsuki, by any chance... were you involved in this?"

"Of course. Who else, if not me? You know Chunxue's constitution. Where do you think all that mana came from, if not from Chunxue's body proper?"

"Were you..." As if trying to figure out a complex mathematical problem, Professor Jibeidi pressed two fingers to her forehead. "Were you responsible for the other incidents too?"

Natsuki raised her eyebrows. "I think that is the wrong choice of words. I was related to all the incidents, but only responsible for one of them."

"The one with Jiang Hanfeng, you mean?" Professor Jibeidi responded instantly. "I had heard that it was the only case you did not have an alibi for."

"No, I was responsible for the case with Bai Xiaolong. But, you must understand, it was self-defense, and so I accept no blame except for the fact that I am incomparably stronger than him."

Professor Jibeidi put a hand to her head. "Weren't you with us when that happened, though? How could you have been responsible?"

With an ear-splitting smile, Natsuki shook her head.

"This is the problem with you people of this land east of Altyn-Tagh. Your understanding of the world is too naïve. Who is to say that I was not in both places at the same time? Why would you make the assumption that I could not carry out a crime at the same time that we were having tea together?"

Professor Jibeidi put another hand to her head. Only after what seemed like several minutes did she finally speak.

"But..."

Her voice was weak, uncertain.

"...why?"

Natsuki sighed. "Is that something you really wish to know, Feixing?"

With a resigned expression, Jibeidi released her hands from her head. "I think I have a duty to want to know."

Natsuki nodded. "Then I shall tell you. I am here to aid and abet in Chunxue's revenge, wherever that may take us. If that means destroying all of Wei, or all the Continent, or even the world entire, then so be it. They shall all fall, if Chunxue so wishes."

"W-wait!" I cried out. I could not help but object to this. "I don't want to take revenge against... all Wei, or anything like that."

"That is correct," Natsuki laughed. "You are too conscientious to even take revenge against the rest of the Long family. That is, after all, the only reason why Long Guoqiang yet draws breath."

Professor Jibeidi sat herself back into a chair, though with her knees trembling as they were, she could barely prevent herself from collapsing into it.

"Natsuki," she mumbled, "just how strong are you, really?"

"How strong am I? Well... I have heard that Bai Fei is currently the single strongest person present in Kangtian. I do not know how I would meaningfully compare him to me, but I think I could train Chunxue to be strong enough to kill him within... two years."

I flinched. Professor Jibeidi winced. Bai Fei had spent several hundred years cultivating. How could I, a piece of trash with no qi, kill him with only two years of training? If Natsuki was powerful enough that I could do that much simply by borrowing from her, then...

"But then... why are you here in a city like this?"

"Why?" Natsuki tilted her head to one side. "It is the same reason that Bai Fei spends his free time playing house with the Bai family. Humans, you see, wish to become gods, but once they are too far down that path to turn back, they realize that gods wish for nothing more than to become human. Feixing, you too will come to understand this within some decades."

Professor Jibeidi sighed a prolonged and exhausted sigh.

"This is... way out of my hands now, isn't it?"

"It is. Rather, it always was. You never could do much at all for Chunxue."

There was a hint of reprobation in Natsuki's voice. Yet Jibeidi's inaction was not her own fault. There was little she ever could have done. She was not free of the laws of humans, and we all understood that.

Professor Jibeidi sighed again.

"So what will you two do after this is all done?"

"I..." I raised my voice, but was unsure of what to say. Then Natsuki placed her hand on my shoulder, and I recalled the future that she had offered me. "—I will go to the Imperial University and become a scholar."

"And I..." Natsuki raised her hands in a shrug. "...well, I suppose I will disappear into the aether and bide my time there, as is standard for those who are not permitted to stay long in the land of humans."

Her words sent a pang of sorrow running through my heart. I did not want her to leave. I wanted her to stay. But after my revenge is completed, would I have the right to keep her by my side?

Professor Jibeidi stood, and she smiled, though it was a pained sort of smile.

"Well, I am glad that at least matters will be working out for you, Chunxue. When the time comes I will write you a recommendation letter. I hope that you can escape the jianghu soon. And Natsuki... you, at least, must protect Chunxue from the Bai family. In this city, nobody else can."

Natsuki nodded. "I shall make sure of it."

I bowed in thanks. And then we left.