Honkai: Kaslana's Way of Survival

This time, however, the original desert had turned into dry sand and gravel, and the two people in the carriage had become two people... and something that could barely be recognized as human.

That thing had only a head, one arm, and one leg. Most of the hair on its head was gone. Many parts of its body had withered and shriveled, looking as miserable as rotten wood.

It even gave off a faint peppery smell.

That thing was Ma Fei Ma.

After charging into Kaino's Tai Xu Sword Qi, Ma Fei Ma had become like this, looking as though he were dead.

But Li Sushang knew he was not dead. His chest still rose and fell, and there was still breath at the tip of his nose... but that was all.

Still, no matter how one put it, it was indeed far too miserable.

"Hey, Raiken."

Li Sushang poked Kaino, who was lowering his head and stroking a red greatsword, then pointed at the prone Ma Fei Ma with some reluctance.

"Are you really not going to treat Martial Uncle? He looks way too miserable. Anyone who saw him would think he was dead, wouldn't they?"

"No treatment. At least not until he wakes up on his own. Let him lie there for now. Besides, don't worry. I know my limits. He won't die."

Casually placing the red greatsword, whose analysis was already complete, beside Ma Fei Ma, Kaino could not help stretching.

The red greatsword was the invisible sword Ma Fei Ma had been holding earlier. It had revealed its true form after Kaino crippled him.

Although its appearance differed, and there were slight differences internally as well, the red greatsword's essence was no different from the Xuanyuan Sword.

That should have been what Li Sushang called Tai Xu Sword Qi—Intent Essence.

Interesting.

The red greatsword's abilities were not particularly powerful. At least, to Kaino, it could not compare to the Ancient Sword Xuanyuan—if nothing else, the Ancient Sword Xuanyuan suited Kaino's tastes better. And for some reason, Kaino always felt an inexplicable resistance toward the red greatsword.

But what interested Kaino was not its ability, but the meaning it represented.

It had an inner nature akin to a God Key, as well as material identical to that of a God Key. Considering that there were already seven confirmed Xuanyuan Swords, calling them mass-produced God Keys would not be wrong.

If so, just who was the Red Sparrow Immortal, who could give each of her disciples a Xuanyuan Sword?

Kaino could not help placing even greater hopes on this immortal helping him return home.

"Uh... you didn't have to vent your anger on my behalf like that. Besides, if Master finds out you beat her junior brother into this state, she might not agree to teach you Tai Xu Sword Qi."

Li Sushang rested her elbow on her knee, propped up her cheek with one hand, and tilted her head as she looked at Kaino. But then, as though she had remembered something, her expression dimmed slightly.

"Hah, that's true. You can even use the Tai Xu Sword God, so maybe you don't need Master at all... Ouch! What was that for?!"

Kaino rapped Li Sushang on the head and could not help sighing.

"You call yourself smart, but you refuse to admit when you're stupid. He faced that move head-on, so it's understandable that he didn't react in time. But you were watching from the side, and you really thought that was the Tai Xu Sword God? Besides, he attacked us first. Would your master really take his side over yours?"

"Oh, right. Before this, you even thought your martial uncle's invisible sword was the Tai Xu Sword God. If I hadn't told you, you wouldn't have realized... Say, although your master can use the Sword God, you can't possibly have never seen her use it, right?"

"Uh, I really haven't seen Master use the Sword God. After all, Master can pin me down and beat me with just sword forms... But if you weren't using the Sword God, then what was that?"

"Just a trick to deceive the eye. The towering fog swords and the fierce winds swirling around us were all distractions. The only real thing was the final blow that left your martial uncle half-dead."

"Of course, calling them mere distractions isn't quite right either. The swords really were made of icy mist, and the wind was real too, but the two had no connection at all. Still, they looked pretty intimidating when put together."

Kaino shrugged.

"Huh? Then what did you use to beat Martial Uncle into that state at the end, Raiken? In terms of sheer power, that definitely wasn't weak, was it?"

Li Sushang's eyes widened slightly in disbelief. But after carefully recalling the scene, she felt that Kaino's explanation did make sense.

"Hah, that's one of my secrets. I can't tell you yet."

Kaino said with a smile at the corner of his lips.

The killing move naturally had not been the fog swords, but something hidden within the mist—the crystallization of technology from five hundred years later: a C4 Bomb.

The C4 Kaino projected consumed little mana and packed great power. It was exceptionally useful. No matter how exquisite your sword techniques were, without protective equipment, you would still be knocked down in one hit.

Perhaps even with some protection, it would still take just one hit?

Humans simply had high attack and low defense.

Of course, if Ma Fei Ma had not chosen to charge into the fog swords, but instead tried to sneak attack Kaino without any martial virtue, Kaino would probably have shoved his Barrett right into his face.

Technological weapons were the GOAT!

Kaino was growing increasingly fond of his Reasoning Law Ability.

"By the way, is that where you live?"

Kaino pointed at several buildings not far ahead.

Several houses stood alone amidst the barren Mobei, forming a courtyard. Though the ground was sand and gravel, the owner of the houses seemed to have put considerable effort into the place. Not only were there two or three large trees, but there was even a small patch of cultivated land in the courtyard.

"Mm, that's right. This is the sect where Master and I live—the Supreme Unrestrained Sect!"

As she said this, Li Sushang crossed her arms over her chest, looking somewhat proud.

Kaino nodded and reached out to pull the carriage reins, gradually slowing the carriage before stopping it not far from the courtyard.

"Maaaster! I'm back!"

Li Sushang jumped down from the carriage, cupped her hands around her mouth like a megaphone, and shouted toward the courtyard with all her strength.

"What's all the commotion about now that you're back?"

Not long after Li Sushang spoke, a white-haired woman pushed open the door of one of the houses and walked toward them.

Kaino sized up the person before him.

The woman wore a plain white robe beneath a pure black outer garment. A hairpin held up her hair, while the locks at either side hung down to her chest. She was studying him and Li Sushang.

She was probably Li Sushang's master—the so-called Cheng Lingshuang.

Though her clothes looked rather old-fashioned, she appeared to be only in her twenties. But judging from what Li Sushang had said, she merely looked young; her true age was likely far greater.

Still, she looked much younger than Li Sushang, so Tai Xu Sword Qi apparently did not promote physical development.

Sigh, I'd originally planned to learn it and then teach it to Theresa.

"I only told you to go out and test your sword, yet you somehow brought someone back with you."

Cheng Lingshuang looked Kaino over, then turned to Li Sushang with a smile.

"Your taste isn't bad. At least it's much better than your mother's."

"H-Huh?"

Li Sushang froze, then hurriedly explained with a blush, "No, that's not it, Master. I met him on the road, and he saved me several times. Then he said he wanted to learn Tai Xu Sword Qi, so I brought him back."

Rather than answering Li Sushang directly, Cheng Lingshuang frowned slightly and inspected Kaino once more before nodding at Li Sushang.

Kaino gave an awkward smile in response.

"Fine. There's less of an advantage in cultivating Tai Xu Sword Qi at your age, but it's not too late. There's no need for any formal apprenticeship ceremony. Teach him the Sword Heart Sutra later and let him try it himself."

"You only went to deal with a bandit whose martial arts were far inferior to yours, yet you still needed someone else to save you. Your training is still lacking."

"I-I was just too careless. Anyway, thank you, Master."

"Thank you, Master."

Kaino thanked her.

"By the way, what is your name?"

"Kaino. Kaino Kaslana."

Cheng Lingshuang said nothing, merely nodding. Yue Yi sniffed the air, frowned, and looked toward the carriage.

"What have you put in your carriage?"

"What have you put in your carriage?"

Kaino froze. He had nearly forgotten about that.

"It's an injured patient."

"A patient?"

Cheng Lingshuang's brow did not relax. She slowly stepped forward and looked inside the carriage.

"This is... Sixth Brother? Who beat him into this state?"

Although Ma Fei Ma was Cheng Lingshuang's junior brother, Kaino felt that she showed no emotional reaction upon seeing him like this. Her voice remained as cold and detached as ever.

No, it was not that she felt nothing. It was more like she simply did not show her feelings.

"Ah, I did."

Kaino answered somewhat sheepishly.

"Master, it happened like this. On our way back, we suddenly ran into Sixth Martial Uncle. He immediately attacked us and even struck me with a palm."

"Later, Raiken couldn't stand it and stepped in for me, beating Martial Uncle into this state."

Afraid that Cheng Lingshuang would turn around and hit them with a Tai Xu Sword God, Li Sushang hurriedly explained.

"Probably not just that. His True Qi is abundant, yet it does not circulate through the Eight Extraordinary Meridians. Didn't Sixth Brother try to kill him under the pretense of qi deviation? And besides..."

As she spoke, Cheng Lingshuang reached into the carriage and picked up the Xuanyuan Sword Kaino had recreated.

"Whose Xuanyuan Sword is this?"

After glancing at the Xuanyuan Sword hanging at Li Sushang's waist, Cheng Lingshuang asked.

"I made it myself. Do you want it, Master?"

Kaino curled his lips and spoke.

He had not thrown the sword away because Ma Fei Ma had already seen it, and it would be difficult to explain later. Besides, Li Sushang had been Cheng Lingshuang's disciple for ten years; she might tell her about it eventually.

Thinking about it now, perhaps he should never have recreated the Xuanyuan Sword in the first place. If he had known how important and special it was, he could have recreated anything else instead.

"Raiken really did make it himself. I watched him do it."

Li Sushang scratched her cheek with a finger and added.

"If you made it yourself, then keep it for yourself. I have no interest in it."

Cheng Lingshuang casually set the Xuanyuan Sword down, turned around, and looked at Li Sushang.

"I'd heard long ago about how combative he'd become. Since he was the one who attacked first, he had it coming. Losing an arm and a leg should make him settle down a little in the future."

"You said the Sixth hit you. Are you all right now? Don't let it leave any internal injuries."

"I'm much better now. Raiken knows healing—the kind that can bring the dead back to life and regrow flesh on bones."

Li Sushang said with a smile.

"Mm. Put him in your room for now. Call me once he wakes up."

Cheng Lingshuang nodded, expressionless, then turned and left.

"I'm going back to my room first."

"Huh? Master, you're letting Martial Uncle sleep in my room, so where am I supposed to sleep? And where's Raiken supposed to sleep?"

"One room, one bed. Figure out the sleeping arrangements yourselves. Just don't put him in my room."

"If there's really no other way, you can throw him out in the courtyard. He's tough. He won't die."

Naturally, they couldn't really leave Ma Fei Ma in the courtyard. No matter what, he was injured.

After spreading out bedding in the carriage and tossing Ma Fei Ma onto it, Kaino stretched lazily before looking at Li Sushang beside him.

"Let's go. Master said so too, didn't she? Teach me that Sword Heart Sutra directly."

Li Sushang looked at the motionless Ma Fei Ma and sighed. "Anyone who picks a fight with you must have had rotten luck for eight lifetimes. Besides, you count as an inheritor of the Tai Xu Lineage too. In a sense, this is betraying your master and destroying your ancestors."

"Is that really necessary? At most, I was defending myself. As for leaving him here... if you want him sleeping in your room, I don't mind. If he sleeps outside, I'll be even happier for the peace and quiet."

Li Sushang lowered her head, thought for a moment, and automatically ignored that topic.

"If you want to practice the Sword Heart Sutra, come to my room... But let me make this clear first: make yourself a bed in there, or sleep on the floor."

"Don't worry. We Kaslanas are all honorable gentlemen. We'd never take advantage of someone's vulnerability."

Kaino patted his chest in assurance.

"Mm-hmm. I believe you."