While it was unusual for Chun Hua to feel any sentiments, especially as her race had no emotions per se, leaving Bai Qi's side did inflict some unexpected inner turmoil, to the point that she had even asked He Delan if it was normal for her to feel so bad, after all, her teacher was one of the few that knew what she was.
"I couldn't say that it is normal for the [Scourge], but maybe it is for the Chun Hua you became..? I mean, he's a truly good friend! And he never considered yourself lesser than any other being he met. So why don't you think of yourself also changing, as he considered you a friend on the same level as all of his companions, or even myself? " He Delan, while hiding her turmoil, one that was, as well, related to the fact of leaving Bai Qi, which from the benefactor she considered him as he solved the [Void Palace] invasion, had become far closer, a friend or even more, something that she, even when reaching such a standing had never had.
*Bling* *Bling* *Bling*
But He Delan's emotional moment was short, as one of the searching talismans procured through both [Pride Island] and the [Void Palace] contacts shined in shorter and shorter intervals, meaning that her target, the one that made both her and Chun Hua, forced along on He Delan's words of better training, to leave [Zihoadao], all while barely-conscious, was very close!
"Song Lin! He's close!" Discarding her emotions and not caring anymore about Chu Hua's budding ones, He Delan roared as she rushed towards the point that the location talisman indicated, the second and third shine showing that she was near, for the first time in almost two weeks of single signals that indicated nothing but direction.
{As we reach his location, stand back, even better, retreat as far as you can. You are no opponent to him, and I promised Bai Qi that I would only tutor you and not involve you in any dangerous situation.} With her objective just a few miles away, a fact she was now sure of, He Delan discarded any lingering emotions and commanded Chun Hua.
***
Neither Song Lin nor He Delan were in the greatest of shapes, the first having not recovered entirely from the attacks he faced as he tried to leave [Zihoadao] and his constant escape, the latter having forgotten what downtime was even between the hunt, recuperating her own body, helping Chun Hua to recover, and training the latter.
But, the two 7th level Warrior Kings with prowess reaching the actual peak of realm met in a surprisingly equal state, even if He Delan should have been in the loss, considering all the energy she had spent over these last two weeks, following lead after lead with an actual weight on her already tired shoulders, showing that the opposition that Song Lin faced as he escaped [Zihoadao] lands was far more troublesome that one could expect.
*Tear* *Swoosh* *Swoosh* *Tear* *Rip* *Clang* *Tear* *Swoosh*
While Song Lin's mastery over the [Void] was superior to He Delan's, especially when considering their amount of years cultivating, He Delan had simply far more direct combat experience than the scheming elder considered a criminal, and so - every attempt of his was blocked by either a sudden rush of her's or an attack sent in such close distance that not even Song Lin could use the [Void] and had to block with his weapon of choice, a scepter called the [Void Ruling Scepter], one that should have actually given him some advantage, which it was not doing at all, making even curse it,
With her manner of fighting and no one supporting the usually back-like Song Lin, He Delan slowly gained the advantage, even getting so close as ripping the latter's concealing cloak, the reason for the talismans not being able to trace him even with the latter's remanent aura being used, and even the few ace cards of the treasonous and demonic shame of the [Void Palace] didn't manage much, with He Delan simply shrugging off injuries as she closed in towards the traitorous elder that she had considered her, and her power's enemy. He Delan's prowess was based on martial talents, and being also an elder, even if currently a free agent, of the [Void Palace], she had perfect knowledge of all the skills and techniques of her power - she successfully forced Song Lin into a corner.
While He Delan couldn't consider her close to the level of both the [Void] and [Demonic Techniques] Song Lin back, using every bit of her martial prowess to stop the latter, even if resisting an attack, from being able to gain even an inch in the tug-of-war he was already losing just for believing he had obtained true power by some sacrifices.
***
Regretfully, for a good load of people, Song Lin wouldn't meet his death in this encounter, as just when He Delan was ready to finish him off, using her own body to shoulder the strange [Void] using arrows coming from her back, Chun Hua suddenly appeared in the path of the latter, forcing He Delan to direct her true weapon, the [Dragon Restraining-Snake Killing Whip-Sword] to deflect the arrows would kill the weakened Initial-stage Warrior Lord that Chun Hua was, allowing Song Lin to escape, using a talisman at the moment of He Delan's distraction.
"YOU SHOULD HAVE A VERY GOOD REASON TO BE HERE AND ALLOW THAT DAMN BASTARD TO ESCAPE!!!" Knowing that she had left Chun Hua at a safe distance from the battle and sensing that Song Lin had just used the opportunity to escape, He Delan roared so loudly and with aura unrestrained that even a medium-leveled Warrior Lord would explode on the spot.
With the laws of the world and cultivation they mimicked as [Devourers], Chun Hua could have been blasted just by He Delan's shout, but she did survive. Not only that, even as her body felt like disintegrating, something she had not felt even as she forsook her actual body and entered an [Astral Road] world, with only Bai Qi's intervention saving her from full disintegration after being both captured and sealed for years, as he did know what [It], at least as a [Scourge], required, Chun Hua received a body, and even that stuff as comrades and friends, one that she still struggled to understand. Now, even risking her current life, how could she not try and pass a message about the state of the human that, while making a [Scourge] more human than it should be, considered "her" on the same level as any of his close beings, or "friends"?!
***
Seeing how much she had hurt Chun Hua, He Delan cared nothing about the reasons for the former or Song Lin's escape anymore, canceling all her offensive aura and using it to slightly heal the now bloodied but still an apprentice of hers.
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Her emotions would flare even to a crazier degree just a moment later as she read the message the now unconscious and newly-wounded Chun Hua had tried to deliver in such haste that she had invaded the battlefield she was commanded not to, "Bai Qi disappeared... And considered a possible traitor?!"
"DEATH TO BOTH RESPONSIBLE AND RUMOR MAKER!" For the third time in a single hour, He Delan snapped, roaring out loud to no one, forgetting even about her personal vendetta against Song Lin. Not that she had lost her reason, as just before setting off towards the reported location, the [Dongpo Clan] controlled [Eastern Inscription City], she sent two of the emergency talismans given to her as she was supposedly expelled from the [Void Palace].
{Bai Qi is in trouble. Actual trouble, I am moving to support}
{Song Lin is near the [Yuxuan City] borders, wounded and unable to give a good fight, send someone to finish him.}
And while both were for the same person, He Delan managed to maintain a clear head before sending them off, right before surging into a crazed rush towards the so-called [Dongpo] city.
_______
The same message as the one that had forced Chun Hua to act had also reached two people in the [Void Palace] almost at the same time as Chun Hua's.
But while the contents about the [Eastern Inscription City] events, at least in the redacted manner they got them, were the same, their reactions differed.
The [Palace] head and the Vice-head Tao read both messages, at the same time, and their reaction to the first one, the one of Bai Qi being a possible traitor was to dismiss it outright. Still, while Tao Xuegang was up to do the same as his ex-disciple, go to the location, the [Eastern Inscription City], and solve it forcefully, the [Void Palace] Head, Kongbai Meili, considered a more cautious approach was required.
***
Tired of bickering, as Tao Xuegang didn't relent at all from his position, Kongbai Meili had no option but to enforce his conduct with an actual order while releasing her full aura, "Our [Palace] isn't in the state of being able to defend Bai Qi against anything but some rabble, and so I command you to stay put until we learn more."
Seeing that the Vice-head was about to just respond even against an order, she added, "If you want to fight so much, go hunt Song Lin while your apprentice gets new information, and I will support her for that. Continuing to forget that we were supposed to publicly denounce her from the power as she left."
While the last few words were said in an inaudible voice, it wasn't hard for Tao Xuegang to hear them, and he couldn't do anything but bow,
----------------------------------------
If one could explain Lan Yanzhi's life for the last year, it had been uneventful. With her status as a mentee, she did get a good deal of knowing-it-all smirks, jokes, and malicious commentaries, but as an ex-criminal, and someone older than most, especially mentally, she managed to cruise the year without any big incidents or issues. After all, even if she was still not the oldest around the Sage realm people of the [Radiant Orb Martial Academy], she also lived outside the grounds, having received a room in one of the properties owned by the [Academy] in the [Guanming], more commonly known as [Radiant Orb City], the 4th-tier power that was the leading clan becoming a vassal of the [Academy] just some dozen of years ago.
Her main issue, if one had to name one, was the lack of economic resources. While Bai Qi had paid for the first year of tutoring and gave her the same amount of spirit shards as the others, Lan Yanzhi wasn't an actual member of the power she had joined, and so, no matter how much she dutifully cultivated, attended lessons, and so on, when reaching the mid-level Sage realm threshold, she had no choice but to pause her previously astounding growth, simply because she had no way to buy the complementary materials cultivation required, especially a method so-special as hers.
Thankfully, Lan Yanzhi was not someone to be stopped just by such a matter as money. While she had no part of the rewards, stipends, and even prizes of the [Academy], she was also free to act on herself, and so, after a short joking thought of returning to her previous methods, she quickly found a way to earn money - mercenary work.
While only a 5th level Sage at that moment, her quick mind and the advantage of her [Shadow] path in surveillance, scouting, and detection, the three equally important for any type of mission, Lan Yanzhi quickly became a must-be member for the few teams comprised of the rogue cultivators in the area, even groups from smaller powers requesting her through the [Bright Request Organization].
The [Bright Request Organization], previously called the [Radiant Request System] was a way to post requests for the cultivators of the area, ranging from security to escort or even search type of requests. Initially created by the [Academy] as a way to supplement the income of the only-paying trainee system, by now it had evolved into something different, with the [Academy], as any other power, accepting requests on themselves, while the ex-[System] became more of a bigger request board of a small town. Bigger and more glorified, as well better paid, and having actual headquarters in the [Bright Success Inn], but still, not related to any power and allowing any rogue or any power cultivator to take tasks or join teams to complete the few more difficult tasks that fell down their way.
*
After one of her main worries, the lack of 10 mid-spirit stones for the second year solved by a message coming from Elder Deng, along with a message passed down by Bai Qi, that he hasn't forgotten his promise to come over and was actually on the way, even if slower than expected, received a few weeks before, Lan Yanzhi had tranquilized entirely. And not receiving any other news from Bai Qi, and knowing he would send her a talisman as soon as he arrived if they did miss each other, she embarked on mission after mission, trying to elevate both her combat level and reach the Warrior Lord realm.
This drive to work, earn, and train would make her stop assisting the [Radiant Orb Academy] for days or even weeks, and with her latest bodyguard mission, she would even miss the news about the happenings in the [Eastern Inscription City].
***
Zan Lan, Elder of the [Radiant Academy Academy] left the meeting of the outer circle elders, able just somewhat to respond to the greetings and salutes given to her by the few disciples remaining on the grounds at such an hour.
Barely reaching her housing and activating the protective formations, she, at last, allowed herself to growl from irritation.
"So a mentee shows better talent and results than their precious disciples, and now I have to pressure her to wait on her breakthrough and even stop her from working?!"
"And what about that they will otherwise drop her mentee status and she either accepts to become a disciple or is kicked out from the [Academy]?!"
"I have offered her to become my disciple, and I am no outer elder, and she refused, citing that she will leave as soon as she is ready..."
Zan Lan was promoted to inner circle elder just some years ago, which was the reason she was the one sent to recruit new disciples, but she still held her old post of qi manipulation and qi reinforcement teacher for the new recruits, no matter what circle they were in.
"I wouldn't care much if they just offered the choice to Lan Yanzhi, but threatening her using me, are they ready... to pay the damn price?!" Zan Lan roared in anger once again, before calming herself forcefully and calling several message rune stones.