Gunpowder

"I had been waiting for you under the Sect Leader's orders. The Sect Leader said that once you returned, you were to head straight to the summit of Sky Vault Peak."

"Mm..."

Ma Fei Ma studied her for a moment, seeming to ponder something.

He was probably trying to remember her name.

"Alright, I understand. Su... has the Sect Leader of Peerless Gate arrived?"

"She arrived half a month ago and is still catching up with the Sect Leader. But ever since she came to Sky Vault Peak, the entire sect has been busy."

Now that her official business seemed finished, the woman began quietly venting her frustrations.

"Busy? What happened?"

Li Sushang asked curiously.

The woman glanced at Ma Fei Ma. Seeing no change in his expression, she said, "Ever since Sect Leader Su arrived half a month ago, the Sect Leader ordered everyone to tidy up Mount Tai Xu, arrange the decorations sent by Peerless Gate, and prepare a grand banquet to welcome the Red Sparrow Immortal."

When she mentioned Chi Yuan, a trace of admiration clearly appeared on her face.

Kaino's expression, however, turned strange.

The immortal was coming to kill them, and they were really washing their necks and throwing a banquet?

Leaving everything else aside, even if they could kill the immortal this way, they would have no excuse to claim she had ascended. It was not as if everyone else were blind or stupid.

And unlike Kaino, who was merely passing through Shenzhou, if the reputation of murdering their master fell on their heads, would they not be ostracized by all of Shenzhou?

After all, according to Li Sushang, the immortal's millennia-long campaign against Honkai beasts had earned the people's reverence. Even her single-handed rout of the Raiken army nearly twenty years ago was still widely praised.

Ah, the Raiken army referred to Schicksal's eastern expeditionary force.

Kaino glanced at Ma Fei Ma and saw a flicker of surprise cross his face. Yet it soon settled back into calm.

"Alright, we understand. Go and get back to your work. We'll head up ourselves."

The woman was slightly surprised. She swept her gaze over Kaino and the others again, then immediately understood their status.

Those personally brought to the summit by the Deputy Sect Leader when the immortal was coming to the Tai Xu Sword Sect were most likely the remaining members of the Seven Disciples.

But that girl and that handsome Raiken youth did not even seem older than her. Were they the disciples of the others?

At that thought, the woman could not help feeling bitter. In the entire Tai Xu Sword Sect, there was not a single person who had been summoned to the summit by the Sect Leader.

"Yes, this disciple shall take her leave."

The woman nodded and departed.

"Alright, let's head up. Jiang Wanxi and Jiang Wanru have probably already arrived."

Ma Fei Ma spoke.

The group headed onward together.

Kaino looked around, then poked Cheng Lingshuang.

"What is it?"

Cheng Lingshuang frowned slightly and looked at Kaino.

Kaino handed Xuanyuan to Cheng Lingshuang.

"The remaining people among Master's disciples all have Xuanyuan, right? Take this, so you won't lose face for the moment. Besides, I have other weapons, and I'm still not used to using a sword."

The Seven Disciples should all possess combat strength close to that of an S-rank Valkyrie. The Red Sparrow Immortal might even surpass a Herrscher in battle. If a fight really broke out under such circumstances, Kaino felt it would be better to greet her with Heavenly Fire directly.

Cheng Lingshuang nodded slightly and accepted the Xuanyuan Sword.

"Alright."

Kaino shrugged.

They had already entered the Tai Xu Sword Sect. Countless disciples were carrying decorations from place to place. Whether because they had spotted the Deputy Sect Leader or noticed Kaino's Raiken features, they could not help looking over.

Seriously? How much stuff had Su Mei sent over? They had been moving it for half a month and still were not done?

The entire Tai Xu Sword Sect was bustling now, looking almost like it was New Year's.

Was she some kind of great philanthropist?

With a trace of curiosity, Kaino analyzed the decorations the disciples were carrying.

"Eh?"

"Could I have one of the candles you're carrying?"

Kaino walked over to a nearby Tai Xu Sect disciple carrying a pile of candles and patted him on the shoulder.

The disciple paused, glanced at the group, then shifted his gaze to Ma Fei Ma.

Ma Fei Ma looked at the candles, frowned slightly in confusion, then looked at the disciple.

"Give him one."

"Yes, Sect Leader."

Before the disciple could move, Kaino directly took a candle from his hands.

"Hey, Raiken, what do you want that for?"

After the disciple had gone far away, Li Sushang asked Kaino curiously.

Kaino spun the candle in his hand and chuckled.

"Nothing much. I just noticed something interesting. Let's go. I'll tell you once we reach the summit."

Apparently displeased by Kaino's cryptic attitude, Li Sushang snorted and turned away.

"Hmph. Fine, then don't tell me."

I said I'd tell you at the summit, didn't I?

Was it just his imagination, or had she become particularly clingy ever since she emerged from the shadow of her mother's death...?

Had she transferred her feelings for her mother onto him and Cheng Lingshuang? But she did not seem especially attached to Cheng Lingshuang.

Forget it. What did it have to do with him?

Kaino analyzed the candle in his hand once more and could not help baring his teeth.

This Su Mei was truly ruthless.

Including the pile of candles from earlier, almost every decoration had Gunpowder installed inside it. If it suddenly went off, that would be a truly underhanded move.

...But honestly, would it even work?

If someone with Herrscher-level combat strength could be ambushed and blown to death by the ordinary Gunpowder of this era, Schicksal would probably laugh themselves hoarse.

Besides, judging from the composition and quantity of the Gunpowder, it was spread far too thinly. Forget blowing up an immortal—it probably could not even kill any random disciple of the Tai Xu Sword Sect.

After all, those people were martial artists capable of utilizing Honkai energy.

On the other hand, the fires caused by these explosions could probably destroy the entire Tai Xu Sword Sect. But were they not supposed to be fighting the Red Sparrow Immortal? What was the point of destroying the Tai Xu Sword Sect?

As he pondered this, the group arrived at the summit. A rather luxurious wooden house stood before them.

The climb to the summit of Sky Vault Peak was no short journey. There were truly thousands of steps. Only because Kaino and the other three were physically exceptional had they managed it easily; ordinary people would probably be exhausted half to death.

"Su Mei, you said you had a way to deal with Master. For that, I practically handed the entire Tai Xu Sword Sect over to you. But freely arranging a welcome for the immortal within my Tai Xu Sword Sect... is this the method you spoke of?"

The moment they approached the wooden house, an angry voice came from within. Judging by her words, it should have been Lin Chaoyu, the immortal's first disciple.

Her voice sounded a little old, did it not? The two of them did not seem to have feelings for each other before, so why exactly had Ma Fei Ma married her?

"Cough, cough."

After coughing twice, Ma Fei Ma lightly knocked on the door.

The room immediately fell silent. A young and pleasant voice was the first to emerge.

"Little Ma is back? I arrived a few days later than expected."

Ma Fei Ma's eyes lit up, and he pushed the door open.

"Let's go."

Cheng Lingshuang led Kaino and Li Sushang inside as well.

The room was spacious and lavish. Peachwood tables, peachwood chairs, blue-and-white porcelain vases, ornate bookshelves... extravagant furnishings extended from the center of the room to both sides, arranged neatly and perfectly.

A scroll of ink painting hung high in the center of the room, while a pair of calligraphy works stood on either side.

"Embrace simplicity and return to one's true origin; forget all worldly schemes and transcend the dust of the mortal realm."

At the highest point of the room hung a plaque.

"Cloud Sweeping Temple?"

Kaino blinked and read it aloud.

What did that mean?

"It's Cloud Sweeping Temple."

That young voice spoke again, and only then did Kaino begin examining the people around him.

The speaker was a woman with long red hair, currently smiling as she looked over Kaino and the others. Naturally, her gaze lingered mainly on the Xuanyuan Swords in Cheng Lingshuang and Li Sushang's hands, as well as the candle in Kaino's hand.

A woman who appeared to be the oldest stood about a meter away from her. She looked displeased as she studied Ma Fei Ma and the red-haired woman, her face growing darker the longer she looked.

Finally, there were two purple-haired, golden-eyed twins standing nearby and watching the show. What drew attention was the faint red pattern on one of their faces.

"I never expected Little Ma to bring you here directly, Junior Sister. And these two children... are they your disciples? Junior Sister actually accepted disciples. That is truly rare."

The red-haired woman spoke again.

"Su Mei, mind your own business."

Cheng Lingshuang glanced at the red-haired woman.

"They are Li Sushang and Kaino. Sushang is Su Yi's child."

Then Cheng Lingshuang turned toward Kaino and Li Sushang.

"These are your seniors: Lin Chaoyu, Su Mei, Jiang Wanxi, and Jiang Wanru. You know the order already—arranged in pairs from oldest to youngest."

As Cheng Lingshuang finished speaking, Lin Chaoyu's face darkened further.

"So they all match up... But Master, didn't you say the rules of the Supreme Unrestrained Sect were that anyone who fell to demonic corruption must be executed?"

Kaino nodded and pointed at the woman named Jiang Wanru, deliberately stirring the pot.

Cheng Lingshuang had said that the fourth disciple had once fallen to demonic corruption, but Kaino had assumed she was dead. Yet not only was she alive, she had actually come here.

Everyone in this room at least claimed that those who fell to demonic corruption had to be executed. Not long ago, someone had even tried to cut him down under that very banner... Was she not worried, even in the slightest, that she might be the one cut down?

Kaino was not afraid that his provocation might actually get her killed. If not for Li Sushang and Cheng Lingshuang, he would absolutely have helped the immortal kill all seven of her disciples. Even with the two sides currently opposed, Kaino would not mind setting up the remaining members of the Seven Disciples to die.

It was not merely a matter of interests. The immortal Chi Yuan, who had guarded a land for thousands of years solely to eliminate Honkai, deserved respect. Besides, no matter how they tried to dress it up, murdering one's master was an unrighteous act.

Li Sushang followed Kaino's gaze and froze. Her Xuanyuan Sword immediately left its sheath and pointed straight at Jiang Wanru.

"Sushang, calm down."

Cheng Lingshuang immediately grabbed Li Sushang's arm and spoke in a low voice.

"The greatest problem with demonic corruption is that it is irreversible and continually worsens. But when the Tai Xu Sword Heart is fully operated, True Qi does not remain within the body. So long as one constantly operates the Tai Xu Sword Heart, demonic corruption will not cause any problems."

"Even so, since you brought your disciples here, Junior Sister, could you not have taught them beforehand?"

Jiang Wanru's elder sister, Jiang Wanxi, said coldly.

It felt as though, despite all being disciples of the Red Sparrow Immortal, they were not particularly close. But that made sense. After all, they had not seen one another in over a decade.

"What, was it my disciple who fell to demonic corruption?"

Cheng Lingshuang immediately snapped back.

"She fell to demonic corruption, yet still went out without concealing it properly. If she ran into someone in the wilderness, was she not afraid they would kill her with a single Tai Xu Sword God strike?"