The vial spun through the smoky air, cloudy liquid catching the firelight. Hong Quan heard Wei Long’s voice and turned. He stopped himself, knowing that he was still in battle.

He spun around and brought his sword up at an obtuse angle. He deflected three simultaneous sword strikes. He kicked back, then shot up in the air using his qinggong and snatched the vial from out of the air

He downed it one go and let his sword sang, keeping his attackers at bay. The liquid burned like fire going down, but Hong Quan didn’t flinch.

Hong Quan landed on the ground and channeled his Qi through his meridians in a controlled surge. The antidote mixed with his Qi, it began to do its work, slowly constricting his movements.

“Thirty seconds,” He muttered, parrying a thrust aimed at his chest. His movements were still restricted, but he could feel the antidote working its way through his system. “Just thirty seconds and can expunge this poison from my system!”

Ban Susu

Susu danced between the attacks of the woman in green and the iron fan wielder. She kept her eyes fixed, as she analysed their movements. The way they manipulated their Qi and the precision in which they covered each others weaknesses, it was clear to Susu. Both of them are in the Accentuation Realm…this is not a formation.

Despite the smoke and chaos, Susu saw through it. She didn’t know where Wei Long appear from, but he was with Zhao Li and both of them were exposed.

A bandit was about to break through the Iron Claw Formation that Wei Zhen and his blade already descending toward them. Wei Zhen and Luan, still maintaining their defensive stance, couldn't reach them in time.

Susu’s heart clenched. The woman in green’s smiled menacingly again. She snapped her shoulder back and sent her whip filing towards Susu. The iron fan wielder disappeared from her peripheral vision using an instantaneous step.

Dance of the Scorpion Maiden: Eighth Dance - Poisoned Sand.

Susu roiled Scourge, stirring up a thick cloud of dirt and ash from around the camp. The particles caught firelight like a glittering storm.

The woman in green instinctively brought her arm up to shield her eyes, her whip's rhythm faltering for just a fraction of a second. The iron fan wielder, reappeared found himself blinded by the swirling debris. His fan came up too late to deflect the improvised smokescreen.

Susu kept her eyes fixed on the bandit who had broken through the Iron Claw Formation. She performed an instantaneous step. The world blurred around her as she moved. In that moment, time seemed to slow. She spotted a fallen log close to one of the tents, intended for firewood at a later date.

She scooped up the log, her muscles straining as she channelled Qi through them to ease the weight. In this very moment, her brother’s words came to her.

You’re a woman, Susu, Zhao Xing voice reverberated in her mind. You have more Yin essence than me. Which means if you tap into it, your body will overflow. You to force the Yang essence within your body to balance it out, or force Qi Deviation.

“I don’t have choice,” She whispered, “Li’er may die!”

Susu surged all her Qi into her right hand and her shoulder began to feel as though it was fire. It was as if her old injury had returned…but she didn’t care.

She twisted her waist, and rocked her hand back. She then threw the log with venomous err, that sent the wind into a howling rage as it burrowed towards the man that was about to kill Zhao Li.

“LUANNNNNN…WEI ZHEN!” She cried out.

Understanding flashed within Luan’s eyes. Despite his injuries, he kicked back and appeared beside Zhao Li, he grabbed her arm and broke off from the Iron Claw Formation, the bandits on his tail. Wei Zhen did the same, grabbing Wei Long by the hand and retreating.

As Wei Long’s hands trembled, he pressed a vial into Wei Zhen hand. “Brother Zhen, take this…this is the antidote I found in!”

The log burrowed through the air, and hit its target in instant. The bandits body melted the moment the log struck, spraying matter and blood behind Wei Zhen and Luan.

As the smoke continued to thicken around them, Hong Quan was stead fast, ten seconds had passed in a flash and the poison’s grip on his meridians weakened.

The three bandits surrounding Hong Quan grew desperate, their attacks were wild and lacked the energy and sync he’d been dealing with, or was it because he couldn’t access his Qi?

Hong Quan channelled a smidgen of Qi into his legs. He swept one of the bandits of their feet, then traced his blade in perfect arc through the smoke-filled air. The blade decapitated one of the bandits, which then forced two of the bandits to leap backward in defence.

He kicked off the ground using his qinggong and released a hand from his sword. He appeared behind one of the bandits, then allowed his hand to shot up, catching the bandit’s wrist mid-strike.

A smug grim flashed across his face, then he twisted the bandit’s arm, then sent his own Qi through, shattering his wrist in the process. He released, eyes on the other bandit, then spun violently, cleaving his arm off from his body.

Fright appeared in the eyes of the bandit he was fighting, Hong Quan knew why, his companions fell in mere seconds.

He abandoned all pretence of technique and charged forward with a wild cry, his blade seethed with Qi. Hong Quan met the charge head-on, he shifted his weight and spun past the bandit’s guard. His sword brought his sword down and up in a complex combo that he didn’t practice…it was more of an evolution of technique.

Each strike he released, hit a vital meridian point. The bandit’s momentum carried him forward three more steps before he collapsed, his Qi pathways severed his life already fading.

Hong Quan flicked the blood from his blade and turned his attention to the remaining enemies.

“Two minutes,” Wei Zhen grimaced, feeling the antidote clash with the poison in his meridians. “If only I were a Divination Realm practitioner, the time would be shorter!”

Hong Quan launched Wei Zhen and Luan. They were struggling against the remaining bandits whilst protecting Wei Long and Susu’s daughter.

As he soared through the air, doubt, reservation and regret roiled within him. He had messed up, he should’ve brought more men with him, especially when it came to poison.

I made a mistake Wei Long, He mused sourly, I should’ve done this bounty after I took you to the sect.

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The bandits surged forward ready to kill Wei Zhen and Luan. Wei Zhen was faring better whilst Luan struggled. He focused on blocking and deflecting whilst Wei Zhen was able to use a smidgen of his Qi, using the Guiding Fist, in appropriate moments.

Wei Zhen nursed the antidote vial that Wei Long gave him. He wanted to give it to Luan, but how could he, he was struggling with two men whilst Luan was battling three and not being able to utilise his Iron Shredding Claws.

Luan took up a defensive stance and deflected another onslaught from the bandits. If his master Zhao Xing hadn’t been brutish with him in his training, he would’ve faltered a long time ago.

All the disciples that were of the Mind Awakening Realm underwent rigorous training. Zhao Xing ensured that if they sparred, it would always between two to three people, which increased their awareness.

Hong Quan closed the distance in an instant, and brought his sword with venomous err, he cleaved the hand and leg of one of the bandits and kicked off, giving Wei Zhen more than enough time to counter attack the two he was now dealing with.

But that was all a ruse.

Hong Quan had used an instantaneous step to flank one of the bandits he Wei Zhen was handling, he stabbed in his back with ruthless animosity, then severed his limbs and crushing his bones with each swing.

The bandits faltered, stunned by Hong Quan’s sudden onslaught, which allowed Luan and Wei Zhen seize their opportunity.

One by one, the bandits fell, their cries of pain and fear echoing through the smoky air. The last bandit collapsed, Hong Quan turned his attention to Wei Zhen and Luan. “The antidote has taken effect…but there’s no need for you to fight, just protect Wei Long and Zhao Li, alright?”

“Yes Master Quan,” they said in unison.

“Good.”

The burning surging sensation of Susu’s shoulder roiled from the exertion, making her wince. It’d been years since she felt the sensation, but this is what she had expected, but didn’t care, saving Zhao Li always came first.

The woman in green recovered quickly from the sand screen and snapped her whip cutting through the air with renewed vigour. The iron fan wielder circled around Susu, hoping to flank her.

“I expected more from the ‘Great’ Scorpion Maiden, Friend of Gold Hands Fan…tell me, this is not your best?” The woman in green taunted, her whip forming intricate patterns in the air. “I am sourly DISAPPOINTED.”

Susu didn’t respond. She sent Qi into her eyes, and watched as wisps of Qi appeared to her right and left. So that’s what they’re looking to do, flank me from both sides. The woman in green used an instantaneous step whilst the man with iron fan cut the distance between to a few meters.

She channelled her Qi into Scourge then executed the Dance of the Scorpion Maiden: Sixth Dance - Serpent’s Embrace. Scourge twirled into a spiralling motion, which made the distance seem shorter.

The woman in green appeared, coiling her whip around Susu’s feet whilst the man with the iron fan, thrusting his fan forward ready to stab her in the side.

Susu initialised a instantaneous step then, disappearing from their line of site that coiled Scourge from an unexpected angle or distance.

Two crackling thuds echoed through the ablaze campsite and Susu sailed to the ground, smiling as she fell. The duo went flying back, faces shrieked with anger as she

“Sourly disappointed? Do you even know I was holding back?! Hmmm? I guess I should truly show you, my STRENGTH!”

Wei Zhen and Wei Long watched with widened eyes, seeing Master Susu and the other two martial artists move like the elements of nature itself, left them speechless. Susu moved like a scorpion over water, whilst the woman in green seemed like a frog struck by lightning, appearing and reappearing at will. The iron fan wielder steady was like oscillating sword, rocking back and forth.

As Luan watched, he clenched his fist maintaining his protective stance over Zhao Li. In his eyes, the way Susu was far more dangerous than master Zhao Xing, she was a moving force, one that did not hold back, as Master Xing always did. “So…this is the realm of masters” He whispered, “I’m so so weak…I want to get strong…and show the world that Master Xing is one of the best.”

Dance of the Scorpion Maiden: Seventh Dance - Shadow Step of the Scorpion. Susu became a blur and began circling the duo, Scourge cracked at unexpected angles as if a scorpion tail emerged from shadows.

The assault forced the duo to adjust their stances. The woman in green’s deflected as best as she could, but because Scourge was also wildly attacking the fan wielder, the attacks lacked in power.

“Master Susu’s movements are becoming more erratic,’ Wei Zhen muttered, recognizing the signs of Qi imbalance.

The iron fan wielder seized what he thought was an opening, his fan snapping open to reveal blade-sharp edges. He executed an instantaneous step, appearing behind Susu with his weapon aimed at her spine.

Dance of the Scorpion Maiden: First Dance - Sting of the Maiden. She bent backward at an impossible angle then snapped Scourge into a thrusting motion. The fan wielder deflected it with ease, but Susu used the momentum of her body to transition into a Qi-enhanced kick. The iron fan wielder blocked the attack with his forearm, but the force sent him sliding backward.

Hong Quan appeared out of nowhere, his sword singing in the air. The woman in green cracked her whip at Susu. He used in instantaneous step and appeared between her and Susu. He brought his sword down in venomously and blocked the attack!

“Cold Steel Quan Quan…” the iron fan wielder shouted. “Taking you down would rise my fortunes TENFOLD!”

“With roots so shallow, how could you dream of reaching the heavens?”

Hong Quan shot forward, moving his sword with deadly intent. Each slash targeted an acupoint. The iron fan wielder's defense was masterful, his weapon opening and closing in perfect rhythm to deflect the attacks, but Hong Quan was relentless.

Dance of the Scorpion Maiden: Fifth Dance - Sundering Coil. Susu poured Qi into Scourge. The woman in green used an instantaneous step to escape, but Susu stalled her attack and enshrouded her eyes in Qi…waiting for her to reappear.

The woman in green appeared behind Susu, but she was already spinning into action. As Qi surged through Scourge like liquid lightning. Scourge’s tip exploded with Qi the moment it hit her chest.

The woman in green surprised by the attack howled a screen and floated back twenty meters into the blazing fire. Susu used an instantaneous step and appeared above her, and swirled all of her remaining Qi into her right leg.

“May this moment of despair reveal the chasm between us,"

Susu stomped the same spot she had just struck with Scourge, ensuring her death. The deathly howl she shrieked sent a shiver down Susu’s spine, not from the act of killing her, but from the agony she could feel when she took the woman’s life.

She allowed it to fester for a second, then let it pass through her like the wind. “Perish.”

Hong Quan

Hong Quan cornered the iron fan wielder. The man’s defence and offense were superb, despite just using a fan. He only deflected and never blocked, as he knew that would’ve left him exposed.

Luan stood there, fist still clenched, watching Hong Quan feinting with his sword, then executing an instantaneous step that put him inside the iron fan’s effective range. “…amazing.” He breathed.

Hong Quan pivoted to his left, then blocked a thrust from the fan wielder, Hong Quan then spun with deadly slash which forced the fan wielder to deflect. “You’ve made a mistake, Cold Steel Hong Quan…that will be your list!”

The exchange continued for ten seconds, and either of them had the advantage. Hong Quan made a feint, then kicked off the ground, the iron fan wielder, didn’t follow. He ran across the ground, which made Hong Quan curios.

The moment he touched the ground his blade gleamed as the iron fan wielder closed in. Hong Quan pivoted to his left, then brought his sword down at an upright angle, forcing the fan wielder to skip back. He left his chest undefended, hoping to lure Hong Quan in.

Hong Quan kicked off the ground and shot toward him. Another series of blocks and counterattacks blurred to the untrained eye. With a flash of his fan, Quan’s opponent attempted another feint, yet Hong Quan was undeterred.

His eyes widened from surprised as he saw an opening. Hong Quan lunged forward with a deceptive slash. The fan wielder raised his guard, bracing for impact. Hong Quan rolled his wrist in a semi-circle, then struck three acupoints in the fan wielder’s waist, thigh and wrist, disrupting his flow Qi.

The fan wielder’s face twisted in sudden shock as the effects began to take hold. His body trembled, struggling against the waning Qi, and he looked up at Hong Quan with a mixture of astonishment, fear and death.

As Hong Quan steadied his blade, the fan wielder’s strength faded, his body trembling with each shallow breath. The man struggled to remain standing, despite defiance flickering in his eyes.

“Your name,” Hong Quan asked, his voice low but commanding. “Tell me who I’ve defeated this day.”

The fan wielder smirked despite his pain, pride fighting through the agony. “They call me Iron Fan Lan,” he said proudly, with a hint of bitterness.

“Iron Fan Lan,” Hong Quan repeated his gaze softened. “I’ve heard tales of a fan-wielding mercenary with skill enough to challenge masters. I never imagined we would meet as enemies.”

Lan scoffed a laugh, “In our world, enemies or allies are fleeting. I accepted the path I walked long ago.”

Hong Quan sheathed his sword, his expression touched with a trace of regret. “Iron Fan Lan…” he said quietly. “A martial talent such as yours, reduced to this end… it’s a reminder of how the Jianghu claims even the best of us.”

Lan’s gaze faltered for the first time, a hint of remorse flickering in his eyes. “Perhaps in another life, Cold Steel. But regret has no place on this path.”

With a nod, Hong Quan turned away, allowing the silence to honour the fallen fighter.