Bai Ye didn’t manage to leave until stars were twinkling in the sky, and I wondered the next morning if anyone would still be able to see my flushed cheeks or smell the lingering scent of cedar on me.

The late summer sun was mild as I made my way to the main peak to sign up for the tournament of swords. I tilted my head back, letting my face bask in the warmth. I felt more alive and free than ever before. The shadow I had been living under for the past five years was finally gone, and Bai Ye had reentered my life like the rising sun, illuminating my world and brightening every hidden corner of my heart.

I was filled with joy. Even if this wasn’t the way it was supposed to be. Even if this wasn’t a choice that everyone could accept or respect.

“Yun Qing-er?” A familiar, high-pitched voice came from behind me.

I stiffened. I had hoped that I wouldn’t run into Zhong Yilan so soon.

“I thought the venom would’ve left you paralyzed,” her bitter voice continued as she caught up with me and blocked my path. “What a shame.”

I took a deep breath to calm myself. We were close enough to the peak that the two of us weren’t the only people on this path. A few other disciples were passing by within earshot, so at least Zhong Yilan wouldn’t dare to do anything too audacious.

That thought eased my mind. “What do you want?” I asked.

“What do I want?” Zhong Yilan sneered. “You. Gone. Forever. Do you not feel the slightest guilt, Yun Qing-er? Lin Weiwei is expelled because of you. Chu Xi is sent away for two years because of you. How dare you still walk around here like Mount Hua is your home?”

“Mount Hua IS my home,” I retorted. “Just because you and Chu Xi are related to the Gatekeeper, it doesn’t mean that this whole place is yours and yours alone. And why should I feel guilty? Chu Xi and Lin Weiwei got what they deserved for what they did to me, and I only feel content that justice served them right.”

Zhong Yilan’s jaw dropped open. I couldn’t blame her for being so surprised—I had always been timid, and whenever she and Chu Xi made fun of me before, I would simply bite it down and walk away silently. I never defended myself, not like this.

I almost surprised myself as well, and I wondered where my courage came from.

Zhong Yilan didn’t back down easily, of course. “They were only punished because you fooled the Gatekeeper with your lies!”

“Careful with your words.” I raised my voice as I saw a few other disciples approaching on a path nearby. “Are you suggesting that the Gatekeeper can’t tell the truth from lies? Or that he is so easily swayed by others and can’t form his own judgment?”

The passing disciples heard our conversation and darted skeptical glances in our direction. Zhong Yilan’s face ashened.

“You’ve grown some backbones, Yun Qing-er,” she gritted her teeth. “But it’s all because Master Bai Ye is so protective of you, isn’t it? I don’t know how you did it, but you tricked him into helping you punish Chu Xi, and you think he’ll keep doing the same when you get yourself into some other trouble, don’t you? Is that why you dare talk back to me now?”

Her words rang sharply in my ears, and my composure was suddenly overtaken by a surge of panic. Was this the reason? Was I finally being brave because I knew Bai Ye would always be there for me?

“So I was right …” Zhong Yilan didn’t miss the slightest signs of my unease. “What did you do to him to make him so invested in such a useless disciple? What did you—”

“I’m not useless,” I cut her off before the words that I dreaded most came out of her mouth, “and I’ll be glad to prove you wrong any time.”

Take the bait, I prayed silently. Take on the challenge and stop talking about Bai Ye.

It worked. Zhong Yilan had always been competitive, and she could never turn down a challenge. Her hands moved to the hilt of her sword. “I don’t mind teaching you a good lesson, Yun Qing-er, if you are so eager to suffer.”

I let out a breath surreptitiously and gripped my swords as well, though I knew I was still no match for her at the moment. “There’s no need to make a scene right here, Zhong Yilan.” I reasoned. “We can do this in a more civilized way. I’ll challenge you at the tournament next month.”

Zhong Yilan’s jaw dropped open again, and this time she laughed. “The tournament of swords? You are finally going to participate and show everyone how much of a failure you are?”

“I am participating,” I looked her square in the eye, “and you will regret what you just said by then.”

She laughed again. “Now you are making me look forward to it.” She let go of her sword and crossed her arms. “Fine, let me see how many more tricks you got up your sleeve, or if you are just all talk. You dare make a bet?”

“On what?”

She lowered her voice so others nearby wouldn’t hear. “If you lose to me during the tournament, you’ll kneel before me and kiss my feet, and you’ll leave Mount Hua on your own accord and never return. Remember, I’m doing this for Chu Xi as well.”

My stomach roiled at her words. Was she mad? How could such vile thoughts even exist in her mind?

“And if I win?” I suppressed the urge to vomit and asked.

“You won’t.”

“What if?”

“Then you can ask anything you want of me,” she snorted. “But don’t worry, you won’t.”

I wasn’t sure how likely it was that I could win the bet. Even though I had been improving fast since receiving Twin Stars, five years of experience wasn’t something that I could make up for overnight. But I couldn’t submit to her humiliation. I had to give it a try.

“It’s a bet then,” I said and took out my spiritual amulet. Zhong Yilan fetched hers as well, and we pressed the two together. A pale purple light flashed between them—a spiritual bond to seal the agreement.

“I look forward to it,” Zhong Yilan whispered in my ears, her voice like a hissing viper.

“You won’t be disappointed,” I promised.