My head snapped up. Not far above us, Bai Ye and the Jade Temple Keeper were both on their flying swords, moving in swift circles around each other. So it had begun…
Please be safe, I prayed silently. I don't care who wins … Just please stay safe.
Lightbringer swept a dazzling arc, meeting its opponent with another clear clang. The sky darkened, then brightened, and the spiritual power from the clash was so strong even at such a distance that I had to stumble to steady myself. But I didn't take my eyes off of them. I held my breath and followed every detail, watching every move closely as the blades parted and met over and over again.
The Keeper's style was completely different from anything I had seen before at Mount Hua. His moves seemed slow at a first glance, but when I looked carefully, I could feel the deadly power surging through each strike, and my heart clenched every time at his attacks. Fortunately, Bai Ye didn't make it easy for his opponent either. Every move aimed straight for the Keeper's most vulnerable places. So this was the way to defeating someone from the body tempering path—by making each cut a lethal one that counted.
I had never seen Bai Ye fight before. Not for real like this. Their exchanges were fast, one strike after another with almost no time to catch a breath in between, and I had to focus all my attention on their movements to not miss anything. But even at such speed, there was still an air of grace to Bai Ye's moves and turns, and he looked just like the way he did every morning during his practice, collected and elegant. If I wasn't so worried about his safety, I might've been able to better admire that pure beauty and power emanating from him … But not right now. Not when the two of them seemed so evenly matched.
"Teng Yuan," the Gatekeeper suddenly said, "do you think Bai Ye is holding back? That move just now could've ended the game with a bit more push of spiritual power."
"Not just that move," Teng Yuan said. "When I last crossed blades with him a few years ago, he was better than this. He's either holding back or not at his best today."
From the corner of my eye, I thought I saw Teng Yuan darting a dark glance towards me, but when I looked back, his attention was only on the match. His words confused me. If Bai Ye was about to reach another breakthrough, it should mean that his power was currently at its peak. Why would he not be at his best?
A loud clang of blades rang while my concentration wavered. I started, my eyes going wide as they flew back to the scene above us, and my heart stopped. The Jade Temple Keeper had just blocked a strike from Bai Ye. The stance was leaving Bai Ye wide open, and the Keeper was bringing his blade down—
I instinctively opened my mouth, and Bai Ye's name was already on the tip of my tongue when Xie Lun tugged my sleeve. "It's alright," he whispered, "watch."
The next moment, Bai Ye moved. I couldn't see how he managed it—his footwork was so fast that it looked almost like an instant shift—but in the blink of an eye, he was behind the Keeper, who was still caught in the forward momentum and couldn't turn around in time. Raising his sword, Bai Ye sliced a swift and clean cut over the Keeper's throat.
I let out a heavy breath. Thank heavens, Bai Ye was alright … Although the Keeper probably didn't even bleed, the result of the challenge was clear. It was finally over.
The Keeper hissed and covered the wound with his hand, stabbing a glare at Bai Ye as the two of them landed on the ground. Bai Ye only smiled. "You chose this option, Keeper," he said. "I expect you will keep your word."
"My disciple will apologize to yours." The Keeper got straight to the point with a dark face. He probably didn't want to spend a minute more with us now that he had lost. "As a punishment, he will be disqualified from the remaining portion of this round. Are you satisfied now?"
Bai Ye frowned, clearly not satisfied. But the Gatekeeper spoke first. "It's just a misunderstanding after all. We're glad you are considerate of our disciples' feelings, Keeper. This is more than enough."
Bai Ye rolled his eyes but didn't argue further. The Jade Temple Keeper gave him one more glare and left without another word. When he was out of sight, the Gatekeeper gave Bai Ye a glare as well.
"You acted too impulsively today, Bai Ye," the Gatekeeper said. "But at least you remembered to hold back and not make it look too ugly for him. That was a rare thought from you." Then he glanced at me. "About that sword of yours … When we return to Mount Hua, I'd like to have a word with you."
I stilled. A conversation with the Gatekeeper about Twin Stars … didn't sound promising. "No need for that," Bai Ye said before I could respond. "She will not use Twin Stars any longer after our return, and I will lock those swords away in my vault. Rest assured that what you fear will never happen."
Both the Gatekeeper and Teng Yuan seemed caught off guard by the news. That complex look I saw back at the tournament at Mount Hua was back on their faces. "That would be for the best," the Gatekeeper said after a little while. "Handle your swords well for the time being, Bai Ye's disciple. Don't make a scene like this again."
I nodded, although I didn't know what I could've done to avoid what happened earlier. The three masters summoned their flying swords. As they started ascending into the clouds, however, I saw Teng Yuan glance back at me again, then at Bai Ye. There was something between anger and pity in that look.. Then they disappeared through the seal in the sky.
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