660: Proud to Fight

Proud to Fight

"Damn it."1

Whispering to herself, she descended back to the pagoda but she was alert, keeping check on the skies above. 

"It's that strange shadow again. What's going on?" she asked herself. 

Seeing both Xiao Yin and Hei Yue with their fangs and claws bared, Ming Yue knew that she was not imagining things but for the shadow to disappear like that. Either it was her imagination or it was someone far beyond her strength, perhaps someone at the Heaven Realm. 

"But, could it be like this? How many Heaven Realm Cultivators are there? There aren't more than a dozen! In all of Heaven's Gate, there is only the Grand Elder. And then there's the High Council too."

There was an irritated look on her face as she wracked her mind over the possibilities. 

Having encountered it not once but twice left an ominous feeling in her heart. But considering all the options, none of them seemed to fit that well. 

"Just what is going on?" 

Ming Yue looked up at the sky, hoping to see if that figure would reappear but it did not.

She didn't sleep that night, quietly watching over the sect until the sun rose.

Elder Fei and the others walked out of their lodging with excited faces, no doubt waiting for Fei Xian to return. Soon enough, he did arrive, coming back with his partner, Qi Yao. The two of them held hands while glancing over at each other, still madly in love by the looks of it. 

The gates opened for them quite swiftly and they walked in to find Elder Fei's family waiting for them. 

There were hugs and smiles all around as they greeted each other, Ming Yue watched as Elder Fei placed a hand on his nephew's shoulder, saying a few words of encouragement and pride. Everyone started walking together, moving back to one of the main halls. 

But then Rou'er leaned forward, whispering something into Fei Xian's ears. 

His eyes widened with shock, looking at her surprised. He lifted a finger in a random direction to which she nodded. His head spun around, looking everywhere. 

"Mm, she must've told him about me", Ming Yue thought to herself. 

After a moment, Fei Xian recovered his composure, straightening up before looking at Rou'er. No doubt, he didn't quite believe her. 

The young woman chuckled as she watched this scene. 

"Might as well pay him a visit, since he just came back from traveling. I believe he went to the Demon Continent too. Perhaps he can tell me any recent developments that have come up."

Thinking this. she hid herself within the many halls of the Eternal Blade Sect, waiting until night fell to look for Fei Xian. It wasn't hard to find him, the young man was alone in the practice fields. Wielding his sword, he wasn't moving very quickly, taking his time to go through the motions. 

Ming Yue watched for a little bit, admitting the progress that he's made. 

His sword moved with confidence and he seemed in full control of himself. 

"Hello there, Fei Xian." 

The blade moved swiftly, leaving behind a trail of light as Fei Xian pointed it at her. But the moment he saw her the sword stopped and lowered to the ground. There wasn't a shocked expression or anything like that, just a blank look. 

"I... I thought that Rou'er was just imagining things but you're really alive, Ming Yue."

His voice trembled a little bit as he took a few steps toward her. 

"They said that you died. When Qi Yao and I went to the Demon Continent, there was even a grave for you there. right in front of the damage that resulted from the final battle. But... but you're alive, why didn't you say anything?" he asked her. 

She looked back at him. 

"I survived but was very injured, I couldn't do anything. And when I came back, I saw how grave things had become here. I didn't want to reveal myself yet, at least not until things had gone back to normal", she answered. 

Fei Xian put away his sword. 

"Nothing is normal now. With both the Demon Continent and the Beast Continent open again, every week is something new. There is a wealth of places to explore now and even more treasures to find!" he said to her. 

Ming Yue nodded. 

"Is that so? I heard from Rou'er that you and Qi Yao went to the Demon Continent for training and after the tournament, the both of you plan on going to the Beast Continent, right?" she asked. 

"Ah, yes, we are! In fact, I received a letter from one of the tribes there, I believe that it was from the Byakko Tribe."

Hearing him mention that name, her eyes lit up, something that he noticed. 

"Are you... are you familiar with the Byakko Tribe?" he asked. 

It was then that she began to tell her story, talking about the time she spent there. Ming Yue did omit quite a number of details but there was enough Fei Xian to understand for the most part. 

"So the tribes are taking part in a power struggle? They plan to use us to fight in this? Like proxies?" 

He didn't seem very surprised, more so seeing it as a matter of fact. 

"I figured that it'd be more different but it's like here. It's just like powerful families fighting for control over a city or region. If they don't have the manpower, they get someone from the outside to tip the scales. Though, I feel like the Beast Continent is more complicated than that."

Ming Yue narrowed her eyes.

"What do you mean?"

"Well it wasn't just me that received letters like these but many others as well. As far as I know, there were even letters sent to the demons as well. Some have already answered, leaving for the Beast Continent", Fei Xian added. 

She looked down, lost in thought. She knew about the letters but she didn't realize just how quick things have spread. 

Then, her gaze went back to him, glancing at the letter in her hands. 

"If you are going to accept, look for someone named Bai Sheng in the tribe. She is the daughter of the leader and a friend of mine. If you tell her that you know me, she can help you."

Ming Yue said this in a serious manner, her gaze did not break from his.  He was quiet, slightly taken aback by the way she spoke, and then he lowered his head. 

"Thank you, time and time again you've saved me and my uncle. Truly, you must visit my family so that we can reward you properly."

She merely shook her head. 

"There's no need, it's something I would've done regardless of the situation."

Placing a hand on his shoulder, Ming Yue lifted his head, sharing a moment of camaraderie. Fei Xian then turned away looking out at the night sky. 

"Do you still remember when we first met?" he asked. 

"The Jade Snake, wasn't it?" 

"Yes, that snake, I was scared for my life, crawled back until I hit a tree. I was about to die at that moment but then you came."

There was a bright look in his eyes, recalling such memories fondly. 

"I was amazed to see someone like you, fighting so bravely just to save a stranger. In the end, we both took it down. Even as we went our separate ways, I couldn't help but hear little tidbits about you. And each time, I felt that same sense of awe from before. I'm proud of myself, proud to have known you, proud to have fought with you, proud that I didn't run away from that snake. I turned and fought."

Hearing him talk like this, Ming Yue smiled. 

Indeed, she felt warmness welling up within her. Such words made her feel good. 

"I'm proud to have known you as well."

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