Old Flames

Bai Xiaowen said, "Palace Master Wei, winning three bouts in the contest five days from now won't be easy... Palace Master? Are you all right?"

Yin Fei looked strange. One pale hand pressed against her forehead as if she were enduring some kind of pain, and even her face was slightly contorted.

Bai Xiaowen's heart lurched. Blood God Palace had just agreed to fight Soup Valley, and Yin Fei was the one holding their side together. If anything happened to her, they might as well forget the whole fight.

But after only a few breaths, Yin Fei returned to normal. She lowered her hand and gave Bai Xiaowen a slight wave. "I'm fine."

The moment she said those three simple words, Bai Xiaowen sensed a change in her. She seemed to have returned to the way she had been before Sword Song Waterfall on Mount Mogu, no longer the demonic titan who had looked on everyone with utter indifference.

Yin Fei was undoubtedly easier to talk to in this state.

Bai Xiaowen ventured, "Palace Master Wei, you and the Ming King..."

Yin Fei glanced at him. "What? Didn't Yulian tell you?"

Bai Xiaowen shook his head. "Palace Master Gu didn't mention it. She seemed to be keeping it secret for your sake."

Yin Fei sighed softly. "There's nothing much to hide. Since you saw me meet... him, you've probably guessed some of it already. I may as well tell you what happened, so you won't make wild guesses."

Bai Xiaowen promptly put on his best attentive-listener expression.

Yin Fei looked up at the dim yellow full moon in the night sky, lost in distant memories. "It all began with the previous generation..."

Thirty-three years ago, there was an unremarkable martial arts sect called the Golden Blade Sect.

It was nowhere