Just before dawn broke, I opened my eyes.
Sleepless through the night, the Heaven-Slaying Origin within me circulated of its own accord like a rising tide. The more I suppressed it, the faster it accumulated. Last night's bronze nail had already turned to ash. The Jade Slip lay quietly on the table, its formation diagram patterns clear as carvings. I reached out and rolled it up, my fingertips brushing over the words "Twin Blood Seal," my touch growing slightly heavier.
They wanted to use her blood and mine to ignite a killing formation.
But they did not know that the one who truly broke the deadlock never rushed to dismantle the formation—they waited until it was fully laid.
I summoned Afu. When he entered, his steps were lighter than usual, clearly afraid of disturbing something. I stared at him. "Go take a walk outside Ye Qingwan's courtyard. If she's awake, tell her there are fragments of a medicinal prescription left by her mother to return to her."
He froze. "A prescription? But where would we get—"
"Just say it," I cut him off. "Don't go inside. Only pass on the message."
He opened his mouth, but in the end, he asked no more. Lowering his head, he withdrew.
Half an hour later, the courtyard gate creaked softly.
When I went out to meet her, she was standing beyond the threshold. She had not changed out of her moon-white dress, and the pestle tucked in her sleeve was partly visible. A faint golden mark flashed between her brows, then vanished. She said nothing, her gaze falling on the Jade Slip in my hand.
I turned and went back inside. She followed, casually shutting the door behind her.
"Ji Hantian's people have buried Formation Eyes around your residence." I placed the Jade Slip on the table and unfurled it. "Eight directions, drawing upon the earth veins. The moment blood falls, it ignites. The activation method is called the 'Twin Blood Seal.'"
She stepped closer and lowered her eyes to study the diagram. Her fingers hovered in the air without touching it.
"How is it activated?" she asked.
"On the arena stage, as long as the two of us bleed at the same time, the formation will follow our bloodlines and draw out our life force, refining living people into sacrifices." I paused. "They won't tamper with the arena rules. They'll work beneath the foundations. That way, no one will investigate, and no one can stop it."
She looked up. "How long have you known?"
"Since last night," I said. "Someone risked having their soul scattered to send this diagram out."
She fell silent for a moment, then suddenly said, "Aren't you afraid this is a trap? That it's a fake diagram meant to lure me in?"
"It isn't fake." My fingertip tapped one of the Formation Eyes. "I can absorb the Calamity Qi leaking from here. The Heaven-Slaying Origin won't mistake a genuine killing intent."
She watched me for several breaths, then gave a cold laugh. "So you're telling me now because you trust me, or because you need me?"
I raised my head and met her eyes. "Both."
She neither moved nor retreated. The room was so quiet that the faint sound of Spiritual Power flowing along the Jade Slip's edges could be heard.
I continued, "When red light shoots into the sky, the formation will activate. If you see the heavens stained red, crush this Jade Slip immediately."
At last, she reached out and picked up the Jade Slip. The instant her fingertips touched its surface, she paused slightly—the residual warmth of the Heaven-Slaying Origin was still there, like a hidden line of fire lurking deep within the talismanic patterns.
"You hid something else in it," she said.
I did not deny it.
I spread open my palm. A faint golden glow slowly emerged, condensing into a thin strand as I offered it to her. She hesitated for a moment before extending her hand.
The instant the origin entered her body, her breathing caught. A trace of golden light surfaced deep in her pupils, while crimson quietly spread an inch through the ends of her hair before she forcibly suppressed it.
"This can protect you for a while," I said. "It'll keep the formation from eroding your bloodline. But it won't last long—at most, three incense sticks' worth of time."
She withdrew her hand and clenched the Jade Slip, her voice turning colder. "Why didn't you tell me sooner? If I knew beforehand, I could have prepared defenses."
"Defenses?" I gave a soft laugh. "The moment you make a move, they'll notice. What I want is for them to think everything is proceeding smoothly."
She stared at me. "You want them to complete the formation."
"Yes." I nodded. "The more complete it is, the more flaws it has. Only when they think they've succeeded can we turn around and seize them by the throat."
She suddenly asked, "Have you considered that if I'm injured first on the stage and the formation activates early, you may not have time to react?"
"That's why I gave you this strand of origin." I looked at her. "It isn't just a shield. It's also a connection. If your life force starts being drawn away, I'll know immediately."
Her eyes shifted slightly, as though she had realized something.
"You mean... the resonance between us will be amplified?"
"More than amplified," I said quietly. "It will lock on. Wherever you hurt, I'll know where the problem lies. If you bleed, I'll feel it too."
She abruptly lifted her head, as if she were seeing my intentions clearly for the first time.
This was not protection.
This was stepping into the killing trap together.
Outside, the sound of a broom scraping over blue stone drifted in as the morning mist gradually dispersed. She stood there, her knuckles faintly white, yet she never loosened her grip on the Jade Slip.
"You're not afraid I'll act recklessly?" she asked.
"You won't," I said. "You understand better than anyone that impulsiveness will only get you killed. You still remember how your mother died."
Her pupils shrank sharply, as if an old wound had been stabbed.
I did not avoid the matter. "I know you hate them, but you can't expose yourself now. You must pretend you know nothing. Enter the competition as usual, fight as usual. When that moment comes, I'll let you see with your own eyes who wants to use your blood to light up their evil formation."
She bit her lip, then finally nodded.
"Keep the Jade Slip safe," I said. "Don't let anyone see it, and don't test its Spiritual Power fluctuations. Right now, it's like a thunderbolt ready to explode at any moment. You can only wait for the signal."
She tucked the Jade Slip close against her body into her sleeve pouch and turned to leave.
"Qingwan," I called from behind her.
Her steps paused.
"If you trust me this once, don't do anything unnecessary," I said. "Don't investigate, don't respond, don't ask. When the red light rises, all you need to do is crush it, then—stay standing."
She glanced back at me, her eyes complicated. In the end, she flicked her sleeve and left.
The instant the door closed, I immediately summoned Afu.
He practically rolled inside, the sweat on his face not yet dry.
"Young Master! Miss has left. I secretly followed her for a while and made sure no one was tailing her!"
I took out a piece of Talisman Paper and pressed it against his forehead. There were no words on its surface, yet it was a secret sound-sealing talisman. Once branded, unless I released the seal, he would be unable to utter a single word related to the formation diagram.
His eyes widened. "You're really sealing my mouth?"
"I want you alive." I stared at him. "From now on, if anyone asks about my whereabouts, say I'm in seclusion recovering from my injuries. If anyone asks about Miss Ye, say you don't know. If anyone mentions words like 'formation,' 'blood,' or 'red light,' leave immediately. Don't come looking for me, and don't send any messages."
His face turned pale, and his lips trembled once before he nodded hard.
"Understood," he said. "I won't say anything. No one will get a word out of me."
I let go, and the Talisman Paper silently melted into his brow.
Afterward, I climbed alone to the communication pavilion at the rear corner of the residence. This place was secluded, rarely visited. I crouched by the base of the wall, gathering a thread of extremely fine pale golden light at my fingertip, then swiftly carved a talismanic pattern into the cracks between the bricks—three curves and one turn, its final hook bent like a claw.
This was the secret mark Qingming had taught me years ago, called the Qi Qi Rune. It sought no reply, only to inform some existence between heaven and earth: the board had been set, and the pieces were about to fall.
After finishing, I rose and brushed the dust from my fingertips.
Morning bells sounded in the distance, three chimes. Registration for the martial tournament was about to begin.
I descended from the pavilion, returned to my room, and sat before the table.
Sunlight slanted in through the window, falling on the corner of the table and casting a long, narrow shadow.
I pressed my hand against the tabletop. A strand of Heaven-Slaying Origin slowly seeped into the wood grain, like a dormant serpent coiling beneath the projection of the formation diagram.
The streets outside began to grow lively, voices gradually rising.
And I lightly tapped the table with my fingertips, once, then again.
The rhythm was steady, like a heartbeat, like the final tremor of a blade before it left its sheath.
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