Clouds cleared and the land was bathed in the early glow of the sun as it just began it's rise over the horizon.
A brutal glow which all beings knew meant a new day, with new sufferings, had come in store.
Merchant's awoke to their shops, either safely made through the night, or tarnished by robbers and looters.
Warriors awoke to their souls still within their bodies, their lives in tact, or they did not awaken.
The people awoke grateful to whatever god they look to that they had not been slaughtered in their sleep as cattle and got to live another human day, no matter the suffering.
And Shou Xin?
He never went to sleep.
Throughout the night he toiled, into the day and into the next night.
Ten days had passed since he'd awoken at sunrise, or fallen asleep at sunset.
Within those ten days through an unending, ruthless fight, he managed to devour the waves of Primeval Qi one handful at a time.
And for all of his work, that little crumb had become a full loaf.
The Mound which once stood as mere pebbles had become a rock.
And his Inner Sea which was once terrifyingly turbulent? Was still just as horrible.
See, he had toiled endlessly, but he also had to hunt and gather food and such things, and in his eyes he simply could not let such good training materials pass him by causing him to finish the Primeval Qi from the Giant Rabbit, but become bloated on the Primeval Qi of other beasts.
In the chaos of his Inner Sea, the countless forms of Primeval Qi fought tooth and nail the specters of their former corporal bodies had formed after enough Primeval Qi had been left unchecked.
Shou Xin, whose soul had strengthened slightly after the many tiny lightning strikes, sat atop his little rock in the midst of the high waves and fierce beasts watching the combat and slowly extracting the Primeval Qi whilst they focused on one another.
When these beasts first formed, they tried to escape slamming into his body and almost killing him on the spot, but after a little while a cold energy rose from the depths of his body restraining them.
The strange energy vanished right after, so fast he wasn't sure.
Since then, they had only fought one another.
The specter of a Giant Rabbit, a Crest Wolf and a Harpy Eagle, all fought viciously.
Shou Xin who silently watched and continued hidden away touched at the Mound beneath him a thin red mist coalescing around his hand before shooting back into the Mound.
Silently nodding, he exited his Inner Sea and looked around.
"You're a disgrace. Letting them fight like that when you have the strength to oppose one yourself." Vienna said coldly, "You're so terrified of losing that meager amount of power and weak little life that you only continue to crawl like an insect getting by,"
"My foundation is sturdy! After so many lightning bolts, all the excess has been shredded off! And the Sea Spring Sword is assisting making the absorption much faster! I am above a disgrace, I am Shou Xin." He replied calmly having already gotten used to Vienna's remarks.
"Tch. Getting happy about such trivial things. When I was as weak as you, well, when I was at my weakest, I was able to defeat a thousand of those little piss poor losers." Vienna's cat eyes rolled and he laid his head on his paws, "You are a talentless loser."
Outside, Shou Xin looked around and soon found Feng Wuqing.
Yet, she was not alone sweeping the grounds as she normally was.
No, today she looked past the grounds just to the tree line with her fog laden gaze.
"What do you see?" He said from her side.
Over the time he'd been with her, though short, he'd noticed she often 'saw' that which he did not see. Or would often look off as though something were there, or act like she could see.
"Visitors."
Shou Xin squinted and his complexion darkened.
He had recovered his full strength, but it was still settling in and fighting now would aggravate the Primeval Qi Beasts causing them to attack.
"Should I run?" He whispered but shook his head.
He glanced over at Feng Wuqing.
"Don't move another step!" Suddenly, he grabbed Feng Wuqing holding the Sea Spring Sword to her throat.
Those approaching seemed to take two steps in a single step arriving almost instantly.
He recognized them.
Sea Spring Town's Families Underbosses, however they had brought their Capo's and soldiers.
If an Underboss in Sea Spring was at Peak Martial Artist Realm, then the Capo's were Mid-Martial Artist Realm and the soldiers all Low.
The problem then was, there were too many.
An army had arrived.
He grit his teeth, "Run. They won't hesitate to kill you too."
"Wh-"
"Sea Spring Town's Executioner, Shou Xin! You are charged with murder, arson, terrorism, disturbing the dao and are under suspicion of being a demon, we, who are charged by Lord Sea Spring of the Cloud Seer Academy and appointed by the Exiled Court have brought this authority here to bear in accordance with your crimes, seeking justice for the dead! Surrender!"
Shou Xin pushed Feng Wuqing aside, "Now."
His voice was stern and cold.
Killing intent began to bubble up and rise around him, however in the instant it did, that same freezing power rose restraining him, it's strength far stronger now.
His Sea Spring Sword felt heavy in his grasp and his body sluggish as though his internal strength was being locked away.
Just standing was a terrible trial.
He began to laugh self-deprecatingly.
"Sorry, Wuqing. Can I call you Wuqing? It doesn't matter now. I've brought down a calamity due to my own arrogance. Run if you still have the strength, they seem to have set up a formation of… sorts…" His voice trailed as his vision began to leak and darken.
His knee's would not bend, but his body would not move as though a man frozen in time.
"Why?" He heard Feng Wuqing's frigid tone, "Why should I run?"
She stomped the earth, and it shook.
Her fogged gaze turned to those just outside her property.
Like a lightning bolt, she swiftly arrived before the underbosses, her hand turning into a claw which made quick work of them in a single swing, tearing off their heads starting with the throat.
The Capo's and soldiers wished for noting better than to flee, but it was too late.
She vanished, and the next time she reappeared, it was as a blind girl, without a single bit of blood on her.
She appeared before Shou Xin, her fogged eyes now a crimson glow deep within like a matchstick being lit from afar.
She poked his forehead and he fell unconscious only some vague words landing in his ears.
Vienna, who had seen the whole thing, smirked as he caught eyes with her.
"Do you fancy him?"
She blushed slightly, "He's gentle with me. No one is gentle with me."
"Ah, well," Vienna scratched his ear, "Do what you will then."
Only then did he truly fall completely unconscious.
----
Shou Xin awoke in a cold sweat that drenched his back.
He was in bed sitting cross legged leaning against the windowsill.
He quickly got up and rushed outside, he saw Feng Wuqing, doing the regular sweeping and cleaning she did from time to time.
Walking over swiftly he spoke.
"...is everything okay?"
She tilted her head with her eyes closed as she normally had them.
"Sweeping."
His face was dreadfully serious as he nodded.
"Ha..." He impulsively held the hilt of his sword, "I'm going to go scout around."
She nodded and continued sweeping, "I heard you say my name, am I that dreamy?"
She teased without looking over to him, though not like she could anyway.
His face slightly reddened as he shook his head but spoke, "We were attacked. I took you hostage to see if they'd stop, but we both died and someone appeared, slaughtering the enemy as well as us."
"Mm, is that so?" She continued her duty, sweeping the area.
He just slightly shook his head and glanced at Vienna who slept on the sunny windowsill.
"Goodbye." He whispered beneath his breath once he was far away enough.
When he turned back to the path, his gaze was determined.
He had reached the Peak of Martial Artist in terms of power, but lacking actual combat experience against those of his similar strength, his skills were lacking and he himself still had the Primeval Qi Beasts raging in his Inner Sea.
In time, he arrived before Sea Spring Town.
In truth it was not a long way from Feng Wuqing's cottage, but because of the intricacies of the forest the cottage was well hidden making the path back a hard one.
Though he had traversed it into a groggy state at death's door, he still remembered even clearer perhaps because it was so close to the end every moment was clearly engraved into his very soul.
The walls of Sea Spring still looked just as large and magnificent as they always had, but there was something different to them now.
There were fewer guards, and even fewer merchants.