~~~

  Once upon a time, there was a girl.

  She was born to a prosperous clan and was blessed with considerable talent. In every respect, her future was bright. Before she was even ten, many important families had already approached her parents to try to arrange a match with their sons, but they decided to wait until their daughter was older so that she might have some input on the choice.

  She was fortunate. Too fortunate.

  The girl was blessed with the ability to hear that which no one else could. Day and night, she’d hear the whispers in the wind. When she told her parents about it, they forbade her from ever speaking about it. The world is cruel to those who lack the strength to protect their talents, they said. It was the most serious she had ever seen them.

  Thus, the girl tried her best to hide it. She really did.

  They found out all the same.

  They demanded she be given to them, but her parents refused. They were confident in the strength of their Clan, in the alliances they had made, and the favors they were owed.

  They destroyed them.

  In the midst of it all, the girl escaped. She ran and ran without once looking back.

  Until a masked woman and her disciple tossed her in a sack.

  ~~~

  Golden flames fly through the air and strike a seemingly empty spot between two large mansions. As soon as the flames touch the ground, the shadows there ripple, and two figures jump out.

  A solitary note rings out.

  At once, a spectral giant appears behind them. Its massive fists come down on the two shadowy figures, but multiple puppets appear to intercept the blow. Sheer numbers overwhelm the giant as the two figures escape. One goes left. The other goes right.

  Bei Hong and Huang Shing are waiting for them.

  Two fists, one glowing gold and one glowing pink, strike the figures at the same time, sending them flying through multiple mansions. Doubtlessly, they just destroyed several valuable treasures.

  Lu Mei cannot bring herself to care.

  “Impressive,” says one of the two shadowy figures as he steps out of the wreckage. He is Firm Shadow, a disciple of the Temple of the Thousand Shadows. His partner, Alarming Shadow, is standing beside him with a scowl on his face.

  “Is it? Did you think you were so well hidden we wouldn’t find you?” Lu Mei asks. She is standing far away from the two of them, yet Qi carries her voice. “You overestimate yourself.”

  As her Uncle’s Qi spreads throughout the city due to his fight with Lady Meng Yue, its destructive properties have eroded whatever technique these two have been using to hide. For someone else, it might have been hard to notice, but Lu Mei wields the Eternal Flame. It is easy for her to follow the path of her Uncle’s Qi. In fact, he might have planned for this to happen.

  However, she has no intention of telling these two that.

  “We have underestimated you,” Firm Shadow says. Multiple puppets appear behind him and his partner. “Nevertheless, I would like to ask you to leave. We once fought against a common foe. There is no reason for you to die.”

  “How courteous, but what of Qing Jin?” Lu Mei asks him. “Isn’t he also someone who once fought alongside you? Why are you trying to do him harm?”

  “Because there is a reason for him to die,” Alarming Shadow growls out, glaring at them. “Get out of our way.”

  “Regretably, it is as he says,” Firm Shadow says. “We do not enjoy this, but he cannot be allowed to live. The Death Fashioning Scripture cannot be allowed to obtain him. The aftershocks would be catastrophic.”

  Bei Hong snorts.

  “Is this really what those on the other side of the Dead Plains are like? Just a bunch of cowards? How disappointing.”

  “Fool!” Alarming Shadow yells at him, his Qi rising sharply. “You do not understand what is at stake!”

  “Maybe we don’t,” Huang Shing admits, crossing his arms behind his head. His stance is far more relaxed than it was just a few minutes ago. “I know I’m definitely dumb, so a lot of this stuff just goes over my head. However, I understand you want to kill my friend, and that’s something I’m never going to agree with.”

  “They speak true,” Fan Bingbing says. “There is not one among us who will step aside for you. Retreat or fight. There is no other path for you.”

  “You arrogant children!” Alarming Shadow yells, his Qi cracking the earth under him.

  “Your courage and loyalty are noted,” Firm Shadow says. His voice is far calmer than that of his partner, but the way his puppets shake betrays his feelings. “However, you should understand you are not our match. We come from different sides of the Dead Plains. That is an unavoidable truth.”

  Lu Mei smirks.

  “Had they sent someone else, I’d be worried, but it is just the two of you,” she says, putting a hand on her hips. “You were far stronger than us two years ago. However…”

  Alarming Shadow has had enough. The puppets around him leap towards the four disciples of the Eternal Flame Clan.

  A single note cracks the joints of his creations before a wave of gold incinerates them.

  “However, that’s talk of two years ago,” Lu Mei finishes. “All of us have grown during this time. Can you say the same?”

  Their reply comes in the form of a wave of puppets. Lu Mei meets it with a blast of golden flames. At the same time, Fan Bingbing moves further back as she continues playing. Each time her finger hits a note, spectral weapons appear around the puppets to cut them down. The puppets that manage to push through their combined onslaught are shattered by Bei Hong and Huang Shing’s fists.

  Even though they are not in perfect condition, they can still do this much. The strength of the puppets lies only in their numbers. As long as the four of them coordinate their movements, they can keep them at bay. Lu Mei’s Eternal Flame is the perfect weapon to use against them. Fan Binging’s attacks help keep the puppets contained, and Huang Shing and Bei Hong take care of the rest.

  The strategy is simple but effective, and it is costing these two far more puppets than they are comfortable losing. That becomes clear as Alarming Shadow’s frown grows heavier by the second. His patience is hanging by a thread.

  It snaps.

  His Qi roars as he dashes forward. Fan Bingbing’s spectral weapons bounce off his skin as he leaps over Lu Mei’s flames.

  Bei Hong welcomes him.

  With his body glowing gold, he plants himself in Alarming Shadow’s way. The ensuing clash destroys one of the houses around them.

  A pillar of golden flames erupts beneath them.

  Alarming Shadow immediately backs away, but Bei Hong does not move. He has no need to. The golden flames move around his body, never once touching his skin. A lone note heralds the strike of a ghostly sword. The attack catches Alarming Shadow unprepared and knocks him back.

  As for Huang Shing, he never once stopped focusing on Firm Shadow’s puppets, preventing him from exploiting the opening caused by his partner’s outburst.

  Lu Mei smiles.

  It is exactly as she expected. These two are strong cultivators from the other side of the Dead Plains, but that is what makes this possible. The stronger one grows, the harder it becomes to advance to the next level. While the four of them have grown by leaps and bounds over the past two years, these two have remained largely the same.

  Furthermore, though they might not be at their best, they also do not have to worry about holding back. Meanwhile, the disciples of the Temple of the Thousand Shadows are still thinking they have to conserve their power to face Qing Jin.

  “I see,” Firm Shadow says, breathing deeply through his nose. “You are strong. I will not deny that.”

  “Will you slink back to the shadows?” Bei Hong asks them. “Please, don’t disappoint me more.”

  “We are the Temple of the Thousand Shadows,” Firm Shadow says, standing tall even as his Qi quiets down. The puppets around him and Firm Shadow suddenly stop moving. “Have you ever wondered why we use puppets?”

  Lu Mei and Fan Bingbing frowns. One by one, the puppets around Firm Shadow and Alarming Shadow fall down.

  Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings.

  “The puppets are suited for dealing with the many abominations of the Death Fashioning Scripture, creatures without wills that spread their taint by touching that which is flesh and blood. We guide them with our Qi and shed some of our shadow into them, but that is all they are, a minor manifestation of a true Guardian.”

  “This,” Alarming Shadow says, “is what a real Guardian looks like!”

  He slams his fist into the ground, and an outpouring mass of blackness rises behind him like a gushing geyser. Formless shadows coalesce into a crimson humanoid over twenty feet tall. It has bulging muscles and hair like ash. Its eyes are red pools of magma, and its dark maw twists into a vicious grin as it looks upon them.

  At the same time, shadows rise behind Firm Shadow. The display is not as violent as that of Alarming Shadow. Instead, the shadows move with unnatural fluidity as they take the form of a lean giant with azure skin. Long white hair falls over its face, obscuring its eyes. Unlike Alarming Shadow’s Guardian, which is dressed in a loincloth, this one wears a full set of armor.

  Lu Mei finds herself taking a step back as their combined aura washes her.

  Why is she thinking back to what happened in Night Forest Nation?

  “This is our true art,” Firm Shadows says. “Our shadow made manifest. A guardian that will not falter and does not know defeat. If possible, I’d have preferred not to use it on you, but that time is past. Ready yourselves.”

  A giant mace appears in the hand of the crimson giant.

  Twin swords appear in the hands of the azure giant.

  The red giant comes at them like a meteor. A single, terrifying leap carries its body forward with speed far beyond any puppet. When it lands, its feet smash the cobblestones and send a tremor throughout the whole district. Lu Mei barely jumps out of the way in time and keeps moving, seeking to put as much between herself and that thing. Behind her, Fan Bingbing is doing the same.

  Bei Hong and Huang Shing attack.

  The two circle around the red giant. Bei Hong attacks its left side, and Huang Shing strikes from the right.

  The blows hit.

  The Red Guardian staggers a little.

  The blue giant moves in.

  Lu Mei barely sees the motion. Its body suddenly collapses like water, only to immediately rise and reform next to its kin, its twin swords already slicing through the air. Huang Shing manages to leap back, but a cut still appears on his chest. Bei Hong is not so lucky. The attack stuns him long enough for the red giant to slam its mace into him. The strike sends Bei Hong flying through multiple mansions.

  [Incandescent Scorching]

  The flames crash into the red giant, making it roar in pain. Despite that, the creature starts walking towards Lu Mei. No matter how much it burns, it seems to be reconstructing just as quickly. However, that’s not the main issue. The blue giant vanished before the flames could reach it. Lu Mei raises a sphere of fire around herself in preparation for a hit that never comes.

  The blue giant manifests behind Fan Bingbing instead.

  The girl barely has time to turn around. Her fingers are pulling on the strings of her instrument. Three notes ring out before the sword slices her guqin in half.

  [Binding of the Condemned]

  Lu Mei’s flames appear around the blue giant, slowing it down enough for Fan Bingbing to get away. At the same time, Bei Hong bursts out of the wreckage and slams into the red giant.

  [A Hundred Blooming Lotuses]

  Huang Shing avoids the giants and attacks the people controlling them. Alarming Shadow dashes forth to meet his attack. A red fist, exactly like that of his guardian, manifests as he meets his technique. Huang Shing’s feet skid across the broken cobblestone as he’s thrown back.

  “Fool! Did you think we were helpless?!” Alarming Shadow screams at him. Huang Shing laughs weakly.

  “Eh, it was worth trying,” he says. In a lower voice, he asks, “Can everyone still fight?”

  “This is nothing,” Bei Hong says, despite having several dents in his body.

  “I liked that guqin, but my injuries are acceptable,” Fan Binging says as she takes another guqin out of her spatial ring.

  “It is far too late to turn back now,” Lu Mei says, golden flames blazing around her. “The more this fight drags out, the worse this fight becomes for them.

  “You just want us to hold out? How boring,” Bei Hong says.

  “Not at all,” Lu Mei says. “We fight to win.”

  “How greedy of you,” Fan Bingbing notes.

  Lu Mei smiles. Her Dao rises and resonates with the others.

  “Thank you.”

  ~~~

  Dai Jie is not Meng Yue or Bai Lianshi.

  Those two are geniuses with few equals, pillars of the Divine Frozen Palace that make it seem far mightier than it actually is. Closed fists that will smash any foes. Meanwhile, Dai Jie is an open hand. She is a voice of reason, a moderating influence. That is the sum of her value. To call her weak would be laughable, but she lacks that critical factor that makes Meng Yue and Bai Lianshi such monsters.

  So why can’t he get past her?!

  Ruan Haoran’s might is the fury of the storm. He stands atop a tornado as he brings raging gales against Dai Jie. None of them touch her. Millions of snowflakes dance around her, becoming impenetrable walls whenever an attack gets close.

  [Heavenly Howling Gale]

  A tornado howls in Ruan Haoran’s hand as he attacks Dai Jie, but the snow blocks it once more. Ruan Haoran roars, and the wind roars with him. The rotation of his technique increases to its utmost, becoming a force that pierces through everything. Yet, even that is not enough to reach her.

  “Why?!” Ruan Haoran yells as he is pushed back by the snow. “There should not be-”

  Time stutters.

  “There should not be such a difference!” Ruan Haoran finishes, growling as he’s reminded of the gap between himself and the likes of Feng Gui and Meng Yue.

  However, his and Dai Jie’s cultivation is the same! His age and experience should be giving him the edge!

  “I am not Sister Bai Lianshi. I am also not Sister Meng Yue,” Dai Jie says. “You thought that meant I was your inferior, but make no mistake, I am closer to them than you are to me.”

  “I am the Head of the Ruan Clan! Its central pillar! Its mightiest force!!” Ruan Haoran yells as he advances on Dai Jie. The winds around him become hundreds of blades swirling in the air.

  With a wave of Ruan Haoran’s hand, they all fly towards Dai Jie.

  The snow scatters.

  No walls are formed this time. Instead, each individual snowflake dances in the wind and rushes to meet each incoming blade.

  [A Tale of Winter - Fluttering Snowflakes]

  The wind blades shatter one by one as the snowflakes touch them. Ruan Haoran’s eyes widen in panic as the drifting snowflakes are suddenly too close to him. He slams his hands together, summoning strong winds around himself to blow them away.

  His winds explode. Ruan Haoran lands on the ring with bruises on his skin and his fine robes damaged.

  “Damn you!” he says. “This is unacceptable.”

  “Do not grow angry at me because of your lack of skill,” Dai Jie rebukes him.

  Ruan Haoran’s anger grows to palpable levels, yet his mind does not stop working. Dai Jie is stronger than he assumed her to be. As much as it burns him to admit it, he cannot deny the obvious. However, this is not yet lost. Meng Yue and Feng Gui are still locked in combat. As long as that is the case, he needs but a single moment to destroy the Art of the Roaming Thief.

  “Ruan Chenshu!” he roars. “How long will you stand and watch?”

  “My apologies,” his clansman says as he appears behind him. “I believed you would not need my help.”

  His thought process is not altogether wrong. For someone like Ruan Chenshu, waiting for the right moment was undoubtedly the correct choice. However, that little comment of his cannot go unpunished. Ruan Haoran will make sure he answers for it later.

  Right now, however, they have a battle to win.

  “Enough talk! It is time…”

  Ruan Haoran trails off. His eyes are suddenly locked on the horizon. Dai Jie and Ruan Chenshu follow suit.

  “What in the eighteen hells is that?”

  ~~~

  Feng Gui and Meng Yue suddenly stop as they are about to hit each other. That which the clash of several Emperors had hidden from them is suddenly far too close for their senses to ignore.

  “Well now,” Feng Gui says, both impressed and highly irritated, “that is not something one sees every day.”

  ~~~

  Emperor Xiang sighs.

  “Maybe I should have killed him,” he murmurs, making Shao Zhilan turn to him.

  “Did you know about this?”

  “Unlike the rest of you, who weave your plots around me and hope I won’t notice, then feign apologies when I do, he was quite forthright,” Emperor Xiang says while wearing a humorless smile. “It was a unique experience. However, that does not mean I am pleased with this.”

  Deep in his mind, the Crimson Cloud, which had been ignoring him so far, suddenly screams in rage.

  Yes, this is not good at all.

  ~~~

  Some distance away from the arena, Su Daji blinks as she looks at the sky. A forgotten memory passes through her mind too quickly for her to grab hold of it. It leaves her with a flash of something that might have been nostalgia in a different age.

  “So that’s what it is supposed to look like.”

  The Palace of the Storm Dragon floats in the skies above a sea of purple clouds.

  ~~~

  Tap. Tap. Tap.

  The sound of Granny Zhao’s cane hitting the cobblestones echoes throughout the empty streets as she makes her way to the floating palace.

  “Well, well, well,” she says with her eyes looking up. “It has been quite a while since I saw something like this.”

  An outburst of irritation bubbles in the back of her mind. Granny Zhao chuckles.

  “I know. I know. Patience.”

  The Crimson Cloud Palace is wider than it is tall. Its design is meant to emphasize openness. It is supposed to be a place where representatives from the various clans and sects of the Empire can come and air out their grievances before the Emperor, so that his wisdom may help settle their disputes.

  However, the Storm Dragon Palace is made with verticality in mind. It has towers upon towers, each of them trying to claw at the heavens. From the very first moment one lays eyes on it, it forces one to look up, emphasizing its superiority over its surroundings. It is a place of power and dominance. It is the absolute authority of the Emperor.

  Or rather, the absolute authority of the Storm Dragon.

  “As always, this old lady will carry your words.”

  ~~~

  There was once a man named Xiang.

  He was not the brightest or the strongest, yet it was his fortune to bond with an incomplete Inheritance. As the first of the Feng Clan found the Eternal Flame and quickly made a name for himself, Xiang was in a significantly poorer position. The Crimson Cloud had lost nearly all of its power. Worse of all, it was so weak that even basic communication was borderline impossible.

  Xiang understood he had found something important, yet he lacked the tools to make the best of his situation. Though he tried his best to bring stability to a broken land, he lacked power. Most importantly, he lacked knowledge.

  However, one day, a masked woman and her disciple appeared before him.

  He didn’t think much of it at first. They helped him with some bandits, and though they kept their secrets guarded, he freely told them his. He was perhaps too trusting for his own good, yet it bore fruit on this occasion.

  Months later, they brought him a young girl, one who could hear and understand the power inside him. Generations would pass, and the Crimson Cloud would eventually grow strong enough to communicate with the Xiang clan without the need for an interpreter; yet, the girl, now a woman, stayed with the Xiang Clan. She took on many jobs and acquired various titles, yet she never forgot the most important one of all.

  She was the Speaker of the Crimson Cloud.

  ~~~

  Mini-Character List

  Liu Jin: Our protagonist. Put all his points in castle building.

  Lu Mei: Disciple of the Eternal Flame Clan. May have overestimated her odds. Will never admit it.

  Bei Hong: Disciple of the Eternal Flame Clan. It is not even a flesh wound if your body is metal.

  Huang Shing: Disciple of the Eternal Flame Clan. Can’t keep up with everyone’s plotting, but he’s okay with that.

  Fan Bingbing: Disciple of the Eternal Flame Clan. The tournament has cost her two musical instruments. She is not okay with that.

  Firm Shadow: Disciple of the Temple of the Thousand Shadows. Doesn’t like this situation.

  Alarming Shadow: Disciple of the Temple of the Thousand Shadows. Is about 50% angrier than usual.

  Ruan Haoran: Elder of the Endlessly Raging Valley. Platinum mad.

  Dai Jie: One of the Five Fairies of the Divine Frozen Palace. Not even a little mad.

  Ruan Chenshu: Elder of the Endlessly Raging Valley. His disrespect sometimes slips out.

  Feng Gui: Future Patriarch of the Eternal Flame Clan. In the process of connecting several dots.

  Emperor Xiang: Emperor of the Crimson Cloud Empire. A bit annoyed.

  Shao Zhilan: One of the Five Fairies of the Divine Frozen Palace. Is okay with keeping secrets from others, but does not like it when people keep secrets for her.

  Su Daji: Disciple of the Wandering Wind. Feeling kind of nostalgic.

  Granny Zhao: Speaker of the Crimson Cloud. Old.

  AN:

  There will be another chapter on Wednesday. Also, I want to remind people that there won't be updates during the last week of December and the first week of January.

  As always, there are more chapters in the Patreon.