Xiyun did not take a step further, neither did Yeon. Their legs rooted in place as they shared a gaze. They had found the Xiao Family. The entire Qinsi Ward was the property of the Xiao Family.
Yeon bit her lips. Even she knew that involving themselves with a family this large was a complex situation that she had to be cautious of. They needed to retreat for now.
Qiu Gaokang saw them stop and stopped as well. “Is something wrong?” Truthfully, Qiu Gaokang was stalling for time because he didn’t know what role he had in all this. His father had warned him about this possibility, that a youth would come looking for the family, however, he didn’t know the full story. He didn’t know the intentions of the two youths either.
They all stood before the yard. The silence broke when three people exited the manor entrance. A man in a green gown, a woman in a white-sleeved light-green dress, and a male attendant.
Qiu Gaokang frowned but quickly bowed. “Greetings, Fourth Master Xiao, Fifth Lady Xiao.”
“Qiu Gaokang, we were just ready to take a stroll in the garden. What is this about? Who are these guests?” Fourth Master Xiao’s voice was deep and smooth.
Stroll in the garden? Qiu Gaokang did not believe such coincidental nonsense, especially not when the two came together. “These matters relate to the Back Manor. Please ask my father or the Old Master later.”
“Am I not the one who manages this estate? You can not just bring strangers into the manor without our knowledge. Don’t you agree, Sister?” Fourth Master Xiao’s voice pulled in a raspy tone at the end.
Qiu Gaokang’s eyes meanwhile swept over the face of the inconspicuous attendant. He could see what occurred. This servant alerted Fourth Master Xiao of his driver’s movements. Although he had tagged the attendant as one of Second Master Xiao’s people, it seems like he was mistaken. Then there was Fifth Lady Xiao who realized something was odd when she was monitoring the activities of Fourth Master Xiao and forcibly followed along, which explained the veiled hostility.
Fifth Lady Xiao’s gaze was stuck on the two youths. Out of everyone present, only she recognized the two youths. Yes, they were the two from the Liu Estate, who took a carriage to Lanzhou. When she heard herself being referred to, she did not answer but smiled instead. “Maybe. Maybe not,” she told her brother.
“How useless,” Fourth Master Xiao said, not mincing his thoughts. He mused in his head that even though the woman had followed him, she did not want to help.
Fifth Lady Xiao smiled back to her brother, however, her eyes were incredibly cold. She took a step back and left Fourth Master Xiao alone in his argument.
Fourth Master Xiao tersely met Qiu Gaokang and the two youths. “Don’t believe you can get out of explaining what you are doing.”
“What’s there to explain?!” An old white-bearded man in a brown robe walked out from the manor.
Qiu Gaokang hid his grin.
“Steward Qiu,” Fifth Lady Xiao greeted.
“Steward Qiu.” Fourth Master Xiao also greeted the steward with respect.
“What do you need here, Tailuo? Why don’t you go take a stroll or something,” Steward Qiu said.
Fourth Master Xiao, Xiao Tailuo, frowned when his given name was used. “I will need an explanation sooner or later.”
Steward Qiu pointed at Xiyun. “This boy has come to be recognized by the family. I am acting within my role for the Old Master.”
“Would a child from the branch families gain so much importance?”
“Who said anything about the branch families?”
Xiao Tailuo narrowed his eyes.
“I am recognizing Xiao Xiyun as a member of the main family,” Steward Qiu said.
“All the main branch members are already accounted for, there is no one missing.”
“Well, now there is a new one.”
“There can’t be a new one. You can’t just decide there is a new member.”
“Fourth Master Xiao is right,” a young voice said.
Everyone saw it was the boy in question, Xiyun.
Although Xiao Taisuo felt that it was odd that anyone who came to claim benefits would deny it, he allowed Xiyun to continue.
“Who said I am this Xiao Xiyun? I am a servant of the Liu Estate, running a letter.”
Qiu Gaokang was about to bring up that the girl had contradicted this claim earlier, however, Xiyun brought out a jade pendant, one inscribed with the script ‘Liu’. “This should serve as proof shouldn’t it?”
The old man, Steward Qiu, grinned. “Madam Liu delivered a letter stating that her son had given that very tablet to Xiao Xiyun. This serves to prove your identity unless you want to say that you are a thief instead?” He turned to Xiao Tailuo. “The Old Master has already acknowledged that the child is a part of the main bloodline. What can you do about it?”
Xiao Tailuo stared at the boy in disbelief and then at Steward Qiu in anger.
Xiyun quickly turned to Yeon. “We are leaving.”
Both of them stepped back towards the direction of the street.
“Gaokang!” Steward Qiu called.
Crack!
From Qiu Gaokang’s carriage parked at the side of the wall came the sound of metal splitting wood. A shadow had broken out of the carriage. There was quiet as a gray sword suspended above the street beyond the yard.
Yeon immediately stood in front of Xiyun.
Qiu Gaokang realized now that the children knew nothing about their situation. He snorted in amusement.
Steward Qiu also laughed. “Xiao Xiyun, for lying and playing a prank in front of his contemporaries and elders, is to be confined to his room by Clan Laws.”
“You can’t confine anyone. He is not a part of the Xiao Family!” Yeon yelled without realizing it. Her heartbeats were stronger than normal. Myriad thoughts crossed her mind in quick succession, each so sudden that they override the last, preventing her from thinking at all. Is this my fault? The only conclusion she could draw was that this was something she caused for Xiyun. She felt a sudden knock on her back.
“Calm down,” Xiyun whispered.
“What?”
“I’ve been calling your name multiple times now.”
Her eyes refocused and recontextualized where she was.
“Who are you, child?” Steward Qiu said.
“I am his bodyguard!”
Qiu Gaokang imitated the tone of his father. “By Xiao Business Regulations, all attendants working within Xiao Family property must be registered as working under the Xiao Family. Young Lady, your job is finished. Leave this property or be escorted out.”
“He is not a Xiao member! We are leaving together!” Yeon took a stance by stomping her right foot forward. A brush of wind blew past Qiu Gaokang’s straight hair.
Qiu Gaokang’s eyes glistened. A solid cultivation! He swept a glimpse to his father to gain his approval and stepped forward across from the two youths. The girl must not be affiliated with the Liu Estate or is disobeying instructions in favor of friendship, if she was acting this way. “An expert of the second realm at so young. Even at the Capital Schools, such a sight can seldom be witnessed. Nevertheless, the Xiao cannot be threatened. Leave.”
Yeon peered back at the sword steadily suspended in front of the backdrop that was the blue sky. The street below the sword was devoid of all people. Everyone had gone and stayed inside.
For cultivators, only an expert in the second realm could use a control method to remotely move an object. However, for a sword to remain suspended absolutely still twenty meters away from the wielder, only a sword cultivator in the third realm can achieve such a feat.
Yeon gritted her teeth. If she was alone, she could easily bypass the danger, but Xiyun was with her, and he was the one they were after. What could I do? Even if there was enough time to plan, can I even come up with a plan out of this? What type of person could come up with a plan for everything?
Xiyun saw her form tremble after a breath. If he couldn’t get her to leave before, it was near impossible now. He saw past the everyone in the yard, looking at the sky behind the manor instead. “Yeon, you should act more rudely.”
Her lips scrunched up. Why is he saying this now? “Like you do? Eldest Brother Hyun always reprimanded me if I act like you.”
He did not understand how he was ever rude. “But he is not here, is he? So what can he do about it?”
Yeon elicited a small smile. “I guess, I can do whatever I want. I can act however I like.” Her mind felt clearer. I needed to step forward if she wanted to retreat. Locking Qiu Gaokang in the eyes, Yeon raised her left foot and stepped down onto the ground, fracturing the stone tile. “This is a challenge. Let both of us leave at your loss.”
Qiu Gaokang chuckled when he heard the girl’s challenge to a duel. The separation between the second and third realm was a gap that no one can bridge. Experts in the third realm are revered as rare masters and humbly sought after by the court and other influences wherever they go. A direct challenge to someone above your realm in this manner and face to face was something impossible to succeed at.
Fourth Master Xiao’s expression darkened. During last year’s renovations, he had paid money from his own pockets just to import these polished white stone tiles from the Southern Kingdoms.
Fifth Lady Xiao watched from the side without interrupting. She knew who the girl was, however, she wondered how much Steward Qiu, and in turn, her father, the Old Master, knew.
Xiyun stepped back and kept weary focus on the three adults, particularly the steward. Why does the world have to be this complicated? He was confident in Yeon’s character, so if she had confidence to win then so did he.
Qiu Gaokang brought his hands to his back. “Stop playing child. I can tell your cultivation realm from your stomp. A duel between cultivators is a matter of life and death.”
“Just go on.”
Complying, Gaokang’s sword in the sky rotated to point down towards Yeon. No sound signaled the movement of the sword. It just happened. It tore the air.
Yeon lifted one foot and both arms. When the sword arrived, she pushed her remaining foot to send her body off the ground. In the air, she slammed her right arm at the blade’s body.
She was hit back onto the ground. Her two feet broke another stone tile as they landed.
The sound of the clash was a low rumble, like a sword hitting stone.
The sword spun in the direction of Gaokang before suspending again.
Gaokang felt his sword impact a hard object when he was sure the edge of the sword struck Yeon’s arm. When he looked, there was no cut. A long dark bruise appeared on her arm, however, nothing especially damaging. Although the first strike was a test, the result still surprised him. As far as he could tell, the girl’s arm was normal flesh, so she has to have used a method that somehow dissipated the force of the hit.
The sword realigned in front of Gaokang. He practiced a sword style of the south, one that emphasized power and speed. The sword was no longer silent, it whistled. It flew forward parallel to the ground. If the girl tries her method again, her arm will get severed.
Yeon watched the sword soar near the ground instead of from above.
“Wrong move,” she whispered.
The girl often took advantage of a tactic when facing new opponents. By displaying her resilience during the first exchange and taking a blow, her opponent would underestimate her speed and flexibility, thus they leave a careless opening. In this case, the opening was the fact that the sword was parallel to the ground.
The girl took one step forward, yet she traveled five steps instead. She took another step, one that mirrored her last, yet instead of traveling forward or five steps, she traveled half a step to the side. Anyone would find her movement unnatural. The direction of how she interacted with the ground was inherently wrong.
Gaokang watched Yeon shift to the side of his sword. Through his intent and his connection to his blood quenched sword that was considered another part of his body, he controlled the sword to twist towards the girl. At the speed the sword was going, simply changing the direction of the sword would be too late, therefore he opted to rotate the sword relative to its center of mass instead.
At the same time, Yeon also spun using her foot that was placed on the ground as a pivot. Her fingers reached out and then closed.
Nothing else occurred.
Yeon stood there holding a simple gray sword in her hand.
Gaokang’s mind froze before he immediately tried to move the sword, but nothing happened. Theoretically, even if someone held his sword, he should be able to lift the person holding it off the ground if they didn’t let go. After all, he was a swordsman in the third realm, someone capable of sword riding. It was how weight and strength worked. Yet, this did not happen. Every moment that he willed the sword tried to rise, it felt an opposing force push from the other direction. His intent had not been blocked, and he could still affect the sword, yet the sword was grasped.
Yeon toyed with the sword in her hand. Her eyes were half-closed and her lips smirked. “You have no style. You can rely on your methods, but without a style, there can never be any technique. It is rigid and possesses weaknesses, yet it is without the flexibility to take advantage of the weaknesses of others. Your cultivation is only a tool. It will never go far because it is not a true martial way. I am not a cultivator, I am a practitioner. My style is Water Circulation, to treat force like water.”
“The Way is not just about fighting,” Gaokang said gratingly. Not often was he belittled by a child. So what if the girl happens to have some talent. Which cultivator didn’t have some talent? “You call my fighting rigid, but those on the Martial Path only have one style.”
Yeon felt the surrounding air dry and temperature rise to an extent that would make normal individuals dizzy. She snorted and ran towards Gaokang.
Gaokang inhaled a deep breath and blew that breath towards the tree branches above him. Countless green leaves changed to yellow, then brown. They dried and crumbled as they fell. While dropping, they shook, vibrating against each other. They created the sounds of cicadas. The small pieces scratched and rustled each other too fast to produce shadows. Then, flames blossomed all around.
To Yeon, Gaokang’s figure was suddenly hidden behind a cloud of red and black fire.
She was in midrun and felt the heat, but she couldn’t turn to retreat. Gaokang’s answer to prove that having one style was rigid was the inferno blazing towards her. However, she did not believe she was wrong. A reason existed for her confidence. She clenched her teeth and closed her eyes before leaping through the firestorm in her path. In her mind was her style, a style belonging to Mulsunhwan.
Everyone witnessed it. Qiu Gaokang saw it last. The figure that left a trail of flames behind her landed in front of him.
The two opponents stood across one another.
Gaokang pale face was confused. He was not well practiced in relying on mysterious methods. He had used his breath, which was still a part of his body even after leaving it, to change the air. His breath was consumed by the leaves, allowing him to use the life of the leaves itself to end their own cycle. With the last ounce of his control, he converted energy leaving the dying leaves to spark, creating a fire that burned using the dead leaves itself as fuel. His designs were all to conserve as much energy as possible, yet it was still tiring.
Yeon’s eyes contain some of the same confusion as Qiu Gaokang. The fire did not burn her. Why didn’t it? To her, the heat dispersed like rainfall draining to a river. Yeon wondered, is heat and force actually the same? As this crossed her mind, she felt her sense of the environment change slightly.
Qiu Gaokang witnessed the change in the girl. She had changed how she subtly interacted with the air around her.
When he realized what just occurred, his eyes began shaking. The girl had just gained enlightenment during battle and progressed in her cultivation! He could finally tell the girl’s cultivation state within her realm at this moment. She was in the middle state of Control Realm and a half-step away from the upper state of Control Realm. She is what? Fourteen? At most fifteen? What kind of immense talent is this? In the Spring Generation, he could not think of a single one that could match this talent. Perhaps only those chosen hidden by the South can rival this achievement.
“I am Han Yeon. My Master is Jin Jeongseong of Mulsunhwan. If you claim that my martial arts are rigid, then you do the same to my master.”
Qiu Gaokang stilled. A breath escaped his lips. So, she’s the rumored last disciple of the Grandmaster on the Peninsula, the man who is the pinnacle of the East.
The spring breeze blew.
Gaokang’s sword was still grasped by Yeon. It was warm in her hands. She pointed the sword straight down and stepped on its hilt to bury the sword into the crack of dirt between the stonework. Her foot remained on it.
He was still a swordsman who treasured his sword. His lips creased, however, he no longer underestimated the youth. He lifted his palms and struck at the figure in front of him.
Every palm strike was received by a grasp from Yeon and redirected in another direction.
Yeon changed her method from soft to hard. Her stance brought strength from the ground through both her legs. Her right hand formed a fist. It swept and hit the chest of Gaokang.
Clang!
She felt her hand hit the edge of a blade.
Blood dripped onto the floor.
To Yeon’s amazement, it was her own blood. Gaokang was unmoved from where he stood, instead large cuts were now on her arms.
“I am still in the Doubtless Realm of the Union Path. I believe the equivalent realm in the Martial Path is known as Harmony in Nature. Although I was wrong about you, you are also wrong about me. You call my sword a tool and not a style, but I myself am also a tool. My concept is a sword and this is the Way I seek to prove. You have yet to harm me, but I have harmed you. That is the insurmountable wall between realms.”
“Are you sure about that?” Yeon grasped both of Gaokang’s wrists.
A sudden weight pushed down on him. Gaokang could not move them no matter what he did. The effect extended to the rest of his body through the way she pulled his wrists towards the ground. At its core, the act used against him was a simple martial arts form similar to a grasp.
Han Yeon was capable of controlling Qiu Gaokang’s personal sword, even if he too was a sword, what stopped her from suppressing him?
A few more cuts appeared on Yeon’s hands. However, Gaokang felt the grasp of her hands tighten. His eyes widened when he felt pain at his wrists. He was being done in by a simple grasp that couldn’t even be considered a martial arts technique.
Yeon starred him in the eyes. “Realms mean nothing. You can give me some scratches, but I can break your arms right now!”
A black wind tore through the courtyard. Shadows extended from each direction. Three dozen figures stood on the walls of the estate. Each wore black garments. Each was expressionless, yet they emitted anger. They were True Guards of the Xiao Family and they could no longer stand seeing Qiu Gaokang in the midst of being heavily injured. Although they did not move, their pressure instilled the air.
The entire scene seeped into Yeon’s mind. “Is this the only result of your defeat?”
“Even if I did admit my loss, they still won’t let you have what you want,” Gaokang said.
“This is not fair.”
“It isn’t.”
“I bet I can still take them all on.”
“Yeon, stop,” Xiyun said. The moment that they stayed within the enemy’s territory was the moment that they lost.
There was a moment of pause, but Yeon did stop. She released her grip and fell to Xiyun’s side.
“Go,” Xiyun said.
“No.”
“Just sneak in later,” Xiyun compromised.
Her face pained. “Fine.”
Everyone could clearly hear them talking about sneaking in, but no one mentioned it.
Yeon leapt onto a spot on the estate walls without a guard. She glared at everyone who met her eyes, challenging them.
“I’ll cooperate,” Xiyun announced.
Steward Qiu had an emotionless face. “Gaokang, take him to the empty courtyard at the eastern wing of the manor. You won’t be able to work, so as punishment, keep the boy there.”
Yeon watched the boy walk inside the manor voluntarily. She sighed and backed away towards the entrance of the compound under the gaze of the True Guards.
Fifth Lady Xiao returned inside the manor satisfied.
“I am going to meet with Father!” Xiao Tailuo announced before storming inside the manor.
“Just try it!” Steward Qiu yelled back.