“I won’t ask you about the Pillarshard. I trust your judgment down there, Little Dejiu.” Jiansu said as they sat by each other.

“I’m okay. You can pick your mind.” Dejiu muttered, scratching his head bashfully. To be complimented by Jiansu was a rare occurrence. Jiansu always made it a point not to give those out so cheaply.

“No. Many have been answered throughout the investigation process. Though there are just two things I wanted to ask personally. One, did you truly poison them?”

Dejiu’s face turned a little red. “I-uh kind of did. Not intentionally though.” He uttered shyly. “I stashed daimon meat and some peppers I picked up from a bush nearby the entrance. It seems that they ate them before they headed down when I killed the guardian. Probably hunger from camping outside the hundred-step boundary.”

“I see. ” Jiansu nodded.

Dejiu lifted his gaze and found a softer expression on his teacher. Probably because Dejiu relieved some worries with that. Damn the Feng Clan! They made Teacher Jiansu think he had turned maliciously violent! If that Feng Mu were in front of him now, he’d batter that stupid head in agai— okay, maybe not. Let’s not go all Bing Xin.

“Then my second question is how many did you kill?”

Huh? Dejiu tilted his head. He thought he’d be asked about the missing monk’s spade, his quick rise through the stage, what enemies he faced, something about the guardian, and anything else. Wasn’t that obvious—oh. Now that he thought about it, the first time he greeted the Feng Clan in the Seventh Hell, there were ten. However, only nine came to face him. Did Teacher Jiansu think he killed that runner or something?

“Nine — everyone who came down to reap my efforts,” Dejiu answered. “But I do remember there were ten the first I saw them outside the boundary. Why?”

“We found pieces of a woman along with a few tattered patches outside the boundary area. I see — then she was likely killed by either hunger or by defending their small camp while they waited for either the ten days to be over or the guardian’s death.”

Jiansu nodded again. Hm? His expression softened even more! Ha!

His teacher’s mood rubbed off on Dejiu. Giddily smiling he prodded for more. “I think my choice was right down there. That guardian, it was pretty strong you know! A big ol’ eye that could force me to the ground with a thought while it summoned something to beat me up!”

Jiansu snorted. “And what did you do to surmount this mighty daimon?”

“I blew up my insides and meridian!” He declared proudly.

THWACK!

“Y-ouch!” He cried.

Jiansu moved with an impossible speed, somehow holding an old tied-up scripture in his once empty hand and slapping it on Dejiu’s bald head. “Keep going.”

Dejiu awkwardly rubbed his head. It already felt warm and swollen somehow. Damn, he forgot how brutal Jiansu was in response to his brashness! The beating that time, when he tried to steal Hell Shards, was done entirely by his teacher!

“I-uhm got up. Fought against a shadowy mimic of myself but as a child. He was pretty good. He moved fast and rabidly. But I slayed it after uhh…” Dejiu hesitated.

“What? Spit it out.” Jiansu said.

Dejiu eyed the index finger of his teacher stroking the weathered scripture. Shit. He’s itching to hit me.

“It was strong but straightforward. So I-uh sacrificed my right hand—”

THWACKK!

“Gah! I wasn’t even finished!”

You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.

“You sacrificed a part to either confuse it or close in the distance without losing your life to deliver a greater blow.”

“...Yes, I did do that, the latter I mean.”

Dejiu rubbed his head again. My head! My smooth bald head! He wanted to mutter a curse but that’ll earn another thwack.

“With the summon dead, I finished the guardian. It was defenseless so I just stabbed it until I heard the Seekers Accord confirm the kill. I got a pill though — I recovered enough to fight against those damned bastards—”

Jiansu brushed along the scripture.

“I mean, cultivator of the Feng Clan. Ooo! The pill also granted me a little better sight in the dark!”

Jiansu raised an eyebrow. “Hoo, such things are rare. For the Seekers Accord to grant something that precious — that guardian must’ve been something immensely powerful for its stage.”

“Well obviously! What else could pose danger for the great monk Xue Deji—”

THWACK! CRCK!

“What did I say to deserve two? Two! Hits!” He cried.

“A monk of the Heavenly Snowy Temple mustn’t be so boastful. To cling to pride in one’s strength is to mistake the finger pointing to the moon for the moon itself.”

“Pah! More riddles. Anyways, you said those soulbound remnants are rare?”

“Rare. I myself could count how many guardians I slew personally on one hand. While the chances of guardians dropping some sort of remnant upon death are vastly greater than regular daimons, some people don’t even receive anything.”

“Did that happen to you?”

“No. I obtained a peculiar remnant.” Jiansu closed his eyes briefly. Webs of light and shadow formed something atop his palm.

“A broken piece of glass?” Dejiu asked once the remnant was formed.

“Aye. A jagged shard of glass. Humble in appearance, but powerful.”

Dejiu scooted closer and looked around. He tried to find something special, something he couldn’t see at first glance. Teacher Jiansu called it powerful after all so he was curious. However, the only thing he found odd was how the sunlight from the window was reflected. “What stage is it?”

“Peak Earthly.”

“...” Dejiu looked up and gawked at the thing. “Huh?! For this thing?! What is it? What does it do? Can you kill anything with just a stab?”

“Stab. Death. Kill. Is that all you think of?” Jiansu jokingly snorted. “No, but I must say, it is a consumable. If I activate it with a bit of my prana and point it at anyone, I could shatter their soul.”

Before Dejiu could gasp in surprise, he felt something stir inside him and a shadowy being manifested beside him and his teacher. Invisible to all eyes other than his, Bing Xin appeared. Initially, his face threatened to pale, but he remembered that Bing Xin couldn’t be seen like this. Apparently.

“Ho… sorry for intruding on your reunion, but I must say, your teacher came upon quite the potent remnant, little monk.” She said as her shadowy arm swirled around Jiansu’s outstretched hand holding the jagged glass.

Dejiu ignored her. “Shatter their soul? And anyone?”

Jiansu cleared his throat. “The Shard of Splintered Finality — For the wielder of this fateless shard, it offers invaluable aid in seeking finality. To catch the visage of your enemy spells doom for their soul. The enemy's soul will be shattered, though the effect depends on the might of the reflected soul.”

Dejiu exhaled. He quickly realized his breaths had been held this whole time. The presence of the glass shard was just as heavy as it seemed. Well, for obvious reasons of course. He already had his soul expertly, precisely, and purposefully shattered by Bing Xin. Even then he needed to rest his fragile and ever so delicate soul. Now for something to shatter it viciously… it sent shivers through Dejiu. Spells doom? Sheesh, take me away!

“For the stand Warrior Monk, it’s kind of surprising you hold this vicious thing in your arsenal.”

“I can take a page from your book, Little Dejiu. Actions and intent speak better.” Jiansu said, dispelling the horrific remnant. “In my youth, I was summoned by the Abbot himself because of this remnant. Back then he mentioned that it could likely eviscerate almost anyone of or below the Earthly Stage, perhaps above as well. Perhaps it could also cripple those far above.”

“...”

“Don’t anger your teacher.” Bing Xin laughed, her form returned inside him.

“Have you used it?” Dejiu asked.

“No. Not once. This is why I don’t know for certain of its effects, but also the largest indicator of its potential. It’s a consumable, not some sort of utility tool a charm of sorts. The moment I use it, the remnant will be destroyed.” Jiansu said nonchalantly, unraveling the scripture he used to slap Dejiu.

Yep. Will not piss him off anymore. That’ll be courting death!