If you've read the original version of this chapter, 10: Possibilities, I apologise deeply. It's all the same except for the last few lines. I had two drafts of this, and accidentally published the wrong one and just realised it now.

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Ai Mingxia picked at her rice, mind racing. She barely heard all the chatter being tossed around the table.

Without the lens of Liu Xiuying’s wish to enact vengeance on Si Ma Zhilian, the other girl had been perfectly accommodating, friendly. She had saved her from the brink of death  — Ai Mingxia still wasn’t entirely sure how — and spelled Taoyun to be more convenient, as well as stand up for her in front of a crowd of disciples, which was kind, if unnecessary. Not to mention that she had generally seemed very mindful of Liu Xiuying’s health.

Perhaps the soul-summoning curse hadn’t been a clean cut, and when Ai Mingxia had been summoned to possess Liu Xiuying’s body in exchange for Liu Xiuying’s soul, a few lingering traces of it had been left behind? It wasn’t as though Liu Xiuying could’ve practiced it beforehand, and the instructions she received could’ve been tampered with or slightly incorrect, as it was a closely guarded secret and the instructions she had gotten were probably copied from memory or a cobbled hodgepodge. How had she even gotten her hands on it anyway?

Liu Xiuying had mentioned her mental health was ‘ever-deteriorating’ — perhaps with all she had gone through, she was experiencing hallucinations? Even if the Si Ma Clan really had done something unspeakable, it was possible that Si Ma Zhilian hadn’t been a part of it at all. Maybe she had just been shrouded by the skeletons in her closet. 

Ai Mingxia sighed faintly, something welling up inside her. If that really was the case… she’d wound up thinking she had more enemies than she really did. Si Ma Zhilian would be an easier target this way, but … Despite all the blood on her hands, there was some sort of rising discontent at undeserved vengeance. She knew it was ridiculous: her own survival should be her priority, and it always had been in the past. Even with the people who had put faith in her.

But she’d never killed them, had she? She’d only ever aimed for those who had hurt her or got in her way of survival.

But in her descent of resentment, she’d killed many a bystander. The other soldiers. The other gods. The other members of the Ai Sect. None of them the same people who had hurt her so many years ago. She had let her shots go and they had hit true, like arrows aiming for their targets, but they had left an unstoppable path of vengeance and destruction in their wake, wide and yawning. 

There was an ugly sort of truth about arrows. The instant they were fired, you could not take them back, no matter how much you wanted to. 

…So why should this be any different? Another shot, another arrow, another death. Ai Mingxia had played judge, jury, and executioner for years, and she had never wanted for recourse.

Li Zhiqiang lay at the back of her eyelids, staring vacantly into nothingness. Cao Daojing bled out beside him, legs splayed out at an angle that couldn’t be further from natural. Lan Tao cried by Yang Yun’s stiffened body resting in white flowers. Lian Guang with bitter disappointment in his glassy eyes. Fei Yuan and Ti Shuang guarded Ai Ruolan and his son until they crumpled broken. Qi Niao limped away, broken sword in her hands.

Ai Mingxia spooned soup into her mouth. It was warm and salty, but it did not comfort her not one bit.

It was a possibility, but she still shouldn’t let her guard down… The facts that Si Ma Zhilian had known about the knives and presumably had a way to rescue her on her secret trip to Changhou, as well as the fact the earlier events Liu Xiuying had listed seemed to have transpired the way she said so were less than reassuring.

Even though it’d be much more convenient if it turned out Liu Xiuying really had been mistaken after all… Ai Mingxia hoped that she had been right. Because when she looked up from her food and saw Si Ma Zhilian sitting next to her, back ramrod straight, looking completely composed and sipping delicately at the tea in her hand…

Ai Mingxia sighed. Taking notice of it, Si Ma Zhilian turned towards her. “Are you finished?”

She really hadn’t eaten much, but Ai Mingxia nodded. Si Ma Zhilian, with an imperceptible tilt of her head, stood up primly, stacking the plates, bowls, and cutlery on top of each other neatly. Ai Mingxia followed suit, and the two of them exited the hall in silence before stopping under the shade of a large tree.

Si Ma Zhilian regarded their viridescent surroundings with an impassive gaze, hair flowing slightly in the wind. The silver chain of a hidden necklace glinted slightly underneath the folds of her red uniform. “In recent times, I, alongside Guo Qiuyue, Luo Yanmei, and Wu Jianzhi have come across a good place for cultivation, rich with spiritual energy. Now that you have recovered, would you like to accompany me there? Guo Qiuyue and Luo Yanmei have already set off to it as they do every day, so you would have to share with them as well.”

Ai Mingxia considered it. It could be a trap, but if Guo Qiuyue, Luo Yanmei, and Wu Jianzhi were there, she doubted Si Ma Zhilian would do anything. Of course, Si Ma Zhilian could be lying completely about that as well, but looking back into the hall, there was no yellow amongst the sea of blue. 

Ordinarily, Ai Mingxia would refuse instantly no matter what. Going somewhere alone with Si Ma Zhilian to somewhere she hadn’t been before? That was a death wish, even if she had her suspicions that the other girl was actually innocent. But Ai Mingxia could feel the small flame within her had dimmed slightly, what with her close brush with death. Perhaps if she could get Wu Jianzhi to come as well? And how long had she been out for anyway?

“Should we invite Wu Jianzhi as well, then? That asides, I’ve been wondering… How long was I out for?”

Si Ma Zhilian dipped her head gracefully. “Of course. He doesn’t go to it every day after lunch like clockwork, unlike the other two, but he does make an effort of going every day. I am sure he’d be willing. Regarding the second question, I … struggled a bit with healing you, as I do not specialize in it, so three days have already passed.” 

Three days. It was more than she had thought, as the rot on her wrist had spread by not even a bit. Perhaps her theory of being in stasis or in close contact with spiritual energy staunching its growth might have some merit to it. 

Wu Jianzhi might be under Si Ma Zhilian’s control as well, but Ai Mingxia doubted it. Just to be safe, could she persuade some other person to come with them? She wasn’t so good at words — she’d been out of her element in Changhou — but the lure of spiritual energy should suffice, and ironically, Si Ma Zhilian’s presence would increase her claim’s credibility. If Si Ma Zhilian really was telling the truth, Guo Qiuyue, Luo Yanmei, and Wu Jianzhi might mind her bringing somebody else over, but seeing as Si Ma Zhilian was already bringing her, it should be fine.

“May I bring a friend as well?”

A brief flicker of surprise crossed Si Ma Zhilian’s face. “Of course. I will go ask Wu Jianzhi. Shall we converge here in a few minutes?”

 Ai Mingxia nodded. Si Ma Zhilian walked back into the hall, looking the very epitome of elegance, while Ai Mingxia walked briskly towards the closest disciple, a gangly-legged boy sitting alone on a bench reading a book with a sword resting on his lap.

He looked surprised and slightly fearful when he saw Ai Mingxia standing right in front of him, gaze boring into him. With a start, Ai Mingxia realised it was the same boy that Lei Yongrui had been jeering at earlier. A coward and somebody at least somewhat loyal to Lei Yongrui, even if he had a weapon. It wouldn’t do. Just as she was about to walk away, the boy stood up frantically and began to speak. 

“Ah! Uh, Liu Xiuying, right? I’m sorry for the way my brother, Lei Yongrui, I mean, was acting earlier. He can be a bit, um, hot-headed. But please don’t be mad at him! He doesn’t mean it, really…”

Ai Mingxia’s eyebrows shot up her face. She hadn’t be expecting this. Now that she focused on it, the boy really did look like Lei Yongrui: the same amber eyes, same long nose, same round cheeks, and the same thick bushy black hair, though this boy’s was in a messy braid as opposed to Lei Yongrui’s ponytail. “I’m sure he won’t be bothering me too much after today. What’s your name?”

“Ah, my name’s Lei Chonglin. It’s nice to meet you? Um… I’ll try to make sure he won’t?”

“...It’s alright.” She really doubted he could. “What are your thoughts on going somewhere with a lot of spiritual energy to cultivate with Si Ma Zhilian and I?” Even to her, her words felt clunky. And after seeing the boy shrink down a bit into his shoulders, she realised that considering recent events, mentioning Si Ma Zhilian probably wasn’t very effective. “Guo Qiuyue, Luo Yanmei, and Wu Jianzhi as well.” 

Ai Mingxia realised she still wasn’t so good at speaking in a friendly manner. Humans wove words far finer than beings like the fox spirits. 

Instead, they traded expression with strike and blow, interwoven into every parry, every block. And they did not act. Humans wore masks until they melded into themselves. The spirits did not. As somebody inbetween, Ai Mingxia could listen like any other and had been able to muster up words with some difficulty, but she had always preferred the fight. Now, her voice came easily, but still she struggled. She had rarely engaged in conversation with Si Ma Zhilian, nor had she wanted to, and she had always taken to aggresive tones and scathing words easier than diplomacy. With Liu Zhaojian… 

Well.

She was jolted back to the world with Lei Chonglin’s quiet voice. “Um, sure? I suppose?”

“Very well. Thank you.” 

She began to walk back to the tree where Si Ma Zhilian and a short boy with wheat-coloured skin and thin brown hair hanging loose down his back waited — Wu Jianzhi. Lei Chonglin trailed after her, steps quiet.

Once they arrived, Lei Chonglin hanging back slightly behind Ai Mingxia, Si Ma Zhilian looked at him with an almost contemplating glance, blue eyes glinting with something unrecognizable. “Lei Chonglin, I presume?”

Lei Chonglin nodded, the movement shaky and almost unnoticeable. “Yes.” 

Wu Jianzhi flipped his hair over his shoulder and stuck a hand out to him with a wink. “Nice to meet you. I’m Wu Jianzhi, but you can call me Wu Chao.” 

Lei Chonglin blinked in surprise, face reddenning slightly. “Ah! Is that, er, really appropriate? We’ve just met…”

“Of course!” Wu Jianzhu replied all too cheerily. Ai Mingxia almost laughed. She snuck a look at Si Ma Zhilian, who’s normally blank gaze was twinkling with mirth. 

“Uh, okay then. If you say so. It’s nice to meet you.” He paused as if mustering up the courage. “Wu Chao. Uh, you can call me Lei Qiu, then?” 

Wu Jianzhu beamed, face lighting up in joy. “Alright then, Liu Qiu! Well, shall we head off?”

 Si Ma Zhilian nodded, blue eyes still glittering. “Indeed we shall.”

The four set off into the deeper parts of the northern forests, through many confusing twists and turns that Ai Mingxia only memorized with great difficulty. It was a section that Ai Mingxia didn’t recognize. Wu Jianzhu and Lei Chonglin chattered away happily in the front. They looked quite comical: Lei Chonglin, long-legged and lanky, and Wu Jianzhu, short and muscular. Ai Mingxia made sure to never hang back too far from them as she walked silently alongside Si Ma Zhilian, whose back was straight and gait as controlled as ever. The walk was steep, but not particularly tiring.

Ai Mingxia could faintly sense the presence of prowling spirit beasts and corpses, but she suspected they had decided they weren’t easy prey and were staying away. 

After a short while, they reached an open, windy cliff overlooking mountains, seemingly endless peaks sparsely dotted with fledging green. Ai Mingxia had forgotten just how high Yue Ning Peak could get. The cliff was surrounded on all sides by high ridges, with the thick woods they had passed through blocking its back. Peering over it, Ai Mingxia could see a faint ivory mist wafting from a cranny in the stone of the cliff. The crevice was lined with clearly recognizable blue spirit stone, if not whittled into uniformity. Ai Mingxia could feel the small flame within her quivering even as she was assaulted by the cool wind.

“Woah…” Lei Chonglin exclaimed breathily. “Now I’m gladder than ever I agreed to come along.”

“You wound me,” Wu Jianzhu complained, pouting. Lei Chonglin laughed and patted him apologetically on the shoulder. “Never mind. All is forgiven.” He paused for a split second. “It’s a bit of a pain to scale down, but well worth it, I say! I know it looks narrow, but it leads to a really big grotto of even more spirit stones. There’s even a small pond of healing water.” Was that were Si Ma Zhilian had obtained the water used to heal her?

Ai Mingxia glanced to the girl at her right. Looking at Si Ma Zhilian, Ai Mingxia was gladder than ever that Liu Xiuying’s hair was so short, because the usually impeccable girl’s silky brown hair was rippling messily in the wind. A look of displeasure crossed her ordinarily blank face. Ai Mingxia couldn’t help but laugh despite herself.

Si Ma Zhilian looked at her as if in surprise. The wind-plagued girl’s lips curved up, blue eyes twinkling and so warm, to form a bright smile, expanding from her face like a butterfly. 

It was so dazzling and so familiar that Ai Mingxia looked away instantly despite herself. If Liu Xiuying was right after all, Si Ma Zhilian certainly was an exceptional actress.

Wu Jianzhu, raising an eyebrow, continued. “Well, then. I’d assume you can both scale down there on your lonesome?”

Ai Mingxia nodded, still refusing to look back.

Lei Chonglin spoke hesitantly: “...Ah, I think I might need some help? I’m, uh, not so strong.” Revealing his weaknesses. But in his situation, Ai Mingxia would do the same. It was better to show your weaknesses in the open then plummet to a rocky doom.

Wu Jianzhu looked absolutely overjoyed. “I’ll help you!” Grabbing Lei Chonglin, the two disappeared off the side of the cliff. Ai Mingxia followed quickly, still not wanting to be left alone with Si Ma Zhilian somewhere. 

She reached the cranny easily, far faster than the two boys doing whatever they were doing. Part of it was out of her better technique, but despite nearly succumbing to death, she felt as strong as ever since possessing Liu Xiuying’s body. Stronger, even. As she carefully lowered herself inside, she found it really was a tunnel that had been hidden from above.

 Venturing deeper, she stepped into a grotto that was larger than she had imagined, embedded with spiritual stones of all colours. They lit up the misty grotto with their multicoloured, ethereal light, glinting and glittering. Indeed, Guo Qiuyue and Luo Yanmei sat in lotus positions with their eyes shut tight. The fog congealed around them, thick and caustic. 

Upon hearing Ai Mingxia’s footsteps, the two opened their eyes at the same time. They looked surprised, but friendly. Luo Yanmei gave her a small wave, while Guo Qiuyue greeted her politely. “Oh, hello! Liu Xiuying, was it? Are you here with Si Ma Zhilian?”

Ai Mingxia nodded. Right on cue, the gentle pitter-patter of Si Ma Zhilian’s footsteps sounded, and the taller girl, hair still dishevelled, stood next to her. “Indeed. Hello, Guo Qiuyue, Luo Yanmei. Wu Jianzhu and I have brought Liu Xiuying and another friend, Lei Chonglin.”

“Lei?” Luo Yanmei echoed, sounding skeptical. “He related to that cocky asshole?”

Wu Jianzhu and Lei Chonglin, finally arrived, rushed up to them. Lei Chonglin apologetically waved his hands in the air nonsensically. “Ah… Yes. My brother doesn’t mean it, I promise, he’s just a bit hot-headed.”

Luo Yanmei snorted. “More than a bit, I’d say.” Still, she didn’t press the point. “You here to meditate, I assume?” 

Lei Chonglin nodded. “I’m, ah, falling a bit behind lately. I’ve only just broken through to Sin Shedding.” He was revealing his weaknesses again, but Ai Mingxia honestly doubted anybody recognized the term. Racking her brain, she couldn’t think of what it meant.

Guo Qiuyue tilted his head politely. “Excuse me, but what’s Sin Shedding?”

Lei Chonglin chuckled slightly. “Ah, sorry. I think the common term for it is, uh, Red?” Sprout, then. Ai Mingxia herself was currently at Mid Sprout; Liu Xiuying had already been at Early  Sprout.

Guo Qiuyue nodded. “Ah, I see.” A teasing smile crept upon his face. “Wu Chao, I see you’ve got your arms around poor Lei Chonglin’s shoulders? When did you two meet? Wu Chao’s never talked about you before.”

“Ah, just some time earlier.”

“Really? Ah, word of advice, Lei Chonglin, Wu Chao's charming, but he can be pretty annoying sometimes,” Luo Yanmei cut in.

Offended, Wu Jianzhu stuck his other hand on his hip. “Hey! I’m not annoying.” He pouted at Lei Chonglin, sending a pleading gaze towards him. “You believe me, right?” Ai Mingxia shifted her weight from one foot to another. She felt like she was intruding, and even though it didn’t matter nor did the train of thought make sense, it was uncomfortable.

Si Ma Zhilian gave a slight chuckle as Lei Chonglin politely agreed with a slight stammer. Guo Qiuyue and Luo Yanmei looked at each other with twin looks of amusement on their faces as Wu Jianzhu beamed sunnily. “See, Lei Qiu agrees with me!” 

Luo Yanmei laughed, the sound sharp and short. “Lei Qiu already? And the touching? Courting already? Talk about like at first sight.”

In his surprise, Lei Chonglin’s face reddened and he almost fell over, only caught by Wu Jianzhu’s arm. “Uh! Um! Let’s, uh, meditate! We’ve spent too long talking.” He promptly sat down. Wu Jianzhu and Ai Mingxia followed suit. Si Ma Zhilian primly lowered herself and sat down next to her, laying her sword on her lap. Ai Mingxia was slightly nervous of her proximity, but with the near silence of the cave, she and the other disciples would probably be able to hear her make a move. Unfortunately, it went the other way as well. Pulling herself into a meditation position, she closed her eyes and calmed her mind, beginning to meditate. 

The world fell away till as she could hear was the sound of faint breaths, feeling the fire in her smoulder and grow.

By the time she heard the sound of somebody pulling themselves up, the air had already cooled by a substantial amount. 

Peeling her eyes open, she saw Lei Chonglin facing the other way, bloodied sword gripped tightly in his hand. The mist dissipated to reveal Guo Qiuyue and Luo Yanmei lying on the floor decapitated, blood staining the originally stainless ground. He turned towards her, slowly advancing, suddenly menacing —

Ai Mingxia reacted more out of instinct than reason. She whipped out the knives and jumped to her feet, leaping towards him. 

The blood disappeared as though it was evaporating, the mist growing thicker again. 

But it was too late. As soon as Ai Mingxia realised, she tried to change course, but the knife still lanced into Lei Chongling's arm, landing true. He yelled in agony as the other disciples opened their eyes, reaching for her, too slow, too late —

Blood fell on the ground. It was real this time.

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Somehow, I feel like this is slowly becoming comedy.