85:

  “You…You dare?” Alchemist Zhi asked, as the confusion evident upon his visage was substituted with rage, the colour returning to his cheeks in a flush of fury. “A puny recruit dares to question an alchemist designate’s integrity? With a word, I could have those robes stripped from your back and have you cast out of these halls!” He snarled, his voice held low in an effort to control a rage so visceral that it was practically radiating from his gaze, yet still failing to hide a tremble that snuck into his furious declaration.

  Did I actually get it right? Xiao Feng couldn’t help but wonder upon seeing Alchemist Zhi-Rui’s impassioned outburst, given that they both knew who was scheming against the other. Lianhua did tell me that this Zhi-Rui was flame cultivator and I get why any alchemist attuned to the element would want an alchemist’s flame that can burn the impurities out of ingredients, so this could all be some misguided attempt to make Lianhua accept him as her disciple but… isn’t that a bit too childish? He considered.

  “You are only an alchemist designate yet, Zhi-Rui. If you had such authority, I would already have been kicked out of this division,” Xiao Feng aloofly replied, matching Alchemist Zhi’s hateful gaze with a placid one of his own.

  “I only need to ask and witnesses will be here before you can step out of this pathway,” Alchemist Zhi replied with a sneer, his disdain for Xiao Feng written all over his expression. “Perhaps there is no need for you to dishonour yourself in this farce of a duel we have arranged. No, perhaps I should let the entire division know that I caught you trying sneak into Senior Alchemist Lianhua’s quarters, recruit. A scandal of that scale will have you kicked out within the hour, war hero.”

  For a moment, the world seemed to still as Xiao Feng gazed into Alchemist Zhi’s hateful gray eyes. Then, his entire demeanour changed in what felt like an instant, as his back was held ramrod straight, his shoulders squared, his knees slightly bent and his as sharp as a sword as he spoke, “You would bring my honour into question?” He asked, his tone eerily calm.

  “All this is your doing, not mine, outsider,” Alchemist Zhi unflinchingly replied, his tone barely above a whisper to make sure that their contents didn’t escape beyond the intended recipient. “Though I suppose, I am still willing to give you a chance. Take your words back and the duel can go on as planned. I have already expended my last favour with Grand Alchemist Ming in inviting her to officiate our little duel, so it would be quite a loss to see that go to waste when I am confident in succeeding in two out of the three attempts.”

  Xiao Feng continued to stare at Alchemist Zhi for a second longer, before he let a laugh escape his lips. It was a slow, menacing laughter that rumbled from deep within his chest, before he shook his head and addressed Alchemist Zhi in a solemn tone that was very unlike him, “You do not understand who it is you address, do you?” He rhetorically asked.

  The rage ebbed a little from Alchemist Zhi’s gaze as a glimmer of caution crept in, yet it was seemingly not enough for him to step away.

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  “Do you see this blade strapped to my waist?” Xiao Feng asked as he wrapped his right hand around his peak-layer foundation establishment artifact, Windcarver’s hilt. “Do you understand it’s significance, alchemist? No, of course you don’t, or you not would be here, before me, threatening my honour.”

  Alchemist Zhi flinched upon noticing that Xiao Feng had wrapped his hands around his artifact’s hilt, but managed to hold his ground.

  “The blade itself does not matter. What matters is the reason it was given to me, Alchemist. Not a single Alchemist in this division has reached the Nascent Soul stage and not a thousand of you could stand up to one. They do not call me a war hero because I fought in the battle for the Zheyan Pass, Alchemist. They not call me a war hero because I fought and slew one demon after the other, until the count had reached over two dozen, a good quarter of those well-above my cultivation layer. No, Alchemist, the only reason they call me a war hero is because I angered a Nascent Soul, a walking god amongst mortals and the pinnacle of the battlefield and lived to tell the tale,” Xiao Feng revealed, his tone as tranquil as a lake yet carrying an undercurrent of firmness. His voice dropped to a whisper and he leaned inwards before continuing, “The enemy Nascent Soul struck at me and in doing so, allowed Elder Zheng to exploit the opening. He perished, yet here I stand, alive and well.”

  Finally, the rage fled Alchemist Zhi’s visage as he took a step backwards, followed by another. “I am v-valued by Grand Alchemist Ming. If you h-harm me, you will be expelled from the righteous path,” Alchemist Zhi stuttered.

  “Harm you?” Xiao Feng asked, his tone incredulous. “I am a honourable cultivator of the righteous path. It is your prerogative to invite whoever you wish to the duel, your reasons your own. I will honour the judgement of a Grand Alchemist, as I will the the terms of the duel. That is my pride, Alchemist Zhi, not that I expect you to understand. Our dispute shall be decided in the world of alchemy and alchemy alone.”

  Xiao Feng saw a little tension ebb from Alchemist Zhi’s worried expression, but Xiao Feng couldn’t let the troublesome alchemist leave just yet.

  With two quick steps he covered the distance separating them, positioning himself to Alchemist Zhi’s side as he placed his free hand on his shoulder.

  “Do remember one thing though,” Xiao Feng leaned in as he conspiratorially whispered. “The next time you think of falsely maligning my honour with another one of your schemes, do ask yourself one question,” He activated his Essence Cultivation Art as he caught Alchemist Zhi’s panicked gaze. “Are these witnesses of yours faster than my blade?”

  Xiao Feng did nothing to interfere as Alchemist Zhi hurriedly pulled away from him, turned around and began to walk away from him as fast as he could without outright breaking into a run.

  Instead, his gaze turned to his side as he mentally asked a question, So? How’d I do?

  His predecessor was leaning against the pathway’s right wall, his figure clad in pristine white robes, as he answered, “Still too nice, but I suppose you can’t help it.”

  Xiao Feng clicked his tongue in annoyance, Well maybe I would’ve done better if a certain someone came back sooner.

  “If I had not, that beast would have discovered me. The only way for me to mask my presence against a soul vastly more powerful than either of ours was to go to sleep. Child of Earth, you have no inkling how difficult it is to wake up in a realm that cannot perceive time”, His predecessor explained. Oh and that last line, maybe we will make a martial cultivator out of you yet.

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