The forest fell to silence after the pop. The battle was over.

  The Blue Moons Mountain disciple was making a ruckus, shuffling out of concern and curiosity. A truce was called, yet the sound of battle rang in her ears. It was right of her to leap back. She didn’t know what to expect. Noon held her blind.

  Hao had yet to move. He was meaning to. To take his spear and let death sit as a mystery. But he stood in the sun’s rays, his skin and body toasting. Every few seconds he could feel a leaf blocking small silvers of light. He stood tall, one foot grinding down on the body with his eye shut, facing up towards the sky. His entire being, down to his soul, was tingling. Up to his teeth, thrumming with World Energy.

  The spear disappeared from his hand, going into his bag. Sweat from the body below, soaking into the soles of his shoes. His eyes opening and closing, trying to find shape in the light. Blood fed the ground as the direct sun began burning his skin.

  Hao took a deep breath, World Energy rushing into him.

  A haunting sensation spun around him, filling his body, sinking him deep into his mind and body. It was a feeling he had never felt before. Not from any battle. Not that he had been in many, only enough to know he had a greater dislike for them than like for them. Yet he felt exhilaration. Every fiber of his mortal form was in revelry.

  Hao let the heat bubble in his clenched fists. Was it because he was a killer? Or because he proclaimed he killed to prove his strength. A part of him thought that would be the case; The boaster, hunter of the injured and woman still under his foot. Another piece of a story, an obscure part forgotten. But it was not all. There was a fulfillment, and that was just the start of that feeling in the Secret Realm.

  Hao inefficiently breathed in the Yang Energy, cycling it until it felt weaker. He had to stop. He had to shake himself awake, while all was too bright to be seen.

  Hao started by pulling the body of the man into the spirit-holding bag. The blood as well. With a mere touch of his finger, he sucked away all that had spilled; It was not slick, not smooth, but nearing flaky, the sun influencing even the blood freshly poured.

  Life on the forest floor fought off the bag’s influence. It was just roots and dirt. But blood touching the roots was theirs to take. Leaves already dead were washed clean of the dark red, only stained. What little blood remained in the world, proving something happened around them?

  When all was clean enough, Hao sent the man back out of his back, lighter than when he was swallowed. A dried corpse. And he sat, cultivating, breathing, and cycle, meditating, viewing the world, and himself whole.

  The woman was already on guard. The sun was reaching the last few corners it could use to influence the world whole; Returning to an angle. Clouds and sky obstructing the harshest lights.

  Hao could hear her preparations. Made in haste during the last few moments of noon. Her drawing of her blade, and stance taken for battle, all making noise loud enough to wake the dried husk beside him.

  When the light faded enough to see, she saw them. Two men resting on the ground, one sitting with his back upright and eyes closed. The older man, barely recognizable, lying still, dried to the bone. His head was looking down at his chest. His muscular build was now a blade winter tree of crude branches, mangled and curved by storm winds.

  The young man was right next to him, World Energy flowing around him, little to no sweat on his brow. Yet he sat in the open sunlight, which had destroyed the bodies of many far more powerful than him.

  “You did that?” She said, pulling her white hood further over her head, her forehead hidden in shadow. Her eyes just showed, bearing down, squinting tight with disbelief.

  She held her sword as she put her hands together, changing from a battle stance to a bow. Her guard was still up. “Senior, not only have you saved my life, but you avenged my friends,” she said.

  Hao was still half away. His mind buzzing, the woman from the Blue Moons mountain was not wrong, but his actions were not so noble. She knew that as well as him. But strength displayed in such a manner could make one bow. If one could move and act freely during the Secret Realm’s harshest time, they would be unparalleled for those moments. Brief moments, but clearly enough time to beat a superior opponent.

  Hao stood with a, “No need.”

  He had already looted the body of the slain man. All the things were placed inside the wolf’s holding bag, were long moved, placed inside the spirit-holding bag. The bag of holding was similar to the spirit-holding bag, simpler. All he had to do was to reach a hand in to access the storage. The space was far less, it seemed less magical, lacking mystery, still it was a space warping artifact. But with a limit. A restriction of what could be placed inside.

  Hao didn’t stop at taking his objects. Even his liquids were taken, turned to World Energy and Vital Essence, which would be used to feed the plants in the Spirit-Holding bag. Now, only his clothing remained on him and Hao had no interest in such things. He would leave the rest of the dead wolf for the two rabbits that were already dead.

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  It was easier to spot the one slumped against the tree. The blue robes of a Drifting Stream disciple made him stand out to Hao. Still, it was a face he had never seen. Not exactly old or young. He had a bag of holding on his waist too, purchased through hard work, sect missions, ‘the labors of the loyal’.

  Hao took a few steps over, taking the bag from his waistband, searching the surface and more of the man’s blue robes.

  The woman was waiting, watching Hao as he took a few things, but she screamed, calling out when his hand went to her Junior Brother. “Wait!” she called, “please,” quickly changing to a more polite tone from her shout.

  “You will not be able to explore for a while with that injury, I apologize, it was my inexperience,” Hao said, devoid of emotion. “If it gets any worse, you could lose the arm.” All honest words. Nothing was menacing in his voice, but his face was blank. As if he were a wood carving, painted to look like a person.

  The woman winced, the sight left a creeping sensation enhanced by his actions of pilfering the corpses around. Almost mindless in his movements.

  It was hard not to notice, she took the hint in his words before Hao realized what he said. She found a warning and a threat, but his words conveyed the state of things. Still, she had to try to stop him.

  “Please don’t do whatever you did to him, to them,” she said. Her voice lowering as her eyes flitted over the Two Rivers Fort man. “One is a fellow member of your sect. He became a friend to me. We did not know each other for long. But grew close quickly in this hateful place.”

  Hao was getting ready to stand and respond. He was surprised she was able to get words out so fast without stumbling over a few.

  “At least not my junior brother. He has been with me a long time,” she said.

  Hao meant her no harm; She had no intention of harming him or his own. Currently, she has no intention of harming a fly.

  Hao stood, stepping away from the man. He did not want to cause her any more grief.

  “There is a place in that direction, the harsh conditions persist, but I saw no people there for days. Not to a single one since we entered the Secret Realm. Take the two of them and bury them if you wish. However,” Hao pointed at the body of her Junior Brother. “His cloak, I will need it to explore safely. Night’s cold is far more debilitating.”

  Hao didn’t need a lot of effort to convince her. He showed her the direction she would need to head. And gave a more detailed explanation of the condition of the place, and the hole with the little beast that was safe to stay.

  She took a few minutes to think. Her guard staying high for a few minutes, eventually she was sitting and standing, her hand holding her head high.

  When she nodded, Hao took the cloak off the man, leaving his robes, but taking the holding bag up with him.

  “Do you plan to look for more, to explore this place after you recover?” Hao asked her, lifting the bag up high in the air.

  She looked down at the body of her Junior Brother and the holding a bag in Hao’s hand. Her own holding bag was still on her belt, the excuse of a treasure, the cause of all this still stored away. Hao’s bag was nowhere to be found in the open.

  She shook her head, “No,” she said, letting her eyes wander around Hao. Her gut told her his next words.

  “Then will you need that compass,” Hao asked. His words brought a face of terror to the woman. “No need to worry, I will not steal it from you. I will trade for it.”

  “It’s already in a bad state. I don’t know how much value it has left… It’s been beaten up, seen a few fights… And you already took a lot of things, so…” she stammered out her words.

  Hao turned away from her, pushing the corpse of her two fellows together.

  “The only reason I’m willing to give it up is because there are other things I value in my situation.”

  She had to gather her calm again, Hao came to regret that. He should have jumped on the chance when he had it. You could say she drove a hard bargain. She had more than a little experience with such things. Whereas Hao had hardly spoken to people younger than his parents, even after coming to the Drifting Stream Sect. And never done a trade outside Sect contribution points.

  Hao was essentially her pantry in negotiation. He got the compass, but had to give up most of the loot from the battle, and some of his own foot, found and brought. He kept a few things. Hao was thorough in his search for artifacts, good at finding what he wanted without his eyes. The things he found most valuable he kept, handing the rest to the woman along with the beast flesh and jars of berries.

  She took everything she had, fitting it all into her holding bag. Once all was done, she started moving the bodies. Neither of the wounds was pleasant, and both were impossible to hide. There was a rope in one of the holding bags, a fair amount. She used it to tie the two bodies together, making a sled to carry them.

  Hao helped her with the chore, taking the rest of the rope left over for himself. A random commodity, but certainly useful.

  His help was not needed or fully wanted, Yang Energy was still pulsing through him, his eyes wandering inappropriately. The woman was in a state, her robe disheveled, but she wiped away most of the dirt and blood on her face. Young Hao could not help it, knowing it was wrong. She had a cultivator’s beauty. But was not nearly as stunning as Meiqi, still she was pleasant to look at.

  Of course, Hao’s eyes were not unnoticed. He was looking directly down, seeing skin in the gaps in her robe, and if he got a chance, up as well. She was plumper than most women in the sect, but swift with a sword, too. Eloquent, perhaps not fair when it came to trade, but good with words.

  She stood, done tying down the ropes. Her chest bouncing, her stomach having a small shake with it. “Is there something else?” She said, pulling the rope over her shoulder.

  Hao was not sure how much she could see through, so he just looked her in the eyes. He held back his mix of emotions, restraining himself, walking away. Not knowing his actions or fully trusting himself.

  “There are animals in that place. Care for them if they wish for it. Leave them be if they avoid you. If you harm them, you will wish the saber wielding fool got you,” Hao said, taking out the compass, watching for silver dots to appear in the glass bowl, moving further away from his shelter, deeper into the woods.