“She didn’t exactly give us directions, Dan. Are you sure you know where you’re going? Or what to do with that thing?” Xiaomei’s emphasis was towards the soul stone, kept safe in Dan’s pocket.

“I’ll know what to do with it when the time is right.” Dan could feel the intent flowing from the dark orb, pulling a little like a magnet. Their pace was quick, but he caught Hyun Soon smirking. “What’s so funny?”

“You sound like her, a little.” Hyun chuckled. When he had carried Xiaomei into the room, Dan thought he might never see another smile cross his friend’s face. Dan thanked his mana, good fortune, the empty god, everything he could think of at once. Most of all, he thanked Elder Yaya.

“There would be worse problems.”

“The path shows itself only once it is walked.” Xiaomei’s impression of the old woman was uncanny enough that Dan actually stopped in surprise. Before he could organise his surprise, she released another perfect mimicry. “You cannot see your reflection in boiling water, young one. Neither, then, can you think clearly through anger.” She nodded wisely, clearly proud of herself.

“You’re amazing.” Hyun might have said that in answer to her sneezing, Dan thought, but it brought a blush to Xiaomei’s cheeks and changed her smile, so it certainly worked.

“Come on, you two,” Dan’s seriousness was undercut by a smile and a laugh, unable to contain his humour at Xiaomei. Still laughing, he said “we’re literally in a warzone. We’ll get caught.” That was probably an exaggeration. As Guan Shi Ai herself had said, Dan had become powerful.

Dan was so used to expecting nothing of himself. He was content being pleased with each small step, that when he had begun to take massive strides, Dan had not truly believed it. There was some catch, some hidden drawback or rug to be pulled out from beneath his unsteady feet. The slip never came, his power didn’t dip, no demon rose from the ground to take its pound of flesh from his soul.

No one would be sneaking up on the group with his awareness as honed as it now stayed. Dan found himself forming a pattern within his core, the first of three that now felt… correct. In his practice with Hyun Soon, Dan had found out the importance of shaping and using the mana within in the way that the mana itself wants to be used and shaped. That knowledge had let him find the natural flow to allow him to heal Xiaomei.

If he split it in his mind, he had a “healing mode”, a “scouting mode” and the final “combat mode”. Upgrading from bruises and grazes to the miracle that he had performed on Xiaomei had been a wish into the wind. A wish which had come true, and blossomed even more than just that.

It felt like the halls of the Jiaoduo were mapped by the most intuitive cartographer possible. Scouting mode involved cycling his mana steadily, even a little sluggish in his core. Any of this slow mana which touched the edges of Dan’s core, he consciously expelled at pace. The balance felt strange, Dan didn’t even know why it had come so naturally to him to move his mana this way, but it produces dramatically increased potency. His awareness was bordering on thousands of feet. The result was an overflow of mana. Dan’s core felt like a full reservoir, with waves of perception falling from the dam wall and spreading into the valley below.

“Dan?” Hyun Soon shouted.

“Sorry?” Dan replied, coming back to himself.

“Lost you for a second there? How far do you think we still have to go?” The boy’s eyes were darting around, even as he knew that Dan was looking. The sounds of battle weren’t avoidable, as much as Dan had tried to keep their trio as far from conflict as possible. Dan realised he was so focused on events dozens of halls over that he lost himself for a moment. He couldn’t do that again, his new scouting prowess came with thorns if he wasn’t careful.

“I don’t know for sure, but it feels close.” All the rooms of the Jiaoduo either looked the same, or close enough. Elder Yaya had told them that they would find Guan Fa Lian in the Guan family vault. When they had asked where exactly that was, the old woman had responded with the incredibly cryptic “It isn’t exactly anywhere.” Dan had started to feel the soul stone’s pull at that point, so he had led the others away so that Elder Yaya could rest.

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She looked like she would need it.

Not letting himself think about that was easy, as avoiding conflict became an impossibility. There was no time to give Xiaomei and Hyun Soon a chance at reacting themselves, Dan instead choosing to tackle them both to the ground. Trust was a lifesaver, as neither fought against Dan’s weight bringing them down.

“What’s happening?” Xiaomei whispered.

“It’s already happened.” Dan’s words were likely lost, the effect of the razor-blade mana occurring as he spoke. The walls, ceiling and windows of the hallway they had been running down exploded into a spray of splinters. “Move!” A step ahead, Dan heaved both of their collars and the three took off sprinting.

“It’s her isn’t it?” Hyun Soon’s voice had dropped into deep hatred.

“Po Daiyu is fighting a teacher in that direction.” Dan pointed, but both Hyun Soon and Xiaomei knew where the damage had come from. An entire wing of the Jiaoduo was being torn apart by the battle. Dan had specifically avoided bringing attention to it, hoping somehow that he was done with the violent woman. Instead of being done, he was being dragged in.

“Hyun! Stop!” Dan chased after his friend, who was definitely not listening right now. Except, he was the only one chasing. Xiaomei had stopped, her eyes wide. Torn, Dan didn’t know what to do for a moment. “Stay there, or go back to Guan Shi Ai.” Dan shouted a hopeful command at Xiaomei. He wanted to help her, even as his feet carried him after the sprinting Hyun Soon, but of his two friends, only one was running towards danger, dismemberment or death.

It was no surprise to Dan that if he was trying, Hyun Soon would eclipse him in speed. Hyun was forming powerful mana in his legs, similar to the gauntlets he used for combat, but the result was like putting springs in the large boy’s feet. This wasn’t just a footrace though, Po Daiyu was dangerous and clearly not holding back. He channelled his words through his mana like he had in the forest, so to Hyun Soon it would sound right in his ear.

“Slow down. I’m coming with you, but Xiaomei is scared.”

“We can protect her by dealing with Po Daiyu.” Dan was shocked by the violence he could hear ready in his friend’s voice.

“We can just leave.”

“No, you can’t.” In an instant, an explosion of mana appeared in Dan’s vision, right next to him. Without time to respond, a fist caught Dan’s jaw and sent him punching through multiple wooden walls before he stopped. His left shoulder screamed in agony, distracting him from the pain in his mouth and also keeping him conscious. He had raised his hand to block the blow, diverting some of the power. If he hadn’t, he might have lost his head.

How? How had someone snuck up on him so thoroughly?

Dan stood, using his right arm to push himself up with a groan. Opening his eyes, he threw himself to the left, this time using his right arm to block. A second punch connected, though this time Dan had been slightly more prepared, for all the good it did. Nothing felt broken this time, but he soared through the air with the force of the hit.

He got a good look at his attacker this time, but even that was like being smacked in the brain. To Dan’s sharp, mana infused eyes, the man’s cloak was like looking directly into the sun. Not in terms of power, but its radiance almost blinded him when he looked directly at it. No wonder he had been able to sneak up on Dan.

Dan landed on his feet, twisting in the air and rolling as he touched the roof. Whoever this was, it didn’t seem like talking things over was an option. “Hyun, someone’s attacking me.” Dan didn’t even know if Hyun Soon was listening at this point, and he could no longer focus any attention elsewhere.

To keep his attacker in his vision, Dan was basically forcing himself to use his peripheral vision. For himself, that meant looking where his mana wasn’t, instead of where it was. It wasn’t perfect, but it allowed him to dodge the next swing, the man was toying with Dan and clearly surprised to be avoided.

“Oh, wow,” a deep voice from within the cloak said in surprise, “you’re good.” The assault stopped, though Dan did not make any sudden movements or let his guard drop even an inch. “Hey. Who are you?”

“It’s better manners to give your own name first.” Dan had no inclination to give himself away, Elder Yaya had explained his importance. The surprise attack had hurt Dan’s chances, if he’d had any before. With a damaged arm, any fighting was likely to be quick and immensely painful for Dan. Still, he gathered his mana and shifted away from scouting mode.

“None of the kiddies should be able to stand up to me.” The man was talking to himself at this point. Without being able to look at him, Dan couldn’t tell if the man was even watching him at this point. “So, are you a new kid? Are you an old man in a young body? What’s the deal?”

The man's accent sounded like he wasn’t from the local area or at least Dan had certainly never met anyone like them. The closest he could think was an envoy Park Man-Shik had once supplied with some trade, a man from the empire. It didn’t matter much, but Dan was searching for anything that might buy him time.

“I’m new,” Dan decided to answer, “but not that new.”

“What’s your name, new kid?”

“I’d really rather get yours first.”

“Ah well,” Dan tensed as the man’s voice grew thick with malice, “suppose you’ll be dead soon anyway.” Dan felt his mana begin to pop. Any near the man seemed to fill with fiery energy in an instant and ignite. The air around the man started to crackle with energy and Dan groaned. Whoever this was, he might well be more dangerous than Po Daiyu.

No more room for banter, Dan prepared himself for the fight of his life.