It was midday. The trek to the outer sanctum’s training halls was short.

  Dejiu found himself wondering if this was truly the right move. He’s about to enter the training hall he’s been kicked out of for years. Sure Arhat disciple Xue Bing Lie permitted it, but where would he even begin? The first steps of learning the Frozen Heart cultivation method?

  “Enough dawdling. Head inside.” Bing Xin remarked from inside him. She receded her shoddy form back inside him in case an Arhat disciple or Arhat happened to come across Dejiu because of his circumstances.

  He sighed and ruminated in front of the mighty gates. His ears perked at the grunts and heavy blows from inside, probably the work of palm strikes and fist techniques. Here goes nothing.

  Lifting a hand, he used the bronze door knocker mounted on the fierce visage of a lion-like guardian spirit. The metallic clang echoed sharply as the ring struck its base, sending a subtle vibration through the mighty gates. Inside, Dejiu heard the sounds of gritty training stop.

  He stepped back and waited, his thoughts raced faster than his heartbeat. Would they mock him again? Would he even be allowed to stay? Actually, he wouldn’t put it past the monk in charge to kick him out again depending on who it is.

  The gates creaked open slightly and revealed a disciple peering out with narrowed eyes. "You? What business brings you here, killer?"

  Dejiu stifled a glare and bowed.

  “Ah, Senior Brother Xue Li! I’ve been told to come here by Arhat Disciple Xue Bing Lie. I’ve been permitted to join the class again.” Dejiu said, ignoring what Xue Li called him.

  “I didn’t hear anything from Senior Monk Liang. Especially about a heinous killer. To think we’re both called monks of the Heavenly Snowy Temple.” Xue Li said bluntly.

  This fucker. Just let me in…

  “Senior Monk Liang must’ve not told you then, Senior Brother,” Dejiu said. The monk in charge of today's training didn’t go unnoticed.

  Xue Li stepped out further, his gaze honed on Dejiu like a piece of meat at the market. “Reprehensible thing. You dare call me Senior Brother? You besmirched the temple, even slaughtering a cohort of cultivators from the capital. Why would I accept someone like you?”

  “Apologies, Senior Brother. But even the Arhats have tolerated my actions. Your acceptance doesn’t matter” Dejiu said, his tone turned less formal. With Xue Li in full view, he studied his Senior Brother in case things turned awry. Advanced Stage… right?

  Xue Li narrowed his eyes and frowned. “You know, my teacher was one of the ones who descended the Pillarshard that day. He told me of the corpses. The poison. As to why the Arhats spared you is beyond me. Senior Brother Xue Fan was right in rallying us against allowing someone like you to join us.”

  So this bastard did know I was to come here! And that Xue Fan too! Dejiu’s face twitched. His patience couldn’t keep up. Although he told himself for the thousandth time to feign incompetence nd accept what came his way, it was much easier in his head. This bald bastard was talking a whole lot of rubbish.

  Dejiu’s plan cracked. “Still sucking up to Senior Brother Xue Fan—”

  “Enough!” Someone hissed from behind the gate.

  Dejiu peered past Xue Li and spotted Senior Monk Liang.

  Dejiu and Xue Li faced Senior Monk Liang and clasped their hands, well, Dejiu with one hand, and bowed. Senior Monk Liang returned a curt bow before dismissing Xue Li.

  “Already causing a ruckus, Xue Dejiu?” Senior Monk Liang scoffed. “This is your first class, yet do you want to be kicked from the hall again?”

  “No, Senior Monk. Senior Brother Xue Li was being difficult. I simply wanted to enter—”

  “Enough.” Senior Monk Liang sighed. “I was against allowing one such as you join us again, but to think the graces of the Snow Blossom Sage have allowed you to come back here.”

  “Snow Blossom Sage?” Dejiu frowned.

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  “Hmph. Don’t even know the title of your benefactor? Even after protecting you from that mongrel of an emissary of the Feng Clan” Senior Monk Liang shook his head.

  “Tenth Arhat Xue Xuanyang?”

  “Of course!” Senior Monk Liang’s tone was thick with disdain. “Now head in. I’ll teach you the Frozen Heart cultivation method.” With a huff, he turned and began to walk toward the stone platform.

  Inside the vast snowy hall, Dejiu’s gaze swept over the familiar stone platform. A smooth surface glistened under the dim light. It had been a long time since he had been in this hall, the place where monks trained, cultivated, and practiced techniques that seemed far beyond his reach. Well, not really. He wasn’t going to learn those techniques anyway.

  Speaking out of reach, Dejiu spotted more faces. Xue Song. Xue Zhi. Xue Mo Be. Gah, even Xue Fan’s here. Damn baldy. They all felt like Advanced Stage cultivators like him. A handful of others were at the Advanced Stage, but Dejiu quickly realized he was amongst the top of the class in terms of pure cultivation.

  Heh. Take that. His vain side started talking.

  Whispers rippled through the air as some of them stared at him. Considering Xue Li knew what happened, Dejiu assumed the rest of them too. He started guessing what they’d call him behind closed doors. Killer. Murderer. Blood fiend. Probably cripple too.

  “Don’t forget corpse desecrator,” Bing Xin’s voice teased in his mind, sharp as a cold wind. “You did leave one of those fine young masters looking rather… artistic. A shame no one around here appreciates your work.”

  Dejiu’s face didn’t react to her snarky comment. Shut it.

  He ignored all the murmurs and followed Senior Monk Liang to the far end of the hall where a few junior monks cultivated in the lotus position with closed eyes. He was led a little past the group of cultivating monks towards a raised stone platform.

  Senior Monk Liang gestured down and pulled something from his loose robes. A manual. A true-blue cultivation manual! You mean you could learn to cultivate without enduring hellish torture from a daimon as she ruthlessly cycles your already volatile prana? Who could’ve known?

  “Enough, little monk. Focus on your acting.” Bing Xin snorted from inside.

  Dejiu didn’t react to her words to appear normal before the many stares.

  “Sit. Read the manual. It will guide you to the Adept level of the cultivation method. Though, you obviously need to start from the beginning.” Senior Monk Liang said and passed the manual to him.

  Dejiu retrieved the manual with one hand and a bow. “Thank you, Senior Monk.”

  Senior Monk Liang’s stare lingered on him for a while before he scoffed and turned away. “Learn it quickly. When I confirm your progress, I’ll permit you entrance to the first floor of the The audience did too. Though, Xue Fan and company’s gaze didn’t go unnoticed.

  That handsome prick. Dejiu could already see that sneer. Xue Fan was definitely cooking something up, he could smell it.

  Dejiu sighed and opened the manual. Although he did say it was far too late and pointless to learn this cultivation method, after being withheld from it for years he was little interested in why it was so renowned. He scanned the first two pages. His once intrigued and curious face slowly turned sour and bitter.

  What in the Seven Hells… why is it so hard to understand? Am I illiterate? No, I mean most of it is drawings. I just gotta… follow? He tried to cycle his prana just as the manual said to experiment. Who knows, he might be so naturally talented and gifted that he could perfectly mash the two cultivation methods together.

  But his prana just wouldn’t go that way. It refused to.

  His breath hitched as a twinge of frustration spiked in his chest. It’s like this thing was written to confuse people deliberately.

  Bing Xin’s laughed through his mind like a sly whisper. “You mean to say it wasn’t written for someone as exceptional as you? Surely, little monk, you aren’t suggesting that your unparalleled genius is faltering.”

  But the moment he tried again, his prana rebelled violently, sending a sharp pain through his core. He gritted his teeth, sweat beading on his forehead. His surroundings grew cold as his body resisted the unfamiliar flow, threatening to unravel the balance he had painstakingly cultivated with the Dark Flower method.

  “Still trying, are we?” Bing Xin’s laugh was cruel and knowing. “Although I did say you could reach some heights with this technique, that was only if you learned it first. After the Dark Flower method, you can’t go back.”

  His face twitched. Damnit Bing Xin! So when you said I had two choices now — whether to feign incompetence of brag about making my own Path and methods, I had no choice in the first place! I can’t even learn this even if I wanted to!

  Dejiu put two and two together. I have to say that I’m incompetent in this cultivation method AND I have to say I’ll make my own Path!

  Laughter roared in his head.

  Yep. He played right into her hand. Who could’ve thought?

  But before he could curse her anymore, the other Junior Monks cultivating around Dejiu opened their eyes and hastily cleared the way.

  Trouble came walking towards him — trouble named Xue Fan and his… posse? Cohort? Bald entourage?