["The General…" Jingliu's tone carried a hint of surprise.]
["Even if you haven't been to the Luofu in a long time, you must've heard of General Jing Yuan's reputation outside, right? Though the General always says he's not skilled with a sword and his techniques are rusty… whenever he teaches me, he gets really enthusiastic," Yanqing said, glancing around. "Alright, the area's safe now. Let's keep moving."]
[The starskiff dock was close by, and it didn't take long for them to reach a starskiff. After checking its travel logs, Yanqing planned to escort Jingliu to a safe location.]
["In times like these, even the Cloud Knight outposts aren't exactly safe, are they?" Jingliu said coldly, her arms crossed.]
["True," Yanqing nodded, following her line of thought. "So we're not going to a Cloud Knight outpost. I'm taking you straight to the Shackling Prison. Food and lodging are provided, and it's heavily guarded—absolutely safe."]
[Jingliu remained unperturbed. "…Little brother, if you're going to detain someone, you ought to have a reason."]
["Suspicious behavior and concealing your identity—that's reason enough. You don't think I'm just a kid who's easy to fool, do you?" Yanqing's gaze was wary. "Never mind how a stranded traveler suddenly shows up at a sealed port. Along the way, I noticed your steps are light and steady—not at all like a blind person's."]
["As for swordsmanship, it's one thing to analyze it by ear with such precision, but to even count the exact number of swords I wield? That's not the insight of an ordinary person."]
Teyvat, Sumeru.
"Hey, hey, hey! This is bad! With Yanqing's attitude, is he about to draw his sword against his grandmaster?"
Seeing Yanqing's sharp and confrontational demeanor, Kaveh feared that if his grandmaster had a mara-struck episode, she might just… take out her disciple's disciple on the spot!
The scene wasn't hard to imagine—when Jingliu was consumed by mara, she had cut down her disciples without the slightest hesitation!
"Logically, Yanqing is one of the top swordsmen on the Xianzhou. Could he really not sense this white-haired woman's strength?"
Cyno set down his Genius Invokation TCG cards, puzzled, and began analyzing the situation on the screen. "Could it be… he's doing this on purpose? Trying to provoke Jingliu into making a move?"
"…Cyno, you're overcomplicating it," Tighnari chuckled. "Maybe it's just the simple sense of duty of a Cloud Knight. He might sense that this woman is extremely dangerous, but given the current state of the Xianzhou… he can't just let someone like her roam free."
"That said, even if Jingliu were willing to cross swords, with the gap in skill between her and Yanqing… it would probably just be a game for her."
As Collei's teacher and a senior among the Gandharva Ville rangers, Tighnari could relate to the uncontainable joy of seeing an exceptional junior.
Even if Miss Jingliu was naturally aloof, meeting a disciple's disciple like Yanqing would surely spark a bit of fondness for his talent, wouldn't it?
——
["You're not blind at all, are you?" Yanqing's sword-like brows shot up as he pressed her.]
["Heh," Jingliu let out a cold laugh. "I never said I was blind. You just assumed so because of the black veil over my eyes."]
["Uh…" Yanqing, who had been interrogating her with such fervor, faltered as Jingliu's retort softened his tone.]
[Sensing his awkwardness, Jingliu spoke up. "No matter, little brother. I have no quarrel with you, nor do I wish harm upon the Xianzhou. This black veil is proof that I don't want to be swayed by old memories, fall into mara, or cause chaos again."]
["I came here only to track down one person, and traveling with you suits me just fine."]
[Yanqing frowned slightly. "You're here… for Blade too?"]
["Blade? Is that his name now? Abandoning himself to the edge of a blade, honing his heart through the sword—he certainly knows how to pick a name."]
[Jingliu walked past Yanqing, saying softly, "Take me to him, little brother. You're no match for me, so you're no match for Blade either. With me by your side, you won't throw your life away needlessly, little brother."]
[Her words struck a nerve, and Yanqing's pride flared. Without turning to look at her, he huffed coldly, "Until the sword's edge is revealed, how can you judge victory or defeat? Don't underestimate my blade."]
["I don't wish to clash with a Cloud Knight. How about this—" Jingliu turned and proposed, "Let's have a contest. We'll test our swords against the abominations on the Xianzhou Luofu. Let's see whose blade is faster and slays more. What do you say?"]
["If you win, I'll concede and go quietly to the Shackling Prison for trial, to be dealt with as you see fit," Jingliu continued, her tone shifting. "But if I win, you'll share Blade's whereabouts with me. How about it?"]
[Yanqing shook his head confidently. "Cloud Knights don't make deals with official duties. Besides, you won't win."]
—
"Heh, I like his confidence… What an interesting young man."
Serie nodded appreciatively. As a teacher, she admired these exceptionally gifted yet defiant youths. Only such individuals could break conventions, make history, and bring surprises.
Youthful recklessness, unrefined edges… The flaws Jingliu pointed out were, to Serie, no issue at all.
Could you even call someone young if they weren't brash?
She had seen countless talented mages study under her. In their youth, they followed the rules; in middle age, they were bogged down by mundane affairs; and in old age, their spirit was worn down by time, leaving them with regrets and an unremarkable life.
But those who challenged her from a young age achieved remarkable feats in their brief lives, like fleeting meteors—short-lived but dazzlingly brilliant.
Looking at Yanqing's confident expression, Serie's smile deepened.
With this young man's talent and temperament, his future was truly limitless…
Meanwhile, in the Demon Slayer world—
"Move! Move! Move!"
"Grab your wooden swords! Be quick about it!"
In the dead of night, Sanemi Shinazugawa's booming voice echoed through the forest.
In the blink of an eye, nearly half of the Demon Slayer Corps was mobilized. Most of them, bleary-eyed and yawning, looked utterly confused. Even the injured, like Tanjiro and Zenitsu, were dragged from their beds at the Butterfly Mansion and rushed to assemble in the courtyard before the Hashira.
"Giyuu-san, what's this about…?" Tanjiro pointed at the massive crowd of Demon Slayer Corps members.
He, Zenitsu, and Inosuke had been fast asleep, completely unaware of what was happening. Being woken up in the middle of the night, they thought an Upper Rank demon had attacked the Corps' headquarters.
"This is more important," Giyuu Tomioka said, gripping his sword tightly. "Soon, Yanqing and Jingliu will demonstrate their swordsmanship. We must engrave every move of their techniques in our minds."
"Huh? Jing… Jingliu?" At the mention of her name, Tanjiro's sleepiness vanished instantly. "Didn't she die? Killed by General Jing Yuan…"
"I don't know the details, but she's appeared on the Xianzhou and is now pursuing Blade."
"But her swordsmanship is so fast, I'm not sure I can…"
Recalling her battle with the General—honestly, even now, Tanjiro couldn't fully grasp Jingliu's techniques. Watching that fight, he only felt one word: fast. Even her ordinary strikes were many times faster than Zenitsu's Thunder Breathing, First Form.