Twin Stars fell back, sheathing itself, the crimson light fading from the blades. I stared at it in disbelief. Did I see it right? The swords had just moved on their own … to save me?
"Are you alright?" Xie Lun asked and helped me get back to my feet. When I nodded somewhat confusedly, he darted a complicated look towards my swords. "It seems like this tournament round will be cut short for us," he sighed.
"Cut short?" I was still too dumbfounded to fully process what was going on. Xie Lun gestured outside the door, and my eyes followed where he was pointing. The seal in the sky was open again, and a few figures were descending through the clouds. Bai Ye and Teng Yuan landed in front of us first—somewhat expectedly, I suppose, after their disciples made such a chaotic scene—but who came next made me freeze in place. It was the Gatekeeper, along with the Keeper of Jade Temple.
Xie Lun and I had merely been tricked into the lair of a rare demon, and the encounter hadn't resulted in any casualties. How did it catch the attention of both sect leaders?
"It's been years since I witnessed the power of a demonic sword," the Keeper of Jade Temple said as he strode forward, his gaze fixed on Twin Stars. "Since when has Mount Hua grown an interest in this forbidden art?"
Demonic sword … Of course. They all saw that flash of power from Twin Stars a moment ago. The look in the Keeper's eyes was just like the Gatekeeper's on that first day of the tournament at Mount Hua, fear mixed with detest.
"If you have witnessed their power before," Bai Ye followed the Keeper's steps, "then you should know that what my disciple holds is nothing close to a demonic sword at its prime. And considering how common such practice has been at sword sects for hundreds of years, I wouldn't call it a forbidden art."
The Keeper scoffed. "A demonic sword's power is still formidable even if only a portion of it is left. Bringing such a weapon into the tournament ground poses a threat to everyone's safety. Your disciple should've been disqualified from the tournament."
"Safety?" Teng Yuan raised an eyebrow. "If Bai Ye didn't warp the illusion, or the swords were slower at responding to her danger—" he gestured at me, "—she would've been dead by now. It'd be much more appropriate to talk about safety with that disciple of yours who set up this trap for them."
So that was why the walls were moving and pulling me back earlier. I darted a grateful glance at Bai Ye, though he wasn't looking my way at the moment. He was watching the Keeper intently, as if trying to confirm something from the expression on his face. "It's because of the top prize from the previous round, isn't it?" Bai Ye asked. "Your disciple set up that trap as revenge, because you gave him hints about where Ocean Tear was hidden, so he couldn't accept the fact that someone else beat him to finding it?"
The Keeper's eyes went wide. "You—" He pointed a finger at Bai Ye. Then the anger on his face turned into a laugh. "So what if I did? Can you say your disciple didn't cheat either? She couldn't have found the artifact if not for her swords leading her to it, isn't that right?"
"Bringing one's regular weapon to the game is not cheating." Bai Ye gave him a dark look. "Getting hints from an insider is. And so is purposefully luring others into a demon's lair."
"My friends," the Gatekeeper finally interjected, smiling. "The beginnings and ends of this matter obviously aren't simple. Instead of spending all day arguing whose fault it is, why don't we try the usual method and have the disciples fight it out themselves?"
I almost glared at the Gatekeeper if that wouldn't have been caught as blatantly disobedient. Everything seemed simple enough to me … and Jade Temple was clearly the one at fault. But I suppose the Gatekeeper had always wanted a good reputation for Mount Hua, so he was trying to give them an easier way out by offering a challenge between me and their disciple, which was a typical way to resolve conflicts at cultivation sects.
Jade Temple's Keeper didn't seem to buy it, though. "My disciple is only a junior," he frowned. "It's unfair for him to challenge someone much more experienced than he is."
The Gatekeeper's face darkened. He was about to speak again when Bai Ye stopped him. "Then the master can do it on the disciple's behalf," Bai Ye said flatly, lowering his head slightly to the Jade Temple Keeper in the manner of an invitation. "It is your choice, Keeper. Make amends to our disciples for the harm that came to them, or accept my challenge and make amends to them when you lose."
Five pairs of eyes stared at Bai Ye in astonishment. "Master?" I blurted. I didn't care about how rash or disrespectful he sounded, or how much damage a challenge between masters would bring to the relationship between Jade Temple and Mount Hua. The only thought in my head was that a Keeper typically had the most advanced experience within a sect, and Jade Temple's body tempering path already made them formidable opponents to anyone at the same level. Was this worth it? What if … What if Bai Ye gets hurt?
"Bai Ye," the Gatekeeper said, clearly disapproving. "We don't have to go that far. This could be merely a misunderstanding—"
"And we shouldn't let a misunderstanding that threatens our disciples' lives pass easily." Bai Ye's tone towards the Gatekeeper was polite for once. "Mount Hua isn't so weak to stand this in silence."
Bai Ye had brought up the topic that the Gatekeeper was most concerned with, and the latter quieted. "Of course," Bai Ye added and glanced at the Jade Temple Keeper, "I could reconsider it if you still think the challenge is unfair."
"You—" The Keeper was too furious to refuse now. "Then draw your sword. Let's see if you talk louder or your blade is stronger."
"Master!" I stepped forward, still nervous and hoping to stop them. But Xie Lun pulled me back. A strange look crossed his face again as he darted a glimpse towards Bai Ye.
"Let your master do it," Xie Lun said in a low voice. "He would appreciate the opportunity to help you seek justice."
I stared at him, trying to determine what exactly he was implying with those words. Then the sound of swords clashing came into my ears.
Updated from fr𝒆ewebnov𝒆l.(c)om