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Note:

Hi, 

For those who might not know, we are approaching the end of book 1 of Cultivating Karma. Most of the work i had to do was to do some editing (I know that it isn't perfect), but this part: ending the story satisfactorily has been hellish: since i threw out almost everything and went back to the drawing board, essentially rewriting and reworking everything. The following chapters might be slow in being uploaded, but please bear with me. I'm doing this when I could be doing something else. That said, I will do my best to ensure that the landing is enoyable and successful. Cheers!

[worldsinmymind & madeingoldcoast]

-----------   --------------       ---------------

Deep in the night, the two guards stationed outside her door felt a momentary chill and blamed it on their active imaginations. None of the guards on patrol saw the cloaked figure slipping out of the Dawn courtyard. 

Bai li yue smiled. The invisibility array in the cloak was working as expected. She already knew the path to take in order to get around the sect. The mental checklist appeared in her mind and she chose the optimum paths to go about putting her laying the foundations of her plan. She'd dedicated the past few nights to nothing but creating arrays. She divided the tablets into groups based on purpose. The most important ones were the imprisonment arrays that would go around the boundaries of the two sects. There were other imprisonment arrays on tablets meant for locations inside the sects and others that would serve to create and maintain chaos. She walked to the bridge and got to work burying the tablets at equal intervals around the Sword river sect.   She buried some other tablets in vantage points around the Sword river sect. Her next target was the Sword mountain sect. 

"Mmmhmmm...mmmm..mh..m"

Bai li yue stood still at the sound, looking around her for the source. It was coming from the shadows near the bridge. Going closer, she saw a sword river student intertwined with a sword mountain student. They were lost in their own world. Bai li yue left them to their business.

Now that she'd been a student of the Sword river sect for a few years, she realised that the rivalry was only skin deep. When it really mattered, the two sects put their differences aside. It would be impossible for either sect to stand by and watch the havoc without intervening. Since she intended to kill people from both sects, she had to take some countermeasures. Instead of one sect, she had to guard against two or better yet, guard against the Sword heaven sect.  

She walked around cautiously once she stepped foot in the Sword mountain sect. All her work will go to waste if met an elder whose realm allowed them to see through the invisible. She buried several array tablets in key locations, constantly checking the tablet in her hand that also functioned as a master key to verify if everything was in order. All the buried tablets were dormant for the time being. She would activate them when.

Bai li yue finished burying the last tablet, she stood up and came to a stop. A wave of dizziness washed over her and she shook her head to clear it. She was lacking sleep and it was beginning to affect her. 

From behind her, the figure of the woman in red appeared. She glanced at the spot where the tablet was buried with a look of disbelief then disdain. In her eyes, Bai li yue was using a simple imprisonment array for a serious situation. Unlike her host, she knew the realms of the sect guardians. Bai li yue's actions will no doubt force them to take action. A single punch from one of them will crush the prison barriers to pieces. 

"Since our fates are now linked, i will do my part to ensure our success."  

She said with some unwillingness, but her

hand was already in motion. A bead of pure golden energy condensed in the centre of her palm. She molded it into a golden rune and flicked it into the ground next to the buried tablet. Next she repeated the same action and shot the rune into the sky. It landed somewhere in the Sword river sect. The red of the woman's clothes turned dull when she finished. Her face was paler than usual as she disappeared.

Just before dawn, Bai li yue buried the last of the tablets near an empty cave and hurried back across the river. The morning fog provided cover for her passage until she slipped back into her room and went to sleep just as the sun came out. 

The ceremony was tomorrow and preparations were already going full throttle ahead. Several servants and students from the chores divisions had been requisitioned by the elder of operations to help in the cleaning and decorating the large courtyard. They carried flowers and lanterns to decorate the exterior and interior of the Dawn courtyard. 

Her ceremonial robes arrived at midday, specially delivered by a prominent tailor from the capital. Shen duyi followed the beaming seamstress in. This was the first time they were meeting since he made his decision. 

"Li yue, your clothes have arrived. Try them. I want to see you in them." 

He said as he took a seat without being invited. Bai li yue ignored him and the clothes and flipped to the next page of the poetry book she was reading.

The silence stretched until the sweat rolled down the seamstress' temple. This wasn't the first couple to spat before the big day. She made no sound and no movement. After all, she was a professional. She was paid very well to hear nothing, see nothing and most of all say nothing.

"Li yue," Shen duyi said through clenched jaws, "you either obey me or i will satisfy myself and put the clothes on you."

The hand holding the book clenched and then relaxed. She wouldn't show him that she'd recovered just yet. 

"I dress myself. Leave now."

"Good! I'll be outside. Call when you are done. I wish to see my bride in all her beauty."

The seamstress bowed in obeisance. 

"My lady, please stand over here."

Bai li yue left the bed and walked over to the woman. She finally had a full look at the ceremonial robe and accessories. There was a deep red inner robe with ornate gold flowers and phoenixes in flight embroidered on the outer robe in keeping with custom. The headpiece was a combination of masterfully sculptured gold flowers and red gems and a see through veil in a similar red that came down to her shoulders. 

It was plain to see that a lot of care and attention had been put in the selection of each piece. They were more than enough to transform any woman into a beauty. However, the allure of the beauty couldn't touch Bai li yue who stood as still as a statue as the seamstress pulled and tucked and straightened folds until she was confident that Shen duyi would be satisfied. 

She straightened the material over the spot where the chain on Bai li yue's ankle was exposed. After giving Bai li yue a final once over, she went to invite Shen duyi back in. 

Half an hour later, Shen duyi walked out of Bai li yue's quarters with a satisfied smile. 

"I'll help you undress now, my lady."

"Leave! Your work is done. I can undress myself."

"Yes, my lady."

The seamstress bowed and quickly withdrew. A second after the door closed, Bai li yue tore the robe off her body in a fit of frenzy and chucked it to a corner of the room. She was angry. So furious. She felt dirty to her soul. Those eyes! She could still feel his eyes, roving all over her body with ardent lust and voracious desire.

"I-I can't!"

Tomorrow was supposed to be the day. She wanted Shen duyi to see everything he desired fall through his fingers just when he believed he had succeeded, but she couldn't do that. She wanted to tear those eyes out now so he wouldn't ever get the chance to look at her like that again. 

Bai li yue no longer cared how unprepared she was. She was driven by a single thought. 

She clenched and unclenched her hand a few times and then wiped her tears as she found something to wear.

The courtyard was still bustling when she stepped out of her quarters.

She called out to a nearby guard who came running to her side.

"You. Where is Shen duyi right now?"

"He has gone to the Sword mountain sect. Do you require something, my lady?"

"Give this note to him. I'd like to speak to him when he has time."

"Yes lady. I'll send it immediately."

The guard stashed the note in his sleeve and took off in a run. Bai li yue closed her eyes and followed the guard's progress using her senses.

Hu an was shown in the meantime. She scoffed at the festive atmosphere when she arrived. She gave Bai li yue a questioning look. In the end, she held her tongue and joined her in the garden. If even the person concerned wasn't nervous then why should she, an observer, be worried?

Bai li yue finally opened her eyes.

"You should go now. Shen duyi is on his way back."

"What's that got to do with me?"

"You should go home. Don't come tomorrow either. I'll keep my end of the deal."

"How do you think you can do that; when you can't even take care of yourself?"

"Are you worried about me?"

"In your dreams! Do I have to congratulate now?"

"No need. Go now before it's too late."

She waited till Hu an left the court before retiring to her room. The master key to all the arrays appeared in her hand. 

"Little black. Little white. Are you ready?"

She asked.

"Ready... to serve, mistress."

The sword buzzed from white to black. The two spirits exchanged worried looks. Their search had hit a dead end. If they had more time they might pick up the trail of the bloodline spirit, but Bai li yue needed their help. 

"You… keep an eye… out for it."

Little white warned little black. Little black nodded. It would be best to inform Bai yue of the hidden danger, but she had too many burdens already. For now until she was free of the current situation, it would keep watch for any tiny changes in her behaviour. It was the duty of a sword to protect its master after all.

Bai li yue took a deep breath and released an explosive breath. The fires that burned quietly in her heart were once more ignited. The anger and hatred she felt fuelled the flames to greater heights. 

It was finally time to make them all pay. She twisted the lock on her ankle and it broke with a crisp crack. No one deserved to be treated like cattle. It was better if this particular tool was destroyed. She stepped on the lock using all of her weight and finally managed to deform the metal lock. She felt a little bit of satisfaction but one lock couldn't make up for all her suffering. 

Bai li yue put the invisible cloak over her head and pumped energy into the master key to activate. All around the Sword river and Sword mountain sects, the buried tablets were being activated in sequence. The prison arrays around the two sects were the first to activate followed by the cloaking and isolation array that would hide the situation from passers by and stop communication devices from working. The last group of tablets to activate were the exploding arrays set to go off at different times. In a matter of seconds, she sensed all the tablets through the interface of the main one in her hand. She took a deep breath. It was time. She will make them all pay.

"Explode."

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