Maiden Of The Splitting Moon

To some, a single day was plenty of time to do work and if spent correctly, one could do many things within that time. For someone like Ming Yue, she certainly spent it well in the Empyrean Paradise but a day felt like a few minutes for her.

The abstract attempt at cultivating with her blade seemed to be a success. But it only seemed to be a success.

Her cultivation suddenly came to a pause as she was sent out of the Empyrean Paradise. Awakened by this sudden change, she found herself in front of the stone gates and alone in the empty hall.

"A day passed already?" 

She looked around before studying herself. A full day of cultivation had pushed her to the bottleneck of the Perception Stage despite her focus on strengthening her foundations. Cycling her energy hundreds of times had caused the thread that linked her acupoints to become thicker and supple. Now she was at the brink of breaking through to the Emotion Stage. 

The difference was immense compared to before. 

"I could...see so much more. To think, I could even discern the strands that formed the thread."

Looking inwardly, she was able to see a level of detail she had never thought possible. Suddenly, she felt a hand on her shoulder that shook her of this state. 

"I see that you've made quite a lot of progress...good."

Standing to her left was the Grand Elder, who had given a quick glance and already determined how much she had gained.

"Yes, this has been a good experience", she replied, "It is unfortunate that I can't enter again."

The Grand Elder looked at Ming Yue, perhaps trying to gauge her reaction to the Empyrean Paradise. But her expression showed no intense desire, no form of obsession but a pair of clear eyes. 

He smiled before taking her away. 

"Come, I will lead you out of here."

Just like that, they vanished from this empty place and reappeared in the middle of a hallway. In front of a simple wooden door, the door to her room in fact.

 "Thank you, Grand Elder. This experience had given me a lot to think about."

Ming Yue turned to him and bowed before showing her gratitude. 

"Hah, do not worry. In fact, I should be thankful to have someone with your talent in Heaven's Gate", he answered, "In any case, I have much to do. Heaven's Gate is about to become very busy."

With that, he disappeared once more, going off to do his duties. 

As Ming Yue saw him off, she opened the door to her room only to be assaulted by two very fluffy beasts. Indeed, both Hei Yue and Xiao Yin had been deprived of their master for several days now and they sorely needed her. 

"Oh, I'm sorry for being away for so long. Here you are, you two."

Despite being with them just two days ago, she did miss her companions. After being in constant battle and focusing on the tournament, she lacked their touch. Ming Yue closed the door behind her and spend some time, scratching their chins. Whether it was rubbing a belly or ruffling some feather, she couldn't help but giggle a bit at the excitement the two beasts showed. 

The fox and owl enjoyed this bit of caressing, snuggling by her side. Looking out of the window, Ming Yue found that it was almost night, around the time she had entered the Empyrean Paradise. 

"Oh wait, my sword!"

Ming Yue suddenly remembered how Drifting Sky had behaved within that place. Sensing her urgency and excitement, Xiao Yin and Hei Yue looked towards her, curious as to what she was doing. 

She took out the sword and began inspecting it, dueling it with her own energy to see what changes had happened. 

"How strange, there's nothing."

Much to her disappointment, Ming Yue found that Drifting Sky had no discernible changes to it. There was nothing different about its appearance or the sensation she felt when making a casual strike. 

"Why is it like this? I don't believe that Drifting Sky has not changed one bit."

With her newfound cultivation, Ming Yue tried to delve deeper into her blade, trying to see the intricacies within them. However, she found nothing, not a single difference to any part of Drifting Sky. Though now, she could percieve the pathways through which her Quintessence Energy coursed through. 

She racked her mind but ultimately gave up.

Seeing her dismayed expression, the pair of beasts tried to cheer her up. A single attempt was enough for her to have a little smile again and let go of this. 

"Perhaps, it has not collected enough power" she thought. 

For it to even act like that was a mystery to her and one that could only be solved when she found another master blacksmith like the Forgelord or Mei Zhen. If she found the opportunity, she may even try to come back and ask them to inspect the blade. 

But for now, she sheathed the sword and leaned it against her desk where she found a letter sitting squarely. 

"What's this?"

Grabbing the letter and opening it, Ming Yue read its contents. 

The words were written in a shaky manner, almost as if the the person who wrote it was in shock or fear. The style was soft and carried a sense of sincerity though, it was clear that there was urgency to this matter. 

"Hmm, this letter is from Cui Fen. I wonder what happened."

As for the content of the letter, reading it had put a grave expression on her face.

"Ming Yue, I do not know when you will be able to read this. Perhaps, it may even be too late but I must try. Fei Yun has been taken away. By whom I do not know but...."

The letter recounted the events.

How Elder Fei had sent Cui Fen and her daughter back into the brothel and the sounds of battle Cui Fen heard, but there was more. 

"...afraid for him, I cracked the doors open with enough space to look through with one eye. Fei Yun was in an intense struggle with this mysterious figure and their bodies were almost too fast for me. But one such moment, I caught a glimpse of this attacker and saw his mask, looked into his eyes. They were cold, empty, dark and when my eyes met his, fear washed over me. I could do nothing but step back and quietly pray for Fei Yun's survival. But in the end, they were both gone and the only thing they left was the sign of battle and blood covering the courtyard. I've already gone to the Eternal Blade Sect for help and I ask that you help find him. I've drawn a sketch of the mask with this letter. If you can, please help us."

Behind that letter was a piece of paper, folded in half. Ming Yue opened it up and immediately recognized the mask. It was a plain oval mask with two slits for the eyes to see through. 

It was by no means an uncommon mask but there was one figure that stood out in her mind. 

"The one from the Merciless Storm Peak..." she muttered. 

Indeed, in her journey through that treacherous place with Lao Gan, the pair had come across a strange man who walked through the mountain. She remembered how his eyes had lingered on her. 

"He must have a connection to me but what could it be? Who is he and why would he attack Elder Fei?"

There were questions that needed to be answered and Ming Yue determined that the only way to find them was to come back to the Red Lotus Country and investigate it herself.