Kaslana's Way of Survival

But the moment he thought about how the only elder he hadn't seen in ages seemed to be Theresa... any sense of respect vanished instantly.

Letting out a light breath, Kaino stepped forward to meet the immortal.

There were a few things he could ask right now.

"Red..."

"Kevin?"

Yet the moment Kaino opened his mouth, he was cut off by the immortal's slightly startled voice.

Kaino: ?

Chapter 31: The Red Sparrow Immortal

Kaino confirmed he hadn't misheard—she had indeed called out an English name, Kevin, directed at him.

But who was Kevin?

Did he look that much like him?

"Ah, my apologies, I mistook you. You look very much like a... friend I once had."

After a brief pause, the immortal came to her senses and apologized to Kaino.

"Kaslana?"

Kaino thought for a moment, then tested the waters.

"Yes, Kaslana."

The immortal nodded.

So it really was that...

Kaino was a bit surprised.

In his view, anyone who could be friends with an immortal who had lived at least several thousand years should by no means be an unknown figure.

Yet Kaino had never heard that name before—he knew every Kaslana who had made outstanding contributions against the Honkai by name.

...Wait, did the Kaslana family even exist several thousand years ago? He'd never heard of it.

Was this world different from his own, like the eighteen-year-old Theresa situation?

But now wasn't the time to dwell on that.

"Anyway, you're the Red Sparrow Immortal, right?"

Even though her appearance matched perfectly, Kaino felt he should confirm to avoid any awkward cross-conversation misunderstandings.

"Yes, I am."

The Red Sparrow Immortal smiled gently.

"My name is Kaino, Kaino Kaslana. My master is Cheng Lingshuang, your fifth disciple."

The smile on the immortal's face gradually faded.

"You are Ling Shuang's disciple? But there's no trace of the Sword Heart Sutra in your body."

After carefully examining Kaino for a moment, the immortal shook her head.

"For some reason, my body can't cultivate the Sword Heart Sutra. My master couldn't find a solution either. I was originally planning to ask you about it, but then I heard about Yi Xin Mountain Villa being destroyed."

"...About Yi Xin Mountain Villa, I'm sorry."

At the mention of Yi Xin Mountain Villa, the immortal lowered her head slightly.

"You didn't burn it down?"

Catching the odd tone in her voice, Kaino's eyes lit up as he asked urgently.

"Although the destruction of Yi Xin Mountain Villa is not unrelated to me, it was indeed not burned down by me."

Fu Hua shook her head.

"Also, you don't need to use honorifics with me. Just call me Fu Hua."

"Then do you... does Fu Hua know how Yi Xin Mountain Villa was burned down?"

Kaino pressed urgently.

"Why should I tell you?"

Fu Hua countered.

"You claim to be Ling Shuang's disciple, but that's just your word. You have neither the Xuanyuan Sword nor have you practiced the Sword Heart Sutra. You have no proof that you are Ling Shuang's disciple."

"And we've only met for the first time. I have no obligation to tell you such things."

"...That's fair."

After a moment's thought, Kaino nodded. If someone suddenly barged into his face asking all sorts of questions, he'd be annoyed too. The fact that she was being so polite was probably because he looked like that Kevin guy from the same clan.

"Then how about I take you to see my master? That work for you?"

"I'll follow you. I have some things I need to ask Ling Shuang as well."

Fu Hua spoke.

Kaino turned around, the authority of the Wind Traveler being activated as their figures gradually faded away.

It was better not to let the people of Tai Xu Sword Sect know about Fu Hua's arrival just yet.

"The authority of the Herrscher of Wind? But you haven't been corroded by Honkai, and there's no Herrscher Core inside your body."

Fu Hua's voice came from behind Kaino.

Kaino, walking ahead, paused slightly.

"You know about this?"

This Herrscher's ability was first used by Sirin during the Second Honkai War, wasn't it? How did this five-hundred-year-old immortal know about it?

And weren't the people of Shenzhou supposed to call Honkai energy True Qi? Why was the immortal different?

"Just a little bit of understanding."

Fu Hua said.

"So, how are you using it?"

"Just a Stigmata."

"A Stigmata, huh? I see."

A trace of reminiscence flickered in Fu Hua's eyes.

"Kaino, you brought Master directly here?"

Holding back Li Sushang, who was emotionally agitated and trying to draw her sword, Cheng Lingshuang looked at Kaino and Fu Hua and asked calmly.

"Yeah, Fu Hua said she didn't burn down Yi Xin Mountain Villa, which matches what you said, Master, so I just brought her straight here."

Kaino shrugged.

He wasn't afraid that Fu Hua would suddenly attack Cheng Lingshuang.

Kaino had analyzed Fu Hua's body—though the fact that it was closer to a Honkai Beast than a human had left him a bit confused, it was also true that she had many hidden injuries. In other words, the current Fu Hua was definitely weaker than when she was ambushed by the Seven Disciples.

And although thinking this might be a bit arrogant, Kaino believed he could match the combined strength of six of the Seven Disciples besides Cheng Lingshuang. Add Cheng Lingshuang and Li Sushang to that, and there was no reason the three of them couldn't win.

Of course, Cheng Lingshuang, who didn't know Kaino's true combat power, might not think the same way.

Cheng Lingshuang glanced helplessly at Kaino, then looked at Fu Hua, who was staring back at her with a complicated expression, and said softly:

"Come inside, Master."

Fu Hua glanced at Li Sushang beside Cheng Lingshuang, then nodded.

"Alright."

Seeing Fu Hua follow Cheng Lingshuang inside, Kaino quickly entered as well, closed the door, and took over from Cheng Lingshuang to help restrain Li Sushang.

Then he met Li Sushang's gaze, which clearly said, "You lied to me."

"What?"

Kaino was confused and a little dazed.

"Raiken, you said you wouldn't stop me from killing Chi Yuan, the grandmaster."

Li Sushang said urgently.

Fu Hua, standing nearby, looked over.

"...Calm down first, alright? Fu Hua is the last person who knows the truth about Yi Xin Mountain Villa being destroyed. Wait until she's finished talking before you decide what to do."

"What if there's something we don't know about in all this?"

Caught between two pairs of eyes staring at him, Kaino said with a headache.

Hearing this, Li Sushang glared at Kaino, then fixed her gaze on Fu Hua. Her right hand still rested on the Xuanyuan Sword, but at least she stopped trying to draw it.

"Then... Master, could you tell us about Yi Xin Mountain Villa and Su Yi?"

Cheng Lingshuang said.

"I can... but before that, Lingshuang, you should first hand over the Xuanyuan and tell me the reason for what happened back then."

"The reason you betrayed me and chose to kill me along with the others."

Cheng Lingshuang shook her head upon hearing this.

"Telling you, Master, is naturally no problem, but the Xuanyuan Sword was destroyed back then. I can't return it to you now."

Fu Hua looked expressionlessly at the Xuanyuan hanging at Cheng Lingshuang's waist.

"This Xuanyuan is not the one I gave you back then. I have no right to dispose of it."

"Then whose is it? I should have only released seven Xuanyuan Swords."

Fu Hua pressed.

"Uh, that one's mine."

Kaino raised his hand from the side, once again regretting his decision to replicate the Xuanyuan Sword.

So many troubles.

"Yours? I understand."

To Kaino's surprise, upon learning that Xuanyuan came from him, Fu Hua only pondered for a moment but did not press further or express doubt.

"Then, Lingshuang, tell me everything about what happened back then."

Cheng Lingshuang nodded this time.

"Naturally, I can."

Chapter 32: The Immortal Protects the Mortals

After listening to the explanation Cheng Lingshuang had given Kaino earlier, Fu Hua nodded with a complex expression.

"I roughly understand the situation."

Though she said she understood, her expression clearly showed she hadn't let it go. It couldn't be helped—only a ghost would be able to move on from something like this.

Regardless, Fu Hua had walked right to the edge of death.

"Did Su Yi not explain it to you?"

Cheng Lingshuang asked.

"No. Su Yi, Jiu Ming... she... perhaps because she was the first to see me, she had no mental preparation at all. She was panicked, wouldn't answer anything I asked, just kept saying things like 'I'm sorry.'"

Fu Hua shook her head and continued:

"Afterward, I asked her where the Xuanyuan I gave her was, that I wanted it back. But she acted as if she'd been triggered by something and resolutely killed herself."

"I never learned the truth of what happened back then, nor did I get any news of Xuanyuan, so I left. But not long after I left, I discovered that Yi Xin Mountain Villa had suddenly burst into flames. I tried to stop it, but it was too late."

Saying this, Fu Hua looked at Li Sushang, who was biting her lip with a conflicted expression, and at the Xuanyuan in her hand.

"This is Su Yi's child."