Their time in the sword domain was drawing to a close. The camp they were in, gradually emptied as people migrated toward the exit. Most were camped in the plains neighbouring the huge stone arch.

'Shouldn't we also think of leaving?'

She asked one night as the three of them sat around the campfire. Tan fu had caught a boar that was roasting over the fire. 

'We'll leave in a few days. We agreed to wait for the other leaders and leave as a group.'

On the second night, the other showed up in groups of two or three. Dong hulin returned looking even more dirty and excited than when he left. So did tenth position legendary drunken hero and sixth place, I'm looking for a new love to replace the old one. They arrived in the company of second place Ming xue. She dozed off now and then after eating her fill of the deer they'd hunted.

The group spent the rest of the night trading stories and cultivation advice. But it wasn't simply cultivation advice. Cultivation advice was just another name for bragging. 

Once Ming xue woke up, she called everyone to order. 

'Gather around, friends.'

'Is it time?'

Eighth place, Shao ting, the plum blossom swordsman, asked. 

"En."

They all settled down as she produced a spatial ring. 

"Before we begin. I want us all to agree on something. What do you say about giving more of the loot to Lei huojin?"

"I agree."

Tan fu seconded the notion.

"I'm okay. You don't have to-"

"Hey, Lei huojin! Are you refusing our kindness?"

Dong hulin asked.

"Just accept it. We are all friends here."

Ming xue said. The rest nodded, echoing her sentiments. 

"Then i will thank you."

"Good! Now, first brother Luo isn't here with us but as you all know he came up with the plan so we will put his portion aside. We'll choose according to rank, like we always do. We'll start with the treasures."

She took dozens and dozens of treasures out of the ring and placed them on the ground in the centre in view of the members present. Bai li yue could feel the excitement rising in their chests. 

Where did they get all these treasures?

"I'll choose a treasure for our first brother and then myself."

Mingxue announced and focused on choosing. She chose an ivory horn and a rusted sword and left the stage for Tan fu. Each of them chose one treasure and waited for the next round. Only Lei huojin chose two treasures due to his special situation. 

Bai li yue still didn't know where the treasures came from. Had they discovered a treasure vault in the domain?

She sidled up to eighth place shao ting. 

"Senior, where did you find all these treasures?"

"Ah! Bai li yue, you're here too? Why haven't you chosen a treasure yet?"

"Choose-?"

"Mingxue! Wait! Bai li yue hasn't chosen her treasure."

He stared at the others in confusion. 

"What? Do i have something on my face? What?"

He asked.

Instead of answering him, Mingxue looked at Bai li yue. 

"You should have told me that Bai li yue was here. She must now think we're bandits instead of her respected seniors."

Bai li yue's eyes widened in realisation. 

"Oh!"

She now understood what she'd stumbled on. The infamous band of thieves that tenth place legendary drunken hero had told her about was them. She looked at him in silent disbelief. He looked away, ashamed at being caught. 

"I won't say a word."

She said. It was none of her business. If they chose to use unethical means, who was she to judge them? 

Even though she'd given them her word, it was obvious that none of them believed her. 

"What if you let it slip one day?"

Dong hulin asked.

'I won't. Who would i tell anyway? And it's not as if you broke the law, right? The sect won't punish you for it. At most people will be-"

"Bai li yue, stop talking. You're not helping."

Tan fu said with a sigh. He picked up a treasure without consulting the others and passed them to her.

'Bai li yue, you're no longer a witness. You're now an accomplice. Understood?"

Bai li yue hadn't intended to say anything ever, but their caution was understandable. She accepted the lamp. 

"Yes senior."

Her answer gained her a few looks of approval. 

The selection process continued. When there were no treasures remaining, Ming xue produced another pile of scrolls, manuals and books. It took them till dawn to finish going through and selecting what they liked. 

Bai li yue got the lamp and two scrolls: a sword skill and a skill for disguising herself. 

This was her first time coming across such a skill. She spent the rest of the time in the domain studying it until it was time to leave.

The sword tower leaders, along with herself, arrived on the plains the day before the passage opened. There was no need to invite them to join Shen duyi's group when she knew the latent enmity between them and Shen duyi. She said goodbye to them when it opened and the first group stepped through. 

'Bai li yue, over here!'

Hu An gave her a wave that she ignored. She didn't like being used. Glancing around the gathered crowd, she didn't find the other twin.

'I guess it's better like this.'

Shen duyi was surrounded by a revolving door of admirers. The rumour of him discovering a legendary legacy had spread far and wide and many sword river and mountain students were eager to get on his good side. He accepted the praise with aplomb and bid them farewell after awhile. The crowd surged around him expecting him to move forward. Instead, he ignored them and went straight to where Bai li yue was sitting.

'It's time to leave.' 

She noticed the several looks of curiosity mixed with jealousy directed her way. It was a normal reaction when a popular student showed marked attention to a female student. She froze but eventually shrugged it off. Shen duyi was the chosen of the two sects so there were more eyes on her. Meixiu was going to have too many rivals in the future.