Clashing Hearts
*Huff...* *Huff...!*
I'm exhausted... I can't run anymore!
Coo...
We've been running nonstop since morning.
Thanks to that, we managed to open up some distance and bought ourselves some time.
The sun's setting. We'll camp here tonight.
How will we handle the night watch?
We'll take turns standing guard.
And what guarantee do we have that you won't run while we sleep?
None. But I have no reason to run.
Once this is over, Lyn, I'll finally get to face you!
A duel with a formidable opponent is the finest training there is.
As someone walking the path of martial mastery, there is no reason for me to avoid it!
Again with that path of martial mastery.
Hello! So there you were!
Huh? What the... Who are you?
Wait... you're...?
Hehe!
A chain scythe that seemed to extend endlessly slid out from the girl's sleeve.
Tien, should we keep chasing them?
No. The sun has set. Besides, they retreated into the forest.
I see. Terrain where the few have the advantage against the many.
That's right, Xien.
It is the perfect environment for Chain Scythe Jenny, one of the Four Heavenly Kings.
Chain Scythe Jenny...! A master said to wield a ten-meter chain scythe as though it were nothing!
Fufu... The guards you faced earlier were the weakest among us.
But if Chain Scythe Jenny steps in, even Fei and her group will not come out unscathed.
Kekeke...
Fufufu...
Hahahahaha!
This is so yummy! Seconds, please!
Got it! Just wait right there.
By the way, Jenny, thank you.
We needed firewood, so thank you for cutting down those trees for us.
Here's a praise pat for you!
Hehe! I did well, right?
...Wasn't she one of the people chasing us?
Lyn's got a knack for dealing with children.
You saw it too, Captain. She was giving that girl uppies within one minute of meeting her.
That's strange... Did even a little kid like that end up holding a grudge against me?
No. I don't really have a grudge against you or anything.
My master just told me that if I want to get stronger, I should fight strong opponents.
I just came because I heard Fei was strong. But it doesn't matter now! Hehe!
Mm...
Something feels off...
Same with the guard, and now this Chain Scythe Jenny...
So not everyone chasing Fei is doing so out of resentment.
Perhaps we could resolve some of this by talking.
Maybe... But not Tien and Xien.
They gathered everyone who wants revenge on Fei.
They hate her more than anyone else.
What exactly have you been doing all this time, Senior Sister Fei...?
...I knocked out that makgeolli bread baker a while back, tore out a fraudulent sect, and also...
Sounds like you've still got a lot coming to mind...
...The one who causes the harm rarely remembers.
Mm?
Only the victim carries the scars and memories.
Just like when you left the Wind Moon Sect without saying a word.
...Hmm.
Mm...? Huh...?
C-Captain! I want seconds too!
C-coo!
After finishing the meal in that tense atmosphere...
We decided to take turns keeping watch while the others slept.
Zzz... Candy... Zzz... Cake... Ehehe...
Cooo... Cooooo...
...
...
Hmm... Is this not how I swing it?
It's not like this either...
Looks like I'm still far from completing the Celestial Art.
...Captain?
What are you doing here? Lyn is supposed to take the next shift.
Are you here to learn more about the Celestial Art?! If so, I can talk all night! No, even until tomorrow night—
Huh? You want to know what happened at the Wind Moon Sect?
Is it because of what Lyn said earlier?
Sorry if what I'm asking is a sensitive topic.
No, it's fine. It's not something I can't speak about.
But that's a broad question. I don't know where to begin.
...Right.
Maybe I'll start from that day.
Kuh...! *Cough!*
When I heard a street thug was assaulting passersby in the back alleys...
I never expected it to be a child.
What the—Why are you so strong...?!
Where are your parents?
What...?! What the hell are you talking about, you old geezer?
Such foul language for a small child.
Doesn't seem like you have parents looking after you...
I have made my decision.
Follow me, little wolf. I will teach you how to live like a proper human.
Shut up! Get lost!
Your manners are rough.
Very well. Education is one of the basic duties of the Wind Moon Sect Master.
I shall start by beating proper hierarchy into that body of yours.
Hahaha! He beat me until foam came out of my mouth.
Is that really something to laugh about...?
Why not? It's all in the past anyway.
I hold not even a speck of resentment. Only gratitude.
Just as the Sect Master said, I was able to live like a human being at the Wind Moon Sect.
I could eat without stealing money, and sleep in a bed instead of the dirt.
I learned how to read and write. How to interact with others.
And I even learned martial arts from the Sect Master.
...I was happy there.
But it wasn't enough.
"Wasn't enough"?
The more I trained in martial arts, the stronger an unexplainable thirst grew inside me.
Looking back now, it was because the Wind Moon Sect's martial arts were never my path.
Seeing me wander, the Sect Master gave me advice. "All rivers run to the sea."
All rivers run to the sea...
Yes. That was the first time I entered the secret library with him.
Manuscripts of sects long forgotten by the world were piled up like mountains.
But no matter how much I trained, the thirst never faded. Only one thing could quench it.
The Celestial Manuscript.
The moment I opened it, I realized... The Celestial Art was my calling.
I realized I was born in Lavistar to restore the Celestial Art.
At that moment, I stood at a crossroads.
Whether to abandon everything and restore the Celestial Art, or endure that thirst and continue my old life.
There was only one choice.
...Do you regret it?
Fei looked up at the moon and shouted toward the sky.
I don't regret any of it!
For a martial artist walking the path of martial mastery, there is only one thing to aim for! To be the strongest!
If I complete the Celestial Art, I'll become the strongest! I could even cut down the moon itself!
So...!
Could you lower your voice?
You'll wake everyone up.
Is it already time to switch?
Yes. It's my turn.
Time flies, huh?
Stay alert. I'll go get some sleep.
Hold on, Fei.
Huh?
I have a proposal for you.
Once this is over, come back with us peacefully. Then I will speak to the Sect Master and...
I refuse.
My mission is to restore the Celestial Art. But I haven't completed it yet.
I have no time to waste on pointless matters.
...Understood. I will ask again another time.
You'll still get the same answer from me.
Even so, I will ask.
Hah. As you wish.
...The night has grown deep.
You should get some rest too, Captain. You must be tired.
Good night, Captain.
...
For a martial artist walking the path of martial mastery, there is only one thing to aim for! To be the strongest!
If I complete the Celestial Art, I'll become the strongest! I could even cut down the moon itself!
The path of martial mastery...
Senior Sister Fei, it's dangerous...! Please come down from the tree!
Come up here, Lyn. I want to show you something.
Ooh... Sect Master will scold us if he sees...!
Geez! Quiet down and hurry up!
Amazing... This is amazing! The buildings look smaller than grains of sand!
That's the capital of the Eastern Continent. It stretches endlessly, right?
But I heard there are cities in the Western Continent even bigger than that capital. The world is vast!
Lyn, I will become the strongest in all of Lavistar.
If you walk the martial path, that's the only natural goal! You feel the same, right?
No...? I'm satisfied just being with you and my other fellow disciples.
How unambitious! That's not something a junior sister of mine should be saying! I'll knock your head for that!
Ah! That's so mean!
Th-then I'll stay by your side and help you achieve your dream.
That will be my...
...Fufu.
How foolish I was.