* * *

Mogao was burning. Here and there flames rose into the air, explosions were heard, shouts of battle and groans of the wounded. Near the stone piers, the hulks of ships were burning, and dead bodies floated in the water. Xing felt his heart ache as he felt his guilt at what was happening. He was the one who had failed to stop Sharif, the one who had lost him the second time, and the one who had had a hand in the creation of the army of conquest, whose fish bodies glistened between the harbor buildings. Or rather, not even a hand at all, which made the situation even worse.

Far away in the city, several huge fighting humanoid puppets towered over the houses. Sharif seemed to have learned from the previous failure, making these idiots even stronger.

"Go," Almirakh said. "They need you now!"

"And you?" Xing asked. "It's dangerous here."

"I love how much you care for me," the mermaid bared her teeth. "That's why I love you. But you're forgetting something!"

She raised her hand and showed her bracelet with a brightly burning pearl. Xing realized that Almirakh was strong on her own, and now, with her extra qi, she was many times stronger. But the anxiety did not let up.

"You're wasting your time," Almirakh reminded him. "I have my task. I am the one who birthed them in my womb, which means it is my responsibility. It is my duty to deprive Sharif of his army."

Xing nodded, acknowledging her point.

"There are still guards. Try to avoid them."

"Don't worry about me," the mermaid snorted. "Also, Xing..."

"Yes?"

"You will meet my children. You may think they should be spared, whether out of pity for them or out of love for me. You may think that since I can override Sharif's control, every newt you kill is another dead warrior in my army. Give up such ideas. I don't consider myself their mother, they are Sharif's spawn first and foremost. I don't even know what I'll do with them when this is over. So do what you think is right."

Xing didn't wonder at Almirakh's insight, as if she had read his mind. He nodded briefly, snatched up his flail, and flew into the air, heading for the giant figure of the nearest puppet.

Some of the soldiers of the city garrison were holding the defense, but their forces were running low. Whoever was in charge of the army took the matter seriously. The hieroglyphs flashed in the air, showing the work of protective talismans, and alchemical compositions flew at the creature, which, hitting the stone body, exploded or burned through the stone. It seemed the turtle's previous attack had served as a good warning, so the city leader didn't skimp on equipment. And if the puppet had been alone, this squad would have had a good chance of at least immobilizing it, if not defeating it, by melting or tearing off one of its legs.

But unfortunately for the defenders, the giant was accompanied by a horde of fishmen. Unlike the Almirakh, Sharif had not bothered to equip them. Each of them has a single spear with a tip of wretched iron. But the strength of any newt who had once received the qi of Xing was equal to an adept. Even though they, like Xing himself, did not know a single technique, they were strong and ferocious. And they were many, far more than the defenders.

The puppet raised its hand again and fired a fireball at the defenders. The talisman burst into flames and crumbled into ashes. The Mogao soldiers only tightened their formation, gripped their shields tighter, and thrust their swords and spears forward. Their faces and qi betrayed a grim determination to hold out as long as possible, to fall, but to sell their lives for more, protect the inhabitants, and buy them a few heartbeats of time. Xing knew the residents were in no particular danger. Sharif wanted living subjects and undamaged buildings, not breathless bodies among the charred ruins. But the heroism and determination of Mogao's soldiers was impressive and commanded considerable respect.

Unfortunately, it was because of the city, because of the townspeople whose qi he could still feel inside the houses, he couldn't use serious enough elemental effects. So Xing did it the simple old-fashioned way. He attacked the puppet from above, knocked off its head with a flail, split its sturdy body, ripped out the flaming crystalline heart in an openwork lattice from the Azrak, and hid it in a bracelet. Then, under the astonished gazes of the townspeople and soldiers, Xing picked up the fishmen with qi, lifted them high into the air, and turned them into ashes after creating the Fire element. Fish limbs with spears still clutched in them spattered onto the rooftops and stone slabs of the street. Some particularly brave townspeople jumped out from under the protection of the talismans and armed themselves, grabbing the fishmen's weapons. Xing easily jumped from the standing hulk of the puppet and approached the lingzhang of Mogao's defenders.

"I know you!" Shouted one of the soldiers. "You're that cook! Oh, I'm sorry! You look a lot like one of the..."

"I'm sorry, Sheng," Xing smirked, "but my restaurant is closed! There were some temporary hardships!"

"Do you... Do you remember me?" the soldier was surprised.

"I remember all my visitors. But now seems like a bad time to talk about cooking."

"'Mr. Xing Duo" said the gray-haired Lingjiang who commanded the dozen. "Please help! I can see how strong you are, and the situation is serious. I don't know if we can survive with your help, but without you, Mogao will surely fall!"

"Linjiang, you don't have to say that. If I wasn't going to help, I wouldn't have come. I don't know if this will help you, but..."

Xing pulled out several bottles of elixirs from his bracelet, which fell onto the stones with a loud clatter, but the reinforced glass didn't shatter. The soldiers and Lingjiang rounded their eyes.

"It strengthens qi, speeds up the healing of wounds, and makes you stronger," Xing explained. - And speaking of wounds..."

He raised his hand, speeding up the circulation of qi in the heart dantian. It was more difficult to treat from a distance, and subtle manipulations required direct touch or better acupuncture. But burns, puncture wounds, and stab wounds could be dealt with just as well. There were loud cheers from the soldiers and townspeople whose wounds began to heal and disappear. Xing didn't listen to the thanks, but climbed onto the roof of the nearest house, looked at Mogao, and thought.

The ideal course of action would be to kill Sharif. Of course, that wouldn't stop the invasion: both the puppets and the newts would continue to act following their previous orders, he knew that from Shadia and Almirakh. But Xing wanted to solve the main problem first and deal with everything else later. He decided to abandon the search for Sharif for two reasons. The first was that Sharif could surprise him again by sending Xing to the edge of the sky and the corner of the ocean leaving the city completely defenseless. The second, and the main one, was the heroes always tear through hordes of minions to take down the main villain last.

So Xing rushed on, jumping and flying from battle to battle, killing fishmen, destroying puppets, taking their hearts and valuable components, healing townsfolk, guards, and soldiers, in passing growing stone walls out of the ground to make it harder for new waves of fishmen to attack and advance.

"Hello, Master!" He shouted cheerfully, after killing another puppet and destroying a group of newts. "You're not married yet?"

"Who would talk about getting married?" The unchanged Cai Shaolong snorted, not surprised by his appearance. "I'm not the one who ran out of town from a stupid girl with wind in her head!"

"But he found two others!" Xing laughed, dumping a pile of bottles in front of Shaolong. "Inside are..."

"I'm an alchemist! I'll figure it out!" Master Cai cut him off. "Did you find your ring? I thought you were just messing with my head."

Xing didn't specify that it wasn't a ring, but a bracelet and that he hadn't found it, but had made it. He waved to his former mentor, treated the soldiers, guards, and townspeople again, and rode on.

Feeling that one of the two familiar sources of qi had weakened and flickered, Xing rushed in that direction. In a small square with the ruins of a fountain, he saw the hulk of a destroyed puppet, over three dozen dead fish people, and two figures, one bent over the other, laying his hands on it.

Xing recognized the two of them. They were the two arrogant beauties who lived in Mogao and had the rank of Master Qi. But for some reason, not only had they not increased in strength over the years, but they had become weaker, with a shaky and unstable internal energy that could not be blamed on their injuries.

The silk qipao of both was stained with blood. Not just newt blood. There were open wounds, and the one on the ground had a spear sticking out of her belly.

"O beautiful fairies Xue Lingjian and Peipei Mairong," Xing cheerfully exclaimed as he landed next to them, "don't you need my help?"

Xue gave him a tired look.

"Is that you? As you can see, we don't have time to eat right now."

"What happened?" Xing asked, forestalling a rant about unanswerable questions, quickly added: "Yes, I realize you're both hurt. But that's why I'm surprised. Considering your strength..."

"Strength! There is no more of our strength!" Xue Lingjian said angrily. "He was so alert, so polite, so hospitable. Would Grand Masters Lingjian and Mairong be willing to have tea? The matter for which I have invited you is important to all of Mogao! And the bastard didn't completely lie."

"Poison?" Xing guessed. "Did someone put something in your tea?"

"Something alchemical," Xue nodded, "It didn't feel at all, the tea tasted pretty good. The fact, that our qi was almost uncontrollable, we only felt it the next morning when the invasion had already begun."

Xing hesitated for a moment. The potion disrupted the qi flow something he knew very well. And not only did he know it, he was the one who had once made it! This elixir, which was tasteless and odorless, was one of those unfortunate byproducts of alchemy, a dozen vials of which he had once sold to the Ximen House. He had tried drinking this elixir for training purposes, to weaken his qi and thus increase his workload in training, but his body soon got used to it and began to overcome the effects even before he finished the vial.

"We're both already dead," Xue said. "I have a punctured liver and selenium, and Peipei has a stomach wound, a damaged spine, and a damaged heart. Besides, those things have smeared their spears with poison. Please, Xing Duo, or whatever your name is, tell the Binren of the guards or, failing that, someone higher up, that Li Wei is a traitor."

"Li Wei?" Xing was surprised. "I don't know such a name."

Xing was being a bit sly. Someone called Wei was someone he knew. But this was the villain from the crystal, a demonic cultivator who gained power from inflicting pain not only on others but also on himself.

"Have you ever heard of the Wei clan?" Xue asked irritably. "But wait, you haven't been here for a long time. Li of the Wei clan married Xifeng of the Ximen clan a few years ago. The position of the Ximen family, who were related to the Chief Inspector of Roads and Water Supply, had risen a lot since then. Forget about my request. No one will believe you anyway."

"They'll definitely believe you!" Xing laughed. "You can tell them later!"

Irritation flared up in Xue's qi again, but she didn't waste her energy arguing. Peipei was so weak that she didn't respond, only letting out a faint groan.

Xing didn't waste any more time chattering. He could see both were bad and wouldn't last long, especially Peipei. He walked over to Xue and put his hand on her shoulder.

"What do you..."

"Shut up!" Xing ordered. "It might hurt a little."

The alchemical poison in Xue's blood was interfering with healing, so Xing quickly closed the most serious wounds and switched to her friend.

He swiped his hand and the bloody qipao opened up, cut into several pieces, revealing an albeit injured but still beautiful body. Pulling out the spear fragment, Xing channeled the heart qi, preventing the blood from spurting, removing the dirt, and splicing the organ tissues. Xue looked at this with astonished eyes, unable to utter a word. After making sure her friend was not in danger, Xing picked up the still-stunned Xue and laid her down on the ground beside her. She was so stunned that she didn't resist even when Xing slit her qipao, exposing her body.

"Don't worry, I'm a healer!" He tried to reassure the girls, just in case. Then he put his hands on their strong, muscular tummies and channeled energy through his palms.

Peipei's pale face began to regain its color, and Xue's cheeks flushed. She didn't say anything but gazed intently at Xing's face as he ran his hands over her body and her friend's body.

"Now I'm going to do something you might not like very much!" Xing warned.

"There's nothing you can do now that I don't like," came a deep, slightly husky female voice.

"Peipei!" Xue exclaimed and twitched, trying to stand up, but Xing's hand held her in place.

"Move carefully," he warned. "The treatment isn't over yet."

After waiting for an affirmative nod, Xing released his hand. Xue stood up, sat down next to Peipei, leaned over, and kissed her lightly on the forehead.

"I... I... I thought it was over," she said, sobbing. "That we'd only meet in the next life. Or never see each other again."

"Xue," Peipei whispered, "we've been through so much together! And even after death..."

"As long as I'm around," Xing interrupted her, "it's silly to talk about death! Both of you be quiet, I need to concentrate!"

He put his hands on the soles of Peipei's feet and guided them upward, up her ankles, knees, and thighs. The qi of his heart dantian was collecting the poison and impurities of the body, trapping them, and preventing them from spreading through the body with the bloodstream. His palms traveled down Peipei's bosom, over her belly, up to her ribs, and then over her large, full breasts. After lingering on her nipples, they slid upward to her collarbones and then to her shoulders. Xing brought his palms together and Xue cried out when she saw a swelling on her friend's skin that looked like a black and blue tumor. With one hand holding this tumor in place, Xingg swiped the other over Peipei's head and arms, squeezing the remaining abomination into one place. Finally, he poked at the tumor with his finger. The skin split open, and disgusting black blood spurted out. A drop of blood the size of a quail's egg rose into the air and burst into flames, disappearing in a vapor. The cut that appeared at the site of the tumor closed instantly.

Despite the concentration required for the healing, Xing couldn't help but notice the beauty of Peipei, the smoothness of her skin, the firmness of her muscles, and the fullness of her breasts. So when Xing felt the qi circulating frantically in his lower dantian at the end of the healing, he rejoiced that he had recently cultivated with Almirakh, so he could still hold himself together. Remembering the mermaid, Xing checked her qi. The girl was fine, and judging from the number of newt lights around her, things were going well.

"How's that?" He asked Peipei. She had blushed heavily and was now breathing heavily. "Nothing hurts?"

She only shook her head. Xing grabbed Xue a little more roughly than he had intended, spread her out on the ground, and began to rid her body of poisons and impurities. Xue was slightly taller, had slightly larger breasts, and was just as beautiful as her friend. Both of their faces flushed with embarrassment, and Xing grinned. Now they looked nothing like the haughty celestials with icy gazes they had tried to look like in the past. If it weren't for the pressing time and concern for Almirakh, Xing would have proceeded with a much more thorough healing process, not missing any nooks and spots where sickness might lurk, front or back. Especially as he could see now that Peipei was on her feet, the "back" also looked excellent. Therefore, it requires the most thorough medical examination.

Xing glanced at the naked bodies once more and then took out two dresses of more or less suitable sizes from his bracelet. The two girls' elegant eyebrows rose to their foreheads, but they did not say anything and began to dress quickly. Alas, the women's outfits stolen from the sorcerers of Akhribad were made of thin translucent fabrics, which meant they did not hide so much as reveal. The effect was even more impressive than if both had remained naked. The consequence of this effect was a strong desire to rip off both dresses immediately.

"I have almost destroyed the puppets," Xing said. "My friend will take care of the fish people. Now I need to find the sorcerer, but I can't sense his qi. So I'm off to find him, and you two should probably get some rest. You've both been through a lot."

"I'm just overflowing with energy!" Xue Lingjian said.

"I've never felt so strong either!" Peipei Meirong nodded.

They looked at each other, Xue pointed at Xing with a movement of her eyes, and Peipei nodded.

"We'll go with you!" Xue made a general decision.

"Then we should hurry up!" Xing grudgingly agreed. "It looks like we'll be looking for a long time."

"Don't worry," Peipei replied, "I think we know where to go."

* * *

Xing ran with the two Fairies, jumping over ruins and whole houses and running across rooftops and streets. The girls moved beautifully and sparingly, Xing would have preferred to run behind them to admire the spectacle, but there was no time for that, alas.

They raced into the harbor, where there were still pockets of resistance, and destroyed two small marionettes and a horde of newts.

"Zanjong! You old sea rat!" Xing shouted happily when he saw the familiar qi. "I thought you were still pirating!"

"I recognize that voice!" Captain Zanjong shouted. "Little Xing, is that you? You seem to have grown up and snatched up two very shapely... Fairy Peipei Marong, Fairy Xue Lingjian! I'm sorry, I'm sorry old fool!"

"Don't shit on the deck, Zenjong!" Xing grinned. "We're here to help!"

Xing leaped forward, collapsing another puppet with his flail and launching the fishmen into the air.

"Flower Storm!" Peipei exclaimed.

"The Scourge of the Ten Thousand Spikes!" Xue's exclamation rang out.

Xing glanced enviously at the jagged line that hollowed out some of the fishmen, and the swarm of purple petals that made holes in another part. He only mentally tightened his grip, crushing the remaining newts, and turning them into bloody mincemeat.

"Xing," Zengzhong shouted fearlessly, "fish dishes are good, but we in Mogao love your Funjian buns the most!"

"It's a deal, old pirate!" Xing laughed. "If you survive, I'll make you one personally! On the house!"

"I wouldn't mind tasting them either," Peipei blinked her eyes invitingly.

"And I'll settle for any of your dishes," Xue smiled timidly.

Xing wasn't a fool, and neither did the qi lie, he understood exactly what both were implying. He would have gladly taken a bite of every bun or peach the two beautiful fairies wanted to offer him. But Almirakh was with him, and he didn't want to do anything dishonorable.

They rushed on, jumped over a building, and ran along the long fence of some manor as Xing ordered them to stop. He walked up to the fairies and placed a palm of his hand, on their chests. A strange storm of emotion flashed through the qi of both of them, first a slight anger replaced by surprise, and then by eager anticipation. Alas, this was not what they desired, nor what Xing himself would have wanted.

"You used techniques," he explained, unable to resist squeezing his palms together a little, "and spent qi. Check it out!"

"I'm overflowing with energy!" Peipei exclaimed.

"Me too," Xue confirmed. "Xing, did you really have to do that? Well, I mean squeezing us!"

"Bodily contact to transmit qi? As close as possible to the heart dantian that neither of you cultivates? Reducing transmission loss and replenishing it quickly?" Xing pelted them with questions. The girls' qi flashed with shame and embarrassment as they questioned the purity of his intentions. "Nope, not necessarily. I could transmit qi to you from a distance without trying to feel the softness and firmness of these magnificent hemispheres!"

Two small fists struck his chest sensitively, but now the girls' qi showed they were very pleased with something.

They visited the city barracks, where a fierce battle was still being fought, visited the burning marketplace, where Xing grabbed the heads of the fishmen who were mechanically thrusting their spears into the bodies of the townspeople and crushed them like rotten apples. They met a few Qi Adepts and two Masters in scattered battles, gathered them into a small detachment, and sent them to rejoin the garrison.

And all the while, Xing searched for Sharif's qi, but could not find him. There were two possibilities: either Sharif was not participating in the battle, relying on the minions, or he had learned to hide his sikhir much better than before.

There was only one large enough group of fishmen left, unless, of course, one took into account the Almirakh army, which now numbered more than a dozen thousand newts. The group was located behind a mountain cliff with a lighthouse tower on top of it, where Xing vaguely recalled that he had never been, and where the wealthy neighborhoods, including the main estate of the Simyn family, were located.

The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

"That way," he pointed towards the mountain. "I sense a lot of creatures, two puppets, and a master-level qi. I've never been there before, so I'll take any advice I can get."

The girls looked at each other.

"That's where we wanted to take you. That's where Fuying's palace is!" Xue said.

"You almost married the heiress of the Ximen House," Peipei said in surprise, showing a strange familiarity with his personal affairs. "Don't be surprised, after you left, the whole of Mogao was talking about it. I thought..."

"I've only done business with the Ximen clan at the port and their shop!" Xing waved away.

"And some particularly heated negotiations - in a turtle shell!" Peipei said slyly, and the girls laughed.

They ran up the mountain and looked out from behind the trees to see the bay. It was really beautiful. Green parks, tall pagodas and towers, well-kept estates, and wide squares paved with colorful stone. In one of the squares, Xing saw something that made his heart race with joy and anticipation.

A broad-shouldered man was kneeling among a large group of fishmen and two huge puppets. Two newts keep his hands behind his back, holding him in a kneeling position. The man's qi was strong, but he couldn't to use it. His arms and legs were covered with burning chains of recognizable symbols, the secret language of Ahribad's sorcerers.

A figure floated in the air in front of him, a figure that seemed small from here, but which Xing could see with his enhanced vision. No matter how little time had passed, Sharif had not wasted any of it. His huge feather cap had grown even larger, and in it shone a crystal much larger than the previous one. His shoulders were even broader because of the scarlet armor covering his body, seemingly made of a single piece of shimmering ruby. The wand had changed, too, and now looked more like a staff, its tip bifurcating into two hooded desert snakes holding a huge diamond-like gem in their open jaws. Either the armor, one of the rings dotting his fingers, or some other artifact made his qi completely invisible, faintly distinguishable from the energy of a normal human.

"We have to get close," Xing said. "And do it stealthily."

"But why?" Xue wondered. "We can attack together. Today, we've handled bigger forces more than once."

"It's about the sorcerer," Xing explained. "I've met him twice. And both times he had very unpleasant surprises in store for me. And now he's not even close."

"But how do we get close?" Peipei asked. "Once we start going down the slope, we'll be in the palm of our hand."

"There is a way! - Xing smirked. He grabbed both fairies by the waist and pulled them to him. He concentrated, directing the qi, enveloping them in a tight cocoon and dissolving them into the earth and plants.

"You possess the elements of Earth and Wood?" Peipei marveled.

"I'm good at many things," Xing grinned, pulling their firm bodies tighter against him.

"And you're saying that this one," Xue poked him in the side with her palm, "isn't necessary either?"

"Who knows?" Xing laughed, regretting he was wearing salamander-skin clothing that prevented him from fully feeling the bulges pressing against him. "Maybe there's no need to squeeze you while enjoying your magnificent bodies, or maybe the smaller the target, the better the disguise. Hold on tight and try to be quiet!"

He slid his hands lower, tucking the girls under other bulges, and ran forward. The fairies clutched his shoulders and neck with their hands, breathing quickly and labored.

Xing slowed as he approached the gathering of fishmen. Carefully, calculating each step, he carried the girls past the newts and stopped not far from Sharif. Not only to plan his attack but also to hear the contents of the sorcerer's conversation with the Fuyin.

"You don't understand," Sharif said in a strange accent, and Xing realized it was the first time he had ever heard him speak Imperial. "Mogao has already fallen! Fall the moment I set up the barrier! No one can get in now! Not your Emperor, not your warriors!"

"The best grandmasters of the Empire will break your barrier!" Fuyin shook his head stubbornly, and the fishmen clasped his hands again. "The Emperor will send someone strong, before whom your fish are like grains of sand before a hurricane! As long as I breathe, as long as life in me, I will remain true to my oath!"

"Too bad, too bad," Sharif shook his head. "I appreciate good officials. You see, I have a lot of newts, my troops. And a lot of Keepers. And who is my little bit is only a reliable man to run the city."

"I..." Fuyin began, but the sorcerer swiped his hand lazily, and the fishmen twisted his arms, interrupting his reply.

"I know. You want to say die without surrendering. But think, how can I take your no, not your city? The whole island! How do I do it before soldiers, warriors, and generals come?"

Fuyin silently stared sullenly and burned the sorcerer with his gaze.

"You're good! I got it right away! That's right! I don't have time to make musawar myself! I can't make aalam mastur fast! It takes a lot of time, sikhir, and effort! Foolish barbarians gather a crowd to attack the border! Strong Emperor's army gathered crowd soon beat the barbarian! It takes a lot of time to get back! I can make it, but it's dangerous, I can't make it! Need a helper! Weaken the Mogao soldiers, dig the musavar in advance! I have time, even when the vile imperial barbarian worm runs to the rescue run, run, run! But my army to come, aalam mastur immediately appear, your vaults with talisman and potions destroy! Even the two strongest, most beautiful female warriors lost sikhir and died!

When the girls heard this, they squirmed in Xing's arms, which was very pleasant, and clung to his shoulders with all their might, which was much less pleasant. If it wasn't for the silence order, they would be hissing like angry cats right now.

"Traitor!" shouted Fuyin. "We have been betrayed!"

"Why would he be a traitor?" A new voice rang out, at the sound of which the girls seemed distraught and tried to break free from Xing's iron grip. "I would say a far-sighted man who understands the force of inevitable circumstances, who just wants a place that suits his talents."

From behind the backs of the fishmen came a man in expensive clothes, whose qi Xing had spotted long ago, but he considered him one of the captives.

"Li Wei!" Fuying exclaimed.

Xing looked at the traitor closely. Nothing about his appearance or qi that made him look like a scoundrel. He had a pleasant and handsome face with a well-groomed mustache and a neat beard, eyes with wrinkles in the corners of his eyes from frequent smiles, a tall stature, and broad shoulders. If Xing saw such a visitor at the Panzer, he would have offered him a good drink.

"Li of the Wei family, fourth-ranking official, inspector of roads and water supply," the traitor confirmed. "I didn't even have to hide when I showed you, Mr. Fengzheng, the paper with my seal. The workers you assigned didn't ask any questions, believing they were helping to settle the peninsula. And they were right, they were indeed helping to settle Lord Al Mazrui's new domain."

"You won't get away with this, traitor!" Fuyin shouted, trying to circulate qi. The sorcerous sigils flashed and his body shook in convulsions.

Xing shifted his gaze to Sharif. A wry smile played on his face, and he seemed enjoying the show.

"Haven't you realized yet, you insignificant insect? It's already worked!" Li Wei grinned. "I'm not going to challenge my lord's orders, if he thinks there is any value in your pathetic life, then I only have to obey. Overlord, I would like to inform you once again. I am perfectly capable of handling the duties of a Fuying on my own. So there is no value in his life!"

"I think of your words, servant!" Sharif nodded importantly. "And it is a great pity that not all have your foresight and intelligence! And while my warrior must finish, we must finish too! I am going to take the peninsula fall sweet figs my foot!

"Nothing is finished yet! - Fuying shrieked, despite the pain in his hands. "Fairies Peipei Mairong and Xue Lingjian are very strong. They are one of the strongest masters of the Empire! And they will never..."

"Now they're feeding newts!" Li Wei laughed. "I'm sorry, Master, that I interrupted you."

"Nevermind," Sharif nodded favorably. "You can go on!"

"Oh, how beautiful and graceful they are," the traitor continued through his laughter, "so proud and haughty! You know, Wan Fengzhen, whom I married not long ago. The Ximen clan did not live up to my expectations, and my precious wife is as cold in bed as one of these fish people. But even so, being related to Ximen has given me a lot of opportunities. And you know what?"

Fuyin didn't give him the pleasure of asking the question, but Li Wei wasn't the least bit upset by it.

"The Ximen family has an excellent stock of alchemical potions. Some of them are extremely powerful, albeit unpredictable. Alas, they never told me about the alchemist who created them, I only know that it was not Master Shaolong. And some of the elixirs are true treasures Ximen didn't have the imagination to make good use of. You say fairies? The strongest masters? Well, perhaps if they were grandmasters, they would be able to overcome the effects of this elixir, though I doubt it. A strong and imperceptible poison has no color, smell, or taste. Its effects are so mild and subtle that the masters feel nothing until it's too late. Did you say - strongest masters? My elixir says - weakest adepts!"

The girls twitched again, trying to get away, and Xing pinched their roundnesses unceremoniously, urging them to be careful. They gave him strange glances but remained quiet. Fuyin couldn't calm down, and he was tearing himself from the fishmen's grip so hard that he was bleeding on his forearms, where the claws of his webbed paws were digging into them.

"Believe me, I'm as sorry as you are!" Li Wei laughed, enjoying the spectacle. "I wish it could have gone differently! Such a senseless waste of a woman's beauty! Of course, they would resist, but that's exactly what I love the most! My sweet little Xifeng also plays hard to get, but that's how I manage to shake her up. Master, if those two bitches are still alive..."

"Don't mind taking it away!" Sharif replied. "I don't care!"

Xing saw the fishmen stirred strangely, shifting from foot to foot. He smiled - just in time. In the wide bay of the rich neighborhood, many scaly tails flickered in the water, among which Xing saw the familiar red crest and the strong qi.

"Now it's time!" He whispered to the girls one by one, almost accidentally touching their dainty ears with his lips. "Don't worry about the fish, they're on our side now."

Peipei and Xue nodded and curved their beautiful full lips in evil and promising grins.

* * *

He was well aware that it would not be easy, that Sharif had a lot of dirty tricks, so he decided to finish it as soon as possible. You can have long conversations about your accomplishments and abilities with a corpse. After all, only a dead body can't arrange some unpleasant surprise for a chatterer.

So Xing leaped into the air and unleashed a series of flail attacks on Sharif. There was a loud clang of collapsing defenses, reminding him of their first fight.

Sharif showed commendable vigilance: upon receiving the first blows, he soared upward and pointed his staff at Xing. Xing ran sideways, hiding behind the back of one of the puppets. There was no lightning or fire this time. The slight fluctuation of the sikhir suggested the direction of the attack, and just as Xing jumped aside, space was split open by a multitude of black-jagged breaches. The puppet beside which Xing was standing and several fishmen fell to the ground in cut pieces.

"You!" Sharif shouted. "You again! You're alive, like a slimy scolopendra searching for the smallest crevice between the stones!"

Xing rushed to the second puppet, and another spatial distortion hit it on the leg. It slowly and majestically fell on its back, crushing one newt. A string of fireballs burst out of the puppet's hands and flew upwards, exploding in the air.

Xing jumped again, darted to the side, pushed off the air pad, and made another leap. Catching up with Sharif, Xing withdrew his staff with one hand, and with the other, he crushed the rings on the sorcerer's fingers. To Xing's surprise, Sharif's wrist did not break, it was now stronger than any stone.

Xing recoiled again, dodging another attack and staring angrily at Sharif.

"What, you little gnat, don't the old tricks work?" Sharif laughed. "You took me by surprise once, and the second time you hid behind my precious teacher's back. As I thought, you're nothing on your own!"

Xing shook his head in puzzlement, but then he realized Sharif considered Xing's inaction in the tower of Ahribad to be a weakness. And if you think about it, all the sorcerer had seen was the first battle and then only the disarming of the artifact, so he had no idea of Xing's strength or abilities.

"But Shadia kicked your moldy beard! - Xing shouted. "So you had to flee Akhribad for fear of her wrath!"

Xing was worried about his beloved. He admitted something bad might have happened to her, so he decided to provoke the sorcerer to frankness by cunningly luring out such important information.

"I admit," Sharif said, still attacking, "that the teacher has gotten a little stronger. But not enough to keep me from squashing her like a bug if I wanted to. I didn't wish it myself. I left her in this miserable Akhribad to live a miserable existence. No one wants a shining piece of glass when there's a huge diamond in front of him!"

Xing didn't hold back his laughter. The sorcerer himself reported that Shadia was alive and well.

"You find my words funny, worm?"

Xing ran up to the lying puppet, ripped out its heart, and replied:

"That's the funniest thing I've ever heard in my life! You talk as if you already have Mogao in your hands. As if you've already won."

This time, the black lightning bolts that absorbed the light came from the staff, which Xing also chose to run away from. The pieces of stone, living creatures, and trees they hit simply disappeared, turning into perfectly flat round holes.

"I've already won!" Sharif laughed. "Even if you run away again, hiding in some hole, Mogao has already fallen. Even the Empire's strongest warriors have no access to the aalam mastur, which means my newt army is unstoppable!"

"No one but their mother!" Xing shouted. "Who has much more authority over them!"

Sharif looked back and saw the string of fishmen leaving the square and running toward the water. His face contorted with anger.

"Well, we'll have to finish what we started a long time ago!" said Sharif. "It was an oversight on my part to keep her alive, but not for long. There is no way out of here."

Xing flew into the air and struck Sharif with the flail again - the sorcerer needed to be occupied with something. He checked the qi of Xue, Peipei, Fuyin, and the traitor. All four had already moved far enough away and were watching the fight from a safe distance.

"Compared to me, you are a pathetic little thing in front of Lakhib Shadid! But now you will feel my wrath!"

A new shower of spells came out of the staff - lightning, space distortion, and some poisonous green balls that exploded and left huge holes in the ground.

Xing flew into the air again, tried again to destroy the rings - this time on Sharif's other arm.

"Do you want to break the aalam mastur again?" Sharif laughed. "I was imprudent, but I will not make the same mistake again. The key musawar is no longer with me. It is hidden in a safe place, and you will not find it even in a thousand years! But don't worry, you won't have to search that long, for you won't live more than a minute!"

Xing weaved together elements of Fire, Lightning, Earth, and Metal, hurling stone spikes and fireballs at Sharif. His ruby armor only flashed brighter, deflecting all attacks.

"Your musawar is not bad," Sharif smiled indulgently. "But musawars are only useful up to a certain point. The main thing is the sorcerer's knowledge and talent! And you'll never master spells like mine!

Xing stared at Sharif in surprise. The words seemed very familiar. Something similar to what Dariush had said to Bao Xiao before he lost his head. Xing would have to act in the same way, too.

Xing stretched his hand up and finally released the qi that had been restrained until now. A stream of pure energy struck the cloudless sky, spread across the invisible barrier, and pressed down, breaking and distorting. There was a vile sound as if a thousand dozen people were scraping their fingernails on the mica plates. Somewhere far over the horizon was an explosion, and a tall mushroom cloud rose into the air, visible even from over the mountain. The sky crackled and flared with light, and when the flash faded, the sun appeared, and serene clouds fled.

Qi of Xing attracted the hovering Sharif, restrained him in his arms and legs, and lowered him to the ground. Unable to withstand the strain, the ruby armor cracked and faded.

"Ibaad Ila Al-Ufuq Al-Baid!" shouted Sharif.

Xing shook his head disapprovingly as his qi ripped through the spell structure. Did Sharif really think he could pull off the same trick a third time? He had just said that it didn't work!

"I don't need spells like yours!" Xing replied. "My flail is good enough!"

The Purple Oak wood glowed with an overflowing qi. Xing swung the flail and without fuss, smashed Sharif's head.

* * *

What struck Xing most about the people of Mogao was their equanimity. The invading army had passed through the city, fire-spewing giant monster puppets and invulnerable evil sorcerers, but it was over in half a day, and everyone was fixing houses, pulling burnt shipwrecks out of the water, cleaning up bodies, and reopening stores. The half-burned central marketplace was up and running, too, and Xing could swear he could see the webbed claws and crests of newts among the goods being sold.

He had plenty of work, too, even if no one asked for any. Xing ran around the city, healing the wounded, removing debris, rebuilding walls and houses, and burning the corpses of the fishmen. Finally, as the day began to draw toward evening, Xing went ashore, accompanied by Peipei and Xue, to visit Almirakh.

"Are you okay?" He asked, jumping into the water and swimming up to the mermaid.

"I'm doing fine," the girl replied. "I've collected many newts, all the survivors."

"What are you going to do with them now? It's a real army!"

Almirakh smiled with a toothy grin.

"Let my father think about that. I guess I'll swim home."

"For my help in the defense of the city, Fuyin granted me..."

"Help?" Almirakh hissed. "You did it all yourself! If it weren't for you, Sharif's plans would have succeeded!"

"If you say so," Xing grinned. "Fuyin granted me a nice mansion with a large territory on the seashore."

"He wants to bind you to Mogao so you can be the city's protector forever!"

"I don't mind it one bit. Especially if one particular mermaid is gonna live in the mansion."

The wave of Almirakh's qi brought joy and fulfillment.

"Unfortunately, not now. It will take me a long time - a couple of years, but more like five. The newts are just fry, born recently, Sharif raised them too fast. They don't understand anything yet. They can't even talk! It will take a lot of time and effort to turn them into normal sea subjects. And when I'm free, I'll be back."

"Shall I come with you?" Xing asked. "I can help."

"I'm sorry, honey, but I'd rather you didn't. Five years is a short parting, we'll see each other again soon."

"If they want to marry you off again..."

"...then the father will have to realize that his daughter has become stronger and has the mightiest army on all four oceans. Don't worry about me. Besides, you've got unfinished business here!"

"Business?" Xing didn't understand. "I'm almost finished, too. I'll hire servants to look after the mansion, and then I can do whatever I want. My goal..."

"No, you silly! Two very important and very urgent matters!" Almirakh shifted her gaze from Xing to Peipei and Xue several times, made a couple of rhythmic movements with her tail, and licked her toothy mouth with her bright red tongue.

"A lecherous mermaid!" Xing laughed. "I don't know why I didn't believe the sailors who told me about your shameless temper!"

"Before I met you, I was a spoiled little home girl who hadn't even learned... Oh!"

"Don't worry, he's already dead," Xing stroked her rough head and scratched behind her comb, "and will never come back into your life.

"You know, I'm actually grateful to him. If it wasn't for him, I never would have met you. And that's worth all the suffering."

"We can spit on his grave together. Out of gratitude. I, too, am happy to have been on that island once."

Almirakh threw her webbed paws around his neck, and Xing nuzzled her in return. He kissed the firm lips and said:

"It's very much like saying goodbye!"

"For a short parting," Almirakh corrected him. "And while I'm gone, find your Mei! I really want to meet her!"

She kissed Xing, pointed her eyes at Peipei and Xue again, slipped out of the embrace, and dove into the water. Her scaly tail flickered in the water. The cove seemed to boil, thousands and thousands of dozens of fish tails splashed in the water, heading away into the sea. Xing wistfully looked at Almirakh with a wistful gaze. She was right, even five years was not a long time for qi cultivators.

* * *

Silently and stealthily, like a thief, Xing sneaked through the night city. The bright light of the rising moons created deep shadows, so it would have been possible to not even hide much. But Xing still concealed his presence and hid his qi. He walked up to one of the mansions, climbed up the wall to the second-floor window, and used the earth element to seep through the stone wall.

The room was illuminated by a few dim qi lights, hidden inside the paper lanterns. Xing stood up to his full height and looked around. There were screens made of bamboo and painted rice paper, an empty lacquered cabinet, engravings on the walls, and a large wide bed on which someone was lying covered in a thin blanket.

Xing let go of his disguise and made his presence known. A woman shrieked, a slender figure dressed only in her underwear jumped up on the bed, and, not the least bit embarrassed by her inappropriate appearance, got into a fighting stance.

"Who's there? Identify yourself!"

Xing had not seen Xifeng for several years, so he stood silently, contemplating her. She had changed very little over the years, except her breasts and hips had rounded a bit more, giving her a halo of maturity.

"I promised I'd be back!" he laughed. "Real heroes always keep their promises. I didn't expect to find out that the house of Ximen....."

"Xing!" Xifeng shouted and started beating his chest with her fists. "It's you! It's all your fault! It's all because of you! Tell me, am I ugly? Do I have a bad temper? Am I as stupid as a barrel of herring?"

Xing stared at Xifeng in surprise. He was prepared for anything, but not this sudden change of topic.

"Well, maybe just a little flighty," he finally admitted. "But more in a charming way."

"Then what's wrong with you? If you hadn't left. If you'd stayed with me, I wouldn't have had to suffer with that bastard! You'd have everything! Power, fame, money! And me!"

"I already got you," Xing smiled at her outburst of emotion.

He had no idea what he was doing here. To see his first woman? To see the wife of a traitor? To avenge something he didn't understand himself for? To fulfill an old, unnecessary promise he'd made only to leave the last word to himself?

"You!" Xifeng attacked him with her fists. "It's all your fault!"

Xing intercepted her wrists and scrutinized her figure once again. No matter what he was going to get, this furious tigress' flash of emotion only evoked one feeling. He pulled her to him.

"You say your marriage to Li Wei didn't work out well?"

"Hey, what are you doing? Let go!"

"For now, your husband is in the dungeon, but will be executed very soon!"

"So what? I don't care about that bastard's life!"

"But I care! Because when he's executed, you'll be a widow!"

"And I'm looking forward to it! He's the reason I've suffered so much! And because of you!"

"You're forgetting something," Xing smirked. "You have the opportunity to make him suffer in return while he's still alive!"

Xifeng froze and stared at Xing with suspicious eyes.

"So... Do you want..."

"I've never shared a bed with a married woman," he admitted. "But if you don't mind..."

"I hate you anyway, you bastard!" Xifeng replied, pulling her hands out of his grip.

Xing shrugged his shoulders. He aspired to be a hero, and heroes don't rape the wives of villains. Whatever Xifeng's guilt was in the past, she had completely atoned for it. He turned and moved away without saying goodbye.

"Hey, where are you going!" Xifeng shrieked, her qi showing genuine indignation.

Xing turned around leisurely and rounded his eyes in surprise. Xifeng managed to undo the ties of the baofu and pulled it over her head, revealing her large, beautiful chest to the moonlight.

"I hate you!" Xifeng repeated. "But I hate him even more! And you must promise me something!"

"And what is it?" Xing asked, grabbing her waist and pulling her to him.

"Tomorrow, as a good wife, I will go to the dungeon to see my husband. And you will keep me company!"

Such an example of feminine guile made Xing chuckle and push Xifeng onto the bed.

* * *

Sometimes someone says you should try something new every time. Sometimes they say that proven methods are the most reliable. Xing liked novelty, but he had nothing against the tried-and-true. He checked on Xifeng once more and visited her in her husband's dungeon, where he used his authority as the savior of the city to ask the guards to take her outside. After that, the former heiress of the House of Ximing showed her husband how strong a woman's resentments could be. Xing didn't mind at all. It was also a new experience and the reddened face of the traitor spewing curses and swear words was very amusing. Xifeng reveled in revenge, but the novelty of the situation made her excited. So they diligently showed Li Wei all the contents of their favorite treatises without missing a single spot or pose.

And then Xing occupied the kitchen of his new mansion and, asking the cooks and servants to leave temporarily, began cooking. He cooked the old, time-honored, reliable, and still excellent Fujian buns.

This time he did not sneak around like a thief, but walked openly to the house and knocked on the gate. Unlike last time, no stone statues were standing in front of him, but a pretty maid who recognized Xing immediately came out and called out to the owners. Xing waved at the turtle skeleton in the courtyard as if it were an old acquaintance.

Xing didn't know why Peipei and Xue lived in the same house, or why their qi always felt close to each other at night, even though the Eighteen Plum Petals treatise had hinted at it. But right now, their cohabitation was playing into his hands.

"Who has come to see us?" Xue exclaimed when she saw Xing. Her qi flashed with sincere joy.

"Our savior and hero!" Peipei echoed, going out into the courtyard as well. "What brings such an important man to our humble home?"

Xing looked over the two girls with a greedy gaze and gave them the most villainous smile.

"Buns!" he replied. "Tender, rounded, appetizing buns!"

The maid gave him a judgmental look, but both fairies giggled.

"By the way, I'm completely serious!" Xing said and pulled the covers off the tray he was holding.

"Fujian buns!" The girls exclaimed in unison.

The maid shifted her gaze from Xing to her masters with utter incomprehension, at a complete loss.

"Come in, oh great hero!" Peipei said. "We'll order tea to be served."

"Tea?" Xing grinned. "You should know that tea isn't the best accompaniment to these buns."

"Yes? What exactly is the best fit?" Xue asked.

"Peaches! Juicy, big, delicious, bouncy peaches!" Xing replied.

"How many peaches do you have to pick?" Peipei's eyelashes fluttered. "Are you sure we have enough?"

"You have four, and that's enough!"

Xing shoved the tray into the hands of the dazed maid and, taking the house owners by the waists, led them inside

And when the maid actually served the tea, the Fujian buns had long since lost their crunch.

* * *

"In the name of the Emperor, hallowed be his name in the ages and moons!" A loud qi amplified voice resounded from outside. "Xing Duo, come out and bow down to listen to his will!"

Xing shook his head in displeasure, climbed out from under the intertwining bodies of the women, and paused for a moment to admire the picture. Peipei and Xue, having lost Xing, were not the least bit distraught: sleepily stretching, they embraced each other and went back to sleep.

Xing didn't look for city clothes but simply pulled on a salamander skin suit. He ran his qi through his body, expelling the remnants of sleep, and went outside. In front of the gate of his manor, a luxurious red carpet was spread out right on the paving stones, on which a richly dressed official stood proudly. Around the carpet were lined up a few of the capital's guards, and behind them, four porters were holding a carved lacquered palanquin.

Xing sensed a bright spark of qi familiar from his past life in the medallion attached to the scroll. Therefore, he kneeled on his knees and humbly placed his palms on his thighs.

His first impulse was, of course, to run away. Run away across the water, grab his flail, and fly far away. He wasn't quite sure what he'd done, but he had his share of sins. However, it was unlikely the Emperor was interested in a relationship with the wife of a traitor, or in depriving the daughter of a noble family of honor. And as for the Gao family... Xing was sure he had left no trace.

"On the first day of the month of the Snake of the Year of the Wood Sheep..." the official began to read out.

If Xing Xing hadn't been kneeling with his head bowed low, everyone would have been able to see his eyebrows creep upwards as he read the decree. In the past two and a half months, the Emperor had received reports from Fuying, from Bingcheng, the commander of the city garrison, and probably from the trusted qi masters, among whom Xue and Peipei were definitely among them.

"......and given the above, the Great Lord of the Moon Kingdom, the impeccable Ruler of the Thousand Lands and Cities, Lord of the Dozen Winds, Son of the Heavenly Dragon, His Magnificence the Emperor declares his will for the commoner Xingu Duo to immediately go to the Jade Palace and personally appear before His Holiness!"

"This lowly servant has heard and obeyed," Xing replied. "Glory to the great Son of Heaven!"

"Glory to the Emperor!" The guardsmen shouted in unison, punching themselves in the chest.

"Glory to the Son of the Heavenly Dragon!" said the official. "Our cortege leaves tomorrow at dawn."

"The Emperor said immediately!" Xing reminded him, who didn't feel like following the guards and palanquin bearers for a month.

He rushed into the house and gave Peipei and Xue a quick kiss. Then he jumped outside. He snatched the flail and soared into the sky, accompanied by the astonished looks of the guardsmen and the official.

* * *