Chapter 27

Xena

Jon's brow furrowed as Yulian finished her ominous revelations about Jianyu and the Southern Edge Sect. A disconcerting thought crept into his mind - why the hell is she telling me all this?

As far as he could tell, Yulian had no obvious reason to divulge such weighty, potentially dangerous information to a newcomer like himself. He studied her inscrutably elegant features, wondering just who or what she really was.

"Yulian," he said carefully. "Why are you telling me all this?"

The woman didn't so much as blink. "I saw you seated with the chief, the elders, and Xi Jianyu. And your faces changed after he showed you a piece of paper. I would like to know what was in that paper, which is why I have chosen to share this with you - so you can understand precisely what kind of person you encountered tonight."

Jon mulled that over. Her explanation made a certain logical sense, he had to admit. If the contents of Jianyu's letter had rattled the village leaders, informing an outsider like Jon about the bastard's true brutal nature could be seen as prudent.

But something still felt...off about Yulian's motives. She admitted to witnessing an act of mass murder, yet showed no obvious fear of the man responsible. Why didn't she just leave this place if Jianyu was really as dangerous as she claimed?

His eyes narrowed slightly.

This enigmatic woman was far more than she seemed - the innocent village medic persona clearly concealed something deeper.

"Is Yulian even your real name?" he asked bluntly.

She sighed, almost seeming unsurprised by the question. "Jon, now is not the time for your-"

But Jon had no patience for evasions right now. Stepping forward, he gripped Yulian's shoulders firmly and stared hard into those unflinching eyes.

"I'm very serious," he stated flatly. "Who are you? I know you're wearing a mask - don't bother denying it. But why? I never asked before, but now I have to assume you came to Zhilan not that long ago? Are you some kind of spy? An assassin?"

His gaze intensified. "You work for that Ting Clan or whatever you mentioned, don't you?"

For a long moment, Yulian simply studied him in return, her expression unreadable. Jon could feel the power coiled within her deceptively lithe form - one wrong move and she could likely break him in two.

But he didn't back down, holding her disconcerting stare. If this woman was going to drop nuclear truth bombs about roving cultivator serial killers, then he damn well wanted to know who was feeding him this information and why.

Finally, Yulian gave the faintest of nods, seeming to reach some internal decision. When she spoke again, her tone took on a heavier, more serious cadence than Jon had ever heard from her.

"Tang." she said.

Jon blinked, feeling like he must have misheard. "What? Come again?"

"It's the 'Tang' clan, not 'Ting'," she repeated, her tone taking on a clipped precision. "And yes, I am one of their members." Her gaze didn't waver as she held his. "As for my motivations for wearing this...mask and hiding my identity, I cannot reveal that. Or else..."

She trailed off, leaving the implied threat hanging ominously. Jon scoffed, trying to deflect the tension with a quip. "What? You'd have to kill me?"

The look Yulian fixed him with then wiped the half-smile right off his face. Her eyes bored into his, devoid of any humor or warmth, just a cold, ruthless intensity.

Jon swallowed hard. "Oh. You're serious."

In one smooth motion, Yulian extricated herself from his grip, putting distance between them. "This is no laughing matter, Jon."

He raised his hands in a placating gesture. "Hey, I'm not amused, I just...make jokes when I'm anxious, alright? It's a coping mechanism." Jon shook his head. "But you can't honestly expect me to trust someone hiding this many layers about themselves."

To his surprise, Yulian actually chuckled at that, though the sound held no mirth whatsoever. "Hah."

Jon frowned. "What's so funny?"

"You speak of me hiding things about myself," she said, her tone dripping with sardonic amusement. "What about you, Jon Li? A man appearing from the heavens know where, and somehow just happening to arrive around the same time the hidden demonic cult base was destroyed?"

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The words hit Jon like a gut punch. His eyes widened incrementally as realization sank in - she had doubts about him too.

Instinctively, he opened his mouth to argue, to deflect, to say...something. But all that came out was a strangled "Tha- h-how...?"

Yulian's expression was unreadable. "I treated your injuries when you first arrived, remember? I examined your body quite thoroughly."

Jon's mind raced as she methodically laid it all out. "No scars. Well-defined musculature and unusually clear, blemish-free skin. Signs of accelerated regeneration ability around your nose and collarbone."

Her piercing gaze didn't waver. "You have clearly undergone the Body Reformation process, the foundation of any cultivator's training. I checked you for signs of demonic or blood reversal cultivation and found none. So you are not one of them."

A sinking feeling settled in Jon's gut as the woman cut through every layer of his own deception with cold, brutal efficiency. Of course she had seen through him - she had treated his injuries, examined every inch of his body up close.

"You are not registered with any of the major cultivation sects, I've already verified that," Yulian continued inexorably. "Yet you have clearly reached a high level of body refinement, which means you were trained by a master from outside the orthodox and unorthodox paths."

Jon chuckled weakly, she was not totally right, but he saw no point in denying it any further. "Damn...I really shouldn't have let you examine me, huh?"

"I needed to ensure you posed no danger to me or Zhilan," she said flatly. "Now, I do not know who your master is, nor why you chose to conceal yourself among the common people here. But I need your collaboration, Jon."

Her expression softened a fraction. "We do not have to share every secret with one another. But please - tell me what was contained in that letter from Xi Jianyu. If he intends to bring more violence and atrocities to this province, I must know."

Jon mulled it over for a moment, stroking his chin pensively. Finally, he crossed his arms and eyed Yulian intently. "Alright, let's say I do spill the details on Jianyu's deranged little note. What are you planning to do about it then, Miss Tang?"

He arched an eyebrow. "Because I'm not gonna lie, walking away and minding my own sweet business is looking pretty damn tempting right about now. This whole situation seems like a special blend of 'way above my paygrade' and 'inevitable bloodshed I want no part of.'"

The woman considered him for a beat before responding. "You will not have to do anything further. All I require is to know the contents of the letter. After that, you will no longer be needed."

Jon sighed, raking a hand through his tousled hair. "Well, when you put it like that..." He trailed off before finally relenting. "Alright, fine. The letter was about the theft of some important formula from the Southern Edge Cult by someone who came to this village. I think it was the, uh..."

He furrowed his brow, snapping his fingers as he tried to dredge up the ridiculous name. "The Galactic Ass...? No, wait, the Stellar...um, Ascent...? Uh, drug? No, no that can't be right..."

Yulian's eyes widened minutely as Jon kept grasping for the memory. She murmured in a hushed tone, "The Celestial Ascendance Pill..."

Jon's eyes lit up and he snapped his fingers again. "Right! That's the bad boy that's been stolen!" He let out a low whistle. "Gotta hand it to these cultivation nuts - they really can't make anything sound boring or mundane, can they?"

Yulian's reaction was instantaneous. She caught Jon by the shoulders, gripping him tightly as panic flashed across her features. "Are you sure that's what's been stolen?!" she demanded, visibly alarmed.

Jon winced at her vice-like grip. "Hey, you're pretty strong, you know. Mind loosening up a bit there, Xena?"

As if suddenly realizing her state, Yulian let out a sharp breath and released him, straightening up as her expression reverted to its usual calm mask. "My apologies," she grunted tersely.

Arching an eyebrow, Jon rubbed his shoulder with a lopsided grin. "Damn, you really are good at keeping those emotions under lockdown, huh? One second you're all fire and brimstone, the next..." He trailed off with an admiring whistle.

"Jon." Yulian's tone brooked no joking as she stared at him intently. "The Celestial Ascendance Pill formula - you are absolutely certain that is what was stolen?"

He held up his hands in a placating gesture. "Yeah, yeah, that's exactly it. I'm sure of it." Jon frowned as Yulian's concerned look deepened.

"You said it was stolen by someone who recently came to this village?" she pressed urgently. "One of the refugees? Who was it?"

Jon considered for a moment before nodding. "Yeah, it was Minghan. The merchant guy."

Yulian's brow furrowed as she mouthed the unfamiliar name. Seeing her lack of recognition, Jon described quickly, "Short, big belly, blonde fuzzy hair looking like he got struck by lightning? Fanciest getup in town tonight. Huge handlebar mustache making him look like he just stepped out of a seedy gambling parlor?"

Her eyes widened in recollection. "Ah! Yes, I know of whom you speak."

Jon grinned and nodded. "Yeeeah, that's your guy."

For a few beats, an uneasy silence stretched between them. Finally, Yulian's expression turned solemn.

"Jon." Her tone was low, intense. "I need you to remain completely quiet about what we've discussed here tonight. Not a word to anyone."

He held up his hands placatingly. "Hey, I know the drill - loose lips sink ships and all that. I won't be blabbing to anyone, believe me." Jon cocked an eyebrow. "But that has to go both ways, you understand? I'll keep your little Tang cultivator secret if you keep whatever...talents I may or may not possess under wraps as well."

Yulian gave a curt nod of agreement. "You have my word - I will not reveal anything about you or your...unique background. For now, you need not worry about being involved further."

"Good, good." Jon exhaled, shoulders relaxing slightly. "Well, in that case, if you'll excuse me, I think I'm gonna take my leave and let you get back to your...cultivator ninja business. Whatever the hell that actually entails."

He turned to stride away, tossing a lazy salute over his shoulder. "Have a good night. I'll see you to-"

"Huh?" The words caught in Jon's throat as his gaze landed on the distant cliff overlooking the village. For a moment, he could only gape, wondering if his eyes were playing tricks in the moonlight.

Because there, silhouetted against the night sky, stood the unmistakable figure of a man. A very large, powerfully built man...casually holding a full-grown stallion aloft in his arms as if it weighed no more than a sack of flour.

"HOLY SHIT!" Jon's shout pierced the stillness, his finger jutting out to point at the bizarre, borderline-impossible sight.

Yulian whirled, instantly on alert, following his line of sight. Her sharp intake of breath confirmed she too witnessed the inexplicable, terribly out-of-place image high above.

For several heartbeats, the two could only gape in mingled shock and disbelief. The herculean stranger showed no signs of movement, as if posing intentionally for their stunned audience.