Maiden Of The Splitting Moon

"There was no free seat in the canteen, so I decided to stay out here and eat." 

Ming Yue replied as her friend sat beside her. 

"Is that so?" Xuan Yin questioned. 

"...It was also a bit too loud for me." 

The archer chuckled at her answer before diving into her food, gobbling it up. Meanwhile, Ming Yue ate it bit by bit, savoring the sweetness of the crab meat. Despite everything being crab, the cooks managed to bring out new flavors from the meat. From the sweet to the salty, she didn't seem to be tired of the taste. 

After eating some more, Xuan Yin suddenly spoke.

"News just came about the north, the Idol of Chaos is no longer there. Either that thing comes for the forest or it comes south. From what I hear, those at the North Fort along with the Yao clan are going to mount an attack", she said.

There was a bit of silence before Xuan Yin asked her something. 

"Are you going to join them?" 

Ming Yue took another bite before shaking her head. 

"It would take too long to get there. Not to mention, I have already decided to stay here", she answered. 

"I see... Then, do you plan on fighting that thing?" 

This time, she didn't have an answer. More than likely, the Idol of Chaos would not lower its guard like last time. Not to mention, none of her personal equipment was finished yet, particularly Drifting Sky.

Only a few months had passed and not a word came from the World Serpent, not even a ripple in the lake. 

Xuan Yin took that silence as the answer and went back to eating, finishing up much faster than Ming Yue. She then looked at her before standing back up. 

"If you're going to go, don't try to do it alone, not like this time", she said. 

The latter looked at her and nodded before facing the lake again. There was a lot on her mind, especially with the killing of the Everglade Crab. 

After all, Ming Yue only shouted a single order before charging in. Despite that, it was just her telling them what she would do, not what they had to do. In the end, Xuan Yin gave out clearer instructions to the others, directing them to where they needed to be. 

"It'd be easier for me to go alone", Ming Yue said, "Leading a group... I'm not used to it, it would be better if you were to lead." 

She had spent much of her time going alone, acting on her own. With the looming threat of the Hundun Clan, this would be no different. 

Xuan Yin stopped in her tracks and turned to look at her. 

"Just because you've never led before doesn't mean you can't depend on others." 

After saying one last thing, she left. 

Ming Yue stayed quiet, she just continued to ponder about the fight. Yet, she couldn't help but think about what her friend said. She was never much of a leader, not one to take charge.

It wasn't her way. 

Staying hidden and quiet was what she excelled at, working with others was something she did little of. Even if she was part of a group, she often acted alone. 

After thinking some more, she looked at the sword, finding small cracks everywhere. 

"Hm, I might have to ask Commander Zi Jing to repair this", she muttered. 

Hearing footsteps coming, she turned around to see a soldier carrying a small bag in his hands. 

"The commander told me to hand this over, along with a message from him." 

Giving the bag to her, he then took out the folded letter and handed it to her. 

"Thank you", she responded and bowed to him. 

He cupped his fists and bowed before leaving. 

Looking at the bag, she felt a bit of power emanating from her equipment. There was a rare look of surprise coming from her in fact. 

"It hasn't been more than a month and he's finished. He did promise it but..."

She took a quick peek before retreating back to her room and donning them. 

"It feels quite nice, actually."

At first glance, there wasn't too much of a difference but there were definite improvements. It was especially noticeable when her Changing Clouds Armor transformed into its second form. The waist armor as well as the gauntlet and vambrace on her right arm were slightly different. It seemed to glimmer under the moonlight as power coursed through her body. It was both a refreshing and invigorating sensation, one much stronger than before. 

"This... what did he do to it exactly?" She wondered. 

Ming Yue then turned her attention to the Pearlstone Dagger and the Dusk Lily Pin, both of which carried a similar glow. But for the Dusk Lily Pin, it was very different in design, showcasing a bouquet of white lilies encircled by a crescent moon. She held it in her hands, looking at it with soft eyes. This was after all one of the first things she obtained in her journey and it had saved her several times. It was difficult for her to part with the hairpin. 

Taking off the other hairpin, she put on this one, tying her hair in its usual fashion.

Finally, she looked at the letter.

"I wonder what he wrote to me?"

Opening it, Ming Yue began to read its contents.

"Young one, I'm writing to you instead of telling you because I am exhausted from forging. By the time you read this, I'll be in bed and asleep, don't think about seeing me anytime soon. Considering I practically didn't sleep while doing this, you owe me several nights of it."

She chuckled while reading this, finding his unrestrained tone amusing.

"Onto the important things, I've completed it and improved all of your equipment. It was certainly a pain but it was done and you'd be hardpressed to find someone who can better them even more.

Your armor and dagger should be at the Middle Divine Rank, maybe even Peak Divine. I practically used a whole cart of metals, especially Deepwater Steel and Prismatic Diamond Dust. But with that, your armor can now heal more than a few cuts and bruises. That dagger can cut through stone like nothing, even if you throw the blade, it will leave holes in practically anything. I nearly dropped it on my foot and it ended up piercing the floor. You would have owed me that too.

And now that hairpin, it's at the Lower Divine Rank and the protective effect has also been changed. That needed quite a lot of time but it was fun to study so we both got something out of it. Rather than protect you three times from an Earth Realm attack, all you need is to pour your energy into the pin and a barrier will form. The more you give, the stronger it will become. I haven't completely tested it but it can protect at least an attack from a Sky Realm Expert.

Now, it might sound good but it's not perfect. The barrier takes a lot of energy and it may take longer to form if you choose to give it more power.

Alright, I can't write anymore, I'm going to rest my eyes, my hands, my entire body. When you get back your sword, you better tell me."

Ming Yue turned the letter around to see if there was anything else but there wasn't. Folding it back up, she placed it into her spatial ring and looked down at herself, admiring the work Zi Jing did. 

"It's quite beautiful", she thought. 

Looking out of the window, Ming Yue saw that it was still the peak of the night and thought of something. 

"I wonder if those two are still hunting."