The exchange of spiritual energy between cultivators is as intimate as the sharing of secrets between lovers. It requires absolute trust, for in that moment, two souls touch across the void that separates all beings.
—Sage Master Liu Yue, Walker of the Midnight Path
The third day of siege brought relentless attacks, each impact sending tremors through the city’s ancient stones. Everyone had to work in synchronized shifts, each group using whatever method they had to deflect or block as much damage as possible.
Not all efforts were sessful. Xin found her own techniques weren’t well suited to mass projectile stopping without using copious amounts of qi, so she ended up in a support role.
Between attacks, she rushed to check on Mei Chen. The sight of herpanion sitting up in bed by the end of the day sent waves of relief through her tired brain.
Dark clouds of smoke stained the sunset crimson. The fires still burned, but fewer than before. The defenders found their rhythm before they were buried.
The fourth day settled into a grinding pattern of artillery exchanges. Zhang Huo’s precise shots prevented the enemy from resting. Every so often he would score a critical hit and an enemy engine would explode. Every time that happened it sparked cheers from the tired defenders.
"Master Qingfeng lives." Brother Long reported. "The lightning left its mark, but he endures."
Xin spotted Yang Mei limping toward the Treasure Pavilion’s entrance. The sight of the empty space below her left knee twisted something in her chest. She rushed forward to support the earth scout.
"Miss Lin." Yang Mei attempted a formal bow but stumbled.
"Don’t." Xin steadied her. "You’ve done more than enough."
The pouch of spirit stones felt heavy in her hands as she pressed them into Yang Mei’s palm. "I’m sorry. This doesn’t begin to cover what you sacrificed."
"My earth sense still works." Yang Mei grinned through obvious pain. "This is just a temporary setback."
Two Treasure Pavilion servants emerged to escort Yang Mei inside for more extensive treatment. She’d remain inside the ’neutral’pound for the rest of the siege even if she managed to recuperate.
The earth scout’s optimism struck deeper than any arrow could.
On the northern wall, Xin stared at the empty roads leading to the Lin manor. No scouts had returned—not a single message had made it through. The silence gnawed.
Feng Yu, wherever you are, please hurry.
She gripped Severing Light tighter, thoughts drifting to those she left behind. Ren Chun, keep them safe, no matter how much you might think what I did wrong. Keep my brother and mother alive.
Later that night, Xin hunched over the writing desk in her room, squinting at yet another failed talisman.
Theplex object repair script from Ming’s example sprawled across dozens of practice sheets, each stroke demanding perfect precision. She crumpled another botched attempt and added it to the growing pile.
The brush trembled against the paper as she traced the intricate patterns for the hundredth time. Ink sttered where it shouldn’t, refusing to obey her will. A frustrated sigh escaped her lips as she reached for a fresh sheet.
Mei Chen bustled around the room, humming an off-key tune while adjusting already-straight nkets and reorganizing their meager possessions.
She picked up Xin’s travel pack, moved it three inches to the left, then back to its original spot. Then she began to target the incense holder.
"It’s perfectly fine where it is," Xin said without looking up from her work.
Mei Chen ignored thement and shifted the holder anyway.
Xin rolled her eyes at the restless reorganizing and set down her brush. The failed talisman attempts could wait. "We should practice cultivating together."
Mei Chen blinked rapidly. "What do you mean?"
"Remember when I helped clear your core?"
Mei Chen nodded but turned away. A rosy flush crept across her pale cheeks. "Feng Yu told me that... that..." She fidgeted with her sleeve. "That sort of thing has... connotations."
"Ugh, she said the same thing to me!" Xin threw up her hands. "But really, I need to check on you."
"Check on me?"
"You werepletely out of your body. What if you lost some power? Or your yin energy got unbnced again?" Xin smoothed her robes.
"I think I’m okay..." Mei Chen twisted the fabric of her sleeve. She looked away, refusing to meet Xin’s eyes. "But if you want to try, we can."
Xin nodded and retrieved two meditation cloths from a chest,ying them carefully on the wooden floor. The familiar patterns of clouds and mountains adorned the white fabric.
She settled onto one of the meditation cloths, crossing her legs into a lotus position. Mei Chen mirrored her movements on the other cloth, though a bright pink flush spread across her pale features.
"Oh,e on." Xin adjusted her robes.
"It’s just..." Mei Chen stared at the floor. "You have more experience than me... please treat me gently."
Xin dropped her face into her palm. "I won’t be able to keep a straight face if you keep saying things like that."
"I’m sorry!" Mei Chen squeaked.
Xin straightened her posture on the meditation cloth. "We’re just going to cultivate and exchange qi. I need to check your meridians and practice some qi threading techniques."
She adjusted her sleeves with a casual shrug. "It’s not like we’re going to have sex or anything."
Mei Chen wobbled sideways, barely catching herself before toppling over. "S-s-s..." Her face zed crimson as she stammered. "Se-sex! That’s—that’s improper Miss Lin! That’s not somethingdies c-can... can do!"
"What do you mean?" Xin tilted her head. "It happens all the time."
Okay, maybe it wasn’t mentioned or broadcast out in the open in ’ Ancient China Land ’ but Li Mei knew better than that it never happened at all. It was just human nature, and she had seen a lot of dodgy erotic roley happen in certain areas of the game that had earned ’that’ reputation.
Mei Chen’s mouth opened and closed. Incoherent squeaks escaped as she iled her hands in front of her face. The poor girl looked ready tobust from embarrassment.
Xin closed her eyes and focused on her breathing, settling into a meditative rhythm. The familiar sensation of qi flowing through her meridians helped tune out Mei Chen’s continued sputtering. She’d let her friend recover herposure in her own time.
After several minutes of blessed silence, Mei Chen cleared her throat softly. "Maybe... maybe we should sit back to back instead?"
"If that makes you morefortable." Xin smoothed her expression.
Mei Chen nodded quickly and turned around. Xin scooted backward until their shoulders pressed together. The familiar chill of Mei Chen’s spiritual energy tingled against her skin through their robes.
What am I even looking for? Xin wondered, but the need to verify Mei Chen’s wellbeing pushed her forward. They should have done this earlier, but the idea hadn’t popped up until now. She reached back and found Mei Chen’s cool fingers, sping them gently in her own warm ones.
"I’ll start now," Xin said.
"Okay." Mei Chen squeezed her hands in response.
Xin gathered her qi and threaded it carefully through her meridians, extending a delicate tendril toward Mei Chen’s palm meridian. The moment her qi touched Mei Chen’s skin, the energy whipped through Mei Chen’s entire system in a dizzying rush—far faster than Xin could track.
The qi thread snapped back through Mei Chen’s other palm. Xin barely caught it, steadying her breath against the sudden return. She guided it back through her own system at what felt like a snail’s pace, though she pushed herself to move as quickly as possible. The energy settled into her dantian, creating a circr flow between them.
Theirbined qi elerated, rushing through both dantians in an endless loop. Xin tried to map Mei Chen’s meridians but found herself baffled. The spiritual pathways seemed to float untethered except for the flow that had formed between them.
I really should study more cultivation texts . There was a severe gap in her theoretical knowledge.
At least nothing seemed wrong. While Mei Chen’s qi remained heavily yin-aligned, enough yang energy swirled in her core to maintain a flowing bnce and prevented another frozen spiritual crisis.
Xin exhaled slowly. Her breath crystallized in the air between them.
"You’re like summer." Mei Chen’s whisper carried a note of wonder.
"And you’re winter incarnate." Xin chuckled softly.
Through their connected qi, concern radiated from Mei Chen—worry that her cold nature might harm. Xin focused her thoughts on wrapping Mei Chen in warmth, like a protective embrace.
Mei Chen rxed against her back. Pure contentment flowed through their bond. The feeling spread through Xin as well, settling deep in her chest.
They drifted together in meditation. Yang and yin energy exchanged between them in gentle waves. The peaceful sensation reminded Xin of floating in a calm pool—minus the chemical smell—suspended between sky and earth.
A thunderous boom shattered their peaceful meditation. The building shuddered beneath them as more explosions rocked the city.
"We need to move." Xin sprang to her feet, breaking their qi connection. The lingering warmth of their cultivation session surged through her meridians—her body thrummed with more energy than she’d felt since before the siege began.
Mei Chen snatched up their medical supplies while Xin grabbed Severing Light. The familiar weight settled onto her shoulder as they burst out the door.
mes painted the midnight sky in violent oranges and reds. Burning projectiles arced overhead like deadly meteors. The constant impacts created a hellish percussion that drowned out screams and shouts from the defenders.
"Where are Sun Gai and Liu Shui? They should be maintaining the defensive arrays!" Xin scanned the chaos.
Tiles cracked and scattered under their feet as they sprinted across the rooftops toward the western wall. The acrid stench of smoke burned Xin’s lungs with each breath.
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A blur of purple robes caught her attention—Ming Lihua bounded between buildings, outpacing them toward the city gate. The senior appraiser’s speed spoke volumes about the situation.
Blue spirit beasts mmed against the forming talisman barrier over the western wall. The translucent shield crackled with failing energy before shattering into sparks of dissipating qi.
"Fuck." Xin gripped Severing Light tighter. Enemy cultivators had already reached the wall—far sooner than expected.
Through the chaos of falling debris and scattered energy, Zhang Huo’smanding voice rang out. Themander directed his crossbowmen with precise gestures, their formation shifting to meet the new threat.
Xinunched herself onto the wall beside Mei Chen. The height gave her a clear view of the approaching army—and the cultivators leading the charge.
She tracked their advance. They moved with supernatural speed across the field, leaving their mortal troops scrambling to keep pace behind them.
Ming Lihua stood atop the main gate. A hundred talismans floated around her in a series of arrays, each paper glowing with stored power. Energynces erupted from the formation toward the enemy.
A massive metal sheet burst from the earth, providing cover. Green-tinged mist seeped around the makeshift shield, creeping toward the walls with lethal intent.
"Mei Chen!"
"Yes miss!" Mei Chen darted to the wall’s edge. She drew in a deep breath, chest expanding, then exhaled a torrent of freezing wind. The blizzard tore across the battlefield, pushing the poison fog back toward the enemy’s mortal lines.
Frost crystallized across the ground, transforming the muddy field into a frozen wastnd. The poison master dismissed their technique rather than risk their own forces falling to the redirected toxins.
Xin studied the metal shield deflecting Ming Lihua’s energy bolts. The defense proved effective, but a n crystallized in her mind. Four iron darts slid smoothly into her palms.
Qi flowed through her meridians as she channeled opposing energies into each pair. Yang energy crackled with positive charge in her right hand while yin energy pooled like ice in her left. The darts vibrated against her skin, straining to contain the vtile forces.
She released them simultaneously—yang-charged darts soaring upward, yin-charged darts plummeting downward. No need to announce the technique. They had seen it before…
Just not doubled in capacity!
Lightning erupted between the darts, thick as her torso. Electricity connected heaven and earth through the metal shield. Thunder boomed, rattling her teeth and sending a wave of pressure through her chest.
"And fucks you up!" Mei Chen bounced on her toes, pumping both fists into the air.
A startledugh caught in Xin’s throat.
A smoking figure stumbled from behind the ruined shield. Electricity still arced across their twitching form.
Six more cultivators leapt through the dissipating energy. Ming’s bolts mmed into their ranks, but they pressed forward. Blood-red spears materialized alongside wooden darts and razor-sharp metal shards while spheres of concentrated qi zed toward the walls like angry stars.
Heavy footsteps thundered across the stone as Wei Kang sprinted along the wall. "The mountain! The mountain!"
Ming Lihua ceased her barrage. Golden light zed from her hands as she traced intricate patterns in the air. Qi surged through ancient formations, and a translucent barrier materialized above the gate—its surface rippling like molten gold.
Wei Kang’s tattooes zed and behind the spiritual gate rose a towering mountain and the two formations sparkled in gold relief, merging into a gate atop a mountain. The entire defensive barrier widened until it covered the western wall.
A secondter the barrier absorbed hundreds of iing projectiles, absorbing or dropping them harmlessly to the ground in a scattered rain.
Xin’s muscles tensed as another wave of cultivators emerged from behind the ruined metal shield. These weren’t the same attackers from before—every face unfamiliar, every qi signature unknown. Somehow they’d shadowed the other’s while being invisible… or cloaked in shadow?
Fresh reinforcements meant the enemy had been holding back. And they had sent others to the manor?
Xin grit her teeth. They had been badly outnumbered from the start.
A massive crane materialized before the new arrivals, its spiritual form zing with ethereal blue light. The cultivators leapt onto its back, and the beastunched skyward toward the walls.
Xin pointed toward the iing threat. "Mei Chen!"
Arctic wind howled as Mei Chen unleashed her frozen breath again. The spiritual crane banked and rolled, its ghostly form twisting through the ice storm.
Xin gathered qi and then her Thunder God p technique erupted from her hands, sending a spiraling vortex of wind toward the aerial attackers. The crane dissipated into motes of blue light, but its riders used the momentum to propel themselves forward.
They sailed through the air in perfect formation, their robes whipping in the wind as they descended toward the battlements.
Xin drew Severing Light from her shoulder, its de gleaming in the firelight. Beside her, Mei Chen’s ws extended with a frosted whisper. Li Ren and Li Jan materialized beside them, their short swords ready.
The enemynded as a group a st of qi knocking the nearby mortal soldiers into the air or crushing them into the stone. Both groups of cultivators faced each other and stared for a second.
Multiple explosions rocked Ming Lihua and Wei Kang’s mountain gate barrier, sending spiritual shockwaves across the battlements.
That served as the signal to fight. The enemy cultivatorsunched forward in unison.
Mei Chen sprang into action with inhuman speed, frost trailing in her wake. The Li brothers matched her pace, their footwork precise and measured. Xin positioned herself behind Mei Chen, extending Severing Light to maximize its reach.
Stones zed through the air like meteors straight at Mei Chen. Green vines whipped outward from the Li brothers’ hands, snatching the projectiles mid-flight and smashing them against the ground. More vinesshed toward the attackers.
An enemy cultivator wielding metal fans stepped forward. His weapons spun, qi crackling along their edges as they shredded through the brothers’ vines. nt matter scattered like confetti in the wind.
Zhang Huo appeared suddenly, jumping to the front. His thunderous p split the air and heat rolled outward in a suffocating wave as he extended his palms. The metal fans turned cherry-red and the des warped and dissolved under the intense temperature.
A short, round figure emerged from the enemy ranks. His staff traced intricate patterns, summoning a barrier of water that neutralized Zhang Huo’s inferno. Steam hissed where the opposing forces met.
Mei Chen raged and raised her hands and the steam began to form into ice shards poised to impale the enemy.
Sand erupted from the stone wall as bricks disintegrated and the dust swirled around the shards, shredding them before binding and turning into a slop of mud that flowed toward Xin’s group.
Before it could reach them grass began to sprout from it, solidifying the mass into a mat of green.
Full circle. Perfect counter to every move , Xin thought. She channeled yang energy into Severing Light until the de zed like a fallen star. Five iron darts materialized in her free hand, each one thrumming with concentrated yin energy.
The darts sailed toward their targets. The metal cultivator responded instantly,unching his own projectiles. They collided mid-air, reducing Xin’s darts to glittering dust.
A savage grin spread across Xin’s face. The metal cultivator had helped her—the yin energy remained active within the scattered particles.
She jumped forward to the very front, a hand pulling Mei Chen back behind her.
Severing Light plunged into the stone. Lightning erupted from the de, transforming into a devastating wave. It surged toward the dust cloud surrounding their opponents, sending the mat of grass exploding outward off the wall.
Lightning cascaded through the dust, striking every enemy cultivator. The metal user shrieked—a sound that pierced through the thunder. Metal poles burst from the ground around his group, channeling the devastating energy into the wall. Smoke rose from his singed robes as he stumbled backward. Hispanions twitched and shuddered, electricity still dancing across their bodies.
Mei Chen darted forward. The Li brothers followed, their short swords gleaming as they pressed the advantage. Despite the lightning strike, the enemy cultivators raised their weapons.
Xin spun Severing Light in a defensive arc, moving to guard Mei Chen’s back.
Mei Chen pounced forward like a frost-wreathed predator. Her ws raked across a cultivator’s chest, leaving trails of ice that spread across his robes. His scream cut off as Xin moved in and shed his throat before he could regain mobility.
Green vines erupted from the Li brothers’ hands, wrapping around the enemy group’s legs. The nts constricted with supernatural strength, preventing escape. More vines crept upward, pinning arms and weapons.
Xin swept Severing Light in a horizontal arc, channeling yin energy through the de and releasing it in an icy crescent. The metal cultivator stumbled and fell as he blocked the strike with a steel staff.
Zhang Huo stepped forward, his weathered face illuminated by gathering mes. Heat rolled off him in suffocating waves as he thrust both palms outward again. A column of fire engulfed the enemy’s only possible avenues of escape.
Mei Chen reached out to grab the vines, and then ice spread across them like a virus, rapidly reaching and freezing the legs of the enemy group.
The metal user’s desperate attempt to raise another barrier shattered. Hispanions’s resistance followed a secondter, overwhelmed by the synchronized attack. Their weapons ttered against the stone as Mei Chen’s frost spread up their bodies, transforming the battlefield into a garden of ice sculptures.
They bloomed as ice spikes exploded through all of them except the short enemy who channeled water qi. He struggled against the vines while focusing on preventing the ice from expanding to him.
He looked up as Xin stepped forward.
"Wait—"
She removed his head with a single, swift sh of Severing Light.
They did it! They had beat the enemy group.
Xin wiped sweat from her brow as she caught her breath. The metallic stench of blood mixed with ozone. Herpanions showed simr signs of exertion—Zhang Huo dabbed at his forehead while the Li brothers leaned against each other.
A whistling sound drew her attention upward. Red streaks cut through the night sky toward their position. Blood spears—dozens of them.
"Above!"
Mei Chen shrieked. Frost erupted from her hands, forming a crystalline dome over their group. The blood spears shattered against the barrier in crimson explosions. Other projectiles followed to hammer the shield, each impact sending vibrations through the frost.
Xin scanned the battlements for Ming Lihua’s purple robes. Nothing. The senior appraiser had vanished from her position. Did the enemy overwhelm her while we fought?
Her stomach twisted as realization struck. They’d taken too long with their group. Ming Lihua and Wei Kang had been defeated…
There was no time to grieve or panic.
The Li brothers pressed closer as another volley mmed into Mei Chen’s barrier. Zhang Huo’s shoulders tensed as more projectiles arc toward them through gaps in the frost shield. Xin gripped Severing Light tighter, muscles coiled and ready despite her exhaustion.
Spirit beasts materialized from wisps of blue energy. Spectral tigers prowled forward on massive paws while serpents weaved between their legs. Ethereal boars charged with crystalline tusks lowered, attacking from every direction.
"Guard the nks!" Zhang Huo shouted.
Xin spun Severing Light through a precise arc. The de hummed as it dispersed a serpent’s spiritual form into azure motes. More beasts pressed through the dissipating light, crowding beneath the dome.
"Behind you!" Xin called as a tiger lunged at Zhang Huo.
"Not today, beast." Zhang Huo’s palm zed with crimson energy as he struck, the tiger’s form exploding into scattered light.
"Brother, pattern three!" Li Ren called out. The twins moved in perfect synchronization, their short swords carving through the spirit creatures. This was definitely a task their twin short swords excelled at.
"They’re breaking through!" Li Jan’s warning preceded another wave of blood spears hammering the barrier. Metal darts whistled through gaps in the frost.
Xin pressed up against Mei Chen’s. "Take my energy—like before."
"But miss—"
"Do it!"
Xin grabbed Mei Chen’s hand, extending her qi. Their energies merged instantly, familiar from their earlier connection. A metal spear sliced across Xin’s cheek, drawing blood, but she maintained focus on the qi bond.
"Die already!" Zhang Huo roared as his mes consumed another wave of beasts.
Mei Chen’s power surged, wild and untamed through their connection. The truth was she didn’t need more energy, there was already a massive pool far greater than Xin’s small pond. But the ratio was off and the extra Yang let her pull more without risking a pure yin episode.
"I’ve got you." Xin wrapped her arms around Mei Chen, channeling more energy into their defense. The frost crystallized into dense ice above them and then ice spikes began to sh up into the air at their attackers in a furious exchange of projectiles.
Li Ren and Li Jan’s des shed in perfect harmony, shattering thest spirit beasts into scattered light.
Xin turned her head toward the enemy siege weapons. Her breath caught as she spotted a dozen more advancing cultivators—far too many for them to handle now.
And right behind them…
A man wearing the armor and insignia of a lord atop a warhorse, nked by a Whispering Shadows assassin, and... Bai Chen? She thought her father’s head of the house guard had died during her family’s massacre.
It left no question as to who the lord was, or how he had known so much.
Lord Chao.