Author note: Much harder than I thought getting things to come together at the end of the chapter. For the record I mostly have a general idea how I want the interaction to go, but right now I need to focus on avoiding spoilers and revealing things as they come. I can't really explain too much, but hopefully you'll understand after a couple of chapters. And by a couple I probably mean 40-50 or so. :P Obviously Fang Yuehai and Sun Qing will have a pretty damn tough to write relationship what with their history and such. I think I manged to get through this part well and the first part of next chapter will be a bit tough, but after that we should have a bit more smooth sailing. Next chapter should be a very satisfying chapter though maybe not as satisfying as some might hope.

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Normally when Sun Jiao inspected his dantian it would be full of a black like ki, but now it was completely devoid of the ki he had become used to using.

Upon further examination Sun Jiao found that his dantian wasn’t empty, but that his ki had become the colorless energy from the day before. If he focused on his dantian he could clearly feel the energy and it would shift from one color to the next without being definite.

Gathering a bit of ki with his Will he circulated it using a strengthening path and felt his body grow stronger. Sun Jiao was glad he hadn’t lost his strength, but was curious as to what benefit could be gained. He decided to ask Xiaobo.

Sun Jiao was filed with a mix of emotions hearing this. On one hand he had just lost Xu Rong and was in no mood to start another relationship, but on the other hand he knew if he was stuck here he would eventually have some desires. He decided not to think about it and focus on the present.

Seeing Sun Jiao’s lack of reaction Xiaobo was a bit disappointed. The cultivation method was something Xiaobo had made himself and even considered switching to it so how could it possibly have such a drawback?

Xiaobo had lied about it just to get back at Sun Jiao for having cut the connection off when he had spent the night with Xu Rong. Xiaobo was going to tell the truth after the initial shock, but seeing Sun Jiao’s lackluster response he thought coming clean now would be a bit awkward.

‘Let him suffer a bit! Ha!’ he thought.

Sun Jiao stood up and removed the blade from his spatial ring. Wrapping the new ki with will he brought it into the blade. Filled with ki the blade didn’t react at all as though nothing had changed.

Filled with doubt Sun Jiao swung the blade. As the blade passed through the air tiny distortions appeared as though the space itself was stressed almost to the point of ripping.

Sun Jiao wasn’t convinced. He’d seen the distortions, but that didn’t understand what it meant. He’d have to test in battle before he made a judgement. At that thought Sun Jiao didn’t know whether to laugh or to cry. He never expected he’d ever think about testing something in battle.

Sun Jiao didn’t bother replying. Instead he grabbed the bag he had carried from the forest, left his cultivation room, and headed to a small garden located in the back of his palace, but inside the palace walls.

He dug out a hole and brought Xu Rong’s body out of the ring. Without saying a word he placed her body in the hole and covered her with dirt. He wanted to say a few words, but couldn’t think of anything to express his feelings. Instead he reached into the bag and brought out the collar she had received from Sun Qing.

Holding it for a while he remembered the brief time they were together before finally placing it on top of a stone he used as a marker.

A soft voice sounded out behind him.

“I didn’t think you were the sentimental type.”

Fang Yuehai had been completely ignored since coming to Sun Jiao’s palace. Anyone that walked the martial path would often go into secluded cultivation so she hadn’t been offended. Quite the opposite however as she trained a bit herself and found that cultivating inside the inner city was much better than her home. It couldn’t compare to Sun Jiao’s private room, but it was a an improvement.

Sun Jiao turned and looked without saying anything. Fang Yuehai continued talking.

“I was taking a walk and saw. I didn’t want to interrupt.”

“Thanks.”

“I didn’t get to bury my brother...it’s good you got closure.”

“Ahh...sorry about that.”

Sun Jiao felt a bit guilty and briefly wondered what happened to the body. Fang Shi’s head had been completely smashed so identifying the body and returning it to the family wouldn’t have been possible.

“Thanks, but it’s not your fault… I know you’re helping me already with his fiance, but do you think you could find out what happened to his body? It would be good to send him home.”

Sun Jiao didn’t know where to begin looking, but he couldn’t bring himself to reject it.

“I...I’ll try.”

With his ki sense Sun Jiao felt a burst of ki coming from Sun Qing’s room. Even Fang Yuehai was able to feel it and turned in the direction. It wasn’t possible to sense another’s location or strength without a skill, but if they broadcasted it as Sun Qing was then it was possible for even a mortal to sense the general location.

“Ah. My sister has come out. You should return to your room. She’s...a bit uncontrollable.”

Worried that Fang Yuehai might recognize Sun Qing he wanted to avoid the two meeting at all cost. Sun Qing would have changed her hair, eyes, and clothing style, but it was still possible Fang Yuehai would see through the changes.

Before he could say anything more however an angelic voice rang out behind him.

“Brother! Why do you say that? If you ask I’ll do anything!”

As soon as Sun Qing left cultivation she was unable to stop herself from rushing to her brother’s side.

Sun Jiao turned and was surprised to see Sun Qing. She had changed into a longer style dress with the same black gold fabric and light blue trim. The black stiletto boots and hair also remained the same, but her body had grown two or three years. She now had a slightly more mature figure. If before she was a beautiful flower bud just opening now she appeared as though she was a flower just beginning to fully bloom.

Even Xiaobo had to admit she was truly a universal beauty now. He quickly explained to Sun Jiao what had happened so that he could act as though everything was normal.

When Xiaobo didn’t reply immediately Sun Jiao had to speak up and could only let the matter drop. He thought that perhaps Xiaobo was a peeping tom that liked to pretend he wasn’t watching.

“Sister you’ve finished cultivating. Have you reached the Fourth Layer?”

With a smile Sun Qing spun around and tilted her head, but then immediately frowned.

“Almost! I need a bit more before getting there, but I’m just off! Oh! Thank you thank you thank you for the fruit! Without it I don’t know how long it would have taken me. Am I pretty now? Hehe! I was always pretty though right? Right? Ro-ro you’re not wearing your collar! Bad girl!”

Sun Qing only cared about her brother and had apparently forgotten what “ro-ro” looked like. Because her brother never had guests she thought it was unlikely for this girl to be anyone but her brother’s pet. Even though the two looked nothing alike if she had been wearing the collar then Sun Qing would have never even noticed.

Sun Jiao froze before calming down.

He had been surprised at Sun Qing’s change and had forgotten for a moment that Fang Yuehai was still there and instantly worried. With Sun Qing’s change it was unlikely Fang Yuehai would recognize her so he relaxed.

“No. Xu...err Ro-ro died. This is Fang Yuehai. She’s staying with us for a while.”

Sun Jiao nodded towards the grave, but had removed emotion from his face. With Xu Rong around he had to put the arrogant act.

“Brother you killed her?” She followed up by shaking her finger with a tsk tsk.

“No she was killed. The third prince is mostly at fault. Since you’ve finished cultivating we should go.”

Sun Qing’s hair instantly turned red and a pressure exerted itself outwards causing Fang Yuehai to take a step back.

“Killed? That little no good piece of trash dared to kill MY brother’s pet! ARGH! Let’s go brother! I’ll rip his soul out and you can torture it for a thousand years!”

“He didn’t kill her directly. He led some people who were trying to kill him and they killed her.”

He reached into a bag and pulled out the severed head of Po which still contained his soul.

“This is the culprit. His soul should still be inside.”

With that he threw it to her feet.

Sun Qing’s eyes narrowed and she reached down as if to grab the head by it’s hair. Instead her hand entered the skull and came out with a phantom gripped inside it.

She then squeezed it tightly caused it to shatter. She opened her hand and the soul reformed. Po was just a soul, but he was still awake looking for a chance to escape. The agony of having his soul shatter and reform immediately caused him to give up hopes of escaping.

Satisfied, Sun Qing’s hair returned to her deep blue, almost black, color and a smile appeared on her face.

“If this is him, where are we going then? Are we still going to kill that idiot young brother of ours?”

As she spoke she mindlessly opened and closed her hand that contained the Po’s soul causing it to shatter and reform continuously. Po’s consciousness could survive one or two soul shatterings, but the pain of shattering and reshaping drove him down the path of insanity causing him to maintain one single thought.

That thought was the single desire for death.