"Isn't this thing a bit too obvious?"
Clara was holding Firefly's small hand as they walked back to the center of the arena. She looked at the huge crack stretching across the ground and spoke up.
"Sorry." Jingliu apologized softly as she stared at the fissure still exhaling icy air.
"Please rest assured, honored grandmaster. I will have someone fill in this crack at once!" Hearing the exchange between Clara and Jingliu, Yanqing knew his moment had come.
He hurried forward, placing a hand over his chest as he made a solemn promise to Jingliu.
"…"
Hearing Yanqing's words, Jingliu gave no response at all.
Even though Yanqing kept calling her honored grandmaster over and over, she herself was not his grandmaster.
She was a sinner.
"Still…" Jingliu glanced at Yanqing, clearly sensing the admiration, reverence, and excitement radiating from him.
Those emotions were genuine, straight from the heart.
Which meant…
"So Jing Yuan never told anyone about me."
Jingliu recalled Jing Yuan's face, letting out a quiet sigh in her heart.
Perhaps because the mara-struck state had been suppressed for a short while, Jingliu's emotions as a human were slowly resurfacing.
But…
She could feel it clearly. The mara would soon invade her consciousness once more.
Until, in the end…
She would become a monster again.
Of course, Jingliu did not mind. From the moment she chose this path, she had already severed any road of retreat.
"Let's go. I'll take you to Blade."
With a black veil covering her eyes, Jingliu spoke calmly.
A single drop of rain fell within her heart, sending out a faint ripple before quickly vanishing, returning everything to stillness.
…
The Xianzhou Luofu, Scalegorge Waterscape.
"Oh? Looks like everyone's here."
Following Jingliu into the Scalegorge Waterscape, Clara let out a soft laugh as she looked at the three figures in the distance.
This scene never existed in the original storyline. But that's fine.
I'll step in.
"That's… Blade!" Yanqing narrowed his eyes as he recognized the figures ahead.
"And Kafka. And… someone I don't recognize."
"Hey, Yanqing, I'll leave Blade to you. Firefly and I will deal with Kafka." Clara's eyes flickered as she spoke cheerfully.
"Kafka is a bit stronger than Blade, so I'll take her on."
"How about it?"
"No problem." Yanqing shook his head, having no objections at all.
What Clara said was true. Kafka was stronger than Blade, and Clara was stronger than him. Naturally, Kafka should be left to Clara.
As for himself, all he needed to do was capture Blade alive and hand him over to the general. That would be enough.
"…"
Listening to their exchange, Jingliu remained silent. She simply gazed into the distance, her eyes filled with a human sort of nostalgia.
…
"So you came…"
Looking at the familiar yet strangely distant figure before him, Blade revealed a smile.
"It's time to pay the price."
Blade let out a light laugh.
"You think changing your appearance lets you escape? You think changing your appearance lets you escape!"
"…" The person opposite him fell silent for a moment, then spoke angrily.
"I've told you and that woman countless times. I am Dan Heng."
"Not him!"
"Hahahahahaha!" Hearing Dan Heng's words, Blade burst into wild laughter.
He clutched his head, laughing as he said, "Dan Heng… You think that by changing your face, changing your identity, everything that happened in the past, all the sins you committed, can just be wiped clean in one stroke?"
"Dan Heng… you."
"You're dreaming."
Blade spread his arms and slowly walked toward Dan Heng.
"There were five people, and three prices to be paid."
"You… are one of them."
"Dan Heng, I'll make you experience the pain I once endured!"
Step by step, Blade approached Dan Heng, a bloodthirsty grin on his face.
In Dan Heng's eyes, he looked like a demon returned straight from hell.
"Ah, that won't do."
Watching Blade close in on him, sweat beaded on Dan Heng's forehead. Just as he was about to draw his weapon and strike first, a voice rang out, cutting between them.
Both Blade and Dan Heng turned toward the sound, seeing a young boy slowly walking over.
The boy stopped, his gaze settling on Blade.
"Today you're not doing anything, wanted criminal. You're coming with me."
Yanqing stood with one hand on his hip, speaking calmly to Blade as if stating a simple fact.
Even though he had just been taught a harsh lesson by Clara and Jingliu, that did not stop him from doing his job.
"You're… Jing Yuan's little follower." Blade's earlier agitation faded slightly at Yanqing's arrival. He crossed his arms and spoke coldly. "Didn't Jing Yuan teach you to read the situation?"
Feeling Blade's gaze, Yanqing did not panic. He ignored him instead and turned to Dan Heng at the side.
"Hey, you should back off a bit. Once the fighting starts… huh?"
Earlier, Yanqing's attention had been fully on Blade, and he had barely noticed Dan Heng.
But now that he got a clear look at Dan Heng's face, he froze slightly, feeling an odd sense of familiarity.
"You look kind of familiar." Yanqing propped his chin up, thinking.
Dan Heng glanced at Yanqing.
"That person is the Luofu general's disciple. In that case, he probably won't dare make a move."
With that thought, Dan Heng finally felt a bit more at ease.
But when he turned his gaze back to Blade, he saw a smile curl at the corner of Blade's lips.
A bad feeling surged in Dan Heng's chest, and he shouted without hesitation.
"Watch out!"
The moment the words left his mouth, Blade vanished in a flash, reappearing behind Dan Heng as he raised his weapon and brought it down.
…
"Oh, Kafka, just watching the show?"
Compared to the tense standoff between Dan Heng, Yanqing, and Blade, things were far more relaxed on Clara and Kafka's side.
Clara rummaged through her bag of treasures, pulled out a slice of watermelon, and handed it to Kafka.
"Watermelon. It's sweet. Want some?"
Kafka did not refuse. She took the slice and began eating gracefully.
"What do you think about Blade and the Luofu situation?" Kafka asked while chewing.
"What else is there to think?" Clara took a big bite of her own watermelon.
"Just like this. Eating watermelon and watching quietly."
Kafka fell silent.
Hearing Clara's words, Kafka smiled.
"That's true."
"Being a spectator isn't so bad."
"Mm… speaking of which…" Kafka finished her slice and suddenly thought of something. She looked at Clara and asked,
"How much watermelon is left now?"
…
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