"Brother Cao, it's been a long time."
"It has."
"When Brother Changpei mentioned it a while back, I knew I'd have one last chance to see you. So here I am."
"When you step down?"
"You've been keeping up with me?"
"I'd heard about it."
"With such a momentous matter ahead of you, Brother Cao, you still found time to keep up with my news. I'm touched."
"You're nearing Spiritual Decline?"
"A few years yet."
"How quickly time passes."
"It does."
The Former Sect Master looked wistful, then drew his expression in and asked abruptly, "Brother Cao, is your Origin in this clone?"
"What do you think?"
"I can't tell."
"If you're going to fight, then fight."
"I was thinking, if your Origin isn't in this clone, then this body of yours is here to stall for time and draw fire anyway. We might as well spend a little longer catching up."
"It won't help."
"After all these years, Brother Cao, you've grown so cold."
"You would be too if you were dying."
"As death draws near, a person ought to grow warmer."
"Perhaps."
"Still, I didn't expect you to choose your former sect's Forbidden Land. How does it feel to fight your own junior brother?"
"If I went to the Jade Capital, I doubt I'd last half a minute."
"So it isn't in this body."
"Perhaps."
The Former Sect Master watched Cao Ci, his expression complicated. Cao Ci remained as calm as ever, giving nothing away.
East of Great Yi, in Hezhou.
Changpei Dao Chief gazed at his old friend with a sigh. "Brother Cao, you've grown old too."
"You look well enough."
"I'm a little younger, and taking care of myself has paid off these past few years. I may have another decade or so. Perhaps about