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At the same time, the voice in the recesses of her mind was speaking.

"You won't be able to do this alone. Anger is good. Fury is good. But you are not in control. I will give you control."

Bai li yue felt a cool air wash over her like a sigh. It tamped the flames of madness and gave her clarity. 

And then like a dam bursting, she felt spiritual energy rush into the deprived body through every pore. 

"Thank you."

Bai li yue muttered in her sleep.

The shadow in her mind paused in confusion, but was quick to take advantage of the opportunity. It had once taken control of Bai li yue's body to act, but it felt the danger from the soul sword formula. Bai li yue might end up killing it without knowing the truth. That was something that it couldn't allow to happen. The merging of souls had to happen before those pesky spirits notified Bai li yue. The phantom of the woman in red sneered and blended into the energy rushing through her and slipped in. 

When Bai li yue woke up, she didn't look any different than before, yet she felt better than ever. She slowly sat up and inspected her body with a calculated intent. A stillness hung in the air around.

The moment was cut short when a shout pierced her ear drums.

"Mistress?"

"Noisy!"

'Can you hear us?"

She pulled the sword out of thin air as she answered.

"Yes."

'I… thought you died.' 

Little white sobbed. 

'We could still feel her life force.' 

Little white countered.

"Don't worry. I'm still here."

"What happened?"

"Some people don't know that I am not a wall they can climb."

"Mistress, we can't let them get away… deserve... painful death… most agonising death."

Bai li yie nodded. She wanted nothing more than to walk out and begin dispensing vengeance but she was also conscious of who she was. The sect was something she couldn't contend with at her current realm, especially if she wanted to go after their number one student. She needed a plan.

'The soul sword formula is very strong. No worries."

The black sword buzzed when Bai li yue didn't look relieved.

The sword's assurance didn't fill her with ease. She was sure that the Sword Heaven sect had its fair share to have hidden dragons and crouching tigers. There was bound to be one or two sages or sovereigns protecting it. She didn't want to start an all out war with them when the time came.

Bai li yue glanced at the sword in her hand. No matter what or who, she wasn't going to change her mind about getting revenge.

"Go back for now. I need to think. I'll inform you if i need anything."

She cut the connection and focused on slowly nourishing her body. 

Unbeknownst to Bai li yue, the two sword spirits had noticed the difference in her behaviour, subtle though it had been. 

"Did you notice?"

"En. The bloodline spirit is gone"

"Where did it go?"

"We must find it quickly before it harms her."

"En. I will go and look for it."

Little black said. It had a bone to pick with that spirit anyway.

During the early hours of the morning, Bai li yue went to work. She needed time to put a plan into action. That meant nobody could know that she had regained her former state. 

'I won't allow it to happen a second time.'

She said with an iron clad resolve. A second later, she disappeared from view and appeared in the mystical abode. The woman in red had told her a few things like how to enter and leave this place at will. It was a godsend since she now needed a temporary hideout. 

Conscious of the time, Bai li yue began casting several runes: another gift from her benefactor. The woman had explained how to use them and their purpose. One hour later, the runes were complete. They remained in the air where she left them. 

"To take revenge, you have to be ruthless. With others but more importantly with yourself."

Bai li yue recalled the woman's words again. 

"Ruthless."

She took one final breath and stepped into the area where the runes were floating. She positioned her body: standing straight with arms outstretched and drew the runes into her body. The process wasn't painful at all. Apart from a brief strange feeling that she couldn't put into words, nothing out of the ordinary happened. In fact the mundaneness of the process was also part of the strangeness.

The runes on top of her head, at her back and on her hands and feet sank into her skin and bones and incorporated into her body. The surging spiritual energy disappeared and her body returned to normal. With her aura gone, she looked like she had done before. She looked like a mortal. The feeling was off putting at first. She felt like she was wearing a cloak encased in invisible steel. For others the feeling might be similar to staring into mud. Steel or mud: it was a sacrifice she was willing to make. 

With the first part of her preparations completed, Bai li yue reappeared in her chambers. She fell asleep with a bone chilling smile on her face and dreamed a dream filled with rivers of blood. 

On the surface, there was no change to Bai li yue's routine. She still sat in the garden reciting the formula that was now etched into her brain. She took brief walks around the sect to commit places to memory. On one such outing, she passed by the pill workshop. She still had a debt to pay, but she no longer considered herself a student of the sect. The events that caused her to be indebted seemed like it happened centuries ago to another person. She didn't recognise her old self. How had she lived for so long with her level of innocence? She should have suspected Meixiu's sudden friendliness or at least been on her guard. She should have…

She should have…

Bai li yue understood that she was partly to blame for overlooking certain red flags, but that didn't make Meixiu and Shen duyi any less guilty. They will pay!

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