Bashe

With the Transient Blades as victors, Xiao and company made their way back to the sect by a carriage, to spend her final nights in it. It would certainly be faster to fly bit sticking together to celebrate was the right thing for the occasion.

Fang Xuan could not contain his joy in his seat as they would surely become flooded by new disciples in the days to come.

"Did you see how I made a fool out of that Northern Vanguard thug, elder! He ate all my fists like this!" Fang Xuan made giddy punching motions with his arms. Annoying the shit out of a certain cat for intruding in his space.

"Can you shut up and stay put, you brat!" Luqing shouted.

"Come on, Luqing, let Fang Xuan be. He's merely overjoyed at his sect being the champion." Yanmei defended.

"Easy for you to say when your cozily resting your head on Xiao's shoulders!?"

"Why, are you jealous? Don't worry, I'll let you spend some time alone with her later."

Luqing smirked, "No, I think I'll spend some time with her right now."

"What are you doing Luqing, get back to your seat right now!"

In a seat that was usually spacious for two, was now crowded by three as Luqing wedged her way beside Xiao.

Even while sandwiched between two beautiful women, Xiao could only sigh at how handful it is to have two lovers at once.

"Think twice about doing anything rash, Luqing, remember that Fang Xuan is still with us." Yanmei warned.

"Don't worry, I won't…" Luqing entwined her arms with Xiao's and seductively whispered into Xiao's ear, "...Unless Xiao wants me to."

"Luqing, calm down, like Yanmei said, Fang Xuan is watching."

"Alright, but remember that I still have to mark you later and pay you back for what you did last time."

" 'Pay you back, marking'? What is she talking about, Elder Xiao?" Fang Xuan was at the height of confusion.

"Do you really want to know?" With a devilish grin, Luqing questioned.

"Answer him Luqing and I will kick you out of this carriage!"

The rowdy bunch was on their merry way home.

None of them expected that this would face a life and death situation tonight.

Before Xiao could even process, a silver-haired cultivator faster than a speeding arrow, barreled through the carriage's window and landed in front of them.

Zhen quickly possessed Xiao's body but the split second delay it took already meant Qiuyue's fist trying to punch Xiao was already on its way.

Fortunately, Zhen's immaculate speed caught her former apprentice by the wrist.

"Long time no see, Master Zhen, happy to see me?"

"No person would be after finding out that the snake that once bit them has grown to be a bashe."

Comparing her to a giant snake made Qiuyue grin, It was just like her master to flatter and insult her at the same time.

Although Qiuyue was close, her cultivation still can't compare to her master's. The worst case scenario is that Zhen sacrifices her current vessel to take her down.

Qiuyue came prepared.

Qiuyue opened her fist to reveal a sealing talisman that she flicked towards Xiao's mask. Zhen's soul possessing Xiao vanished like a blown candle's flame, retreating inside the mask. Xiao came back into consciousness confused at such a monstrously strong cultivator in front of her.

The others inside the carriage all attacked at the same time only for the entire ride to blow over at an explosion of ice, knocking all of the ants unconscious. Qiuyue didn't even bother to ensure the demise of the lesser beings as her sole focus was on the piss weak vessel.

Grabbing Xiao by the neck, Qiuyue dragged her deeper into the dead forest so no one could interrupt Xiao's execution.

Laying on the cold rocky floor, Xiao was surrounded by dead trees, making for a desolate atmosphere.

Something was amiss.

Xiao felt her face to find her mask missing.

"Looking for this?"

Not far from Xiao was a silver haired woman sitting on a rock, holding her master's precious mask in her hand!

"Give that back!?" Xiao stood in fury even as every alarm in her body was starting to go off.

The woman was unlike any threat she has ever faced. Xiao's knees were telling her to run or else they would collapse on the spot. She was a magnitude stronger than Qian, the demonic cultivator couldn't even compare. Xiao felt as if she was gazing at the mythical peak for all cultivators.

"Why should I? You are unfit as a vessel for our master. We might as well put the mask on an animal and it would be no different than when you're wearing it."

The slander was something Xiao cannot let pass but her curiosity was held by what the woman just said.

"Our master?"

"I was Master Zhen's apprentice when she was still alive."

Even as Xiao's heart was pounding like crazy, she was able to brave the fear now that she knows that the mask wasn't in danger. Only she was.

"So, why did master Zhen leave you, was it because you're a pompous bitch?"

"The insolence. I betrayed our master, and sold her location to the heaven and earth's fated ruler."

Xiao's anger overpowered her fear of the woman, even if Xiao's gut was telling her she could be squashed like a bug.

"Are you the reason why she's stuck in a mask!? You betrayed her and you have the gall to still call her master!?"

"Don't misunderstand, I still adore master Zhen, that's why I'm doing my best to retrieve her soul and take it back where it belongs, to the Heavenly Court where we can serve the Phoenix King for all eternity."

Xiao doesn't know how many years the two had spent together as master and apprentice, but Xiao knew that the last thing her master would want was to be subservient to a man forever.

"You are insane if you think master Zhen would want that." Xiao took her Baji Stance, even as her hand shook she tried to solidify her stance. She needed to bring out her maximum power with each blow and even then she still wasn't sure if it would be enough.

"Want? We're cultivators, Xiao. We enforce our wills by force. I'm surprised our master still hasn't taught you that."

Qiuyue placed the mask on the rock as she was about to face, no - toy with Xiao. She could have executed her when she was unconscious but proper Heavenly Court decorum demanded that she give Xiao a fair chance before killing her. Xiao jumped from the rock and gracefully landed before Xiao.

"Win against me and you can retrieve our master's mask at the back. Lose, and I can finally get rid of your disgusting soul connection with her. Now, since this is a fight to the death, I shall tell you who you are up against…"

Qiuyue deemed that 5% of her cultivation power would be a proper match against Xiao.

An aura of ice started to swirl around Qiuyue, the dead trees along with the rocks are starting to freeze over from the cold.

"...I am Qiuyue, 7th Seat of the Heavenly Court, and the Phoenix King's loyal servant. Transcendent Immortal, 46 stars."