Baiheng clenched her fists, her nails almost digging into her palms.
She could imagine the fervor in Blade's eyes, always flickering with persistent light, when he proposed that insane idea; she could also imagine Dan Feng's internal struggle and resolve, beneath his cool exterior, as he bore the pressure of the entire Vidyadhara's expectations and the entanglement of his friendship with Blade.
But how could they... how could they do something so absurd and reckless?!
An indescribable mix of anger and heartache intertwined, making it almost impossible for her to breathe.
She wanted so badly to rush over to them, punch each of them hard, and loudly demand what they were thinking!
Was it worth it, for someone who was already dead?!
Was it worth it, to be utterly disgraced?!
And then... Jingliu.
Her most trusted friend, the Sword Master of the Xianzhou Luofu whose swordsmanship was divine, she... had succumbed to the Mara-Struck.
Baiheng could barely connect the Jingliu from her memories, as cool as the moon and with a pure sword heart, to the terrifying words "Mara-Struck."
What kind of pain and torment must it have been to make someone with a will as firm as a rock be consumed by the destiny of the long-lived species?
And finally, the one ordered to suppress Jingliu and "expel" her... was Jing Yuan.
It was the same Jing Yuan whose growth into a reliable general she had just been feeling pleased about.
(Jing Yuan... what kind of feelings did you harbor, when you raised your weapon against your former master?)
Baiheng's heart felt as if it were tightly clutched by a cold hand, aching with bitterness.
She could imagine the ferocity of that battle, and even more so, Jing Yuan's heartbreaking helplessness and sorrow.
The High-Cloud Quintet, once so close, had ultimately reached a point of master and disciple clashing, falling apart.
Dan Feng was punished, Blade's end must have been tragic, Jingliu was missing, her fate unknown... leaving only Jing Yuan, bearing the weight of everything from the past, sitting alone in the Seat of Divine Foresight, which symbolized power and responsibility.
The bustling market was still full of people, the clamor seeming to be separated by an invisible barrier, becoming faint and distant.
Baiheng leaned against the wall, the image of Jing Yuan in her hand feeling as heavy as a thousand jin.
Her snow-white Foxian ears drooped weakly, and behind the eye patch, a surging bitterness churned.
She had returned, in such a way.
But her old friends were scattered, and the past had turned into smoke.
The era she knew, the era of the High-Cloud Quintet, filled with laughter, camaraderie, and passion, had collapsed the moment she "died," leaving behind only ruins and legends that evoked sighs of regret.
She didn't even know how she should face Jing Yuan, now the General of the Xianzhou Luofu, or how to search for Jingliu's lost whereabouts.
After a long while, Baiheng slowly straightened up, carefully putting away the image, as if preserving a shattered old dream.
She took a deep breath, forcing herself to suppress the tumultuous emotions in her heart.
(Now is not the time to dwell on the past.)
She told herself.
(Cyrene is still waiting for me, and the task the Lady assigned has not been completed.)
She resumed her steps, rejoining the crowd, her dark figure still mysterious and unassuming.
Only, her back seemed to carry a mysterious heaviness and loneliness compared to the ease she had when buying furniture earlier.
Just as Baiheng walked heavily through the bustling streets of the Xianzhou Luofu.
A sudden scream and commotion ahead instantly pulled her thoughts back to reality.
She raised her eye-patched gaze, only to see three Mara-Struck soldiers, their bodies twisted and eyes glowing with an ominous red light, letting out inhuman roars and flailing their mutated limbs as they lunged at the crowd!
And their target was none other than the little girl she had met once before, who was retreating in a panic—Bailu!
(It's that gluttonous little girl!)
The situation was critical, allowing no room for hesitation!
Baiheng's eyes sharpened, and the gloom that had accumulated in her heart due to past memories of old friends seemed to find an outlet for release.
She didn't even aim deliberately, but instinctively raised her hand and drew her bow—her movements as fluid as breathing!
"Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!"
Three arrows, composed purely of energy, flew from the bowstring almost simultaneously, tearing through the air with sharp, piercing whistles!
They were terrifyingly precise, like the most ruthless surgical strikes, instantly piercing through the shoulder blades, knee bends, and other joints of the three Mara-Struck soldiers, nailing them fiercely to the wall behind with immense impact!
The strange power attached to the arrows not only restrained them but also seemed to freeze their entire bodies, making even struggling extremely difficult, leaving them only to let out futile, gurgling snarls.
Everything that happened in this flash of lightning caused the surrounding terrified crowd to instantly fall silent, then erupt in even louder exclamations:
"My heavens! So, so amazing!"
"Who made the move?!"
"In an instant... three Mara-Struck were subdued?!"
Almost at the same moment Baiheng lowered her bow, a sharp sword light descended like a meteor from the sky. A spirited, yellow-haired youth in Cloud Knight uniform landed gracefully, his longsword humming, clearly drawn by the commotion.
However, the battle he anticipated did not occur; he only saw three Mara-Struck soldiers firmly pinned to the wall by arrows.
A clear trace of surprise flashed in Yanqing's sharp eyes. He looked in the direction the arrows came from, his gaze locking onto the Foxian woman with the black eye patch and mysterious black clothes.
(Such precise archery! Extraordinary... When did such a figure appear on the Xianzhou Luofu?)
Yanqing secretly praised, but his vigilance as a Cloud Knight Marshal also rose.
Seeing the crisis resolved, Baiheng didn't want to stay long and turned to quietly blend into the crowd and leave.
"Madam, please wait."
The clear voice of the young man sounded from behind her, carrying an undeniable tone.
Baiheng paused, sighing inwardly, knowing that trouble had still arrived.
She slowly turned around to face Yanqing. The black eye patch prevented anyone from seeing her eyes, only her beautifully contoured lower face and her slightly twitching white Foxian ears were visible. Her entire being exuded a mysterious aura that warned, "Do not approach."
"What is it?"
Baiheng spoke, her voice deliberately low and flat.
Yanqing clasped his hands, his etiquette impeccable, but his gaze was as sharp as an eagle's as he scrutinized Baiheng: "I am Yanqing, a Cloud Knight Marshal. Thank you, Miss, for your timely intervention, resolving the crisis and protecting the citizens of the Xianzhou Luofu."
He then changed the subject, asking directly, "Observing your extraordinary skill and superb archery, may I ask your name? Are you new to the Xianzhou Luofu?"
(Cloud Knight Marshal?)
Baiheng's heart stirred, but she showed no trace of it on her face.
"Just passing through."
She was concise, unwilling to reveal any information. "My name is not worth mentioning."
Yanqing frowned slightly.
Her distant attitude, coupled with her attire clearly designed not to attract attention, and her skill, which was far beyond that of an ordinary archer, all deepened the doubts in his heart.
(Low-key actions, exceptional skill, yet unwilling to reveal her background... Could she be someone with ulterior motives?)
He was young and respected strength, but he also bore the responsibility of protecting the Xianzhou Luofu, so he naturally wouldn't easily let go of any suspicious person.
"You are too modest, Miss."
Yanqing's face held a slightly unseasoned but sincere smile, yet the probing in his words grew stronger, "Such archery is rare even across the entire Xianzhou. I am untalented, having studied swordsmanship since childhood, and I am quite interested in all kinds of martial arts. May I ask where you learned your skills? Perhaps you might even have some connection with my master."
He tried to use "master" to establish a connection and hint at his own background.
Baiheng chuckled inwardly, (Little guy, trying to trick me?)
She still responded in that flat, emotionless tone: "Self-taught, an unorthodox path. Unrelated to your sect."
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