ã€ŠMurim Recurveã€‹


 Chapter 1 - Farewell Master

    Chilly winds blew, ruffling the foliage. Trees swayed, on the verge of uprooting. Perched on a branch, and curled under arge leaf was a sparrow. It shivered from the cold wind; its tiny body shook, its body warmth continued to seep out.

    Thunder loomed above as shes of lightning were discharged. The air was humid, a result of the torrential rain. The sparrow persisted without giving up, letting out faint chirps to showcase its undying will.

    Time passed in such a manner, the rain eventually subsided. The rays of the morning sun seeped through the gaps in the clouds, colouring the surroundings blue. A gentle wind blew past, causing droplets of water to cascade the leaves.

    A water drop fell, looking crystalline, reflecting the image of arge brown tree with a dense green canopy. Followed by a gust of air, the water droplet sttered. The cause had been a bird''s pping wing.

    The sparrow let out jubnt chirps, taking off to the skies. It pped its wings in a flurry, passing above the dense overgrowth, watching the field of green beneath it. It flew without rest, seeing the greenery grow sparse, boulders scattered amidst.

    Arge canyon appeared; it was filled to the brim with water, the currents rough. The sound was akin to thunder, causing the sparrow to instinctively shiver. It soon crossed the canyon, travelling over a mountain range, watching a massive body of watere into view. It was ake.

    The sparrow chirped a couple of times, making a turn as it traversed along the mountain range. It was a hill, situated between a mountain and the water body. The hill was an extension, an overgrowth of the mountain range.

    On the peak of the hill was a sparse growth of trees; the sparrownded on a branch, chirping in joy as it rejoined with its family. It snuggled with another sparrow, chirping in joy as the three eggs within the nest showed signs of cracking.

    Flowing near the roots of the tree was a brook, having doubled in volume due to the recent rainfall. The chirping of the sparrows resounded in the area, brimming with harmony. A leaf fell on the brook, moving along its flow.

    Travelling for a short distance, the surface sloped downward. The leaf continued its travel, descending along the downward slope, sooning across a vertical section. The brook turned into a waterfall, its flow still streamlined, reflecting the surrounding environment.

    The water joined a small pond, the sound gentle, thanks to theck of turbulence. Situated in the centre of the pond was a circr piece ofnd. A path connected it to thendmass bordering the pond.

    It was covered by grass, emitting a fresh scent. The leaf floated on the pond and collided into the piece ofnd, its journeying to an end. Prostrating on the grass was a youngdy, sporting torn clothes.

    Her blue hair was dishevelled, her eyes closed. Tears streamed out her eyes as she screamed in hysteria; her hoarse, trembling voice echoed, "Master!"

    "It is toote, my child." A voice resounded from behind the waterfall. The voice was calm, aged even, seemingly of one who had achieved enlightenment. But, traced within it was unbridled hatred, with every word uttered causing the falling waterfall to tremble a little.

    "The Qi guing me is an unprecedented existence. Even by exhausting all my resources, all I could manage to do was prolong this old man''s life." The owner of the voice looked young, seemingly in his twenties.

    Strewn around him were two vats the size of his body, their contents empty. It was a tiny cave, suffused with a pungent smell. The man had an oval face with a sharp jawline. His eyes were dull, showcasing exhaustion towards the vicissitudes of life.

    His clothes wereyered with dust, bing one with them, looking as if he hadn''t moved from the spot for years. A gruesome gash ran over his head; it looked to have been hacked by a de. The wound had festered, the blood had condensed into blood-red crystals. There wasn''t a single ounce of hair on his body. His brown skin had be pale, slowly turning red.

    The bones on his right hand were peaking out, his muscles non-existent. His body was under a state of severe malnutrition. His damaged right hand was the only limb he retained. In the ces of the remaining limbs were stumps, their ends turning red. The skin over them foamed, turning white.

    "20 years," He said, heaving a forlorn sigh, "I have been trapped here for 20 years. In the meantime, my enemies have developed to greater heights, even shedding their mortal flesh to ascend into higher existences."

    The sounds of the waterfall diminished further as he continued, "We are existences unbelonging to this world, and to us, this world shouldn''t have been a reality. But, it has now be our reality, something those fools fail to understand."

    "I have rambled enough," He turned silent, listening to the youngdy''s sobbing, speaking at the end, "It is time."

    His right hand only retained a single finger, the ring finger. Worn on it was a ring, iid with a lustreless ck gem. The surroundings darkened for a moment as a bag appeared beside.

    His right hand trembled as the water from the waterfall converged before him, morphing into a hand. The water hand carried the bag, passed through the waterfall, and dropped it beside the youngdy. "Only these haven''t been poisoned yet, use them in your journey. There should be a slip inside that will inform you about the details."

    On his forehead was another eye, one that had be lifeless. Blood oozed out of it, forming a thin line that travelled past his nose, eventually dropping down as droplets from the chin. The third eye slowly close shut, seeping into the skin before disappearing entirely.

    The man said with a sense of urgency, "My life''s umtion, my ambitions, my feelings, my abilities, my treasures, and my hatred; I will leave them all with you."

    "Master!" The youngdy began to sob even harder, kneeling on the ground as she faced the waterfall. Her ears trained to her surroundings, unwilling to miss anything. A long gash coursed through her eyes. She was blind.

    She felt a whooshing sound before something warm entered her body. The warmth settled next to her heart, exhibiting a certain unknown influence. A tinge of green suffused her hair, etching its presence.

    From behind the waterfall, the man looked at her with a smile. On his chest was a hole; blood oozed out nonstop, "Because of me, thisnd will soon be a deste area, forbidden to life. Due to the seepage of the poison, I am unable to give you the rest of my treasures. On the day when you surpass my peak,e here and retrieve them."

    "Re''Kha, my only disciple, your master wishes from you two things. First, uphold virtue. Second, to the enemies that reduced me to this state, make them suffer the same fate as mine." He barely managed to lift his hand, trembling due to theck of strength, summoning something from within him.

    A three-headed beast taller than a person rushed out of the waterfall. It made a light jump andnded beside thedy. Apanying it was his voice, "This is Trimukhya, my Pranic Avatar. In the time it can exist, it will bring you far away from this ce. Now go!"

    Re''Kha grabbed hold of the bag and felt the three-headed beast bite the ends of her dress. With a movement of its head, it threw her onto its back. Kicking its hooves, the three-headed beast began to run towards the mountain range.

    Re''Kha turned around and shouted at the top of her lungs, "Master, I will avenge you. This I vow to the heavens."

    "Haha," The man let out a self-deprecatingugh, "This is now my reality. No, this is reality. Right, reality..."

    His eyes had be dim; there was no longer any sign of life in him. The air surrounding him began to glow, seemingly resisting something. His body radiated a formless substance into the surroundings, endangering it.

    His skin turned white, with areas of pink, ck, and violet. His body toppled, falling on the ground with a thud, the bones breaking under the impact.

    Beyond the waterfall, the sounds of chirping had disappeared, followed by deathly silence. A minuteter, the twitching body of a sparrow flowed down the waterfall. It died by the time it could fall into the pond. Soon, it was followed by droves of sparrows, all dead, their manner of death simr to him.

    From a scene of tranquillity, the pond had be a nightmare of death. Faint ck smoke swirled around, condensing above the hill.

 Chapter 2 - Thank You, Master

    "Raised as a virtuous child,

    Thrust into the dangerous wild,

    Survived as the scum I defiled,

    Marched with the party I riled,

    Locked into a prison I smiled."

    "Grown into a sinful man,

    Reincarnated with a food can,

    Second life as a man,

    Reimed virtues as I ran,

    Became victim to the greed of man,

    Killed my family as they fanned,

    Willed my revenge as I panned." ¡ªRamblings of a Sinful Man.

    ¡­

    A three-headed beast ran through the trees, using an animal trail wide enough for its massive frame. Each of its steps raised splotched sounds due to the wet ground, the rainwater sshing high as a result, the mud mixed into it covering the sides of its body.

    Spanning the height of a person, its speed allowed it to travel arge distance with each step. It had four hooves, tough to withstand rough rocky runs. It had the head of a cow in its centre, a goat on its left, and a sheep on its right, the horns of each long and curved.

    Holding the horn of the cow head was Re''Kha, crying as she held a bag dear to her, unwilling to drop it. It was the first andst gift her master had given her, his life''s legacy.

    "Master, I''ll avenge you." She tightened her hold on the horn, her ears trained to the surroundings. Everything was dark, her eyesight lost in a battle before. In this short time, she wasn''t able to adapt to her situation, feeling lost.

    The warmth spreading in her chest was her sce, the words of her master resounding in her mind, "Remember Re''Kha, the air is your eyes. Feel it, open up to it. Master''s gift will pave the way to your plight."

    She crouched low, in fear of bumping into any obstacles along the path, her head tucked well beneath the height the beast''s horns extended to. The warmth spread from her chest to her abdomen, travelling to her legs, stopping at her toes.

    Another surge of warmth spread from her chest, towards her hands, ending at the tips of her fingers. The final warmth surged through her neck, flushing her face red. The tinge of green spread through her blue hair, mixing with it, resulting in an emerald colour.

    From underneath her Tikka jewellery dripped a drop of blood, the colour varying from red to green as it cascaded, turning red when it fell on her clothes. A change enveloped Re''Kha, her heart thumping with increasing intensities, the sounds of two heartbeats resounding in her ears, synchronising into one in a matter of seconds.

    Sweat dripped from her forehead, mixing with her tears, tinged with a trace of red. Faint whirring sounds echoed in her ears, drowning the sounds of the three-headed beast''s hooves hitting against the wet ground.

    "Feel the air!" Her master''s voice resounded in her head, in a loop, rising in intensity with each passing moment.

    "Aaaah!" Re''Kha screamed, unable to bear with the pain any longer, the darkness around her morphing, now filled with noise¡ªturning into multicoloured grains. The grains slowly lost their lustre as the noise grew louder, their colour dimming, eventually bing monochrome.

    Grey sand littered everywhere around her, shing by with terrific speeds. They had a nature of disorder imbued in them. They moved like the waves of a river, fast, the currents unable to be impeded by anything.

    "Focus!" Whether it was a hallucination conjured by her subconsciousness or a sorcery of sorts, but her master''s voice resounded again, guiding her at moments she strayed away from focus. Under his shouts, she sensed the noise flow¡ªits disorderly but streamlined flow etching in her mind¡ªaround her, the disorder reducing by a notch.

    They didn''t conform to anything of substance, forming a flow that continued to move past. Due to their monochromatic colours, Re''Kha was unable to make heads or tails of them.

    Outlined before her were three grey clusters, their rtive velocity zero, positioned within arm''s reach. An arm-thick streamlined cluster hovered from the cluster in the centre and extended to her right, stopping below her area of focus.

    "My hand!" Re''Kha shouted, her emotions pitching without control, linking the arm-thick streamlined cluster to her hand through the presence she felt.

    She lightly moved her elbow, noticing the arm-length streamlined cluster move about its centre. "I can see my hand''s movements!"

    The fact that she could perceive her hand even after losing her eyes made her tear up from happiness. The streamlined flow around her was still full of noise, noise she couldn''t filter for the time being. It was simr to rainfall, disorderly, sshing whening into contact with any object.

    Re''Kha focused on her hand and the three clusters¡ªhorns belonging to the three heads of the three-headed beast¡ªbefore her, ignoring everything else. The more she focused, the greater she could perceive, even sensing vague outlines form in the grey sand clusters.

    Her right hand held the horn of the cow head while her left held the bag securely. The three-headed beast had made a semi-circle around the hill, proceeding to the foothills of the mountain range.

    The three heads gazed at the rocky mountain before it, exhaling a powerful gust of air. The cow head mooed once, jerking its head a little, alerting Re''Kha to hold tighter. Re''Kha reflexively tightened her hold, brought about by years of training in her n.

    The three-headed beast kicked its hooves, jumping as it leapt from one rock to another, skipping ample distance with every leap. Rocks fell under its wake, weakened after the rain. The three-headed beast moved deftly, without losing its bnce, faster than when it was on the ground, showing its racial advantage.

    The trees grew sparse, the rocky terrain unsuitable for their growth. Trees became shrubs while shrubs became vines, eventually, even grass stopped growing.

    The chirping of birds could be heard from behind, suffused with fear and panic. Droves of birds took to the skies, losing bnce mid-air, falling to the ground and trampled by the beasts that ran. The legs of the running beasts grew weaker, unable to support their bulky bodies. It was like a wave of death was approaching them. With every step they took, their skins festered while intense pain assaulted them.

    The three-headed beast kicked its speed up a notch; the two heads on the side nned the path, ensuring its travel continued unabated. The wind slowed down as they headed up, the rocky terrain bereft of any life.

    The noise in her surroundings died down,rgely upied by grey sand, each particle ced farther apart aspared to before. Underneath her was a dense cluster, forming ayer, below which was none. The three clusters before her condensed as she focused, no longer distracted by the noise, barely outlining a rough figure of the three-headed beast.

    Followed by a jump, the three-headed beastnded on the peak of the mountain. The mountain range outlined in her vision as grey sand art, akin to a sleeping dragon. Re''Kha looked forward, gazing at the path on the mountain range she had to tread on, tears streaming from her eyes once again, "Thank you, master¡­"

    "I can see once again."

 Chapter 3 - Battle Imminent

    The three-headed beast gazed towards the bottom of the mountain, noticing faint shes of light, creating a dust cloud that spread in all directions, soon on the verge of reaching the foothills.

    It looked forward, gazing at the upslope path that connected two mountains along the peak.

    Re''Kha looked towards the bottom of the mountain, at the same time as the three-headed beast, noticing a lot of noise congregate around the region, increasing in intensity as they scaled up the mountain. ''That must be the result of the poison released from master''s body.''

    She gritted her teeth, her face scowling as she wiped her tears, "You have suffered for 20 years, master. I''ll make your enemies suffer the same."

    As the three-headed beast began to run, she mentally calcted based on the rate of climb of the noise, muttering, "It would need at least 300 breaths before reaching our height."

    Hearing her voice, the sheep head looked below once again, reaffirming her answer, increasing its speed, seemingly in a hurry. Faint patches on its skin peeled off, dissolving into particles of light as it ran.

    The mass of the three-headed beast seemed to subtly decrease as it sprinted, a sign of overexertion. Re''Kha noticed faint grey sand spill out from its body from time to time, the worry in her heart intensified.

    As she rubbed its horns, the cow head mooed once, reassuring her through its actions. The path was inclined and rocky, with the asional appearance of steep slopes. The three-headed beast ran with all its might, using its natural gifts to tread the rocky terrain.

    Time passed in such a manner; the air turned hotter as the rays of the sun seeped out through the gaps in the clouds. Sounds of thunder resounded from time to time, a signal that it was about to rain soon.

    Re''Kha felt her back ache, having sat on the three-headed beast for so long without rest while travelling on the rocky terrain. She adjusted her posture, trying her best to relieve her pain without disturbing the beast''s running.

    "Wait¡­that''s a dead end. Trimukhya!" Re''Kha shouted, flustered at the sight of the path ending before her. The peak of the mountain they tread on ended with a steep slope while the next mountain in the range only began a fair distance away.

    The only way to cross it was to descend through the slope and climb up the next mountain from the point where the two connected. To do that, the three-headed beast ought to stop. But to her shock, causing her to fluster, the three-headed beast instead began to elerate.

    Even if she wished to, she couldn''t jump from such speeds. Her injured body would be unable to bear the burden, possibly even causing her death. Her only option was to persuade the three-headed beast against its actions.

    ''But,'' Re''Kha looked towards the bottom, noticing the noise had travelled a fair distance upward, spreading parallel to their path. ''We don''t have the luxury of time to tread down. We would get caught up mid-journey and die.''

    She looked at the other side, shaking her head immediately, ''Heading there is a definite doom in my condition. Unless I have no other choice, I won''t descend to the other side of the mountain range.''

    She gritted her teeth, gripping the cow head''s horn harder, watching it elerate to frightening speeds. Based on its actions, it nned to jump over the distance between the two mountains. But, the distance was far beyond its capabilities.

    ''This is master''s Pranic Avatar. I''ll trust its decision with my life.'' Her heart thumped as the three-headed beast drew closer to the edge of the mountain, theyer of noise outlining the terrain in her senses. It crouched a bit lower, further elerating to rming speeds.

    "Aaah!" Re''Kha involuntarily screamed, watching the three-headed beast leap from the edge, springing forth quite the distance. "We won''t make it!"

    Even though it had covered a distance beyond her expectation, it was still one-tenth the distance they had to cover, making it a failed endeavour. Her heart lurched, her emotions plunging into despair. She bit the bag, aiming her left hand to the back, causing it to shimmer with blue radiance.

    Just when she was about to take action, the hooves of the three-headed beast shimmered with grey radiance, stirring up the air, converging it under before solidifying. A foothold of air, wide enough for its hooves appeared, forming the anchor that held its weight.

    The three-headed beast exerted strength in its legs, making another jump while using its momentum, converging the air underneath its hooves again as it began to fall, forming a foothold in the air to perform another leap. It proceeded to leap through the air in such a manner, traversing the distance between the two mountains.

    Seeing the ability it disyed, Re''Kha lowered her left hand, grabbing hold of the bag as she calmed her thumping heart. Followed by consecutive leaps, the three-headed beast travelled across the air and reached the other side,nding on solid ground.

    Re''Kha observed a lot of noise as grey sand spilt out of the three-headed beast inrge volumes, a sign it had consumed too much energy in the previous endeavour. She also noticed it had decreased in mass, looking considerably thinner than before.

    "I''m sorry," She could only rub its horn in apology, watching it run withoutint. A fair distance away from her existed a lot of noise, the grey sand forming dense clusters, giving her a headache immediately.

    Re''Kha recalled the terrain from her memory, linking it to what she witnessed based on their path, ''It should be the Harara forest.''

    She geared up for a battle, her posture alert, her entire focus on the noise cluster before her that approached closer and closer. Soon, the three-headed beast dived into it, running without a decrease in its speed. Re''Kha judged her surrounding to be the Harara forest from the distinct scent lingering in it.

    The noise was unbearable, but unlike before, she was starting to adapt, barely able to make out faint outlines in the form of grey sand clusters. Suddenly, all three heads began to shout; the three-headed beast came to a halt by stomping into the ground, sliding forward while ploughing the soil, its hooves cracking under the abrupt action.

    Leaves rustled while cackling sounds echoed, like theughter of a banshee in a trickster show. Shadows shed past the thicket of the woods, moving in and around their location, the air trembling under their wake.

    The cow head mooed, shaking its head while poising its horns forward. The sheep and goat heads were alert, their eyes scanning the surrounding trees. Re''Kha trembled under the sounds, her limbs shaking in fear. She bit her lips, forcefully stabilising her mental state as she adjusted the ribbon covering her eyes, wiping off the leaking blood.

    A tree was mmed down as a beast emerged, growling as it cracked its stem with a stomp. Thunder apanied its appearance; shes of lightning went off as the clouds covered most of the sunlight.

    A battle was imminent!

 Chapter 4 - Leap

    It was a four-legged beast, its length equivalent to the height of a grown man, the ends of its tail fluffy, the fur erect as if it had built up a lot of static electricity. It resembled a feline creature in its gait and posture, but its frame was wide, almost three-fourths of its length. It sported a massive head, a mouth filled with zagged teeth, and a long tongue that reached the ground.

    In her vision, Re''Kha noticed the grey sand be repelled around the creature, making its form less defined. Still, she could identify it based on its wide frame, the distinct characteristic only present in a single beast in the Harara Forest.

    "It''s a Punou," Re''Kha muttered, her arm trembling as she released her hold of the cow head''s horn. The cackling screeches echoed from all around her; shadows shed past the trees. In her vision, there were numerous spaces devoid of the grey sand shing around, heading in and out of the surrounding sand cluster.

    "Pssch," The three-headed beast snorted a powerful breath of air, slightly shaking its back, signalling Re''Kha to hold the horn. Re''Kha grabbed it immediately, watching the three-headed beast immediately make a high jump.

    A sh of blue streaked past underneath, colliding into the tree behind. Like a rock smashing onto the ground from high up, the produced sound was loud. The tree came crashing down, its branches getting entangled with the surrounding trees. A portion of the trunk at its bottom had disappeared, leaving only some splinters behind.

    Re''Kha crouched forward under the force of the jump, watching the goat head condense a thick sphere¡ªmade from the grey sand she witnessed¡ªbefore its mouth and shoot it towards the thicket of trees. A space of nkness moved away on the ground, barely dodging the attack, the sand cluster within spiralling out from the impact.

    It sshed onto the space of nkness, faintly outlining it. Re''Kha held the bag with her mouth, craning her left hand backward after entering a punching pose. Her body seeped blue radiance that flowed through her left arm, condensing around her hand, branching out into five flows.

    They joined together to form a spherical vortex as she aimed at the space of nkness, intending to attack when the vortex copsed, causing blood to leak out of her orifices. The bag she held in her mouth was dyed red as her left arm slumped, having lost all strength for the time being.

    "Why¡­" Re''Kha grunted, failing to understand the cause that prevented her from attacking. The three-headed beastnded on the ground and tilted its body, lifting the fore and rear legs on its right, watching another sh of blue streak past, followed by the sound of thunder as it mmed into the trees.

    Just when Re''Kha tried to attack again, she noticed the cow head condense a sphere of grey sand and aim it at the ground, dispersing it when fired. The grey sand unleashed a gale that sshed forth water and mud, creating a cover that it used to leap.

    Air condensed under its hooves, forming the foothold; it used the foothold to jump higher and higher up in the air. It then leaped, tilting its body forward. Re''Kha tightened her hold, watching the cow head unleash three more of the grey sand spheres towards the ground.

    The nk spaces on the ground shed to and fro, hurriedly dodging the attacks. Without seeing the result of its attack, the three-headed beast scaled forward, taking five long leaps in the air beforending on the ground.

    Without a second''s pause, it continued to sprint. Cackling screeches resounded from behind as the Punous gave chase, trailing parallel to its run. The sheep head sted an attack to its right the moment a Punou tried to close in.

    The three-headed beast made another leap into the air, jumping thrice using the air footholds as it crossed a massive tree along its way, passing through a gap between its branches. Some of the smaller branches scraped past them, inflicting numerous wounds.

    Re''Kha controlled herself from screaming, watching the three-headed beast head into something like a tunnel of sorts through a swirling grey sand cluster. The tunnel spanned forth like a winding passageway. In actuality, it was the three-headed beast using its agility and spring-like legs to jump through the gaps in the foliage, in an effort to hinder the Punous from chasing.

    Re''Kha felt helpless, unable to assist the three-headed beast with the battle, grieving as she noticed grey sand spill out of it in copious amounts.

    ''It doesn''t have long to live.'' Her heart lurched as she tried to condense the blue radiance in her left hand once again, coughing out blood when it failed.

    Suddenly, she noticed the grey sand clusters around her reduce in density, as if they were doused by something. She felt a droplet of water fall on her forehead, turning red as it mixed with her blood and dripped past.

    The droplets falling on her swiftly increased before it started to rain heavily. Re''Kha found the grey sand around her decrease before vanishing entirely. Only in some discrete spots did they exist, but they too began to dissipate as the rain poured with unrelenting momentum.

    The sound of thunder resounded as a streak of blue shed past, mming into the sheep head on the right. Its horns cracked while arge part of its face vanished. Re''Kha noticed the sheep head crumble into grey sand that was instantly washed away by the rain, "No!"

    She punched to her right in anger, condensing the blue radiance in her hand again, only to fail as the bacsh caused more blood to bleed out of her orifices, "Dammit."

    The three-headed beast¡ªnow only having two heads¡ªjerked its body, mming its hooves into the ground, using the created recoil to stagger its momentum, skewing its centre of gravity as it made an abrupt turn in the anti-clockwise direction.

    The cow and goat head condensed tiny spheres of air¡ªthat looked like the grey sand cluster to Re''Kha¡ªand shot forth, spamming their breath attacks as they charged forth. The Punous along the way jumped to the sides, dodging the attacks while the three-headed beast sprinted through the gap.

    Its abrupt action threw them off, wasting the encirclement they tried to create. The three-headed beast kicked the ground with its hooves, taking off to the skies once again, this time making a long leap.

    "Aaah!" An intense sense of vertigo enveloped Re''Kha as she screamed, watching the faint traces of grey sand disappear altogether. The three-headed beast had jumped off a cliff, making an arc as it fell parallel to the steep slope.

 Chapter 5 - The Fall

    Air and water droplets hit her as she fell along with the three-headed beast. Once it started to rain, the grey sand world she perceived also disappeared, reced with absolute darkness. She was blind once again, unable to see anything that happened around her.

    Her survival hung on a bnce between life and death, the result entirely dependent on the three-headed beast. The sounds of wind were all that filled her ears, preventing her from hearing anything else. The three-headed beast continued to fall, making an arc parallel to the steep slope.

    Whenever its body approached close to the steep slope, it would materialise an air foothold underneath and kick it to move farther. Though, the efficiency of the air foothold was only a fraction aspared to before, weakened by the change in the environment.

    The cow head fully focused on its descent while the goat head swerved its head to the left, watching numerous Punous arrive at the edge of the cliff and growl in anger, ring at them. Some of them poised themselves in their direction, condensing blue radiance before their mouths.

    The blue radiance formed a spherical vortex, with the front elongating to form a cone, spanning a human hand''s length and a palm''s breadth. Without a second''s pause, theyunched the cones towards the three-headed beast. It was their breath attack.

    The goat head had been observing their actions from the start. A fraction before they shot their breath attacks, the three-headed beast had condensed a foothold below it, mming at it with its hooves as it moved away, watching the attacks zoom past in vain.

    Seeing their failed attacks, the Punous condensed their breath attacks once again, growling in anger as the three-headed beast went farther and farther. Suddenly, a couple of Punous were pushed aside as a Punou twicerger than the rest arrived, condensing a massive cone before its mouth.

    Moreover, unlike the breath attacks of others, the cone itunched absorbed the falling rain along its way, bing bigger and bigger, turning more deadly. The three-headed beast had already moved away like before when it noticed the massive cone arrive.

    It had be half as big as the three-headed beast, containing imposing momentum. It was toote to evade, the cone''srger size and the reduction in the efficacy of its air footholds prevented it from fully dodging it.

    The three-headed beast condensed a pair of footholds underneath the hooves of its hind legs. It used the momentum in its fall to crane its hind legs, storing as much power as possible within them before the air footholds copsed.

    Using the stored power, the three-headed beast kicked back with its hind legs, mming at the water cone, the force spilling out the water within. But, the impact destroyed its legs and sent the three-headed beast flying away, its body spinning in the air uncontrobly as a result.

    "Kyah!" Re''Kha screamed as the generated centrifugal force sent her reeling away from the three-headed beast. She gasped for breath, fear gripping her mind as she felt the movement of air around her. Her body spun, free-falling as it made arger arc while heading towards the ground. The feeling of death enveloped her, plunging her into despair.

    All she could feel was the flight of her body, unable to determine where she was heading to or the state she might end up at the end.

    ''It hasn''t even been long since my promise but I''m going to fail my master already?'' This was the sole thought echoing in her mind, her emotions turning cid as she prepared herself for her fate¡ªof mming into the ground and exiting the world through a splotch of blood.

    The three-headed beast couldn''t gather its bearings, the heavy rain further hindered it. Using its two points of view, it hurriedly perceived its state of fall as the two heads positioned themselves before shooting forth sts of air from their mouths.

    The force generated from the wind sts negated its spin instantly, aligning it along its previous path. The goat head dissolved and seeped into its body as the three-headed beast regrew its hindlegs, gazing forward to notice the position of the falling Re''Kha.

    It kicked with its hooves, uncaring about the expenditure of energy as it rushed forward, creating air footholds without rest. The ground was nearing with each passing moment, the three-headed beast was in a hurry, still a fair distance away from Re''Kha.

    Its body decreased in size as the foothold it created turned solid, allowing it to propel itself forward by arge distance. It mooed, showcasing its arrival as it approached Re''Kha. Hearing the shout from proximity, Re''Kha grasped the chance at life, craning her right hand towards the direction of the sound.

    They timely coordinated; she grabbed its horn as the three-headed beast jerked its head, the created centripetal force pulling at her in a certain angle that nted her on its back urately. The moment it did so did the three-headed beast create footholds under its forelegs, reducing its body''s angle with respect to the ground.

    It curved its descent forward, trying to reduce its momentum as much as possible. Still, they were falling too fast, about to crash into the ground with enough momentum to kill them. The air footholds shattered too quickly to result in a satisfactory effect.

    The three-headed beast shrank further, generating tougher air footholds that it used to hack at its descent velocity.

    "Mooo!" The three-headed beast mooed, prompting Re''Kha to grab tighter. It exerted thest of its energy to create a curved foothold, akin to a slide that it slid on when it approached the ground, transferring most of its vertical momentum into the horizontal direction.

    The speed sent it skidding forward, its hooves mming into the ground as they made arge trail, breaking in the process. It aligned its body against the momentum, trying its best to preserve the condition of Re''Kha as much as possible, cushioning her using its body.

    It dissolved part of the energy makeup in its back, softening it to act as a cushion for Re''Kha as the three-headed beast mmed into the ground, dragging its body halfway into the dirt, creating a trench along its way.

    After creating a long trail through the ground, it mmed into a rock, throwing off Re''Kha. Thankfully, it had negated most of its momentum, causing Re''Kha only to be thrown a hand''s distance away. She fell on the ground and rolled a couple of times before stopping, coughing as she got up.

    "Koff¡­Koff¡­" She spit the mud and grass that had entered her mouth and panted heavily, tumbling to the ground the moment she stood up. She grabbed hold of a nearby rock and poised herself up against a tree, feeling pain all over her body. An intense smell of blood wafted to her nose, despite the rain continuing to fall unabated.

    "Am I going to die here?" She muttered helplessly.

 Chapter 6 - Eye Cluster

    Re''Kha felt weak, her consciousness slipped away as a feeling of chillness seeped into her body, beginning from her feet. Rainwater flowed over her contours, the coldness in them further numbing her muscles.

    It was dark all around; she was blind, the sounds of rain were all she heard while it drowned any smell she could perceive. All she felt to her touch was the coldness, the picture of emptiness she perceived washed away her desire for survival.

    If only she retained part of her vision, her situation wouldn''t have been so despair-inducing.

    "Moo," A faint sound jolted her awake, causing her to struggle, resisting the numbness of her body as she ced her hands on the ground. She felt the water moving past her hands, mixed with mud and leaves as she propped herself up.

    She walked on all fours, unwilling to risk walking on two with her blindness. The path was uneven, filled with slippery sludge. Re''Kha followed the sound of the three-headed beast, soon arriving to feel a weak gust of air on her hands.

    She reached forth with her right hand, touching the face of the three-headed beast that felt a lot smaller now, akin to a calf''s. "Sorry I put you through this suffering."

    "Moo!" The three-headed beast licked her hand once, nudging at the bag on her left. It bit the ends of the bag, poking its nose on Re''Kha, motioning her to open it. All Re''Kha knew was the bag contained her master''s inheritance but knew naught of its contents.

    Moreover, in the previous pursuit, despite the violence involved, not once did ite open. Even now, its surface was unblemished, the cover secured. Followed by its nudging, Re''Kha grabbed hold of its sash, untying the knot.

    She then pulled at the ends, surprised when it didn''t open. She exerted more strength but failed to pry it open. The three-headed beast licked her hands, creating five patterns with its saliva, the same that urred when she tried tounch an attack before.

    Re''Kha was confused, but when she remembered that the three-headed beast before her was the Pranic Avatar of her master, she did as was told, condensing blue radiance on her hand. The moment she did so, the bag absorbed the blue radiance, also pulling out a tinge of green radiance from within her.

    It then opened like a normal bag; the three-headed beast fished in with its tongue, pulling out a cylindrical object the size of her finger. It ced the cylindrical object in her hand and motioned for her to unscrew the cap.

    Re''Kha did as told, noticing the three-headed beast pour out its contents on her palm. They felt small, spherical in shape, heavy like metal balls, numbering 10 in total. Before she could even get a hint about them, the three-headed beast swiped them up with its tongue and swallowed them whole.

    It then motioned for Re''Kha to screw the cap back and put it in the bag. The moment Re''Kha did so, it nudged her to pull the sash. The bag closed and the sash formed a knot by itself. Re''Kha could sense that to open it again, she would have to repeat the previous process.

    ''So, master ced a safety mechanism in it so that only I can open it.'' She sighed in amazement, weakly rubbing her hand on the three-headed beast''s head, only to realise it tremble once before getting up.

    The three-headed beast seemed fine now, having regrown its legs, also growing a tadrger. It nudged at Re''Kha with its head, motioning for her to climb on its back. Re''Kha hesitated for a moment, worrying that its tiny frame would no longer be able to carry her now.

    Therger fact was that she didn''t wish to see it overexert itself for her sake, even though it was a being that would disappear forever after some more time had passed. As the three-headed beast continued to nudge it, its nudging getting impatient, she relented and climbed on its back.

    She was saddened to find the three-headed beast walk slowly, limping asionally. Even then, it refused to utter any sounds of struggle, silently treading through the forest habitat. Previously¡ªat the top of the mountain in the Harara forest¡ªthe trees were situated farther from each other. It gave it enough moving space to sprint.

    But now, the trees were closer to each other. The three-headed beast had to turn after every step to squeeze within the gaps. Thankfully, its now smaller size helped with this fact. Its initial massive frame would have prevented it from passing through the gaps, the only option it possessed would be to mow them down, wasting time and energy in the process.

    The three-headed beast treaded with caution, its eyes darting to the cluster of eyes hidden within the crevices of the trees, staring at it while it passed by. The owners of the eyes didn''t seem willing to move, for the time being, thanks to the torrential rain.

    The three-headed beast gazed up, watching the underside of the entire canopy covered by the eye cluster, emitting faint lustre in the darkened surroundings. They only didn''t exist in the ces rain dripped through.

    The three-headed beast slightly ryed through a shake of its head, motioning for Re''Kha to lean closer to its back. Re''Kha didn''tin,ying t on its back. It could be said that her blindness helped her in this situation, for if she had seen the eye cluster around her, then she wouldn''t have been able to maintain her calm, or even her rationality for the matter.

    The rain became further intense as sounds of thunder resounded without gap, with three to four resounding at times in the same instant. The cluster of eyes hidden underneath every crevice shuddered at the thunder, curling in fear as they stared at the passing figure of the three-headed beast.

    Some hung from branches like fruits, passing by quite close to Re''Kha. If not for the three-headed beast''s consideration and careful pacing, she would have bumped into them by now and mayhem would have ensued forth.

 Chapter 7 - Pervading Chillness

    The eye cluster decreased in quantity as the trees grew sparse, the foliage became thinner, allowing the rain to fall more unrestrained. The three-headed beast could rx a bit now, its tensed state easing up a little.

    It continued to walk without rest, slowly picking up pace now that it had enough room to manoeuvre. Soon, the trees around them began to look normal, no longer containing any beings of monstrosity within them.

    The three-headed beast soon exited the forest, looking at the unending meadow before it. There existed numerous brooks flowing across the meadow, with all of them overflowing from the influx of water due to the rain.

    Their currents were rough now, possessing a stronger flow as the channels were bing deeper and wider from the rain. The three-headed beast turned around and broke off an even piece of branch from a nearby tree, holding it in its mouth before treading on the meadow.

    Even though it was a t in, the three-headed beast dared not sprint, not when it was raining as heavily as now. Moreover, itcked the energy to create any more air footholds. So, it didn''t have a contingency measure on the off-chance something happened, so it trod with caution.

    The three-headed beast picked up the pace, akin to fast walking. Splotches were created every time its hooves stepped on the grass-covered ground. The water level had almost drowned the grass by now, looking like the level might increase as the rain fell.

    The three-headed beast turned around, gazing at the fog-shrouded forest it had exited just now. It seemed as if a prehistoric beast was slumbering within, just the sight alone making its body tremble. Re''Kha rubbed the sides of its neck the moment she noticed its tremble, calming it down.

    The three-headed beast mooed as it continued forth in its journey. After walking for a while, it suddenly stopped, noticing faint flickers exit its body. It had subtly decreased in size once again. As if spurred by a sense of urgency, the three-headed beast motioned for Re''Kha to grab its horns tighter, beginning to sprint.

    This time, it didn''t hold back, erupting with all the speed its current frame could unleash. Whenever a brook flowed in its way, it would jump over. Sometimes, when the brook had grownrger than its jump could traverse, it would slow down and paddle its way through it.

    Even with the weight of Re''Kha pulling it down, the three-headed beast swiftly crossed every brook it came across. Re''Kha had grown silent, her numb body uncooperating with her thoughts. She barely held on to the beast''s horns as sheid on its back, wheezing in pain.

    Her head spun, the loss in blood affecting her. Her dress was coated with a mild shade of red, despite the rain having washed most of the stains away. Her face was pale while her lips had turned a shade of blue.

    Her limbs had be fully numb, her consciousness barely held on through sheer willpower. Just by the actions the three-headed beast took, Re''Kha could faintly gleam the change in their surroundings. She linked it to her memory, deriving the habitat they were passing through.

    ''Soon, we''ll approach a settlement.'' She thought, urging her mind to remain conscious. She tried everything in her means to stay awake, for the moment she fell unconscious would everything be for naught.

    Her blood cirction would be impeded due to the numbness until she died from the cold. Only by staying awake and keeping herself warm would she have any hope for survival. She began to breathe roughly, using the intense action to generate a bit of heat through the air she exhaled.

    It wasn''t much, and she expended a lot of her stamina by doing so, but that was all she could do to keep her chest area warm. Moreover, even though it was faint, the warm air she exhaled brushed past her cheek and neck, slightly alleviating its numbness. It wasn''t much, but at least she could prolong her condition using this.

    She weakly moved her head, feeling the chill pervading the three-headed beast, feeling sorry for its state. It had to continuously run through water; the cold water sshed on its body and absorbed all the heat it generated.

    Despite the state of its body, its only focus was on preventing the water from sshing on Re''Kha. But even then, it didn''t matter much, after all, the rain continued to fall, bringing chillness with it.

    The three-headed beast made a light leap, sshing on the water flowing through a brook, paddling using its legs, struggling to move forward as the force behind the currents increased all of a sudden, washing it away.

    It seemed the rainwater collecting somewhere had been released, flowing down the meadow. They were unfortunately caught up in it, getting washed away. The three-headed beast decisively stomped, creating a mini air foothold by sacrificing its tail and horns.

    It rose from the flooded stream and made a couple of jumps while in the air, swiftly crossing it. Without any pause, it continued to sprint, mooing once to alert Re''Kha. Re''Kha barely managed to react on time, circling her hand around its neck as support.

    She tried her best not to choke it while still maintaining her hold over it, otherwise, she would fall off. The three-headed beast''s body began to shimmer with faint radiance, causing its skin to peel off and disappear as specks of light.

    No sooner did it notice this did the three-headed beast break into a sprint, running like mad for ten breaths in time, decisively stopping as it motioned for Re''Kha to get down. The moment Re''Kha alighted from its back, it handed her the branch¡ªthat it held in its mouth.

    When Re''Kha grabbed hold of the branch, it nudged her with its nose, pointing her in the direction she had to traverse towards. For, faint light shimmered at the far end it pointed towards, signifying the presence of a settlement.

    Her voice trembled in sadness as Re''Kha gently rubbed the three-headed beast''s head, "Thank you, for saving my life back then and protecting it again now."

    "Mooo!" The three-headed beast gazed at the skies as the radiance emitting from its body spiked for an instant before disappearing. The three-headed beast was no more.

    Re''Kha supported herself using the branch, finding its length perfect for her, expressing her gratitude, "To think this far for my sake, thank you, Trimukhya."

 Chapter 8 - The Settlement

    "Hahh¡­hahhh¡­" Re''Kha staggered with every step she took,cking the energy to move. Her body wasden with injuries, and adding onto the recent injuries sustained during their escape, she felt weak.

    Moreover, she couldn''t see anything, the sounds of rain hindered her auditory senses, preventing her from grasping any detail of value around her. So, she had to tread with caution, only taking short steps less than half a pace.

    The hands holding the tree branch shivered as the rain sttered atop it upon contact, with each tiny m of water droplets adding onto her numbness. She already could no longer feel her hands, only moving forward in blind.

    She neither knew the length she had to traverse nor if she was still proceeding in the right direction. All she could do was hope she was still on the same path the three-headed beast had pointed towards.

    "I have to avenge master; I cannot die until I achieve that. I should survive. Mother too won''t be able to bear my absence." Re''Kha muttered words that firmed her will to live, taking one step after another. She felt the strength in her sapping away, the freezing cold hacking away at her life.

    Re''Kha didn''t know for how long she persisted in such a manner, even continuing to walk despiteing across many water channels. She slowly entered each, feeling the water level sometimes even reach her neck, continuing to walk with unwavering determination.

    For she knew, the moment she stopped would she freeze to death in the cold. The only way to survive was to walk and hopefullye across a means of salvation. That was all she thought, even when she was once submerged underwater for a couple of breaths.

    Having persisted in the same setting for quite a while, she no longer felt any fear. Since it was guaranteed that she would face death as a consequence of inaction, she charged forth with undying will, even in situations where it seemed like she would die.

    Thankfully, she didn''te across any water channels where she had to be underwater for more than three breaths, thanking the heavens whenever it came to pass. Soon, she could smell a couple of scents in the air, even through the rain.

    The moment she did, Re''Kha lit up in joy, "This smell means a settlement is near."

    She didn''t hurry even through her excitement, for she knew an ident coulde in any manner. She treaded at the same pace as before, feeling a sense of warmth pervade the air. Soon, when she lifted her leg and brought it forward, trying to probe before taking the step forward, her foot hit a wall.

    "Help!" Re''Kha shouted at the top of her lungs, mustering all the strength she could amass. She felt the texture of the wall through her hands, noticing the familiarity of the style used. It meant the settlement was a ce she was ustomed to, or a ce that she could use to return home. Only after she confirmed this fact did she shout for help.

    "I am Burkurel Re''Kha, daughter of Burkurel Re n''s West Lake Head." Re''Kha probed the walls through its indentations, trying to find the entrance to the settlement. The walls seemed to scale beyond where her hands could reach, so her only option was to search for the entrance.

    "I hear some shouts for help. I''ll check it out."

    "Wait, it could be a Sha for all we know. Don''t respond. Let me summon a Harmoniser to lead us."

    Faint voices resounded from the other side as Re''Kha continued to call for help, asionally stating her identity. Soon, she heard rumbling sounds as faint vibrations coursed through the wall, after which the sounds of marching resounded, drawing close within three breaths of time.

    "Halt, state your identity!" A booming feminine voice resounded as the source of the voice stopped a fair distance away from Re''Kha. Though, the moment she gazed at Re''Kha, she realised her identity, despite her messed up condition, "¡­Re''Kha?"

    "Yes," Re''Kha nodded, frowning a bit as she seemed unable to recognise the identity of the voice. Still, a sense of relief washed over her, at the fact that she had made it safe to a settlement. The moment this thought resounded in her mind did she lose all strength in her legs, plopping to the ground as she fell unconscious.

    Footsteps resounded around her in a flurry as the people quickly carried her into the settlement, closing the gates upon their entry.

    ¡­

    It was a rocky hill, from the top of which a sea of forest was visible. A pleasant wind blew while the chirping of the birds followed through. It was a picturesque scene, until the leaves of the trees began to fall one by one.

    Trees were uprooted through unnatural means, crashing on the ground, killing every living being nested in its foliage. Birds chirped in panic and took off to the skies, wailing helplessly when their pping wings failed to lift them off.

    The rocky hill began to lose its lustre from the bottom, the scene extending to the peak slowly. Seated on the peak, and watching everything was a person. She noticed her hands turn pale, the colour of white being dominant while red, violet, and ck smudged within. Her skin peeled off while her vision turned a shade darker, constricted by the hair that continued to fall bit by bit.

    The colour of the world was soon dyed yellow, with streaks of white and ck that zoomed past, increasing in intensity as time passed, soon overturning everything.

    "Aah!" Re''Kha screamed, getting up in confusion as she noticed everything around her was dark. It took some time for her to realise that she was now blind. Only then did she notice her body was no longer numb, the coldness reced by some warmth.

    She felt the softness of a fabric over her that contained her warmth. She clenched her right hand, feeling some strength in it, followed by her left when she noticed something amiss, shouting in a fluster, "The bag!"

    She tried to get up but stumbled, her body still frail,cking the strength to move. She then calmed herself, realising that even if she could move, she couldn''t see, so it wasn''t possible for her to locate the bag.

    She then sniffed with her nose, smelling faint traces of blood in the room. Just when she nned to follow it, the sounds of footsteps resounded.

 Chapter 9 - Burkurel Juâ€™Tha

    The sounds of footsteps drew closer as Re''Kha wished she could find her bag. In the next moment, the darkness in her world was reced by the grey sand cluster. Unlike before, when she was escaping through the forest, the sand clusters were now steadier.

    She noticed the room she was in, the bed shey upon, and the table ced on her left. Situated upon it was the bag her master gave her. Re''Kha immediately grabbed hold of it, sighing in relief when she noticed its untampered state.

    She didn''t dare think of what would happen if she had lost the bag. For, it was impossible to search for it through her blindness. Moreover, she still couldn''t understand the changes in her body, wishing to first inspect and understand them better. Thankfully, she hadn''t lost the bag. She could now take her time and gather her bearings.

    The room wasn''t clearly defined in her grey sand world. Even the table next to her was a blur, the edgescking the sharpnesspared to when she had her sight.

    ''Still, I should be thankful for this. At least, I can use this to perceive my surroundings.'' She sighed in relief, caressing the bag. She then thought about how the grey sand world disappeared when it rained, recalling the words her had master said, ''I see, so that is what master meant to open up to the air. So, my perception is rted to the air, and that''s why it vanished during the rain.''

    A humanoid ofrge stature walked in through the entrance, her familiar voice ringing out, "Ah, you got up. That was a dangerous state you ended up in. If we had dyed any longer, you would have frozen to death."

    "Thank you for saving me," Re''Kha cupped her fist, "Please tell me your name. When I return to my n, I''ll return the favour."

    "Burkurel Ju''Tha," The voice replied. She was the one who identified Re''Kha before. Re''Kha saw the other party cup her fist in return, noticing her cordial behaviour even though the other party was blind.

    Through her perception, all Re''Kha could make out was her tall stature and wide shoulders. On her face, her eyes were a darker shade of grey, same for the sides of her nose, her nostrils, and the line between her lips. There wasn''t much detail she could perceive through her vision, making the identification of the other party all the more difficult.

    Any ce with an indentation, a groove, or a fold was a darker shade of grey while tter surfaces were of a lighter shade. Moreover, everything had a blur in them. Re''Kha recalled another of her master''s statements, only realising the concept now, ''Air constantly moves in disorder. So, what I am perceiving is the points where the air collides into rigid objects and gets reflected. Along those points, their density is a tad higher which is enhanced and reflected in my perception.''

    The knowledge she wasn''t privy to flowed in her mind as the logic behind them became clear. They were all teachings her master had crammed into her mind in the short duration they met. At first, she was pretty much clueless about everything.

    But now, as she experienced a world different from her own, she coulde to understand her master''s teachings bit by bit. Re''Kha gazed at Ju''Tha, noticing the other party wave her hand as a maid brought in a crate of food.

    The aroma of the food wafted into her nostrils, immediately causing her stomach to rumble in hunger. Just when Re''Kha gazed into the direction of the smell, Ju''Tha spoke, "Please don''t exert yourself. We have only cleaned your wounds with water and patched you up with some herbs. We don''t have a healing expert in our small settlement."

    "Which settlement under the Burkurel Ju n is this?" Re''Kha ced her hand forward, expressing her intent to feed herself. She gazed at the maid, following the other party''s movement through the sound of her footsteps. She didn''t disy her ability to perceive her surroundings, treading with caution.

    What she had experienced previously prevented her from rxing. She disyed herself as a person capable of taking care of herself, not adversely affected by the loss in her sight. But, she also didn''t put on a brave front, showing her helplessness at her loss.

    The maid ced a te of food on herp, guiding her left hand to it while cing a spoon on her right. Re''Kha had kept the bag back on the table when Ju''Tha had entered, acting as if it didn''t possess anything of significant value.

    After all, she was in foreign territory. Moreover, if she behaved like it contained something of value, then she couldn''t guarantee she would wake up to see the next day. Her previous action of a fluster was of one who had lost her belongings. The moment she noticed its presence, she heaved a sigh of relief and set it aside.

    It showed that while the contents in the bag were important, it wasn''t important to the extent needing her constant alertness. Ju''Tha clearly noticed her behaviour, now no longer interested in the contents of the bag.

    She watched Re''Kha eat the food, albeit with some difficulty with her trembling hands, "This is the western settlement. It is still raining heavily outside, so we haven''t been able to dispatch a messenger to your n."

    "How¡­long was I asleep?" Re''Kha ate the food slowly, finding its taste to be nd. But at least, it was nourishing as she felt the warmth seep through her food pipe and settle in her stomach. After a couple of morsels, she felt some strength return to her.

    "Around half a day," Ju''Tha replied, waving her hand to dismiss the maid, "It will soon be night now. We''ll send a messenger the first thing in the morning once the rain clears away."

    "Thank you for your help," Re''Kha nodded, continuing to eat her food.

    "If there is anything else, feel free to call me. I''ll station a maid right at the entrance to help you when in need." Saying her piece, Ju''Tha left the room.

    Re''Kha continued to eat, frowning after she noticed Ju''Tha exit the room, ''She''s not clean.''

 Chapter 10 - Contents Of The Bag

    ''She''s not clean.'' Re''Kha frowned, beginning to eat at a slower pace. Her vision allowed her to perceive the entirety of her surroundings, though blurry. When the maid was motioned by Ju''Tha to leave the room, her eyes darted to the bag once.

    Moreover, when near the exit, she stared at the back of Ju''Tha until she moved out of the line of sight. Because of the blurriness of the grey sand world, and theck of defining lines on the face, Re''Kha was unable to figure out the maid''s emotions.

    But she knew that something was up, something to make the maid behave as such. The maid ensured to remain prim and proper before Ju''Tha, unwilling to disy any errors. But, she seemed to have enough bottled-up emotions to react the moment she was out of her line of sight.

    Such an action only meant one thing: her bottled-up emotions had built up to an extent almost overwhelming her sanity.

    ''But, just based on her actions, Ju''Tha seemed like a proper individual. Maybe the bad blood exists only between the two?'' She thought, her frown deepened. She didn''t wish to intervene in every conflict of sorts that arose between people, unless it involved her or the people under her. But here, it seemed she had no choice but to be dragged into their conflict.

    Re''Kha sensed that whatever the maid nned involved making use of her, or rather her identity to satiate her agenda. Presently, she was vulnerable, blind, and had an injured body. She was susceptible to schemes.

    Re''Kha paused eating, closing her eyes as she tried to expand her perception. When she was on the run with the three-headed beast before, the range she could perceive was fairlyrge. So now, she tried to replicate that feat.

    The moment she did so, the grey sand world expanded. The walls of her room were outlined, but her perception was cut off at that point. She couldn''t perceive beyond that point; there was just nk space behind the grey outline of the wall.

    But, her perception extended outwards through the room''s entrance, spreading out into the corridor. The floor beyond was outlined in her view; the maid standing right next to the door came into the picture; and as it expanded further, it outlined a corridor, the very ce behind the wall she tried to perceive before.

    ''So, the route of my perception extends everywhere air can pass through. But simrly, if I am locked inside a room, I would be unable to perceive beyond its confines.'' Re''Kha nodded, realising a bit more of her changes.

    She focused on the maid, noticing that she stood at her spot in silence. Her hands rubbed each other, warming herself. At times, she fixed up her attire, pulling her limbs closer to her body. Only then did Re''Kha notice the chill pervading the air, simr to what she experienced before.

    But, the thick fur nket draped over her kept her warm and cosy. Her perception extended further, soon outlining the entire house. But when it tried to extend beyond, it was cut short. Beyond anywhere the roof of the house didn''t cover, there didn''t exist any grey sand.

    The room she was situated in was at the centre, surrounded by a corridor on all four sides. They were further bordered by four rooms, all sharing amon roof, the doors to each fixed in the dead centre. And, through the door of the room in the north, the exit to the house was fixed.

    It was a traditional housing structure the Ju n used in their settlements. As for the main n area, it followed a different construction scheme. Currently in the house, there was only Re''Kha and the maid.

    After observing her surroundings for a while, Re''Kha judged that it was the right time to go through the bag''s contents. To prepare against any schemes she might be pulled into, she needed some guarantee in strength.

    Because of the changes in her body, she was unable to use her previous strength. So, she had to first understand the changes before preparing ordingly. Re''Kha finished eating the food, calling for the maid.

    Upon her summon, the maid immediately entered the room. Re''Kha noticed her eyes dart to the bag on the table, making a mental note of its position and cement. She then took the te from Re''Kha and handed her some drinking water.

    Re''Kha mentally scoffed as she drank the water, saying after drinking two mouthfuls, "Thank you, I''ll sit for some time and sleep when I feel tired. The air is chilly, get some rest. If I need anything, I''ll call you."

    "Then, I''ll be waiting for your summons." The maid made a curt bow and exited the room. She headed to the room on the west and cleaned the te before returning to her position. Along the way, she grabbed one of her nkets and draped it over her shoulder, shielding herself from the cold.

    There was a stool nearby that she used to sit upon after cing it next to the door. She then stealthily peeked inside, noticing Re''Kha sit in the same position as before, doing nothing. The maid gave a couple of confused looks before retracting her head. She closed her eyes and tried to rest.

    Having noticed all her actions, Re''Kha slowly inched her hand towards the bag, silently lifting it over without alerting the maid. She looked at it through her perception. Only its outline was visible, a solid grey outline with blurry edges.

    She slowly craned her legs upward, scrunching her brows at the pain, keeping her actions as slow and silent as possible. She created a spot shielded from the direct line of sight of anyone that entered through the door. In that spot, she kept the bag, untying its knot.

    She ced her palm on its top, generating blue radiance in the gaps between her fingers, sensing the bag absorb it. In her perception, the grey sand around her hand was rapidly pushed away, creating a space of nkness when she generated the radiance.

    ''So, I can only perceive the stuff rted to air.'' Re''Kha watched the bag absorb her radiance, sensing it also pull something else from within her, something that felt familiar but foreign at the same time. Once it absorbed enough energy, the bag opened.

    Immediately, her perception expanded through the gap, allowing her to see the objects within.

 Chapter 11 - Mist Banyan

    She noticed five items in it: a finger-sized cylinder, a scroll, a book, a wooden knife, and a badge. The moment she gazed at them, her heart thumped. Her face was flushed red as something within her guided her attention to the book.

    ''Is this what master''s power is guiding me to pick up first?'' Re''Kha thought, picking up the book, noticing the bag close automatically while its sash formed a knot.

    She set the bag on the table and ced the book on herp, trying to pry it open. The book seemed to be carved from a tree or grown within it. It seemed to be alive, as if it was a nt in the shape of a book.

    Re''Kha found that the book seemed stuck, unable to be flipped open. Irrespective of the strength she used, it was like a block of stone. She then remembered the method used to open the bag, cing her hand on the book as she generated the blue radiance once again.

    The book readily absorbed the energy, also pulling out another form of energy from within her. The blue radiance she was emitting changed colour to green without her knowing. In her vision, both the radiances only looked like a wave of nkness moving froth from her hand into the book.

    The front cover radiated a formless energy, infusing some memories in her head. Re''Kha heard the voice of her master again, but his tone now was full of vitality, as if it was a younger version of himself.

    "Re''Kha, my disciple, this book is a Spirit Artifact whose functions are simr to the Spirit Amulets in every n. Contained in this are 100 hundred pages, each containing various abilities and knowledge I wished to impart to you. You might wonder how I created and recorded all this when we met only recently, but I knew you woulde from a long time ago."

    It seemed like a recorded message as there was no reply to her questions. "This book is named Bodhi, and can only be opened by you. It is because it only recognises my Qi, which I have imparted to you by fusing my Pranic Heart with yours."

    ''So that was the warm feeling I felt at the start. That was my master''s Pranic Heart fusing into mine.'' Re''Kha thought, listening to the voice.

    "Bodhi will only open the first time to my Qi and would change to open to yours automatically after that. After obtaining my Pranic Heart, you would find many difficulties in using your old abilities. There are two reasons for that: One, because you are blind, you would rely on sensing the Wind Qi for your perception. Because of that, it would conflict with your Water Qi and prevent you fromunching any attacks." Re''Kha nodded in realisation, understanding why she was unable to attack before.

    Her master''s voice continued with the same youthful vigour, "Two, it is because your Pranic Heart now supports three elements, two of which cannot be wielded by anyone from your race. So, the Wood Qi and Wind Qi would conflict within you and damage you constantly."

    "In the first page lies a cultivation technique I have created in my twenty years of seclusion. That would help stabilise your condition and allow you to wield the three elements without trouble. Once the information in the page is absorbed, it will disappear from the book, leaving behind an empty page. And, you can at most absorb the information in a page once a month. Any sooner, and your mind would burst from the information overload."

    The voice then turned a tad gentle, "Finally, once you learn the cultivation technique, you can start unlocking the other pages using the energy signature it generates. And, the number of pages you can unlock corrtes directly with the Qi you possess. So, to unlock all 100 pages, you have to reach the peak of a Harmoniser. As for the remaining items I left you, the details to them are in subsequent pages. Once you absorb them, you''ll know the purpose behind everything."

    The voice disappeared abruptly, causing Re''Kha to stare in a daze. She took a while to digest the information, understanding better the preparation her master had put. ''But, he said he has been waiting for me since long ago. Does that mean he could predict the future? If he had such a heaven-defying power, then how did master end up in such a state in the first ce?''

    Re''Kha flipped open the book, noticing the first page. She tried to flip to the subsequent pages, finding that even though she could flip through the first 12 pages, she felt her head spin while looking at them. Only the first page could she gaze without any trouble.

    The fact that she could only flip through 12 pages further made her remark at her master''s preparations, ''I only have 12 units of Qi. So, to obtain all the secrets of this book, I have to be a peak harmoniser.''

    She smiled, now finding a way to survive. She ced her hand on the first page, inserting the blue radiance into it. It was her Water Qi. The page sucked one unit of it, emitting a formless energy into her head.

    Re''Kha felt her head ring while her vision turned dull. She looked like she would lose consciousness any moment, quickly grabbing the bag as she put the book inside. She watched its sash form a knot as she gently ced it back in its original position.

    She barely controlled herself from creating any unexpected noise, sighing in relief as sheid on the bed to rest, closing her eyes as a surge of information rushed into her head.

    Her master''s voice resounded once again, with the same youthful vigour as before, "Mist Banyan, that''s the name of this cultivation technique. When cultivating this technique, your Qi would be the same water Qi as before. But when needed, you can morph it into either Wood Qi or Wind Qi. That''s the sole advantage and goal of this cultivation technique: to use the elements of Wood and Wind as a Kalki."

 Chapter 12 - I Can Listen

    "Mist Banyan can only be cultivated by you because you possess my Pranic Heart. Its base form is Water Qi, so you won''t have to worry about being found out. Also, in this state, you can unleash all your old abilities without trouble."

    Her master''s tone then turned solemn, "In the excited state, you can unleash either the Wind or Wood Qi. But, remember to never stay in this state for more than 10 breaths in time, after which your body would slowly turn into a Bisheen. And, if you maintain this state for more than 300 breaths in time, your body would be unable to endure, causing you to die. If you return to your base state within this time, you would soon return to your Kalki form."

    "Water nurtures Wood and can be Wind. That''s the principle behind this cultivation technique. It will be the basis for you toprehend and enrich your Qi."

    The Water Qi in Re''Kha started to flow faster as her Pranic Heart thumped. Its thumping frequencies subtly changed, modifying the flow of the Water Qi through the channels in her body, making a cirction as it returned to the Pranic Heart.

    It smoothened out the earlier disrupted flow, easing out the strained channels while unclogging the nodes that clogged¡ªfrom her earlier failures tounch an attack. The blue radiance of the Water Qi dulled before turning into the green radiance of the Wood Qi,pleting a cirction. It then dulled further, turning into the grey radiance of the Wind Qi,pleting another cirction before turning back into blue.

    Once this cycle waspleted, the Water Qi continued to circte without any more trouble. Re''Kha opened her eyes, feeling the subtle changes in her. After knowing the situation better, she smiled, feeling hope for her future.

    ''I don''t have to worry about hiding my changes, since there won''t be any. This is for the best; I now have a trump card.'' Her eyes then glimmered at the details of her cultivation technique, ''A Kalki cannot use any element other than Water, Lightning, Fire, and Metal. But because of master, I can use the Wind and Wood elements, especially the Wood element which is an exclusive element of the Bisheen.''

    ''I wonder who master really is?'' She frowned, ''Using the element of another race is unprecedented.''

    She activated her Wind Qi perception, witnessing the familiar grey sand world. She extended her perception to beyond the room, proceeding through the doorway, noticing the maid was absent from her post.

    ''Did she leave once she noticed I was sleeping?'' Re''Kha thought, extending her perception to epass the entire house. She was unable to extend beyond that, as the rain persisted without letting up.

    ''When it rains, the Wind Qi is suppressed by the Water Qi. So, my Wind Qi perception is rendered useless. And, since each water droplet is a separate entity, I cannot perceive anything of substance using my Water Qi perception.'' Re''Kha sighed. If only she knew the cultivation technique¡ªMist Banyan¡ªbefore, her journey would have been easier.

    She would have been able to activate her Water Qi perception when her body walked through the numerous water channels. But because of the changes, she was unable to use the basic perception she had been capable of since long before.

    Now that she was using the Wind Qi perception, she was unable to activate her Water Qi perception, as that would sh based on her cultivation technique.

    ''No two elements can work alongside one another or bebined. Mist Banyan is no exception. Thankfully earlier, the rain impeded my Wind Qi sense. Otherwise, if I persisted with it, I would have be a Bisheen.'' Re''Kha observed the Qi in her body change into Wind Qi.

    She nodded in thought, ''So that was why the grey sand world copsed after every 10 breaths before and would reappear after three breaths.''

    When she was on the three-headed beast''s back and rushed atop the mountain range, she didn''t know the details of her perception that mysteriously originated and disappeared like a whim. But now, she understood that it was probably a contingency measure her master had ced in her.

    ''Master''s shouts disrupted my perception from time to time. So, it was because of this.'' She now had renewed admiration of her master. The considerations he and his Pranic Avatar had expressed to her were tremendous. Even her mother hadn''t expressed such consideration to her, not even once.

    "Master, I''ll definitely avenge you." She swore in her heart, closing her eyes as she regted her breathing. She returned to her base state and took in a couple of breaths, adjusting her mindset before entering the excited state once again, activating her Wind Qi perception.

    She directly focused on the room in the north, observing the three individuals huddled together. They seemed to be discussing something in secret, judging by their posture. As Re''Kha focused more on them, she noticed the grey sand tremble around their mouths like a wave every time their lower jaw moved.

    When she focused more on the blowing waves, she found a set of words echo in her ear, as if the conversation urred right next to her. "I can listen!"

    Re''Kha was jubnt, obtaining such a means of convenience. This allowed her to perfectly spy on the conversations of others from far away with resounding rity. Curbing her happiness through her trained mindset, she focused on the content of the conversation.

    "The Lady resting here is Burkurel Re''Kha. I heard a couple of guards speak about it. They said they heard her shouting her identity from beyond the walls a couple of times."

    "News has spread throughout the settlement that Lady Ju''Tha is nursing her."

    "That is good for us. If Lady Burkurel Re''Kha dies here, the Burkurel Re n won''t let Lady Ju''Tha off. She''ll definitely receive the death penalty."

    "They might also annihte everyone in this settlement out of rage."

    "That would be even better. Ever since our families died to the gue recently, this settlement has been nothing but a cursednd to us."

 Chapter 13 - Withered Courtyard

    "I want Lady Ju''Tha to die a gruesome death. I wish her body would rot and be dumped into the ground just like what they did to my husband."

    "How will we kill Lady Re''Kha? Lady Ju''Tha was constantly keeping watch until now. And, even if we kill her now, she would just bury the news. Only when she sends a messenger to the Burkurel Re n can we kill her."

    "The moment she sends a messenger, she might very welle to stand guard for Lady Re''Kha. Lady Ju''Tha is a powerful Harmoniser, and even if she is now blind, that''s Burkurel Re''Kha, the real deal. Our ns would fail the moment she unleashes her Pranic Avatar."

    "And, what is in her bag? If she were hiding an Artifact in it, it would further make our situation worse."

    "Unfortunately, I couldn''t open it. I even saw Lady Ju''Tha try to stealthily open it once but failed. In fear that it might not contain anything important, and that she would have risked killing Re''Kha for no returns, she didn''t try any significant methods on it. She just decided that it was better to y it safe and be content with the reward the Burkurel Re n would give her for saving Lady Re''Kha."

    "Then, how are we supposed to kill her?"

    "Rx, I found an item of help." Re''Kha identified it as the voice of the maid who served her. "I found a hairclip of the girl who had her eyes recently be stolen."

    "You mean to use it and attract that Sha that has been terrorising Burkurel City for over a month now¡­awesome."

    "Using that, we can definitely lure it over. Since Lady Re''Kha had damaged it quite a few times, it would try to attack her even though she no longer has her eyes. This would make her a target and would force Lady Ju''Tha to defend her. We can use the situation to possibly injure or even kill Lady Ju''Tha."

    "I like the sound of a blind Lady Ju''Tha, kekeke."

    "For an opportunist like her who would sell her own people just to appeal for benefits, bing blind would teach her a lesson. We can then make her pay for her crimes until shemits suicide."

    "Vengeance should only be delivered onto the person that deserves it. As for the innocent, you either show kindness or disy your apathy." The three maids jolted in shock as they watched Re''Kha stand at the entrance, having draped the fur nket over her shoulder. She didn''t speak any further, gazing at them in calm.

    "H-How can you see us?" The maid that had served her before stuttered in fear.

    "I can hear and smell you fine," Re''Kha waved her hand, "I am an outsider. I won''t interfere in the affairs of your settlement. But if you still wish to involve me in this, I won''t hold back."

    "Toote, mydy." One of the maidsughed, herughter turning a tad shrill, like a hyena''s cackle, "You had be a participant the moment you stepped foot here."

    "I see," Re''Kha deactivated her Wind Qi perception, condensing blue radiance into her hand, craning it to the back as she clenched it into a fist. She moved her hand towards the ceiling, unleashing a projection of her palm that mmed into it, breaking through. The palm projection dispersed into the surroundings, getting absorbed by the raindrops.

    Rain fell in through the gap as Re''Kha stepped backward, activating her Wind Qi perception once again, watching numerous tiny spots of nkness descend onto the three maids. The moment the rain fell on them, the three maids screamed in pain, clutching their heads as their skin began to peel off.

    When they tried to escape, Re''Kha jumped forth and unleashed a low kick, tumbling them to the floor. The rain fell on their legs, causing their clothes to evaporate while their skin melted, quickly disying the bones underneath.

    When one of the maids tried to crawl past, Re''Kha unleashed a kick on her face, sending her reeling into the ce the rain fell. The hole in the ceiling wasn''t wide, only enough to fit in two people. The area the rain fell wasn''t wide enough to trap the three maids so Re''Kha had to constantly attack them with fists and kicks.

    "H-How did you know?" The maid that served her before craned using her hands, dragging her body forward. Her lower half had melted into wax by now, dissipating as specks of light.

    "First, the wooden walls of the house. The floor squeaked when I stepped foot. Every member of the Ju n hates such fragile housing. They would always have metal flooring in solid houses made of stone." Re''Kha gazed at the figure of a maid copse into the space of nkness in her perception.

    The second maid no longer screamed, eerily gazing at Re''Kha as her eyes fell off, "What was the second difference?"

    "After noticing that the walls were made of wood, I ced my ears on them to listen to the sounds outside. But, I never heard any mour beyond them except for the sounds of rain. In settlements where lives are at a higher risk, soldiers should be patrolling nonstop, even during rainy times. But I never heard any." Re''Kha watched the mouth of the second maid curl up into a smile as the skin peeled off, revealing the skeleton behind that cracked and vanished.

    "And, what was the final clue?" The maid that had served her before inquired. Re''Kha didn''t answer, kicking the maid''s face as she sent her flying into the raining area. The maid''s eyes darted to the ceiling as the rainwater bore holes through her eyes, leaking out from her severed hips.

    Her neck broke off as her head fell, rolling on the floor while the tongue darted out, melting while the mouth moved, "Wee to the Withered Courtyard."

    Re''Kha watched the maid''s head dissipate into the space of nkness, noticing the grey sand around her decrease in density, the floor getting erased bit by bit as the rainwater covered it. She craned her right hand forward, cing the tip of her index finger in the path of the rain, watching a couple of raindrops fall on it.

    They stung, making her retract her finger in reflex. She then wiped the water on her dress and felt her finger, noticing that it was whole,cking any damage.

    ''I still haven''t progressed beyond hope yet.'' She sighed in relief, cing her hand into the rain, grunting at the pain.

 Chapter 14 - Fear And Pain

    It felt like she had set her hands on fire, the burning sensation pervaded her arm, making her wish she had been careful from the start. Re''Kha began to cry at the pain, trying her best to persist with her effort.

    She knew that it was the only way she could survive from this scenario. She clenched her left hand into a fist, exerting strength through it as she craned it to her left, gritting her teeth in hesitation for a moment before mming it on her stomach.

    "Guh," The force made her legs go numb as she kneeled on the floor, coughing a couple of times before she gagged, vomiting out all the food she had eaten. It was a gooey ck, rotting substance that she vomited. The moment it came in contact with the rainwater, it vaporised.

    Re''Kha pressed her stomach with her left hand, applying pressure before vomiting once again. She barely managed to get up before limping towards the room she had been sleeping, quickly picking up the bag her master had given.

    She grabbed it with her right hand, feeling a prickling sensation as she exited the room, limping towards the room in the north. The moment she arrived, she stood rooted to the spot in shock, gazing at the figure of an individual ofrge stature on the other side of the leaking rain.

    Her Wind Qi perception only had a space of nkness in the middle of the room, the ce where she had broken the ceiling. In the remaining ces, the ceiling was intact and the rainwater hadn''t leaked in yet, so she could perceive the individual.

    "You are injured, Lady Re''Kha. You mustn''t get up," It was the voice of Ju''Tha, the tone feeling colder for some reason.

    Re''Kha noticed the space of nkness in the middle of the room thin in width. She watched the ceiling in grey sand reim the lost portion slowly. The ceiling was closing in the gap on its own. Moreover, Re''Kha noticed the space of nkness on the floor slowly thin out, partly repopted with the grey sand.

    ''Oh no, this is dangerous.'' Re''Kha became solemn, deactivating her Wind Qi perception before condensing blue radiance in her right hand once again. But this time, the radiance was a notch brighter, condensing a thickyer over her hand.

    She craned her hand backward, punching forward once. A blue projection of her fist flew in response to her punching action, travelling to a distance twice her height. She didn''t feel any resistance, making her hand take the pose of a hand de, and swung it horizontally around her once.

    The blue projection of her hand maintained the same position and pose as her hand, moving in sync. Adding onto the distance that acted as the radius in the motion, it amplified its arc length, multiplying the destructing nature in her attack.

    Every ce on the wall it swiped at had arge cut, simr to a sword''s but wider. The sounds of the rain filled the area as Re''Kha clenched her hand into a fist, craning it backward. The blue projection returned, oveying her hand just like when it was formed.

    She then punched towards the ceiling, sensing her blue hand projection travel in the same motion, but covered the distance twice her height, breaking arge portion of the ceiling. Rain fell on her body, causing the burning sensation once again.

    She gritted her teeth, unwilling to waste the hand projection she had conjured, creating four more punching motions at the ceiling, aiming at its four corners. The remainder of the ceiling fell, causing the water on the floor to ssh around.

    The broken ceiling covered the floor around her. Re''Kha felt her entire body burn as something from within her was being washed away. She opened her mouth, feeling the rainwater enter her mouth, immediately causing the insides of her stomach to burn.

    A gas of sorts flowed out of her mouth in return, like hot air that burned her throat and nasal passage while gushing out. Despite the burning sensation, Re''Kha felt a relief of sorts. She then probed around with her hand, climbing above the fallen roof.

    The moment she climbed above it, she copsed in exhaustion, gritting her teeth in pain. Her left hand clenched the bag tightly, a mental pir she relied on in the precarious situation.

    "The rain is cold, and the night is long. You''ll die if you stay in it for too long. Come inside and we can have hot soup together." Re''Kha heard the voice of Ju''Tha, calm, but filled with concern. It was as if Ju''Tha was genuinely concerned about her health.

    The sound of footsteps resounded around her, numbering more than what a pair of legs could create.

    Re''Kha dared not reply, enduring the pain as she drank another mouthful of the rain. She felt the rainwater wash over her body, burning everywhere it touched. The rain was cold to the touch, but it caused her body to burn the moment it touched her. The burning was a sensation she experienced and not an actuality her body suffered from.

    She experienced the feeling of both burning hot and freezing cold at the same time. Re''Kha felt her consciousness slip away, her weary body unable to endure any longer. She was already injured before, and the travel on the three-headed beast further worsened her injuries.

    Now, the healing substances she had consumed were worse than any poison, causing her to inflict self-harm in order to vomit them out. The bandage wrapped around her body, the dress she had been changed into, and the fur coat she wore, Re''Kha removed them all.

    The moment she did so, an intense scent of blood wafted out, not from her, but from the fabric she cast aside. Moreover, the stench of blood didn''t feel fresh but felt like something that had rotted out from poison, like pus.

    "Come in, take shelter from the rain." A cacophony of voices resounded, all uttering the same line in unison, causing her skin to crawl from fear. Just based on the number of voices she heard, Re''Kha lost all hope of making it out alive, not in her current state.

 Chapter 15 - Fight With The Unknown

    Re''Kha sat in her spot, feeling the burning sensation begin to die down. The chillness of the rain immediately seeped into her muscles, numbing them, weakening her. Re''Kha stood up, feeling strength from the fact that her bag was in her possession.

    She dared not wait until the burning feelingpletely disappeared. For, that would make her unable to endure the cold any longer.

    ''The Sha can only be active during the night. They cannot exist in the presence of sunlight. It was clearly morning when I bade farewell to master. And, I hadn''t travelled for too long, so it might have been somewhere around noon or so when I stumbled upon this settlement.''

    Re''Kha heard the shouts around her, shuddering as she analysed further, ''Judging by the cold, it is fairly likely the sun waspletely covered by the clouds, barring light from passing through. This allowed the Sha to wander free during the day. But, if I had encountered a Sha, I would have lost my life or at least a body part or two. This whole incident is strange.''

    When she thought of the Sha, she recalled the being that reaped her eyes, seething with anger. She then controlled her emotions, alerting herself of the reality of the situation, unwilling to lose her cool to anger.

    ''The maid called this ce the Withered Courtyard. Is this a new being among the Sha? If yes, how can I escape from here?'' Re''Kha thought, craning her head upwards as she felt the raindrops fall on her face.

    ''This rain is my only salvation. Maybe the reason I haven''t been physically harmed is that it wanted to assimte me into it, judging by what it fed me.'' She frowned, ''The question is, how will I escape or forge a path ahead? I can no longer conjure a hand projection and am only left with three palm projections. That is clearly insufficient to make an escape.''

    She was currently naked without even a shred of fabric on her. She had no defence against the chillness of the rain andcked any weapons to fend for her life. In her bag was the wooden knife, but it was unsuitable as a weapon. It was light weighed and had a dull edge, unsuitable to cause any damage to her opponents.

    It was a despairing situation. Re''Kha suddenly heard the voice of the maid again, "Lady Re''Kha, let me treat your wounds. I have also prepared a new set of clothes for you. They will warm you up."

    Re''Kha faintly sensed flowing wind on her back, as if they were generated by a pair of iling hands. The odd sshes of the rainwater on her back proved her conjecture.

    ''So, the damage by Water Qi is not permanent to this type of Sha. It also seems capable of recovering from the damage over time.'' Re''Kha felt the wooden ceiling under her rattle once. She felt a minute sense of vertigo, as if the ceiling was moving up, trying to return to its original position.

    Re''Kha rolled on it, moving in ordance with theyout she had perceived before. She was currently in the copsed ceiling of the room to the north, so she rolled further north,nding on t ground, exiting the boundaries of the house. The mud sshed on her face from the impact, soon washed away by the rain.

    As the fall was less than the height of her legs, she wasn''t damaged by it. Re''Kha rolled a couple more times before stopping, feeling that she might be in the middle of the road. She didn''t wish to proceed anywhere near the other houses.

    Thud!

    Re''Kha jumped forward in reflex, hearing a thud from behind her as something heavy seemed to have crashed on the ground. The water mixed with mud sshed on her from the impact as Re''Kha took a couple more steps in rm.

    She then heard a couple of sshes behind her as something seemed to approach her. Re''Kha sprinted, noticing a rough hand grab onto her ankle, topping her bnce. The cause seemed to have been melted after the hold as Re''Kha got up once again, moving forward by a couple more steps as she heard another thud, followed by a ssh of water mixed with mud. But this time, it was from before her and positioned within arm''s reach.

    The force behind the ssh caused her to reflexively shield herself as she felt a heavy weight m into her. She exerted strength in her lips, swiftly moving a leg backward to bnce herself better from the impact.

    Re''Kha slid on the ground by a fair distance as she noticed the attacker fall to the ground. When she kicked in return, all her feet came into contact was loose jelly that swiftly dissipated into gas.

    ''How will I exit this ce? I don''t even know the direction. Will I evenst until morning? Moreover, if the situation like yesterday evening persists through the day, then I have no hope.'' Re''Kha tried to think of all possibilities, training her ears to the sounds around her, wishing to dodge any attacks that came her way.

    This time, three beings jumped around her, sshing the mud water in all directions, with a significant portion falling onto her. Re''Kha crouched low, moving forward in reflex to dodge their subsequent attack.

    She concentrated on their uing movements, having leaped low in the forward direction. She rolled once on the ground and used the motion to arrive at a half-sit position, her legs craned, ready to make another leap.

    It was then, a pair of hands grabbed her from forward. Re''Kha noticed the absence of rain before her and swiftly activated her Wind Qi perception, watching four bulky men stand before her. They grabbed hold of her hands and shoulders while she heard the sounds of the three beings approach her from behind.

    Re''Kha deactivated her Wind Qi perception as her palms radiated blue, condensing her Water Qi into it. As she was constricted, she could only move it forward a little, sensing her palm projection m into a man that destroyed his hands, removing his hold on her.

    Using the freed-up hand, she condensed another palm projection and mmed it in the direction the other men stood¡ªbased on what she had perceived before. She moved in the direction without rain, activating her Wind Qi perception, mming a kick at the three beings that jumped from her behind, sshing their contents like water.

 Chapter 16 - Water Qi Perception

    Re''Kha noticed that she was in a courtyard, standing under an extension of the sloped roof. Before her was the entrance to the house while behind her was a space of nkness that she had no clue of. All she knew was that there existed some area of open space where she fought just now.

    Through her Wind Qi perception, Re''Kha noticed theyout of the house. A banner of sorts made from cloth was hung at the entrance, spanning its entire breadth, right above her head. And, hung at regr intervals behind them were what seemed to be shaped likenterns.

    She noticed the generation of the nk space from within them, which meant thenterns were lit. The flooring was made from wood and seemed aligned with the ground, an unusual case of architecture since every house in their region was built a fair distance above the ground, because of the frequent rains they faced.

    Re''Kha shuddered, noticing more than twenty silhouettes stand in the room next to her, huddled together as their facial features seemed off. Their mouths were inverted and covered the ce of their foreheads, curling up with a devilish smile. The ce their mouths ought to have existed only sported a thin line, the oddity throwing her off.

    Whether they were beings of monstrosity or the wrinkles on their foreheads were outlined as such in her vision or they all sported pursed lips, she didn''t care. All she knew was that they were trying to hold her back in ce, using whatever means possible.

    Re''Kha raised her hand, grabbing hold of the cloth banner hung overhead, tugging at it using her body weight. It crashed to the ground¡ªalong with the beam it was attached to¡ªwith a thud, the impact sshing a lot of water on the figures that rushed at her.

    Re''Kha watched their forms crumble, filled with a lot of nk spaces as they crashed on the floor before her. She threw thenterns through the entrance, watching them crash onto the figures inside and instantly generate arge spiralling nk space in the area. It was the oil in thenterns spilling out before catching fire.

    She left only onentern hanging while throwing the rest through the entrance, watching the nk space be bigger and bigger. The house had caught on fire, judging based on the dancing the nk space did amidst the grey sand. The movement was a characteristic of fire, one that had been generated by oil.

    As she inhaled the scent of the burning oil, Re''Kha soaked the cloth banner in the water, immediately smelling an intense stench of blood. The fabric surface she held became mushy, like it was covered in a lot of grease.

    But, Re''Kha was pleasantly happy on finding that it wasn''t disappearing. Her initial clothes had be tatters but they covered her body fairly enough. Unfortunately, the maid seemed to have tucked it somewhere away and the clothes she put on Re''Kha weren''t normal clothes. That''s why the moment she came under the rain, an intense stench of blood wafted out from them.

    Moreover, they turned into jelly, beginning to disappear soon after. That was why she had discarded them at first notice. If not for that, she would have continued wearing them. Now, as she soaked the cloth banner in the water, she noticed that beneath the greasy texture was the smooth texture of the fabric.

    ''It probably has a clue to this ce.'' Re''Kha thought, watching the humanoid figures disappear one after another from the fire. As the fire blocked the entrance to the house, the humanoid figures at the back were unable to close in on her.

    The rain continued to fall on her other side, with the nearest building situated a fair distance away. So, even the figures that constantly sprinted through the rain towards her were a mass of jelly by the time they reached her. And, through her Wind Qi perception and her tracking of the footsteps using her ears, she could retaliate and maintain her ground.

    For a moment, she had created a safe zone of sorts. The fire continued to burn, soon spreading throughout the house, not doused by the moisture in the air, for it was an oil fire. The building creaked as the wooden pirs seemed on the verge of copsing.

    Re''Kha stepped to the side to shield away from the smoke while remaining close enough to feel the heat. The heat warmed her body, rejuvenating her, alleviating her numbness. She rested for three breaths after every ten breaths before activating her Wind Qi perception.

    She didn''t sense any hostiles around her for the moment, heaving a sigh of relief. She then noticed the stench of blood disappear, reced by the scent of the rain and the burning oil. She felt the texture of the cloth banner, deriving based on its texture that it seemed to be made from silk, rather high quality at that.

    Taking in a deep breath after deactivating her Wind Qi perception, Re''Kha felt the level of water that had stagnated above the ground, finally heaving a sigh of relief. It was what she had been waiting for all along, the reason she had jumped on the ground in the first ce.

    Water Qi Perception!

    The rainwater had formed a finger-thickyer over the ground from the downpour. The rain that fell on the roofs of the houses collected along the sides, entering tiny channels made using the tiles as they flowed in a stream before descending to the ground through a pipe.

    They formed a continuous stream,yering the house while connecting with the water on the ground. The moment Re''Kha activated her Water Qi perception, she felt the world around her turn blue.

    Everything was pitch ck around her, thanks to a disconnect between the falling raindrops and her body. But, through the feet she had in contact with the water on the ground, her perception spread. A massive area was immediately outlined in her perception, through which she immediately came to know the scale of the ce she was trapped at.

 Chapter 17 - Close To The Exit

    Everywhere the water flowed was depicted in blue through her perception; Re''Kha inhaled a sharp breath in shock. Although the ce wasn''trge, the style of the buildings was bizarre.

    Broken nks, extending poles, shattered pirs, houses shaped like trees, the windows and doors creating a ghastly persona, a road that was nothing but a disorderly maze, with houses littered everywhere, following no rhyme or reason. The appearance alone seemed a manifestation of death and decay.

    She could perceive an outline of all the buildings thanks to the flow of the rainwater that touched the ground, without getting cut off mid-flow. After all, everything had to flow down, a principle that water followed thanks to gravity.

    Re''Kha inspected all the routes, realising they all ended around a section that created a circle around her. Judging based on the thin lines of water flowing across them, they seemed to be the walls of the settlement.

    On a rough estimate, she judged them to be thrice her height, something she couldn''t scale up without any preparations. Re''Kha looked around for a water flow, noticing two areas situated on opposite ends. Through that ce, water flowed out into the open, extending far beyond what she could perceive for now.

    ''They must be the gates to this¡­settlement. I had probably entered through one of them.'' Re''Kha thought, trying to figure out which among them she should take to escape when she felt the heat emanating from within the house decrease in intensity.

    She immediately deactivated her Water Qi perception, took a couple of breaths to adjust herself, and entered the excited state in her cultivation technique as she activated her Wind Qi perception. She perceived the nk space within the house had be smaller than before, with the pirs of the house now looking alright. In the short time frame, they had already recovered.

    Seeing that time was running short, Re''Kha took a couple of breaths before activating her Water Qi perception, looking at all the clues she could make use of. She grabbed the cloth banner and scaled its length using her hands, swiftly folding it four times to end up with a shawl the length of her body.

    She then held its two ends and began twisting it, making many loops before it was fairly twisted. She felt its weight in her hands before swiping towards her right, hitting an approaching individual, shattering itpletely.

    ''In this rain, with an abundance of Water Qi soaked by it, the attacks I generate using it would be fairly lethal.'' Re''Kha held the shawl with her right hand while grabbing hold of thentern with her left. She held her bag with her mouth, feeling the heat from the house decrease continuously.

    Without any hesitation, she sprinted towards the nearest gate, keeping watch on the path and her surroundings through her Water Qi perception. The moment any figurended on the path, she noticed the part of their feet submerged in the water, knowing their positions.

    Thud! Thump!

    Numerous figuresnded on the ground one after another, blocking her way. Re''Kha didn''t slow down, using the running momentum to add a spin to her motion,shing out with the shawl like a whip, making thunderous pping sounds each time she waved them.

    The pping sounds were a lot muffled when her attack struck the target. Re''Kha fought, struggling a lot to weave through the obstacles as the figures hindered her at all possible turns, rushing out from their houses when she passed by.

    "Guh!" She coughed, sshing forth water from her copse as her knees mmed into the ground. She slid for a fair distance, having negated most of the impact using her shawl to absorb the damage. But, before she could evene to a stop, a figure punched her from behind.

    Thankfully, the figure''s fist exploded from the punch, having been severely damaged from the rain. If not for that, Re''Kha would have been unable to get up from the damage she would have received.

    "Haah¡­haah," She kept attacking, taking many detours using the innumerous paths avable to her, inching closer and closer to her destination. She threw off her pursuers, trying to keep them longer in the rain until their bodies copsed. As for the ones that still managed to close in on her, she used the range of her shawl to her advantage and swatted them away.

    "Take This!" Re''Kha shouted, mming thentern on the ground upon reaching her destination. Thentern was cylindrical in shape, with its top and sides fully covered, made from a single material to prevent any leaks in the rain. Tiny holes were poked into the sides near the top for the burnt-out air to escape while the me was situated near the open bottom, allowing for the arrival of fresh air to burn unhindered.

    When she mmed it down, the contents within toppled. The oil spilled out; the fire in the wick spread through it as the oil formed ayer over the water on the ground. The fire soon covered the path behind Re''Kha, blocking out her pursuers.

    When they tried to run through, their bodies copsed almost instantly.

    ''This fire willst for three to four breaths before it would be doused by the rain.'' Re''Kha calcted based on experience, turning around to gaze at the gate. There existed a lever to the side that allowed one to lift the gate. Re''Kha grabbed the lever and began to rotate it.

    It seemed to use the principle of rack and pulley to the maximum, allowing even a single person to lift the massive gate. But, the price was the insane effort involved. Re''Kha had spun it more than ten times under a single breath while noticing that the gate had only moved up by a finger''s width.

    She grunted, hanging the shawl over her shoulder, turning the lever faster by using both her arms. She noticed the nk space caused by the fire begin to reduce as the blue underneath started to be more visible.

    She had only lifted the gate enough for her leg to barely pass through when the fire died. New figures emerged from the nearby houses, the sounds of their footsteps varying, depicting that the stature of the pursuers ranged from a child to an adult.

    She was close to the exit, but the number of legs she sensed through her perception numbered beyond one hundred. And they were all sprinting towards her to boot. Her mental state was close to a copse.

 Chapter 18 - Always Welcome

    "Dammit," Re''Kha cursed, adjusting her hold over the bag. She bit it harder, trying to ensure she wouldn''t drop it in the ensuing chaos. Her left hand grabbed hold of the shawl while her right continued to rotate the lever.

    The gate moved up bit by bit as Re''Kha watched more than a hundred legs close in on her through her Water Qi perception. She decreased the folds on the shawl, now making its length span twice her height.

    With a grunt, Re''Kha pushed the lever using her right, making a side step as she waved using the shawl, creating a pping sound. The shawl mmed into a figure, shattering it. She pulled her left hand to the forward of her right, creating an outward arc with the shawl before pulling to the back of her left.

    This motion increased the momentum stored in the shawl, pulling it towards her left and at the end of which it let out a pping sound while curling up before colliding into the target. This increased the force it transmitted, making each of her attacks destroy a figure.

    She moved her left hand in a flurry to attack, while her right exerted strength like mad to turn the lever. Part of her attention was on the gate while the rest was on her pursuers. After all, both were important details that would pave the way to her escape.

    The figures spread along the sides, forming arger arc as they rushed at her. Re''Kha made wider movements with her left hand, mming the shawl into three figures at a time. This way, she prevented them from closing in on her.

    Though, Re''Kha realised this was just a stopgap measure. Her hands were already tiring out, weary from theck of rest. She was only pumping herself with the desire to live, the only fuel her body ignited to function. But, even that was a temporary burst of power, about to run out any moment.

    Re''Kha stopped rotating the lever for a moment, held the shawl using both her hands and spun. She used the momentum from the spin, and the range of her shawl as leverage to create strong attacks that cleaved through the figures like a knife through butter.

    If it wasn''t because the rain poured down with Water Qi and the shawl had wholly soaked in it, her attacks wouldn''t have been this effecting against the figures that were drenched from head to toe.

    Her rapid spinning attack cleared out all the figures who were converging on her from all sides. It gave her some space as she staggered to the lever and continued to rotate it with both her hands. Her head spun a little, but as she wasn''t seeing anything through her eyes, she swiftly recovered from the sensation.

    Though, she had only made three turns of the lever before a figure jumped at her. Re''Kha promptly kicked at the opponent''s chest, using the shawl to attack the others. She repeated the same spinning attack and cleared out the area around her before returning to rotate the lever.

    ''That should be enough.'' She thought but continued to rotate the level while attacking the pursuers. Even though it would tire her out further, she didn''t want to take any risks. After all, the gate was a series of rods attached to parallel beams that held them rigidly in ce. And, their tips were sharp spikes that would tear her flesh to bits if she was careless for even a moment.

    So, she didn''t wish to take any risks by keeping the gap exactly fitting her girth. While moving, she was bound to make extra movements. And, her pursuers might attack too, so she wished to create a guarantee for her escape.

    She fought relentlessly, keeping her Water Qi perception active, alertly watching the approaching feet of her attackers. They seemed like an unending stream, though, Re''Kha soon noticed the crowd thinning out.

    ''So, the recovery is not fast enough to overwhelm their destruction by the rain.'' She made a couple more attacks before the opponents only numbered in the single digits. Something strange happened after this, the remaining figures didn''t attack her.

    They just stood in ce as theypletely melted. There were no longer any figures around her. This fact also sent a chill through her spine. For she knew something was up.

    ''I should escape.'' The moment she thought this, her limbs shuddered in fright. For she realised the n of her enemies, whoever they might have been. Droves of figures rushed out from the houses, this time almost numbering a thousand.

    Without any hesitation, Re''Kha stopped rotating the lever and sprinted towards the gate. She threw her bag through the gap first, slightly relieved when her aim didn''t miss. She then slid under it, watching a spikee precariously near her head as she passed by.

    The dive scraped her body all over, inflicting numerous wounds, even opening the old ones that had scabbed before. She grunted in pain, rolled a couple of times to ease her momentum before standing up in a fluid action. She spotted her bag through the area in the water it was partially submerged in, grabbing it as she sprinted away from the gate.

    A wide meadow or a t in was what she noticed, unsure because they just looked blue to her, without any design or texture. She felt the sensation of soft grass as her feet stepped on them. She kept watch of the ''settlement'' behind her through her Water Qi perception, noting that the figures returned to their homes after she exited their settlement.

    ''What exactly is that ce? I''ve never heard about a ce that had be a Sha. Or is this something entirely different?'' Nothing about her encounter made sense to her, even considering that she had a lot of supernatural encounters before.

    Shaking her head, she continued to run, soon slowing down as her body ached. She then started to walk, albeit at a faster pace than usual.

    In a watchtower within the settlement stood Ju''Tha, watching the escaping figure of Re''Kha, her expression nk, her facial features blurring until only the mouth remained, "Thank you for your visit, Burkurel Re''Kha. The Withered Courtyard would always wee your stay."

 Chapter 19 - Fear And Disappearance

    "Haah¡­haah¡­haa," Re''Kha gasped for breath, shielding her nose with her hands to prevent the rainwater from gushing in. The downpour had further intensified now, making her unable to run without shielding her nose.

    Her body shuddered from the cold when fear struck her. She had been keeping an eye on the settlement through her Water Qi perception all along, intending to watch out for anything strange that might happen. But all of a sudden, therge block of the nk space covered by the blue radiance disappeared.

    The blue radiance still outlined the structures it was flowing over before copsing, turning into droplets as they fell to the ground. When they became droplets, the connection was interrupted, preventing her from knowing the actual situation of the settlement''s disappearance.

    All she could see now was a sea of blue stretching as far as her perception could conceive. Grass grew in the ce the settlement had been at. Fierce winds blew for a couple of breaths before subsiding, making her shudder. The sound of the rain continued to resound after that.

    Even though she was curious, fear was the emotion dominant in her now. So, she dared not head to the ce to find out what had happened. She feared the settlement would suddenly materialise around her, trapping her once again. This time, she had no guarantee of escaping, not to mention surviving.

    Re''Kha plopped to the ground, feeling her entire body ache. Shecked the strength to move now, having been in an intense battle for such a long duration. She ced the bag on herp, prodding around with the shawl.

    After a moment of hesitation, she began to wind it around her body. At least, she hoped to protect herself using it as a cover. The cloth banner was a long rectangr piece; she unfurled it fully, cing one end under her right foot, tying it to her leg using the two corners of the cloth''s shorter side.

    She then neatly wound it over her leg, covering all her skin, expertly aligning the width to not constrict her joints. She then made it circle her hip twice before extending it diagonally from the left of her hip to the shoulder on her right, draping it over her back horizontally.

    She then pulled it forward, tracing right under her breasts, propping them upright as she made a revolution before tucking it within the folds. She then extended it from the front, making the breadth of the cloth form anotheryer above her chest region.

    She then tucked it in the folds on her shoulder, tracing it from her right cheek, gently covering her Tikka jewellery as she extended it to the back of her head before tucking it on the back of her shoulder, making another extension as she traced from the back of her head, going over her tikka jewellery from the other side before tracing over her left cheek; she joined it in the folds on her front.

    The side of the cloth spanned along the nose, extending a nail''s width from the tip of her nose, shielding her nostrils from the rain like a visor. Her mouth, chin, and a small portion of her neck were all that was uncovered by the cloth.

    She then spun it once around her arms to act as a sleeve before extending the remaining to her hip, making a loop once again¡ªthat acted as a skirt¡ªbefore tucking the rest inside it. She then wrapped the remainder around her left leg, finally cing her foot on the portion near its end. The remaining part she pulled a bit and used the corners to tie them around her leg. She looked like a cocoon with limbs now.

    Re''Kha stood up, stretching a couple of times to see that her make-shift dress covered most of her body, except for her hands that she couldn''t wrap around without constricting her movements. She saw that the dress didn''t hinder her movements, the high quality of the silk didn''t worsen her wounds. It was soft and also had a bit of sticity in it, allowing her to run without trouble.

    Re''Kha held the bag and began to move, feeling a bit better now that the rain didn''t directly hit her skin. The pain from her wounds subsided a little, now covered by a couple ofyers of silk that absorbed all the impact from the raindrops.

    It was a vast sea of blue everywhere she could see. She couldn''t determine the direction she had to proceed in order to reach her city or any settlement of sorts. If she went in the wrong direction, there was a high chance she would venture into dangerous domains and lose her life. The possibility wasn''t nil.

    Re''Kha stopped, trying to extend the range of her perception. She first limited herself to a direction, blinding herself of the rest. She perceived a narrow path span before her. Now that she had limited herself like, the range she could perceive lengthened.

    The range had increased by at least four times. Re''Kha only noticed the sea of blue in the direction, along with numerous stems of what appeared to be shrubs of some sort, along with the grass. Just based on the stem, she couldn''t guess what the shrub was. She focused more on the shrub, noticing thin lines of water flow across its steam, faintly outlining its entirety.

    The shrub seemed familiar but unfamiliar at the same time. She couldn''t exactly determine the direction to proceed based on that. Re''Kha slowly angled her perception, spinning the path she could perceive in the clockwise direction.

    She perceived like a radar, albeit many times slower, slowly moving the path as she tried to infer from the details she witnessed. When she was halfway in rotating the perceived path, she noticed a horde of beasts run across thend.

    She judged them as a mixture of animals and beasts through their varied feet and fast pace of movement. They seemed to be running in a certain direction, frantically, judging by their pace and the chaotic stomping of their footsteps.

    Some among them lost their footing and fell, getting stomped by the other beasts and animals. Their heads were submerged within theyer of water, allowing Re''Kha to determine their species.

    ''They are beasts and animals native to the Bahara Mountain Range. They are probably escaping as a resultant of master''s death. Judging by their escape route, as long as I follow them, I''ll probablye across a settlement along the way.'' Re''Kha kept watch of the beasts as she treaded parallel to them, pacing from far away to not be pulled into the stampede.

 Chapter 20 - The Real Western Settlement

    Chilly winds blew asionally, bringing with them eerie sounds that made one shudder from fear. The rain had subsided now by a fair extent, no longer a heavy downpour. Re''Kha kept part of her focus on the direction the stampede proceeded towards, retaining the rest on the area around her.

    She focused on the path she trod on, seeing the level of water cross her ankle by now. In some uneven ces, the water level reached her knees. Thankfully, she now had her Water Qi perception to rely on, no longer having to tread blindly through all dangers.

    "¡­sss¡­a.."

    Suddenly, she heard faint sounds echo in the air; she focused on them, trying to make out the contents. But, the sound of the rain hindered her from hearing it clearly. For a moment, she thought it was the wind that made her hallucinate such noise.

    Re''Kha stopped focusing on the stampede and perceived her surroundings. She soon noticed a lot of legs far to her front, after which was arge nk space. When she focused on the nk space, she noticed thin lines of blue span from the ground to high up in the air. The lines were arranged in order, equidistant.

    It was arge wall spanning thrice her height. And, judging by the patterns the flowing water made, she recognised that it was a settlement. But, she dared not be hasty, after all, the walls of the Withered Courtyard also had the same patterns as their settlements.

    She headed in the direction of the settlement, wishing to find out for herself if it was an actual settlement or something like the Withered Courtyard. She also noticed a ce among the walls where the blue lines didn''t exist. It probably meant the walls had been breached.

    When she neared a fair distance, she could hear numerous screams, though the contents were still inaudible. The rain had thinned out considerably by now, turning into a faint drizzle, about to stop any moment.

    After making sure of her surroundings, she deactivated her Water Qi perception, taking a couple of breaths before activating her Wind Qi perception. She perceived the grey sand world once again, though with a lot of noise.

    It seemed to still be recovering, as the rain hadn''t fully stopped. But as rain intensity had almost died down, the wind wasn''t fully cut off, allowing her Wind Qi perception to function fairly reasonably.

    She noticed that a section of the walls had been breached as beasts and animals alike rushed into it. They only seemed a small portion of the stampede she had witnessed. She extended her senses further, noticing that the buildings were wholly intact, save for cracks and damages of small sections here and there.

    After all, the buildings were carved from stone. So, unless the beasts unleashed their elemental attacks on them, the stone buildings wouldn''t be damaged. Re''Kha noticed figures ofrge stature make a retreat from the other side of the settlement.

    Soldiers holding spears made the back of the group while those that seemed to be the regr popce ran while carrying their bags. Some soldiers patrolled their march and acted as bait to lure away the nearby beasts and animals.

    Using their swift horses, they shrug off their pursuers before returning to their station around the marching crowd. As they were being chased by the animals, with many beasts lingering amidst them, the retreating citizens were mostly on the run.

    By the time she spotted them, they had already travelled a fair distance away from the settlement. She also noticed the nk space rted to the rain fall on their bodies, sensing that their figures weren''t damaged.

    ''So, they are actual people.'' Re''Kha heaved a sigh of relief despite being unable to catch up to them. They were already on the run, and she was situated a fair distance away from them, by at least 4000-5000 paces. In her exhausted state, it was impossible to catch up to them.

    Even if she were to use all her might and barely catch up to them, she would be unable to keep up with them. After all, they were evacuating in panic. Instead of overexerting herself and be put in a situation where she would be chased by the beasts, all Re''Kha did was to note their escape route with respect to the settlement. Just through her observations, she judged that the settlement was a real one.

    There was only a small fraction of the animals and beasts lingering within the settlement. The rest had begun chasing the escaping citizens. Even the ones that had stayed behind were looking around in panic, intending to join the stampeding crowd and escape.

    ''How grave was the poison guing master that it raised such a scenario?'' Re''Kha seethed in rage, wishing to shred her master''s enemies. But, she knew her powerlessness, suppressing the thought in her for now.

    She took regr breaks and alternated between her Wind Qi and Water Qi perception, soon entering the settlement through the breach in the walls. Once she entered, she activated her Wind Qi perception, noticing the words carved into stone that made the top portion of the settlement''s gate, ''Burkurel Ju n: Western Settlement.''

    ''This is the actual Ju n''s Western Settlement.'' Re''Kha heaved a sigh of relief, hiding behind a rock as she watched a beast move a fair distance away. Because of her Wind Qi perception, she didn''t have to peek her head above the rock.

    The beast sniffed some areas, roared a couple of times before exiting the settlement through the breach. Re''Kha surfed through the area using her perception and decided on one of the houses in the centre of the settlement.

    It was the ce where the Harmonisers from the Ju n lived. So, the defensive strength of the houses was the maximum there. It was not to mention the amenities that would have been stocked up within. Re''Kha nned to rest and recover there for the time being.

    She stealthily roamed through the streets, skipping numerous corpses along the way. Most of the corpses were near the breach, followed by the areas around the walls. Further inward into the settlement, and there was barely any corpse.

    Re''Kha soon barged into a house in the centre and made herself home. Now that she was in rtively safer territory, she could rx a little.

 Chapter 21 - The Cloth Banner

    The house was three storeys high, the tallest in the settlement. It seemed to be the property of a rather powerful Harmoniser, judging by the luxury she felt the moment she entered.

    The floor was carpeted by dry straw that was woven into a mattress. It was a material that wouldn''t absorb the moisture in the air, making itfortable to tread on during the rainy season. The room was prettyrge, enough for her to make a small dash. Sofas wereid on one end, made from fur stuffed by a material that provided hardness amid its cushioning property.

    The sofas made arge semi-circle; ced in the centre was an animal pelt, a granite table rested above it. Some goatskin parchments were lying about on its top, scattered around in a hurry. Re''Kha opened the parchment, noticing that she was unable to see anything on the grey sand texture of it.

    She ran her fingers across it, failing to understand anything through the indentations. She hadn''t been trained in this regard, so her finger sensitivity wasn''t enough to read based on the faint depressions made by the quill.

    She ced the parchment and inspected the room, strolling around to find anything of use. The living room seemed to be solely to entertain guests of value, so she only noticed cutlery and items that were boast-worthy in there.

    She entered the kitchen, watching many vats ced in the stone racks. It was full of food and spices, causing Re''Kha to heave a sigh of relief. She then probed around the kitchen, soon finding a lever behind a vat.

    She pulled the lever and watched the stone cupboard slid to the side, allowing for the passage of two people side by side. Within it was a granary, the household''s reserve of food in times of need.

    "Seems they have stocked up enough to feed the entire settlement for a week." Re''Kha was surprised for a moment before she closed the door, judging that the food in the kitchen was enough for her to get by until she made a full recovery.

    "It is for the best that they evacuated now. I can n and organise myself here for the time being until I am ready." Her expression morphed in fury, only now thinking of the sequence of events that led to her bing blind.

    It was a struggle for power in her n, and when a chance presented itself, Re''Kha lost her sight. Unfortunately, her attackers were killed by the Sha she had been pursuing. On-time, the three-headed beast rescued her from the Sha after which she met her master.

    Now that her survival was no longer threatened, she could think about otherplicated matters. Re''Kha then headed to another room where a lot of medicinal herbs were stored. She couldn''t make out what herbs were stored in which vat, after all, she couldn''t read through her perception. And, most of the herbs were either in a powdered or paste form.

    So, it wasn''t possible for her to fully treat herself for the time being. She had to carefully take her time by identifying them based on their smell and find her target. There was another room on the ground floor where weapons were stored.

    A fair amount of them seemed to have been taken out to be used in the previous battle. But, some were still left behind in their hurry. Re''Kha nned to take her time and choose er.

    She then headed to the first floor, entering the dressing room. Through her perception, she identified the room where thedy of the house dressed, picking herself some suitable outfits. She didn''t pick anything fancy, focusing more on thefort of the fabric and her ease of movement after wearing it.

    Once she had chosen them, she picked up a towel to dry her body and headed towards the bathroom. The bathroom spanned thrice her height in breadth and five times her height in length. The ceiling was also fairly up, positioned beyond her reach even after making a jump.

    A sophisticated mechanism was ced on one corner, embedded with a red gem. In her perception though, the gem looked like a sharp nk space. She immediately identified it, "It seems this family has enough wealth to enjoy a life of luxury. As expected of the people in charge of a settlement."

    Re''Kha slowly untied her dress, folding it neatly before cing it outside the bathroom. She approached the bathtub ced in the centre, turning one of the taps open. Hot water gushed through it in a steady stream.

    She turned the pipe adjacent to it, sensing cold water fall through it. She experimented with their ratio until the water felt appropriate enough for her. The moment the tub was half-filled with the water, she could no longer control herself, gently entering it.

    The warm water caused her to moan once, the chillness in her muscles steadily dissipated. She felt her sore muscles rx under the warmth, imbuing a bit of vigour in her. Re''Kha rxed, only starting to wash herself after a good time had passed.

    She cleaned her wounds of the dirt in them and scrubbed her body while using a soap. After that, she changed the water to a new batch and just rxed in the ce. Even though her eyelids were heavy and she wished to just sleep, she didn''t wish to remain in the water for so long. Grudgingly, she got up, dried herself and wore the new pair of clothes she had chosen.

    She then carried her bag and jumped on the bed in the bedroom, finding the soft mattressfortable to her injured body. She ced the bag next to her, draped a thick fur nket over her and rxed.

    It wasn''t even long before she fell asleep. Through the gap in the door slid the cloth banner, steady in its motion. It gently arrived near her bed and folded itself into the same manner she had folded it and kept outside the bathroom. Without doing anything else, it rested on the floor.

 Chapter 22 - Sha

    Re''Kha woke up with a start, feeling a chill creep up her body. She looked around, unable to see anything, iling her hands without result, unable to catch hold of anything.

    "Re''Kha! ...Re''Kha¡­Re¡­" She heard her master''s voice turn fainter and fainter, unable to pinpoint the direction of the source. It seemed to resound from all around her, like an echo in a valley. The voice lost its vigour with every echo, soon bing a wheezing gasp.

    "Master!" Re''Kha sat up with a fright, finding herself seated on a ground carpeted by fallen leaves. A boulder was positioned to the forward on her left, dripping with blood. The carcass of adyy over it, her head smashed into a pulp.

    Re''Kha tried to move but found her legs were stuck in the mud. Something seemed to hold her from within the muddy, sludge-filled ground, trying to pull her deeper. She iled her hands, trying to grab anything of support to climb out.

    More than 10 figures appeared before her, slowly nearing her, with every step they took plunging her closer towards death. ck mist swirled around their bodies, condensing into a tentacle-eyed cloud that stared at her in anger, expressing its hatred. The next moment, tens of eyes opened on its body, all staring at her.

    "Ahhh!" Re''Kha sat up in fright, wincing in pain due to the abrupt action. She then felt the intense thumping of her heartbeat, the sound resounding in her ears while her body was drenched with sweat. Something soft seemed to be tugging at her right hand while her surroundings were pitch ck.

    "Right, I am blind now." After a couple of deep breaths, she realised her state, activating her Wind Qi perception. The grey sand world materialised around her, showcasing the room that was no different from before, save for one thing.

    Re''Kha nced at her right arm, noticing one end of the cloth banner curled around it. When she moved her hand, she noticed that the ends of the cloth banner were stuck to her, moving in ordance with her movements.

    Re''Kha winced in pain a bit as she left the bed and stood on the floor, watching most of the cloth banner remain on the floor in the same way she had folded it before. She deactivated her Wind Qi perception, took in a deep breath before condensing blue radiance in her left hand.

    "Take this!" With a shout, she mmed her palm projection on the cloth banner, hearing the shrill scream of a child resound immediately. She noticed nk space escape from the cloth banner like a smoke of some sort, vanishing after a breath.

    The ends of the cloth banner slipped from her right hand and fell to the floor. Re''Kha stared at it for some time, "So you were feeding on my nightmares to grow stronger."

    "I should have known better," She facepalmed, "Of course, there is the possibility that the items in the Withered Courtyard could also be a Sha."

    Sha, it was the name pertaining to a denizen of nightmares. Anyce with a lot of umted fear would create a Sha. They were usually created in battlefields where death and the fear of death existed everywhere.

    A Sha was a spiritual being formed through the negative emotions of an individual or a group of individuals. Among the negative emotions, fear was its building block. Based on the type of negative emotions and the mode it was generated from, the form of the Sha varied ordingly.

    A Sha resided in an object that was the source or target of a type of fear, a shell it used to survive and recover from damage. The object was also its medium to infect people and absorb their negative emotions to grow. Moreover, as they were denizens of the night, sunlight was their bane. The shells were what protected them during the day; it was also their mode of transportation.

    After all, Sha were beings created through the negative emotions that originated from a ce. They would be created within an object and would be rooted to the ce unless the object was moved somewhere through natural means.

    A Sha grew by feeding on fear, growing until it could create a spiritual body. That was why they were attracted towards sources of fear. Re''Kha recalled all the information rted to them, gazing at the cloth banner, "So, you''re a Sha that had just been formed. You were drawn to my fears and wished to grow by absorbing them?"

    There wasn''t any reply. Re''Kha folded the cloth banner and brought it towards the entrance, carefully opening the door after scouting the area through her Wind Qi perception. She noticed that it had begun raining once again, judging by the sea of nk space before her, the sounds she heard, and the scent of the rain she smelled.

    She tossed the cloth banner into the rain, hearing a meek cry that subsided immediately. She then closed the door, taking a couple of steps to the back while panting, feeling her head throb. Taking a couple of deep breaths, she rxed, recalling the details of a Sha.

    An object after birthing a Sha would absorb fear and eventually condense some Fear Qi in it. When the Fear Qi had umted to a certain extent, it would be converted into Ghost Qi as the Sha would materialise with a spiritual form.

    Based on the amount of Ghost Qi it retains, its power would vary. It would then behave based on the essence of the fearposing it, seeking to umte the desired form of fear to grow further. From a passive state, it would actively cause fear in the popce and enter a beneficial cycle of growth.

    And, even if its spiritual form was destroyed, as long as its shell, the object it was formed from remained intact, it would condense eventually.

    As all elements conflicted with one another, she had mmed the cloth banner with her palm projection immediately upon notice. She used her Water Qi to dissipate the Fear Qi the cloth banner had stored.

    "But, most Sha are limited in growth due to the size of the object they reside in. But," She shuddered, thinking about the Withered Courtyard, "If that was actually a Sha''s shell, this entire region is doomed."

 Chapter 23 - The Black Cloud

    Re''Kha ced her hand on her face, feeling the two empty spaces of where her eyes used to exist. She felt anger, helplessness at her loss, and desire to reim her eyes from the one that stole them. After all, the cause of her blindness was a Sha that had stolen her eyes.

    The Blinded Ghost!

    That was the name it wasmonly referred to as. Re''Kha had been pursuing that Sha for over a year now, unable to kill it. Every time she encountered it, the Blinded Ghost turned out to be stronger than the previous time.

    And, it was spotted in numerous ces, whether it be a city or a settlement. Its shell seemed to be a mobile object, allowing it to roam around numerous territories.

    "A Sha cannot be far away from its shell. Otherwise, it would die. But, the stronger the Sha, the greater its range of operation around its shell." Re''Kha opened the door, crouched low as she inserted her finger into the thinyer of water on the floor, activating her Water Qi perception.

    She noticed the cloth banner remain in the same ce it fell, facing the falling rain continuously. The Water Qi in the rain hadpletely annihted the Fear Qi in it by now. But, Re''Kha knew that the Sha wasn''t dead yet.

    The only way to kill it would be to destroy its shellpletely, in this case, the cloth banner, and prevent it from ever being able to gather Fear Qi. Fire Qi and Lightning Qi were the most effective against the Sha.

    Water Qi was rtively less effective, but it was still enough to kill a Sha. The reason Re''Kha didn''t try to rip the cloth banner into shreds was that it contained a clue to the Withered Courtyard. She didn''t have any methods to investigate it further, but that didn''t mean her n didn''t.

    But, to return to her n safe and sound, in conditions of danger would be difficult unless she recovered all her Qi. Re''Kha closed the door and activated her Wind Qi perception, heading to the bathroom to refresh herself.

    "The cloth banner moved from outside the bathroom towards me because it was attracted to the fear I was feeling," Re''Kha murmured, grabbing the towel as entered the bathroom. She filled the water tub with hot water, adjusted its temperature with the cold water before feeling that it was perfect.

    The Shell of a Sha couldn''t move naturally, because it was an inanimate object. But there were times where it would be attracted towards a source of fear. As to the cause of it, Re''Kha was unsure. Because there existed all types of Sha, and not everything created a spiritual form to spread fear.

    Finished with her bath, Re''Kha wore a loose gown as she headed towards the kitchen, fumbling around as she prepared herself a messy meal. The sounds of the rain resounded unabated as she sat on the dining table and ate her meal.

    The food entered her stomach, nourishing her body. Re''Kha could feel some strength in her hands as she clenched them into a fist, feeling a bit better now. Done with her eating, she headed into the armoury, looking around at the weapons after activating her Wind Qi perception.

    There were only five weapons in the room: a sword, a sabre, a pair of knives, and a whip. The whip seemed damaged; she noticed some loose strands along its length through her perception. She grabbed hold of it, seeing that it weighed lighter than usual.

    She felt around it, judging that the whip had gone through a battle and lost a significant portion of its material makeup. It was probably stored because the owner was emotionally attached to it and didn''t wish to discard it. Re''Kha grabbed the pair of knives, feeling that they were heavier than the whip.

    She grabbed the sword and felt mild difficulty in wielding it using her injured body. Finally, she grabbed the sabre, feeling that it was lighter than the knife. But, its de only spanned the length from her finger to her elbow. Moreover, the material didn''t seem like one of high quality, so she was unsure about using it.

    "Better to use a wieldable de than a powerful but unwieldable one." Re''Kha closed the armoury, holding the sabre and the whip. Their quality wasn''t to her satisfaction but they were the only ones the current her could use. Besides, she didn''t n on making a move until she healed to a desirable extent.

    She was in the Burkurel Ju n''s Western Settlement. It was known territory from this point onwards. She knew the path towards her city¡ªthe Burkurel City¡ªand thendmarks that would appear along the way.

    Still, it was a day''s journey on foot. It was faster on horseback but there wasn''t any in the settlement. The evacuating popce brought out every abled horse during their escape. And, the horses that were left behind were the injured or ill ones. They died under the animals and beasts that breached the settlement.

    So, she had to first prepare for her journey. Re''Kha was just about to head to the room with the herbs when she spread her Wind Qi perception beyond the confines of the house she was in. She noticed that the rain had stopped.

    Screech!

    The sound was like a tide that washed over her, causing her to tremble in fear. At the far end of her perception, she noticed a ckened-out cloud approaching rapidly. The moment she perceived it, she felt it perceive her in return, making her shudder in fright.

    Re''Kha sprang towards the entrance, opened the door, made a jump and grabbed hold of the cloth banner. Without hesitation, she entered the house and mmed the door shut. She threw the cloth banner in the centre of the hall and grabbed hold of the sofa, pushing it against the entrance.

    She sealed the entrance and the windows with anything she found, trying her best to seal them as tightly as she could. She then scrambled through a cupboard, found a shoulder bag, headed to the room with the herbs, and threw in everything of value.

    She ced the contents in the kitchen, ran upstairs, grabbed a bedsheet, a mattress, a pillow, and lots of nkets. Her expression was one of a hurry, her limbs trembling more and more as she sensed the ckened-out cloud approach the settlement closer and closer.

 Chapter 24 - Kalha

    Re''Kha ran to the kitchen and pulled the lever behind a vat to open the granary. She ced all the items she grabbed within it and left the entrance open, rushing to the upper floors. She rummaged through every ce, trying to find any item of value but failed to find any.

    "Where have they hidden it?" She then rushed to the living room, scanning the floor by extending her Wind Qi perception. She wished to find any gaps through which air could pass. Thereby, she would be able to find the hidden room where the house owners stashed their valuables.

    She kept watch on the scene beyond the house, noticing that the ckened-out cloud had arrived quite close to the settlement. It was the eye cluster she had crossed while on the back of the three-headed beast.

    Now, they had left their confines and spread towards every direction, one of which happened to be the settlement she was in. Re''Kha calcted the time based on their approach, reducing the range of her perception to the confines of the house.

    Now that the eye cluster was drawing near, she dared not perceive them in fear she would face a fate many times worse than death.

    "There''s no other choice then. I''ll just have to make do with whatever I have." Re''Kha cursed, stomping her feet in anger. Just when she thought she could get some rest and gather her bearings did such a disaster arrive.

    "Master, did you foresee this in your ns?" Re''Kha muttered, heading to the bathroom as she gazed at the mini tank situated near the ceiling. She gazed at the sharp space of nkness embedded in it, looking around to see a lever ced behind it, its end extending below to her reach.

    She mmed the lever and watched the water tank lower itself to ground level, disying a metal container within that wasyered by granite. The sharp nk space she saw was embedded in it.

    Re''Kha grabbed hold of the handle and lifted it, feeling that the weight was bearable. The container was only as big as her hand, emitting waves of heat. Thankfully, the handle was insted enough while she moved her hands in such a manner the air would move from her hand to the container, preventing her from feeling the heat it emitted.

    She quickly carried the container and ced it in the granary, wishing to do the same from the other bathrooms too. But, she was pressed for time, unable to retrieve any other. Re''Kha arrived at the kitchen and dragged a vat filled with drinking water into the granary, after which she closed the entrance.

    She heard faint tremors from the floor as the screeching sounds resounded from everywhere. She also heard the sounds of something heavy m into the doors and windows, intending to break through.

    The buildings of the settlement were made from stone. They weren''t built using stone but rather were carved into a t hill by sculpting it until the ground level. So, each house was sturdy, having thick rock walls.

    Moreover, the doors were made from metal the Burkurel Ju n created using their Metal Qi. They were tremendously tough, not to mention capable of resisting other elemental attacks to a fair extent. They were alsoyered with granite for aesthetic purposes and to further shield the metal doors from the elements.

    The windows were simrly designed. They were a series of cross-linked grills closely lined next to one another. They formed twoyers; both sides were furtheryered by a cloth to prevent dust and insects froming in.

    Therefore, it wasn''t easy to break into the house. Re''Kha had further reinforced them using everything of value she could find in the house. But still, she was unsure if it would hold up long enough for her to survive.

    After closing the entrance to the granary, she heaved a sigh of relief. Based on what she had scouted, the granary was air-tight, and the walls were the thickest here. Even the entrance was arge block of wall that took a lot of time to open and close.

    Once she was inside, Re''Kha used the sword and a couple of metal spikes she found to jam it, preventing it from ever being opened from the outside. She ced her hand on the wall, hearing faint tremors course through it.

    "The situation would be disastrous if the Kalhas settle here." Re''Kha sensed through her Wind Qi perception, seeingrge vats stored with food. The granary extended through a flight of stairs and spanned the entire underground of the house.

    There was a small space at the top where she ced all the items she had grabbed. They consisted of nkets, clothes, a pillow, herbs, arge vat of water, and the container she had ripped out from the bathroom. Finally, there was the rolled-out cloth banner set aside in the corner.

    "I''ll rest and recover as much as I can here until the situation outside turns for the better," Re''Kha muttered and began to scale down the flight of stairs. "My life is as good as forfeit the moment I gaze at the Kalha."

    "But, for even the Kalha that had never left the Kuhera forest to escape is such droves, just what was the poison affecting master?" She shuddered, her emotionsplex.

    A Kalha was an eye that lived in cracks of rocks, and creases within tree barks, away from the sun. They moved during the night in groups, forming clusters, finding targets to prey on. Just a single nce at them would plunge the victim in a state of delirium where they would gauge their eyes out.

    The Kalha would then take root in the spaces of the gouged-out eyes, controlling the victim. They would then control the victim to hunt for food, and spread fear along their wake. They were beasts that used Fear Qi, a delicious target for the Sha.

    That was why Re''Kha had brought in the cloth banner with her. If left in the open, it would absorb all the fear Qi the Kalha emit and swiftly mature. Then, the situation would be many times worse. After all, the cloth banner was arge shell, so the Sha it could nurture would be a tremendously powerful being, the likes of which she couldn''t ever hope to defeat.

 Chapter 25 - Breaking Bones To Break Open The Doors

    The rain had stopped but the clouds stillpletely covered the sun. They were thick to the extent of blocking out all sunlight, keeping thend dark. Like leaves falling during autumn and petals being blown over by gentle winds, eye clusters flew around aimlessly.

    Each eyeball was the same as a human eye in size, but their appearance sent chills into one. In ce of the lens was a tiny mouth through which a red, forked tongue peaked out asionally, like a snake''s tongue. Reddish projections were visible on the sclera, the optic nerves abrasively dandling about from its back.

    While forming a cluster, the optic nerves held each other tightly, transmitting messages in such a manner. They seemed weightless, moving about with the gentlest of winds. The moment the wind grew in strength, they formedrger clusters, increasing their weight to tide through.

    Numerous such clusters moved about like a wave, powerful enough to topple a hill. Screeches resounded amidst them from time to time, a sound that resounded when the wind passed through their clusters.

    They didn''t possess any vocal cords to make the sound. Just the pattern of their eye cluster was like a flute the produced the screech when the wind passed through. The cloud formed by the eye clusters soon approached the Burkurel Ju n''s Western Settlement.

    A significant portion of them just moved past while a smaller portion that had been flying at the bottom zoomed over, finding a couple of beasts roaming around the streets in search of something. Their approach caused numerous screeches to resound as the beasts below were startled.

    The moment they noticed the shadow looming over them, they condensed colourful radiances in their mouths before shooting them forth at the sky. Some of the radiances hit their targets, obliterating the eye clusters.

    Even the ones that missed flew high before hitting the greater portion of the eye cluster, luring them over. The beasts had reflexively closed their eyes before began shooting forth elemental breath attacks.

    The eye clusters soon reached them, creating screeches as they revolved around. Some Kalha extended their optic nerve and wriggled them after touching the beasts'' skins, making them shudder. They created numerous screeches that resounded in the ears of the bests and made their heads spin.

    But no matter what, the beasts refused to open their eyes. They stuck to perceiving their opponents through smell, brandishing their ws to kill the eye clusters. But, they were slowly losing control over their selves.

    The sound interfered with their judgment, making their attacks sometimes miss their targets. The smell caused their bodies to feel weak, their limbs trembling as time passed by. And finally, when the eye clusters were killed, their blood and body mass spilled on the beasts, causing the skin underneath their fur to shudder.

    The attacks of the Kalha were the most potent through sight. But, they were able to affect their targets as long as the targets perceived them, through any form. Such was their frightening nature. The beasts continued to attack, even shooting forth all their breath attacks until they ran dry.

    A faint scent mixed into the air followed by the death of the eye clusters, causing the beasts to tumble with every step like they were drunk. Of the beasts, one was a Punou, swatting a cluster of three Kalha with its tail, shattering them into pulp.

    But, the moment it did so did its body lost all manner of control, plopping to the ground. It felt an itch in its eyes, rubbing its head in the fur on its forelegs. But, the itch continued to grow, irritating it while making its body feel weak.

    The Punou continued to rub its head on its foreleg before using the ws on its right to scratch its face. It didn''t even seem to feel pain as it punctured its right eye. When it retracted its w, its right eye came with it. Without even realising it, the Punou scratched its left eye, soon plucking it out too.

    It then felt the itch disappear as it opened its eyes, disying two ghastly holes through which leaked blood. From the eye cluster, two of the nearest Kalha flew towards it, seeping their optic nerves into a hole respectively.

    They seemed to form a connection within, soon taking the ce of the Punou''s eyeballs. Now, they were its eyes. But, the Punou seemed to have lost all semnce of sanity as the two Kalha controlled its body.

    It made a couple of jumps before dashing across the streets, unleashing a series of cackles that were the signature cry of a Punou.

    Among the other beasts, one was unable to endure any longer, feeling its sense of smell had dulled out. It opened its eyes to gaze at an eye cluster positioned right before its face. It went into a daze, sitting on its forelegs like a person as it used its ws to dig out its eyes.

    Simrly, two Kalha upied the spot of its eyes, controlling its body. The beast realised its state, crying in despair as it watched its body be controlled by the invaders. It still retained its lucidity butcked the sanity of the body.

    Soon, all the beasts in the settlement fell under their control. The animals had fallen prey right at the beginning itself, losing their sanity after their first bite attack.

    A faint sound of thunder resounded from above, instantly making all the eye clusters shudder in fear. The Kalha controlling the beasts and animals began to attack the doors of each house, trying to break into it before the rain started to fall.

    The beasts used their tough bodies to ram into the doors, creating mild dents after each attack. But, the doors proved to be quite tough too, unrelenting under the attacks. The Kalha had no other choice but to make use of the beasts with no regard for self-harm, breaking bones to break the doors.

    The moment a door was opened, arge portion of the eye cluster headed inside, filling it to the brim. They continued in such a manner, sting open each door to hide within the house. Among them, a serpentine beast slithered towards the house Re''Kha had taken refuge within, using its massive head to m at its door.

 Chapter 26 - The Aeki In The Granary

    The serpentine beast was as wide as a person and thrice their height. It was a heavy beast that slithered its way towards the house Re''Kha had taken refugee within. It lifted the front half of its body and mmed it on the door, feeling it tremble under the force.

    The serpentine beast lifted itself once again and mmed on the door, noticing a creaking sound. In its eyes were three Kalha each, rotating around the socket as the serpentine beast repeatedly mmed itself on the door.

    With every impact, the door creaked louder and louder, the sounds of something breaking resounded repeatedly. The graniteyer was the first to break, crumbling to the ground in pieces. Followed by it was the door that was bent ajar from the impact.

    The serpentine beast plopped through the gap in the entrance, crashing onto the floor with a loud thud. Blood leaked out of its body while the Kalha in its eyes had burst from the repeated shock due to the impacts. Through the gap in the door it had created, the Kalha flew like a stream, soon filling the house to the brim.

    Re''Kha was just about to descend through the flight of stairs when she heard a sound. The sound was too faint to be heard. After all, it would have been mostly absorbed by the thick walls. But, as she had kept her Wind Qi perception through the entire space in the granary, she could perceive the faint sound that seeped through the walls.

    ''They''ve already broken through the door.'' Re''Kha thought, noticing an airway in the granary that led to the top. Through her perception, she noticed that the airway spanned only a tenth of her little finger''s thickness.

    The ends of the airway seemed to be blocked by a sturdy piece of cloth to prevent the insects from getting in. It was probably installed to prevent the air within the granary from getting mouldy.

    Re''Kha dared not extend her perception beyond it. Through the airway, she could extend her Wind Qi perception to the outside. But, the moment she did would spell her doom. If the need arises, she nned to stay holed up in the granary until the people from the settlement decided to return.

    Though, if she was being honest, she didn''t have any hope in their arrival for the time being. ''As a prime settlement with a massive poption, Burkurel city would have been swarmed with danger on all sides now. First the beast tide, and now the Kalhas. They wouldn''t have time to clear out the danger in the settlements now.''

    She deactivated her Wind Qi perception, resting for a couple of breaths before activating it again, ''Even if I somehow escape from this settlement, I would die before reaching Burkurel City. It would be better to rest and recover here for the time being. At least, I wouldn''t be pressed for food.''

    She let out a depressing chuckle, muttering under her breath, "One thing after another, when can I rest?"

    When she concentrated, she could hear faint sounds from the other side. She dared not imagine the scene beyond the walls now. Re''Kha grabbed the items she had brought one by one and descended the stairs, cing them on the underground floor that was the granary.

    It was arge space full of pirs that supported the house above. Each pir was wider than what her arms could wrap around. ced on the floor, forming neat rows were vats her height. Contained within them were foods of all sorts.

    The vats weren''t made from porcin like the usual ones. The ones before her seemed alive. Re''Kha noticed tiny roots of sorts extend out from under them and enter a gap in the floor, heading deeper into the ground. The roots had filled the hole, preventing her from seeing through.

    Re''Kha wasn''t puzzled, for she knew the species before her. Aeki, a vat-shaped tree that was used to store food. After being ced in a location, their roots would burrow into the ground and absorb nutrients to sustain themselves.

    And, any type of food could be ced within them to be preserved. As long as the Aeki doesn''t wilt, the food within would be preserved, keeping it fresh, irrespective of the time that had spanned. The Aeki also had convenient lids at the top that could be opened and closed like a lever.

    Re''Kha opened and closed the lid of every Aeki, making a mental note of the food stored in them. When she opened the lid of the Aeki at one corner of the granary, she heaved a sigh of relief. For, contained within was drinkable water.

    Among Aeki, some stored water. And, unlike the regr Aeki, they absorbed water from the ground, purified it, and stored it inside them. This created a potable water source, so every household that could afford to buy one definitely had them.

    Its replenishment rate was enough to satisfy the needs of a family of four, including bathing, washing clothes, etc. After seeing it, Re''Kha was no longer worried about her survival. She had enough food and water tost more than a decade.

    ''That''s strange.'' She frowned, find some error in theyout. She looked around the granary, finding the area she sensed being less than the ground floor. As the kitchen was located on one corner of the house, she could confirm the ends of two walls based on it¡ªas she had entered the granary through the entrance in the kitchen.

    As two of the four walls in the granary aligned with the two ends of the house, it didn''t make sense for the other two to not align and be located closer than the border. Normally speaking, it didn''t make any sense.

    "Unless," Her face beamed as she scuttled through everywhere in the granary, tracing her hand through all the pirs and the Aekis. Finally, situated within a pir was a tiny crease that upon pulling moved a rectangr block.

    It revealed a lever inside that upon pushing revealed a manhole next to the pir. The manhole was ingenuously hidden under the tile one of the Aeki''s roots traversed upon before entering the tiny hole situated next.

    Re''Kha extended her perception through the route that headed underground before moving up to the other side of the false granary walls.

 Chapter 27 - Burmat Reâ€™Shi

    The splitter stter of rain echoed, thin streams of water cascaded the tiled roof, joining together into thin streams that dripped down into a canal of sorts below. Irrespective of the rain that fell into it, the level of the water canal stayed the same.

    At the bottom of the canal grew a type of grass, covering the entire ground surface. It absorbed the Water Qi present in the rainwater, converting it into nutrients that nourished its growth. A fish-type beast swam within, nibbling on the grass.

    They consumed the Water Qi it had absorbed, umting the energy necessary to propagate further. The canals formed arge circuit in theyout, creating numerous lines that made a spectacr design on the tnd.

    The canals made each piece ofnd look like an ind of sorts, covered by water on all sides. Individual houses were constructed on each of such inds, made of stone, property exclusive to each family. Overarching bridges were constructed that connected one ind to another. It was a small bridge considering the canals were only as wide as the height of a man.

    Seated within a courtyard in one such house was a man, his expression twisted with rage. The sttering sounds of the rain further worsened his mood. He gazed at his knees, scowling as he clenched the area, unable to feel anything beyond that point.

    He was seated on a wooden wheelchair, his hair dishevelled, his eyes darting to any and every sound that echoed. Situated on his right was a stool on which a jug containing alcohol was ced. Held in his left was a cup in which he poured the alcohol before downing it.

    "Ahh!" He threw the cup at a pir, watching it shatter into pieces, with some of them falling into the canal. The fishes within were stirred up, soon converging towards the pieces before grabbing hold of them with their mouths. They swam to the surface and spat out the pieces on the floor before continuing with their swim.

    A piece of the cupnded before an entrance as ady wearing high heels entered. She wore a sleeveless top, sporting ribbons that curved along the indentations of her arm muscles. Her shoulder guard was a piece of fur that reached her chin.

    The Tikka jewellery on her forehead was adorned with a blue gemstone that radiated a deep blue. If one concentrated on it long enough, they would hallucinate the sounds of sea waves. Thedy stepped foot on the piece of the cup with her heel, creating a crunching sound that made the man turn her way.

    "Did you get any news of Re''Kha?" The man was in a state of hysteria, struggling to get up in his hurry. But, everything from his knees and below refused to budge, preventing him from getting up.

    Thedy arrived at his rescue, keeping him seated as she sighed, "I have sent our best trackers to Burkurel City. They will sweep the entire area and find her but¡­"

    "But?" The man''s voice turned hoarse, his voice cracking, "But what?"

    "Based on the information they obtained today, they noticed her tracks heading into¡­the Kuhera Forest."

    "The Kuhera Forest¡­" His eyes turned dispirited, losing hope.

    Thedy didn''t seem to have noticed his mental state, speaking with a sad tone, "For some unexpected reason, numerous Kalha are flying everywhere in the region. Our men are currently in hiding for now. Only when the Kalha retreat would they be able to investigate further."

    Only now did she notice his expression, hugging him from the behind, wrapping her hands around his neck, "Don''t worry. No matter how much we have to sacrifice, we''ll definitely find her."

    "I''ll wait for the good news¡­mother." The man weakly nodded, seemingly carrying a trace of hope.

    "Definitely," She rubbed his head, straightening his hair before adjusting his Tikka jewellery, the gemstone of which was lustreless, "You should at least ensure your Tikka Jewellery is properly maintained. You are Burmat Re''Shi, future n Leader of our Burmat Re n. You shouldn''t look dispirited before the others."

    "I''ll try," Burmat Re''Shi muttered under a weak breath.

    Thedy patted his shoulder once and left the courtyard, her demeanour morphing immediately upon exit, reced on her gentle expression was a vicious look, one of dominance after being in power for too long. She snapped her finger, watching a man arrived at the scene and kneel before her, "Speak, have you found Burkurel Re''Kha yet?"

    "One of our teams found her trail leaving the Kuhera Forest. The trail disappeared midway all of a sudden. We are nning to make a sweep from there towards the settlements. Only¡­" The man mmed his forehead on the floor, "Please dispatch some reinforcements. We suffered heavy casualties from the Kalha."

    "Fine, I''ll allot one more team under you. Make sure you find her no matter the cost. And when you do, make sure her corpse is intact." Thedy''s voice made him shudder, not daring to even lift his head from the ground.

    He then heard the crisp sounds of her heels hitting on the stone floor as she walked away, heaving a sigh of relief only after he could no longer hear the sound. He then got up and moved to take action, passing by the entrance to the courtyard as he gazed at the haggard condition of Burmat Re''Shi.

    "A Genius reduced to a cripple." He didn''t even try to hide his voice, not caring if the other party heard him. He then proceeded to recruit the new team he was allotted.

    Burmat Re''Shi acted like he hadn''t listened to the scout''s words, gazing at the dripping water with a vacant gaze. He slowly craned his arm forward, looking at a tiny badge stuck on it, feeling a certain presence from it, full of vigour that was greater than before.

    ''I know you are alive, Re''Kha. I''ll be there to rescue you the moment I heal myself. Please hold on until then.'' The presence in the badge was steady, making him heave a sigh of relief. His eyes shone with intelligence as the Tikka jewellery on his forehead flickered with blinding blue radiance before slowly turning jet ck.

 Chapter 28 - Chaos Among The Kalhas

    "Wow, so this is where they hid their treasury," Re''Kha eximed, extending her perception to the other side of the false granary wall. It was a narrow room that spanned the breadth of the granary. Still, it was wide enough for three people to walk side by side.

    It was divided into three sections. The section on the left was a lower tform on which a bathroom had been constructed. It seemed to be fitted with everything a person needed for their daily necessities. The section in the centre was an elevated tform on which a bed and two vats were ced.

    The bed was a foldable type, also possessing an expandable section underneath that contained some clothes and a nket. The vats were Aeki, their contents unknown. And finally, to the right was a sealed room.

    "Jackpot!" Re''Kha measured the distance to the bottom of the manhole, grabbing the roots of the Aeki as she jumped. Nodder mechanism was ced. So, her only option was to use the roots of the Aeki to climb up and down.

    Re''Khanded on the floor, dusting her palms that ached. She paced some distance through the narrow path before grabbing the roots of an Aeki hanging from above. She took in a deep breath before climbing up.

    Re''Kha peered out from the manhole on the other side, pulling herself out as she held the leg of the bed while panting in exhaustion. If she was in her normal state, this wouldn''t have been much to her. But now, even moving took a toll on her injured body.

    ''I hope I get to soon learn the healing technique master had used on me before.'' Re''Kha thought, recalling the scene when her master had saved her from the brink of death. Her body had been badly mutted in her betrayal and the resulting fight with the Sha¡ªThe Blinded Ghost.

    There was no hope for her to survive even if the doctor stationed in her n rushed to save her. But, her master had healed her to a significant level within a couple of days.

    ''If not for the poison guing him, he could have healed mepletely.'' Re''Kha sighed, hoping she would soon get to learn that ability. She gazed at the section on the right, focusing on the keyhole in the door. Only by opening it would she get ess to the treasury.

    But, there was no key in her vicinity. It seemed to have been securely hidden to prevent any thieves from trespassing into it. Re''Kha covered the entire area in her Wind Qi perception, extending her senses through any crease or crack she found.

    Soon, she found her target. It was in the bathroom. Of the taps ced for water flow, one of them seemed to be corked looser than the others. Re''Kha grabbed hold of it, twisting it clockwise to find water flow out from the tap. There didn''t seem to be an oddity in the situation.

    But, through her perception, she noticed a gap in it, a tiny gap through which she extended her perception, noticing the underside of the tap be shamed simr to the keyhole. Only because of this did she find out.

    Water fell into the bathtub as Re''Kha watched it flow. The water didn''t seem to possess any Water Qi in it, so in her perception, it wasn''t a flow of nk space but one that was outlined in grey sand. Because of that, she could perceive its flow clearly.

    She noticed that the water level in the pipe fell steadily. It didn''t seem connected to a tank, and only possessed as much water as contained in it. When all the water within the pipe flowed out, Re''Kha twisted the tap shut, noticing that she could rotate it once more, even though it was already closed.

    When she rotated it, the tap came off. She noticed the underside of it be designed ording to the keyhole. It was the key she was searching for. ''Thankfully, this wasn''t tooplex. It seems this settlement hadn''t encountered any thieves, judging by thecking defence mechanisms.''

    She arrived before the section on the right, looking at the door that was a hulking mass of metal, ''At least, this door isn''t something that could be broken down without alerting the entire settlement.''

    Re''Kha inserted the key into the keyhole, twisting it clockwise, noticing that she had to rotate it more than 20 times before the door opened.

    The thickness of the door exceeded her girth. It was indeed a massive block of metal. Re''Kha was partly excited as she opened the door. What she didn''t know what that when all the water flowed out from the tap, the pressure within the pipe disappeared.

    At the top of the pipe rested a metal te, kept in bnce on a rod. If the water had been present, it would have touched the underside of the te. Now, with the water''s disappearance, the te was solely bnced by the tiny rod.

    Moreover, when thest batch of water left the pipe, it created a disturbance in the air that entered, the resultant turbulence shook the metal te. The metal te and the rod had been created to be as sonorous as possible.

    So, even the smallest vibration caused them to produce a ringing sound that echoed for a long while before subsiding. It was a sort of mechanical rm the household had set up.

    The ringing sound disturbed all the Kalhas taking shelter from the rain, flying chaotically within the house as their sense of direction was disrupted.

    The ringing sound seemed to irritate them as they coiled their optic nerves on one another and tugged at each other, forming and breaking eye clusters repeatedly. Some of them flew out of the house under the chaos, feeling the rain fall on them.

    A scream of sorts resounded from within as the light in them died out. They turned into a normal eyeball before plopping to the ground, getting damaged from the impact. Some leaked blood while the rest were carried forth by the thin water streams, heading anywhere the water flowed.

    Re''Kha opened the door to the treasury, unaware of the chaos she had created, gawking in shock at what she witnessed.

 Chapter 29 - Unseeming Wealth

    Wealth even she hadn''t ever seen, despite her status in her n. Qi Essences, Magic Artifacts, Pills and Tonics, Art of the Elements, etc. There was a vat ced in a corner that was her size, filled with money.

    Re''Kha first peered into the vat filled with money, scooping some with her hands, "1 RuQi, 5 RuQi¡­there''s even a 100 RuQi coin."

    RuQi was the name of their currency. Their denomination ranged as: 1, 2, 5, 10, 20, 50, 100, 200, 500, and 1000. A simple meal only cost 1 RuQi, so the wealth the household had amassed was a staggering amount.

    Even the settlement couldn''t amass such an amount, considering all the taxes that were put in ce to prevent hoarding. The currency was shaped into a coin, the material created using Metal Qi. But, only the Capital could produce the currency, because of the elements imbued in it that formed harmony.

    Re''Kha grabbed hold of a coin, feeling its clear indentations. The back of the coin contained three rings and one circle at the centre. The circle represented the element of Lightning, the element exclusive to their race. It also represented the element the least number of Harmonisers possessed. Re''Kha felt a mild prickling sensation while touching it.

    The ring surrounding it represented Fire Qi, the second rarest element to be wielded by Harmonisers. Re''Kha felt mild warmth while touching the ring. Followed by it was the ring representing Metal Qi. It was hard to touch, also making a sonorous sound when touched.

    The final, outermost ring represented Water Qi, the element wielded by thergest fraction of Harmonisers. It was soft to the touch but didn''t form any depressions to force.

    The front of the coin sported a vertical eye, a replica of the third eye exclusive to their race. Engraved in its centre was the number representing its denomination. Re''Kha ced the coin back in the vat, watching it making a clinging sound.

    The amount stored in the vat was a fortune, the likes of which she hadn''t ever seen. Re''Kha frowned, "How can a family in a settlement possess such wealth? Unless, they were part of something that could amass such wealth?"

    She did know how they came to possess the amount they possessed. At present, she had no mood to bother with such things. Survival was her priority. Everything would be for naught if she died.

    Re''Kha closed the lid on the vat and arrived before arge trunk, opening it to find sharp nk spaces of all kinds. She couldn''t differentiate them as they all looked like sharp nk spaces to her. There were tinypartments to hold each sharp nk space, safe and secure.

    Re''Kha deactivated her Wind Qi perception, activating her Water Qi perception as she touched each sharp nk space. She actually didn''t need to perceive them through her perception, just a simple touch was enough for her to get an idea about them.

    "This is a Fire Qi Essence, this is a Metal Qi Essence, this is a Water Qi Essence¡­they even have Lightning Qi Essence, quite a lot of them." Re''Kha touched every piece, sensing the element in them.

    An Elemental Qi Essence had a variety of uses: making Magic Artifacts,prehending the element faster, creating an advantageous battlefield, etc. Their most important use was increasing the rate at which oneprehended the element.

    Only byprehending the element would they get the qualification to increase the Qi In their body. As the demand far exceeded the supply, their prices were sky-high. Even a household of Harmonisers wouldn''t be able to afford to buy one, not to mention hoard a trunk full of them.

    "Suspicious indeed," Re''Kha continued to touch and note the Elemental Qi Essences, wishing to find out the number of each when her hands paused, feeling an odd sensation. Touching a Water Qi Essence would make one feel humid, touching a Fire Qi Essence would make one feel hot, touching the Metal Qi Essence would make one feel rigid, and touching a Lightning Qi Essence would make one feel numb.

    So, it was easy to determine the type of Essence based on touch. But, she suddenly felt a foreign feeling, like the scent of grass. Re''Kha used her cultivation technique to enter the excited state, activating her Wood Qi perception.

    "How is this even possible?" She gawked in shock, for the Elemental Qi Essence she touched now conformed to the Wood element. Re''Kha noted down its position and continued to touch the other sharp nk spaces, soon feeling a breezy sensation.

    She activated her Wind Qi perception and watched a grey stone in her perception. It shone with blinding radiance, something she had never witnessed before, "This is Wind Qi Essence."

    Re''Kha recalled her master''s words, muttering, "Did you n it so that I would end up in this house and chance upon these Qi Essences? Master, who actually are you?"

    She finished inspecting all the Elemental Qi Essence, noting that there was only one of the Wind Qi Essence and the Wood Qi Essence. She sighed, "A normal household with Harmonisers cannot even afford to buy an Elemental Qi Essence. But this household has amassed this much."

    Re''Kha looked at the rack above the trunk. Numerous vials and porcin bottles were ced on its shelves. She looked using her Wind Qi perception, noticing faint lines on the sides of each vial and bottle. Upon closer inspection, it was the contents of the containers inscribed on it. This way, thanks to the indentations, she could perceive their names, allowing her to spot their uses easily.

    With a single nce, Re''Kha realised her master had probably predicted everything. It was as if he knew everything that she wanted, the ce she could find it, and the method to obtain it. It wasn''t her overestimating her master due to coincidences.

    She could deduce it through the hints her master had given her during their short interaction. Each of his words back then seemed to have a second, deeper meaning now, leading her to surprises one after another.

    Gazing at the names on the vials, Re''Kha teared up, "With them, I can make a swift recovery."

 Chapter 30 - Budding Dew And The Third Calamity

    "I''ll take a look at the Magic Artifacts before I begin my recovery process." Re''Kha arrived at the corner, noticing numerous Magic Artifacts ced atop a table. They were covered in a soft cloth each, numbering 16 in total.

    Re''Kha took in a sharp breath of air, wondering the identity of the household she had taken refugee within. She had contributed a lot to her n, and in acknowledgement of that and her talents, she was given a Magic Artifact by her n.

    Every Magic Artifact was a precious treasure that many treated with value greater than their own lives. After all, the core of a Magic Artifact was Elemental Qi Essence. The raw material alone was expensive, not to mention the cost required to use them and manufacture a robust Magic Artifact that wouldn''t break in battle. One must also be a master craftsman and would have to spend at least a year to create one.

    Such strenuous process and steep material cost made them precious goods that acted as each n''s foundation. But here, there was not one, not two, but 16 Magic Artifacts. This wasn''t even the Burkurel Ju n, but just one of the settlements under it.

    So, it made no sense. What this household possessed rivalled a n''s foundation. Re''Kha was just about to inspect them individually when her cultivation technique made her feel strange. She was drawn towards something, feeling a sort of affinity towards an item amongst them.

    Re''Kha stretched her hand, guided by her instincts, and grabbed hold of a ring. It was a in ring,cking any inscriptions or designs on it. But in her perception, it was a sharp nk space. The quality of the Elemental Qi Essence in it could be determined by the sharpness of its nk space. And out of everything she had witnessed, this was the sharpest of them all.

    Spurred by her cultivation technique, Wood Qi gushed out of her fingertips and seeped into the ring, making it shine with resplendent hue. It was initially a dull shade of white, somewhat murky. Now, it became a dull shade of emerald, still murky.

    "Re''Kha, my child. I am d this ended up safely in your hands. I used the machinations of fate to ce this ring in a bandit a day before I was poisoned." Her master''s voice resounded in her mind. Re''Kha was shocked as she stared at the ring, finding the nk space flicker while increasing its size.

    "Master!" Re''Kha shouted, hoping she would hear a reply.

    As if it hadn''t heard her shout, the voice continued to speak in a calm tone, "This ring is named Budding Dew. It is a Magic Artifact the 3rd Celestial Emperor Kalki had personally crafted to gift the 7th princess from thend of the Bisheen that arrived as an envoy for a peace treaty. Many decadester, the ring was lost when she died in battle. After that, it ended up in my hands. As it was crafted for her to use, only Wood Qi can operate it."

    "There are ces where I made arrangements for your betterment. Even I cannot guarantee they would remain until you stumble upon them. I only hope you find them as you develop further. The ce you are currently in is one of the branches of a secret organisation that ns to uproot our country. This organisation was created by the people that poisoned me; they are enemies. Loot them dry. Take care, my disciple." Her master''s voice disappeared as Re''Kha teared up.

    "Using the machinations of fate to my advantage, huh," She muttered, "Just like I had thought."

    She felt a connection form with the ring, like it could be operated with her mental strength. She Activated her Wood Qi perception, noticing the ring emit a dull lustre as her perception was sucked inside.

    A Storage Ring!

    The space within wasn''t big, its length, breadth, and height spanning her arm. Still, it was a treasure a Harmoniser couldn''t ever hope toe into contact with. Re''Kha beamed, now understanding part of the situation thanks to her master''s inputs.

    "So, he made arrangements in one of the bases of his enemies. Master is amazing. Just how far into the future could he n?" She then frowned, "To be able to kill such a being, just how frightening are his enemies?"

    ¡­

    In a destend where poisonous mist swirled about, a pce stood tall atop a mountain. It was a pcecking any walls. Poisonous mist gushed in without end, condensing before dissipating over on the other side. Cackling sounds asionally resounded amidst the swirling mist while beings ofrge statures flew within.

    The throne room extended for a very long distance, beyond what one could see in the mist-covered area. Prostrated on the floor were beings that breathed in the poisonous mist like it was normal air. The wings on their backs trembled while asionally pping, pulling in more poisonous mist from the outside.

    Each being was at least 1.5 times taller than Re''Kha. They were part of a race that dominated a massive segment of the continent all life resided on.

    Seated on the throne was a being that was ten times their size, a hulking figure with tremendous presence. Even though he sat in the open, his body was concealed under the mist, the pping of his wings causing them to form mini twisters.

    It was a male, sporting a massive pair of horns on his head that extended until aligning with the edges of his jaw. Simr horns grew from his elbow and ended below his wrist. Finally, a pair of horns extended from his ankle and dug into the floor, acting as a natural heel of sorts.

    His two eyes were like the moon but purple in colour, with hints of red and ck. He extended his left hand forward, tilting it to gaze at the underside, noticing 12 stars line from the wrist to the elbow. Each star shone with resplendent splendour, akin to a real star.

    Among them, the third star that had been dull all along dimmed until losing its splendour, soon sporting a crack. Seeing the change, the being was stunned for a second before bursting intoughter, "Finally, after 20 long years, the Third Cmity has croaked."

 Chapter 31 - Harpen Waves

    Re''Kha wore the ring on the ring finger of her left, feeling a sense of warmth through the connection she shared with it. All she needed to activate it was a thought.

    ''I''ll loot everythingter. Let me check them first and n ordingly.'' She thought, touching each Magic Artifact with her hand, sensing the element in it. Each Magic Artifact conformed to one of the four elements her race wielded.

    Of them, she focused on the Magic Artifacts of the water element, after all, she could only wield them. If she tried to hold Magic Artifacts from other elements, she would feel a faint sense of rejection stemming from within her. But, if by mistake she activated them, then the Water Qi in her body would erupt, internally damaging her. In worse cases, it might even damage her Pranic Heart.

    A Pranic Heart was an organ situated right next to the heart. Its sole function was to pump the Qi through her Qi channels, or simply known as meridians. The meridians were simr to her nerves in that they connected to numerous ces under the skin. It was through them could she emit her Water Qi to attack.

    Re''Kha had no ns on the other Magic Artifacts, so she only focused on the Water element-based Magic Artifacts. The first was a needle, its length spanning her palm. Its tip was deadly sharp, and judging by its design, she realised it was used in treatment. As to the specifics, she was unsure, and could only guess.

    Followed by it was a whip de, its length twice her height. It was in perfect condition; the owners had maintained it with care. Though, considering that it was a Magic Artifact, such care was only normal.

    The third, and thest Magic Artifact of the Water element shocked her as Re''Kha deactivated her Wind Qi perception and activated her Water Qi perception, gazing at its shape. She felt a sense of closeness to the Magic Artifact, like it was part of her kin.

    ''Isn''t this the Magic Artifact, Harpen Waves? It was lost 50 years ago during a fight against a powerful Sha. To think it would be here.'' Re''Kha grabbed hold of it, feeling a mild hum followed by the gentle sound of sea waves. It was the Magic Artifact expressing its joy at her touch.

    Magic Artifacts weren''t sentient instruments. The affinity she felt was from the Water Qi in it that had been created using her n''s cultivation technique. As a product of her n, created for the use of her nsmen, it was geared to be in tune with them.

    ''Mist Banyan has no observable difference to my n''s cultivation technique in its base state. To think master derived it based on my n''s cultivation technique while trapped in his cave for twenty years, as if he was waiting for me all along. This is frightening.'' Re''Kha weighed the Magic Artifact, Harpen Waves, feeling that it was perfect for her use.

    Harpen Waves was two sabres joined by a chain. Both the sabres were identical, their one edge dull and t, while the other was aerodynamically curved. The width at the widest portion was only as wide as the length of her thumb. Its length spanned the height of her palm.

    The chain was only as wide as her little finger, but looked sturdy. The interlocking between each part made the chain flexible and allowed it to bend like a rope. Harpen Waves was the perfect weapon she could ask for. It was a prized Magic Artifact in their n and had been awarded to the most promising candidate¡ªthe n''s sessor.

    Re''Kha wielded the Magic Artifact for a bit before heaving a satisfiedugh. She activated her ring, intending to keep all the Magic Artifacts except for Harpen Waves within it. The ring was made from Wood Qi essence, so it had more than enough energy to activate with just a thought.

    Even if it was close to running out, all she needed was to ce it in a field rich with Wood Qi and it would slowly replenish itself. That was the prime advantage with Magic Artifacts, the sole difference from an Elemental Qi Essence that was unable to recover the Elemental Qi in it.

    ''I only have a single unit of Qi left in me now. It would be wise to not waste it.'' Re''Kha thought, watching a circr film appear above the ring. With a thought, she was able to increase or decrease its size.

    Using her right hand, Re''Kha grabbed hold off and dropped all the Magic Artifacts into it, finally also cing the bag her master had given her into it. Once it was done, she closed it and heaved a sigh of relief, ''Now I don''t have to fear losing it.''

    Re''Kha looked over at the Art of the Elements bundled up into numerous rolls. They were scrolls containing the formation to set up an advantageous environment using the Elemental Qi Essences. That way, one would be able to create a home ground advantage anywhere he/she battled.

    Even her Burkurel Re n only had one such scroll. It was a product of decades worth of research and experimentation. Now, numerous such scrollsy before her. Without a change in her expression, Re''Kha stored them in her storage ring.

    Each scroll only spanned the breadth of her hand, while its length usually stayed within an arm''s limit. As they were rolled up, they didn''t upy much space, allowing Re''Kha to store them without issues.

    She finally groaned, arriving before the rack filled with pills and tonic. Re''Kha read their names aloud, "Swift Qi Recovery, Universal Herbal Antidote, Heightened Mind¡­Vitality Resurgence¡­this is it."

    She took the Vitality Resurgence, downing the tonic in small gulps. She sat on the bed, allowing the tonic to work its charm. As her body digested it, Re''Kha felt an itch all over her body. A formless energy of sorts converged in her muscles, slowly healing the damage.

    It elerated her natural healing process, the surface wounds getting disinfected before forming scabs. As for the internal injuries, it would take a long time before she could recover from them. Still, Re''Kha felt some strength return to her.

 Chapter 32 - Wood And Wind Qi

    Unlike the Magic Artifacts, Art of the Elements, and the money stored, the medicines they stocked werecklustre. It wasn''t because they didn''t have an eye for medicines or anything, rather the development in this field itself wascklustre.

    The fact that the medicines could elerate her natural healing process in itself was something worthy to make note of. Moreover, there were all sorts of medicines to cure variousplications. Re''Kha stored them all in her ring, noticing that the space within was almost full. She gazed at the trunk, staring at it for a while before she started to take out the medicines from the ring.

    She arranged them all back on the rack, sighing, "There is not enough space, master. I cannot loot them dry."

    "If time permits, I''ll consume them as much as possible and recover my condition to its peak." She opened the lid to the trunk, gazing at the sharp nk spaces within. Each Elemental Qi Essence was like a hard piece of gem that couldn''t be broken through normal means, unless she dropped boulders atop them one after another.

    Moreover, unless she formed a connection with them using her mental strength and activated it would they emit the Elemental Qi in them.

    Elemental Qi existed everywhere in the world, shing and forming harmony with their fellow elements. So, in any ce, there existed at least 3 elements, making it harder for a person toprehend their respective element.

    Whileprehending their element, the other elements in the surroundings would hinder them, reducing their efficiency drastically. What made the Elemental Qi in an Elemental Qi Essence was that it was in the purest concentrated form.

    Thereby, when it emitted the Elemental Qi, it pushed away every other Elemental Qi in the area, dominating the region. The greater the range of its dominance, the greater its expenditure. Even then, it allowed everyone within its range of dominance the perfect environment toprehend the element faster.

    "Elemental Qi Essence is one of the greatest treasures. Nothing else can match its value, except for the Magic Artifacts." Re''Kha muttered, "If I wish to grow stronger, I shouldprehend my elements faster."

    She then frowned, sensing the activity in her Pranic Heart and meridians, feeling some limitation ced on her. She focused and meditated on it while the medicine worked its effect. Time passed in such a manner as Re''Kha watched the Water Qi flow in her meridians.

    When she entered the excited state, willing for the Wood Qi to appear, she noticed the Water Qi in her meridians return to her Pranic Heart, making them empty. Then, the blue radiance disappeared, followed by the appearance of the green radiance as her Pranic Heart pumped the Wood Qi through the meridians.

    Unlike the Water Qi, the flow of the Wood Qi was many times less, as a trickle. Re''Kha focused on it andpared the flow to her Water Qi, calcting the ratio, "The flow of my Water Qi is 12 times greater. I see, I had expected it."

    She then changed to her Wind Qi, watching the Wood Qi return to her Pranic Heart and be converted into the Wind Qi before flowing back into the meridians. Its flow was simr to Wood Qi. One of the uses of a cultivation technique was precisely the method of converting one Elemental Qi into another within the Pranic Heart.

    The other was geared towards its flow, determining the Pranic Art one could learn. There existed numerous nodes in the meridians through which the Qi flow branched or merged. They were created based on two factors: The volume of the Bone and the Number of Bones.

    At least one node existed per bone. As the meridians were simr to the nerves, they branched all over the body, their extremities being the Pranic Heart and pores on the skin. There existed an extremity of the meridians in each area on the skin separated by the size of one''s nail. But the arbitrary factor deciding it was the volume of the bone, so gaining fleshly mass didn''t increase a person''s advantage.

    The extremity of each meridian was the pore on the skin through which Qi could be emitted. A Pranic Art was an ability of emitting Qi that shaped the emitted Qi into a projection of sorts that could be manipted for a short duration.

    So, it determined the nodes through which the Qi flowed and in what order to unleash the desired effect. Unless one mastered a Pranic Art, the projections they create would have fixed power, unable to be varied.

    They consumed a fixed number of Elemental Qi units to be activated. Re''Kha clenched her hand into a fist, "My palm projection expends one Water Qi butsts for single use. My hand projectionsts for three breaths in time but consumes six Water Qi to create. The Water Qi I possess is just 12 units. So, I can only create my hand projection twice."

    "But as for the other elements," Re''Kha frowned, "Even if I learn any Pranic Art, I won''t be able to use them. After all, if I convert my Qi into either Wood Qi or Wind Qi, I only have one unit in me. At most, I can unleash a single palm projection, considering I learn one."

    "And," She meditated, sensing the change as she muttered, "To increase the Qi in my body further, I have to firstprehend both Wood Qi and Wind Qi to 12 units worth. Only after that can I hope to increase my Qi."

    "But," She sighed, "Comprehending three elements is multiple times harder thanprehending a single element. Three elements are more of a burden than a boon, master. I don''t know if I can handle them."

    Each Elemental Qi Essence was covered by a piece of cloth. Re''Kha dropped them all into her storage space while holding the Wind Qi Essence in her hands. She willed her mental strength into it, focusing on it for a while before forming a connection of sorts. As an Elemental Qi Essence was a sensitive substance, it soon caught her will, activating itself.

    No winds were produced, but Re''Kha felt a breeze of sorts brush her skin, causing gentle, soft tickling sensations. She limited the range to her body with a thought and began to grasp the profundities of Wind Qi.

 Chapter 33 - Rate Of Comprehension

    Re''Kha recalled everything rted to her current cultivation technique, Mist Banyan. She activated her Wind Qi perception and observed her surroundings. In the range dominated by the Wind Qi Essence, her perception was sharp and detailed, as if she had regained her vision.

    Even though it was still the grey sand, the level of detail and the various shades of grey allowed her to perceive and link to the real colours based on memory. She felt the movement of the Wind Qi, its disorderly nature, and itsck of stability.

    It proceeded in any direction that allowed it to flow. Its path was never straight, but in spirals that randomly zigzagged and changed nes. She had just begun to gaze into its workings when she felt a warning of sorts go off in her mind. It was triggered by her cultivation technique.

    Re''Kha fell to her base state, sensing her Wind Qi return to her Pranic Heart and flow out as Water Qi. A couple of breathster, she entered her excited state, activating her Wind Qi perception.

    Getting interrupted every 10 breaths was an irritating feeling, but she didn''t have an alternative. That was what she had to deal with to get stronger. Her only sce was the fact that she possessed both Wind Qi Essence and Wood Qi essence. They increased herprehension speed, making up for the interruptions.

    Moreover, they were enough tost her a decade even if she used them extensively. So, Re''Kha wasn''t vexed, but thankful. Even if it dyed her strength progression due to the greater number of elements she had toprehend, it resulted in her possessing greater methods, elevating her ability to a whole new level.

    Re''Kha forgot the passage of time, asionally stopping to consume medicine and food before resuming herprehension. It was a slow process, something that couldn''t be rushed.

    After she awakened to the water element at the age of 15, Re''Kha hadprehended 12 units worth of Water Qi in the span of 4 years. In her Burkurel Re n, that was already a feat in itself whichbelled her as a genius. Even beyond her n, very few were capable of this feat. And those who were capable of doing so were nurtured into the n''s sessors.

    A Harmoniser would normallyprehend a single unit of their respective Elemental Qi in a year. Anything below, and they were unsuited to be a Harmoniser, as their progression would be too slow to achieve anything quantitative.

    A Harmoniser that couldprehend two units of their respective Elemental Qi in a year were hailed as those with talent and formed the core foundation of any n. Ones like Re''Kha were rare and seldom appeared in a n. Currently, in her Burkurel Re n, there existed one other Harmoniser apart from Re''Kha with such a talent.

    Finally, there existed those who were capable ofprehending four units of their respective Elemental Qi in a year and wereureled as absolute monsters, appearing once a century. Such people progressed through the ranks at a rapid pace. This was in the case they possessed one Element.

    Many ns cultivated more than one element, so the progression of their nsmen was a lot slower than the ns that only cultivated one element. Cultivating a second element doubled the time needed to cultivate a unit worth of Qi. After all, they would obtain the qualifications to increase their Qi by one unit only after theyprehended both the elements ordingly.

    Cultivating three elements tripled the time needed to progress further. Barely any ns cultivated three elements to avoid weakening themselves too much. The only exception was the royal family that cultivated four elements¡ªall the elements their race was capable of wielding.

    "Once Iprehended all three elements to 13 units, I would have to head to Earth and obtain the necessary Qi to boost myself," Re''Kha frowned, "But, in my blind state, how will I even progress through the quests there? Unlike here, there exists no Elemental Qi on Earth, so I ampletely blind there."

    "I''ll deal with it when the timees," She sighed, peering into the two Aeki ced beside the bed. One of them contained food while the other contained water. It seemed the household had ced the two there just in case they wished to hide and survive in the secretive room.

    Judging by their preparations, everything a person needed to survive was installed in the ce. Re''Kha craned her body, groaning as it ached after sitting for so long. She deactivated the Wind Qi Essence and put it back into her storage space. She ate her fill and arrived before the vat with the coins.

    The vat was as big as her, filled to the brim with money. She ced the lid on one side and began to segregate them based on their denominations. Most of the coins were 1 RuQi that she threw into the empty trunk.

    She put the 2 RuQi coins into the lid while piling up the rest in batches on the floor. Re''Kha was surprised more and more as she pulled out money from the vat. There was just too much of them stored in it, "Just how much did they rob to umte this much? Otherwise, no household can possess this level of money."

    She decided to call them robbers for now based on one reason, they possessed Harpen Waves, which was a property of her n. Any Magic Artifact would be inscribed with the logo of its respective n to prevent theft. This was in the case finders could identify the owner and return it to its respective n for rewards.

    Moreover, even if someone stole a Magic Artifact, they wouldn''t be able to use it in public to avoid being caught, which would diminish its value.

    After all, Magic Artifacts were the most cost-efficient way tobat the Sha, which was one of the highest order of threats that destroyed the daily lives of numerous people. It was the sole purpose they were created.

    As the household belonged to the organisation that killed her master, she didn''t wish to leave them scot-free. "Once I recover a bit more, I''ll begin my preparations."

 Chapter 34 - Plans

    "Today is day 4 of the Early Water Month, the Kalhas have upied this region now. The rains aren''t too heavy for the time being and would stop or start for no rhyme or reason. The news of the Kalhas would have reached Burkurel City by now. They would probably be in a passive situation when rain doesn''t fall and could only retaliate during rainy times." Re''Kha probed the storage ring, feeling its smooth curves.

    "So, to prevent unnecessary deaths, Burkurel City would probably have no ns to retaliate, for the time being. They would wait, attack the beasts surrounding the city during times of rain and retreat the moment it stops. So, they would only attack earnestly during Peak Water Month. It would take even longer for them to cote their forces and damages, and send an expedition force towards each settlement." Re''Kha took in deep breaths, clearing her mind of all distractions as she thought.

    "The Burkurel Ju n is situated in the west in Burkurel City. The five settlements under it are situated to its west. And, as the western settlement, this ce is the furthest away from Burkurel City, so this would be thest ce that would receive help. They would wish toplete it before the Peak Water Month ends, so I have time until then to recuperate and n my escape."

    Their region had four seasons: Water, Fire, Thunder, and Metal. Each season was further divided into three months: Early, Peak, and Late.

    Each season was symbolised by the Elemental Qi that would dominate the region during the time. And, each month established the level of the Elemental Qi''s dominance. In Early Water Month, Water Qi would start to grow abundant and suppress the other three elements. Rains were heavy on this month.

    In Peak Water Month, the dominance of Water Qi would be at its peak. During this month, rain would fall without break for the entire month. And, during Late Water Month, the dominance of the Water Qi would continue to wane until it attains equilibrium with the other elements.

    Followed by it was the Early Fire Month where Fire Qi would start to be abundant. So on and so forth, all four elements rotated in a cycle. Among all the seasons, the water season had the most distinct characteristic, thanks to the frequent rains. It created a beneficial habitat for the Water Qi Harmonisers, increasing their power.

    In the current situation, the Kalhas were weak to the rain, or rather, the Water Qi in it. Normally, perceiving a Kalha was a doom sentence. One would be delirious and gauge their eyes out. When there was heavy rain, the Kalhas would be fairly inactive.

    Moreover, even if one gazed at them by mistake, as long as they drenched themselves under the rain, the effect of the Kalhas on them would subside and disappear. So, rainy times were the best to eradicate the Kalhas while suffering the least number of casualties.

    In their calendar, each month had 30 days, while the Peak Elemental Months had 31 days. There also existed a special day after Late Fire Month, the only day when all elements were in perfect equilibrium. It was known as the ''Day of Equity''.

    Currently, Re''Kha had around a month before she had to escape from the settlement. After all, when reinforcements arrived, they would know that she was living in the settlement. That in itself wasn''t a matter to worry about. But, the worrying fact was the identity of the household she had taken refugee within.

    They were part of a secretive organisation; their reach and power were unknown. So, the fact that she stayed in their house meant she was privy to their secrets. She would be assassinated soon after.

    Moreover, she didn''t know the extent of their reach in society. So, her best option was to escape before they found her and head to the other settlements, and make it seem like she had been travelling from a different direction.

    ''My best bet would be to head to either the northern or western settlement of Burkurel Ka n. That would also conform to my tracks before the ambush.'' Re''Kha felt anger rising in her, thinking of her betrayal. Suspicion dominated her mind, unable to trust anyone.

    She knew that among the perpetrators behind her assassination attempt, some were from her n. Conflict of interests, political manoeuvres, and seizing of power, any and all among them could have been the cause for her to be targeted.

    If she was given the choice, Re''Kha would have preferred to live somewhere else while investigating the scene in her n, only making a move when she was confident. But, reality constricted her. "I can only grow stronger by staying within my n. The Portals to Earth are controlled by the ns and are inessible to outsiders. My only hope to gain entry into them is through my n."

    She sighed, sleeping on the bed, closing her eyes. She was tired, quickly falling asleep. The rolled-up cloth banner slithered over the floor, slowly approaching her, its speeds increasing as time passed. Formless energy radiated from Re''Kha as she seemed to be experiencing a nightmare.

    The cloth banner arrived under her bed and extended one end of it towards her, gently cing itself on her face. Feeling some difficulty in breathing, Re''Kha moved her hand, pushing the cloth banner away from her face.

    The cloth banner remained still for a long time after which it slowly moved, wrapping itself on her arm. It absorbed the formless energy Re''Kha radiated, bing livelier as time passed. Sweat covered her forehead as she shook her head from time to time.

    Her hand grabbed hold of the nket, gripping it tighter while she tossed and turned, feeling some difficulties in her breathing. She seemed to be struggling a lot while sleeping, the injuries in her body further aggravated the situation.

    To the cloth banner though, this was a steady source of nourishment. It didn''t make any abrupt action, slowly coiling itself around Re''Kha.

 Chapter 35 - The Chase In The Memory

    "Team leader, the Blinded Ghost went north-west. It will enter the Kuhera Forest at this rate!" Re''Kha shouted, riding a horse. Strung to her back was a quiver while held in her left hand was a bow. Her right hand held the reins of the horse as she controlled it. Strapped to her waist was a Magic Artifact, shaped into a sword.

    They were a team of seven, led by ady in her thirties. All were Harmonisers, an elite team in charge of a part of their city''s defence. Moving at the front was the team leader, and moving half a pace back, to her right was Re''Kha, disying her position in the group. She was the second in charge.

    "We''ll try pursuing it until halfway. If we are still unable to catch up to it, then retreat is our only option. We cannot risk getting near the Kuhera Forest." The team leader said.

    "But, if it heads there, it would be even stronger than now. We would no longer be able to face it in the future." A Harmoniser at the back said, sneaking a nce at Re''Kha.

    "Yes, what she said is the truth," Another Harmoniser supported her opinion, "Judging by the Blinded Ghost''s behaviour over the past month, it definitely has some agenda to fulfil in our city. So, it would definitely return and wreak havoc."

    "The Kalhas cannot directly harm it, but the beasts they control can attack it. So, it would bring it more harm than good if the Blinded Ghost heads into the Kuhera Forest." The team leader said in calm, "Besides, we can lie in wait to ambush it once it gets weakened by the Kalhas."

    The Harmoniser running at the back, seventh in the position, thedy that had spoken before let go of the reins as she nocked an arrow into her bow. The team of seven were sprinting through a forest whererge bouldersy amidst. One such boulder was shaped into a perfect sphere. The moment she spotted it, the Harmoniser gazed at the team leader''s back.

    In a fluid motion, she pulled the arrow to the back and released it. The team leader sensed the killing intent, turning around as she blocked with her left hand. Blue radiance covered her hand and stopped the arrow.

    She had created her hand projection. The team leader craned her hand to her hip and punched forth, aiming at the Harmoniser that had attacked her. Her hand projection flew rapidly towards the target, about to punch her head.

    The Harmoniser condensed a hand projection of her own, mming it into the team leader''s hand projection. The two projections collided with each other, sshing some water in the process. The water contained the Water Qi they had infused in it, the expenditure weakening the projections ordingly.

    Seeing the change in events, Re''Kha reflexively nocked an arrow in her bow andunched it towards the attacker. Another Harmoniser too did the same, intending to attack the betrayer. But, all of a sudden, she directed the arrow towards Re''Kha, releasing it.

    Even in her hurry, Re''Kha didn''t condense a hand projection. She kept note of her total Qi, unwilling to waste a hand projection that consumed half her reserves. Instead, she sent a palm projection flying towards the arrow, blocking it.

    The arrow lodged partway in the palm projection that continued without losing its momentum, mming into the horse of the Harmoniser that had attacked her. It was chaos, two of their team members had turned on them for reasons unknown.

    There were no warnings or foreseeable motives. And, the situation made the team members unable to trust their backs to the others. After all, they didn''t know if there still existed another among them with the motive of betrayal.

    Followed by swishing sounds, a hail of arrows flew towards them, hitting their horses. In the previous exchange, since the two betrayers had been positioned at the back and had been charging relentlessly, they were unable to stop their horses, for the reduction in mobility might very well cost their lives.

    But now, it was used against them. The hail of arrows hit the horses, causing them to stumble. The Harmonisers barely managed to jump off them and roll on the forest floor to negate their momentum.

    The team leader swiftly got up and punched again with her hand projection. A hand projection would exist for three breaths in time before dissipating, so she nned to kill an enemy before that.

    ¡­

    Re''Kha tossed and turned, experiencing a nightmare. She muttered under her breath, her words a jumble. In the silent room, her mumbles echoed, creating a scenery of distraught. The cloth banner acted like the nket that covered her, using the opportunity to absorb the formless energy emanating from her.

    Soon, it noticed that the energy intensity was decreasing, a sign that Re''Kha was about to wake up. Without any abrupt movements, it retracted itself and slid to the floor, rolling in the process.

    It then slithered on the floor, opening the manhole before jumping into it. Itnded on the ground with a soft thud as it had unfurled itself during the descent, using its form as a parachute of sorts. It then slithered through the narrow pathway before coiling around the roots of the Aeki.

    As it was the only mode of travel to the floor above, Re''Kha hadn''t closed the manhole and left it as is. That''s why she closed the manhole on her side, in the off chance the Kalha make their way into the granary.

    The cloth banner arrived on the floor above, slithering as it arrived at the corner where some goods had been piled. They were what Re''Kha had brought with her from the house. Among them was a nket within which it had been wound before.

    The cloth banner ced its rolled self on the nket and rolled, wrapping the nket around it. It then rolled itself neatly, folding the extra ends on the breadth. A part of it slithered through the gap before picking up a thread, tying up the nket, returning it to the same position and makeup Re''Kha left it as.

    As it was made from silk, it was thin, able to move through the gaps. After tying it up, the part of the cloth banner slid back into the fold, making it seem as if it had never moved.

 Chapter 36 - Pursuit

    A fair distance away, situated within a sparse outgrowth of trees in the meadow were a group of people on horseback. They numbered twenty, each exuding a powerful presence. Some of them carriedrge rucksacks, their postures still. The only difference was the faint movements from within the rucksack, a sign of struggle.

    "Master, Re''Kha disappeared somewhere around here. Her trails stopped abruptly, but there are no signs of protest or resistance. The possibility of a bird-type beast lifting her is high." A man that seemed the youngest of the group said, riding his horse to stand beside the middle-aged man at the front.

    The middle-aged man had a medium stature with toned muscles. He was the leader of the group. He wore thin clothes, the indentations of his muscles apparent thanks to the rain. He felt the rain fall on him, unaffected by it as he listened to the report, his calm voice ringing out, "There are no bird-type beasts in this region. If there existed one and had moved so close to the Kuhera Forest, the Kalhas wouldn''t have left it as is. They would have obtained it."

    Seeing his disciple wish to speak further, the man shook his head, letting out a deep breath as he gazed forward, "If you act based on what-ifs, you would never reach the truth. Only derive based on what you see, hear, and perceive."

    "Yes, I understand." The disciple made a light bow, "Master, then what do you suggest we do now?"

    "Lady Re''Kya wanted the corpse of Burkurel Re''Kha to be well-preserved. On the off chance she had survived, her destination would be Burkurel City. Before that, she would have ventured into one of the settlements. As the Burkurel Ju n''s western settlement is the closest to this ce, we''ll start there."

    He gazed at the sky, watching the rain fall without stop, waving his hand once, making a tiny arc with the water his palms crashed into. The group began to move at his signal. The horses were covered with a type of armour that prevented the chillness in the rain from seeping in. All the riders too wore simr armours.

    Their equipment seemed minimal at first nce, but upon a closer view, one would notice numerous tools tucked underneath their armours. Their armours were sophisticated for investigation, carrying everything they needed within.

    The group marched on without rest, their postures erect, battle-ready. They seemed like hardened warriors that had enough experience to retaliate against any situation. The meadow spanned for arge distance, with canals flowing amidst.

    Soon, arge settlement came into view, the stone walls raised up high. A breach among it wasid apparent, with water flowing out from the raised settlement. To prevent any floods in the region where rains were plenty, the entire settlement was constructed on a raised tform.

    Moreover, since it was wholly carved from stone, there wasn''t much chance of it getting damaged by the rain. Through the breach in the walls, rainwater poured out in arge stream, making the ce look like a short waterfall.

    The group stopped a fair distance before the breach, still seated on horseback. The leader motioned with his hand; one of the underlings alighted from his horse before throwing the rucksack on the ground. He opened the cover, gazing at the fright-induced face of a shivering boy.

    The boy seemed 15 years in age, slightly malnourished. He gazed at the man with fear, his trembling voice resounded, followed by intermittent coughs, "Sir please, I am not part of any insurgent organisations. I am just the son of a farmer."

    "The one who made the im against you was your father you know," The man stared with an expressionless face. The boy shuddered under his gaze, the chillness from the rain numbing his limbs. He bowed his head, his limbs constricted, unable to move.

    "I''ll give you a chance to prove your loyalty to our country," The man said, untying the ropes, allowing the boy to warm himself. He then opened a scroll, disying the face of Re''Kha painted on it, "Head into the settlement and find traces of this girl. Our sources state she is an insurgent and holds sensitive information. If you aplish this, we''ll vouch for your innocence and even give you a better life."

    "Thank you, for your magnanimity." The boy prostrated, disying an expression of relief. He stumbled as he stood, massaging his legs to rx the muscles. He then bowed as he spoke, "Sir, how should I inform you when I find her?"

    "Take this," The man handed a pouch, "Contained within is an oil that would make anyone dizzy. Just throw it on her and run back to us. We''ll take care of the rest. Now get going."

    The boy bowed and walked towards the settlement, feeling some difficulty in entering the breach due to the power behind the water current. He managed to get inside using the support at the edges and looked around, seemingly looking for traces of Re''Kha.

    The moment he walked away from their view, he started to run, "Dammit, I had almost died. I have to escape before they realise something."

    He threw the pouch towards a corner and looked around, picking the way to head towards the east gate of the settlement. That way, he could escape and avoid pursuit. The group that had captured him was stationed on the west side of the settlement, so by the time they started to chase him, he would be long gone.

    ''Besides, they seem to be searching for that woman. This is my only chance at escaping.'' The thought just shed in his mind when the boy noticed the door to a nearby house strewn about, seemingly smashed by something heavy.

    He craned his line of sight through the entrance, noticing hundreds of eyes stare at him. It was the eye cluster. The moment he noticed them, his eyes widened as time seemed to slow down. His heart thumped faster and faster, each beat powerful enough to be heard in his ears.

    His expression slowly morphed into one of fear while his hands moved towards his eyes.

 Chapter 37 - Nerou

    "He''s dead," One of the underlings looked at the dial strapped to his hand, speaking in a cold tone.

    "Send the next one to retrieve the package," The leader waved his hands, turning silent as he gazed at the breach, his expression stoic. He gazed at the sky, watching the rain fall on his face, noticing a decrease in its intensity, "Hurry up with it, the rain might stop any moment now."

    Another underling dropped the rucksack he carried on the ground, opening the cover to gaze at a trembling girl within. The moment she saw his face, she immediately began to bawl, making grunting sounds as her mouth had been covered¡ªher limbs were tied up.

    The moment the underling tried to remove the cover on her mouth, the girl shook her head crazily, her muffled screams increasing in pitch. The underling''s chill-inducing voice resounded, instantly silencing her, "Make another sound, and you''ll meet your parents."

    Her face turned pale with fright while her eyes spewed venomous hatred. The underling seemed unfazed by her expressions, swiftly untying her. He showed her a pouch simr to the one the boy had received before, "Enter that breach, turn right and find a simr pouch there. Bring it back and I''ll set you free."

    He then put a choker around her neck, smiling as he spoke, "This will allow us to track your whereabouts anywhere. So, I hope you won''t try anything stupid. Once you return, I''ll set you free. This I vow on my honour."

    The girl nced at the leader, watching the other party speak with no change in tone, "The Iron-Tipped Scouts always uphold their word. That is the sole fact you can be assured of us."

    For some reason, hearing his words convinced the girl; she turned around and began to head towards the settlement, her body trembling as the rain drenched her. She felt weak, fear enveloping her mind. Still, she dared not escape, the choker on her neck serving as a reminder.

    When she had moved a fair distance away, one of the underlings snickered, "Wicked bastard, putting a choker on her. It''s not like we need something like that to track her."

    "Sometimes, a false reality is better binding than an unperceivable truth. The choker would remind her not to escape." The underling that had instructed the girlmented.

    Soon, the girl returned, her pace slow, carrying the pouch in her hands. She stopped ten paces away from the group, "Release me."

    The underling shrugged, pointing at the choker, "Pull the ring in it. The choker woulde off on its own."

    The girl was hesitant, staring at the eyes of the underling to judge whether he spoke the truth or not. Due to the rain and the distance, she wasn''t sure. Moreover, none of the twenty before her expressed anything humane, preventing her from finding out anything.

    She craned her finger to the ring in her choker, touching it as she hesitated for three breaths in time, finally mustering up enough courage to pull it. With a plot, the choker came off. The girl stared with an unbelievable gaze, finding the choker in her hands, her neck was free.

    The underling chuckled, waving with his hands, "Throw the two to me, or you can just ce it on the ground there and make your way out."

    The girl dropped the pouch and the choker and began to backtrack, her gaze never leaving the group, intending to react at a moment''s notice. She increased the distance between them before turning around to sprint at the maximum speed her legs could carry her. All the while, nothing expected happened to her.

    "It took a lot of effort to carry her all along you know." One of the underlingsined. The leader waved his hand, "If she can survive in such dangerous times, then she has more than earned the right to live. Let us proceed with our mission now."

    The leader''s disciple picked up the two items from the ground as blue radiance radiated from his body, condensing into a sphere before him. Five tendrils projected out before thickening, their shapes defining into a beast. Everything happened in an instant, the disciple had summoned his Pranic Avatar.

    It had four legs, with its forelegs twice the length of its rear legs. Its tail was a horn curved upwards while its only eye was positioned on its forehead. It had a long neck and a narrow head, through the mouth of which hung a tongue touching the ground.

    It was the beast¡ªNerou!

    Nerous were capable of perceiving through numerous means, sight, smell, sound, instinctual presence, prints, etc. with everything surpassing what any person could ever hope to achieve. The Nerou sniffed the pouch, using its tongue to wrap around as it paused, unaffected by the rain.

    Without it doing any other action, the disciple beamed in joy, "Re''Kha passed through here."

    "Alright, let''s proceed with the same in the four gates. If her presence isn''t registered in them, then it means Re''Kha is still within this settlement." The leader waved his hand, "Three per gate, return swiftly."

    Twelve of his underlings branched into four groups before heading towards the four gates of the settlement. They used the same method as before, sending the people they had brought inside. Those that returned safely were just freed, waved away to escape.

    The first to return was the group headed towards the west gate. Since they were near, they swiftly finished it. One of them made a salute as he spoke, "Sir, there wasn''t any presence of Re''Kha near the west gate."

    "Good," The leader smiled, watching the groups headed towards the north and south gates return simultaneously, delivering the same news. The leader smiled, watching the rain be a drizzle.

    Finally, after some more time had passed, the final group returned, bringing with them the news concerning the east gate. One of them spoke with relief, "There were no signs of Re''Kha near the east gate."

    "So, she is within this settlement, either dead or under the control of the Kalhas." The leader nodded, gazing at the five Nerous standing before him, noticing the rain show signs of stopping, "We''ll retreat and return when it starts to rain again."

 Chapter 38 - Madmen

    The moment Re''Kha woke up, she took in a deep breath before activating her Wind Qi perception. She cautiously extended the range, heaving a sigh of relief when she didn''t perceive any Kalhas within the granary.

    She then focused on the pile of things she had brought in, seeping her perception through a rolled-out cloth, noticing faint nk spaces within. ''So, it managed to absorb the fear I emitted even from this distance.''

    Re''Kha returned to the granary, noticing the thin tube at one corner that led into the open. The air within formed a connection to the outside world through the tube.

    Re''Kha pulled out a Water Qi Essence, activating it with a thought. Water Qi slowly seeped out from it and began to fill the room. Re''Kha ced it on the floor while standing nearby, noticing that she had around 8-10 breaths before the Water Qi covered herpletely.

    She nned to scout the outside, hence the preparations. Her situation wasn''t one of safety; the house owners or anyone else could return any time. There was no guarantee things would go as she wished.

    The previous day, she was too tired and weary to do anything and just wished to find a ce to rest. Now that she had rested and recovered a little, she wished to scout her surroundings. Only with that could she proceed to recuperate with mental peace.

    Through her Water Qi perception, Re''Kha noticed a blue cloud touch her feet, extending through the granary''s surface, steadily increasing in altitude. As the concentration of Water Qi wasn''t high, her perception was hazy. She rechecked the time remaining before itpletely wrapped around her, deactivating her Water Qi perception.

    She entered the excited state in her cultivation technique and activated her Wind Qi perception, swiftly seeping her perception through the granary, noticing thin nk space move upwards, already crossing her knees.

    ''Don''t be afraid, you can do it.'' She mentally willed herself, extending her perception through the narrow tube, proceeding beyond the house. The rain was a drizzle now, allowing her Wind Qi perception to function, albeit with some interference.

    Re''Kha sighed in relief, "Since it is still drizzling, the Kalhas wouldn''te out now. So, I''ll be safe as long as I avoid perceiving the houses."

    Re''Kha mentally willed, deactivating the Water Qi Essence. The level had reached her neck by now. If she spots a Kalha by mistake, all she had to do was enter the region covered by the Water Qi. The Water Qi would prevent her situation from worsening while slowly healing her back to normal.

    It was thanks to all elements opposing one another. Re''Kha considered this factor while devising her ns. Her Wind Qi perception spread through the surroundings, outlining the roofs of every house in the settlement.

    From there, she slowly proceeded downwards, only outlining the houses around their edges. Since she was familiar with the housing style, she knew where the doors and windows would be ced, deftly avoiding the areas while outlining the rest.

    The scene was no different from before, the only oddity being the carcass of many animals and beasts strewn in front of every house''s entrance. The same was true for the house she had taken refugee within. The beast before her house''s entrance was a serpent, possessing a massive body.

    Only its lower half was visible in her perception. To see it further, she had to gaze further, which would bring her perception into the house''s entrance, spelling her doom as she perceived the eye cluster. So, Re''Kha stayed within the safe limits, taking in the entireyout of the settlement.

    "Wind Qi perception has tremendous advantages that no other element possesses. I can see anywhere air can pass through." Re''Kha remarked, getting an inkling as to why her master went to the trouble of creating a cultivation technique containing the element of wind.

    Moreover, the unprecedented fact was that no Kalki¡ªher race¡ªcould use elements other than lightning, water, fire, and metal. Just that alone was an impossible feat, something even her race''s Celestial Emperor would be unable to achieve.

    "Now to see beyond," Her heart thumped as she extended her perception beyond the settlement, immediately noticing the figure of a girl in her teenage heading east at a slow pace. Re''Kha focused on her, wondering how a lone girl like her could be present in such a dangerous area.

    "Kidnapers," Her expression morphed into one of anger as Re''Kha noticed the girl stopped before a group of twenty on horsebacks. She then noticed therge rucksacks they were carrying, focusing on a rucksack, seeping her perception through the pores in them.

    It took some effort before which she could outline the figure of a boy. "These madmen!"

    She watched the girl drop a choker and a pouch on the ground before steadily retreating from the area. The group of twenty didn''t pursue her, rather, one of them picked up the pouch before summoning his Pranic Avatar.

    The moment she gazed at the Pranic Avatar that was summoned, her face turned serious, ashen even, "Pursuers, they are tracking someone."

    She then thought of the incidents she had been through, "There is a high possibility they are after me. Whoever the other party is, they are quite thorough."

    Re''Kha chuckled self-deprecatingly, "All this just to hunt down a blind woman."

    Her mind whirred into action, thinking of the area she was taking refugee in, watching 12 people split into four groups and head towards each gate. Re''Kha focused on the actions in the west gate since they started the earliest.

    Her face brimmed with anger as a man dropped the rucksack he carried on the ground, opened the cover, and smiled at the girl within, showing her a scroll, "Thedy in this portrait is Burkurel Re''Kha, a valuable insurgent. She is hiding somewhere within this settlement. All you have to do is throw this pouch on her when you find her. This will knock her unconscious. Do this, and you will be set free. You''ll also lead a wealthy life after this."

 Chapter 39 - Perceived/Perceiving

    The girl trembled from fear, the emotion apparent to Re''Kha in her perception, for she could see the lines forming the girl''s body shiver despite the interference. "Insurgent?"

    Re''Kha realised the target of their hunt was her by the conversation. Thanks to the Wind Qi perception, she could listen in on their voices without trouble, as if they were speaking right beside her.

    She watched the girl enter the settlement through the open gate¡ªthat had been opened when the popce rushed out in a hurry to escape the pursuit of the beasts and animals¡ªand walk about a fair distance when she screamed in fright.

    The pouch in her hands dropped to the floor while her hands proceeded towards her eyes, digging them out. She dropped her two eyeballs to the floor and slowly walked towards a nearby house''s entrance, unable to escape from the control of the Kalhas.

    Re''Kha dared not watch further, afraid she would gaze at the Kalhas, muttering in helplessness, "Sorry, I''m not in a position to save others."

    The moment they heard her scream, one of the men on horseback dropped another rucksack to the ground, opening the cover to reveal another girl. He looked at her, speaking in a cold tone, showing a pouch to her, "There is a pouch simr to his thrown a bit beyond the entrance. Only gaze at the ground while you walk, don''t look anywhere else. Bring back the pouch and we would set you free, this I vow on my honour."

    The girl was convinced as she headed into the settlement through the west gate, found the pouch, dared not look anywhere else, and slowly returned. Since it was still raining, the Kalhas hadn''t moved, thereby not generating any sounds to affect her. The rain also washed away all sorts of smells, making it a rtively safer journey for her.

    The girl returned the pouch and was set free. Her gait showed that she hadn''t been expecting it, soon breaking into a sprint to run in a direction she deemed safe. On seeing that the girl was proceeding east, Re''Kha heaved a sigh of relief, "At least, if she doesn''te across any danger, there is a small chance she would make it to one of the settlements."

    The man then summoned his Pranic Avatar, holding the pouch before it. The Nerou touched the pouch with its tongue, seemingly sensing something. The man who had summoned itmented, "She hasn''t approached this gate."

    "That''s a Nerou," Re''Kha screamed in shock, "What are people from a major n doing here? No, even if I was a Martial Master, I am still unworthy of being their target."

    "Or¡­" She muttered, "Were they nurtured in a different n after being kidnapped by birth? Through generations, they were nurtured into loyal underlings of the concerned n and kept hidden?"

    Both the possibilities spelled disaster for her. If it was the former, it meant the background of the people that targeted her were beyond what she could handle. Using their power andwork, reaping her life was easy. The strength of a Harmoniser wasn''t that powerful to dominate a group of people.

    With enough skill, even a normal person could kill a Harmoniser.

    If it was thetter, it meant the n had enough foundation to dare kidnap a member of such a powerful n and cultivate them in secret until forming a group using them. Moreover, the group in pursuit of her were twenty people, twenty Harmonisers experts in the field of tracking individuals.

    "Even if I escape now, they could pursue my traces easily. And, even if I return to the safety of my n, considering the power struggle happening in it, there is a chance I would have to move out of the n to perform some mission. They would have more than enough opportunities to kill me then." Re''Kha frowned.

    Her expression hardened, tinged with killing intent, "I guess, the only option to free myself is to kill them. But, how do I kill them? I don''t know any Pranic Arts in the wind and wood elements. And, I cannot use my water element Pranic Arts while keeping my Wind Qi perception active."

    She sulked, sensing the Qi in her, "I have only managed to recover three units of Qi, which are only enough to unleash three palm projections. I need 6 units of Qi to unleash my hand projection and 10 units of Qi to summon my Pranic Avatar."

    A meal, after digestion, would generate a unit worth of Qi in her. After consuming medicines and stuffing herself full whenever possible and at regr intervals, she had only managed to recover three units of Qi. Her maximum capacity was 12 units of Qi.

    "They all seem like powerful individuals. So, their Qi capacity should vary between 15-30 units. Their leader might even have around 40 units of Qi or beyond. And, they can all summon their Pranic Avatars to boot." She sighed, recalling something as she focused on the breach.

    As they finished their investigation, all the people on horseback converged as the leader gazed at the sky, "So, she is within this settlement, either dead or under the control of the Kalhas."

    He then motioned for them to move, "We''ll retreat and return when it starts to rain again."

    As their group began to retreat, Re''Kha noted down their direction, noticing that the rain was about to stop. The leader''s words had given her an idea. Unwilling to waste her time, Re''Kha retracted her perception, stopping at the spot before the entrance of the house she had taken refugee within.

    Her perception trailed over the body of the serpent, moving further and further up, slow in its passage, careful, unwilling to act with haste. Re''Kha crouched, cing most of her head within the space swirling with Water Qi, only leaving a tiny portion peeking outside. It was through where she extender her Wind Qi perception.

    As her perception moved forward, optic nerves simr to fibrous roots appeared, scattered over the serpent''s skin. Re''Kha gulped as her heart thumped with tension, her limbs unconsciously shivering as her mind felt weak. She gritted her teeth, mustering every ounce of courage in her as she moved her perception slightly forward, watching the figure of a Kalhae into view.

    Its eyeball moved; the moment she perceived it, it perceived her in return, gazing at her as its optic nerves iled about.

 Chapter 40 - A Throw Into The Moat

    Burmat Re''Shi sat within the courtyard, gazing at the openwn outside, watching the rain slowly trickle down until it stopped. The barely lit surroundings brightened a little after that, soon reducing in intensity as it seemed about to rain again. His dazed state numbed as he expressed a longing to venture out.

    His hands shivered as he pushed the wheels of his wheelchair, moving forward at a slow pace. The moment he ventured out into thewn, a maid hurriedly ran towards him, shouting, "Master, you''ll harm yourself if you get drenched now."

    "The rain has stopped," Burmat Re''Shi said, showing no intentions to pause, his gaze stubborn, "I wish to take a stroll now."

    "Please wait a moment, Master. I''ll bring you an umbre." The maid hurriedly bowed and walked towards a nearby cottage, finding a servant that she found familiar, "Master Re''Shi wants to take a stroll. Ask Lady Re''Kya if he is allowed to do so."

    "Give me a moment," The servant paced through a corridor that connected to another house, moving over an arched bridge under which a canal flowed. Corridors made the paths that connected one house to another, creating a roofed structure to walk without getting drenched.

    The servant didn''t sprint through the corridor, for that was considered rude by the masters of the household, only walking at the maximum pace she could muster. She arrived before the entrance to a house, prostrating at the door, "I wish to convey a message regarding Master Re''Shi."

    "Come in," A young voice echoed out; the servant opened the door and entered, her head facing the ground. She then heard a feminine voice suffusing with authority resound, "Raise your head and speak."

    Only then did the servant dare to raise her head, gazing at thedy before her. Standing on her right was a girl bearing resemnce to thedy, her expression poised with arrogance. "What does he want now?"

    "Manners, Re''Fia. He''s still the sessor to the n." Burmat Re''Kya chided, gazing at the servant, motioning her to speak.

    The servant cupped her fist as she stated, "The maid of Master Re''Shi said he wishes to take a stroll outside. She wishes to seek your permission."

    "Permission granted; ensure he remains unharmed." Burmat Re''Kya waved her hand casually, dismissing the servant. The servant bowed before exiting the house, closing the door on her exit, careful to move it slowly, unwilling to offend the two inside.

    She then returned and ryed the message to the maid. On hearing that she was granted permission, the maid cursed, "Why do I have to do such a troublesome thing?"

    She grumbled as she swiftly returned to the courtyard of Burmat Re''Shi, watching him reach the exit. "Master, please wait. Let me fetch you an umbre."

    Burmat Re''Shi didn''t seem to have heard her shout, slowly moving through a corridor, watching the canals situated on both sides. Every n with the prefix ''Re'' styled their n with a lot of water amidst, forming arching bridges and ind-formatted houses and roofed corridors with decorated pirs connecting everything.

    It was to stay in touch with the element they wielded. Burmat Re''Shi let out a wry smile as he gazed at the fishes swimming in the canals. Hidden amidst them was a beast the n heavily nurtured, for it generated them a beneficial environment.

    Burmat Re''Shi arrived before an arched bridge, feeling some difficulty in moving over it, thanks to its inclined slope. The maid arrived on time, holding an umbre that she attached to the backrest of his wheelchair.

    She then held the handle at the top, pushing the wheelchair, "Master, please allow me to help you."

    Burmat Re''Shi nodded, notmenting on the matter. "Head to the n gate, the southern one."

    "But¡­" The maid hadn''t obtained permission to take him that far, unsure of the way to reject his choice.

    Burmat Re''Shi looked at her, his eyes turning sharp for a moment, "Did you just refute me?"

    "No master, no, I was about to say," The maid waved her hands in a fluster, panicking for a moment, thinking of the way to continue her previous statement, "But, can your body handle such a long travel?"

    "Heh," Burmat Re''Shi snorted, shaking his head, not pressing forth on the matter, "It''s not far. It takes less than fifty breaths from here."

    ''If it rains and his injuries worsen, I might lose my head.'' The maid screamed internally, ''Why can''t you make my life easier, you cripple?''

    The maid continued to push the wheelchair, not wishing to talk further. She gazed at the sky, noticing that it was about to rain soon. She then gazed at the Tikka jewellery on his forehead, noticing the fading glow on the embedded gem, ''He''s already losing his talent as a Harmoniser. He''s worse than a cripple now. At least, a Harmoniser cripple could still defend himself.''

    They reached the southern gate of the n that led them into the outskirts of their city, Burmat City. The soldiers stationed at the gates barred them from exiting, "Please show us your permission to leave through this gate."

    "I''m taking a stroll. My mother should have known about it by now. So, move aside." Burmat Re''Shi waved his hand, his face turning stoic. The soldiers stationed at the gates nced at the faces of each other, noticing the troubled expression each held.

    They then gazed at Burmat Re''Shi, cupping their fists as they bowed, "Sir, we would lose our heads if anything happened to you."

    "I''ll be within your reach," Burmat Re''Shi said, motioning the maid to push his wheelchair. After a moment of hesitation, the maid pushed him through the exit, resigning herself to her fate. There existed a drawbridge over a moat that separated the city from thend. The moment the maid pushed his wheelchair over the moat, it started to rain again. "Master, we should return."

    She had just spoken when thunder rumbled while lightning shed, causing her to instinctively close her eyes. Even the two soldiers paying attention to him closed their eyes to avoid bing blind.

    Burmat Re''Shi smiled, waving his hand as he condensed blue radiance over it, shaping it into a sphere before throwing it over the drawbridge¡ªinto the moat. The sound of the thunder masked the sound it made while sshing into the water while the lightning prevented anyone from witnessing his action.

    Burmat Re''Shimented after a moment, taking in a deep breath, "You''re right, we should return."

 Chapter 41 - Pakou

    Burmat Re''Shi had a cid gaze as he returned to his n. The moment he entered, the soldiers heaved a sigh of relief, plopping to the ground as they felt strength leaving their legs. They then joined their palms together, praying he wouldn''t ever try to leave the n again, at least while they were on watch.

    ''My injuries seem they would take a long time to heal. But don''t you worry Re''Kha, help is on its way.'' He then watched his surroundings, asionally hearing the snickering and snide remarks about him by the passer-by, including the servants and the nsmen.

    He didn''t seem bothered about them, rather taking in a deep breath as he spoke to his maid, "I think this is enough of a stroll for now. Let''s return to my courtyard. I''ll stroll outter."

    ''Your majesty, please don''t have thoughts of moving about ever again.'' The maid made a vicious prayer in her mind, wishing she could speak her mind out to someone. She then noticed a servant she was on close terms with, a partner for her venting sessions.

    She returned Burmat Re''Shi to his courtyard, removed the umbre, and ensured he wasn''t drenched anywhere. She then bowed and left the ce, calling her friend along the way. They gossiped about daily matters, rumours, and other matters of importance they heard during their work, soon cursing about the people they served.

    Burmat Re''Shi gazed at the badge embedded on the underside of his left hand, noticing the blue radiance in it flicker, "Persevere Re''Kha, my Pranic Avatar will soone to your rescue."

    He had been biding time to umte Qi in him, using a mysterious Spirit Artifact to store the excess Qi while his body generated more. Finally, by expending all the stored Qi, a whopping 80 units, he had summoned his Pranic Avatar in its strongest state, a secret none of his nsmen knew, including the one he called ''mother''.

    A Pranic Avatar was a being born and nurtured within a Harmoniser''s Pranic Heart, given he/she possessed the bloodline to nurture one. A Harmoniser and his Pranic Avatar shared an intrinsic bond, able to share thoughts instantly, irrespective of the distance.

    The type of Pranic Avatar a Harmoniser possessed was solely dependent on his birth parents. It was passed through birth, so only descendants of a Harmoniser possessing a Pranic Avatar would possess one¡ªthe same one as their predecessor.

    Depending on the type of Pranic Avatar, the amount of Qi required to summon them varied. The greater the Qi required, the stronger the Pranic Avatar was, and the greater the duration it could exist in reality.

    Every Harmoniser in the Burmat Re n only needed 40 units of Qi to summon their Pranic Avatar in its strongest state. If one didn''t possess enough Qi in them, then they could summon their Pranic Avatars at a weakened state, the weakness varying depending on the amount of Qi reduced.

    ''They don''t know my secret, but this close surveince from Re''Kya prevents me from doing anything. This damneddy.'' He cursed, for Burmat Re''Kya wasn''t his blood-rted mother, but the second wife of his father. And, he never liked her, for she wished to get rid of him.

    The only reason he hadn''t died yet was that she wanted to make his death seem as natural as possible. That was why she was weakening him slowly, day by day through a variety of means, both physically and mentally. The attack on Re''Kha was a consequence of that, for she was his fiance.

    She wanted her children to be the legal sessors of the n, a motive-driven ambition to seize power.

    "Hah," Burmat Re''Shi sighed, closing his eyes as he focused on recuperating while sensing everything his Pranic Avatar perceived through the sharing of their thoughts.

    The strength behind the downpour intensified, making the visibility nil. From under the drawbridge, the head of a beast peaked out of the moat, slowly moving towards the end before climbing over to the surface.

    It had a pair of horns, facing forward from the side of its jaw, their ends sharp. It had a long neck, sporting two pairs of eyes on the sides of its face and a single eye on its forehead. It was a four-legged beast with a wide body frame, sporting two humps shaped like a fin: the former curved towards the front while thetter curved towards the back, creating a U-shaped structure between them.

    Beast¡ªPakou!

    It was the Burmat Re n''s Pranic Avatar. The Pakou swam through the water and mmed its webbed feet on thend, climbing up. Its line of sight conformed to a grown man, a hulking creature of mass that was as powerful as its presence dictated.

    Its fur-covered body soaked in the water, making It heavier. The Pakou unfurled its flippers, ttening them as it pped them, watching them stretch and widen their surface area. Soon, it pped them and took off to the skies, its speed of flight slow.

    Thankfully, the powerful gusts of winds it created and the pping sounds it produced were blocked by the intense rains. The ce had also be pitch ck, thanks to the sun setting, the cloud covering up the skies, and the heavy downpour, preventing any mode of light from travelling far.

    Even the light emitted from the settlement was directed within, with seldom few searchlights scanning past the area in search of any approaching harm. The Pakou deftly avoided them, as if it had known their scouting routes and timings before arrival.

    It was undetected as it flew far away, increasing distance from the Burmat City, slowly elerating as time passed. It shed past numerousndscapes, constantly elerating as it headed south, its destination being the Burkurel Re n.

    "Hurry!" Burmat Re''Shi controlled it to elerate further as he gazed at the flickering of the token¡ªattached to the underside of his left hand¡ªintensify, with the blue radiance in it having dimmed a notch aspared to before.

    The Pakou roared once, lowering its altitude as it zoomed over a river, the pping of its wings causing the forming waves underneath to be disrupted.

 Chapter 42 - Boon Within Bane

    "Gah!" Re''Kha screamed, clutching her head as she entered a state of delirium. All that shed in her mind was the image of the Kalha she had perceived, its figure increasing in size as it seemed about to overwhelm her consciousness and reasoning.

    Due to the pain, her body instinctively bent over, entering the range of the Water Qi-covered area. As she inhaled the air, the Water Qi mixed in it was sucked into her lungs, mixing with the blood as the heart pumped it throughout her body. Flowing through the blood vessels, it seeped into her head, counterattacking the Fear Qi generated within her.

    The two negated each other in equal quantities, the rich supply of Water Qi soon overwhelmed the Fear Qi, annihting itpletely. As her cultivation technique conformed to the water element, and thanks to her affinity to it, the Water Qi didn''t damage her, soon getting absorbed into the meridians.

    Moreover, something also seemed to have externally helped her, quickly negating the Fear Qi before it could take effect. Re''Kha panted, slowly returning to her senses as she gained rity of mind, activating her Water Qi perception.

    She noticed the cloth banner wrapped around her head like a turban, absorbing the Fear Qi in her while repelling the Water Qi from affecting it. Since the Water Qi generated by the Water Qi Essence didn''t possess a will of its own, it didn''t attack other elements actively. The cloth banner made use of this point to slowly repel and distance itself from the Water Qi, avoiding damage while benefiting from the exchange.

    Re''Kha grabbed hold of the cloth banner, immersed in thought for some time before changing the wrapping, fully covering her head now. She left a tiny part on her chin, the only portion of her head the cloth banner didn''t cover.

    She stood up, the top of her head peeking out of the Water Qi-filled area. Since she had consumed a part of it just now, its height had reduced, allowing her chin to peak out when she tilted her head to the back.

    Re''Kha activated her Wind Qi perception, focusing on the serpent at the entrance of her house once again, trailing over from its tail towards its head, this time at a slightly faster pace. Her heart thumped in fear the moment she spotted the optic nerves, pausing for a moment as she regted her breath.

    She then gritted her teeth, moving her perception forward as a Kalha came into view. The Kalha gazed at her directly, as if knowing her position from the previous exchange. Re''Kha almost lost consciousness, losing her bnce as she fell on the floor.

    Her state of deliriumsted for a short duration before she regained rity of mind, sensing the cloth banner devour the induced Fear Qi happily. She could sense a form of excitement from the cloth banner, the reason as to why she didn''t know.

    Re''Kha grabbed hold of the cloth banner, "I see, I can depend on you to survive an encounter from a Kalha. Though, if Ie across a cluster, even you wouldn''t be able to siphon the Fear Qi at a fast enough pace to save me. Still, this gives me an opportunity."

    Re''Kha heaved a sigh of relief, feeling her gamble had paid off. She had noticed the cloth banner''s actions all along, linking the clues to devise a n of action. The first time was when it arrived and rested on the side of her bed when she was resting within the house. It meant the cloth banner could travel when needed.

    The second was the clue she obtained when she woke up, noticing that the cloth banner constantly absorbed the fear she experienced thanks to her nightmares, converting it into Fear Qi to store within itself. Linking the two, she had an inkling, a faint hope that the cloth banner could also absorb the Fear Qi from her when she was affected by a Kalha.

    It was a calcted oue; still, she was d it worked as she had expected. Re''Kha closed her eyes, sensing the flow of her Water Qi, noticing that it had subtly changed. Its flow had an almost negligible but greater volume. Re''Kha instinctively had an inkling of that to be the case.

    She activated the Water Qi Essence with a thought, watching the Water Qi in the region be denser. Through her Water Qi perception, she watched the Water Qi flow into her as she inhaled the air, the Water Qi in the air she exhaled bing a notch lower.

    Re''Kha spent more than 10 breaths before noticing a subtle increase in her Water Qi reserves. "This should work!"

    It was a surprise, Re''Kha gazed at the Water Qi Essence, shocked that it had such a feature. Despite her status, she hadn''t had many opportunities to interact with one. Even during the times she was allowed to do so, it was in the n''s meditation room, with more than 100 people huddled around a single Water Qi Essence.

    Moreover, the rule passed in their n or whatever n was that one''s Qi reserves should be at maximum capacity before entering their respective n''s meditation room. That was why she hadn''t noticed this feature.

    ''I see,'' Re''Kha nodded in thought, immediatelyprehending the reason for that rule, ''If my Water Qi isn''t at full capacity, I would be absorbing the Water Qi generated by the Water Qi Essence, expending it at a faster speed while also decreasing its concentration, reducing the efficiency of theprehension session.''

    "But now, I can swiftly increase my reserves thanks to this." Re''Kha smiled, peaking out of the Water Qi-filled region as she activated her Wind Qi perception, noticing that the rain hadpletely stopped. The Kalhas would have begun to move around now, making the outside tremendously dangerous.

    "I have time until the rain starts to fall again," Re''Kha clenched her hand into a fist, linking her ns as she exchanged the Water Qi Essence with another from the ring, one that was close to bing empty. She nned to use it for her subsequent ns, all for her survival.

 Chapter 43 - Steal~

    Re''Kha left the Water Qi Essence in the granary, making it continue generating Water Qi at the fastest rate possible. Water Qi filled the area, increasing its humidity, allowing her to see clearly. She constantly inhaled it, sensing the Water Qi reserves in her steadily increase. Re''Kha entered the manhole and walked towards the other side, climbing into the treasury.

    She gazed at the pile of coins on the floor, cing all coins with the denomination of 5 and above in her storage space. She looked at the rack with the medicines, only taking the ones that would help with her recovery, leaving the rest behind.

    The household hadn''t obtained anything of value among the pills and tonic, only possessing the ones that were avable in Burkurel City, albeit more expensive than normal medicines. As anything of greater value was strictly controlled by the Sects that produced them, the distribution of such medicines was only based on demand and had to be consumed on the spot.

    That''s why the household hadn''t managed to obtain such medicines. After storing the medicines she needed, Re''Kha opened the lid of the two Aeki near the bed, looking at the variety of food in the first Aeki and the crystalline water in the second.

    She returned to the granary and picked up the metal cylinder that had a Fire Qi Essence embedded into it. That was how it produced hot water continuously. She emptied its contents on the granary floor and arrived at the treasury, filling it with the water from the Aeki.

    She then wrapped the food within a cloth and ced both it and the metal cylinder into her storage space, noticing that it was almost full. The metal cylinder wasn''t too big, but it still upied a fair enough space.

    Her storage ring had a cubical volume, the sides of which approximately conformed to the length of her arm. But, it was a rigid storage, like a metal box with the same dimensions. So, she had to arrange the items within it to prevent them from upying too much space and block other items from being ced.

    Moreover, when she opened it, a transfer of air happened between its inside and the outside world. After all, when she activated her storage ring, it created a portal of sorts to connect with the space inside, allowing passage of materials from both the dimensions, whether living or non-living.

    It was an incredible Magic Artifact, for it was personally crafted by the Third Celestial Emperor Kalki, a being at the peak of her race. The space within it was no different from that of reality, its advantage being that it was mobile, moving with the storage ring.

    Hidden in the underside of the bed was a thin section within which were some clothes. Re''Kha pulled them out, noticing a bag ced at the end. "I knew they would have kept something like this here. Only then can they escape with their belongings should the situation turn for the worse."

    The bag seemed to be made from a tough material, resistant to water, expandable to contain a fair enough volume. It was a backpack, its design also wasn''t anything unique, looking simr to the ones sold in Burkurel City. The only difference was its sheer superiority in the quality of its material.

    After keeping a change of clothes for an emergency, Re''Kha poured as many of the coins¡ªwith the denomination of 2¡ªas possible within the storage ring, stopping as she left little space in preparation for the item she wished to store next.

    She tied the remainder of the money in a cloth, stuffed it with some fur to prevent them from creating jingling sounds while moving, and dumped it into the bag. Unwilling to leave anything behind that would serve as evidence, or waste the resources, she ced the medicines in the bag, leaving five vials behind.

    Finally, she dumped the clothes she had taken for use, and some food at the top, holding the bag to see that it weighed a lot, making it difficult to carry for long distances. Still, it wasn''t heavy to the extent she was unable to lift it.

    After two night''s rest, she had recovered enough to carry it. But, if she exerted herself any more, she would cause her injuries to umte. Re''Kha had ns in motion in regards to that, so she wasn''t concerned.

    She dropped the bag through the manhole, carried it across to the granary, and ced it at the entrance. She then descended through the stairs, arriving at the floor of the granary to see the Water Qi Essence was close to getting expended. The granary area seemed as if it waspletely submerged underwater.

    Once she replenished her Water Qi reserves to the maximum, Re''Kha felt difficulty in breathing. She made a trip to the treasury as she picked up the five vials she had left behind. "Their sizes are¡­perfect."

    She then picked up the vat and other materials, carrying them to the granary before setting up her scheme. "Since they are part of the organisation that caused master''s death, I shouldn''t leave them alone."

    Re''Kha entered the treasury, opened the lid to the Aeki containing water, and used a spare cloth to tie the lid to its side. This prevented it from closing shut ever again. The water levels within slowly rose, soon brimming before spilling out of the Aeki. As it was a form of nt, it couldn''t move, a passive creature whose life was dictated by others.

    The water spilled on the floor, slowly covering its surface. Re''Kha closed the manhole and nted a couple of spikes¡ªthat she had used to jam the granary''s entrance¡ªinto the floor. She wished to make use of the water pressure for the time when the household members arrived to investigate.

    She then climbed back into the granary, closing the manhole shut, ncing at the nket and other items she had brought with her, "I hope my traces on them would vanish by the time they arrive. Or¡­yeah, the scouts would probably attempt something drastic anyway, so this house is bound to get damaged."

 Chapter 44 - Schemes

    Re''Kha pulled out her Magic Artifact, Harpen Waves, using it to sever the roots of an Aeki. She unloaded its contents into a couple of other Aeki nearby, dragging its empty self through the flight of stairs before cing it at the entrance.

    Since the entire granary was covered by Water Qi, Re''Kha faced zero difficulties in perceiving her surroundings. But, she was feeling some difficulties in breathing, for it was starting to feel like she was underwater.

    Unwilling to waste time, she ced the Aeki near the entrance and descended the stairs. She proceeded towards one corner, arriving before the Aeki that contained water. She opened and bent its lid the other way, tying it using one of its roots to prevent it from closing up.

    The water within brimmed to the limit before starting to spill out. Re''Kha kept watch on her surroundings; since the entrance wasn''t yet dominated by the Water Qi, she could use her Wind Qi perception from the area, using it to scout her surroundings, noting that it hadn''t started to rain yet.

    Re''Kha used Harpen Waves to cut the nket into long strips, tying one of them to the lever that operated the door. She ced the Aeki beside, poking numerous holes on its underside using the needle-shaped Magic Artifact.

    She left it in the ce, multitasking as she was pressed for time. She connected the cloth strips, creating a line from the lever through the flight of stairs. She did a simr one for the Aeki, one to operate the lid, and the other for the holes she had poked. The cloth was blocking the holes, preventing the Water Qi from entering inside temporarily.

    A tug on the cloth strip was all she needed to open the holes. She ced weights on the lid of the Aeki to make it close automatically¡ªwhen opened. The water level was slowly rising within the granary. Re''Kha made note of the speed of rise as she stripped, wrapping the cloth banner around her, using a simr method like before.

    But this time, the cloth banner was also wrapped around her arms, its sides touching her wrists. Only the part after the wrist was left unwrapped, for she didn''t have enough length to do so. She then wore her dress over it, finally arming herself with a weapon.

    Re''Kha jumped through the stairs, watching the Water Qi Essence had finished emitting all the Water Qi it contained, turning into a transparent crystal. All the hopping and running tired her, but as she had no other choice, Re''Kha could only rest in short intervals before continuing, constantly keeping watch on the weather beyond the walls.

    She pocketed the crystal before picking up two cloth strips, tying one end to the roots of an Aeki, and the other to the vat she had brought. She then left it to float atop the water, making her way back to the entrance again, "This is the final step, if this fails, then everything I''m banking on would be useless."

    Re''Kha focused, picking up Harpen Waves, using its sharpness to grate the transparent crystal, causing faint powder to fall out. Re''Kha used a vial to store the powder. She had already emptied the contents of the five vials, cleaned it with clean water, and had pocketed it.

    Now, she was pouring equal amounts of the powder into each, swiftly finishing her task. The Water Qi Essence was a hard crystal, something that couldn''t be shattered through normal means. But, once all the Water Qi in it was expended, it turned fragile, able to be ground into dust easily.

    "The beasts love to feast on this. A spoon''s worth can help them survive for a year. I hope the Kalhas too prefer them. A Kalha can survive for more than a decade with this amount." Re''Kha finished grounding the transparent crystal, closing the caps to the vials as she set a trap within.

    Each vial was transparent, made from a crystal resembling ss but a lot tougher. As they were non-reactive, they were used to store and preserve medicines. The size of each vial varied based on the type of medicine stored; the ones before her were small enough to be enclosedpletely in her hold.

    The lid and the body of the vial were transparent, screwed together with a single rotation. Re''Kha ced an adhesive on the underside of the cap and craned it over the vial with a cloth strand. It was made to fall the moment somethingnded within the vial.

    Finally, Re''Kha neatly ced them within the Aeki, heaving a sigh of relief as she checked the condition outside, "I''m almost done. It looks like it might rain soon. I have to hurry up with this setup."

    She tied some strands to one end of the cap of each vial, passing the thread through the holes she made before joining them together into a thread. Once it was done, she checked if every setup she had installed was working fine, heaving an exhausted sigh when they all worked as she had expected.

    Re''Kha descended through the flight of stairs,ing into contact with water mid-way. She ced Harpen Waves within her storage space and brought out the whip-shaped Magic Artifact, hoisting it on her back.

    Re''Kha swam through the water, grabbing hold of the Aeki''s¡ªthat generated water¡ªlid before ripping it off, waving it once to see it could push around the water fair enough. She made an upward motion using her hand from within the water, noticing a small portion of water spill out, reaching a fair height before falling. She judged the height of travel based on the force with which the water droplets fell on the water surface. She could also perceive their motion through her Water Qi perception.

    Re''Kha tilted the vat upside down, keeping its mouth within the water. It was hoisted and bnced by the cloth strips she had tied to the roots of the Aeki. It would act as her reserve of clean air that wouldn''t cause her to be delirious.

    "It''s done," Re''Kha swam to the surface, took in a deep breath before pulling at a cloth strip, watching the entrance to the granary open little by little. When the gap crossed her little finger''s length, the eye cluster rushed inside.

 Chapter 45 - Scheming Against The Eye Cluster

    ''One¡­two¡­three¡­four¡­five¡­six¡­seven!'' Re''Kha mentally counted, pulling another cloth strip. Followed by a rumbling sound, the entrance to the granary closed, trapping the Kalhas within it. She had timed herself right, acting the moment rain started to fall.

    Due to the rain, the Kalhas went into hiding in a hurry, retreating to their shelters, squeezing through the limited space. In such a time, another entrance opened, leading into more space for them to take shelter.

    The Kalhas instinctively moved through the gap, soon finding the space within was no safe zone, suffused with Water Qi. Before they could escape, the door mmed shut, blocking their escape route. Moreover, the gate was arge b of rock, something the almost weightless Kalhas without much strength couldn''t ever hope to move.

    The Kalhas sensed the Water Qi in the air, feeling ufortable. The Water Qi alone wasn''t enough to kill them, after all, it was Water Qi without any will in it, unable to actively cause any damage. But, the moment its concentration increased further, it would exhibit its own natural phenomenon, imitating nature and bing a force to reckon with. By then, they would have no hope of survival.

    They panicked, scattering about in the air in every direction, trying to find a safe ce to take refuge within. Re''Kha limited the range of her Water Qi perception to the water she hid within. After all, the water was a substance that could damage them thanks to the Water Qi in it, the water possessed a will of its own, or more like a force of nature as it moved due to the disturbance Re''Kha caused within.

    ''Three¡­two¡­one!'' Re''Kha pulled another cloth strip slowly, ensuring the distance she pulled conformed with what she had nned and experimented once. The lid of the Aeki near the entrance opened, its insides bereft of any Water Qi.

    The Kalhas immediately sensed it, rushing to enter it. Moreover, settled at the bottom of it were five vials, containing a powder that was very beneficial to them. But, each vial was only wide enough to fit one Kalha.

    The Kalhas fought each other for the five spots, pushing each other as they created bizarre sounds. If Re''Kha heard them, then she would start to be delirious.

    ''One¡­two¡­three¡­four!'' Re''Kha left her hold on the cloth strip. Thanks to the weight attached to it, the Aeki''s lid closed automatically, trapping some Kalhas within. The Kalhas floating near the Aeki were stunned, unable toprehend what had happened.

    They swirled about, creating a cacophony of noises. Re''Kha felt her mind slipping out of her control, immediately reducing the range of her perception, sensing the cloth banner absorb the Fear Qi generating in her. The Water Qi also acted as a film that protected her to a fair extent. If not for that, the sound would have been overwhelming to bear, for it was generated by a small cluster of Kalhas.

    Within the Aeki near the entrance, almost 40 Kalhas were floating, with five of them upying the entrances to the vials. They were the most powerful of the bunch, possessing greater Fear Qi in them and the ability to control it.

    The respective Kalhas inserted their optic nerves inside first, feeling around the interior of the vial. It was coated with the powder that was beneficial to their growth, able to nurture them into stronger existences.

    The transparent crystal left behind from an Elemental Qi Essence, after it emitted all its Elemental Qi had its uses. It was made into the walls and flooring of each n''s cultivation room, for it prevented the Elemental Qi within from seeping out or affecting the floor and walls of the room. This raised the effectiveness of theprehension session, a benefit every Harmoniser desired.

    Some ns reared beasts, using these transparent crystals to feed them, nurturing them into stronger existence while also saving all the costs of feeding them. The first Kalha slowly entered through the entrance, soon settling itself within the vial.

    The moment it did so, the cap closed upon it, startling the Kalha for a moment. But, after noting that nothing unusual happened, it didn''t worry further. After all, it was able to push out the cap when needed. Re''Kha sensed the disturbance through the threads she had connected to the caps, beginning to count.

    ''Seventeen¡­eighteen¡­neen¡­twenty¡­twenty-one!'' Re''Kha pulled another cloth strip. It was the strip covering the bottom part of the Aeki''s sides. The moment Re''Kha pulled it, it came off easily,ying the holes she had made into it bare.

    The Water Qi slowly seeped in through the holes, startling the Kalhas within. To avoid the Water Qi, they had entered the interior of the Aeki in a rush. But now, the same was happening again. Even though this Water Qi didn''t actively harm them and only caused them to feel ufortable for the moment, it would eventually start weakening them.

    Soon, it would be a poison that would eat away at their bodies, for they were beings attuned to Fear Qi. Any other element was poison to them. In normal cases, the Fear Qi in them would resist against the Water Qi, preventing it froming near. But over time, the resistance offered would steadily crumble as the ambient Elemental Qi¡ªWater Qi¡ªwould continue to grow, soon breaking the bnce and destroying them from within.

    The Kalha within the vial sensed the appearance of the Water Qi, pulling the cap closer. It then noticed the Water Qi seep in through the gaps between the vial and its cap, prompting the Kalha to act to protect itself.

    The optic nerves of the Kalha iled about, soon noticing a gum-like substance coated on the underside of the cap. The gum was sticky, but not to the extent it seemed permanent. The Kalha also noticed a ring in the cap, shaped into a spiral. It fumbled about until turning the cap, noticing that the gap between the vial and its cap became wider.

    It reflexively turned in reverse, sensing the gap be narrow. It continued as such, soonpletely tightening it. The moment it finished the rotation, it noticed an oddity, for the tip of the vial''s walls and the underside of the cap had touched, getting stuck to one another. After that, no matter what it did, the cap never budged.

    It finally struck the Kalha, that it had been trapped.

 Chapter 46 - The Cloth Bannerâ€™s Help

    The other four Kalhas too were simrly stuck, unable to break free. The Water Qi seeped into the Aeki at a steady rate, turning the Kalhas silent, for they were resisting it with all their might. By staying still, they expended less energy, conserving their strength.

    Re''Kha swam through the water, peering her head through the vat as she gasped for breath, wheezing a couple of times before her breathing stabilised. She took in a deep breath before diving into the water, using the Aeki''s lid to scoop the water and throw it into the air.

    The water sprinkled all over the ce, with some of them falling on the Kalhas, damaging them. Those that were sprinkled by smaller drops were badly injured while those that came across droplets the size of their bodies lost their bnce, falling into the water below.

    The impact damaged them while the force prompted the Water Qi in the water to collide into the Fear Qi in their bodies, destroying them wholly, causing their optic nerves, and the forked tongues peeking out of their lens to vanish, leaving behind normal-looking eyeballs.

    Re''Kha used her Water Qi perception to notice the eyeballs falling and floating on the water surface, using the Aeki''s lid as a paddle to push them to one side. She then continued to sprinkle water into the air, sensing more and more eyeballs fall.

    She dared not attack using her Magic Artifact, for that would shed their blood and body fluids. And, when they mix into the water, before the Water Qi in it could destroy them, they would affect her to a fair extent.

    Moreover, as it continued to increase, the water would be polluted, and as she would be affected more and more, Fear Qi would continue to generate within her and soon overwhelm the Water Qi. That way, she would be delirious and offer herself to the Kalhas, her only fate would be for them to nt themselves in her eyes and control her body.

    And, as time passes, numerous Kalhas would be born from her until she waspletely sucked dry. The worst nightmare-inducing fact was that she would be conscious of everything all along. For, that would generate more Fear Qi in her which was basically nourishment to the Kalhas.

    Such was the fate that awaited every being controlled by the Kalhas. That''s why, she refrained fromunching any attacks, solely focusing on sshing water into the air. After every interval, she would retreat and plunge her head into the vat, breathing in the air within it.

    As it was enclosed on all sides, with its entrance submerged within the water, the air within was unaffected by the Kalhas. But, the air was limited, with Re''Kha feeling weak with her subsequent breathing attempts. She knew that she couldn''t persist forth in such a manner, increasing the flurry of her attacks.

    At least, thanks to the Water Qi she had filled in the granary, the potency of the attacks of the Kalhas were reduced. After calming her beating heart, Re''Kha plunged her head into the vat once again before increasing the range of her Water Qi perception.

    She wished to find the spots of the remaining Kalhas. For, her recent attacks failed to cause any eyeballs to fall into the water. As her range increased, she noticed the absence of any Kalhas within the granary, or at least, in the lower portion. For, her water sshes even reached the ceiling, preventing them from having any safe ce to hide within.

    So, they had retreated towards the entrance, huddling around the Aeki. The water hadn''t reached there yet. Though, it was only a matter of time, for the water levels were climbing up the steps, with only three remaining before it reached the top surface.

    The moment she perceived them, the Kalhas simultaneously nced her way, peering through the water to look straight at her. She fell unconscious immediately, entering a state of delirium. Her hands moved towards her eyes, noticing that shecked any eyeballs to pluck out.

    Her hands then moved to the Tikka jewellery on her forehead, intending to pluck out her third eye when the cloth banner constricted her movement, preventing her hand from touching her forehead. Moreover, the cloth banner covered her bodypletely, including the nostrils, except for the part beyond her wrist. So, it acted as ayer of defence against the assaulting Fear Qi.

    The cloth banner siphoned the Fear Qi, starting from the head to clear her mind a little before Re''Kha gained enough initiative to control herself. The cloth banner continued to absorb her Fear Qi while she swam towards the vat, out of breath.

    Re''Kha inhaled the air within the vat, noticing it made no difference to her current condition. She thenpletely exhaled,ing out of the water to swiftly inhale a mouthful of air before entering the water.

    A strange odour¡ªunleashed by the Kalhas¡ªwas mixed in it, causing a tangy taste in her tongue as her mental state went haywire. If not for the cloth banner, and the Water Qi rich environment, she wouldn''t have survived.

    The air allowed her to stay underwater for a fair duration as the cloth banner fully absorbed the Fear Qi, normalising her condition. Re''Kha sensed the eyeballs covering the water surface, thinking for a second about the capabilities of the scouts she had to face next.

    She opened the lid of numerous Aekis, watching the food within them float to the top, with some of them staying at the bottom, while others mixed into the water. The food at the top mixed with the eyeballs, making them seem no different from edible food. As the waves sshed forth, they mixed up more and more, camouging all the eyeballs within the food.

    Re''Kha swam above the flight of stairs, arriving at the edge of the water surface before unleashing a palm projection, aiming a bit above the Aeki.

    The palm projection was amplified by the Water Qi in the surroundings, increasing in strength as it collided into many Kalhas, shattering them into pulp. Without any pause, she unleashed two more palm projections, aiming at other ces. The flurry of attacks also riled up the ambient Water Qi, acting based on the will imbued in the Water Qi making up her projections.

    The Water Qi collided into the Fear Qi of the Kalhas, soon turning them into normal eyeballs that fell on the floor. Re''Kha climbed over to the surface, gasping for air as the effect contained in it made her body uncontroble, stumbling to the surface. She continued to inhale the air as the body fluids of the Kalhas mixed into the water, polluting it.

 Chapter 47 - Threat Becomes A Weapon

    The atmosphere within the granary became increasingly dangerous. The Fear Qi and Water Qi fought each other, establishing their respective domains. The Water Qi retreated into the Water while the Fear Qi upied the air.

    In her hurry, Re''Kha had killed a lot of Kalhas in the end. If the Fear Qi in them was purified when they were alive, they turned into normal eyeballs, crushing which wouldn''t affect anyone. But, if they were crushed while alive, their body matter turned into a poison that would continue to generate Fear Qi until it was wholly consumed or destroyed by the ambient Elemental Qi.

    Unfortunately for her, Re''Kha fell unconscious on the floor, which subjected her to the Fear Qi in the air. The Fear Qi hadn''t yet entered a state of passiveness, still driven by the will the Kalhas had imbued in it. So, it targeted Re''Kha.

    Dark radiance converged around Re''Kha, forming a pair of hands that iled about, continuing to absorb the Fear Qi as it grew stronger. As it was absorbing the Fear Qi, Re''Kha was less affected, her breathing soon stabilised.

    A couple of breathster, Re''Kha woke up, her eyes shot open while she sprang to her feet, the abrupt action causing her to groan in pain. She activated her Water Qi perception, unable to sense anything. After a thought, she activated her Wind Qi perception, noticing she was surrounded by nk space all around her, with asional patches of grey connected to her.

    Soon, the grey world increased in size as she noticed a steady stream of nk space enter her clothes. ''It saved my life time and again, but at this rate, it is going to materialise a spiritual form.''

    The hands had disappeared the moment she woke up, so Re''Kha didn''t realise that her conjecture was already partially true. With the Fear Qi reducing in quantity, Re''Kha could breathe without trouble.

    This was the difference between a naturally abundant element and a living thing-generated element. Natural elements were more bnced, possessing a definite source. But living thing-generated elements, like Fear Qi and Ghost Qi, were like a gue that was caused within living beings and propagated through them.

    Such elements increased in might the greater the living beings they affected. The Kuhera Forest was one such example. It had be an area dominated by the Fear Qi thanks to the Kalhas living there. No living being dared to set foot there, but when it did, it never got out.

    ''Now, onto the final phase.'' Re''Kha gazed at the Aeki near the entrance, keeping the lid closed while she pulled out a Water Qi Essence from her storage space. She kept it near the bottom, activating it with a thought.

    She used the needle-shaped Magic Artifact to poke a bigger hole before blocking it with the Water Qi Essence, sensing the Water Qi spread within the Aeki, turning denser and denser before overwhelming the Kalhas within, turning them into normal eyeballs.

    Re''Kha opened the lid after some time had passed, noticing the almost 40 Kalhas within that had be regr eyeballs. They created a creepy sight; Re''Kha ced her hand within them, fishing out a vial, noticing that she was unable to perceive anything from within. Her Water Qi perception was unable to seep inside.

    Re''Kha ced the vial right before the cloth banner, noticing a thin stream of formless space move from the vial into the cloth banner. She immediately retracted it, ''I can sense whether the Kalha within is alive through this method. This also means the adhesive I applied works perfectly. Now, I can arm myself with it as a weapon to fight against the scouts.''

    Re''Kha smiled, picking up the other four vials, checking to see that they were all working fine. She ced three vials in her storage space, pulling up the cloth strip tied to the Aeki as she began tearing them into shorter strips.

    She tied the mid-portion of the cloth strip around a vial''s cap, wrapping until fully covering the sides, preventing it from evering off while in battle. She then ced it above her chest, tying the strip around her girth, securing it tightly in ce.

    Re''Kha moved, jumped, and iled her arms, noticing that the vial was rigidly attached to her and didn''t fall off. She also adjusted her clothes, covering its sides, preventing it from looking out of ce unless one directly peered into the front of the vial¡ªthe only part that was now visible.

    As it was pretty small, Re''Kha could perfectly hide it among her clothes. She tied the other vial to the nape of her neck, making a hole in her dress through which it peaked out a little. Only its front wasn''t blocked, rest were hidden under the thick fur coat she wore.

    "It would have been better if I had a bow with me." Re''Kha sighed, for that would have made her life easier. Unfortunately, she didn''t find one in the household. As bows were incredibly useful for attacking from long ranges, they were usually kept by the owner at his side. Moreover, as the household members were fleeing from the beast tide, they would have definitely taken all the bow and arrows they possessed.

    "It would be harder to use Harpen Waves since my perception would be greatly affected and wielding it in such a state would cause me self-harm. The whip is a better option in such a case." She gripped the whip, cing her ear on the entrance of the granary, seeking out for any vibrations. While she waited, she used a Water Qi Essence to recover the Water Qi in her to the limit¡ªtwelve units of Water Qi.

    At the breach in the settlement stood twenty men on horsebacks, no longer carrying their rucksacks with them. They were fully prepared for the hunt, gazing at the short waterfall before them. The leader looked towards the sky, muttering with a cold tone, "This rainfall would probablyst for a fair enough time. Let''s go fetch Burkurel Re''Kha andplete our mission."

    The leader unleashed his Pranic Avatar, using it to activate his Water Qi perception, outlining the entireyout of the settlement in his mind. He immediately focused on the ce of oddity, a rare smile emerging on his face, sporting mild praise, "So, you are alive."

 Chapter 48 - Prelude To The Battle

    The water levels continued to increase, crossing the flight of stairs, soon covering her ankle. They seeped out of the granary through a small hole at the bottom of the entrance that Re''Kha created using the needle-shaped Magic Artifact.

    After creating it, she left the needle-shaped Magic Artifact in ce, using it as a medium to extend her Water Qi perception to beyond the granary while filtering out the Fear Qi emitted from the Kalhas that tried to peer within. She kept the Magic Artifact in a deactivated state to prevent anyone from sensing it through Water Qi perception. Through its edges, water gushed out, thanks to the pressure building up in the granary due to its increasing height.

    The gushing water created a flow in the kitchen, moving around the edges as it proceeded further and further, soon reaching the living room. It proceeded through the living room, going towards the exit. To prevent the house from retaining stagnant water in the off chance they had a leaking roof, all houses were structured in such a way there existed a negligible inclination in the flooring, with the bottom part leading to the exit.

    It was negligible to the extent the people living in the house wouldn''t even notice. But to the water that flowed from a higher position to a lower, it was more than enough. Thanks to this, the thin stream of water proceeded through the living room along the edges before exiting the house, slithering through a couple of steps at the entrance as it joined with the water beyond.

    The frequent rains caused a thinyer of water to form over the ground. Now, through this connection, Re''Kha was able to extend her Water Qi perception to gaze at the settlement and further beyond. She noticed the group of 20 people on horseback march towards the settlement, stopping before the breach in the walls.

    ''They are experts in the field of tracking. They would be able to instantly sniff my position even if I continue to remain here or within the water. I have to ensure they let down their guard against me.'' Re''Kha thought, using her right hand to cover the vial above her chest while facing her back towards the corner.

    She crouched in the corner, her expression one of fear, trembling. She swiftly ced the whip-shaped Magic Artifact within her storage space, not carrying anything suspicious with her. As for the cloth banner, she didn''t remove it, for what the scouts sensed was mostly her presence.

    As her feet were drenched in the water, they would be able to confirm it was her through her presence generated within the water. If they activated the Water Qi perception on their own, they would only notice a pair of feet if they were to focus on her location.

    But, if they activated it using their Pranic Avatar, they would be able to sense her presence through the water. That''s why, she covered the two vials, unwilling to alert them. For, her targets were situated far away and were drenched by the rain.

    The effect of the Fear Qi would have to travel the distance, affect their Pranic Avatars, follow the connection to them, and affect them. It would fully diminish and wouldn''t even cause them a mild headache. Moreover, it would only serve to alert them of her possession of a Kalha. The Kalhas had always secluded themselves within the Kuhera Forest, never leaving its confines.

    So, even killing one urred rarely, and the killer would have be delirious and ended up as nourishment for the Kalhas. Moreover, none even dared to head there in the first ce, for it meant a definite death sentence.

    But now, thanks to the poison her master had released after death, they had been stirred up, moving out of the Kuhera Forest temporarily. That''s why such a situation had been created that she took an advantage of to capture five of them.

    A Water Qi Essence to generate a domain filled with Water Qi, a confined room, an expended Elemental Qi Essence to be used as a bait, the vessel of a Sha that covered the whole body and absorbed the Fear Qi unleashed by the Kalhas; if any one of them werecking, then it was impossible to capture them.

    And, no n would even try to think of such a method, for every Elemental Qi Essence was a n''s treasure, the foundation they relied upon to grow and prosper. Only due to the surplus she obtained recently did she dare to think of such a method.

    So, Re''Kha was unwilling to show her trump card when it wasn''t guaranteed to deliver the finishing blow. She covered both the vials using her dress, acting like she was trembling with fear, her body weak, unable to bear surviving any longer.

    Moreover, she seemed unaware of her surroundings, acting in line with her blindness, behaving as such to make her opponents drop their guard. But all the while, she sensed their approach through her Water Qi perception. She emptied all the contents¡ªeyeballs¡ªof the Aeki near the entrance into the waters below, sensing them be submerged within the sea of food.

    She then enclosed herself using it, the only contact with the outside was the water that entered through the holes she had made at the bottom. When the leader summoned his Pranic Avatar, she knew he was using it to sense her presence.

    She then noticed him looking in her direction, disying that he had figured out her location. Re''Kha was mentally calm, hardened after suffering from numerous incidents ever since she was betrayed.

    ''Come, I''ll kill you!''

    She continued with her act, her hands grabbing a cloth strip that controlled the granary''s entrance. She picked up a Metal Qi Essence from her storage ring, activating it after forming a mental connection with it, sensing it generate nk space all over. She limited the range, confining it within the Aeki, preventing the Metal Qi from escaping out. It formed a dense cocoon around her, leaving only her feet out of it¡ªas they were submerged underwater.

    It was to create a nket of protection around her for her subsequent ns. Through the connection her feet had with the water, she sensed her opponent''s approach while her opponent located her presence.

    The leader was at the front, having dismounted his horse. He walked right behind his Pranic Avatar, his eyes closed, his ears blocked while a mask covered his face, seeking to filter out any smells. He was covered head to toe in armour, fully donned for the fight in the dangerous territory, with the Kalhas watching their every move.

    Behind him trailed his men, their getup simr to him, all depending on their Water Qi perception to move forward, not daring to take a peek at any of the houses. They slowly marched their way towards the centre of the settlement, focusing on the house Re''Kha had taken refugee within.

 Chapter 49 - Ripples And Communication

    Re''Kha sensed the nk space around her be denser and denser, rendering her perception of the area useless. It was soon turning sharp, the same as what she witnessed when sensing an Elemental Qi Essence.

    To avoid the scouts from sensing her entire body and learning of her condition, she shrouded herself with Metal Qi using the Metal Qi Essence. The only part of her body bereft of it was her feet that were submerged within the water. It allowed the scouts to constantly sense her presence, thereby knowing that she wasn''t under the control of the Kalhas.

    This was what she desired the most. If they noticed that she was controlled by the Kalhas, their approach would be different. But, if they saw that she was still alive and was in a weakened state, they would act ordingly.

    A Harmoniser''s inclination could be determined by their Pranic Avatar. Those that possessed a Nerou were scouts, considering all the advantages they possessed in this field. Only an idiot would embark on a field disjointed from their advantages. No n would allow such stupidity to exist.

    And, this fact alone gave Re''Kha valuable information. The fact that her pursuers sent scouts and hadn''t dispatched an assassin unit spoke volumes of their needs. They probably needed her either to be alive or in an intact condition. As her n didn''t possess either of them, Re''Kha was assured they weren''t allies.

    Moreover, considering the actions theymitted before, even if they had set free the individuals thatpleted the tasks, it proved that they weren''t a group of individuals that were tasked with saving people.

    ''There is a good chance they were nurtured by the Burmat Re n. If not, then they must be one of their rival ns hoping to capture me and threaten Burmat Re''Shi. Anything can be possible.'' Re''Kha thought, shaking her head as she focused back on the task at hand.

    The Metal Qi filled the interior of the Aeki while Re''Kha left some breathing space. As it was shielded by the body of the Aeki, with the entrances blocked by the Metal Qi, it would be able to resist the Fear Qi of the Kalhas for a certain duration.

    To increase the duration, Re''Kha made the Metal Qi seep into the Aeki, turning it a notch heavier immediately. Re''Kha held a cloth strip in her hands. It was the one that was tied to the granary''s entrance. Its other end was inserted through the hole Re''Kha had created at the bottom of the Aeki''s sides.

    As it waspletely underwater, she didn''t have to worry about getting affected through that for the time being. She had also made another hole on the backside, through which a cloth strip connecting to the granary''s entrance was inserted through. It was meant to close it.

    The Metal Qi spread through the two cloth strips, blocking the entrance from any other elemental Qi. The scouts were still able to sense her presence thanks to the numerous tiny holes she had poked in the Aeki¡ªthrough which water circted.

    ''I would still be affected to a fair extent from these holes.'' Re''Kha thought, patting her clothes, ''I''m counting on you to absorb the Fear Qi.''

    There wasn''t much air within the Aeki, so Re''Kha had to hurry. Moreover, the scouts were approaching her position. Re''Kha lifted the Aeki for a moment, replenishing the air within before cing it back, tugging at the cloth strip to open the granary''s entrance.

    The entrance opened with a rumble, stopping when the opening was as wide as her little finger''s length. Many Kalha squeezed in through the gap. There wasn''t any Water Qi in the air thanks to the previous exchange. Moreover, there were faint traces of Fear Qi, so the Kalha were more willing to enter this time.

    Re''Kha didn''t know how many Kalhas had entered in the short duration she had kept the entrance open. She didn''t dare to check their quantity, pulling the cloth strip on the other side to close it shut.

    There was pin-drop silence in the granary, with the Kalhas that had entered turning silent immediately. They just floated in one ce silently, absorbing the Fear Qi in the air. Until they expended itpletely, they probably wouldn''t move or make any sounds. This gave Re''Kha crucial time to take a breather.

    The faint Fear Qi travelling to her through the water was easily absorbed by the cloth banner, keeping her mental state at an optimal level. The Fear Qi prevented the Kalhas from making a scene, which was precisely what she was gunning for when she killed the final batch of Kalhas before, despite the tremendous risk it posed.

    ''Now, all I need to do is wait and retaliate.'' Re''Kha kept up with her act of fear, trembling silently while making it seem her body was weak. She made use of all her knowledge to pull off the perfect scene of a helpless woman that had lost all hope but still wished to live.

    The scouts entered the settlement through the west gate, their pace slow but steady. Their ears werepletely blocked to prevent hearing any sounds while their noses were filled with a lot of herbs and filters, trying to reduce the potency of the Kalhas'' odour as much as possible.

    They had their eyes shut, depending on the Water Qi perception of themselves and their respective Pranic Avatars to move. The leader was the first to summon his Pranic Avatar, with the rest told to wait.

    Normally, by blocking and dampening their senses to such an extent,munication would be impossible, but the scouts moved in sync, with not one of their steps uncertain or feeling out of ce.

    The leader raised his right leg,nding it on the floor using his heels first, bringing his toes down after a small dy, causing a ripple to form in the water that moved forward. The ripple had three crests, with the one at the forward being twice the one at the back.

    The moment he did that, his disciple walking to his back ced his right foot within the water and moved it horizontally, creating arger, single-crest ripple. It was a mode ofmunication they had established using the environment at y.

 Chapter 50 - Bombarding The House

    Every ripple conformed to a signal, a message of sorts the scouts used to transmit and receive messages. They were all Harmonisers attuned to the water element, able to use Water Qi perception. It was currently raining, creating ayer of water over the floor they walked on. Finally, it was easy creating ripples on the water.

    They made use of this tomunicate. It wasn''t as if they had established it on the fly, but had been practicing the method since young. Only in such a way could they perform it without any errors. After all, they were birthed and nurtured with the intentions to be trained into scouts.

    The scouts made a beeline towards the centre of the settlement. The settlement housed around 20,000-30,000 people, so it wasn''t overlyrge. After a quick walk, the scouts arrived at the centre of the settlement where the houses had two storeys, and each upied argend. It was where the Harmonisers from the Burkurel Ju n¡ªin charge of their western settlement¡ªlived.

    The leader gazed at theyout of the house Re''Kha had taken refuge within, moving his right leg once diagonally to his right, noticing a scout move in the direction and unleash his Pranic Avatar, making it scale to the roof of a nearby building.

    The roof of every house was sloped, covered with tiles to make the rain flow down without stagnating in ce. When the Nerou summoned by the scout walked on it, small cracks formed due to its weight. The scout, on the other hand, stood on the ground, his back facing the wall of the house his respective Pranic Avatar stood upon.

    This way, even if he moved to his back involuntarily, he would onlye in contact with the wall and not the Kalhas. Moreover, his position allowed him to sense andmunicate with his leader. After all, the condition at the roof didn''t allow him to form any ripples to transmit a coherent message. Also, it was unnecessary since he and his Pranic Avatar shared their thoughts instantly in real-time.

    The rain poured a heavy downpour, with the thin streams of water flowing down from the roof to the ground. This connection allowed their Water Qi perception to sense all the buildings in the settlement, knowing everything. In such an environment, their Water Qi perception functioned immensely better than their eyes. Moreover, they still had the senses of their Pranic Avatars to rely on, which hadn''t been blocked.

    The leader moved his left leg diagonally, sensing another scout move in the same direction before sending his Pranic Avatar to the roof of the respective house. In such a manner, each scout upied a roof in one of the eight directions: north, south, east, west, northeast, northwest, southeast, and southwest.

    At their centrey the house Re''Kha had taken refuge within. Followed by amand from the leader, all the eight Nerous opened their mouths while facing the house in the centre, condensing a sphere of water each.

    The sphere elongated, turning simr to a needle but with a wider girth. Its thickness spanned as much as a scout''s arm while the length conformed to their hand''s. There was unanimous silence among the scouts, with even the ripples they produced had vanished.

    Finally, the leader stomped with his right leg, creating a ssh in the water. All the Nerous immediately unleashed their breath attacks. The breath attacks absorbed the Water Qi in the raindrops that mmed into them, enriching them, increasing their size and intensity.

    With a boom, each breath attack mmed on the house in the centre like a cannonball, causing the tiles on the roof to be sent flying, the broken shards falling on the ground like rain. The ceiling cracked, with the cracks spreading everywhere from the point of impact.

    The eight impacts caused a lot of damage, with each attack focused on one area of the roof. It would have been easy to breach the ceiling if they had focused their attacks on one spot. But for their n to work, they had to disperse the attacks all over the ceiling.

    The leader made ripples, this time using both his legs, the ripples moved sidewards, forming eight crests. The Pranic Avatars on the roof climbed down, with the respective scouts returning to their positions behind the leader.

    Another eight scouts walked out now, with their respective Pranic Avatars taking positions in the eight directions. Simr to before, the eight Nerous aimed their breath attacks on the roof of the house, redirecting the attacks a bit away from the previous ones.

    The breath attacks mmed into the roof, cracking and causing numerous parts of the ceiling to cave in. As the breath attacks were aimed at different spots each time, it led to the propagation of cracks in the ceiling until they fully covered it, the resultant making the rain seep in through the cracks.

    They had fully cracked it; some ces that had suffered the brunt of the breath attacks had fallen, allowing the rain to pour in. The Kalhas within were helplessly killed by the rain, falling to the ground as normal eyeballs.

    Thanks to the cracks, almost the entirety of the house''s first floor had no safe spots. The seldom few surviving Kalhas had either hid underneath the bed, cupboard and other items or moved towards the ceiling, positioning themselves underneath the patches without cracks.

    The rain dripped from the cracks, collecting on the floor before flowing to the ground floor, alerting the Kalhas within. The ce they thought was a safe zone from the rain had been breached. The Leader then personally led the remaining three scouts, one of which was his disciple. Only their Pranic Avatars hadn''t shot their breath attacks yet.

    The leader''s message implied one thing, "We''ll break the kitchen walls. Burkurel Re''Kha is positioned closest to there."

    The four Nerous they summoned stood side by side, facing the wall of the kitchen. They opened their mouths, condensing their breath attacks before unleashing them. They had concentrated their attacks to one location; the kitchen walls crashed with a loud thud, revealing enough space for two people to enter side by side.

    "Alright, let''s leave." The leader said using the ripples, gazing at the sky to see that the rain was about to stop.

 Chapter 51 - Chasing The Kalhas Out

    The leader picked up an instrument from his armour, extending the handle by pulling its end. Its head was shaped like a spoon''s, possessing a curved surface that was inclined in one direction. All the scouts arrived and stood side by side while their respective Pranic Avatars moved away from the scene. They each took out a simr spoon-shaped instrument.

    The head of the spoon-shaped instrument was wider than their palms, able to hold more water than they could scoop using their hands. Every scout ced the head of the spoon-shaped instrument in the water, filling it up before hitting with all their might.

    Their actions sent the water flying forward, breaking into water droplets under the force, sprinkling all over inside the kitchen. The Kalhas hiding in the area soon turned into regr eyeballs. After all, the entirety of the space on the ground floor was jam-packed by them, preventing them from moving anywhere to evade.

    So, every attack hit its target, turning the Kalhas into regr eyeballs. The sound they emitted fell on deaf ears. The scouts had their eyes closed, so they never gazed at the Kalhas to fall under their control. Even the smell the Kalhas emitted was mostly drowned by the rain, and as the scouts were stationed farther away, and were constantly subjected to the falling rain, they could endure the effects.

    Their Pranic Avatars had moved away from the view of the Kalhas, hiding beside the walls or on the roofs, away from even sensing any. As they shared thoughts with their respective Harmoniser, once they fell under the control of a Kalha, the respective Harmoniser would experience the same. So they had been moved away to prevent such a scenario.

    After spilling enough water on the Kalhas, until they could no longer reach the ones farther back, the scouts made a speedy retreat by riding their Pranic Avatars. The rain continued to fall, showing no signs of stopping.

    The moment she saw their choice of action, Re''Kha was stunned, her face turning pale. She already felt mild difficulties in breathing, the air within the Aeki was running out. She had intended to fight against the scouts, so her preparations onlysted for a short duration.

    ''What should I do now?'' Re''Kha watched the scouts swiftly leave the settlement while she was running out air. She didn''t wish to open the granary''s entrance, for that would bring in more Kalhas. The worse situation would be when all the Kalhas inside rush out, sending all her schemes down the drain.

    ''I can only risk it and endure for the time being.'' Re''Kha took our Harpen Waves from her storage ring, using its sharpness to make a hole at the top of the Aeki. She carefully made the hole, ensuring she could block it using Harpen Waves when unneeded. Using the two des, she poked two holes, each positioned on opposite sides, one ced higher with respect to the other. As it was made from Water Qi Essence, it prevented the Fear Qi from seeping through it.

    The air within flowed out while the outside air flowed in, immediately disturbing her mental state. Re''Kha quickly blocked it, enduring the pain as her head spun, the control she had over her body slipped away. The cloth banner absorbed it immediately, starting with the head to lighten the effect on Re''Kha.

    As she had been constantly enduring and freeing herself from the influence of the Kalhas, Re''Kha was developing some resistance to the fear building up in her. The Fear Qi was generated in her body thanks to the fear she experienced the moment she perceived a Kalha.

    The source stemmed from a mysterious concept she was unaware of. After all, judging by appearance alone, a Kalha wasn''t scary, considering the vicious beasts she hade across. But, the fear stemmed within her the moment she perceived one, a mysterious cause, but a definite effect.

    Since the Fear Qi generated in her was thanks to the fear she felt, Re''Kha gradually started to develop some resistance, the amount of Fear Qi she produced a negligible amount lower than before. But on a quantitative basis, the resistance she developed was worth nothing.

    Only when she persisted with the same for years at a stretch would she develop enough resistance to develop a qualitative change. With the renewed air, Re''Kha could hold on for longer. At regr intervals, she swapped the air by unplugging Harpen Waves before swiftly plugging it back in.

    Through her Water Qi perception, Re''Kha could sense the damage the scouts had done to the ce. ''They are nning to be rid of all the Kalhas in this house before focusing on me. It seems they have meticulously calcted to achieve the best effect. The leader should be a lot older and wiser to act in such a manner.''

    The Kalhas within the granary were still, with some of themnding on the food floating above the water. Their tongues wriggled about, licking the food as they consumed it little at a time. The Kalhas mostly fed on Fear Qi, but that didn''t mean they were unable to eat normal food. They just never preferred to do so in the presence of Fear Qi.

    The Aeki was a nt that they were never concerned about, so they had ignored the one at the entrance from the beginning. As they were unable to control nts, they never targeted them. This was why Re''Kha avoideding under their radar, as she was hiding with the Aeki.

    Soon, the rain stopped as all the Kalhas within the house flew out. The Kalhas within the other houses too flew out, using the chance to take a breather and fly about. The only difference was the actions of the Kalhas that had flown out from the house the scouts had damaged. They swiftly hid within other houses.

    All the Kalhas, including the ones that had been hiding within the house''s cupboards, under the bed, etc. flew out and hid within other houses. They knew that the house had be dangerous, with water falling in from everywhere. So, they refrained from staying in the ce any longer.

    Re''Kha didn''t know their actual movements but could assume ordingly, for that was what the scouts had nned, judging by their actions.

 Chapter 52 - Creating A Safe Battlefield

    The scouts stopped within a cluster of trees situated in the meadow. The moment they reached the ce, all of them collectively heaved a sigh of relief, pulling out their masks while their Pranic Avatars disappeared.

    The disciple was the first to speak, "We made it back just when they were about to disappear. We are cutting it quite close."

    "We still have the horses though." Another scout retorted, though his tone was simr to the disciple''s in that they had made it back safe.

    "It is nerve-wracking indeed toplete a mission surrounded by the Kalhas. But that''s our job. Whether we live or die doesn''t matter if we fail to finish this task. Lady Re''Kya is cing a lot of importance on this." The leader sighed, rxing as he looked around, keeping note that nothing tiny flew anywhere in the range of his vision.

    "Master," The disciple frowned, "Doesn''t this situation seem strange? How can Burkurel Re''Kha survive in such a situation? Moreover, how did she end up in that ce in the first ce?"

    "Yeah, it is weird that her tracks disappeared abruptly once she left the Kuhera Forest." Another scout said.

    "The fact that she left the Kuhera Forest alive itself is strange, even if she only trailed around the edges." The scout standing behind the leaderined, ncing at the leader, "Nothing adds up."

    The leader nced around, noticing the faces of every scout, finding their thoughts were more or less the same as the scout behind him. He sighed, gazing at his disciple as he posed a question, "How many of our past missions never made any sense?"

    "Quite a few," The disciple recalled everything he had been through in the past couple of years, nodding his head.

    "And, what was themon point among all of them?" Upon the leader''s trailing question, all the scouts inhaled a sharp breath of air, their faces morphing into one of fear. A thought collectively echoed in their minds, recalling a certain existence that never conformed tomon sense.

    A Sha!

    "Right," The leader nodded, "Nothing ever adds up or makes sense when a Shaes into the picture. Each one of them is as bizarre and mysterious as theye. There is a fair chance Burkurel Re''Kha got involved with a Sha. Considering her history with the Blinded Ghost and how it robbed her eyes recently, we can say it must have done something."

    "But," The leader''s voice firmed, "All we have to concentrate on is capturing Burkurel Re''Kha and leaving her in the custody of Lady Re''Kya. We''ll leave all the worries to her."

    He then noticed that it started to rain once again,manding, "Wear your masks and other items. We have to capture Burkurel Re''Kha in this round. Chances of risks might increase if we dy any longer."

    They mounted their horses and raced towards the settlement once again, dismounting at the entrance as the leader took the lead, entering through the west gate as theymunicated using the ripples.

    They soon arrived near the broken-down kitchen walls of the house Re''Kha hid within. Using their spoons, they spilled water into the kitchen. Using the lead, one of them found the tap, opening it as he ced a te beneath, inclining it.

    The water fell over the te and slid over, eventually falling to the floor. The kitchen floor was quickly covered by the water, proceeding towards the living room. Just to be on the safer side, the scouts used their spoons to scoop water from outside and sprinkle it everywhere on the house''s ground floor.

    Unless the Kalha wanted to die, it wouldn''t remain on the second floor. And, suppose it still remained behind, it meant it was trapped thanks to the dripping water. Before the dripping water could stop, the rain started pouring down once again. So, it meant the Kalha didn''t have any hope of making out for the time being.

    After some time had passed, the scouts were assured that no Kalhas were remaining within the house''s ground floor, for they had sshed the water everywhere, leaving no object unaffected. Once they were done, the leader used the ripples tomunicate, focusing on one scout.

    The scout took in a deep breath, mentally firming himself before opening his eyes, quickly gazing around to notice that he was unaffected. Two scouts trailed right behind him, intending to grab his hands the moment something turned amiss. Another two scouts held the spoon-shaped instrument, filled with water, intending to pour it on the scout''s eyes in the off-chance he saw a Kalha.

    They hoped to restrain him and drag him to the open while treating him if he ever spotted a Kalha. Finally, after the scout looked everywhere, he heaved a sigh of relief. Unwilling to take any chances, he locked all the doors. Unfortunately, there was no door to the kitchen, otherwise, they would have saved themselves the trouble of all the previous effort and risk.

    Now, the only open entrance to the house was the walls of the kitchen they had smashed down. When they were done with all matters of caution, the scouts heaved a sigh of relief, opening their eyes and adjusting the blockage to their ears to hear once again.

    They didn''t wholly remove it, intending to adjust them back to position in an instant. A scout muttered in the leader''s ears, "Shall I summon my Nerou?"

    The leader thought for a moment, muttering, "Only four of us now have enough Water Qi to summon them again. As for the rest, they would be rendered useless the moment they summon one. It is better to be safe."

    Caution was what he exercised the most; it was the sole reason he had lived to this day. When he was young, his teammates died because they were less cautious. A scout''s job was always investigating things in dangerous, life-threatening environments. So, they would die the moment they failed to pay heed to caution.

    The leader gazed at the shelf, beyond which he had sensed the presence of Re''Kha before, looking at the individual that whispered in his ears, "Summon your Nerou. While you''re at it, inspect the entirety of the inside."

 Chapter 53 - Thereâ€™s A Survivor?

    The scout closed his eyes, summoning his Pranic Avatar, cing his hand in the water. He cross-checked the images disyed in both the perceptions, zooming towards the ce he sensed the presence of Re''Kha.

    He noticed her feet buried underwater. ced nearby were her hands, trembling as they clenched and rxed at regr intervals. Judging by the state of clenching and shivering, and theck of strength in the actions, the scout judged Re''Kha was in a weakened state.

    He then saw her feeling about through the water beforeing across a cloth strip, grabbing hold of it as her hands left the water. ''She''s blind.''

    Just through the actions alone could the scout determine it, thanks to his abundant experience. He then focused on her actions, soonmenting, "She is not under the control of the Kalhas, and is in a state of shock and paranoia. She is feeling lost and afraid."

    "She is blind after all." Another scout smirked, turning silent when the leader red at him. The leader muttered, "Keep your voice down."

    "She won''t be able to hear our voice, leader." The scout that was inspecting the granary said, "Re''Kha is hiding within an Aeki after toppling it. Only in this way does she probably feel safe. Also, the granary within is vast, bigger than any settlement''s household should possess."

    "That is strange indeed," The leader nodded, "Make note of all the oddity in the situation, it might prove useful in future missions."

    The scout then expanded his perception, noticing most of the granary filled with water, with food floating on its surface. The Water Qi within it wascking to give him a clear picture. After all, a thin stream of it exited through the gap in the entrance.

    The water the Aeki generated within was bereft of Water Qi, so when it mixed into the water, it diluted the Water Qi in it, expending it as the water flowed out. As time passed, the density of the Water Qi in the water reduced, preventing the scout from getting a clear view of everything.

    Still, he used the Water Qi perception of his Pranic Avatar to sense for the existence of other presences within it, "There are a lot of living presences within the food floating on the surface. I am unable to find out what they are."

    "Wait, don''t use your Nerou to perceive them directly, continue to probe around using its Water Qi perception. We cannot rule out the fact that the Kalhas might be hiding amidst them." The leader cautioned him, making the scout heave a sigh of relief.

    The scout then probed further, finally shaking his head, "The presences are immobile. They haven''t moved even once till now. I cannot determine them clearly since their traces in the Water Qi is almost negligible."

    "Is it a type of fish they had stored?" The leader muttered, "Still, this household is strange too. Possessing a granary of such massive scale when the Imperial Law had clearly dictated the limits for households from every socialdder."

    "Continue monitoring the situation within and ry us everything," The leader said to the scout before ncing at his disciple, "Act as a Harmoniser soldier from the Bura Fort and probe her situation."

    "Yes, master." The disciple nodded with a confident expression, adjusting his voice as he changed the tone, heading towards the breach in the kitchen walls. Seeing his actions, the scouts looked amused, but after a re by the leader, they turned serious.

    The disciple walked out, shouting at the top of his lungs, "Anyone alive, I''m a soldier stationed at the Bura Fort. The rescue forces have surrounded the settlement and are nning to bomb this ce to rid the Kalhas. If anyone is still alive, shout once, and I''ll swiftly head to your rescue."

    He then saw the breach in the kitchen walls, shouting as he entered, "Is there anyone within this house? We already got rid of all the Kalhas within."

    Re''Kha observed their actions, taking in a deep breath as she focused, slowly moving within the Aeki while pushing it forward. She ensured her actions seemed weak,cking the strength and energy to even move.

    The scout observing her muttered, "I think the household kidnapped her and nned to do something with her. Now that I observe it further, there are signs of struggle everywhere, and a lot of cloth has been ripped into strips to tie up things."

    "Continue," The leader muttered. The disciplemunicated with the scout using hand signs, coborating ordingly. He purposely crossed the kitchen, entering the living room as he shouted. He made a round before starting to return once he obtained the signal from the scout, cursing, "Dammit, there are no survivors here too. This ce became deste."

    Re''Kha slowly moved closer to the end where the entrance opened, craning her hand as she pulled out the needle-shaped Magic Artifact, tapping on the wall once. Oncepletely unplugged, the flow of water exiting the granary increased, making the scouts witness an apparent trail.

    As they had sshed water first on the floor before entering, they hadn''t noticed it. And, by the time they used their eyes to see, the entire floor was already covered by the water they had poured. Only now, when the flow of water exiting the granary through the tiny gap increased did they notice.

    The disciple immediately stopped moving, shouting in surprise, "Where is this water flowing out from? Is there another room hidden behind?"

    He acted surprised, followed by the sounds of the utensils thrown to the floor, in an effort to find any traces of the entrance. Re''Kha took in a deep breath before activating her Wind Qi perception, extending it through the narrow pipe in the granary¡ªbuilt for keeping it aired. She spread it through the protrusions on the exterior of the house, soon finding a hole to squeeze in, spreading her perception throughout the house''s interior.

    Now, she could determine the figures of the twenty scouts, all standing in and around the kitchen. Using the needle-shaped Magic Artifact, Re''Kha tapped the entrance once again, causing sharp echoing sounds.

    "W-Wait¡­" A weak, muffled voice resounded through the entrance. The disciple smiled upon hearing the sound, soon acting surprised as he iled about, dropping a couple more utensils, "There''s a survivor?"

 Chapter 54 - Rhipa

    "Are you alright? How did you end up there? How can I save you?" The discipleunched a flurry of questions, behaving just like a soldier on duty that had vowed to protect the citizens.

    "I¡­I don''t know. I was here when I woke up." Her voice stammered, weak, like a candle me about to die out any moment. It wasn''t easy to fool the senses of scouts who were older and wiser than her, not to mention the numerous situations they had faced.

    The prime notion a scout learned was reading a person, only then can they not be deceived by false information. For, anyone with a brain could scheme and act. As she was actually blind if not for her Elemental Qi perception, she could get that part perfectly alright.

    She had also sustained injuries to boot and all the previous fights had exhausted her, so acting weak was easy too. Moreover, when she wanted to tremble in fear, she had the easiest of options avable.

    Re''Kha extended her Wind Qi perception in a certain direction, perceiving a Kalha as her body trembled instinctively, as if she had been electrocuted, losing consciousness for a moment. This made her seem like a person that was on the verge of death and had been injured severely to do anything, and was also suffering from something.

    Her act was convincing, since she used reality to her advantage. The disciple scouted, "There''s water on the floor. If you are a water-attributed Harmoniser, you would be able to sense my position."

    There was a pause, the reply he had expected hadn''t arrived. Re''Kha was still reeling from the effect of perceiving the Kalha. Just from that short encounter, she noticed that the Kalhas were slowly floating her way, lured by the sounds.

    They moved eerily quiet, like a leaf falling to the ground, their movements simr, like a product of nature that symbolised peace. They had also retracted the smell they produced, as if conscious of the ways tounch a sneak attack.

    They unanimously gazed at the Aeki near the entrance, having perceived the presence within when Re''Kha perceived one of them before. Some of themnded on the Aeki while the rest floated right behind the entrance.

    "I¡­I cannot sense you." Her voice resounded as the disciple smiled, "I''m from the Bura Fort, a water-attributed Harmoniser. I noticed there was a lot of food strewn about inside. What happened?"

    "Kyaah!" Re''Kha screamed, as if his words triggered a frightening memory in her, "Stop! Don''te near me! Don''t ce those Rhipa eggs within me. Stop! No!"

    Hearing her frenzied shouts, the disciple paused, rooted to the spot in shock. The scout observing her actions from the start paled, muttering as his body shuddered, controlling his urge to puke, "So, that wasn''t food but people? They are using people to breed Rhipas? So, all those presences I sensed are Rhipa eggs?"

    "This is not a regr household," The leader frowned, swiftly bringing his expression back to control. He had experienced a lot of atrocious situations, so he was ustomed to them by now to a fair extent. "If those people ced the eggs of the Rhipa within Burkurel Re''Kha, then it won''t be long before they hatch. We cannot dy any longer."

    The leader had calcted the time when the settlement was attacked by the beasts. As the members of the household had fled at that time, then Re''Kha had been captured and imnted with the eggs of a Rhipa shortly before then.

    He came to the conclusion based on her tracks they found, judging the time of her capture ordingly. "It''s already been two days since then. The eggs might hatch any moment."

    "No wonder there are traces of Metal Qi in the water flowing out," The leadermanded all the scouts to enter battle-ready positions, "If they hatch, her body won''t be intact anymore. We would have failed our mission. Be ready to pull them out of her as soon as you enter. And, be ready to fight against the Rhipa that had already hatched."

    The space within the kitchen area was too little. So, only four scouts stood in the area while the rest divided into two groups, with one heading to the living room while the other, including the leader and his disciple, exited through the breach and stood out in the open.

    A Rhipa was a metal-attributed beast that lived in a nest and was infamous for its reproductive abilities. A Rhipa couldy 100 eggs every month that hatched after two days and matured within 3 months. And, they could only hatch within a living being that hadn''t breathed itsst.

    They were beasts that created massive structures of metal, terraforming the area they lived into one dominated by Metal Qi. Due to their significant uses and the advantages their terraforming had towards a Harmoniser''sprehension of Metal Qi, almost on the same level as using a Metal Qi Essence, many ns in the past had tried to rear them.

    But, they were unable to control them and were eventually wiped out. After all, only one Rhipa had to escape alive; after a year, it would return with an army capable of capsizing an entire n. So, when anyone encountered a Rhipa, they annihted it without hesitation. After all, a Rhipa egg was only the side of an eyeball, so a lot of them could be imnted in one person, animal, or beast.

    "Just in case," The leader muttered, looking at his disciple, "Fetch the horses and retreat immediately. We''ll take care of this mission. Notify Lady Re''Kya of this threat as soon as possible."

    "But master," The disciple was just about to refute when the leader red at him. All the other scouts too red his way as the leader spoke with a chill-inducing tone, "You are the youngest of us, andck the experience to survive this fight. Instead ofying your life for no reason, inform Lady Re''Kya and ask for reinforcements. We''ll try to prevent them from breaking out of this ce."

    The leader then looked at two other scouts, "Head to Burkurel City and Burfuna City, and notify the ns of this immediately using our usual channel. There is a chance this isn''t the only ce with the Rhipa."

 Chapter 55 - The Sprung Trap

    "Be safe, master." The disciple uttered his farewell as he began to run, apanied by two other scouts.

    "That''s the life of a scout," The leader shook his head, watching the back of his disciple as he brushed the water once, creating a strange ripple that had more than 10 crests, spreading radially.

    The disciple stopped, confused for a moment as he stared back, "The Ul n?"

    Noticing the leader remain unmoving after that, he was confused before starting to run as he was urged by the two scouts. Only when his disciple''s back disappeared from view did the leader look at the scouts, signalling them to begin.

    They pulled out their weapons, ranging from curved to whip des, ready to summon their Pranic Avatars at a moment''s notice. The scout that had already summoned his Pranic Avatar stood at the front, facing the entrance. He was positioned behind his Pranic Avatar, making it face the brunt of whatever may appear from within.

    A Pranic Avatar wouldn''t die as long as its respective Harmoniser remains alive. All it needed was enough Qi to be summoned once again. The fear-induced screams of Re''Kha resounded for some time before slowly dying down, the voicecking the strength to carry on any longer.

    They had already identified the lever needed to operate the granary''s entrance the moment they had opened their eyes, so they didn''t waste any time with it. The scout pulled the lever, while the two behind his back lit up antern using the materials they had on them.

    They were prepared for all situations. For normal scouting procedures, theck of light didn''t hinder them, for they relied on a variety of means to prod around. But, it was a different matter altogether when it came to a fight. They had to primarily rely on their sight and Water Qi perception to target their enemies. So, they wished to create enough light to support their sight.

    The scout pulled the lever, watching the granary''s entrance open with a rumble. The moment it opened, a dense scent wafted out, followed by a cacophony of noises, like the whistling of a flute. The figures of numerous Kalhas, forming an eye cluster registered in their eyes.

    The enemy they faced was different than the one they nned to fight against. The four scouts and one Nerou stood nkly, their faces morphing into one of fear. The Nerou crumbled into Water Qi and disappeared, transferring all the Fear Qi it generated into its respective scout. He was the first to fall apart, his hands moving towards his eyes before digging them out.

    His two eyeballs plopped to the water-covered floor, causing a tiny ssh while two Kalhas slowly floated towards him, their optic nerves brushing a droplet of his blood aside before inserting themselves into the sockets.

    The moment they inserted themselves, the tear nds produced tears, the scout was crying in despair. The three scouts behind him were no different, having made eye contact with the Kalhas, not one, not two, but an entire cluster.

    The Kalhas flew out in a flurry, making a lot of sounds. The scouts in the kitchen numbered 4, the ones in the living room numbered 8 and the ones outside the breach in the kitchen walls numbered 5. The moment the sounds were generated by the Kalhas, all the scouts in the living room were affected.

    They had long since opened the door to the exit, just in case things turned amiss. But, before they could move, their bodies were affected. The two scouts positioned right next to the exit maintained enough rity of mind to take a couple of steps forward and tumble into the rain, alleviating part of the effects that bound them.

    Of the six remaining, two had been facing the kitchen and had nced at the Kalhas when they exited the granary, instantly falling under their control. The four scouts in the middle leaped towards the exit, aligning their bodies in the air so that they would continue to roll towards the exit after their fall.

    Of them, three made their exit, with the final one hitting the door frame and stopping. Before he could move into the open, a pair of hands dragged him back. They belonged to the scout that fell under the control of the Kalhas.

    The five that escaped weren''t well off, screaming in pain as their hands scratched their cheeks, ripping out the skin while trying to crawl into their eyes. Thanks to the rain, they were slowly regaining their senses, only needing a bit more time before they would be back to normal.

    The two scouts that had exited first hadn''t been affected much, quickly covering themselves with their masks before dragging their three teammates, unable to spot a flying table that flew their way. For, they were only relying on their Water Qi perception now.

    "Aah!" A scout screamed in pain; the table had smashed his legs, cracking his bones. He was unable to move, the extent of damage unable to be determined on such short notice. The heavy table constricted him, knocking him unconscious.

    Even though they weren''t injured by the table throw, the other two among the three screaming scouts were sent flying by the impact. Followed by it was a variety of items from the house, attacking the two healthy scouts.

    On the other side, the four scouts led by the leader fell to the ground the moment they heard the shouts of the Kalhas, instinctively rolling through the rain towards safety. They crossed the line of sight, grunting as the pain overwhelmed them, their hands slowly moving towards their eyes.

    The leader opened his mouth, swallowing the rain while keeping his eyes open. Droplets of rain mmed on his eyes, annihting the Fear Qi in them. They were right next to the kitchen, peering through therge gap they had made in the walls. So, the moment the Kalhas emerged, they made eye contact.

    "No¡­No¡­No!" The leader shouted, watching his hands move towards his eyes while his body turned numb, paralysed from fear. They inched past his chest, moving above his neck, soon crossing his chin, heading towards his eyes, with the index finger on his righting in contact with the eyelid on his right. His thumb and index finger spread, widening in action.

 Chapter 56 - Chorus

    "Argh!" The leader grunted, biting a portion of his dress, refusing to budge as he locked his right hand in ce. His left hand moved up before he could react, opening his left eye to pluck its eyeball.

    "Aargh!" The leader screamed, rolling on the ground as he started to regain his senses. Unfortunately, his left eyeball got crushed into pulp in the process. Panting, he got up, struggling to keep himself awake as he activated his Water Qi perception, noticing two eyeballs roll out from each of the other four scouts.

    Plop!

    Followed by the sounds of a jump, water sshed as a scout walked towards them, dragging the first injured scout into the house through the breach in the kitchen walls. Three more followed behind him, dragging the other three scouts back to the house.

    The leader noticed some of the scouts from the living room had made it safe, quickly springing towards them when he noticed a cylindrical object roll out from the breach and crash into the three dragging the scouts.

    The impact copsed their bnce, making them fall into the ground as a certain object worn over their heads fell off. When it touched the water and was covered by the rain, the leader noticed that they werenterns used in the house.

    The Kalhas had used that to cover the head of the scouts they controlled and exited the house to drag the others back in. Once the cover came off, the rain fell on their faces. The controlled scouts swiftly closed their eyes, unwilling to open them as they tried to get up.

    From within the top of the Aeki, a hand shot forth, carrying a needle-shaped Magic Artifact, stabbing into the forehead of a scout, killing him. The hand retracted the needle-shaped Magic Artifact, stabbing it into the forehead of the other two scouts in a fluid motion, killing them.

    Slowly, Re''Kha climbed out of the Aeki, her conditioncking the fear and other emotions she had disyed to fool the scouts. She was covered from head to toe in silk, wearing normal clothes above it. For a moment, the leader was unable to identify her, after all, he could only perceive her ankle from the ground up.

    As the figures¡ªscouts¡ªunder the control of the Kalhas streamed out, the two scouts trying to save their team member from under the table could only leave him and drag the other two that were starting to recover.

    As they hadn''t stared at the Kalhas directly and had only listened to the sounds, they were barely able to recover after the rain fell on them long enough. After wearing their masks, they perceived the position of their leader, quickly running towards him.

    They noticed Re''Kha swiftly kill off the scouts around her, entering the Aeki as she rolled away from the scene. Five figures sauntered from the house, their heads covered withnterns. One of them stayed behind to drag the corpses of three scouts within whose eyes the Kalhas remained alive. For, their eyelids were shut and prevented the rain from seeping through.

    Among the remaining four, three sprinted towards the five scouts while thest ran towards Re''Kha. During the chaos when the Kalhas were targeting the scouts and gaining control over them, Re''Kha slipped away. For, the granary entrance was right next to the breach in the kitchen walls.

    She only rolled a couple of times before escaping. Unwilling to allow a prey to escape, a scout under the control of Kalhas chased after her. His movements were slightly sluggish, for the Kalhas controlling him didn''t feel well in the rainy environment.

    After rolling for a certain distance, Re''Kha crawled out of the Aeki, emptying her stomach on the floor before getting up, sensing the approach of a figure through her Water Qi perception. Using the Aeki as a cover, she put the needle-shaped Magic Artifact in her storage space and took out the whip-shaped Magic Artifact.

    The moment the figure closed in on her, sheshed out with the whip diagonally, aiming the attacker''s head. The Attacker had to halt his momentum, for he couldn''t make abrupt dodges in fear of losing his headgear. Re''Khashed out from every direction possible, constantly targeting the opponent''s head and legs.

    She added a spin to her body, moving while making circles, using the momentum to continue swinging her whip without interruptions. While attacking with the whip, Re''Kha kicked the water, causing a ssh; the water sprinkled on the attacker.

    The attacker had to close his eyes, for the direction she aimed from made some water droplets ssh into thentern through its bottom. The attacker had just closed his eyes while guarding his front with hands when a palm projection mmed into him, sending him flying.

    The force knocked him, curving his body like an arrowhead as it sent him flying. It caused thentern worn on his head to fall off. Re''Kha followed up the attack with a series ofshes, keeping pace with the attacker.

    Forced to the ground, he was ced in a passive spot, receiving hershes. Re''Kha mentally willed, activating the whip that shone with blue radiance, increasing in brightness thanks to the rain as sheshed on his head. The Water Qi in the rain converged upon the whip as it moved along with the attack, mming into the attacker like the tide.

    The Kalhas within his eye sockets were drowned by the Water Qi she unleashed, suffering from damage when Re''Kha arrived beside his face, crouching as she gently used her hand to open his eyelids. The rainwater fell into the Kalhas within and turned them back into normal eyeballs.

    Unfortunately, the man died the moment they died. Re''Kha left him as if and focused on the state of the five remaining scouts. They had lost one while the opponents were down to one. The people controlled by the Kalhas couldn''t unleash their Pranic Arts, so they battled like normal people. Against the Harmonisers, it was hard to clinch victory.

    Though, the scouts weren''t faring better either. They were constantly subjected to an incessant sound the Kalhas emitted. Seeing themotion, the Kalhas within the other houses wriggled in the little space they had, creating a weak tune in conjugation with the sound.

    The entire settlement soon echoed with their tune, a chorus the eye cluster had begun.

 Chapter 57 - Terrifying Schemer

    Three scouts were rushing through the meadow on horsebacks, their expressions solemn. The disciplemented, "Let''s split up from here."

    Without another word, the three of them split. The disciple headed north, riding within a forest, with the gap between the trees wide enough for his horse to run through, his destination was Burmat City. One scout proceeded northeast¡ªheading towards Burfuna City¡ªwhile thest headed east, his destination was Burkurel City.

    The disciple had chosen the fastest route to head towards Burmat City, taking a risk to enter the forest along the way. Thankfully, most of the beasts had rushed out of the forest, making his journey bereft of tension for the most part.

    The other two scouts, though, were unlucky. The scout proceeding northeast came to an abrupt halt as his horse refused to budge, rooted to the spot in fear. It cantered, its forelegs losing bnce as it foamed in the mouth. The scout gazed towards the sky, his face paling with fear.

    A massive shadow cast over him, blocking out the rain, absorbing most of the light incident on it; the apanying gales knocked him to the ground. Before he could react, a massive sphere of water mmed into him, smashing him, along with the horse, into pulp.

    The attacker flew past without a second nce. It was the Pakou, summoned by Burmat Re''Shi. The Pakou made an arc before noticing the other scout heading east, mming a breath attack towards him as it swiftly ended his life.

    As the disciple moved through the forest, it failed to find him. Followed by a low growl, the Pakou flew south, soon noticing the Burkurel Ju n''s western settlemente into view. It was partly surrounded by fog, decreasing visibility of the area.

    ''She is somewhere around here.'' Burmat Re''Shi thought, scanning through the senses of his Pranic Avatar, soon spotting a figure sprinting through the pathways, shuffling from one street to another. Her body was fully covered by clothes, making it difficult to identify her.

    Burmat Re''Shi gazed at thewn, watching the maid tend to a shrub nted near the side. He looked around to see that no one else was keeping watch on him, sighing in relief. He craned his left hand forward, looking at its underside to gaze at the token embedded in it. Its flickers intensified, bing unstable. Using it, he zoomed in towards the presence of Burkurel Re''Kha.

    Immediately, the Pakou knew the woman covered in clothes from top to bottom was the one he desperately wished to save. It saw the four scouts chasing after her, growling in anger. It pped its wings and flew towards the nearest scout, condensing a water sphere in its mouth.

    ¡­

    "Hmph!" The leader grunted, mming two palm projections towards the final figure under a Kalha''s control, smashing his chest in, preventing him from getting up. He hacked with his de, severing the opponent''s head as he grunted, watching the figure fall into the water.

    The moment the water covered the figure, he was outlined in the leader''s Water Qi perception. The leader''s face trembled, having killed arade he had apanied through numerous life and death situations. ''Dammit!''

    He was slightly exhausted, making ripples in the water as hemunicated with the other three scouts. Among the five remaining, they lost one scout in the previous fight while the scout trapped under the table had been dragged into the house at some point in time.

    Three had been sent to ry messages to the three cities in their region; from the initial 17, they were down to 4 scouts now. The captain gazed at a pair of feet through his perception, focusing on Re''Kha, "So, everything was a trap youid?"

    ''So young, but so vicious already.'' He noticed how she moved without trouble, and judging by her actions, there hadn''t been any Rhipa within the granary, but the Kalhas she had disguised as such. The Kalhas were a race of beasts that were almost impossible to fight against while perceiving them. On the contrary, the Rhipas were an agility-based race with tremendous numbers, so one must use everything in his arsenal to perceive their movements and y them.

    Based on the clues, they began to prepare against the Rhipas; unfortunately, it was what led to their doom. Despite everything they had calcted and moved cautiously, they were still led into a trap by the nose. The more he thought, the more he shuddered at the cunning of Burkurel Re''Kha.

    The leadermunicated with the remaining four scouts using the ripples. "Burkurel Re''Kha has some mysterious means to survive within a ce influenced by the Kalhas. Be careful. The moment she''s in range, aim your attacks on her legs. Our mission remains unchanged."

    Their conditions had eased now, for the Kalhas had stopped the chorus once thest of the figures they controlled had been killed. And, since the four scouts had worn masks and blocked all their senses, there wasn''t much their chorus did to them. So, instead of wasting their energy, the Kalhas turned silent.

    Re''Kha panted, reeling from the effect of the chorus. She hadn''t fully blocked her ears, leaving most of the defence to the cloth banner. Once the chorus stopped, her condition steadily normalised as she noticed the four scouts sprint towards her. When they were fighting with the scouts controlled by the Kalhas, Re''Kha decided to pull some distance first.

    She adjusted her dress, making the two vials¡ªpositioned on her front and back respectively¡ªpeek out. Before she began to run, Re''Kha had taken out a Fire Qi Essence from her storage ring and put it in the Aeki after activating, limiting its range to the confines of the Aeki. She also made the Aeki''s top face the sky and collect the rain.

    It was a single action, hardly consuming any time, for all she did was throw the Fire Qi Essence into the Aeki. Since the scouts were only perceiving her through their Water Qi perception, they were unable to determine her hand''s movements.

    Re''Kha ran, holding the whip in her hands as she calcted the way to emerge victorious. The scouts chased her, pausing at regr tomunicate through the ripples. They spread out through the settlement, trying to entrap her in the middle.

 Chapter 58 - Arriving At Her Rescue

    Re''Kha ran without stopping, making feints at every turn, noticing the scouts stagger every time before reacting ordingly, changing their routes. The four scouts slowly spread in four directions, steadily reducing the distance upon every turn she took.

    Just their positions pressured her, for every scout possessed as much Qi reserves as her, if not more. Moreover, the leader possessed enough reserve to overturn the situation easily. If they fought head-on, Re''Kha didn''t have any guarantee of emerging victorious.

    Since she knew theyout of the settlement and understood its mechanism, she tried to make the scouts turn when they were in front of the entrances to the houses. That way, the duration they stayed before the entrance would be greater than when they just passed by.

    It wouldn''t affect them much, but it wasn''t as if their noses werepletely blocked, for they still needed to breathe. And, toplement their strenuous running activity, their air intake had to be higher or they would soon lose all strength in their bodies.

    So, the scent of the Kalhas wouldn''t bepletely filtered out, slowly but surely affecting them. This was the point she made use of. The scouts too realised this point, but they had no other choice. After all, if they didn''t react to her changes on time, then the encirclement they had made would be wasted.

    They only had four people, and to trap a person in such arge settlement wasn''t an easy feat. So, they had to be alert, move, and change directions as swiftly as possible. On seeing potential prey shing by their entrances one after another and escape, the Kalhas were slowly irritated.

    They began to store their strength, attacking the moment a scout moved before their entrance. They emitted a dense scent that the rain couldn''t wash away instantly. Moreover, they maintained it continuously, making the streets dangerous. One after another, all the houses emitted the scent.

    It would take at least 5-10 breaths in time before the rain couldpletely wash away their effects. On noticing a lot of nk spaces mix into the water near the entrances of the houses and spread until covering the entire path, Re''Kha smiled, for her n had been achieved.

    She was blind, but to avoid falling under the control of the Kalhas, the scouts had blocked all their senses, so they too could be considered blind. As it was raining, she couldn''t use her Wind Qi perception. So, both the parties relied on their Water Qi perception to proceed.

    Both were vulnerable to the Kalhas, but Re''Kha had the cloth banner to rely on for survival. So, she wished to exploit this advantage to the maximum. The streets were slowly filled with the scent of the Kalhas, endangering the scouts.

    With every step they took, their nerves trembled. An urge sprouted within them, and that was to dig out their eyes. At the moment, it wasn''t powerful enough to control them, so the scouts resisted through sheer willpower. Thanks to the rain, they could endure it for a while.

    But, the actions of Re''Kha put them in a passive spot, making them take turns when in front of a house''s entrance. Even if they tried to be smart about it and cross the entrance, Re''Kha wouldn''t change direction, proceeding differently.

    They were reacting based on her movements while she too was reacting based on theirs. It was a contest of reflex and judgement between both parties. It was a game of chess, they had to anticipate the movements and ns of the other party and move ordingly to suit their agenda.

    At present, the scouts were slowly, but surely converging upon Re''Kha. In the centre of the settlement, every house was individually ced. But beyond that, the houses were ced as clusters of either four or six, with paths spanning along their sides.

    In arge settlement like theirs, this meant they had a lot of paths to traverse upon. Moreover, they formed a maze of sorts, creating endlessbinations for one to traverse upon. It was a strenuous mental effort while physically taxing themselves.

    Re''Kha had already lost feeling in her legs, only running thanks to adrenaline. She knew that the moment she stopped, her muscles would rx, rendering her immobile for a fair duration. So, she had no other choice but to press forth.

    Re''Kha was running towards the east, behaving as if she was nning to escape. So, most of the chase happened in the eastern region of the settlement. One of the four scouts had first arrived at the eastern gate before closing in on Re''Kha ordingly.

    The breach in the walls was on the western side, so they didn''t have to worry about guarding a second entrance/exit. The scout constantly moved about, keeping his back against the eastern gate, firming his position. This way, Re''Kha would be unable to exit the settlement and it was only a matter of time before she tired out. Every scout had more than enough confidence in outrunning her.

    After turning around a corner, it was a straight path, spanning the length of four houses attached to one another. So, if he didn''t wish to make an opening in the encirclement, he had to cross it swiftly and close in on Re''Kha further.

    The scout had travelled halfway in the straight path when something heavy mmed into him, ttening him to the ground. His Water Qi perception was unable to sense anything approaching from the air, hence failing to dodge the attack. The rain also prevented him from making out the source of the sound. The shadow of the Pakou flew past his corpse that had been sted into smithereens.

    The leader abruptly stopped his run, sliding over the floor as he reduced his momentum. The rain made it slippery, a reason they hadn''t been able to corner Re''Kha swiftly. It was hard making sharp turns, for their momentum always caused them to slip, so they had to take that into ount before sliding to make the necessary turns. If it was dry ground, they would have long captured her.

    "W-What was that?" The leader was flustered, for the power behind the attack was beyond what he had witnessed in his service as a scout. It was frightening, for in his Water Qi perception, in the ce the scout near the eastern gate had been killed, there emerged a massive pool of Water Qi.

    The Water Qi was dense to the extent he could easily make out the texture of the floor and even the dirt the water carried with it.

 Chapter 59 - An Exchange Of Attacks

    The leadermanded through the ripples for the scouts to take shelter under protrusions among the sides of the houses. The moment they did, he ran through the paths before arriving within a narrow route.

    The moment he arrived, his right hand shone with blue radiance, increasing in length to thrice his height. When he pulled his hand backward, the blue radiance retracted into it, forming a thin outline on his clothes.

    The leader punched diagonally towards the sky, aiming at the ceiling of the house on his right. The blue projection shot forth like a whip, curving mid-air as the hand at its forefront moved to grab hold of a tile on the ceiling, breaking it before grabbing hold of the stone forming the ceiling. The nails in the hand dug into the walls as the whip-like body arched in the air.

    The leader pulled his punch, retracting the projection. Since the hand part of the projection held the ceiling, the contraction of the projection pulled him, lifting him to the air. Forming a small arc, the leadernded on the ceiling.

    The hand left its hold of the ceiling as the projection retreated into his arm, looking like a glow over his clothes once again. The leader removed his mask, gazing at the sky with his eyes. He hadnded on the ceiling to prevent seeing any Kalhas.

    "A Pakou?" The leader was shocked when he saw the beast that had killed the scout near the eastern gate. He then noticed its size, muttering in shock, "Howe it is so big? Even the n Head''s Pakou is not this big."

    "Is it a Pakou that drifted from the wild?" The leader muttered; his expression crumbled as he noticed the Pakou circle the air, trying to create a line of shot to take out another scout.

    "I won''t allow you!" The leader shouted; his projection shot forth, grabbing the ceiling of a farther house as he pulled his hand backward. His body shot forth, leaping as he controlled his projection to coil and cushion his fall.

    With a single jump, he crossed more than twenty houses. After four jumps, he arrived near the targeted scout, using his projection to m at the water down, causing a ripple, transmitting the message.

    The two scouts in hiding sprinted straight towards Re''Kha, uncaring if she headed to the exit. They nned to catch her outside if necessary. The Pakou saw their actions, turning around to fly towards them when the leader jumped at it, brandishing his projection mid-flight.

    The projection extended to a length thrice his height, its maximum capacity, shooting towards the Pakou. The Pakou folded its right-wing, using the instability and its body weight to swerve towards its right, dodging the attack.

    The projection missed its aim; the leader bent his hand around the wrist, making the projection curve in the air as it mmed at the underside of the Pakou. The Pakou grunted, condensing a water sphere in its mouth before shooting it towards the leader.

    The leader pulled his hand backward, instantly retracting the projection into it. He punched towards a nearby house, grabbed the ceiling before pulling his hand backward once again. The force instantly lifted him and sent him flying towards the house.

    The leader cushioned his fall by coiling his projection into a spring, watching the Pakou''s breath attack m into the ce he previously stood upon, seeing the tiles be blown into smithereens while the ceiling cracked. Part of the roof caved in, allowing the rainwater to pour in and kill the Kalhas that came into contact with it.

    His projection disappeared as the time was up. His Pranic Art, Hand-Whip Projection could only exist for three breaths in time before it disappeared. Each activation cost him 7 units of Water Qi, so it was a tremendous expenditure.

    The Pakou pped its wings, increasing its altitude, proceeding beyond his reach as it began to fly towards Re''Kha. The leader immediately summoned his Pranic Avatar, a Nerou, mounting it. The Nerou hopped from one building to the other, running along thebined stretches whenever possible.

    It possessed enough agility to do so. The Nerou chased behind the Pakou, jumping from one roof to another. As it didn''t see the ground or peer into any entrances, it was unaffected through sight. But, it was getting affected through the nose that the leader blocked immediately.

    His vision whirred as he gave chase, unwilling to see the Pakou reach the scouts first. As they were on the eastern region of the settlement, most of the houses were clustered, giving the Nerou enough ground¡ªceiling¡ªto build up momentum.

    Once it had built enough momentum, crossing the houses became easy. Soon, the Nerou crossed thest building, leaping as itnded on the ground. Without any changes, it sprinted towards the eastern exit. Re''Kha and the other two scouts had already exited the settlement and were sprinting through the meadow.

    The Nerou elerated as the leader tried his best to remain conscious. His hands were already itching, beginning to slowly move towards his eyes. The moment the Nerou arrived before the exit and began to pass through, the Pakou declined its wings before bending over, curving its neck until it faced its back.

    "Shit!" The leader cursed, watching the Pakou send a massive water sphere flying his way. Due to the size of the entrance, and the short passage it formed, his Nerou didn''t have enough space to dodge and fully evade the attack.

    The leader made a backward jump while his Nerou pped the ground hard with its legs, causing a ssh of water as its body shot forward, meeting the water sphere head-on. The collision obliterated its head, sending its body flying backward while the water in the sphere spilled out.

    The leader dispersed his summon right at this time, rolling on the ground a few times as he stopped, coughing out a mouthful of blood. He used his Pranic Avatar as his meat shield while jumping back to avoid the blow, surviving the attack.

    "Huff¡­puff¡­" The leader wheezed as the Pakou continued to fly without giving him a second nce, rushing to the rescue of Re''Kha.

 Chapter 60 - Conclusion

    "Dammit, it would kill us all at this rate." The leader coughed as he got up, sprinting the moment he took in a deep breath. At present, he didn''t have the luxury to stop and think. Whether the Pakou was a wild beast or someone''s Pranic Avatar, all he had to do was kill it and capture Re''Kha.

    There were only three scouts now, including him. So, they didn''t have any choice but to act fast. The other two scouts had shortened the distance with Re''Kha by now, on the verge of catching up with her.

    One of them summoned his Pranic Avatar in hopes of buying time against the Pakou while removing his mask. Now that they had exited the settlement, there was no longer a point in wearing them, for the Kalhas only lived in ces protected from the rain.

    In the open like this, they wouldn''te across them. The scout had thought as such when he removed his mask, gazing at the back of Re''Kha,manding his Pranic Avatar to lunge at her. Though, simultaneously, both he and his Nerou focused below her nape, gazing at an eyeball hidden under.

    The distance was pretty short while they made eye contact. The Pranic Avatar vanished, transmitting all the Fear Qi produced in it to the respective scout. It was unknown whether it was the rain or the tears he shed as the scout plucked his eyeballs and threw them to the ground, losing bnce in the process.

    He mmed into the ground, making a long trail as he slid through the water, stopping when his head crashed into a rock. The other scout had just removed his mask when he noticed his teammate fall to the ground.

    Re''Kha immediately skid on the ground,ing to a halt before turning around, sprinting towards the scout. Her right hand shed blue as she sent out a palm projection towards the scout, using her left hand to brandish a whip while rotating her body.

    The momentum from the spin made her whip fly faster towards the scout while making her two attacks consecutive. The scout unleashed a palm projection of his own with the left hand, meeting her palm projection. Both cancelled each other, sshing out like water.

    His right hand unleashed another palm projection that mmed into the whip, stopping it. The scout red at Re''Kha, preparing to use his Hand-Whip Projection when his eyes widened, his focus zooming towards the vial below her neck.

    His hands shot towards his eyes as Re''Kha coiled the whip around his neck, pulling it with force to create an abrasion. A blood vessel in his neck had been opened, causing blood to spew out nonstop. Re''Khashed the whip on the heads of the two scouts, causing wounds that bled blood after a couple of hits.

    She then gazed at the leader, sprinting towards him while motioning with her hands at the top, waving it once while covering the two vials in her dress. The Pakou let out a guttural sound, flying atop her as it focused on the leader.

    By the time he noticed the two scouts drop without reason and the actions of Re''Kha, the leader knew that they had failed the mission. ''She can make use of the Kalhas. If I cover my eyes, I wouldn''t be able to block the Pakou but if I keep them open, I''ll fall victim to the Kalhas she controls.''

    He sighed, "This mission is a failure."

    Without hesitation, he plopped open a substance hidden in his mr, causing it to seep into his throat. Within a couple of breaths, the leader fell dead on the ground. To avoid leaking any information through torture, he chose suicide.

    Re''Kha adjusted her dress, covering both the vials as she stopped before the leader,shing out with her whip just in case he pretended to be dead. Her attack caused blood to flow out of his head as Re''Kha watched from a distance, feeling the pping of wings as the Pakounded beside her.

    "Grrrreee¡­Grrkkkhhhaaa¡­" The Pakou pronounced with difficulty as the rain drenched itpletely, causing the water to flow over its body and meet the ground. Through her Water Qi perception, Re''Kha witnessed just how big the Pakou was, "I never thought you woulde to my rescue."

    Her hands trembled as her facial muscles shivered, Re''Kha ced her hand on the neck of the Pakou, wrapping it in her embrace as she leaned on it, "Thank you, Re''Shi."

    "Grrr," The Pakou gazed at her covered figure, seething with rage as it noticed her actions. Re''Kha had lost her eyes, now no longer able to see. Its tail gently patted her back, consoling her as Re''Kha began to cry.

    All along, she had been under stress, striving to survive every moment without anything to depend upon. She had lost her vision, the fear stemming forth from such a loss was unbearable. With danger lurking around, her world was dark, unable to gleam any hope.

    She had been betrayed by the people from her n, which further acted as a noose that tightened around her neck, making her doubt everyone she knew. But now, the individual before her calmed her, causing her bottled-up emotions to gush out. For, she trusted the individual before her, considering everything they had experienced together. He didn''t have any reason to betray her, not in the past, neither now, nor in the future.

    The Pakou stood in silence, growling at times to console her. Re''Kha could finally rx, the struggle till this point finally allowed her to see the light at the end of the tunnel. The chilling rainwater no longer caused her to feel alone and abandoned but acted as a medium that washed away her worries.

    "Re''Shi," After some time had passed, Re''Kha stopped crying as she felt the intensity of the rain slowly begin to decrease, "I have left some things in the settlement. Let''s grab them all before the rain stops."

    "Grrr!" The Pakou lowered itself, allowing Re''Kha to climb aboard its back. With a p of its wings, the Pakou slowly took off to the air and flew towards the settlement while Re''Kha pointed the way.

 Chapter 61 - Letâ€™s Escape

    The Pakounded on the house Re''Kha had taken refuge within for the past couple of days. Even without her instructions, it knew what to do, keeping its eyes closed while preventing itself from taking any breaths until it stood upon the roof.

    The ceiling had mostly fallen, with the remainder sporting cracks. If it hadnded on it, its weight would have caused it to copse. So, all the Pakou did was bnce itself on the top of the walls, using its wings and tail to keep itself steady.

    The rain was thinning out now, looking like it would stop soon. So, Re''Kha had to hurry with her task. The streams flowing through the houses were still detailed enough for her to grasp the outline of them all, so she wasn''t troubled in sensing her way through.

    Re''Kha took in a deep breath as her right hand shone with blue radiance. She punched at the ceiling as her hand projection shot forth, grabbing hold of the ceiling''s edge. She then pulled her hand backward halfway before jumping from the ceiling, stopping in the air. She then slowly rxed her hand, arriving down before her hand projection released its hold.

    Re''Khanded on the ground with a thud, sshing the water collected on it. Through her Water Qi perception, she noticed that the shoulder bag was still in the same ce as before. She only took a couple of steps before arriving in front of the breach in the kitchen walls.

    Re''Kha punched towards the granary''s entrance, sending her hand projection flying in the direction. She stopped her punch towards the end, opening her hand. The hand projection mimicked her hand''s actions.

    Re''Kha moved her hand a bit downward; in response, the hand projection moved a greater distance before grabbing hold of the bag. Re''Kha pulled her hand backward. In the same time it took her hand to move back, the hand projection returned with the shoulder bag.

    It was the principle all Pranic Arts relied upon to be deadly tools during fights. When she curled her hand into a fist and ced them beside her shoulder, it was treated as zero distance. When she activated her Pranic Art, Hand Projection, it remained at zero position, outlining her hand.

    When she delivered a full punch, her fist moved from zero position to the maximum length¡ªthe length of her arm. Her Pranic Art though, was different. Its range of action was twice the user''s height whilesting for three breaths in time.

    So, when she delivered a full punch, in the same time it took for her to punch, her hand projection travelled a distance equivalent to two times her height. Because of this simple reason, it umted a lot of momentum, a multiple of twice her height divided by the length of her arm.

    This momentum resulted in the hand projection containing tremendous force. Simrly, when she moved her hand, both her hand and the hand projection traversed the same angle with respect to her initial position¡ªthe shoulder joint.

    It meant that the arc length they covered varied based on their distance from the shoulder joint. Suppose her height was twice the length of her arm. It meant her hand projection travelled four times the distance her hand covered during motion¡ªspanning the same time.

    So, it could be said that the Pranic Art had four times her power. As for the Pranic Art of the scout leader, Hand-Whip Projection, its maximum range was thrice his height. So, it contained six times his power while in use.

    That''s why Re''Kha knew that she couldn''t win in a head-on fight against the leader. After all, her opponent''s Pranic Art had a superior range. In contrast, she only had two Pranic Arts in her arsenal, the palm projection, and the hand projection.

    The palm projection was amon Pranic Art that every Harmoniser knew, for it only consumed one Elemental Qi to activate. That''s why Re''Kha went through all that effort to lead the scouts towards the exit so that they would rely on their eyes, which would allow her to use the vials to kill them.

    She had nned everything meticulously. Sure, there were numerous times her life was put at a risk. But, she could only strive forth with everything she could do and bet her life on it for survival.

    Re''Kha grabbed the bag and ced it on the ground before sprinting towards the Aeki she had left in the open. By the time her hand projection disappeared, she fished out the Fire Qi Essence from it while kicking it.

    The boiling hot water in the Aeki spilled out, mixing with the water on the ground as it instantly cooled down. The moment her hand projection held the Fire Qi Essence, cracks started to appear on it. Re''Kha mentally willed for it to deactivate, sighing as she saw her hand projection disappear.

    She held the Fire Qi Essence with her hand and returned to the house, grabbing the bag as she lifted it with difficulty. She only had five units of Water Qi in her now, unable to use her hand projection. Her palm projection was only a rigid attack and couldn''t be used in this situation to lift the bag. All it would ever do is m the bag and cause it to tear.

    Re''Kha dragged it and moved into the side of the house, with both sides of the path covered by walls. Moreover, it was pretty wide, for it was in the centre of the settlement. "Come here!"

    Upon her shout, the Pakounded before her. It had been some time since the scouts had left the settlement, so the Kalhas no longer released their scents. The scent they released had already been washed away and annihted by the Water Qi in the rain. As the area was silent, the Pakou faced no trouble innding, not even the slightest disturbance in its concentration or control over its body.

    Re''Kha pocketed the Fire Qi Essence and slowly carried the bag over the Pakou''s back, finally settling down as she motioned for it to fly, "Let''s escape."

 Chapter 62 - Prelude To Another Disaster

    The Pakounded in the meadow, near the leader''s corpse. When Re''Kha jumped on the ground, the Pakou lifted its right foreleg and inserted only a toe in the water, moving its leg slightly. Re''Kha frowned, muttering in surprise, "What do you mean I shouldn''t search for clues on him?"

    The Pakou moved its right foreleg as its toe moved through the water, forming words that Re''Kha understood in her perception. It was simr to people writing on air.

    [These scouts are from my n. Re''Kya sent them to capture you. There won''t be any clues leading them to my n. Rather, they hide a lot of poison under their armour to infect anyone who searches their corpse. It''s for the best to leave them alone.]

    "So, it is her this time."

    [From what I found out, she also had a hand in orchestrating the previous incident.]

    "She probably contacted those from my n and satisfied their greed for them to act¡­no, those from the main family always nned to eliminate me."

    [Your aunt has been eyeing your mother''s position all along. She''s not free of suspicion either.]

    The two turned silent, feeling the rain thin out as Re''Kha immediately climbed on the Pakou''s back. The Pakou took off to the skies and headed northeast, moving far from the settlement. When the rain stopped, the Kalhas within the houses exited immediately.

    They collectively took off to the skies, forming a massive cluster as they created a cacophony of noise. A lot of them had been killed in the previous chaos. They wished to replenish their numbers immediately. The eye cluster gazed towards the east, vaguely sensing the energy that caused them to migrate.

    It was still there, disturbing their home, the Kuhera Forest. The Kalhas were wary, unwilling to get close to that energy. Thankfully, the energy that had invaded their home was unstable and seemed to steadily retreat into the Bahara Mountain Range. The source seemed to be from beyond that, so the energy looked like it would soon retreat towards the source.

    After finding out the fact that they could return soon, the Kalhas calcted the time they had to remain in the ce, noticing that it was about to rain soon. They made merry for some time and retreated into the houses the moment it began to rain.

    In the house adjacent to the one Re''Kha had taken refuge within, there existed a simrly-sized granary, one that was bigger than what their household was allowed to have by imperial rule. Half of the granary was cordoned off by a wall, making it seem like it was all that was avable.

    Though, underneath the roots of an Aeki existed a simr manhole covered by a lid. Within it was a narrow path that led into the room on the other side. Stone mats wereid on the floor, numbering 20.

    Chained on each were people, maintained in an unconscious state. An Aeki stood in the centre of the room, its size thrice the Aekis Re''Kha had witnessed. Numerous roots shaped like tubes spanned from its sides and were inserted into the mouths of the people.

    It steadily dripped a solution after every interval. This maintained the condition of the people, preventing their bodies from deteriorating due to hunger. A retractable cage covered each stone mat, its bars were thin and positioned close to each other. They were also coated with a gtinous solution that exuded a pungent smell.

    Embedded in the people were eggs the side of eyeballs, numbering 10 per each. They were only embedded in and around the stomach, ced carefully to avoid injuring the host.

    Among the 10 eggs in one of the people, one egg sported cracks before a tiny critter emerged out. It had a long tail and arge, obtuse mouth attached to a body thatcked a neck. It possessed two pairs of limbs that could move about in all directions, only possessing ball-and-socket joints.

    It was tiny, but the moment it hatched, it opened its mouth and screeched, "Aiaaiaaia!"

    The other 9 eggs near to it hatched soon after as the critters within walked out, shouting simrly. One after another, they hatched, moving about within their cages as they simultaneously gazed at the host they hatched out from.

    "Aiaaiaaia!"

    Followed by their shout, they dug through the skins of the chained people and burrowed into their bodies, screeching as they started to eat them. Their bodies started to grow from theirrval stage.

    Rhipa!

    They were the very same creatures that Re''Kha used the name of to fool the scouts. As it turned out, the conjecture of the scouts turned out to be true. A household indeed was growing them to use, which was forbidden by imperialw.

    It was dangerous to use the Rhipa, for they couldn''t be controlled. And, every activity of theirs had to be strictly monitored to avoid causing any mishaps that would lead to a disaster. Now, with the entire space unmanned, the Rhipas had hatched and were beginning to move.

    It was unknown as to what the household was nning to do with them, but now, it mattered naught. One of the Rhipa moved towards the cage, hesitant as it sniffed the gtinous substance coated on it.

    It immediately retreated in fear, revulsion existent in its actions. Itmunicated with the other Rhipas, formting a n as they converged around the person''s fingers, targeting the middle finger first.

    They ate the flesh around it and pulled out the bone. A Rhipa carried it and moved towards the cage, poking at gtinous substance as it moved the bone, scooping part of the substance. It then moved towards a corner and applied the gtinous substance to another part of the cage.

    Some of the Rhipas directly severed the fingers of the person and used the smoothness of the skin to wipe out part of the cage, cleaning all traces of the gtinous substance on it. To achieve that, they also took out patches of the person''s skin like expert weavers and cleaned the area.

    Once it was done, they began to bite through the cage, soon making a hole big enough for them to pass through. The Rhipas exited the cage and screeched in joy. The Rhipas in the other cages too mimicked their actions, soon exiting. The entire space was filled with all sorts of sounds the Rhipas made. It was the prelude to another disaster.

 Chapter 63 - Reâ€™Kha And Reâ€™Shi

    The Pakou distanced itself from the Burkurel Ju n''s western settlement by arge extent, going around the Burkurel Ju n''s northern settlement, followed by the western and northern settlement of Burkurel Ka n.

    All the settlements were abandoned now, with the residents taking refugee within Burkurel City. As it was arge city, it had enough capacity to house them all in. Moreover, it was constructed for that purpose from the start, for the settlements didn''t have enough Harmonisers to defend against any disasters.

    When it was far away from the northern settlement of Burkurel Ka n, the Pakounded on a stretch of meadow that spanned after that. The moment itnded, Re''Kha jumped down and stretched her legs, having rxed a little. In the short rest, she recovered a little bit of her stamina, at least enough to stand for some time.

    The Pakou used the toe on its right foreleg to write on the water collecting above ground, conversing with Re''Kha.

    [What do you n to do next?]

    "Burkurel City would currently be swarmed by the beasts and even the Kalhas. So, it is not a wise choice to head there for the time being. Besides, I don''t know the extent of the schemes the people that plotted against me span. Unless I investigated them, stepping foot there will be suicide."

    [What about your¡­mother?]

    "She''ll¡­" Re''Kha sighed, saddened by the fact, "She''ll only think my death was a loss. By now, she might even be nning to have a fifth child. Father should still be in Bura Fort. He''ll be saddened by the news; I''ll secretly try to send him a message."

    [That''s¡­just like her.]

    "What''s the situation in your ce?"

    [Burmat City is in a chaotic state at the moment. All the five ns are gearing up for war while internally, the sessors arepeting against one another.]

    "Wait¡­sessors?" Re''Kha stared in shock, "Aren''t you the sole sessor to the Burmat Re n? Where did these¡­sessorse from?"

    [10 days before you lost my eyes, I suffered an injury to my legs. I can no longer move them, and my talent as a Harmoniser is on the decline. So, the four heads in my n, apart from father, are slowly plotting to rise to power.]

    "What?" Re''Kha was shocked, shivering in anger, "How dare they do that to you?"

    [It''s fine.]

    The Pakou''s tail patted her back as its neck rubbed against her cheek. The Pakou continued to write in the water, maintaining a level-headed response.

    [I have a¡­Spirit Artifact. It has been with me all along, but I only realised its existence after my injury. And, my talent as a Harmoniser hasn''t decreased, but rather has increased. I am manually limiting the amount my Tikka Jewellery shows to put their guards down. Also, I should be able to heal myself by Peak Fire Month. Once I do that, I''lle for you.]

    "So, that means¡­" Re''Kha stammered in joy, "You have attained the legendary qualifications as a Harmoniser? Is that how your Pranic Avatar is this strong now?"

    [No, It''s a long story. I was tracking the clues to a Gold Pranic Essence for the past two years. After many difficulties, I finally obtained it and elevated my bloodline to Quadruple Foundation. In my joy, I let my guard down and was injured.]

    "Who injured you?"

    [Who else but Re''Kya. She had schemed meticulously for that asion, so much so that her conspiracy was perfect. Even the scouts the n secretly nurtured were unable to find any traces. She''s a patient schemer.]

    Re''Kha turned silent, her brows scrunched. She was in thought, trying to link up the details underlying the schemes the two of them had been pulled into when the Pakou''s tail patted her head.

    [What do you n to do now? I''m monitored from all sides and cannot leave my n for the time being. Meeting you openly would paint you as the target once again. It would take a lot of time before I can use some excuse to leave Burmat City. Even if I try to fight my way out, I would be trapped easily.]

    "Your n is too powerful. Even if you be a Martial Master, fighting your way through the Burmat Re n is not possible." Re''Kha shook her head, sighing, "Don''t worry about me. My master taught me some things, so even in my current state, I''m not entirely helpless."

    She patted the Pakou''s head, gazing into its eyes through the water flowing over it, "I''ll live in Burfuna City for the time being. It would be the safest ce for me now."

    She patted the bag on the Pakou''s bag, "There is more than enough money in it tost a couple of years. I''ll live in hiding until then."

    [But¡­your growth would stagnate in the meantime. In two years, you could increase your Qi reserves by 6 units.]

    "I''ll beprehending my element until then. When I return to my n, I''ll use the opportunity to head to Earth and farm as many Prana Stones as I can."

    [That will depend on the type of Quest you obtain. It''s not easy to find a high-rewarding Quest.]

    The Pakou closed its eyes, sensing something as it craned its head, gazing at Re''Kha, "Grrr!"

    [I won''t pry into your secrets, but I hope whatever your master taught you can help you in this situation. When we meet in person, tell me more about him. I''m curious to know the person you acknowledged as your master.]

    "About that¡­" Re''Kha hesitated for a moment, thinking if it would be a good idea to pull him into the mess. Finally, she shook her head, concluding that it would be better for the two of them to think and n together instead of her butting heads alone.

    "He was the one who saved me from the Blinded Ghost," Re''Kha felt sadness and anger wash over her as she thought of her master, "He saved me and healed me back to health. But, he was already on the verge of dying by then."

    "The chaos around Burkurel City is the result of his death."

 Chapter 64 - Shave It

    [Your master''s death caused that beast tide and forced the Kalhas to vacate the Kuhera Forest? Just who is he?]

    "To be honest, I am not sure myself. Master didn''t talk much about himself. All he said was that he was betrayed by a group of powerful people who are most probably celestials by now." Re''Kha looked around, sensing the meadow stretch as far as her perception could expand, beyond which were mountains.

    Her tone turned sad, "They had poisoned him 20 years ago. He had been enduring it all along; and when he died, the poison was expelled from his body. That is what affected the entire region."

    [It''s not a Celestial but a group of Celestials. My god, was your master a Celestial himself?]

    "I don''t think so," Re''Kha shook her head, "He said he was still a Martial Master when he was poisoned. Even until the end, he was still a Martial Master."

    Re''Kha then shook her head violently, "Re''Shi, I wanted to talk about that. The people that killed my master created an organisation to destroy our country. The house in the Burkurel Ju n''s western settlement that I took refuge within was actually a minor base of that organisation."

    [How¡­did you know that?]

    "There was actually master''s note there." Re''Kha then saw the Pakou looking at her with suspicion. Its gaze made it obvious that it felt Re''Kha had injured her head. Seeing the Pakou''s stare, Re''Kha lowered her voice, "They never figured it out because the message was coded using Wood Qi."

    [Your master is a Bisheen?]

    "He didn''t seem like that. After all, he used Water Qi to heal me." Re''Kha muttered, "It is strange, but he''s full of mysteries."

    [Alright, I''ll look into him on my side, same for the organisation that killed him. Don''t try to pry into their details for now. If the opponent is a Celestial, our entire n''s strength is insufficient to fight against them.]

    The Pakou then gazed at Re''Kha as it moved its toe in a flurry, writing the letters in bold.

    [Your getup is attention-grabbing. Why don''t you change into a different set of clothes? That embroidered silk on your face would make anyone take a second nce at you. It would be easy to track down an oddly dressed person. Do you have a change of clothes in your bag?]

    "I do," Re''Kha nodded, "Turn around, I''ll get changed now."

    The Pakou turned around while coiling its tail around her, giving her some room to change within. It protected her against any harm that might arise anytime from anywhere. Seeing the caution it disyed and the concern it showed her, Re''Kha smiled, watching the Pakou drop the bag next to her feet.

    Re''Kha undressed, rolling the cloth banner before bundling it within the clothes as she inserted it inside her storage ring, making some adjustments before she was barely able to do so. She had also ced the vials inside and ensured to ce some Elemental Qi Essences between them.

    This way, the cloth banner wouldn''t siphon Fear Qi from the Kalhas within the vials. After risking her life, she barely managed to capture five. They were her trump cards, so she didn''t wish to see her efforts fail.

    Moreover, the cloth banner hadpletely lost all the Fear Qi it had umted. For, Re''Kha wore it and ran around in the rain. All the Water Qi in the raindrops that mmed on her destroyed all the Fear Qi in the cloth banner.

    At the start when she rolled out of the house while within the Aeki, screaming sounds resounded in her mind whenever a raindrop fell on her. But the moment she came into the open, the scream turned shrill for a moment before subsiding, quickly losing strength as it turned silent.

    Re''Kha noticed the nk space in it fully disappear after a while, concluding that all its Fear Qi had been destroyed.

    So, in such a state, it couldn''t move on its own; at least, that was what she hoped. Re''Kha nned to inspect its condition at regr intervals to ensure the cloth banner didn''t damage her Kalhas.

    She had already kept the whip-shaped Magic Artifact within the storage space. Re''Kha wore the clothes she had packed in the bag, feeling a bit of relief when the rainwater fell on her skin directly. Being covered by the cloth banner felt weird, for she knew it was a Sha.

    "I''m done," Re''Kha closed the bag, watching the Pakou turn around to gaze at her, noticing her appearance as it was stunned into silence. It used its toe to frantically write in the water, expressing its shock.

    [Your hair! It''s no longer blue. It almost looks emerald now.]

    "What? It''s emerald? Why is it like that?" Re''Kha shouted nervously, for the change in hair colour was bad news. People of her race had four hair colours: blue, ck, red, and violet. They were respectively possessed by Harmonisers from the water element, metal element, fire element, and lightning element.

    As for the regr popce, they possessed hair that was a mixture of the four colours. The quantity of hair of a particr colour they possessed conformed to their affinity to the respective element. For example, a man could have blue hair while possessing red sideburns. He could also have all four colours on his hair. But, the only colours they had were pertaining to the four colours.

    Neither other colours, nor a fusion of the four colours existed in their popce. But, just the fact that Re''Kha possessed emerald-coloured hair signified danger for her. She would be ostracised or even treated as an ill omen of sorts and be killed. Or she might find herself captured and sold in a ck market for her rarity.

    If the opposing forces in her n got wind of this, then they would use it to plot against her. Re''Kha was unsure now, thinking, ''This might be a result of master''s Pranic Heart fusing with mine.''

    [It must be because of something your master did. Don''t be afraid, we''ll try to figure out the cause in the future. But first¡­]

    The Pakou paused for a moment, hesitant before beginning to write once again.

    [Your Tikka Jewellery has the same resplendent blue as before, so the only problem is your hair. I suggest we¡­shave it.]

 Chapter 65 - Call Me Reâ€™Luk

    "S-Shave my hair?" Re''Kha stuttered, unconsciously cing her hand on her head, ruffling her hair as she retreated a step. The Pakou''s tail blocked her from retreating further. It stared at her as its toe moved through the water.

    [You can dye it blue once you enter the city. But, the colours would damage your hair one way or other, since you have to apply it daily, there are risks involved. Instead of going through all the hassle, shaving your hair is easier. Once they are removed, you can burn them and get rid of all evidence.]

    "But¡­" Re''Kha twirled the ends of her locks as she hesitated. Whether it was a man or a woman, everyone preferred to have hair, for it symbolised their bountiful life force. Re''Kha only maintained shoulder-length hair, for if it was any longer, it would hinder her in battles and other aspects of life.

    And, it was a length that still made her look feminine. So, she maintained her hair with a lot of care. Their race did have an obsession with maintaining the quality of hair. When they interacted in society, if someone''s hair wasn''t well-maintained, he/she was immediately judged and scorned upon.

    It wasn''t the case for soldiers in war, for surviving is all that mattered to them. In their society, the men waged wars against the other races in the battle for territory while the women managed internal affairs and threats that cropped up from time to time, like the Sha.

    So, most of the time, women didn''t proceed beyond their country border; hence, they had enough safety to care for their hair. Over time, it became a symbol of their culture. As someone who was born and grew up in such a culture, Re''Kha ced a lot of value on her hair.

    [It would be difficult, but once this situation tides away, you can regrow your hair. Considering the intensity of your lifeforce, your hair would regrow to its normal length within three months.]

    "Fine, let''s shave it off." Re''Kha moved towards the bag, intending to pick up a knife when the Pakou stopped her, motioning for her to sit. When she sat on the ground, the water collecting on the ground submerged her legs.

    With a plop, the Pakou sat behind her, adjusting itself until its right foreleg wasfortably within the reach of her head. The w on its toe shed, its edges sharp like a de. It also possessed a curvy slope, thankfully for this situation.

    Her eyelids shut tighter as Re''Kha flinched the moment she felt the sharp w touch her head. With a swishing sound, a lock of hair fell off. Her eyes instinctively shed tears, watching the w cut off her hair one part after another.

    She felt a feeling of freedom, her neck felt less strained while her head felt lighter. But overall, she hated it, having to part way with her hair. ''This is nothing, this is nothing. It will grow back.''

    Re''Kha mentally cheered herself, putting up with the process as she felt something that belonged to her getting severed. She didn''t have such a feeling when she trimmed her hair to adjust the length every month before. But now, when it was cut at the roots, she felt a flurry of emotions, emotions she didn''t even know she could feel just for the loss of hair.

    The hair washed over her clothes before falling to the ground, floating on the water surface. The Pakou had coiled its tail around them, preventing the hair from floating out of the boundary. This way, it would be easy to collect it and not leave any traces behind.

    Though, the Pakou had already thought of a method to eradicate the traces of her emerald hair. As time passed, Re''Kha felt a lot of sensations on her head now that she was bald. The rainwater washed all the hair, making it bundle up along the boundaries set using the Pakou''s tail.

    The Pakou used the toe to write on the water, making Re''Kha sigh in relief.

    [It''s done. Do note that your eyebrows and the hair on your eyelids are emerald too. Do you want me to remove the eyebrows?]

    "We are already this far; just get it done now." Re''Kha sighed, watching the Pakou make two swipes as it removed her eyebrows.

    [The hair on your eyelids isn''t apparent unless one looks at them up close or in daylight. Since it''s Early Water Month now, there would barely be enough sunlight, so you don''t have to worry about it for the time being. Or just cover your eyes with a piece of cloth.]

    "Let''s get going now," Re''Kha spoke with a sullen tone, suddenlycking the energy to speak with the same liveliness as before. She then saw the Pakou scribble at a rapid pace, forming a sentence that she was barely able to keep up with.

    [What about the hair in other areas? If you head to a public bath¡­]

    "I''ll remove them once I get a safe room and burn it easily." Re''Kha snapped, punching to the back using her elbow, regretting it immediately when the impact felt like she had hit the Pakou''s bone. She winced in pain and watched the Pakou motion for her to slowly get up.

    When Re''Kha did so, the rain drenched her, washing away all the hair fallen on her clothes to the bottom. She also adjusted its position a couple of times to see that all the hair had fallen. Through her Water Qi perception, it was easy to see if she had missed any.

    Thankfully, all the hair was collected within the set boundary, so half of her worries disappeared at this point. Without the hair, any scouts sent to trail after her wouldn''t be able to use it to directly pinpoint her location.

    The Pakou brandished its ws, scratching the ground to pull up the dirt that it poured within the barricade. Soon, it filled it up with mud, burying the hairs within. It then dumped all the mud within the parts of the earth it had dug, filling it in reverse.

    When it was done, it patted the area before nting theyer of grass atop, writing its thoughts as it let out a low grunt. It then leaned over it, opening its mouth to condense a sphere of sand-like matter within it.

    It possessed metallic properties of lustre, sonority, malleability, ductility, and conductor of heat. The metallic sand formed into a cluster before falling out as loose soil; the Pakou opened its mouth even wider to make it fall evenly.

    The metallic sand fell on the ground it had tampered with. It was full of Metal Qi. The Metal Qi seeped into the ground while the metallic sand formed ayer above it, sedimenting at the bottom of the wateryer.

    Soon, a rock began to grow in ce, having appeared out of nowhere. It was full of Metal Qi, producing a ringing sound as the raindrops fell on it. The Pakou kept its mouth open as a water sphere formed within it, slowly moving forward as itnded on the rock, cracking and shattering it. The shards resultant from the impact were pressed towards the ground due to the angle it wasunched with.

    Now, only soil remained in the ce of the rock; the Pakou expertly covered it up with the nearby grass, showing deft actions. Once it was done, it probed the ground using its senses, nodding in satisfaction.

    [Not a single trace of your hair remains here now. Sometimeter, this ce would also lose all signs of my tampering with it.]

    The Pakou bent lower, allowing Re''Kha to board its back. It used its tail to support her climb, for she was still injured. Holding the bag right behind her, Re''Kha spoke, "Let''s go, to Burfuna City."

    ¡­

    The rainfall was heavy around Burfuna City, forming arge but shallow river that flowed without end over the meadow. Unlike before, the rainfall had turned warm, a sudden change in the temperature.

    A lot of mist was generated because of the abrupt variation in temperature. The mist blocked the eyes of the soldiers stationed on guard at the city''s entrance. Four soldiers were ready behind them, keeping their mental states calm, for they had to swiftly close the exit the moment a threat of any form showed up.

    Wearing a dress that only showed the skin on her hand and face, Re''Kha tied a piece of cloth around her eyes, ensuring to not make it too thick. For, that would cause suspicion in the guards. Anyone would be blind after wearing a thick piece of cloth around their eyes. So, she took precaution in this factor, making it resemble a quirk people loved to dress up into.

    A fair distance away from the city''s south-western entrance, the Pakou used the mist as a cover tond. Re''Kha jumped from its back and ced the bag on the ground near her feet. She then leaped, wrapping her arms around the Pakou''s head, "Come soon, Re''Shi. I miss you already."

    [Don''t worry; I''ll be there before you know it.]

    The Pakou let out faint whimpers as Re''Kha remained in the hugging position for quite a while before nting a kiss on its forehead. "I''ll be okay. I''lly low and just collect basic information for the time being."

    [Don''t use your real name, there is a chance every individual with yourst name in and around these three cities would be looked into. Do you have a name in your head you would like to use? I''ll use that to locate you once I recover.]

    "Hmm," Re''Kha thought for a moment before nodding, "I''ll use the name Re''Luk from now on. This name is rarely used these days, so there won''t be many with this name here. It would be easier to find me through it."

    [Take Care]

    The Pakou broke down into fragments of light that disappeared soon after. Re''Kha gazed at the ground it had stood on, muttering, "Re''Shi¡­"

    Firming herself, Re''Kha controlled her facial expression, using the rain to make a mental note of her appearance, finding that nothing stood out of the ordinary in her. With a slow but steady gait, she marched towards Burfuna City''s south-western city gate.

    Volume 1: Mist Banyan¡ªThe End!

 Chapter 66 - Tikka Jewellery

    "Halt! Do you have a permit to enter the city?" A soldier inclined his spear sideways, blocking entry as he noticed the approach of Re''Kha.

    "I don''t have an entry permit." Re''Kha shook her head. An entry permit was a document that allowed a native of the city to enter and exit the city without any restrictions. After all, most of the people have to move daily due to their work or other reasons.

    But, only those that had been registered in the city¡ªthose that had been born in it¡ªhad an entry permit. As Re''Kha didn''t have that, she couldn''t enter. The soldier gazed at her face, focusing on her forehead, seeing the bright blue glow of the gem embedded on her Tikka jewellery.

    "That would be 1 RuQi, mydy." For a moment, he shuddered, fearing his actions might offend the other party. There had been instances where a guard was executed just because his actions were rude towards a nobleman. So, the guard regretted asking for the toll, even though it was his job.

    "Sure," Re''Kha fished out a 1 RuQi coin from a small pouch hung on her hips and flicked it towards the soldier. The soldier caught it in a hurry, afraid he would drop it and cause it to roll away. It was money that would buy him a meal in the city.

    The soldier watched Re''Kha stride through the city''s entrance with poise, all along focusing on gem glowing with a blue radiance. The moment she moved away from the audible range, he muttered towards the other soldier, "That was one powerful Harmoniser."

    "Yeah, do you have any idea as to who she was?"

    "No," The soldier shook his head, "Very few Harmonisers from the Re n pass through here, so I don''t know the names of many. And, thedies never leave their name in our registry."

    "Oh yeah, why didn''t you ask her name? We can''t just leave her name nk in our registry?" The other soldier chided.

    "Are you mad or what?" The soldier cursed, "I don''t want to die. Let''s just put a random name in her ce. It''s not like they verify the names daily."

    "Yeah," The other soldier sighed, "I only hope nothing happens that they need to verify our registry."

    "Just put the name Cha there. There are hundreds with that name in our city, so no one will find it suspicious." The soldier snickered.

    "You''re smart." The other soldier too snickered and proceeded to put the name, Cha in the registry.

    Re''Kha walked through the entrance, touching her Tikka jewellery once, ''Thankfully for this, I don''t need anything else to enter a city.''

    Tikka jewellery; it was an ornament everyone in their race wore on their foreheads. It was a threaded ne with an oval gem embedded in the centre. The jewellery was specially manufactured in their capital and distributed throughout theirnd.

    Every citizen was given one, irrespective of their status. It had both a cultural significance and importance towards their well-being. When it was created, a Tikka jewellery would be crystalline and transparent, showing that it wasn''t used.

    The moment it was worn on a person, it would change colour, binding itself to the person for all life. Its threaded form would adjust itself ordingly to the nature and disposition of the person while the gem would light up with the colour of the element they were inclined towards.

    The brightness of the gem disyed the person''s talent to the respective element. It was red for fire, ck for metal, blue for water, and violet for lightning. For Harmonisers, the gem on their Tikka jewellery would only disy one colour, the colour their wielded.

    For Harmonisers that were capable of harnessing two or more elements, the gem would only show the colour of the base element they wielded. It would change colours when they enter an excited state and use another element.

    The Tikka Jewellery would sport a crack on its gem when worn by anyone other than its owner, so it served as an identification of sorts. It prevented anyone from a foreign race from disguising themselves as a Kalki and infiltrating their cities.

    As for a citizen that wasn''t a Harmoniser, the threaded portion of the Tikka jewellery would only consist of a single string while their gem would disy the colours of the four elements. The area upied by each colour varied ordingly to their alignment to the respective element.

    The threaded design of every Harmoniser was unique, and since it was mandatory for everyone to wear one, the soldiers only saw her Tikka jewellery, took the toll and gave her entry. They weren''t concerned with whether the individual had any criminal history.

    After all, they had already memorised the faces of everyone to look after, so as long as the face didn''t match with one of the wanted posters, it meant he/she was a normal,w-abiding citizen and was given entry.

    The reason everyone wore the Tikka jewellery even without the rules being enforced was because of only one reason: it slowed down the creation of the Sha and protected them against negative influences.

    A Sha was created through negative emotions that linger and are absorbed into the object that became the target of said emotions over time. The Tikka jewellery dispersed such thoughts andrgely prevented the development of the Sha.

    After all, if they weren''t protected by the Tikka jewellery, thanks to the difficult lives people led, a Sha would be produced everywhere every day and would cause their country to soon copse. Moreover, the Tikka jewellery was worn on their forehead to protect their third eye, their most powerful and most sensitive organ.

    It was still raining as Re''Kha walked on the wide road past the city''s south-western gate, gazing at the side of the road, noticing drivers sitting in their cycle rickshaws and chatting about idly. Re''Kha walked towards them, waving towards the closest one, "Where''s the nearest inn?"

    The rickshaw driver immediately took his position, motioning for her to sit, "I''ll swiftly take you there."

 Chapter 67 - Burfuna City

    "What''s the fare?" Re''Kha inquired before taking a seat.

    "Only 1 RuQi, ma''am." The cycle rickshaw driver began pedalling the moment Re''Kha gave a nod of approval. He proceeded through the wide path, upying the middle of the road since it was almost empty now.

    The cycle rickshaw sported a wide body frame, its rear end shaped into an egg that had been cut into half. It created a dome in the centre in which two people could sitfortably. The rear end of the dome was open, allowing the air to pass through and not make it difficult for the driver to pedal.

    The cycle rickshaws plying over the road were of all types, with some of them made into carriages to house four people within. Such carriages were driven by two drivers that acted as a team. Depending on the amount one spent, the type of carriage they could hire also varied.

    The one Re''Kha chose was the mostmon of them all, also costing the least. For the time she spent hiding in this city, Re''Kha didn''t possess any source of ie. Even though she currently carried a fortune with her, she didn''t wish to splurge them on something unnecessary.

    After all, if she had money, she wanted to spend them on stuff that would benefit her equally. Simply spending for luxury on a rickshaw ride that spanned a short duration was a wastage of money and something she avoided.

    The rain started to thin as Re''Kha activated her Wind Qi perception, gazing at the various carriages and the people travelling within. Some were couples travelling to a restaurant to have a pleasant meal; there was a group of friends snickering as they joked about simple matters, looking like they were heading to an establishment meant for fun.

    There were also lone passengers like her travelling to various destinations. As the city was massive, cycle rickshaws were the prime means of transport, so there were stands for them in all parts of the city.

    The roads were also wide to allowrge traffic flow. The road she was travelling on was one of the main roads in the city, so it was the widest. It was wide enough to allow twenty cycle rickshaws¡ªlike the one she travelled in¡ªto move side by side without any hindrance.

    Depending on their purpose and importance, the width of the road decreased in the city. While observing the city, Re''Kha turned to look at the driver, a lean man in his fifties judging by his stature and voice, "How''s the condition of the inn?"

    "It''s where the travellers frequent to every day. It''s one of the cheapest inns in this area. The rooms are poorly maintained due to the traffic of people who use their services, but there are fewer customers in this season, so it should be fairly well maintained." The moment he started to speak, the driver spoke nonstop. "Do you want me to drive towards a better inn? Do you have any preferences, ma''am?"

    "Hmm," Re''Kha frowned, "It shouldn''t be toorge of an establishment and the rooms should be wide with a bit of luxury. Attached bathrooms, room delivery of food, a balcony to get a good view of the street, and should be located within walkable distance to the market."

    The driver thought, stopping the cycle rickshaw as he got down and inquired with a fellow driver before returning, slightly drenched, "Ma''am, there is one just like you want. It is located a bit far away and would cost you 3 RuQi. Is that fine with you, ma''am?"

    "That''s fine," Re''Kha nodded, watching the driver heave a sigh of relief and start pedalling once again. The roof covering the driver was different from the one covering Re''Kha. The one on the rear was dome-shaped and was wide, allowing the person to rx even during a time of rain without a single drop falling on them.

    As for the roof on the front, it wasn''t like that. It was just a sheet that stretched more towards the back, its focus to prevent the rain from sshing onto the passengers in the chance they moved against the wind.

    In such cases, the driver was mostly drenched. But that was their job, and if they focused on covering their side more, then it would hinder their driving. So, they had no choice in the matter.

    Among their group, the status of the driver was based on his carriage. A better carriage attracted better customers and earned them more money for simr distances. Moreover, the people who hired such luxury carriages were those with a lot of money and status, so they always preferred to move slow.

    Therefore, the drivers driving such carriages were less affected by the rains. Even they weren''t fully prevented from getting drenched though, in cases of winds. After all, most of the luxury was only meant for the passengers, and not the drivers.

    The road was fully paved by rock; it was as if they had sculpted the road on arge piece of rock and ced it there, for each block wasrge and was tightly packed to ensure smooth, undisturbed travel.

    There were a lot of horses in the city, but to prevent them from dirtying the roads, the horses were only used to travel beyond the city. After all, horses couldn''t be controlled beyond a certain point, and if they dirtied the roads, it would cause the noblemen moving past to frown andin, which would directly impact the reputation of the city lord.

    Hence, the only transport within the city was the cycle rickshaw. After taking a break at regr intervals, Re''Kha activated her Wind Qi perception, gazing around at the buildings that were structured simrly to her city, Burkurel City.

    Development wise, both the cities were simr. But in terms of poption, Burfuna city sported slightly greater poption. Other than that, they didn''t possess many differences. After all, there only existed three cities in their state: Burkurel City, Burfuna City, and Burmat City.

 Chapter 68 - Portrait

    Among the nine states in their country, their state, Burlong was the smallest, and only had 3 cities. So, there wasn''t any dramatic difference between Burkurel City and Burfuna City. As the capital of their state, Burmat City wasrger than both and was a hub of trading throughout the country, for it was a ce where many rivers intersected.

    Re''Kha looked at the buildings on both sides of the road, noting that they were the same as her city. The buildings consisted of establishments where a lot of traffic gathered: restaurants, beauty parlours, painting galleries, cloth shops, essory shops, inns, etc.

    The buildings were tall, at least 5-6 storeys high. Re''Kha extended her perception now that the rain had stopped, expanding it until it covered arge range, noticing some rare few buildings that had more than 10 storeys in them. They were principal localities of the city.

    "Where''s the closest district square?" Re''Kha looked around, seeing that all the buildings had at least four steps to climb into their ground floor. It was to avoid the water from flooding in during the rainy season.

    The rain season consisted of three months: The Early Water Month, the Peak Water Month, and the Late Water Month. Rains were frequent during the Early and Late Water Months. But, it rained nonstop during the Peak Water Months, and the Water Qi in the rains were also the highest during this time.

    It was the month every water element Harmoniser looked forward to every year, forprehending their element was the fastest this time. It was also the month with the least amount of activity, both within and beyond the city.

    Attacks from the other elements were reduced in power drastically. And if unleashed in the open, the Elemental Qi in them just vanished instantly, rendering them useless. The element least affected in such an atmosphere was Metal Qi.

    After all, any attacks using Metal Qi were object-based and manifested a solid object filled with Metal Qi. Even if the Metal Qi in it disappeared, the object still remained. It was better than the other elements that were emission-based and werepletely annihted.

    All cities and settlements were constructed keeping in mind the heavy rains, so their drainage system was perfect and was cleaned once before and after the rainy season. It was to prevent any clogging during the rainy season that would lead to the water levels rising within the city and a possible flood.

    That was why all the buildings were raised high, needing at least four steps to climb into their ground floors. At present, the water only formed a thinter over the road and was steadily reducing in height.

    Geographically, Burfuna City and the other two cities were built on a raised ne, maintained higher than the surroundings. Even the paths connecting to the other cities and the settlements were constructed high with respect to the ground to allow travel during the rainy season.

    Tunnels were dug underneath them at regr intervals, their internals fully reinforced using the sturdiest of rocks. This was to allow the flow of water from one side to the other, preventing it from umting on one side and pressuring the road, causing it damage.

    "The southern district square is closer, ma''am." The cycle rickshaw driver replied, continuing to pedal, "Do you want me to lead you there, ma''am?"

    "No, just go to the inn." Re''Kha continued to stare at the buildings, observing them to see what type of establishment they were. Thankfully, the banners of all buildings were craved, so she didn''t have any difficulties in reading them. In her Wind Qi perception, they were visible as darker grey areas.

    After moving a fair distance, the driver turned left, entering the western district. Seeing his turn, Re''Kha heaved a sigh of relief. If he had turned right, she nned to make him change using an excuse.

    Re''Kha was famous in her n, for she had a talent in the water element, able to naturallyprehend 3 units worth of Water Qi every year. It was not to mention she was beautiful to boot, so she had a lot of admirers from themon popce.

    Paintings of her were even sold in the ck market forrge sums. Thankfully, they were from when she had been 15 years old. Her portrait was shown to the masses after she disyed her talent.

    Her family had already known her talent after birth¡ªwhen every child in the n gets tested for their affinity to the elements.

    News of her talent wasn''t disclosed to prevent anyone from devising ns on her. After all, it was easy to kidnap a child and make it recognise the kidnappers as her parents. A talented child would grow up and develop his/her household and give it honour and prestige.

    Therefore, people went to any lengths to kidnap a talented child to rear as their own. To prevent such a situation from happening, no family leaked the talent of their children until they were adults. Once they be Harmonisers, their Tikka Jewellery would make their talents apparent anyway, so they publicised it during then.

    When Re''Kha became a Harmoniser, her family advertised it throughout Burkurel City to satisfy their agendas. Though, they didn''t go overboard and only posted 10 posters throughout the city. It was to avoid offending the others. They just nned to rely on the gossiping mouth of themoners to work the rest.

    Thanks to her beauty, the portraits were stolen in public. During one of her missions, Re''Kha came across her portrait in the ck market. And, seeing the sum it was paid for, even she was almost inclined to sell a couple of her portraits. All in all, she was pretty popr in her city.

    So, there was a good chance even people from the Burfuna Re n might have seen her. After all, the water-based ns were closer aspared to the other ns. In order to avoiding across a person who recognised her, she didn''t wish to step foot in the southern district, for it was under the control of the Burfuna Re n.

    ''I just hope people cannot recognise the current me. I''m blind and have shaven my hair too.'' Re''Kha thought, pulling her hood closer to her eyes. Showing her bald head would also attract attention, a considerable amount at that, so she had it covered from the start.

 Chapter 69 - Mechanical Lift

    "This is the inn, ma''am." The driver stopped before a high-rise building. The establishment was tall, eight storeys high, but it was thin, looking like it had not more than four rooms per floor.

    "Thank you," Re''Kha fished out 3 RuQi from her pouch and handed it to the driver. The driver thanked her and hurried on his way towards his stand, intending to wait for other customers. To prevent a fight for customers, the cycle rickshaw drivers were not permitted to park in any stands other than the one designated to them.

    If they barged into other stands to solicit customers, their cycle rickshaw permit would be snatched and they would have to pay a fine to reim it back. So, once they dropped their customers at their destination, the drivers would hurry back to their stand to avoid losing any potential customers.

    Re''Kha gazed at the inn before her. It took ten steps to enter it, a considerable height that gave it a feeling of majesty, considering its size. Upon entry, she came across a counter on the left, walking towards it to gaze at thedy standing behind, "I need a room to stay, the higher the floor, the better."

    "For how long are you nning to stay?" The receptionistdy inquired with a smile, her actions professional.

    "Around two months. If my work here is notpleted by then, I might extend my stay. If Iplete it fast, then I''ll vacate early." Re''Kha didn''t give a concise answer, trying to leave as few clues as possible. But, she acted calm, showing her experience.

    Just from a scan of her Wind Qi perception, Re''Kha learned that the establishment was pretty luxurious. So, it was a ce high-end customers frequented. She didn''t stint on the expenditure now, for two reasons: one, she was injured and had to recuperate and prevent an infection, and two, she had enough money.

    After flipping through a register, thedy smiled, "Ma''am, we have a room avable on the fifth floor. It costs 10 RuQi per day, and you would have to pay 100 RuQi in advance. In intervals of every 10 days, we''ll collect 100 RuQi."

    Once she quoted the price, thedy continued, "It has one living room, one bedroom, and an attached bathroom. There is also a dining and rxation provision ced on the balcony that faces the road. It''s fully grilled, so you don''t have to worry about security. Meals areplimentary and are door-delivered. If you wish, you can also dine at our restaurant here."

    She pointed towards the inside, showing a series of tables that were lined across a rectangr courtyard covered by well-trimmed grass. Ornamental nts grew in scarce numbers, keeping most of the space empty while emitting a pleasant flora scent, enlivening the atmosphere, and made people rx.

    "Ma''am," Seeing no reaction from Re''Kha, thedy thought for a moment and spoke, "If you aren''t satisfied with it, we also have a VIP room on the eighth floor. It costs 30 RuQi per day but is apanied by a meditation room. We also provide massage, hair treatment, skin treatment, and other services."

    "I''ll just take the one on the fifth floor." Re''Kha fished out ten 10 RuQi coins from her pouch and ced them on the counter. Thedy judged they were real with a single nce, for counterfeits cannot be produced, since the money was personally produced by their Celestial Emperor using his understanding of the four elements.

    There didn''t exist a second entity like him; even if it did, it didn''t possess Lightning Qi, for that was an element exclusive to their race. So, as part of the coins also contained Lightning Qi, they couldn''t be replicated or mass-produced.

    ''She paid the money without flinching. Thankfully, I didn''t embarrass myself by reacting based on her current appearance.'' Thedy thought, "Ma''am, do you want me to send someone to fetch you a pair of clothes? We have a tie-up with a tailor shop, so we can tailor them to your size."

    "How much does it cost?"

    Thedy nced at her clothes, judging her taste based on it, "20 RuQi ma''am. We''ll make one simr to the one you''re wearing. We can then order a beautiful dress once you''ve rested and refreshed."

    "Make it simr to the Re n''s style of dressing," Re''Kha said, watching thedy nod and call for a servant, stating hermand. The servant nodded and retreated into a room beside her,ing out with a key as she looked at Re''Kha, "Please follow me, ma''am."

    With a nod, Re''Kha walked behind as the servant walked in the front, taking measures not to walk too fast, synchronising her pace with Re''Kha. It was good manners to do so, something all the servants were taught.

    They walked for some distance before arriving near a grilled partition. It was a small space, allowing four people to standfortably within. The grills reached the height of one''s hips while a portion of it was hinged to a joint, allowing for opening and closing. The four corners sported a beam that was connected to another rectangle at the top that acted as a ceiling.

    The ceiling was a pleasant tiled cover, made from metal andyered with granite. As it was a creation of the metal n, it was hollow but sturdy, creating an ease of use. Wires were connected from the top of the four pirs to a central rope that moved vertically up.

    The servant made a low shout as six well-built men rushed out from a room nearby, forming a file. The servant looked at the one that seemed to be their leader, "We need to proceed to the fifth floor."

    "Yes, ma''am." The men bowed a little before entering the room. The servant opened the gate in the grill and motioned at Re''Kha with a bow, "Please watch your step as you enter, mydy."

    Re''Kha nodded and entered, sensing the tform look sturdy. The sounds her feet produced while walking made it seem as if she was walking on the floor. Once they had boarded, the servant closed the gate and rang the bell tied at the top once.

    The tform slowly began to move up. It was a mechanical lift!

 Chapter 70 - Location Matters For Information Gathering

    The lift moved slow, but its motion was stable. Re''Kha saw the ground floor slowly move lower in her perception before her sides were blocked by a wall. Soon after, another floor appeared in her view. All it had was a short corridor leading into four rooms. The other end was made into a sit-out, an open corridor outlining the rectangr courtyard.

    It was meant for people to sit and watch nature from a higher point of view. The mechanical lift slowly moved up. Re''Kha was surprised at how smooth its motion was, for there wasn''t even a single jerk throughout the journey.

    ''How did they achieve it?'' She thought, curious. There were mechanical lifts in her n too, but her experience in them hadn''t been as smooth as the current one. ''I guess they know about metal better since they work with it all the time.''

    In the room the six men had entered to move the mechanical lift existed a massive wheel, with its circumference parallel to the floor. The wheel''s radius spanned the entirety of the room, covering a length of two men''s heightbined.

    The six men stood at equal intervals of the wheel, using their right hand to grab the section of the wheel on their left before pulling towards them. When the position of their right hand aligned to their front, they grabbed the section of the wheel on their left using their left hand, pulling it towards them once again.

    And when the left hand aligned with their front, they ced their right hand on the section of the wheel to their left, re-enacting the previous set of actions once again. This was something they had trained to do for years, so their coordination was impable.

    "10¡­11¡­12!" The leader shouted, "We''ve crossed the first floor. Four more floors to go."

    They continued to rotate it, stopping once the count hit 60, for the lift had reached the fifth floor. They paused as the leader pulled a lever nearby, blocking the gear mechanism to prevent the lift from falling due to its weight.

    The moment they stopped, the sound of a bell echoed. Once he heard it, the leader motioned for them to rest.

    Re''Kha finally saw the lift arrive on the fifth floor. The servant immediately rang the bell once and opened the gate, motioning at Re''Kha with a bow, "Please watch your step as you exit, mydy."

    Re''Kha stepped foot on the floor, noticing that there didn''t exist any noticeable difference from it to the floor of the lift. ''They made it so one cannot even differentiate it. This wouldfort the travellers further, and erase their fear of the lift falling to the ground.''

    "Who designed this lift?" Re''Kha spoke, expressing her curiosity, "It''s many times better than the one in my n."

    "Servants like me aren''t told of such information, mydy. All we know is the rumours that one of the heirs to the Ju n had created it." The servant bowed in apology. Re''Kha waved her hand, "it''s fine. I was just asking in passing."

    She was then led to her room; the servant inserted the key and opened the door, revealing the room to her. The size was ample enough for her stay. It was enough for a family of four to livefortably. ''It is luxurious indeed.''

    Once Re''Kha entered the room, the servant brought her bag inside, cing it in one corner upon instruction. She then bowed, "I''ll bring a change of clothes immediately, ma''am. If you wish to order anything else, please ring this bell twice. The servant stationed at this floor will immediately head to your service."

    The servant motioned at the bell ced on the table nearby, ced the key next to it, bowed once again, and disappeared. Re''Kha closed the door, heaving a sigh, "I can rx a little now."

    She gazed around, noticing the furniture provided within consist of everything one needed. She entered the bedroom, one that spanned thrice her height in length and twice her height in breadth. The bathroom attached to it spanned a breadth equivalent to her height and ran parallel to the length of the bedroom.

    She then entered the balcony, one that upied as much space as the entire room. In their culture, people loved open areas more than enclosed buildings. But, during the changing seasons, it wasn''t a pleasant experience staying out in the open. So, the best solution for them was the balconies. So, each house had a balcony which sometimes exceeded their living area.

    There were two easy chairs on one side, made from straw that was tough but had a smooth finish. It felt simr to wood but lighter. The open end of the balcony was fully grilled, preventing anyone from entering from the outside. It was made from metal.

    ced next to the grill was a small granite table meant for two, serving as a tea table. To the other end was a dining table, meant for four, also made from granite. The chairs too were made from the same while the seats wereyered with a fur cushion.

    Re''Kha was surprised to find an Aeki ced at the corner, surprised at the fact they were able to maintain one high up from the ground. She inched closer and opened it, finding an array of food items stored within.

    They ranged from meals to even snacks and tea. They were neatlypartmented within the Aeki to prevent any damage. Re''Kha closed the lid, ncing at the water jug ced on the dining table. It contained enough drinking water tost her a day.

    Re''Kha walked towards the grill, peering out. She didn''t have to do that, for she relied on her Wind Qi perception to sense, and not her sight. But, she still moved out of habit, gazing at the road situated far below. The road was wide, only inferior to the city''s main roads. She watched the cycle rickshaws ply the roads, hearing the conversations of the passengers within when she focused, "This location is pretty good for collecting information."

 Chapter 71 - Naming Format: Re, Ju, Ka, Vi

    Re''Kha gazed outside for some duration, hearing the conversations of the people seated within the cycle rickshaws. She then heard knocks on the door, walking into the living room before opening the door, watching the servant return with a cotton bag.

    After giving her a light bow, the servant ced the cotton bag on the table, "Ma''am, your clothes are in it. If you want more sophisticated and luxurious clothes, please summon me. I''ll take your measurements and get them stitched."

    "The 21 RuQi ced next to it is for you take," Re''Kha motioned with her line of sight, ncing at the three coins ced on the table: two 10 RuQi coins, and one 1 RuQi coin. The cost of the clothes was 20 RuQi, but she had kept 21 RuQi. The servant immediately understood that the extra coin was a tip for her. She beamed with a smile and making an even deeper bow, stating before her exit, "When you are refreshed, pleasee to the counter on the ground floor toplete your registration."

    Re''Kha nodded and looked into the bag through her Wind Qi perception, finding the fabric and the design be something she was used to wearing. She was morefortable with such an attire than the one she currently wore.

    The dressing styles of the people were distinct depending on their affiliation. The primary ssification was the dresses of the five ns: water, metal, fire, lightning, and royals.

    Throughout their country, all Harmonisers from a water-based n wore the same dress. It wasn''t because of imperialw, but rather their willingness to wear so. Even the dress they wore conformed to their respective elements, keeping them more attuned to their elements.

    The women among the Re n wore a tight-fitting deep-blue frock that reached their knees without any frills. It was sleeveless while they wore a shoulder pad on their dominant arm, shaped into a triangr extension over the tip of which a rectangr piece of cloth was hung. The rectangr piece of cloth was light blue while the rest was dark blue, usually.

    Ribbons of silk curled over the arms from the sleeve, usually connected to the blue armguard¡ªmade from cloth. Some women chose to tie up the ribbons into a circle above their elbows. Some coiled the ribbons in the same pattern as their respective Tikka jewellery.

    Worn over their frock was a sleeveless stiff leather jacket, outlining their features while giving them base protection. They wore blue leather stockings that reached their knees, the material stic to provide ease of movement. The frock too was made to be stic, after all, every Harmoniser fought.

    So, their dresses evolved to use lightweight fabric that also protected the Harmoniser. Moreover, it conformed to the element of the wielder, enhancing their advantage. Every dress worn by a Re n Harmoniser was waterproof and water-resistant, allowing the user to move freely in the water without their fabric hindering their progress.

    As a Harmoniser, Re''Kha was habituated to her n''s dress, so she didn''t prefer wearing anything else, even during normal asions. After all, she felt the most rxed andfortable in it. It was why she had ordered for one immediately.

    In their state of Burlong, every Harmoniser n attuned to the water element had a prefix of Re to their names. The prefix varied from state to state. In the state of Burlong, the water ns had the prefix of Re, the metal ns had the prefix of Ju, the fire ns had the prefix of Ka, and finally, the lightning ns had the prefix of Vi.

    A person''s name showed their ce of origin. Burkurel Re''Kha symbolised her origin from Burkurel City and her attunement to Burkurel City''s water n. A normal citizen''s name from the same city would be like Burkurel Cha.

    So, usually, when addressing a Harmoniser, unless they were from the same city, they were addressed in their full name. When Re''Kha inquired about the lift to the servant, the servant replied with ''Ju n''s sessor.'' In that statement, she meant it was the sessor to the Burfuna City''s Ju n.

    Re''Kha took a bath and changed into her new clothes, feeling her body rx automatically. She then strapped a pouch¡ªcontaining money¡ªto her hip, exited the room, and ced the key in it. A servant immediately arrived at her service, "Ma''am¡­mydy, can I help you?"

    "I haven''t registered yet," Re''Kha replied with a nod. She didn''t strap the ribbon part to her dress; instead, she used one of them to cover her eyes.

    "Then, I''ll lead you there," The servant bowed, ringing the bell twice before taking a step back, watching a tform slowly move up from the ground floor. In the meantime, she nced at Re''Kha, noticing her fully covered state.

    Re''Kha wore a hood on her head, covering till her forehead while her ribbon covered her eyes. A cast of the sunlight that seeped through the open space highlighted the visage of her face, stunning the servant, sending her in a trance before the arrival of the lift broke her out of it.

    ''Who is thisdy? She''s incredibly pretty. It wasn''t apparent in her old clothes before.'' The servant then felt puzzled, gazing at Re''Kha, "Mydy, may I ask you about something?"

    "Yes?" Re''Kha turned around, gazing at her face as she smiled.

    "N-Nothing," The servant opened the gate and motioned for her to enter, noticing Re''Kha walk without any trouble, despite being blindfolded. She gazed at her blindfold, noticing the faint fluttering of her eyelids.

    As the lift began to descend, the servant was finally unable to curb her curiosity, asking, "Mydy, why have you blindfolded yourself? And, howe you are still able to walk without trouble?"

    "You know how this ribbon is semi-transparent right?" Seeing the servant nod, Re''Kha smiled, "I only see once every ten steps. My master rmended I do so. Just consider it a form of training we Harmonisers do."

    The servant gawked in admiration, opening the gates once the lift reached the ground floor.

 Chapter 72 - Dare March Against The Kalhas

    "Your name please," Thedy behind the counter inquired with a respectful tone. She gazed at the figure of Re''Kha standing before her, feeling shocked internally, ''Is she an heir to a n?''

    Before, Re''Kha was fully drenched, covered head to toe in water with a mixture of dirt. Moreover, the clothes covered her entire body, preventing one from getting a proper look at her features. If it wasn''t for the professionalism of the staff managing the inn, they wouldn''t have allowed her entry.

    But, they had been amply trained. In their society, a lot of people travelled and battled on a daily basis. So, torn clothes and a muddy exterior wasn''t umon. After their travel, they usually entered an inn to refresh themselves and change into a new set of clothes.

    That was another reason the inn had a tie-up with a tailor store. They had received a lot of customers simr to Re''Kha before. Among theirpetitors, one of the inns refused a customer entry based on his shabby appearance. The servants even chided the customer, publicly shaming him.

    The very next day, the inn was in ruins and all the servants had been killed; their heads were lined up at the entrance. Only then did people find out that the person who tried to enter the inn the previous day was a powerful Harmoniser from the Vi n who had just returned after battling a Sha.

    His Tikka jewellery had been damaged in the process and was in tatters. It was part of the reason they belittled him and embarrassed him out in the open. Otherwise, just the glow of the Tikka jewellery''s gem would have been obvious.

    This was precisely the reason thedy before Re''Kha had been courteous to her all along. For, the glow in her Tikka jewellery''s gem was the brightest she had ever seen. Either she was a notable figure from a water n or a figure of authority among the army. Offending such a figure was a fool''s errand, something the educateddy dared not do.

    "I''m Re''Luk," Re''Kha stated her alias. Thedy didn''t know if she was from Burfuna City or not, so she left the origin city nk. There were numerous times when Harmonisers didn''t give their origin cities. It might either be because they were moving in secret or just didn''t want to reveal their identity.

    After all, thanks to their naming structure, there were many people with simr names. The only distinction that filtered them out a bit was their origin cities. If Re''Kha wished to find one, she could find at least one or two with the name Re''Kha. But, there was only one Burkurel Re''Kha.

    As her n was the only water n in Burkurel City and had a limited number of members¡ªHarmonisers¡ªthat never surpassed a certain margin, they mostly avoided naming two people with the same name.

    "Thank you, mydy. If you have anything else to ask, please do so." Thedy behind the counter said with a mild bow.

    "I''ll be resting now," Re''Kha smiled, "I don''t need any food for today. I''ll be eating the food in the Aeki once my training finishes. Bring breakfast to my room tomorrow."

    "I''ll make note of it," Thedy bowed, making eye contact with the servant to see her nod in return, showing that she would handle it well. The servant then led Re''Kha back to her room and returned soon after, muttering in thedy''s ears, "She''s not anyone among the wanted posters. It seems she''s really covering her eyes and head for training."

    "That''s good then," Thedy heaved a sigh of relief, "We don''t have to worry about anything now."

    Re''Kha sat on the dining table, eating food while activating her Wind Qi perception at regr intervals, spying on the people in the inn first. She started with the ones in the three rooms surrounding her.

    The first room had a group of three girls, young, judging by their statures. As she heard their tone and manner of speech, Re''Kha determined their age and purpose, "They are barely 13 and are probably here to visit the market."

    She then saw three grown women in the adjacent room, acting stealthily as they listened in on any sounds echoing through the corridor. Judging by the way they acted and the conversations they shared, they were either the mothers of the three girls or were their guards.

    The girls were either part of one of the five ns or hailed from a wealthy merchant group. They were dressed inmoner clothing now, so Re''Kha was unable to pinpoint their status urately.

    Every city had five powers governing it: the four elemental ns and the Royal n. The Royal n in each city was a branch family of the royalty governing the country from the capital. They were descendants of their race''s Celestial Emperor.

    Each branch family governed a City since its establishment. Moreover, just based on the power at their disposal, every Royal n had the same military strength as all the four elemental ns in their respective Citybined.

    From time to time, members of the Royal n disguised asmoners and roamed the streets and markets to get a feel for their city and see anycking parts in governance. That was how they prevented and kept the four elemental ns and other powers in check.

    Re''Kha then peered into the final room on her floor, gazing at the scene of a man and a woman wrestling. She when she was about to retract her perception from their room, the woman''s words caused her to pause, "Dear, please be safe when you head to Burkurel City. Even the Kalhas had been spotted numerous times around it. A lot of lives had been lost because of them."

    "I am not part of the frontlines," The man kissed her forehead, whispering with a calm, slightly nervous tone, suffused with care, "Our army would dispatch tonight and we would reach Burkurel City by morning. The Burfuna Re n has predicted that it would be raining continuously tomorrow."

    "It''s because of the rain that we dare march against the Kalhas in the first ce."

 Chapter 73 - Bigâ€¦Clearâ€¦Eyes

    ''I thought it was about time they sent help.'' Re''Kha thought. Even though they were branch families that governed their respective cities, they were tied by blood and had to intervene when the other party was suffering.

    If they didn''t do that and watched the Royal families copse, their honour would be questioned, and that wasn''t something they, as a Royal n could bear. So, without further ado, Burfuna City prepared an army to be sent to Burkurel City.

    It was to clear out all the beasts and animals that were continuously attacking its walls and tried to breach in. Adding in the Kalhas, Burkurel City was put in a passive spot, unable to even retaliate.

    "Is the situation there that bad?" Thedy asked in anxiety.

    The man stopped moving, resting beside her as he sighed, "From what we were told, the beast tide alone is massive this time. Adding onto the Kalhas, Burkurel City can onlye out to defend while it rains. And in the rains, only Water Qi is potent. So, only Harmonisers from the Burkurel Re n and Burkurel Royal n can participate. The rest can onlyunch arrows at the animals and dwindle their numbers little by little."

    He sighed once, "You know how useless arrows are against beasts, that too during the rain. The powerful arrows are limited in number and they are closing to running out, so most of the time, they are only using the weaker arrows."

    "You''re barely a Harmoniser," Thedy expressed her worries, "The only Pranic Art you know is themon Palm Projection. And you can only unleash it thrice. It''s too risky for you."

    "It means I have three chances of saving my life from danger. But don''t worry, I''ll return safely." The man hugged thedy. On seeing that the conversation went personal after that and didn''t have any information on what she sought, Re''Kha retracted her perception.

    The grey sand world was more animated now, without any Water Qi to hinder it. Within the inn, it was incredibly useful and allowed her to sense everything with greater precision. Re''Kha finished eating the food and arrived before her bag, fishing out medicine from it that she downed immediately.

    The ration she had packed in it wasn''t spoilt, so she ced it in the Aeki. Her external injuries currently consisted of scratches on her body all over. Internally, she was feeling muscle pain, shortness of breath, pain in her joints, and phantom pain in her back every time she moved.

    "I have a lot to purchase tomorrow. I should head to the Royal Hospital first to hasten my recovery." All along, her body was in a less than optimal state. She had further burdened it with her fight against the scouts. Re''Kha closed her eyes, feeling thefort of the bed as her body rxed, entering a state of rest.

    ¡­

    It was currently dark, thenterns hung on the roads barely illuminated the street. The sounds of rain resounded while shes of lightning appeared in regr intervals, followed by the ear-splitting sound of thunder.

    Every time a bolt of lightning shed, the interior within a house was fully illuminated. It was a single storey house; a family of seven¡ªfather, mother, grandfather, two brothers, and two sisters¡ªlived in it. The family was slightly well-off, for they had four bedrooms, a living room, a guest room, a kitchen, a storage room, and a terrace that had tiled roofing, acing as an open ce for them to rx and take in the fresh air.

    From the entrance trailed a corridor through the guest room, sporting the door to the living room on the left, followed by the bedrooms on the right, with the kitchen and dining on the left at the end. The sh of lightning reflected the shadow of a butterfly attached to a sword in the living room.

    As quick as it arrived, the sh of lightning flickered thrice before disappearing; the shadow had vanished in the meantime. The temperature of the house decreased steadily, the rate of the drop being minimal to prevent the household from bing aware.

    The twonterns hung at the house''s entrance and within their courtyard froze over, the mes within dying out. ck smoke squeezed in from the gaps in the door, gushing in at a slow but steady pace, the rate of flow akin to the smoke from an incense stick.

    It slowly converged into a sphere in the living room, growing in size before materialising a pair of tentacles that thinned out, forming three joints as the third joint split into three, forming three fingers. The fingers closed and opened, their segments dry, like the withered husk of a woman.

    "¡­eyes¡­beautiful eyes¡­" A faint sound echoed from within it the moment it finished condensing, disappearing soon after. An eye shot open on its body, containing faint red lustre, forming a contrast to its jet-ck body.

    A closer look disyed numerous eyes embedded all over its body, their eyelids closed. Only one eye was open, dripping ck blood that vaporised upon touching the floor. This in return caused it to slowly freeze over, forming ayer of ice.

    The entity moved through the corridor, dissolving into smoke as it crawled through the gaps in the door, appearing in the first room as it saw two sleeping boys. Their beds were ced respectively on either side of the window, allowing equal light to fall on both when the sun rose. The window was small and was situated high up in the wall, fully grilled. It was alsoted with ayer of cotton to prevent any insects from getting in.

    The jet-ck entity moved towards the boy on the right, one who seemed around 20 years of age, muttering softly, "¡­big¡­clear¡­eyes¡­me¡­want¡­"

    The sole eye it had kept open cracked as it oozed out ck blood that vaporised, freezing the room instantly. The boys were startled awake; but before they could move or shout, their bodies were frozen.

    Ice encapsted their bodies, only leaving the part above their mouths in the open. The open eye vanished as another eye on its body shot open, starting to bleed within three breaths of time as its hand crept towards the 20-year-old boy''s eyes.

 Chapter 74 - Appearance Of Three Sha

    The boy stared in fear, watching the entity reach its hand towards his eyes in slow motion. His body waspletely frozen, unable to budge even the slightest. As it also sealed his neck and mouth, he was neither about to shout nor shake his head in protest.

    Sha¡ªThe Blinded Ghost!

    It was the very same Sha that had terrorised Burkurel City for a while. Now, it had travelled to Burfuna City, setting its eyes on a target immediately. Its hands dissolved upon contact with the boy''s left eye, seeping into it through the gap between the eye and its eyelid.

    A momentter, the Sha pulled out his left eye, making the region it had pulled out from ck, as if the nerves within hadn''t existed. Tears streamed out from the boy''s right eye. He didn''t feel any pain, for the Blinded Ghost had taken his eyes using a mystical means.

    All he could see was it grabbing hold of his left eye and ce it on its body¡ªIn a ce without any eyes. The Sha then inched its hands towards his right eye, pulling it slowly before cing it on its body.

    Re''Kha woke up with a start, pulling down the ribbon on her eyes as her eyes shot open. She was unable to see anything. In the space her eyeballs had used to exist was ckness. Re''Kha sighed and tied up the ribbon, covering her eyes once again as she habitually activated her Wind Qi perception.

    "W-What was that?" She inspected her hand, seeing that it looked normal. There was no colour other than grey in her perception, but depending on the intensity of the greyness, she could link it to her memories and identify the respective colour.

    Through that, she noticed she was perfectly normal. Even her perspiration was normal, but her limbs were faintly trembling. She was feeling cold. After a moment of observation, she noticed goosebumps forming on her skin.

    The inn had a heating system in ce. They had a metal tube running throughout the inn, having an outlet in every room. The outlet was a metal spherical exterior grilled by a ceramic cage. It was ced right next to the vent through which air flowed in when all the doors and windows were closed.

    When the cold air from the vent flowed over the outlet, the heat from it was transferred to the air. This hot air circted within the room, warming it up. Somewhere on the ground floor of the inn, within one of their rooms was a metallic tank that housed all the water moving through the pipes.

    A small cubical bowl was ced near its bottom, sharing walls with the tank. It had a lid that could be opened and closed. Faint steam leaked out through the gaps in its seams. Three servants were in the room, checking out the heat in the steam based on how they felt while seated there.

    Once they felt the heat wasn''t adequate, a servant opened a trunk in the adjacent room, carefully taking out a small gem from within. The gem was only half the side of her little finger''s nail, a tiny crystal with an irregr shape.

    Using a pair of tongs, the servant carried the crystal while another held the cubical bowl''s lid using her gloved hand. They made eye contact as the servant quickly opened the lid while the other gently dropped the crystal within the water, ensuring to release her hold only after the pair of tongs touched the water surface.

    She pulled out the pair of tongs as the other servant closed the lid shut while the final servant waved a fan and blew away most of the steam that had escaped out the cubical bowl. Once it was done, the three servants rxed and enjoyed the warm room.

    The moment the crystal came into contact with water, it started to emit heat, raising it to the boiling point immediately. The metal temon to it and the tank was a conductor of heat, so it swiftly transferred the heat into the tank.

    As the temperature within the tank continued to build up, it created some steam that flowed through the pipes, heading to every room as it transferred the heat through the outlets and cooled down, dripping as water. It was a heat pump.

    Using her Wind Qi perception, Re''Kha saw that the heat pump was functioning fine. She ced her hand closer to the vent where the metal outlet was ced, feeling hot air hit her, realising the cause, "The chill is stemming from within me."

    Re''Kha shuddered, trembling from the cold as her limbs turned numb. Something was causing them to turn cold but, she didn''t know what it was. Re''Kha sat before the vent, feeling the hot air m on her body. Now, she was feeling a bit better, allowing her to recall the nightmare she experienced now.

    ''That was too realistic. Why was I the Blinded Ghost in the dream?'' She felt confused, unable to glean any clues of importance in the nightmare. She was tired and weary, deciding that it was just another one of her nightmares. She was getting them a lottely, so she didn''t wish to break her head trying to figure out its significance, not at the moment at least.

    Re''Kha returned to the bed, feeling a chill creep through her body once again. "This is not good. I cannot even diagnose the cause. I should see a doctor in the morning immediately."

    She was already consuming the medicines she had stolen from the Ju n''s western settlement, so earlier, she didn''t feel the need to visit a doctor. After all, even the medicines they prescribed wouldn''t be as effective as what she had in her possession.

    Moreover, she was fairly knowledgeable about medicine. But now, the symptom was something she was ignorant about the cause of, so she immediately changed her decision.

    "First thing in the morning, I''ll visit the hospital." Re''Kha closed her eyes but was unable to sleep in a seated posture. Since she had to stay in the same spot until the chillness in her body disappeared, Re''Kha activated her Wind Qi perception, wishing to pass the time by collecting information when she noticed guards rush about on the road below, shouting in a fluster, "Three Sha have appeared simultaneously."

 Chapter 75 - 4th Sha?

    "Two of them are newly created Sha. But the third is the Blinded Ghost."

    Re''Kha sprung to her feet with a start, her expression oozing with anger and hatred. Her face flushed red as the blood moved to her head. Her heart thumped with greater intensities; she could hear her heartbeats.

    ''So, the nightmare wasn''t without reason.'' Re''Kha rubbed the ring on her left, opening the space inside as she arranged the whip and the needle at the top so that she could pull it out without trouble. It was just in case she came across her enemy and had to battle it.

    "I''ll get my eyes back." She picked up the key, locking the door as she stepped outside, pocketing it. After a moment of thought, she put it in her storage space, walking towards the mechanical lift as she didn''t find any servant nearby.

    ''It''s better to take the stairs now. It''s faster this way.'' She thought, descending through the stairway that proceeded right next to the lift. Her footsteps echoed in the empty corridors that were bereft of people, the echo of which was muffled.

    Re''Kha stopped, her eyes widening as she realised something was amiss. Through her Wind Qi perception, she extended her senses, noticing that the entire stretch of floors in the inn be bereft of people.

    ''Strange, there were people here just now.'' No sooner did that thought emerge in her head did her right hand sh blue as Re''Kha mmed her palm projection on the wall, hearing a wail echo in the distance as something covering her seemed to have vanished.

    Her Wind Qi perception immediately registered the presence of numerous people, the same that she had seen before. She noticed that they were still, almost as if they were asleep. It was odd, for some were in walking, and other postures of activity.

    ''Is this Sha a hallucinatory based being? The guards were rushing about somewhere. So, the three Sha must be there. Then why is one here? Has one of the Sha escaped here? Or is this an entirely new one?''

    Re''Kha took in a sharp breath as her mind whirred in thought. Both the conjectures were scary in their own right. It was currently raining outside, judging by how her Wind Qi perception experienced a lot of static the moment it extended beyond the range of the inn.

    Previously, as the guards were moving closer to the inn''s entrance, what they spoke resounded into its entrance, which was what she had captured.

    If a Sha moved through the rain, the Water Qi in the rain would destroy the Ghost Qi in it, causing its form to copse. So, it made no sense for a Sha to move through the rain and set up itsir in the inn. It would have been severely damaged.

    Otherwise, it meant the Sha acting now had been present in the inn all along and only decided to spring up now. That was her second conjecture.

    The guards were chasing after three Sha. Including the one that appeared in her inn, it meant four Sha were operating simultaneously, that too within the same City. Such a situation had never urred as far as she remembered. ''What the hell is even happening?''

    If she went against a Sha alone, and that too without any preparations, her life would be forfeit. She also dared not use the Magic Artifacts in her possession in public. That would also result in her a death sentence.

    ''I can only move about and be safe in a group.'' Re''Kha thought of the threedies she had investigated before. They were still in the room adjacent to the three girls. They were also under the effects of the Sha; but if she freed them, they would be reliable allies.

    At least, that''s what she hoped. Because, she couldn''t sense whether someone was a Harmoniser or not. A normal person only had to look at the opponent''s Tikka jewellery to know it. But as for her, all the four elements of the Kalki only looked like nk spaces in her Wind Qi perception¡ªwhich was the element of a foreign race.

    So, she couldn''t tell if they were Harmonisers or not. She only hoped they were, judging by their trained physiques. Re''Kha sprinted through the stairs and arrived before their room, kicking with her leg once.

    There was a loud thud, but the door didn''t budge. Instead, Re''Kha felt pain in her abdomen. Her injuries prevented her from using all her strength. Though, even if she could use it, it wasn''t enough to budge a thick metal door.

    ''I still have 5 Water Qi.'' She calcted, taking in a deep breath as she distanced herself, calcting to ensure the distance between her and the door was only a bit less than her height.

    "Hah!" Her palm projection shot forth, mming on the door as it made a dull thud, creaking its hinges. The Water Qi in her palm projection sshed out before dripping down the door. Without any hesitation, she mmed a palm projection using her left, shattering the door''s hinges.

    ''I''m only left with three Water Qi now.''

    The door opened, mming into the wall with a bang as she entered, spotting ady seated in the living room, maintaining an action where she was sipping tea. Re''Kha took her teacup, ced it on the table, condensed the blue radiance on her palm, and pped thedy on the cheek.

    She didn''t unleash her palm projection, for that would have killed her. She only used theyer of Water Qi on her palm to break the Sha''s effect on her. As she had expected, thedy woke up, clutching her cheek as she felt confused, sporting mild fear in her eyes.

    "Are you okay? What did you see?" Re''Kha maintained her distance, keeping watch on her surroundings as thedy realised the situation she was in, returning a question of her own, "Was it a Sha?"

    "Yes, a hallucinatory type" Re''Kha nodded, "Everyone in the inn has fallen under its effect. Can you fight against a Sha?"

    "Yes," Thedy gathered her bearings and rushed towards the other twodies, condensing ck radiance on her palm as she pped them both awake. Through her Wind Qi perception, Re''Kha noticed faint nk space begin to gush out of all the people in the inn like smoke.

    ''The Sha has begun to extract Fear Qi from them.''

 Chapter 76 - A Familiar Presence

    A Sha primarily targeted two things: First, a means to secure Fear Qi that it could either use as is or convert it into Ghost Qi. Second, it targeted a body part/memory/emotion/item of its targets based on what it sought.

    Based on what they sought, a Sha became as terrifying as possible. Moreover, the more it grew, the greater its range of action until finally, it bes a ghost beyond the city''s capability to handle. In their records, a Ghost had once be such an existence and had to be fought using arge army before it was finally in. It was a pyrrhic victory.

    When a Sha condenses a spiritual form, it bes a Ghost. It bes mobile, moving anywhere within a certain range of its shell. Moreover, if its shell moved, it could travel to new ces. But when the Sha fuses with an area, it bes a Poltergeist. It obtains the ability to control everything in the area at will but cannot travel ces. It was bound to the ce for eternity.

    So, despite the tremendous threat they posed, poltergeists weren''t scary if they appeared in rural areas. The army just quarantined the area and prevented people from entering it. Moreover, it served as a natural defence mechanism against invaders, so unless they affected the lives of the people, poltergeists were left alone.

    But ghosts were different and always targeted the people consciously. So, they were the greatest threat they faced.

    After hearing a quick recount from Re''Kha, thedy she had saved cupped her fists, "Thank you for saving my life,dy Re''Luk. I, Burfuna Ki''Nha promise to repay this debt."

    "Please don''t mind about that," Re''Kha waved her hand, "Besides, we''re in this together. Let''s save everyone before the Sha feeds on them any longer. I don''t need to tell you, but still, please switch to the lightning element."

    "We are already using it," Ki''Nha replied, motioning the other two to follow her. Re''Kha sighed in relief, for her hopes hade true. The threedies were Harmonisers; not to mention, they were from the Burfuna City''s Royal n.

    As the Royal n members were descendants of the Celestial Emperor, they were adored by nature. They were the sole popce to possess a cultivation technique that allowed them to wield all four elements. Their Pranic Avatars were also the most powerful of them all, possessing the peak Quintuple Foundation. They were otherwisemonly referred to as Divine Beasts.

    Their prefix was Ki, but was usually referred to as the Royal n.

    "I''ll help the children. There should be a master room on the ground floor where they have kept spare keys for all the doors. With that, we don''t have to waste our Qi breaking the iron doors." One of the other twodies said, taking a turn in the corridor to move to the nearby room, changing her element to metal before mming a palm projection using Metal Qi.

    With a single hit, a ringing sound was produced before the door mmed open. In the meantime, Re''Kha and the two Royal ndies descended the stairs, keeping watch for anything out of the ordinary while conversing to find any clues.

    "If there are indeed four Sha, the situation is far more dangerous than we had expected." Ki''Nha peered through a window, noticing guards move on cycles as they hollered about the positions of the Sha. She shouted once to get their attention, but the rain and their incessant shouting caused her shout to fall on deaf ears.

    "It shouldn''t be possible for the Sha to move through the rain. The ground has a lot of Earth Qi that would damage them if they phased through the underground, so their only option is to move through the air." The other Royal ndy frowned, "The appearance of four Sha at once is exceedingly rare."

    "Has it happened before?" Re''Kha shuddered, feeling her heart thump faster all of a sudden. She expanded her Wind Qi perception throughout the inn, noticing arge nk space move towards them from the ground floor. It phased through all the material and made a beeline towards them.

    "Something ising!" Before Re''Kha shouted, the two Royal ndies entered battle-ready states upon noticing a change in her demeanour. Ki''Nha threw a knife towards Re''Kha, "Use my spare knife for now. It''s better than fighting barehanded."

    The trio arrived on the third floor, noticing thenterns in the corridor die out instantly. All forms of sounds vanished, reced by pin-drop silence. Re''Kha could sense a nket of nk space wrap around them as something from below tried to swallow them up whole.

    "Hit the ground!" Upon her shout, Ki''Nha pointed with her index and middle finger, reeling her hand backward as it shone with violet radiance. Without any excess movements, she thrust her hand forward, unleashing a bolt of lightning.

    The lightning bolt made tiny zigzags through the air before mming into the ground, singeing the ce as the corridor brightened once again. The Sha had tried to pull them into a hallucination once again but failed when the nket was pierced through by the lightning.

    The Lightning Qi in it was condensed as it crackled, dancing through the nket as it outlined it, allowing thedies to sense the enemy''s attack. ck smoke immediately filled the floor as the temperature started to drop. But no matter how much they waited, there was no follow-up attack from the Sha.

    Re''Kha noticed the nk spaces gushing out from the trapped people steadily increase in volume, shouting, "It ns to grow further by absorbing the Fear Qi from all the trapped people."

    "Then we''ll proceed with our objective. That would force it toe before us." Ki''Nha felt a bit numb in her feet, making eye contact with the other Royal ndy to see she felt the same. She then noticed the condition of Re''Kha: Pale face, chill pervading the limbs, trembling fingers, and cold breaths.

    "Lady Re''Luk, it''s for the best if you leave the fighting to us and rest. Your condition doesn''t seem too well." Ki''Nha patted her shoulder, expressing concern.

    "You are right¡­" Her heart thumped as she felt a familiar presence in her surroundings, one that seemed to share a faint connection with her. A sense of coldness invaded her lungs and made it difficult for her to breathe.

 Chapter 77 - Expanding Through The Pipelines

    "There," Burfuna Ki''Nha shouted, thrusting her index and middle finger forward, unleashing another bolt of lightning. The lightning bolt mmed into a spot where a dark cloud condensed on the floor, vaporising it.

    A feeble scream followed suit as the coldness suffusing the floor abated. Ki''Nha immediately rushed to the help of Re''Kha, "Lady Re''Luk, are you alright?"

    "I''ll be fine for the time being," Re''Kha panted as she said, "Please head to the ground floor. We need those keys to save the others."

    "I''ll be on my way, please be safe," Ki''Nha said and rushed through the stairs with the other Royal ndy. Re''Kha watched their backs as she felt difficulty in breathing. The coldness seeping into her lungs was preventing her from breathing properly.

    ''Is it rted to the Blinded Ghost?'' Re''Kha thought, linking the clues from her experiences. She experienced a dream where she was the Blinded Ghost and reaped the eyes of a boy. The chillness in her body began after that.

    And now, the chillness was steadily increasing while she felt a familiar presence in her senses. A Harmoniser didn''t possess a method to sense the presence of others, not to mention that of the Sha. The only means of perception they had other than their five senses was their elemental perception. Even the scouts Re''Kha had faced before only relied on the Nerou¡ªtheir Pranic Avatar¡ªto sense the presence of others. Their own capabilities were no different from other Harmonisers.

    The way Harmonisers sensed a Sha was through their five senses and the emotion of fear they felt. They used all that to guide their way towards a Sha and chase after it. Thanks to her Wind Qi perception, Re''Kha could easily spot the Sha''s figure. The Sha''s form was condensed by Ghost Qi, so it was arge nk space in her perception.

    Re''Kha inhaled and exhaled at a rapid pace, using the vigorous action to warm her lungs while she traced the movements of the Sha. The two Royal ndies had arrived on the ground floor by now and engaged it. It seemed to be a Sha that had just formed, judging by itscking means of attack.

    All it was capable of was pulling its victims into a hallucination and cause them to experience nightmares. This way, they would feel fear, which it could use to generate Fear Qi by absorbing from them. Till now, it hadn''t manifested its true powers.

    A Sha was a condensation of negative emotions that had been birthed after it was nurtured in an object for a long period. So, depending on the negative emotions that had nurtured it, its target varied. And to achieve the target, it developed corresponding abilities.

    The hallucination the Sha created was only the base form of its ability. It was only being used to generate Fear Qi. Only when the Sha robbed something from its victims would it manifest the truest essence of its ability.

    "A Sha doesn''t conform to logic in its actions. But, it always focuses on the one thing it desires." Re''Kha thought of the Blinded Ghost, her most detested foe. It was a Sha that was unable to see; that was how it existed.

    Therefore, to see its surroundings, it needed eyes. And, to achieve that, it stole eyes from people and attached them to its body. Unfortunately, any eyes it stole could only be used for a short duration before it would shatter. So, the Blinded Ghost was always on the hunt for the eyes of people.

    Just when she recalled information on the Blinded Ghost, her heart ached, causing her to moan in pain. Re''Kha rolled on the floor, trembling as the nerves on her neck protruded. She felt the coldness in her body intensify further, almost causing her to curl up in one ce. Thoughts of wanting to set her body ame echoed in her mind due to the cold she experienced.

    The presence she could feel drew closer and closer. Re''Kha activated her Wind Qi perception, expanding it outside the inn. The rain had reduced in intensity, allowing her to perceive, albeit with a lot of noise.

    Two blocks away, she saw a spherical figure float in the rain, moving slowly as it went into a building. When the rain sshed onto its body, it was only hurt a little. Before the damage could stack up, the spherical figure moved into the building, causing its interior to turn dim before all the lights vanished.

    Guards pursued it from a few more blocks away, shouting as they tried to trace it. The spherical being just moved through the buildings while they had to encircle it. Soon, they were left in the dust.

    "It''s you!" Re''Kha slowly got up, enraged. Its shape, its figure, and the way it moved were all quite familiar to her. After all, they had faced each other many times before. Re''Kha rubbed her storage ring, running through the stairs, "You''re finally here, bastard!"

    The Blinded Ghost!

    Her heart thumped, pumping blood at its maximum pace as Re''Kha ran, skipping some of the stairs in her hurry. She kept watch on the Blinded Ghost''s position, seeing that there were no other people near it for the time being.

    Arriving on the ground floor, Re''Kha swiftly proceeded towards the exit. The two Royal ndies were battling the other Sha in the middle of the inn''s rectangr courtyard, trying to use the rain to damage it.

    She focused on their fight for a moment, watching the Sha be unaffected by the rain. Upon a closer look, she saw that the influx of Fear Qi to it surpassed the damage the Water Qi in the rain could inflict upon it.

    ''Where is it getting all this Fear Qi from?'' Re''Kha was confused as she trailed against the flow of the nk spaces in her perception, soon noticing an open tap through which it was flowing out from. She then made a sweep throughout the area, noticing the Fear Qi gush out from all the taps on the ground floor.

    Among one of the taps that had a weaker flow, she extended her perception, barely managing to move forth, albeit with a lot of noise, perceiving an outlet in another building. There, a Sha simr to the one the two Royal ndies fought moved unhindered, absorbing Fear Qi from the people.

 Chapter 78 - Uphold Virtue

    "Wait a second¡­" Re''Kha muttered, extending her Wind Qi perception through the other building. It was a regr restaurant frequented by the masses. There were no Harmonisers within to resist the effects of the Sha''s hallucination.

    In her case, Re''Kha had been monitoring the inn. So, the moment she noticed the people she was keeping watch over disappear, she knew something was amiss. Adding onto the fact that she heard the guards mention the Sha, she realised the danger immediately and used a palm projection to shatter the hallucination wrapped around her.

    As for the Harmonisers from the Royal n, even if she hadn''t saved them, they would have broken out the moment they noticed something amiss too. But, it would have taken some time, considering they were rxed and in an unguarded state. That was why she rushed to their rescue in a hurry.

    Without any Harmonisers to put up a fight, the Sha within the restaurant was generating Fear Qi at a consistent pace from all the people, transferring the majority of it to the Sha within the inn that was currently battling. As a Sha that had taken a spiritual form became a ghost, regr attacks were unable to harm it.

    A ghost could phase through all matter. Only the fundamentalw governing their world, the conflict between elements affected it. So, only attacks using Elemental Qi wounded it. Among them, Lightning Qi was the most effective against ghosts, followed by Fire Qi, Water Qi, and finally, the Metal Qi.

    Re''Kha extended her perception through the pipelines into other buildings, trailing the flow of the Fear Qi as she noticed the Sha present in at least 10 buildings. Her Wind Qi perception was unable to extend beyond that as the static from the Fear Qi prevented her from concentrating.

    "This is bad, really bad." Re''Kha ran towards the entrance, exited the inn, and stood under the rain for a breath in time, extending her Wind Qi perception to notice the Blinded Ghost pass by her a couple of blocks away.

    She deactivated her Wind Qi perception, took in a deep breath, and activated her Water Qi perception, expanding it to the limit, outlining the entire Burfuna City in her view. ''It seems the Ju n has been notified. They are on their way here. But it seems it would take some more time for the other ns to appear.''

    Burfuna City wasrge, so it would take a lot of time for reinforcements to arrive, even for the Ju n which was in control of the region the Sha were wreaking havoc within. For a moment, Re''Kha was conflicted in whether she should chase after the Blinded Ghost or save the people within the restaurant.

    The Blinded Ghost had stolen her eyes. And, unless it had already used it, her eyes might still be present. She could reim her sight and no longer be blind. Moreover, the presence and the connection she felt made her believe that her eyes were still present with the Blinded Ghost.

    ''But, I cannot go against it in my current state.'' The reality of the situation kept her in check. She was blind and her physical state was less than optimal. She also only had three units of Water Qi left in her, which wasn''t enough.

    The guards were pursuing the Blinded Ghost, so the moment she fought it and prevented it from running away, they would catch up. Unfortunately, the only way for her tost that long was by using a Magic Artifact, which would cause the situation to turn strained the moment any guard spotted it.

    ''I''ll wait for an opportunity to attack it while preventing this Sha from killing everyone.'' She was still unsure about what the Sha sought. Judging by its actions, it didn''t seem like a being that wanted to steal the body parts of people. ''But, unless it steals something, I cannot say for sure.''

    Re''Kha entered the building, making a beeline towards the Ki''Nha, "Lady Ki''Nha, I just investigated the other buildings. This Sha is only a split portion of its true self. There is one in the nearby buildings too. That''s where it''s getting a constant stream of Fear Qi to survive the rain. For some reason, it is using the water pipes."

    "It''s using the water pipelines?" Ki''Nha was shocked for a moment before scowling, ''Is this the scheme of a third party? The pipelines should be filled with water containing a fair quantity of Water Qi. How is this possible?''

    She then looked around, trying to find any taps to verify the im. But unfortunately, the ce wasn''t bright enough for her to see far away. In their fight, a good portion of thenterns was tossed into the rain. It was the Sha that had done so, cleverly preventing the oil within thenterns from catching fire by making the rain fall on the wick first. It was to reduce the advantage of its foe.

    Ki''Nha noticed that the condition of Re''Kha had worsened aspared to before, shouting as she dodged an attack, "Ki''Tse has the keys. She''s unlocking the rooms as we speak. Once she and Ki''Sha rescue everyone in the inn, the Sha here would be weaker. It won''t take long, Lady Re''Luk."

    "I''ll hinder the Sha in the nearby restaurant then," Re''Kha said, not paying heed to the concerned shouts from Ki''Nha as she exited the inn.

    "First, uphold virtue." Her master''s voice resounded in her head as the word virtue echoed. Re''Kha stopped, feeling the rain hit her as she took in a deep breath; the difficulty in her breathing intensified, making it hard for her to run.

    "Yes, master." She sighed, entering the restaurant as she pulled out the whip Magic Artifact from her storage space. There were no prying eyes on her now, at least within the restaurant. So, she could use it without fear of beingbelled a thief.

    Re''Kha held the whip as its end fell on the floor, sliding over it as she dragged the whip handle. She partially deactivated her Wind Qi perception on her right arm¡ªthat held the whip. This way, she wouldn''t be affected wielding the whip. But because of it, she also wasn''t able to use any Pranic Arts, for the elemental Qi in her wasn''t fully circting. She didn''t know any Pranic Arts in the wind element so it wasn''t a concern.

    A blob of nk space floated before her, bubbling as it increased in size. With a tap, Re''Kha caused the whip to burst with blue radiance, her weak voice resounded in the silence, "Come!"

 Chapter 79 - Coincidental Pincer Attack

    "Come!" The whip Magic Artifact shone with blue radiance as Re''Khashed out at the blob of nk space before her. The whish seemed to have torn something as a tearing sound resounded. The blob dispersed into smoke and moved away, condensing at one corner on the first floor.

    "Ugh," Re''Kha grunted, watching the ghost move without trouble through the floors. But to chase it, she had to climb up and down the floors. It was one of the reasons ghosts were troublesome. Each ghost had a unique but fearsome ability and was also able to fly and phase through objects. This made killing them almost impossible, unless a team of Harmonisers circled it.

    ''My objective is not killing you anyway.'' Re''Kha beganshing out on the floor; the impacts caused a faint scream to resound every time. The ghost had wrapped a nket around the restaurant to put everyone in a state of rest while they experienced a nightmare.

    So, all she had to do was damage the nket and cause the people to wake up. Everysh of her whip was akin to a Harmoniser''s attack, for it spewed Water Qi in concentrated forms. Re''Kha attacked everywhere she sensed a nk space, shattering it as her Wind Qi perception spread more freely.

    Upon getting damaged repeatedly, the nket on the ground floor copsed, the Ghost Qi forming it was suppressed and annihted by the Water Qi. As a Magic Artifact was made from Elemental Qi Essence, it was able to generate Elemental Qi.

    But, it wasn''t able to emit Elemental Qi like an Elemental Qi Essence. Still, it formed ayer of Elemental Qi over the Magic Artifact that upon attacking caused the ces of impact to be covered by its respective Elemental Qi.

    Therefore, every ce Re''Kha hadshed out contained traces of Water Qi that prevented the ghost from erecting another barrier in the area immediately. A lot of people had been dining on the ground floor when they were pulled into the hallucination.

    Now that she had broken the hallucination in the area, they showed signs of getting up. Moreover, as it was the most crowded in the restaurant, the stream of Fear Qi flowing into the pipes decreased sharply.

    Before anyone caught sight of her, Re''Kha sprinted through the flight of stairs, watching the ghost retreat to higher floors in fear. The fear wasn''t because of her tired, panting self, but rather the Magic Artifact held in her hands.

    Re''Kha felt weak, stopping halfway in the flight of stairs. Despite her vigorous activities, the chillness in her body hadn''t abated. Instead, it was turning colder. She noticed the Blinded Ghost move towards her now. As the distance between them decreased, the chillness in her body increased.

    But upon a closer look, as she extended her Wind Qi perception, she noticed the Blinded Ghost float higher, turning its body as it peered into something within the second floor of the restaurant from the building on the other side of the road. It paused, seemingly thinking of something before heading into the open. The rain sttered upon hitting it, the damage it did was minute as the rain''s intensity was decreasing. It seemed like it was about to stop.

    ''This is the only chance I can face it alone.'' Re''Kha jumped, skipping the steps upon each jump, running through the floors as she endured the pain in her body, finallynding on the second floor. She then rushed through the corridor, watching the blob forming the ghost be positioned to her back, at the end of the corridor.

    Seeing the whip in her hand, it refrained from moving in her direction. While running, Re''Khashed out with the whip a couple of times, causing tears in the nket the ghost had erected. She didn''t manage to shred it apart, but at least managed to disrupt the flow of Fear Qi for the moment.

    Re''Kha stopped in the corridor, sensing the Blinded Ghost move towards the restaurant''s wall, about to enter. She was facing the spot it was supposed to enter from, hand poised at a striking pose, ready to attack upon first sight.

    In the inn, Burfuna Ki''Tse finished unlocking all the rooms until the third floor and managed to wake up the people within. Unfortunately, there were no other Harmonisers among them, so she didn''t get any new allies. Three girls trailed behind her, shuddering in fear as they noticed the situation.

    Having left the three girls in her custody after rescuing them, Burfuna Ki''Sha descended through the stairs, intending to help Ki''Nha when she felt her skin crawl. She hurriedly peered through the window and noticed the figure of the Blinded Ghost hovering before the restaurant''s second floor, about to head within.

    Sensing her gaze, the Blinded Ghost nced in her direction, looking with its single open eye, causing fear to sprout in her heart. Ki''Sha took a step back, only realising her action after the Blinded Ghost turned around.

    "Dammit," She felt humiliated, having taken a step back in fear. She sprinted into a room on the second floor¡ªthat had been opened by Ki''Tse¡ªand headed towards its balcony, emitting ck radiance from both her palms as she sent forth two palm projections. The grill on the balcony was shattered, creating a big enough hole for her to jump through.

    The moment she jumped through the grill, her legs shone with a blue radiance that elongated into a serpentine form, like the body of a serpent''s tail end. The blue radiance was bright, clearly outlining her legs within the serpentine form.

    The tail coiled around the grill using its gaps as her body free fell, swinging as the tail curled itself. She was controlling it by shrinking and elongating her legs ordingly, making use of her toes for finer control.

    The tail coiled and used the circr momentum brought about by her fall to spring up. Burfuna Ki''Sha used the grills in the balconies to sway from one to another and quickly approached the Blinded Ghost before it could fully enter the restaurant.

    "Take This!" Her hands shone with blue radiance, shooting two palm projections towards her target. On the other side, Re''Khashed out with her whip the moment she noticed half of the Blinded Ghost''s figure appear within the corridor.

 Chapter 80 - Using Her Attack Against Herself

    Burfuna Ki''Sha flew in the air, unleashing two palm projections of Water Qi upon nearing the Blinded Ghost. The Blinded Ghost didn''t seem to have minded her attack. Rather, a pair of eyes shot open on its back, ring at Ki''Sha.

    Time seemed to have slowed down as Ki''Sha saw her two palm projections fly towards the Blinded Ghost, sshing the raindrops along the way as they drew closer and closer to the enemy. But, just before they were about to crash into it, a pair of eyes on it shot open, ring her way.

    Her eyes widened in shock as her palm projections curved in the air, diverging around the blinded Ghost. The one on the right missed it, moved a short distance before pausing, for it had reached the range of its maximum movement. After staying in the ce for a breath in time, it dissipated.

    The palm projection on the left moved further left and mmed into the restaurant''s wall, sshing out as Water Qi. A portion of it sshed on the vestiges of Ghost Qi the Blinded Ghost had left behind. It had fully entered the building now.

    "What the heck was that?" Burfuna Ki''Sha expressed her disbelief as her body fell to the ground. The tail extending from her hips¡ªmade from Water Qi¡ªcurled itself a little, acting as springs as shended on the road. They absorbed the shock from her fall, storing the momentum in them as she sprang forth into the restaurant''s entrance, nning to rush towards the Blinded Ghost before her Pranic Art copsed.

    Re''Kha watched her whipsh out at blinding speeds towards the Blinded Ghost whose face peered through the walls first. The Blinded Ghost raised its hand, defending against the whish as it used its singr eye to gaze at Re''Kha.

    Its hands turned into a whip, coiling around her whip as both damaged the Elemental Qi in each other. But this way, Re''Kha was unable to pull her whip out. ''I don''t have a choice but to risk it.''

    She couldn''t let go of her hold over the whip, for that would deactivate it. And, her storage ring was worn on her left hand''s ring finger, which was her sole free hand now. If she tried to pull out another Magic Artifact from her ring, it would give the Blinded Ghost more than enough time to rip the whip from her hold.

    So instead, she took a gamble, despite knowing full well the Blinded Ghost''s ability. Her left hand shone with a blue radiance as she shot forth a palm projection, watching a pair of eyes in the centre of its face open.

    Her right hand shot towards her ring, wishing to pull out the needle Magic Artifact when her movements stopped. Re''Kha stared at her figure: ady covered from head to toe in the typical Re n''s clothes. Her eyes were covered by a ribbon while her head was covered by a hood; her face was only disyed from below the eyes which looked deathly pale now.

    There existed scratches all over her arms that weren''t covered by clothes. She looked slightly malnourished, thinner than in her memories. Her exhales were apparent as a white mist while the expression disyed on her face was one of rage.

    Re''Kha saw her own figure in startling rity. It was as if she had eyes now. Moreover, the surroundings¡ªthat were lit bynterns¡ªlooked bright, as if it was the middle of the day. She saw a palm projection fly towards her from the left hand of Re''Kha, about to hit her face.

    An instinctual response of her was to prevent the palm projection from mming onto her, ''Why is my attack heading towards me?''

    She had such a thought when the palm projection stopped before her, pausing for a moment before it turned around. It then flew towards Re''Kha, aiming at her chest. Re''Kha felt a disjoint in her perception as she pulled the handle of the whip closer to her, feeling something m into it. The force sent her flying back,nding on the floor as she slid a fair distance away.

    Her right hand was numb, while the whip was no longer held by it. Her vision was dark as she hurriedly activated her Wind Qi perception, noticing the Blinded Ghost hover before her, "Your eyes¡­most beautiful."

    It then ignored her and slowly flew towards the other ghost. Re''Kha noticed her whip strewn about in the corner as she hurriedly crawled towards it and grabbed hold of it, activating the Magic Artifact as her heart thumped. "W-What was that?"

    She saw the Blinded Ghost flying away; unwilling to watch it escape, she took a step forward, intending to chase it when she lost strength in her legs, panting as she copsed. She heard the sounds of something heavy moving through the flight of stairs.

    As it was drawing closer, Re''Kha curled the whip and ced it back within the storage ring, panting as she struggled to get up. ''At that moment, what happened? Did it control my Pranic Art and hit me with it? How is that possible? It never showed such an ability before.''

    Re''Kha felt weak, unable to even get up, watching the ghost scream in fear as it saw the Blinded Ghost''s approach. It dissolved into ck smoke and gushed into the taps to escape.

    Seeing it escape, the Blinded Ghost paused, taking a nce at Re''Kha as it vanished from the spot. Re''Kha extended her Wind Qi perception through the pipes, following the retreating Fear Qi. She knew the Blinded Ghost was an advanced Sha that was capable of disappearing into its shell from anywhere, so it couldn''t be tracked.

    But the other ghost wasn''t like that. So, it was heading towards its shell by dissolving its body into the ck smoke and using the pipelines as a medium to move while avoiding the rain. Re''Kha intended to follow it towards its source.

    Followed by a banging sound, a heavy figurended on the floor. It was Burfuna Ki''Sha, having created another serpentine tail using her Water Qi. The moment she arrived, she saw the Blinded Ghost disappear from view. She swerved her head and saw Re''Kha, rushing to her rescue, "Lady Re''Luk!

 Chapter 81 - Fear Qi Essence

    "Please help me up," Re''Kha muttered weekly, watching Ki''Sha help her get up. Her attention was fully focused on the trailing ends of the Fear Qi that moved through the pipelines.

    "What happened here?" Ki''Sha supported Re''Kha as she looked around, feeling the temperature of the surroundings return to normal while the light from thenterns shone through the corridor.

    "I was stalling that Sha when the Blinded Ghost appeared. The moment it did, it chased after the other Sha that ran away in fear." Re''Kha spun truth and lies together, rying the truth of what transpired while directing the focus away from herself.

    "You did well,dy Re''Luk. Let''s head to a hospital first thing in the morning and treat your condition." Ki''Sha said, supporting Re''Kha as the two slowly began to descend the flight of stairs. In the meantime, Re''Kha concentrated within the pipelines.

    ''To facilitate the needs of the popce, water flows through the pipes continuously. How was the flow blocked and the water within the pipe emptied without anyone noticing? This feels like a conspiracy.'' She frowned, watching the Fear Qi flow through winding paths for a long distance.

    But, as she was spreading her Wind Qi perception through a lot of pipelines, she noticed that despite the length she had traversed, everything was in and around 30 streets from her. Soon, all the flows gushed into the main pipeline that travelled straight for a certain distance until meeting a valve that stopped its flow.

    There existed another pipe connected beside, the valve was open. The Fear Qi gushed into it and travelled vertically up before entering a water tank. The water tank was half empty. Four individuals stood within, holding arge trunk. The water reached their hips.

    The trunk was filled with water, also containing chains that anchored three boxes within. The chains connecting each box were separate and were attached to all eight corners of the trunk''s interior. The Fear Qi flowing out from the pipe poured into the box on the right, entering a locket ced within.

    Her perception extended from the pipe and highlighted everything in her senses. The trunk and its chains were outlined as a sharp nk space in her perception. Re''Kha observed it, watching the rain fall on it. The entrance to the water tank was open, allowing the rain to enter.

    So, the water within the tank was full of Water Qi. Judging by how there was no damage done to the trunk, she realised it was a Magic Artifact made using Water Qi Essence. There was a small strip attached between the chains and the three boxes that acted as a connecting medium of sorts. For, all the boxes too were Magic Artifacts.

    And, judging by how the raindrops falling on it were reflected, it was made from a different element than water. Re''Kha observed the Fear Qi gush into the box on the right and settle within the locket in it.

    ''So that''s its shell. But, howe it is not damaged from the Elemental Qi emitting from the box?'' Re''Kha wondered when a thought struck her, causing her to shudder. She noticed how the locket was unaffected, and even seemed to rx in the environment. ''T-That box is made using Fear Qi Essence? But how? Fear Qi Essence doesn''t even exist.''

    As the box had been activated, the locket feltfortable. That was why the ghost had returned. One of the four individuals closed the box on the right, sealing it shut using the chains as he deactivated the box. A rumbling sound resounded from within for a moment before turning silent. The box shook a couple of times and became still.

    As Re''Kha was observing it, Fear Qi gushed in from the pipe once again, this time originating from another ce. The Fear Qi gushed into a box in the centre that contained a bangle as ady closed it soon after and sealed it using the chains.

    After some time passed, another stream of Fear Qi gushed into the box on the left, entering the ring ced within. When it finished flowing, the one in charge of it, a man in his fifties closed it, sealing it using the chains. Each box had eight chains trailing out from its eight corners that were attached to the eight corners of the trunk''s interior.

    The three boxes were in a deactivated state now as the rainwater fell on them without getting reflected, collecting within the trunk before filling it to the brim. The individual in charge of the trunk, an olddy in her eighties activated it, causing the Water Qi it emitted to be mixed into the water.

    After three breaths in time had passed, she closed the trunk, "This should prevent the three Sha from trying to escape."

    "They have developed fairly this time." The man in charge of the box on the right said.

    "If not for the appearance of the Blinded Ghost, our n would have proceeded faster." Thedy in charge of the box in the middle said.

    "We have to relocate now. Burfuna City would station many Harmonisers in this area for the time being. We can''t allow the Sha we nurtured with care be killed by their Martial Masters." The man in charge of the box on the left said, gazing at the olddy to hear her final opinion on the matter. She seemed to be the leader of their group.

    "Inspections at the gates would be strict to prevent people from carrying out a Sha''s shell by mistake. It would be safe to assume they would maintain this level of vignce until Peak Fire Month. We can act after that." Thedy in her eighties said as everyone climbed out of the water tank. She then blew a whistle that didn''t release any sound.

    But 20 breaths in timeter, water flowed through the pipes once again, cutting the perception of Re''Kha. In the meantime, she made note of the ce, and their statures, watching thedy in her eighties close the tank''s lid upon seeing the water gush in.

    The water soon filled up the tank to the brim. The trunk remained at the bottom of the floor, unmoving.

 Chapter 82 - Robbed Of Sweetness

    Re''Kha was supported by Burfuna Ki''Sha on their way down the stairs. The two watched the restaurant resume its activity as if the previousmotion hadn''t ever happened. In their perspective, they just fell asleep mid-eating and experienced a nightmare.

    As for some of them, they didn''t even seem to realise they had experienced a nightmare. As most dreams went, they were forgotten the moment one woke up. But, as the two reached the ground floor, they heard a stream ofints as the customers shouted.

    "I had ordered a sweet. Why is it so sour?"

    "My dish tastes spicy now."

    "The water is salty."

    "T-This," Re''Kha looked around, inspecting the conditions of the people. They weren''t any different from before but seemed a bit on the edge as their food tasted weird all of a sudden.

    "But sir, you justplimented it before." A waiter muttered in confusion.

    "I don''t know. It was tasty before, but is spicy now." The customer barked, "Taste it for yourself and see."

    "But sir, we didn''t even add any spice in the dish. This is a sweet dish." The waiter retorted as he took a bite of the dish. Sweat formed on his face as tears streamed out of his eyes, "Spicy!"

    "I told you right," The customer spoke, feeling a bit content that he was proved right, watching the reaction of the waiter that downed a ss of water¡ªto curb the spiciness¡ªwhen he spit it out in reflex, "Too salty."

    Just when the customer was about to curse the waiter for spitting the water, Burfuna Ki''Sha arrived at the scene, gazing at the food as she took a small bite from one corner, "This is a sweet dish."

    "Lady, something this spicy cannot¡­" The customer shouted at her, his words cut short as he noticed her Tikka jewellery, at the jet-ck gem embedded within. "Mydy, I didn''t mean to raise my voice¡­"

    "It''s fine," Ki''Sha waved her hand, motioning for him to remain seated as she went to another table, tasting the food there too before muttering to Re''Kha, "All the food tastes normal. It''s their sense of taste that has gone wrong."

    Re''Kha listened in on the conversations happening throughout the restaurant, replying to Ki''Sha, "It''s mostly their sense of sweetness that has been robbed while one of their other tastes has been amplified to fill in the gap."

    "It''s the work of that Sha," Ki''Sha nodded, "So, it''s the type to rob people''s sense of taste."

    "It seems it has only robbed their sense of sweetness." Re''Kha offered her conjecture, watching the restaurant owner run out in a hurry as he began to console the customers. She looked at Ki''Sha, "What are you nning to do to calm them?"

    As Ki''Sha was part of the Royal n that was in charge of Burfuna City, the livelihood of its people was her concern. She didn''t look like someone that held considerable power and influence in her n, but that didn''t mean she didn''t have the responsibilities originating from her status.

    It was her duty to cate the people and tell them the required information ordingly, if necessary. Ki''Sha understood the thoughts behind her question as she shook her head, "It''s for the best if I refrain from speaking for the time being. It would be better to ry the message through the guards."

    She refrained from rying the message to prevent the customers from getting scared¡ªat the sight of her. If she spoke directly, they would be trembling in fear and would only be thinking of ways to avoid offending her that her message would directly go over their heads. So, she nned to ry the message through the guards. That way, they''ll understand the situation and take it to heart.

    The situation within the restaurant was getting heated up, all the while they didn''t even realise they had survived an encounter with a Sha. They had all forgotten the nightmares they experienced and were back to their business,ining to the restaurant staff when the food didn''t taste the same as before.

    Burfuna Ki''Sha and Re''Kha exited the restaurant, noticing the rain had stopped. They stood on the road, soon spotting a guard cycling who seemed to be headed somewhere. Ki''Sha took in a deep breath as she shouted, "Stop!"

    The guard was startled for a moment as she looked in the direction of the shout, habitually gazing at the owner of the voice''s Tikka jewellery as she turned respectful, "Is something the matter, mydy?"

    "Yes," Ki''Sha nodded, pointing at her back, "There wasn''t three Sha but four. The fourth one attacked here and robbed the people of their taste of sweetness. The Blinded Ghost was alsost seen here before it disappeared."

    Hearing the flurry of information, the guard was dumbfounded, staying still in shock, only returning to her senses when she was urged by Ki''Sha. She took out the whistle in her uniform and blew it hard, making a tune that seemed to ry a message. "The other guards will being soon. Mydy, if it isn''t a bother, can you exin it to my higher-ups? I''m just a recruit."

    "I don''t mind," Ki''Sha nodded as she saw more than thirty guards pedal their cycles and arrive soon after. She looked at their Tikka jewellery, noticing that five among them were Harmonisers. Among them, the one at the centre seemed to be in charge of the group, a middle-ageddy in her forties.

    Her hair was wet, dishevelled as she had been in pursuit under the rain for a long time. She pressed the brakes on her cycle, halting as she saluted, "Lady Ki''Sha, what happened here? Were you the one who had spotted a fourth Sha?"

    "Yes," Ki''Sha nodded, recounting everything she had witnessed, even exining how it had robbed the people of their taste of sweetness and how the Blinded Ghost was actually in pursuit of it. Once she heard everything, the guard saluted once again, "Thank you for the input, Lady Ki''Sha. We''ll begin investigating it immediately."

    "Since you''re the one investigating it, Officer Rhi, I can rest assured." Ki''Sha smiled, noticing Re''Kha frown.

 Chapter 83 - Traveller

    "Did something happen,dy Re''Luk?" Ki''Sha said, watching Re''Kha shake her head, motioning she didn''t wish to speak about it in public. Ki''Sha waved her hand, motioning Officer Rhi to announce the matter in the restaurant.

    The two then proceeded towards the inn as Re''Kha muttered, "The water pipelines are filled with flowing water that contains a lot of Water Qi. And, the water flow never stops. But, I saw the Sha escape using the taps. I cannot understand how it could move through the water."

    "It is strange indeed," Ki''Sha nodded. She had also noticed the issue when she was moving through the restaurant''s ground floor. So, she knew something was up and the situation seemed fishy. ''But, a Sha can never be controlled. So, this shouldn''t be the n of an opposing force. Then what is actually happening?''

    There were a lot of factors about the situation she was confused about. Intending to solve itter with her n members, Ki''Sha entered the inn, supporting Re''Kha as they saw the inn staff bow in gratitude to Burfuna Ki''Nha and Burfuna Ki''Tse.

    Spotting their arrival, Burfuna Ki''Nha pointed at Re''Kha with a smile, "The one who had arrived to our swift rescue was Lady Re''Luk. She noticed the Sha''s appearance first and promptly retaliated, saving the three of us. Only then were we able to help rescue the others. So, the credit goes to Lady Re''Luk."

    "Mycking strength could only do that much," Re''Kha let out a wry smile, waving her hands as she watched the staff members bow towards her, expressing their gratitude. The inn owner, a man with a slight potbelly cupped his fists as he bowed his overweight body, "It''s not much, mydy. But the least I can do is not charge you for your stay. Please allow us to invite you to our VIP rooms."

    "I''m content with my current room," Re''Kha smiled, unwilling to extort their gratitude. The moment she received anything in return, it would mean her act of saving them would have been repaid. Instead of giving them the feeling that they had repaid the gratitude, she wished for them to hold on to it so that they would be of use to her in her times of need.

    And, it wasn''t as if she needed to be waived of the room''s price. She could afford the expenditure. But upon seeing the owner remain in a bow, unwilling to budge, and even returned her 100 RuQi, Re''Khaughed helplessly, taking the money. It seemed the inn owner was someone who never forgot to repay a favour, so she acquiesced.

    Ki''Tse took the three kids using the lift first while Re''Kha and the other two Royal ndies waited. Burfuna Ki''Nha cupped her fists, speaking with a tone of respect, "Despite being injured, you have helped us a lot. If it wasn''t for you, I wouldn''t havested against the Sha for as long as I did."

    "Please, what I did was something anyone in my position would do," Re''Kha acted humble, "Besides, it was only through a coincidence that I noticed a Sha had taken action."

    "Still, it was to our luck that you had saved us first. There were no other Harmonisers in this inn." Ki''Nha sighed. It looked like she was thanking gratefully and was talking about the coincidence, but in actuality, she expressed her doubts as to why Re''Kha saved them first.

    "It wasn''t purely luck," Re''Kha had sensed her intention but acted as if she hadn''t realised it, "I heard the chatter of your¡­kids when the servant showed me my room. I hadn''t thought of much about it. But when I broke free of the Sha''s hallucination, I thought about them first."

    Seeing Ki''Nha nod in realisation, Re''Kha smiled, "If three girls stayed in an expensive inn like this, they were either part of a merchant group or a powerful family. So, they were supposed to have guards apanying them, either discreet or voluntarily. Thinking of that, I broke your door first. You three being such powerful Harmonisers was a stroke of luck."

    "Luck is a powerful factor," Ki''Nha sighed from the bottom of her heart, "It was precisely this luck that allows us now to share this conversation without losing part of our taste of sweetness. I can''t even imagine a life like that."

    The three then boarded the lift and arrived on the fifth floor, watching Ki''Tse apany the three girls as they exited the rooms with their belongings. A stream of workers already arrived at the scene and began repairing the broken doors.

    ''It is better to form a connection with them.'' Re''Kha smiled, pointing at her room, "Until they repair it, please make yourselffortable in my room."

    "Thank you," Burfuna Ki''Tse said as Re''Kha opened the door to her room. She had taken out the key when she kept the whip Magic Artifact in the storage space. That was how she avoided presenting them any unnecessary clues.

    ''I cannot handle their schemes alone. But, I am unable to give these three any proof of what I had discovered. It seems I have to investigate first and obtain some proof.'' Re''Kha thought, inviting them in as she kept an eye on the four individuals that had been the cause of the previous chaos.

    The rain had stopped, allowing her to extend her Wind Qi perception without any issue. She focused on the four individuals, trailing them to their respective houses, noting down everything of value. Finally, upon seeing them return to their daily activities as if everything that happened before wasn''t of their concern, Re''Kha retracted her perception, feeling a mild headache.

    She was exhausted, so even sensing using her perception proved taxing. The three Royal ndies and their respective child entered her room, settling themselves within. On noticing a mud-covered bag ced at one corner, Ki''Nha looked at Re''Kha in surprise, "Lady Re''Luk, do you travel often?"

    "Pretty much," Re''Kha nodded, "My master said only a person that has experienced living in every city of our country can have a broadened perspective. If they limit themselves to one ce, their horizons would be narrow."

    "Your master seems like a person of wisdom."

    "That he is," Re''Kha smiled.

 Chapter 84 - Age Of Maturity

    ''The more I talk, the more I have to lie.'' Re''Kha mentally sighed, left with no other option but to do so. Leaking her identity at present was problematic, so she could only weave more lies. Still, as a prideful woman, she didn''t like lying. It was a conflicting feeling.

    Re''Kha observed the three girls, watching them sit on the sofa in silence, their expressions downcast. Their eyes darted to her dirty bad from time to time, an expression of curiosity stered on their faces each time. ''So, they like stories of adventures.''

    Re''Kha looked at Ki''Nha, "Are they your children?"

    "The one on the right is my daughter, Ki''Nua." Burfuna Ki''Nha replied, "The one in the middle is Ki'', and the one on the left is Ki''Sul, daughters of Ki''Tse and Ki''Sha respectively."

    She then whispered, "They will reach maturity within the next three months. This is the only time they could rx and enjoy life. So, they had sneaked out to y and roam the market. Danger lurks even within the city, so we secretly tailed them. If not for the Sha, we didn''t wish to make our presence known."

    "They look younger than their age," Re''Kha muttered. She had assumed they were 13 years old. But seeing that they were close to maturity, it meant they were almost 15 years old.

    Maturity is when the Pranic Heart and the meridians finish growing within the person. When they were born, they didn''t possess them. The Pranic Heart was just a sliver, a membrane on a small portion of the heart.

    Over the years, it slowly grew, also creating the meridians that spread throughout the body like roots within the ground. It took a total of 15 years on average to finish forming. The differences between people usually varied between 2-3 months, but everyone in their race finished developing their Pranic Hearts and meridians by the age of 15 or before they were 16.

    Only after that could they be a Harmoniser. To be one, they had to initiate themselves using a cultivation technique. If they didn''t undergo the initiation, they remained a normal person throughout their lives. This was the case for mostmoners.

    Some of the soldiers or guards that had contributed a lot to their respective force would be initiated into a Harmoniser as a reward for their service. But, bing a Harmoniser meant one had to contend against the supernatural. It was their duty, dictated by the imperialw.

    The capital ryed themands to their branch ns in each city that thenmanded the four Elemental ns governing the respective city. The only way to grow as a Harmoniser was through performing quests on Earth, the entrance to which were controlled by the Elemental ns in each city with limited entries per year.

    Therefore, Harmonisers were bound by the rules and the missions. That was how they could grow and it was also the chains that bound them for the rest of their lives. So, the final months before they became Harmonisers was when they could be free of worries.

    As they were at the age where they hadpleted their basic training and sought entertainment, they had sneaked out to y. Since they were from the Royal n, they had enough pocket money to splurge.

    Truth be told, all ns were strict in monitoring their nsmen, preventing their bloodline from leaking into the popce. After all, nurtured within their bloodline was their n''s respective Pranic Avatar, their symbol, and glory. If one of their nsmen was kidnapped and made to bear the child of amoner or nt the seeds in amoner, it was a leak of their secrets.

    Moreover, if another n caught notice of this, they would steal the baby and secretly nurture them within their n. In the future, they would use them against the source n and cause all sorts of problems. Moreover, having the source n''s Pranic Avatar in their hands meant they could stop all their attacks.

    To prevent suchplications from arising, they had to guarantee their nsmen were safe and monitored from external harm. That was why, even though the three girls thought they had sneaked out from their n, their actions were monitored all along.

    To protect their safety, their mothers had moved out as a team. Unless it was arge group armed to the teeth, none could match against a team of three Harmonisers, that too from the Royal n.

    A Harmoniser from an Elemental n could only use their respective element.

    Some ns cultivated two elements. But the Royal n cultivated all four elements. So they were capable of adapting and retaliating against any situation without any difficulties. Moreover, if they wished, they could remain in their excited states for an indefinite period, unlike Re''Kha.

    The prime reason Re''Kha was unable to remain in the excited state of the wood element or the wind element was because they weren''t elements of her race. If she remained in the state for more than ten breaths in time, her body would start to morph into a Bisheen, the race that wielded the respective elements of wind and wood.

    Re''Kha hadn''t yet seen the transformation, for she was unsure if she would be able to hide all traces. Based on what her master had warned, as long as she returned to her base state within 300 breaths in time, the transformation wouldn''t be permanent and she would return to her original appearance.

    ''As to how drastic it would be, I cannot tell.'' She hadn''t seen a Bisheen even once. All she had seen was their paintings, but as they were standalone paintings, she couldn''t get an inkling of their actual sizes.

    "It''s gic that runs in our family. We age slower than the rest." Ki''Nha said, her tone containing a bit of pride. Only now did Re''Kha take a detailed nce at her, noticing that she seemed to be in her twenties.

    "That''s enviable," Re''Khaughed, hearing the door get knocked a couple of times.

 Chapter 85 - Curiosity

    Re''Kha excused herself from the conversation, opening the door to see the servant standing outside, carrying a cotton bag. Through her Wind Qi perception, Re''Kha peered inside, noticing it contained three sets of clothes, all in the style of the Re n.

    The servant made a respectful bow as she handed the bag over, "Mydy, since your clothes got dirty, we brought you a new set of clothes."

    Re''Kha sighed helplessly; the servant didn''t hint anything about the payment. She realised it was the inn owner''s way of showing his gratitude. Just his actions alone showed how much he valued his life. The quality of the clothes was no inferior to the ones she wore in her n, showing the price the inn owner forked over without the slightest hesitation.

    Each cloth cost 100 RuQi, a significant sum considering it was enough to feed a person for a month. Even considering the luxurious inn he was running, it was a significant sum to fork over. The prices of the room were expensive, costing 10 RuQi per day. But, the number of servants hired were too many.

    Considering their wages, the profit lining up in his pockets, though significant wasn''t arge sum. Moreover, it seemed like the inn owner didn''t wish to stop at this point. Re''Kha didn''t wish to take advantage of his generosity, for it wasn''t as if she had saved everyone on her own.

    She then noticed Ki''Nha wear a helpless expression, realising that she too had received simr treatment. Re''Kha took the bag and smiled, "Tell the owner that I am thankful for his consideration."

    The servant then bowed towards the three Royal ndies, "The doors of the rooms have been fixed. Please forgive us for the dy."

    "It''s fine," Ki''Nha waved her hand, "We were the ones who had broken them in the first ce."

    Ki''Nha took the keys from the servant, stealthily pocketed one key, and turned around, ring at the three children that had been sitting silent all along. Re''Kha smiled, knowing what wasing next as she closed the door, taking a seat in the nearby chair.

    The three children flinched at her re; Ki''Nha spoke with an admonishing tone, "The three of you almost died today. We had advised you many times that beyond the n was a dangerous ce. A Sha had attacked this inn. If it wasn''t because we were coincidentally heading towards the market and chanced upon it, we wouldn''t have noticed you. You understand what this means right?"

    "Sorry mother," Burfuna Ki''Nua apologised, bowing her head, expressing that she was sorry. The other two Royal ndies didn''t say anything from the start, silently ring at their respective daughters to add to the mental pressure.

    "Sneaking out of the n itself is a punishable offence. Coming without any bodyguards is stupid." Ki''Nha looked angry, disying her frustration. Through experience, Re''Kha judged that she was just faking it. Their previous conversation also proved it.

    Ki''Nha just wanted her children to realise the severity of the situation so that they would be wiser in the future. She scolded them for some more time, stopping when she noticed the message had sunk into them, "Alright, the three of us are in the middle of work, so we have to leave now. We''ll return in the morning and pick you up. Until then, stay obediently in your rooms, alright?"

    "Yes," The three children collectively replied as they were led into their room. As the three Royal ndies watched their children behave obediently, they closed the door after a couple of words of advice.

    "We''ll be in our room. If an emergency happens, please contact us. I''ll apany you to the hospital in the morning. Sorry to bother you." Ki''Nha whispered, winking to show that her kids might disturb herter during the night. She had noticed them shoot nces at the bag of Re''Kha. So, she was sure they would knock on her door to satiate their curiosity.

    "Please, you don''t have to worry. I am travelling without any schedules, so I have a lot of free time on my hands. I''ll be more than happy to share some of my travels with them." Re''Kha smiled, watching them return to their room stealthily. They ensured their children didn''t notice they were staying right in the next room.

    "I''ll take a bath," Re''Kha sighed, feeling her body tremble under the cold. It was better now, aspared to before when she was in the presence of the Blinded Ghost. But she was still freezing over. She had been enduring all along, waiting until they left.

    She didn''t wish to take a bath while leaving them in the living room with her bag. They didn''t look like the type to pry into the belongings of others, but she didn''t wish to take any chances. Their duration of contact was short, so she hadn''t grasped their characters yet.

    "The clothes the owner gave are really nice," Re''Kha smiled, heading to the bathroom to take a bath. She opened the hot water tap, adjusting the temperature in the bathtub as the cold water fell at a steady stream. When it was sufficiently warm, she entered it, moaning in pleasure as the heat rxed her muscles, reducing the chillness she was feeling.

    ''What is the reason I am feeling this chill?'' Re''Kha wondered, unable to point out the cause. ''Did it do something to me when it stole my eyes?''

    She was disappointed that she hadn''t been able to get her eyes back. But Re''Kha knew that they would cross paths soon. They had shed numerous times in the past two years and were bound to sh once again in the future.

    Also, just the fact that her eyes hadn''t been destroyed relieved her. As the Blinded Ghost had used a mysterious method to steal her eyes, there was a chance she would regain her sight once she snatched her eyes from it.

    ''I hope thates true.'' Re''Kha sighed, rxing in the bath as she felt drowsy. She had woken up in the middle of her sleep after all. Sometimeter, she heard a knock, causing her tough as she exited the bathtub, drying herself with a towel as she wore a new set of clothes.

    Re''Kha adjusted her appearance and opened the door, watching the expected visitors standing in front with expressions of curiosity.

 Chapter 86 - Carefree Conversation

    "Come in," Re''Kha smiled, watching three girls saunter in with expressions of curiosity, their beaming eyes bereft of their previous apologetic emotions. Re''Kha had just closed the door when she saw the three make themselves home on the sofa, jumping in joy as they looked at her with anticipation.

    "So," Re''Kha saw opposite to them, "What do you wish to know?"

    "Tell us a story sister," Burfuna Ki''Nua beamed, "You have explored different ces, right? Tell us about them?"

    ''I haven''t left Burkurel City until now. Even during the missions, I did head to different regions, but most were within the jurisdiction of Burkurel City.'' Re''Kha felt a mild headache,ing to realise the side-effects of lying, ''I cannot make up a lie here. Maybe I''ll just talk about an incident I have encountered. Hmm, I cannot say anything too distinct that would point it towards me. So, I have to avoid anything that might be familiar to them.''

    "Hmm," Re''Kha put on an expression of pondering, speaking slowly, as if she hadn''t decided what to say and intended to leave it to them, "What type of adventures do you like?"

    "Exploring unique habitats." Ki''Nuaughed.

    "Fighting beasts." Ki'' raised her hand.

    "Architectures of foreign races." Ki''Sul ced her hand on her cheek, immersed in her fantasies.

    "¡­" Re''Kha felt that maybe she had bit more than she could chew, speaking as she bought time, "Let''s see if I have an interesting story to say."

    "Tell us anything, big sister." Ki''Nua smiled, acting like just being in her presence was fun to her.

    ''Idea!'' Re''Kha felt like it would work, "Do you wish to know about Earth?"

    "No!" The three shook their heads resolutely, "We can explore Earth in the future anyway. We are not interested in it."

    "But," Re''Kha smiled, "Do you know the fact that Earth is different when essed from different gates?"

    "Earth is different at different gates?" Ki''Nua was surprised, "I thought it was the same everywhere."

    "If youpare the Earth in Burfuna City and Burkurel City, they would be mostly simr. But even then, the architecture styles andyout would have some differences. If you visit one of the cities in the state of Vilupi, the Earth essed through the cities there would bepletely different." Re''Kha smiled, looking as if she was giving details but was in fact just glossing over the surface.

    They were information her master had imparted to her and not something she had personally verified. After all, the only city apart from Burkurel City she had visited was the Burfuna City, and it was now. Her master hadn''t stressed it as important information as he said the higher-ups of every n knew it.

    They had tried exploring the Earth in different cities in an effort to trigger new Quests with greater rewards. Re''Kha then ced a finger before her lips, "This is something only the heads and elders of every n knows about. So, promise big sister that you won''t say it to anyone else."

    "Promise!" Ki''Nua thumped her fist on her chest, "Adventures are filled with secrets. If we leak it, we fail as adventurers."

    "Yeah!" The other two echoed her response.

    Seeing their actions, Re''Kha chuckled. She then continued about bits and pieces of what her master had said, making the kids exim in astonishment every time. Part of the reason she spoke about it was to relieve her tension. Seeing their cheerful personalities healed her strained mind. She wasn''t even concerned about the repercussions the leaking of this information would bring.

    ''Though, this is probably nothing of concern.'' Re''Kha waved it away. The three girls seemed tight-lipped about all matters, so she wasn''t concerned they would leak it. Moreover, they weren''t Harmonisers yet, so none would pay attention to them. And, by the time they became Harmonisers, Re''Luk would vanish from the records.

    "Tell me about a Quest, big sister. Can we really get a lot of Prana Stones if wend on a big quest?" Ki''Nua asked, excited.

    "If you know information about a Quest, you will nevere across it. That''s the rule on Earth." Re''Kha said in all seriousness, "Also, to get more Prana Stones, you have tond on the Main Quest, and uponpleting every stage of it, the number of Prana Stones you receive would increase. But, I''ve never heard about anyonending on one yet."

    "Big sister, what''s the scariest beast you''ve encountered?" Ki'' asked once it was her turn.

    "I haven''t seen it directly, but it was a Kalha. Obviously, that''s the scariest of them all." Re''Kha replied.

    "Don''t the Kalhas live quite close to us?" Ki'' asked, "The Kuhera Forest is only three days'' worth of journey from here."

    Re''Kha then talked about some things she was familiar with, recounting one of her fights with a beast she had encountered a year ago. At first, it was a headache to think up stuff and make it seem like things she, Re''Kha hadn''t been personally involved in but someone else. But as she spoke, she noticed that the three girls ate up everything she said.

    After that, she began to speak about some bizarre scenes she had witnessed, the uniquends on the other side of the Bahara mountain range, some stuff from her master sprinkled through the story to enrich it further, etc.

    Talking about it allowed her to take her mind off things. It was a rxing event of sorts. Over time, Re''Kha felt rxed,ughing as she conversed with the girls. Their ages weren''t all that far apart. They were almost 15 while she was 19 years old.

    Not having to think of the other party''s subtle intentions or the hidden meaning under their choice of words; it was a fun conversation. Re''Kha could chat freely. During the conversation, Ki''Nua asked why she had covered her head and eyes. Re''Kha gave her the prepared answer, stating it was useful in training.

    Time passed in such a manner as she began to feel tired. Seeing her exhaustion, the three girls were mindful and left immediately. Locking the door, Re''Kha slept, her peaceful mental state allowing her to fall asleep immediately.

 Chapter 87 - Air Packet

    "Ugh," Re''Kha woke up at the sounds of knocking, feeling sluggish all over. Her joints ached while she felt a splitting headache. Her face was heating up while her limbs were freezing over.

    Re''Kha felt weak, feeling difficulty in moving. She activated her Wind Qi perception, extending it to beyond her room as she saw the figure of Burfuna Ki''Nha at the door. She was repeatedly knocking, the sounds turning louder as time passed.

    She noticed the thin lines on her face¡ªrepresenting the eyes, nose line, and lips¡ªchange form, barely making out that Ki''Nha was feeling anxious. Intending to reply to her, Re''Kha opened her mouth, "Coming!"

    She shouted, noticing her voice was thin, almost inaudible. But, something strange happened. When she shouted, the grey sand before her mouth vibrated. But, unlike before when the vibration spread radially as a wave, it travelled as a packet this time.

    The vibrating sand was like a bubble as it moved like an arrow, shooting straight towards the door before mming into it. It transferred all its vibration into the door.

    ''What was that?'' Re''Kha was shocked as she noticed the knocking had stopped.

    Standing outside the room, Ki''Nha had heard her voice, though weak and muffled. The sound coursed through the door and resounded, allowing her to hear it. That was why she stopped knocking on the door.

    ''I almost feared something had happened to her.'' Ki''Nha heaved a sigh of relief, watching the door open as the figure of Re''Kha peeked out. "Lady Re''Luk, let''s head to the hospital immediately. Your condition is even worse aspared to yesterday."

    "What time is it?" Re''Kha muttered weakly, extending her perception to notice the three girls and the remaining two Royal ndies were absent. They were probably tailing the girls while they shopped in the market.

    "It''s still morning," Ki''Nha replied. Their figure of the time was neither urate nor had a definite value. They only followed the terms of morning, afternoon, evening, night, midnight, and daybreak.

    So, everything they spoke with respect to the time was vague. They didn''t have a system of measurement put in ce for it. The only thing they followed was measuring time in breaths. It was because their Pranic Arts worked in conjunction with their breaths.

    The palm projection could only exist for a single breath in time. If someone held in their breath, it wouldst longer. So, even this concept only gave them a vague measurement. When they talked about time in breaths, they took the average duration a person took to breathe.

    Everyone had a general estimate about the duration a breath would take on average. Re''Kha nodded, "Please sit inside. I''ll be back quickly."

    As she had already taken a bath the night before, Re''Kha just freshened up and returned soon after. Upon seeing her, Ki''Nha got up from her seat, "Shall we get going, Lady Re''Luk?"

    "Is it fine for you to not apany your children?" Re''Kha strapped the money pouch to her hip, not carrying anything else with her. She had refilled its contents the previous night after the three girls had left.

    Currently, it contained 6 Fifty RuQi coins, 10 Twenty RuQi coins, 10 Ten RuQi coins, and some spare change of One and Two RuQi coins. She was carrying more than 600 RuQi with her. It was to pay for the treatment.

    Depending on the severity of the condition, the treatment cost would increase. So, she ensured to keep enough money on her. After all, the doctor she was visiting was a Harmoniser specialised in the art of healing.

    There was no distinction between a normal doctor and a Harmoniser that was a doctor. Their base skills were pretty much the same and hence were addressed the same. But, the only difference between them was the fact that the Harmoniser Doctor possessed a Pranic Avatar geared towards healing people.

    Their Pranic Avatar was a miraculous being that was capable of healing people. It was the only one of its kind in their entire country and had long gone extinct in the wilds. Now, the only proof of its existence was the Pranic Avatar it lived on as.

    "Thank you for worrying about me," Re''Kha thanked, closing the door as they exited the room. She locked it, ced the key in her pouch, and secured it tightly to her waist. She wasn''t afraid it would be stolen, for she wasn''t nning to walk through the market for the time being, not until she was fully healed.

    The two walked towards the mechanical lift as the servant stationed on the floor rang its bell, watching the lift slowly move up the floors until it arrived on their floor. As they boarded it, she rang the bell once again.

    The mechanical lift slowly descended as Re''Kha couldn''t help but remark in praise once again, "Have you seen such a stable lift before?"

    "Not until recent," Ki''Nha nodded, "We purchased five of them from the Ju n the moment some of our nsmen praised it after using it in an inn."

    "What about you, Lady Re''Luk," She looked at Re''Kha as she knocked the lift walls once, "Do you wish to buy one for your n too?"

    "It''s far away," Re''Kha shook her head, "Besides, I am a traveller. So, I have no use even if my n purchases one."

    Soon, they reached the ground floor, walking out as Re''Kha saw the servants bow towards them while on the way. She felt a bit awkward at their disy of gratitude when she noticed thedy at the counter look her way before whispering to a servant.

    The servant nodded and dashed out of the inn, sooning back with a cycle rickshaw. There was a cycle rickshaw stand quite near to the inn, as they were located in a ce with a lot of floating poption.

    It was a luxurious carriage, wide enough for four people to sitfortably within. It was driven by two people seated at the front on their cycles.

    The moment she saw the cycle rickshaw, Re''Kha muttered, "The inn owner is spending a lot of money."

    "He''s someone of fine character and cannot rest easy until he at least repays some of the gratitude he feels." Ki''Nha smiled, "That''s why we influenced our children to stay in this inn in the first ce. This ce has good service and the staff are professionals."

 Chapter 88 - Appearing Within A Dream

    "Where do you want to go, mydy?" The cycle rickshaw driver closest to them spoke after a bow. It was raining nonstop now. Thankfully, there wasn''t any wind, so their covers protected them from getting drenched.

    "To the nearest hospital," Re''Kha replied, boarding the carriage immediately. The driver had parked the cycle rickshaw under the inn''s ceiling that was extended on the front. So, the twodies were able to board it without getting drenched.

    "How much will it cost?" Re''Kha habitually asked when the driver replied with a smile, "The inn owner has already paid the sum, mydy. This rickshaw is contracted to the inn, so we are paid by the day for our services."

    "I see," Re''Kha nodded, rxing as the rickshaw started moving. There was a small te with holes through which they couldmunicate with the driver. It was enough considering the proximity.

    The two drivers sat on a cycle with three wheels. It was considerably long. They pedalled in sync, sharing the burden of driving the rickshaw. The carriage was supported by four wheels, so the ride was stable and there wasn''t any risk of it toppling over.

    "Lady Re''Luk, do you mind if I ask how you were injured?" Ki''Nha began to speak once she was guaranteed the rain wouldn''t fall in through the window. They were named windows, but in actuality, they were just a cloth curtain.

    There were two curtains per window, attached on the outside and inside, over a board. If they wished to peer outside, all they had to do was move the board. It was a simple mechanism. At present, the curtain on the outside was wet as the rain sttered on it. The curtain on the inside wasn''t affected, as the rain fell almost straight.

    "Hmm, when I was heading towards Burfuna City¡­" Her mind spun as Re''Kha coughed up a lie, linking the events she had experienced and wished to convey into it. "I think it was closer to the Bahara Mountain Range when I ran into a certain settlement."

    "A settlement? there?" Ki''Nha frowned, confused at her description.

    "Yes," Re''Kha nodded, "I was confused at first myself. I mean, there are no settlements that far away. I was nning to make a tent in a cave or something once I had explored the terrain. But when I had climbed up a tree to scout the surroundings, I noticed this settlement."

    "It was made from wood," The moment she said, Ki''Nha stood up in rm, grabbing her shoulders as she asked in a hurry, "Is it still there?"

    "What do you mean¡­" Re''Kha was confused for a moment before she frowned; her voice turned solemn, "Have you seen it before?"

    "No," Ki''Nha sighed as she returned to her seat, "I''m sorry for reacting like that."

    Hearing themotion, the driver spoke through the holed te, "Is everything fine, mydies?"

    "It''s fine," Ki''Nha replied, sighing once again as she leaned forward, resting her chin on her hands. "My daughter has been having a weird dream recently¡­"

    Her eyelids trembled as she continued, "She says how she finds herself within an old storeroom when she wakes up. There were all sorts of household tools strewn around her. The sunlight shone in through the gaps in the door, falling on her face. She says it was warm, despite the condition of the room."

    "Then," She closed her eyes, controlling her voice from choking as she continued, "When she opened the door, what greeted her wasn''t the day but the night. Presented before her eyes was a row of houses made from wood. And, hung at their entrances were cylindricalnterns."

    Her eyes widened as she continued, "You know how we use hexagon-shapednterns these days. Long ago, we used ovalnterns, but never the cylindrical ones. Most of the time, when she gazes at thenterns, she waves up."

    "Most of the times?" Re''Kha caught hold of the word choice used, frowning as she asked, "What happened during the rest?"

    "It happened three days ago," Ki''Nha said solemnly, "When she exited like usual, she noticed the house opposite to her had copsed. When she saw it two days ago, the house was back to normal."

    "The Withered Courtyard," Re''Kha said as her body faintly trembled. "What else happened? How many times has our daughter seen it?"

    "Around 8 times. She first mentioned it a month ago. At first, I thought it was just a normal dream. Even I had weird dreams during my childhood. But the dream was consistent daily, like a loop. It was the same scene that was repeated without any difference." Ki''Nha gazed at Re''Kha, "So, that ce is called Withered Courtyard. Please tell me everything you know about it, Lady Re''Luk."

    "It is a Sha," Re''Kha said, watching the expression of Ki''Nha copse into despair. As Re''Kha continued, her face morphed even more, "It is more like a ce where many Sha resides, I think. The destroyed house your daughter saw was probably the one I destroyed."

    "Dammit, a Sha." Ki''Nha cursed, "How can it make contact without any physical connection?"

    "You said her dream began a month ago, right?" Upon her question, Ki''Nha nodded. Re''Kha frowned, "Then, did Ki''Nua buy any item from the market? The shells of all the Sha are usually everyday items we wear. An item rted to the Withered Courtyard might have been among them."

    "We thought of that too," Ki''Nha shook her head, "But, we checked through everything. She hadn''t bought anything new. She has been within the n for the past two months."

    "It might not have to be within her room," Re''Kha thought of her experience, "It could be anywhere within your n. Is anyone else experiencing this?"

    "No, at present, it is only my daughter. I have asked for help, but my nsmen haven''t detected anything unusual yet. Only when the Sha materialises can we hope to track it down. I also made her leave the n in hopes she wouldn''t dream it again." Ki''Nha sighed, "At least, she didn''t dream of it yesterday."

    "I can only hope to find a clue at this point."

 Chapter 89 - Whoâ€™s Your Master?

    ''The first Harmoniser I met has a connection to the Withered Courtyard. This is suspicious. If it happens the first time, it is coincidental. But if it happens more than once, it is no longer a coincidence.'' Re''Kha thought through the things she had experienced recently.

    She had been through a lot of events recently. Moreover, she was feeling suspicious because it felt as if the events were geared towards her. When she talked with Ki''Sha the previous night, she was informed that Burfuna City hadn''t encountered a Sha for more than a month.

    But, the night she arrived, not one, not two, but four Sha had attacked the city. Moreover, all four of them operated in the same area she lived. Instinctively, what she felt was that the incidents weren''t revolving around her.

    They were bound to happen whether she was there or not. But what she felt suspicious of was the fact that through a series of coincidences, her actions and choices were driven in such a way she would be thrust in the centre of them all.

    They had just begun, that was what she felt as her heart thumped. ''There are also instances when master''s voice resounds in my head in a loop.''

    Her master was a mysterious individual that had saved her from the brink of death. She was then nursed to a considerable extent while he taught her many things. All Re''Kha knew about him was his voice and the bits and pieces of his life he shared with her.

    He never stated his name, always trailing on about how he was the third cmity among the twelve cmities. As she was blind, she had never seen his appearance, so she was unsure about his age, or even his race for the matter.

    After all, logically speaking, a Kalki could only wield the four elements of fire, water, metal, and lightning. But, based on what she had seen and the changes imbued in her, her master could also wield the elements of wood and wind, elements of the race of Bisheen.

    She never heard of such a race. Moreover, considering the message her master had ced within her storage ring, Budding Dew, she knew he was able to look into the future or something along those lines.

    When she had pestered her master to say his name, he finally relented and said, "Don''t care about my name, there are no records about it anywhere. But, if you wish to find out more about me, head to the country capital and search for a Martial Master titled Beast Sword. I was called that long ago. But ensure you never say it anywhere. There might be the ears of my enemies everywhere. They don''t know much about me or what I have taught you, but my title is the one thing they would be on the lookout for. So, never reveal it."

    "Don''t worry," Re''Kha grabbed the hand of Ki''Nha, "I havee into contact with the Withered Courtyard. So, one way or another, I too am involved in this issue. If in the situation we are pulled into it, I''ll protect Ki''Nua."

    "Thank you," Ki''Nha cupped her fists, "My family owes you again, Lady Re''Luk."

    "Please, we are helping each other in times of need," Re''Kha waved her hands, "Besides, even though it was risky, I still managed to escape from the Withered Courtyard. And considering the versatility of the Royal n, Ki''Nua should fare better than me."

    "I hope that is the case," Ki''Nua sighed, slightly moving the window as she gazed outside. The sound of the rain helped rx her nerves, for the Water Qi rich raindrops caused her to feel a sense of security.

    The greater the concentration of the elements they wielded, the greater their advantage. After all, a Harmoniser existed in harmony with their natural elements, hence their name.

    The heavy topic caused the air to feel stuffy as Re''Kha too slightly opened the window on her side, watching the cycle rickshaws ply the road. As the cycle rickshaws moved on the road, air circted through their interior and exited. It was what created enough Wind Qi for her to perceive the moment a cycle rickshaw moved past her.

    As for the rest, she couldn''t see anything. The images of the rickshaws she perceived were broken, filled with a lot of noise.

    The heavy rain didn''t prevent people from their daily activities.

    Whether it was Burkurel City or Burfuna City, their drainage system efficiently functioned without any problems. So, there wasn''t a case where the water levels in the city surpassed the height of a finger. After all, the drainage system was made to withstand and facilitate the water drain during the Peak Water Month. It was a period where it rained without a break for the entire month.

    A carriage drove past theirs as the head of a child peaked through its window, giggling as the rain fell on his face. He then noticed Re''Kha, waving his hand her way. Re''Kha smiled as she waved back, watching the carriage cross theirs slowly.

    When they were about to fully overtake them, the boy shouted, "Bye, weird big sister!"

    "¡­Weird¡­" Her hand that was waving at the boy paused as her lips twitched. "¡­Brat."

    "Haha, you do have your face covered like that after all." Ki''Nha couldn''t help but chime in as she chuckled.

    "It''s for my training," Re''Kha pouted, "Comin to my master."

    "May I know who my master is?" Ki''Nha inquired. She was curious because of the way Re''Kha behaved. Re''Kha was skilled and possessed quick wit. She also possessed numerous methods. Just the fact that she had been able to sense the Sha before they did was a testament to her strength.

    As someone able to wield all four elements, Ki''Nha didn''t see Re''Kha using any Pranic Art to detect the Sha. She also hadn''t ever heard of a detection-based Pranic Art. After all, the maxim range a Harmoniser could ess through his/her Pranic Art was equivalent to six times their height.

    So, Re''Kha had probably developed her five senses through a unique method that allowed her to perceive the Sha from far away. And, considering how she covered her eyes, and the asional fluttering of her eyelids, it meant she was constantly training to achieve a result she was unaware of.

    This was what Ki''Nha had concluded after observing and probing Re''Kha. That''s why she was curious about the identity of her master that trained her to such an extent.

 Chapter 90 - Token Numberâ€¦?

    "Well," Re''Khaughed awkwardly as she scratched her cheeks, "I''m not supposed to state his identity. Sorry."

    "Oh, it''s fine, I didn''t mean to impose." Ki''Nha waved her hands, gazing outside for a while before she began to talk about the Withered Courtyard. Re''Kha truthfully ryed everything she had experienced there, giving her conjectures about it.

    "If what you say is true, then it is a terrifying ce." Ki''Nha sighed, "All I can do is ry the information you''ve given me to my n and hope they can deal with it."

    "Still," She cupped her fists, "It was fate that made us meet. You''ve given me a lot of information about something that I was desperate to know about. So, thank you once again."

    "The pleasure''s mine," Re''Kha smiled, extending her Wind Qi perception beyond the carriage as she noticed the buildings be taller andrger. As they were moving through one of the main roads of the city, the buildings on the sides of the road were massive establishments where arge portion of the city congregated for entertainment and other reasons.

    The grey sand existed as a blotched painting for less than a breath before vanishing. Thanks to the rain, Re''Kha couldn''t see beyond the carriage. It was a bit frightening, to say the least. She was moving in a vehicle while unaware of her surroundings.

    It was noon by the time they reached the central district. Re''Kha didn''t know if they had reached their destination, but her back hurt a lot. The cold winds number her body, worsening her situation. It was only because she was sitting did Re''Kha was alright. She wouldn''t have been able to walk properly in her condition.

    "Western District Hospital, here we are." Ki''Nha smiled, opening the carriage door when the cycle rickshaw alighted. There was a wide-open space before the hospital''s entrance, fully roofed for people to enter the hospital without getting drenched.

    It wasn''t walled, so the entire breadth of the hospital acted as an entrance for the rickshaws toe and go from the road. It also helped with the traffic that flowed in the area. It was one of the most crowded ces within the city, only below the market.

    There were four public hospitals in Burfuna City, with each situated on the district borders. The one they visited bordered the Western and Central District. There also existed private hospitals for each Elemental n, situated right next to their respective n.

    But all hospitals, whether public or private were under the control of the Royal n. And, the ones in charge and those who manned the hospitals belonged to Mu n. Unlike the Elemental ns that identified themselves with their city, the Mu n was one of the Four Great ns of their country.

    They were the ns personally established by their Celestial Emperor in service to the country. They were the Mu n, the Ul n, Er n, and the In n. They were Healers, Scouts, Transporters, and Messengers respectively.

    They too existed in every city and yed vital importance in its functioning. But, unlike the Elemental ns, they didn''t wield any authority. They only retained authority concerning their respective domains. And, in every city they resided, they were under the authority of the respective Royal n.

    Ki''Nha alighted from the carriage and helped Re''Kha get down. She then looked at the drivers, "We''ll take time here. So, you can return. Thank the inn owner on my behalf."

    "As youmand, mydy." The two drivers bowed and drove the cycle rickshaw away.

    "Let''s enter," Ki''Nha said, acting familiar with the ce. As it was under the control of her n, she had probably visited it numerous times before, both for treatment and inspection to see if everything functioned in ce without problems.

    "Yes," Re''Kha replied, scaling the more than ten steps to reach the hospital''s ground floor. There was also a long slope on the side for people on stretchers to be brought in.

    In every cycle rickshaw stand, there existed at least 3-4 rickshaws exclusive to the hospitals. They were the ones to travel to a person''s home upon summons, pick up the patients, and drop them at the hospital.

    There were two drivers per cycle rickshaw, and they operated free of charge. They were given monthly wages by their respective hospital, which was higher than what most cycle rickshaw drivers made. Moreover, if someone tried to fool their services to skimp out from paying a regr cycle rickshaw, they would be put in prison.

    Such cycle rickshaws arrived at the hospital one after another as the nurses stationed at the scene arrived to their rescue, bringing them into the hospital on their stretchers. Re''Kha entered the hospital, heading towards the counter at the front.

    It was a wide-open space, allowing for more than a thousand people to sit freely. Tiny rooms¡ªnumbering more than 20¡ªexisted on both sides where patients headed in one after another for a preliminary check-up.

    To the back was a series of mechanical lifts that moved up the floors continuously. Behind the lifts were a series of control rooms, with each control room dedicated to a lift. As she extended her perception into a control room, she saw the figures of sweaty men grunting as they spun a massive wheel, counting the revolutions aloud to ensure the lift stopped at the right floor.

    The counter had more than twenty people operating behind it. It was to ensure a queue wouldn''t form. Everyone among them was a doctor and acted as the first line of inspection. They prevented healthy people from wasting the time of the doctors just because of their paranoia.

    The moment Re''Kha walked in, she made eye contact with a doctor that motioned for her to walk towards him. When she stood before the counter, he observed her, nodding as he scribbled something on a piece of paper, "Your condition doesn''t look serious, so I am giving you a general token."

    He signed on the token to prevent any issues and handed it to Re''Kha, "Please be seated in the waiting area. When your token number is called, you can head to the visiting ward where the doctor will check up on your condition."

    "Thank you," Re''Kha nodded and looked at the paper, unable to read it, for it looked nk in her perception, "¡­"

 Chapter 91 - Life Was Difficult

    Re''Kha squinted, but no matter what she did, she was unable to see what was written on the token. Normally, when she used her Wind Qi perception, even if it wasn''t detailed, she was still able to make out the colour of the material.

    But, that was because she wasparing the concentration of grey sand to the colours she had witnessed when she had her sight, determining based on her experience. Moreover, the colour difference could be determined because every object had a texture of its own.

    This texture caused the molecules of wind to interact differently with it, which in turn was reflected in her Wind Qi perception. That was why she was able to determine the colour of her dress. It was made from silk with a unique texture of its own.

    The concept of dyeing the clothes didn''t exist in their society. The colour of each fabric was thanks to their source material and the Elemental Qi in them. Every Harmoniser though, was at least familiar with the dyeing process, since it was taught to them since young.

    After all, there were times where they had to infiltrate enemy bases. And to achieve it, they had to disguise themselves perfectly. And, this disguise considered their hair colour, hair shape, skin colour, external organs, body frame, clothes, etc. Every race had a different culture.

    But, these were only done by select few individuals that were on such missions. As for the regr popce, they didn''t even know about the concept of dyeing. On the off chance a member of a foreign race infiltrated their society, they would have to leave without any tools and products to help them dye.

    This was the reason the noble ns prevented anything rted to dyeing, disguises, etc. from leaking into the popce. So, everything in their society existed in their natural colour. This was why Re''Kha had no problem identifying their colours, for the material texture also helped her in this regard.

    But the token was a piece of paper over which a number was written using ink. The ink was basically a dye but was water-based that would vanish with a wash, so it wasn''t effective for disguises. It was a liquid and didn''t have a texture of its own. When it was written on the paper, it had the same texture as the paper. Therefore, the interaction of the air with it wasn''t any different.

    This was why all she perceived was a nk piece of paper. Her mind spun as she thought of a scheme, speaking with a sigh, "It seems it would take a lot of time."

    "Indeed," Ki''Nha gazed at the token number, motioning towards the seats in the centre, "Let''s wait for the time being."

    "Yes," Re''Kha nodded while cursing internally, ''You should have muttered the token number out loud.''

    The two found empty seats and sat, turning silent. Re''Kha felt pain in her back, for the seat wasn''tfortable, adding onto her journey in the cycle rickshaw. It wasn''t because their cushions weren''t to her luxury, but rather her injuries caused her condition to worsen even in such pleasant conditions.

    Re''Kha hadn''t rested much over the past few days. Before that, when she was under her master''s care, she was recuperating from bone-deep injuries. The pain was overwhelming to the extent she couldn''t even sleep for a moment before a sharp sting in her body woke her up.

    Thankfully, her master had healed most of her injuries. But he ran out of energy to use, which prevented him from being able to resist the poison in his body. That was what resulted in the aftermath.

    If he hadn''t tried to heal her, he would have lived for at least another two years. After all, based on what she had felt, the energy he consumed to heal her was what a Harmoniser could generate in two years by continuously eating.

    "I''ll rest," Re''Kha muttered, giving Ki''Nha her token, "If they call my token number, please wake me up."

    "Definitely," Ki''Nha nodded, "Please rest. I''m sure my daughter would have pestered you a lot yesterday."

    "It''s fine," Re''Kha smiled, "I enjoyed talking with them. It helped me rx a lot. It has been a long time since I could converse with someone near my age that freely."

    "Hey," Ki''Nha pouted, "I may be an olddy, but appearance-wise, I look your age."

    Sheughed, "So, you can talk with me freely too. Don''t mind about the age gap."

    "Haha, will do," Re''Kha smiled and nodded, turning silent as her breathing grew steady. Noticing how fast she had fallen asleep, Ki''Nha sighed, wondering what Re''Kha had been through.

    ''Right, she did say she had encountered the Withered Courtyard. I''m surprised she still had enough energy to fight the Sha after that. Though, I wonder why she hadn''t visited the hospital the instant she reached Burfuna City?''

    She looked at her appearance, seeing the defenceless state Re''Kha was in while her hands asionally shivered, ''It seems she has been through worse than what she lets on.''

    Watching her trembling hands, Ki''Nha was hesitant for a moment before she grabbed her hand gently. Re''Kha held her hand tighter unconsciously as a teardrop streaked from her eye.

    Holding her hand, Ki''Nha realised the fright Re''Kha was experiencing and the strong front she had put on to hide behind. She looked at the bright blue gem on her Tikka jewellery, wondering, ''Such talent; she must have been heavily prioritised by her n. I wonder why she had be a traveller despite that?''

    Ki''Nha sighed, watching the figures of the patients stream into the inspection ward one after another before they were allocated to different wards depending on their injury or illness. Every person there had a backstory of their own, one filled with suffering, valour, happiness, etc.

    Arge portion among them was themon popce that had be ill due to unfavourable living conditions. Not everyone livedfortably in their city, even if all the houses were built from the same stone.

    A good house alone wasn''t enough to feed them. They needed to earn a living and pay the required taxes, otherwise, they would lose their entry permit and would have to relocate to a settlement. But, it was still fine in a settlement, despite its conditions being harsher than therge cities.

    But if they lost even their settlement permit, then they would have to live in the wilds, taking refuge within unnamed viges where their lives were at constant risk. Most of themon popce led hard lives.

 Chapter 92 - A Familiar Face

    "Token number 641!" A voice resounded through the hall as Ki''Nha gently shook Re''Kha awake, watching her sit up with a start. She rubbed her back, "It''s alright, it''s alright. They are calling you."

    "Eh? Ah!" Re''Kha regained rity as she stood up in a hurry, wincing in pain. Ki''Nha apanied her to one of the rooms on the side; after seeing their token number, a nurse pointed them to their respective room.

    At the entrance was a small room for four to sit. It was meant for those apanying the patient. Ki''Nha sat in the room as Re''Kha entered through the door¡ªblocked with a curtain¡ªbeside,ing face to face with ady in her forties.

    She wore a hood that covered her from head to toe, only showing her face. Her eyes seemed a bit tired, despite it being only the afternoon. She didn''t even nce at her Tikka jewellery, an action everyone did out of habit, motioning for Re''Kha to take a seat on the berth beside.

    There were shelves containing numerous incenses, tools used for a variety of purposes, some solutions of sorts, etc. The doctor watched Re''Kha slowly sit, noticing how she winced in pain as she sat, "Tell me yourplications."

    Re''Kha took in a deep breath, pointing at the areas as she spoke, "I have pain in the joints, my back aches, I feel lethargic and weak, and I feel cold during the night."

    "Alright, pleasey down. I''ll just inspect your condition," The doctor only now gazed at her Tikka jewellery, "Since you are a water element Harmoniser, I''ll use Water Qi to inspect you."

    "Yes, please," Re''Kha nodded as shey down, asking, "Do I have to have to remove my clothes?"

    "It won''t be needed here," The doctor smiled, "I''m only going to inspect your condition using your blood flow and Water Qi flow."

    The doctor took out a blue needle from a box ced securely at one side. Upon her thought, it shone with a blue radiance. It was a Magic Artifact, a miniature one at that. She nudged the feet of Re''Kha, identifying the blood vessel she wished to find as she gently pierced the needle into it.

    Re''Kha didn''t even react, as if she hadn''t noticed the needle piercing her feet. The moment it was pierced, the doctor deactivated the needle, extending her perception through it as she seemed to be looking for something. "Did you encounter a Sha recently?"

    "Yes, yesterday. I faced the Blinded Ghost and another new Sha. I didn''t fight much though." Re''Kha replied.

    "Among those Sha, have you encountered any of them before?" The doctor continued to sense through the needle.

    "Yes, around 10 days ago." Re''Kha nodded.

    "No wonder," The doctor nodded, pulling out the needle as she took out a paper and scribbled something on it. She then motioned Re''Kha to get up as she handed over the paper, "Give this to the nurse outside. She''ll direct you to the respective ward immediately."

    "Thank you," Re''Kha nodded and slowly exited the visiting ward. The visiting ward was where a line of doctors would inspect the conditions of the patients and would then designate them to their respective treatment wards.

    It was a bit longwinded, but in this way, they were able to deal with the workflow with their limited manpower. Those who had minor illnesses would be given a prescription at this point and sent away.

    Re''Kha looked at the paper, noticing that she was unable to read it. It looked like a nk piece of paper too. But, knowing that it was a prescription written by a doctor who handled a lot of patients daily, she chuckled, giving it to Ki''Nha, "Can you read this?"

    Ki''Nha took a nce and retorted, "When Ki''Nua was two years old, she had a habit of doodling on the floor with an ink brush. If I had understood what she wrote back then, I would have understood what is written here."

    It basically meant she was clueless about it too. The prescription was no different from a drunkard''s doodle. But, Re''Kha wasn''t afraid she would have prescribed something wrong. For, the doctor had determined she hade into contact with a Sha more than once recently. Re''Kha hadn''t said anything about that to her. This meant the doctor was skilled enough to deduce the information through her ability and experience.

    The nurse stationed outside the room looked at their prescription, motioning for them to follow her. Her linguistic ability seemed capable ofprehending the doodle. The moment she apanied them, another nurse filled in her position. She had just returned from apanying someone towards their respective ward.

    The trio of Re''Kha, Ki''Nha, and the nurse headed towards the mechanical lifts and boarded one that just arrived. Considering the activity in the hospital, all the mechanical lifts were constantly in motion. Not one was idle.

    She extended her Wind Qi perception, wondering how the operators handled this without rest. She noticed that they worked on a shift basis. One batch worked during the morning and was reced during the afternoon by another batch. She didn''t know if they were done for the day with a single shift, or if they returned for a second shiftter.

    The lift was the same as the one in the inn but was bigger, able to house 10 people. They were apanied by 7 other people, two of which were nurses. The mechanical lift''s motion was stable. It was also faster than the one in the inn, but the motion didn''t affect them.

    When they were on the third floor, their nurse beckoned for them to follow her. They exited the lift and walked through the corridor that seemed filled with a pleasant scent of incense. The end of the corridor had arge window that facilitated the floor''s venttion, keeping the ce fresh. There were many branching corridors, scaling through the wide area of the hospital''s floor space.

    The nurse took a couple of turns through the corridor before entering the seventh room on the right, motioning for Re''Kha to enter as she looked at Ki''Nha, "Entry is only for patients, mydy."

    The nurse handed the prescription to Re''Kha before exiting the room. Re''Kha stood rooted to the spot in shock as she saw a familiar face.

 Chapter 93 - The Black Swirls

    "Grandma Mu''Tua?" Re''Kha eximed in surprise, "I thought you had retired."

    "Re''Kha?" The doctor was shocked for a moment before her eyes turned warm, covered by ayer of water as she patted Re''Kha, "So you were alive. Good, very good. Re''Rak would finally have some peace of mind."

    "How¡­is dad?" Re''Kha rxed; her voice choked, suddenly feeling the ce was one of warmth. The doctor was Burfuna Mu''Tua; she was part of the Burfuna Mu n. She had married the brother of Re''Kha''s grandfather¡ªfrom her father''s side.

    Her father, Burfuna Re''Rak was from the Burfuna Re n. He had married into the Burkurel Re n, but his roots remained. Re''Kha had met her a lot of times when Burfuna Mu''Tua visited Burkurel City. So, she was quite close with her.

    "That poor child returned to Burkurel City to search for you." She sighed, "Why have youe here? You should have returned to your home as soon as possible."

    "There is an internal strife ongoing in the n," Re''Kha smiled wryly, "Mother is ambitious; she wishes to im the seat of the head. In that sh, I got betrayed by my teammates when we were pursuing the Blinded Ghost."

    "Wait¡­your eyes." Mu''Tua paled, raising her trembling hand as she touched the cheek of Re''Kha. She had seen numerous victims of the Blinded Ghost, so even though Re''Kha had covered her eyes, she guessed it immediately. "Those vicious bastards."

    "Mother might have done something even worse to that side." Re''Kha sighed, "In my helpless state, I dare not return to the n. Mother might just use me to further her agenda; I thought Dad was still in the Bura Fort and decided to stay away from that ce for the time being."

    "Come with me then, I''ll help hide you," Mu''Tua spoke with worry, motioning for Re''Kha to sit on the bed beside. "Let me take a look at your injuries first."

    She then noticed how Re''Kha moved without trouble and sat on the bed, despite her eyes being closed, "How¡­are you able to see?"

    "I found a master who taught me a technique. It''s more like an extension of my senses. I can use that to feel around. I don''t know how to exin it correctly. It''s not as good as my sight, but it is better than nothing." Re''Kha muttered, wincing in pain as her back ached.

    ''An extension of her senses. Did she awaken? No, it doesn''t seem like it. Her master is probably a Martial Master who devised a method for her.'' Mu''Tua thought, taking a look at the prescription Re''Kha had brought with her.

    "Hmm, I understand what happened to you." She then took out a needle-shaped Magic Artifact, poking at the feet of Re''Kha, inspecting just like the doctor from before. "Take off your clothes, Re''Kha."

    "Grandma, I am using the name Re''Luk for the time being when I am in hiding," Re''Kha replied.

    "Fine, I''ll address you like that when you are outside." Mu''Tua watched Re''Kha remove her clothes, frowning as she noticed numerous patches of ck and purple all over her body, with most of them concentrated around her stomach and her back.

    "Lie on your back," Mu''Tua said, watching Re''Kha do as she told. She took out a box from a shelf; contained within were a lot of needles, all Magic Artifacts. Each needle was thin, possessing two holes that bored through its longitudinal section.

    She activated it, watching it shine with a gentle blue hue as she pierced it on Re''Kha''s stomach, deactivating it immediately. The Water Qi within the needle exerted its influence on the ckened-out region, forcing something to retaliate.

    Mu''Tua seemed in her Water Qi using the needle as an inlet, spread it around in Re''Kha''s stomach before wrapping around a dark substance within. "There is a lot of Fear Qi in your body. I''ll be removing it now."

    With a tug, she made the Water Qi rush towards the Fear Qi from the outside. The Fear Qi retaliated against it, getting sent backward from the collision as it soon reached the two holes in the needle. Exiting from a hole was the Water Qi Mu''Tua poured in, so it moved through the other hole, soon escaping out like gas.

    The colour of her skin in the region turned normal immediately. Mu''Tua did the same to the rest of her body, finally moving to her head. She saw how Re''Kha had shaved her hair, sighing, "What happened to your hair? Did it get burned or something?"

    "No, I just¡­shaved it." Re''Kha hesitated in her reply.

    "I understand," Mu''Tua didn''t press on the matter, poking the needle gently around the neck as she repeated the process, expelling all the Fear Qi in her. "A lot of Fear Qi has collected within your body. This isn''t good for you. I will remove them all now, but when you feel any pain, remember to see me again."

    "Alright," Re''Kha replied as she turned around, showing her back. Back, shoulder, knee, there were patches of ck everywhere. Her Wind Qi perception only worked externally, same for her Water Qi and Wood Qi perception. That was why she was unable to sense the Fear Qi collected within her body.

    The Mu n specialised in healing, so they were well-versed with the body and had developed Pranic Arts ordingly. That was why they were able to detect the issues immediately with a simple probing.

    The Fear Qi all over her body was fully expunged by Mu''Tua who then focused on Re''Kha''s eyes, removing the ribbon, "Open your eyes."

    Re''Kha slowly opened her eyes, causing Mu''Tua to flinch and retreat a couple of steps to the back. Contained within her eyes were ck mist that swirled continuously. It seemed alive, an entity growing within her.

    The moment she looked at it, Mu''Tua was struck with fear, paralysing her for a moment before she broke through with sheer willpower. The ck mist was like a current that was brimming to the peak within a container, spilling out of her eyes for a moment before they receded.

    Her eyes closed automatically after.

 Chapter 94 - The Two Choices

    Mu''Tua stood rooted to the spot in shock, watching Re''Kha remain unaware of what had just transpired.

    She hade across many patients who had their eyes stolen by the Blinded Ghost. And, she hade across even more patients who had one of their body parts stolen by a Sha. They were just too many to count.

    In all cases, a Sha left traces on the victim, whether internally or externally, filling up the ce of the body part it had stolen with Ghost Qi. It seemed to be a characteristic they abided by. Just based on the traces left in the victim, it was possible to reverse deduce the type of Sha that had inflicted it.

    Mu''Tua had treated 10 victims of the Blinded Ghost. They all had their eyes stolen by it. Reced in their eyes was a ck mist that acted like a liquid. It didn''t do anything apart from existing there peacefully.

    Moreover, it was the reason the victims didn''t suffer from any pain or side effects of getting their eyes stolen. The ck mist prevented the ce from bleeding or even being injured. Usually, the ck mass left in amoner was thinner aspared to the amount left in a Harmoniser.

    But, the cases of Harmonisers getting their eyes stolen by the Blinded Ghost were few. Most of its targets were themon popce that existed inrge numbers. Even then, none of the ck mass in their eyes couldpare with the one in Re''Kha.

    Unlike the others, the ck mass in her eyes seemed alive, actively behaving to protect itself from harm. Even Mu''Tua hadn''t encountered something like that.

    ''Right, she did have a history with the Blinded Ghost. They had shed for two years, the highest it ever came in contact with a Harmoniser.'' Mu''Tua nodded.

    Fate worked in strange ways. And, their world was huge, so it made no sense for the Blinded Ghost to linger in the same area of its activity for a long duration. But despite everything, it did just that, getting entangled with Re''Kha who pursued it every time.

    "Re''Kha, just how many pairs of eyes did the Blinded Ghost have now?" Mu''Tua observed Re''Kha to see if there would be any change in her eyes.

    "I don''t know," Re''Kha shook her head, "I was unable to see it in detail. I only determined it was the blinded Ghost based on its size, shape, and movement pattern."

    "I see," Mu''Tua nodded, "The Blinded Ghost has left a massive amount of Ghost Qi in your eyes. It is almost sentient. There are two paths for you to take now."

    After pausing for a moment, Mu''Tua kept watch on the expression of Re''Kha as she continued, "First, you remain in your current state without getting treated. As you have shed many times in the past, you might still sh in the future. And, when the chance presents itself, snatch your eyes back from it."

    "Thanks to the Ghost Qi present in your eyes, the moment I put the eyes back in you would your sight return."

    "What''s the second choice?" Re''Kha inquired.

    "The second is for me to slowly siphon the Ghost Qi from your eyes. This is a risky process. And the moment I remove all the Ghost Qi, you might experience a lot of pain. And, I cannot guarantee the problems that might arise because of it. Also, I would have to continuously heal you for a couple of months to regrow your eyes. It would take one more month for you to regain your sight. But, a small mistake, and you would lose all hope of being able to see once again." Mu''Tua sighed.

    She then shook her head, "The Ghost Qi in your eyes is preventing me from taking a look at the actual situation. So, I cannot give any guarantee if it would be possible. Also, it is a sensitive ce. There are risks with this method. And, if the Blinded Ghost had done something else, then I cannot save you. But, if you chose this option, then I''ll guarantee with my life that you will regain your sight."

    "Thank you, grandma." Re''Kha nodded, thinking for a moment that it would be wiser to get treatment from her and regenerate her eyes. It would take a lot of time and consume a lot of resources, but she would have her eyesight by its end.

    The first n consisted of reiming her eyes from the Blinded Ghost. This was what Re''Kha was gunning for, but she knew how difficult it was to actually execute it. The Blinded Ghost was elusive. It could disappear back into its shell from anywhere in its range of activity.

    She had fought against it numerous times. And the moment it was cornered, it would vanish from the scene. It was a frustrating experience, having to watch the same foe escape again and again from her hands.

    Unless she could sniff out the Blinded Ghost''s shell, she never had any hope of catching it. Moreover, in their recent sh, it was able to take control of her Pranic Art. This increased the difficulty of reiming her eyes.

    "Grandma," Re''Kha thought of something, speaking, "If I use a purified body of a Kalha, can you put that eye in me? It would be less risky with that right?"

    "The purified body of a Kalha is a dead eye. It won''t work. We had tried that in the past." Mu''Tua shook her head. "All it could be used is as an ingredient for medicine."

    Hearing her answer, Re''Kha was inclined to go with the second option, for it was rtively safer aspared to the first. She opened her mouth, intending to reply when her master''s voice resounded in her head, "No! The moment you grow a pair of eyes other than your own, the Blinded Ghost would be able to possess you through the connection it shares with you. That is also one of the reasons it steals the eyes. It is in hopes the victims undergo treatment and get a pair of eyes once again."

    ''M-Master?''

 Chapter 95 - Water Of Healing

    ''M-Master?''

    Re''Kha was shocked, hearing her master''s voice resound in her head. It was unlike before where the voice just repeated the sentences he had said before to her in a loop. This time, it was a message directed to her based on her thoughts and conversation.

    It was scary.

    Re''Kha shouted in her mind once again but failed to hear any response. She didn''t want to do anything strange and confuse Mu''Tua. For some reason, she could sense faintly that if she talked about her master to Mu''Tua, something bad will happen to her.

    She didn''t know what would happen, but for some reason, her instinct was sharp these days. And, she didn''t wish to risk it. After a moment, Re''Kha controlled herself, not acting strange as she looked to be in thought, finally saying after some time, "I still need some time to think. If I don''te across the Blinded Ghost within a month, I''ll resort to the second choice."

    "Alright, I respect your choice." Mu''Tua nodded, "How are you feeling now? I removed all the Fear Qi from your body."

    "I''m no longer feeling cold." Re''Kha nodded, "But the pain remains."

    "Don''t worry about that," Mu''Tua smiled, "I''ll be healing you now."

    She walked towards the nearby shelf and took out a box, opening it to reveal a needle attached to a funnel. The funnel was only as wide as her thumb. The needle was simrly sized to the other needles she had used. It was a Magic Artifact belonging to the water element.

    Every doctor, whether those that just inspected the patients in the visiting wards below or the ones that treated them had Magic Artifacts. Not one not two, but many. But they were mostly needles to allow the flow of the respective Elemental Qi, so the entire lot of them only consumed as much material to make a Magic Artifact possessed by the Elemental ns.

    But even then, they possessed a lot; every doctor possessed an array of Magic Artifacts to help in treatment. It showed the wealth the Mu n had amassed in Burfuna City.

    There existed four public hospitals, meant for the entire city''s popce. So, money from every patient flowed into them. As they had a monopoly over the field, their wealth was unsurmountable. Only the Royal n possessed more wealth than them.

    Mu''Tua took in a deep breath as she spoke, "I''ll be summoning my Pranic Avatar now. Don''t be startled."

    "Alright," Re''Kha nodded, watching blue radiance emit from Mu''Tua that condensed into a sphere before morphing into a beast. The beast was no different from a fawn, only reaching the height of her knees. Its gem-like eyes shone with intelligence.

    Its fur was soft, glistening like the snow upon the rays of the sun. It possessed a pair of horns that extended from below its eyes and connected before its nose. Their base was hollow, allowing the fawn''s tears to move through it and exit via the tiny hole at its tip.

    Muki!

    It was the sole beast that had a healing property out of all the beasts living in their country. It was a weak creature thatcked methods to protect itself. Long ago, there were a lot of them living in the wilds and reared by the noble ns in their territories safely.

    But during wars, their enemies specifically targeted them to prevent them from recovering. As such attacks continued, they eventually became extinct. But thankfully, they had be the Mu n''s Pranic Avatar before then. Otherwise, their race would have no method to heal themselves.

    Just that would make their experts remain crippled with no hope for recovery as long as they were injured even once. That way, their losses would have been severe.

    The Muki leaped onto the bed and sat near Re''Kha, gazing at her before it licked her face, causing her to break into augh immediately. She hugged it, "Grandma, when the treatment ends, can I y with it? Just for some time?"

    "Haha, alright." Mu''Tuaughed, "I won''t be seeing any patients after this anyway. I just came here today to stay in touch with the abilities I had honed all my life."

    "Yay!" Re''Kha squealed as she snuggled with the Muki, giggling whenever it licked her face. After some time, Mu''Tua told her to lie down, "I''ll finish your treatment first. Thankfully, the injuries are something I can heal in a single session. The 90 units of Qi I possess should be enough for that."

    "90? Grandma, you are strong." Re''Kha was shocked, "You will soon reach the realm of a Martial Master."

    "I would also have to master a Pranic Art for that to happen. But I hope it won''t take long." She smiled, motioning Re''Kha to remain silent as she activated the needle apparatus in her hands, causing it to shine with a blue hue.

    Mu''Tua pierced it into her back; the Muki arrived before the funnel, shedding tears that fell into its horn, travelled through it, and dripped through the hole at the tip. The drop of tear was a mixture of Water Qi and a healing agent that moved through the thin tube connecting the funnel and the needle.

    Using her Water Qi, Mu''Tua guided the teardrop through the needle and inserted it into Re''Kha. The healing agent moved through her muscles, guided by the Water Qi and the will Mu''Tua imbued in it, moving towards the ces with torn muscles. It acted as an adhesive that attached to the ce, slowly turning into the part of the flesh it was in contact with.

    This way, her wounds slowly, but surely healed. Re''Kha immediately felt some strength return to her as the healing continued.

    Mu''Tua pierced the needle in every ce that needed to be healed and seeped in the healing agent. Time passed in such a manner. Soon, it was evening when Mu''Tua sighed, wiping off her sweat as she rxed, removing the needle as she deactivated it.

    "Except for yourck of sight, you are fully healed now, Re''Kha."

 Chapter 96 - Foundations

    "Thank you, grandma," Re''Kha hugged the Muki as her expression turned into one of rxation. She fawned over the fawn, beginning to y with it as she giggled at times. She jumped around the room, chasing after the fawn that escaped from her hold, only stopping when Mu''Tua chided her.

    "I''ll contact your father and inform him about your well-being," Mu''Tua said, noticing a change in Re''Kha as she continued, "Don''t worry, your mother won''t know. I have a secret route to deliver the message to him."

    "Until then," She gazed at Re''Kha, "Just stay with me for the time being. My cottage is just too big for an olddy like myself. Having you around would be pleasant. Just stay here until the chaos in your n subsides."

    Re''Kha thought through her choices, judging that it was better to stay with Mu''Tua than on her own. Moreover, Mu''Tua was an experienced doctor, so even if someplications arise in her, she could be treated immediately.

    ''I guess I was just being foolish in thinking I could treat myself fully with those medicines.'' Re''Kha sighed, realising her mishap in judgement that was clouded by the betrayal andck of trust she felt.

    She should have arrived at the hospital the moment she stepped foot in Burfuna City. But if she had done that, she wouldn''t have met Mu''Tua. So, everything ended well.

    Many ns engaged their nsmen with each other to forge rtions. So, just like how she was connected to Mu''Tua, there were others from her n connected to the Burfuna Mu n.

    So, the moment she showed up at their doorstep to contact Mu''Tua, the news would reach her mother, and at the same time, the enemies that used her as a pawn in their political schemes. It was precisely the reason she refrained from meeting anyone.

    After all, if she just wished to seek refuge, it was easy. Her father was from the Burfuna Re n. So, if she wished, Re''Kha could enter the Burfuna Re n without any issues. But the same problem applied there too. Her well-being would reach her n within a day.

    There were rules established among the ns for Inter-n marriage.

    Their tradition allowed both men and women to marry into another n. There wasn''t any rigid rule preventing that. And, the rule that dictated who married into the n of whom were first based on the foundation of their Pranic Avatar.

    A Pranic Avatar had five foundations, ranging from one to five that determined its strength and the amount of time it could exist in reality. The higher the foundation, the stronger the n''s power and authority.

    In their country, only the Royal n possessed a Pranic Avatar with five foundations. The Four Great ns possessed a Pranic Avatar with four foundations in their main family¡ªlocated in their country''s capital. Their respective branch families¡ªlocated in other cities¡ªonly possessed a Pranic Avatar with three foundations.

    And, if two people from different ns marry, their offspring would possess the Pranic Avatar with greater foundations among the parents. So, in such cases, the person possessing the Pranic Avatar with lower foundations would marry into the n of his/her marriage partner.

    Suppose the Pranic Avatars of both the parents had the same foundation, then the Pranic Avatar of their offspring would vary based on the environment. If they were in an environment where a certain Pranic Avatar was more in number, then it would form ordingly in the child.

    The best example for this case was Re''Kha. The Burfuna Re n and the Burkurel Re n both had a Pranic Avatar with a single foundation. Her father married into her mother''s n¡ªBurkurel Re n. So, after birth, Re''Kha lived in the Burkurel Re n, surrounded by Harmonisers with their n''s Pranic Avatar.

    Therefore, Re''Kha developed the same Pranic Avatar as her mother. Had she lived in the Burfuna Re n, she would have formed the same Pranic Avatar as her father. Therefore, when both had a Pranic Art with the same foundation, their talents would be measured. And, the one with inferior talent would marry into the n of the superior talent.

    Finally, if both the foundation of the Pranic Avatar and talent were the same, then the background of their respective n would bepared, and the marriage partner would marry into the stronger n.

    In her case, Burmat Re''Shi was part of the Burmat Re n. Their Pranic Avatar had three foundations. So, despite possessing the same level of talent, when they marry in the future, Re''Kha would marry into the Burmat Re n. Such was their system.

    "Then, I''ll inform my friend outside," Re''Kha stoop up, feeling her body brim with vigour. She had regained all her strength. She rubbed over her hand, noticing the skincking any of the bruises she had sustained before. Re''Kha eximed in surprise, "There are no traces of my injuries. I never knew our medical system was this developed."

    Mu''Tua smiled, patting her head, "That''s because you haven''t sustained any serious injuries before. There are a lot of conditions that we have been unable to treat in the past, but our medicinal system is notpletely ineffective."

    "Go, inform your friend." Mu''Tua smiled.

    "I still have to retrieve my belongings from my inn," Re''Kha said, "I think it would be toote to return today. I think it would be better if I arrive in the morning tomorrow."

    "No, it''s risky," Mu''Tua shook her head, "You havee across two Sha yesterday. If they had marked you in some way or another, they would be able to find you today if they appear. We cannot take such a risk."

    "Let''s do it this way," She looked at Re''Kha, "I''ll send my personal servant to retrieve your belongings from the inn. She''s following me for almost 30 years now. She can be trusted. In the meantime, I''ll try to prepare a better n for your eyes."

    "Alright," Re''Kha nodded, "I''ll do as you say, grandmother."

    Re''Kha carried the fawn in her hands and exited the room, meeting Ki''Nha who was dozing off on a chair. "Lady Ki''Nha."

    "Yes?" Ki''Nha jolted awake as she looked at Re''Kha.

 Chapter 97 - Mu Clan

    "Yes?" Ki''Nha jolted awake, looking at Re''Kha as she took a moment to gather her bearings. "How is it, Lady Re''Luk?"

    Though, even without a reply, Ki''Nha already knew the answer when she saw the brightplexion of Re''Kha. Unbruised arms, a healthy face with a rosyplexion, and a body brimming with vitality, Re''Kha was perfectly fine now.

    "Oh, I was wondering who it was. So, it is you, Lady Ki''Nha." Mu''Tua exited the room, smiling as she cupped her fists in greeting. "I hope this child didn''t trouble you much."

    Her eyes shone as Ki''Nha realised the meaning behind the words Mu''Tua used, asking immediately, "Is Lady Re''Luk rted to you, Lady Mu''Tua?"

    "She''s a far rtion," Mu''Tua smiled, not detailing further. "This child is always travelling and hasn''t stayed in one ce for long. I''m dragging her to my house, otherwise, I won''t even be able to meet her by the time of my death."

    "You jest, Lady Mu''Tua." Ki''Nhaughed, "All it needs is a word from you and people would be line up to meet you."

    "Oh my, you are a smooth talker, Lady Ki''Nha." Mu''Tua engaged in a conversation for quite a while. Finally, when they were done exchanging the long-winded pleasantries, Re''Kha bowed, "Thank you for all your help, Lady Ki''Nha. I''ll definitely repay this favour in the future."

    "Please," Ki''Nha bowed, "You have saved our lives. This gratitude, Ki''Nha remembers. If you evere across any difficulties in the future, please call for me. Whether it is me or my daughter, we''ll definitelye to your help. It is the same for the other four too."

    "If your daughter dreams that ce once again, please tell me," Re''Kha replied.

    Ki''Nha bode farewell, whispering something to Mu''Tua before she left. It was just in time when Re''Kha had deactivated her Wind Qi perception, when ten breaths in time were up, so she had missed out on the conversation.

    Mu''Tua summoned a nurse and ryed the instructions. Soon, her servant was dispatched to the inn to bring her luggage back.

    Re''Kha apanied Mu''Tua as they exited the hospital, hailing a cycle rickshaw to travel to her cottage. The Mu n was divided into many parts throughout the city. They had fourrge residences in the central district, with each situated next to the respective public hospital.

    They had five minor residences that housed the nsmen working next to each of the four Elemental ns and the Royal n. It only took 300 breaths in time for the cycle rickshaw to reach the entrance of the Mu n''s residence.

    The walls were raised high, trailing to a height of three grown men. It wasn''t much, considering it was a height any Harmoniser could scale using his/her Pranic Art. But to prevent such a thing from happening, soldiers patrolled the entire ce.

    They were stationed atop the walls in regr intervals and patrolled the roads surrounding the residence. The doctors were of utmost importance in their city''s livelihood. So, their safety was heavily prioritised.

    The cycle rickshaw stopped at the gates of the residence as a team of soldiers approached them, peering into the carriage as they saw the figure of Mu''Tua, turning respectful immediately. Their leader, a Harmoniser cupped his fists as he bowed towards Mu''Tua, "Mydy, can I know the identity of the person apanying you?"

    "She''s Re''Luk," Mu''Tua nodded, as a matter of fact, turning silent after that. The leader frowned as sweat covered his head. That level of information was insufficient to allow someone entry into the Mu n.

    But, he also dared not press forth in fear he would be executed. Either he performed his job and offended his employer, or didn''t do his job properly and face consequencester when it was investigated. After all, the name Re''Luk only meant the person was from a water n. It gave no other information.

    At least, stating the name of the origin city would have been better. That would have helped with their identity verification. Now, if they wished to find out who Re''Kha was, they had to scour through the identities of Harmonisers from all the three water ns in their state.

    Re''Kha didn''t say anything, leaving everything to Mu''Tua. She knew how to handle the situation.

    Seeing that he wasn''t able to get anything else, the leader sighed, motioning the soldiers to open the gates.

    They were permitted to enter as the cycle rickshaw sped through the entrance. There were less than 60 houses in the residence. It wasn''t big.

    "Most of the doctors have only been initiated. Very few have enough Qi to summon their Pranic Avatar." Mu''Tua said upon seeing the expression of Re''Kha.

    "Shouldn''t their growth be given a higher priority? If we had more doctors capable of summoning their Pranic Avatars, people would have an easier time recovering from their injuries." Re''Kha inquired.

    "You should know better," Mu''Tua smiled, "We need Prana Stones to fuel our growth as a Harmoniser. But, the amount we can get is limited. If we increase the tax any more, all the Elemental ns would revolt. Among those doctors on duty, only 20 can summon their Pranic Avatars."

    "Still," Mu''Tua smiled, "They are enough. Most of themoners cannot afford the expense of regrowing their limbs. Only wealthy Harmonisers among the Elemental ns can do so. And, remember that there are nine hospitals in total in Burfuna City."

    "I forgot that part," Re''Kha scratched her cheek, noticing how most of the ground in the residence was covered by medicinal herbs.

    She saw a pond at the centre. Growing within was a type of fish. Smaller ponds were surrounding it, each containing a different type of fish. Finally, there were cages housing animals of all sorts. Each and every one of them was being grown or reared because of their medicinal purpose.

    The cycle rickshaw moved based on the route Mu''Tua specified, soon arriving before a cottage. It was a double-storey house, almost a mansion. It had a wide garden full of medicinal herbs and one pond in the centre.

    "Wee, mydy, and Lady Re''Luk." A servant bowed at the entrance, awaiting their arrival.

 Chapter 98 - 4 Months And 7 Years

    "This is Re''Luk," Mu''Tua pointed at Re''Kha, "She''ll be staying here for some time. Take her to her room, Suu."

    The servant, named Suu bowed in response, "My grandmother is already on her way to retrieve the belongings of Lady Re''Luk."

    "Tell Sii toe and see me when she returns." Mu''Tua waved her hand, "I''ll be rxing near the pond now. Bring me some tea."

    "Yes, mydy." Suu bowed as she motioned for Re''Kha to follow her. The house consisted of a massive living room where a small banquet could be held when necessary. The furnishings were simple but elegant, all carved from marble.

    There was nock of marble rock in their region and was the best material to use in ce with fluctuating temperatures where the environment was always harsh, just like the non-stop rains during the Peak Water Month.

    A fur mat wasyered over the marble flooring to cushion their walking and inste the outside cold. There were five rooms and one kitchen on the ground floor. Re''Kha extended her Wind Qi perception, noticing every room was spacious.

    One of the rooms was filled with medical tools while another two were used to store medicinal herbs. Among the final two rooms, one seemed to be the room where Mu''Tua spent most of the time studying or recording her insights, for it was filled with numerous scrolls. The final room was her bedroom.

    A wide flight of stairs spanned at the end of the living room and proceeded towards the first floor. As the servant motioned at Re''Kha to follow her to the first floor, she extended her perception, noticing there were only two rooms there.

    Both the rooms were meant for housing guests. The remaining space on the first floor served as a balcony, covered by a ceiling. A table and chair were ced there, meant for Mu''Tua to chill during the evenings.

    The servant, Suu led Re''Kha to the room on the right, opening it to reveal arge, rectangr space with all necessities one might need. It came with an attached bathroom and a heat vent. A bed with arge cushion was ced at the end, sporting two cylindrical pillows on either side.

    "Please make yourselffortable here, mydy." The servant, Suu bowed, pointing at a bell hung next to the door, "And, if you have wish to have anything, please ring this bell. Either I or my grandmother woulde to your service."

    "Are there only the two of you here?" Re''Kha frowned, feeling that it was too few to manage such arge house.

    "Yes," Suu nodded, "Ever since my mother fell ill, only I and my grandmother are managing this ce. Though, mydy has already treated her. So, she''ll return to work soon enough."

    "Alright, if there is anything you have to say to me, please knock before entering." Re''Kha smiled, watching the servant nod in response.

    She seemed barely 16 years old, judging by her voice and development. Re''Kha couldn''t be sure though, for her experience with Ki''Nha proved otherwise. It wasn''t easy for her to judge the age of someone through her Wind Qi perception.

    Suu wore grey seamless clothing that covered her from head to toe, only revealing her face. It was a type of clothing only the servants belonging to the Mu n wore, for the Mu nsmen preferred such a style.

    They also thought it was better to wear clothes of a single shade, as that represented rity of mind and purity of thoughts. It was a state every doctor needed to maintain in their work, so they followed that until it became their custom.

    As for the Mu nsmen, their clothes were no different from the servants, except for the fact it was white. Two ribbons were attached at the end of their sleeves, the colours dictating their operating elements.

    The Harmonisers of the Mu n wielded two elements. But unlike the other ns, their elements weren''t fixed, for they possessed three cultivation techniques, with each technique corresponding to wielding two elements.

    So, the Harmonisers from the Mu n consisted of all elements. After all, to treat a Harmoniser from the metal n, they had to use Metal Qi and to treat a Harmoniser from the water n, they had to use Water Qi.

    This was the reason they practiced all elements. Though, they never practiced beyond two elements. It was because one didn''t have enough time to concentrate on their development while being a doctor. Two elements were the limit.

    Their Pranic Avatars only had three foundations, except for the Mu n in the capital, which had a Pranic Avatar with four foundations. It was the same Muki, but only stronger.

    "Also¡­" Re''Kha said, watching the servant turn in response as she thought for a moment, shaking her head, "Forget it, telldy Mu''Tua that I''ll be cultivating now."

    "Yes, mydy." The servant, Suu bowed and descended through the flight of stairs. Re''Kha closed the door, locking it as she sat on the bed, heaving a sigh of relief.

    She took out the bag her master had given her, inspecting every item as she muttered, "Master, can you hear me? Are you hiding within me? Who are you actually?"

    There was no response, just like she had expected. After thinking for a moment, she muttered, "Master, I don''t know if I can reim my eyes from the Blinded Ghost. I am thinking of asking help from my grandmother to regenerate my eyes. I feel this option is less risky."

    Re''Kha waited for a while, acting disappointed when she didn''t hear anything in her head. ''Strange, why did he talk then only to remain silent now? What did he do to me that my hair turned emerald?''

    She recalled the warmth that entered her heart when she bode farewell to her master. She also thought of the instances when his voice resounded in her mind. At first, she thought it was her hallucination. But when it repeated, again and again, she realised it had something to do with him.

    But what happened at the end startled her. Her master spoke as if he was a sentient, living-breathing individual that had just happened to hear her conversation with Mu''Tua and raised his objection. Such a thing frightened her.

    She had a deep trust in her master. But it was primarily thanks to him saving her life and imparting her a lot of things. Finally, she also inherited his life''s aplishments, though the entirety of which she had yet to unlock and learn.

    Re''Kha held the book in her hand, flipping to the second page to note that it was empty. Even when she inserted Wood Qi into it, nothing happened. ''I guess he really meant it when he said the information overload would kill me. So, I can only ess one page per month.''

    "Now, considering my cultivation, I should have been able to ess 12 pages. But, the thing that is stopping me is¡­after all, my Wood Qi." Re''Kha realised the issue at hand. On one side, her master had ced a contingency in the book to prevent her from learning beyond what her mind could handle in a short time.

    On the other side, she could only gaze at the information using her Wood Qi. Currently, she had 12 units of Water Qi flowing through her meridians. If she entered her excited state, there would only be one unit of Wind Qi or Wood Qi flowing through her meridians.

    Her Pranic Heart would convert the Water Qi to Wood or Wind Qi anyway. So, even if she mmed a palm projection using Wind Qi, she wouldn''t run out of Elemental Qi unless she had mmed it 12 times. After all, a palm projection only needed one unit of Elemental Qi to unleash.

    But, she wouldn''t be able to perform higher quality techniques. Suppose she learns a Pranic Art simr to her hand projection that used Wind Qi, she wouldn''t be able to use it, for it needed 6 units of Wind Qi that she currentlycked.

    It was as simple as that. Therefore, if she wished to ess the information present on the second page of the book named Bodhi, she had toprehend the wood element until she gained ess to circte two units of Wood Qi in her meridians.

    To learn more techniques and better her advantage, she had toprehend Wood Qi first. Moreover, it would take time to do so, at least four months considering her talent. After all, she was capable ofprehending three units of Water Qi in a year. If her talent with the wind and wood elements was more or less the same, then she would be able to increase her Wood Qi to two units during the Peak Fire month.

    ''Still, even considering that, it would take me a bit more than 7 years to bring my wood and wind elements to 12 units. Only after that could I actually increase my Elemental Qi reserve. If I didn''t have these two elements, I would have had 33 units of Water Qi by then.'' Re''Kha sighed.

    She took out the cloth banner from her storage ring, checking through her perception to see the sharpness of the nk space it formed. On noting that it hadn''t changed, she sighed in relief, returning it to the storage space.

    ''I would need to do something about it in the future. It is my only clue to the Withered Courtyard. If only I can use it against the Blinded Ghost, it would be a lot easier.'' She thought, taking out the Wood Qi Essence.

    Re''Kha activated it with a thought, creating a barrier around her body through which the emitted Wood Qi would spread. "At least, the Elemental Qi Essence would speed up theprehension process by many times."

 Chapter 99 - Reâ€™Dua

    "Tell me everything that happened in detail." Seated on a chair designed simr to a throne room was Re''Kya; her words suffused with authority resounded, "Why are you the only one that returned? What happened to the rest of the scouts?"

    "Master told me to return first while he stayed behind with the rest to investigate," Prostrated on the floor was the disciple of the scout team''s leader. His expression was mortifying.

    Torn clothes, bloodied limbs, gashes all over his back, and a withered body that was on the verge of death. Still, he wasn''t given any treatment upon sight by Re''Kya, asking to deliver the news first. Used to the treatment by now, the disciple acted as if it was the norm.

    "We had zeroed in on Re''Kha in the Burkurel Ju n''s western settlement. The house she was in was situated in the centre. It was the tallest building. All the houses there were filled to the brim with Kalhas, so we had to be extra cautious to finish the mission."

    "Continue," Her cold voice resounded as Re''Kya stared at the scout.

    "Yes," Upon confirmation, the disciple nodded, controlling his facial expression from morphing into one of sadness as he continued, "We first sensed her presence using our Nerou. Re''Kha was hiding within what was supposed to be the house''s granary. The point of oddity here was the fact that the granary was many times bigger than what a house in the settlement could have."

    "How big was it?"

    "34 times, mydy," The disciple replied, continuing upon getting a nod of approval from Re''Kya, "We first destroyed the house''s roof and caused the rain to leak through it, killing most of the Kalhas on the first floor. We then retreated and waited until the rain stopped. Most of the Kalhas had left the house in fear of the leaking roof."

    He paused, ncing at Re''Kya to see she looked at him with no change in expression. His heart lurched as he spoke, "The entrance to the granary was in the kitchen, so we first destroyed the kitchen walls. We then used the rainwater to sprinkle all over in the house until we were assured there were no Kalhas hiding within."

    "So, there weren''t any casualties until this point?" Re''Kya questioned.

    "Yes, mydy." The disciple nodded, "I then acted as a soldier from the Bura Fort who hade to rescue anyone trapped in the settlement. Re''Kha had bought my acting, thankfully. But when I talked with her, she¡­"

    "Did she fool you?"

    "No, mydy." The disciple shook his head, "When we sensed the granary using our Nerou, we discovered the presence of numerous tiny creatures within. We first thought it was the Kalhas, but when we attempted a conversation, Re''Kha was able to respond. And, it seemed like her mind had broken, for she was in a state of delirium. And, upon talking, she screamed to not nt something in her body."

    After a sigh, the disciple spoke, "The granary was filled with the Rhipa. A lot of them had already hatched and were eating the food in the granary that had spilled out. Water covered most of the space within, over which ayer of food floated. They were on that."

    "The Rhipa¡­" Re''Kya frowned, "If Re''Kha was nted with them, then her life is forfeit sooner orter."

    "Based on the time we concluded from her trails, we judged the Rhipa eggs nted in her hadn''t hatched yet. But, they were about to hatch soon enough. So, to prevent aplete annihtion in the chance we fought them, master sent me to ry the message first, since Icked the experience to face against the Rhipa. He also sent two scouts to the Burkurel City and Burfuna City to ry the message to the officials through our secret route."

    "They haven''t," Re''Kya said, staring at the disciple as her gaze caused him to shiver. "Neither did those two ry a message to the two cities nor have they contacted me again. They died along the way."

    "B-But, impossible." The disciple stammered, "They are stronger and more experienced than me. They wouldn''t have died even in the beast wave."

    "But they did," Re''Kya spoke, "And, that makes you the sole survivor. Now tell me, is your information reliable? You are the sole survivor. The fact that they haven''t contacted me again makes it true."

    "But master, he¡­" The disciple frowned as his eyebrows trembled. His voice choked as he controlled his emotions from erupting, controlling himself from making a scene before Re''Kya. He mmed his head on the floor, "Mydy, please allow me to investigate the issue. I promise I would uncover the root of the cause."

    "Forget it," Her words were like a boulder that had been dropped on his heart, causing his hopes to shatter, "If you say there was the Rhipa there, then I''ll ry this information to the officials of the three cities. Let them think of a solution. Half of the scouts our n secretly nurtured have died in this mission. This is too much of a loss."

    She then waved her hand, motioning for him to go away, "If you make a move now, your identities would leak to the other ns. You know what would happen to your families in such a situation, right?"

    "Yes, mydy. I''ll await furthermands." The disciple mmed his head on the floor.

    Re''Kya then watched the disciple limp his way to the exit, frowning as she called out before he exited, "What were you called again?"

    "Re''Dua, mydy." The disciple bowed as he replied. His face convulsed upon the pain, thanks to his injuries. Still, he gritted his teeth, keeping up with the respect he had to disy. Otherwise, his family wouldn''t live to see the next day.

    "Right, Re''Dua," Re''Kya nodded, "Head to our n''s doctor and get treated. Tell him I sent you."

    "Thank you for your magnanimity, mydy." Re''Dua bowed and exited the room.

    "Useless," Re''Kya sighed. "The n Elders wouldn''t take this loss lying down. Argh, it would be annoying to deal with them. Those old fogeys."

 Chapter 100 - Race-Exclusive Elements

    Re''Kha took in a deep breath, sensing the Wood Qi fill the space around her. It formed a bubble epassing her body¡ªseated cross-legged. Re''Kha held the Wood Qi Essence in her hands, sensing it emit Wood Qi slowly but steadily.

    The Wood Qi was pure, instantly annihting the Wind Qi in the air around her. When the Wood Qi touched her storage ring, a small quantity of it was absorbed. Upon seeing that the quantity was minimal, Re''Kha heaved a sigh in relief. If it tried to absorb more, she wished to recharge it by heading to the garden first.

    In a ce filled with nts was an abundance of Wood Qi. Though, most of it was within the nts and not in their surroundings. If she wished for the storage ring to absorb the Wood Qi in them, then she had to cut open a gash on a tree trunk and ce the ring there. That was the only way.

    Thankfully, it seemed opening and closing the storage space didn''t consume as much Wood Qi as she had thought. Though, she had only opened it around 10 times at most. So, it was a given the expenditure wasn''t high.

    Re''Kha didn''t feel it was a loss upon seeing the storage ring absorb a trace of the Wood Qi unleashed by the Wood Qi Essence. It was a minuscule quantity. As the Wood Qi filled the bubble controlled by the Wood Qi Essence, Re''Kha smelled the scent of grass.

    At the start, it smelled like grass that sprouted after rain. As time passed by, the grass grew, turning into a shrub that soon grew into a tree. Eventually, the tree propagated, raising a forest of trees. At this point, the Wood Qi had filled the space, achieving a point of saturation.

    Without any specialised techniques using the Art of the Elements, this was the concentration of Wood Qi a ce could attain naturally. If Re''Kha created such a phenomenon on the ground, grass would sprout from the ground at speeds apparent to the naked eye.

    Thankfully, she was doing it on the bed that didn''t sustain the conditions to create life. Re''Kha began feeling the Wood Qi, watching it touch and interact with her, feeling as if she was rolling over a meadow whose grass was soft, covered with a faintyer of dew.

    The moment she activated her Wood Qi perception, the gem in her Tikka jewellery turned green. If anyone saw her Tikka jewellery now, they would scream in shock and raise weapons against her immediately.

    Wood Qi was an element exclusive to the Bisheen. No other race apart from them could wield it. So, the fact that the gem on her Tikka jewellery glowed green was an indication that she wasn''t a Kalki, but a Bisheen.

    Among the Kalki, only the element of lightning shared this position. Only the Kalki could wield Lightning Qi. No other race could wield it. As for the elements of water, metal, and fire, there existed other races that wielded them.

    A Harmoniser''s affinity to their race''s exclusive element directly dictated their identity. So, this was the reason Re''Kha couldn''t just stroll through the garden andprehend the Wood Qi. It was just courting death.

    Otherwise, there were cost-effective methods toprehend the wood and wind elements. Any ces with trees were rich in Wood Qi. And as for the Wind Qi, it was everywhere. All she had to do was find a ce where the wind was the fiercest and meditate there, for the Wind Qi would be the densest in this region.

    But, Re''Kha dared not do that. For the moment she did so, she would be announcing to the world that she was different. And, Re''Kha dared not remove her Tikka jewellery, for she didn''t wish a Sha to crop up beside her.

    The Sha were beings exclusive to their race. Only the negative emotions from a Kalki could produce a Sha. It was why they wore their Tikka jewellery. With that, their negative emotions would be filtered out and the creation of a Sha wouldn''t happen easily.

    Moreover, in the small chance, a Sha was created, it would just target people based on the desires that manifested it. Suppose someone didn''t wear their Tikka jewellery, then the Sha would immediately target them first, possessing their body easily. They would lose all hope of resistance once that happened.

    The Tikka jewellery was also the reason they were partially conscious of themselves when controlled by a Kalha. And, it was also the reason they were able to resist the Kalha for as long as they did. If not for that, they would fall prey just to the sound alone.

    Normally when she activated her Wind Qi perception, Re''Kha had kept the gem on her Tikka jewellery hidden. It was just pulling the hood over it. At times, she acted like she was scratching her forehead¡ªwhen in her base state¡ªand allowed people to perceive the blue gem underneath.

    This was how she had maintained herself until now. Moreover, when under the hood, even when she activated her Wind Qi perception, the grey glow of the gem almost looked ck due to theck of ambient light. So, people perceived it as her activating her Metal Qi.

    After all, the Metal Qi wasn''t pure ck. It was a darker shade of grey that almost resembled ck in dull ces. But in ces where the sun shone brightly, it looked like a darker shade of grey. But in the water¡ªEarly, Peak, and Late Water months¡ªseason, there was barely any sunlight.

    The ambience was dim, akin to twilight when it was almost dark. This was thanks to the denseyer of clouds that nketed the sky. In the house interiors, thenterns weren''t bright enough to differentiate the shade of grey on her Tikka jewellery''s gem from that of a Harmoniser using Metal Qi. This was why there wasn''t any suspicion directed at Re''Kha. She had been careful in that regard and had exercised ample caution.

 Chapter 101 - Transforming Into A Bisheen

    Theprehension session involving an element was simply understanding the workings of the said element. Whenprehending the water element, Re''Kha grasped its functions, trying to understand its nature.

    The way water existed, interacted with different substances, changed and travelled, the way it allowed fishes to live within, and finally, the way it interacted with the other elements. Only when she understood it would herprehension of the water element increase level by level.

    The moment a Harmoniser was initiated by a cultivation technique, they would naturally gainprehension of the elements brought about by the cultivation technique to the first level. Therefore, when they consumed a Prana Stone after that, they would obtain one unit of Elemental Qi.

    In her case, when she was initiated by her n''s cultivation technique, Grappling Water, she hadprehended one unit of the water element. After that, when Re''Kha consumed a Prana Stone, one unit of Water Qi started to circte within her meridians.

    That was why, once she was initiated into the cultivation technique created by her master, Mist Banyan, she immediately obtainedprehension worth a unit of wood and wind element.

    Typically speaking, it was better toprehend an element in its natural habitat. So, forprehending the water element, the best option was toprehend it by sitting in contact with a river, followed by a brook and a pond.

    But, in such cases, the efficiency wouldn''t be high. For, there would be other elements affecting theirprehension. The air would have Wind Qi, the ground would be filled with Earth Qi, and any trees beside would be filled with Wood Qi. They would affect the Water Qi within the flowing water.

    The best way toprehend an element was through the Elemental Qi perception. This was the only way avable to perceive the profundities of an Elemental Qi. Therefore, when someone tried to perceive Water Qi, they would see a lot of nk spaces. This meant they weren''t fully seeing the extent of Water Qi they were capable of perceiving.

    It was a reduction in efficiency, with the maximum efficiency being in an environment filled with Water Qi all around. Something like this was only possible underwater, but none of them could survive there for more than a few breaths.

    Moreover, being underwater alone wasn''t enough. The concentration of Water Qi within the water was also of prime importance. This was why every water element Harmoniser looked forward to the Peak Water month. Simrly, the Harmonisers from other elements looked forward to their respective months.

    There were 12 months in total, divided into four seasons: Water, Fire, Lightning, and Metal. Each season had three months, with the conditions of the respective Elemental Qi growing in the Early month, achieving its peak concentration in the Peak month, and waning after in the Late month.

    Every month had 30 days while the Peak Elemental months had 31 days each. Finally, between Late Fire month and Early Lightning month existed a day where all four elements were in harmony,belled the Day of Equity. It was a festive day.

    Currently, Re''Kha felt as if she was climbing up the bark of a great tree as she sensed the tremendous vitality flowing within it. She experienced its sturdiness and its unrelenting growth in the face of adversity.

    She saw a fruit fall to the ground; the pair of leaves on it acted as its wings that reduced its momentum during fall. Even then, when it fell on the ground, the pulp within slowly dried up as it was covered by the dirt.

    Soon, a sapling grew from within, sprouting out of the ground as it began to grow. Re''Kha passively experienced everything, feeling as if she had be one with nature. It was like she had be the sapling that grew out of the ground, slowly growing into a great tree.

    She was getting immersed into theprehension session further and further when Re''Kha felt intense pain emanate from her heart, disrupting her focus as she returned to her senses in reality, feeling something odd about her.

    She felt intense power ripping through her body while her stature had grown taller and bulkier. Covering her skin was a smoothened-out tree bark while her head had be pointy. All the hair on her body had fallen out while a thin tendril grew out of her elbows. It was like a tree''s sapling, possessing simr structural rigidity and sticity.

    The bed she was on creaked as Re''Kha shifted her weight. Her bulked-up size was struggling to stay within her clothes that had shrunk now. The seams were ripping off as the size of her body continued to increase.

    ''This appearance!'' Re''Kha was shocked for a moment, for she was twice her previous height now. Just byparing herself to the items in the room, Re''Kha calcted the growth spurt. There was a pain in her heart at the start that had subsided now.

    But, upon every breath she took, Re''Kha felt something closing in, something dangerous that would permanently change her with no scope of reversal. She clenched her fist, surprised at the sheer physical power brimming within, "So, this is how a Bisheen looks."

    She returned to the base state in her cultivation technique, sensing her surroundings turn dark, no longer able to see. She felt her body shrink as the clothes loosened, now loosely covering her like a nket. They had been stretched out considerably before.

    Re''Kha felt her heart thump slower and slower until it returned to normal, feeling like she had fought an intense battle. Fortunately, there wasn''t any pain apanying the transformation. Returning to her original appearance, Re''Kha took in a deep breath, "Thankfully, I can revert to my original appearance."

    She then entered the excited state of her cultivation technique, using the concentrated Wood Qi around her to perceive the changes to her body, noticing that all the hair on her body had fallen off, collecting on the bed. She spent some time scooping them all up and tied them into a bundle, wrapping them in a piece of cloth as she ced them within her storage space, nning to burn themter.

    Other than that, she looked perfectly normal.

 Chapter 102 - Reâ€™Rak Arrives At Burkurel City

    Burkurel City; to the south of the city existed a hill that had been made into a temporary stronghold. Towers of wood had been erected to serve as a lookout; soldiers were stationed atop it.

    Among them was a bulky man, possessing ripped arms that exuded strength. His beard was cleanly trimmed, entuating his sharp jaw while his eyes looked sharp. The gem on his Tikka jewellery glowed bright blue, showing his power as a Harmoniser. He was Burkurel Re''Rak, the father of Burkurel Re''Kha.

    He had been stationed at the Bura Fort, located southernmost of their state that bordered their enemy, the race of Treka. The moment news of his daughter''s disappearance reached him, he led the army Bura Fort had dispatched and returned to Burkurel City in hopes of tracking her down.

    He ced his right hand before him, touching the tip of the index finger to the thumb''s, making the shape resemble a circle. He peered through it as blue radiance condensed into it, forming a lens of sorts. The image perceived within was magnified a little.

    He then did that same using his left hand, adjusting the length between both as the image of Burkurel City became clear in his vision. "Hmm, they are managing to hold on without many casualties. But it won''t be long before the wallse crashing down."

    ''Re''Kha, where are you?'' His brows trembled as his stoic face continued to gaze farther, inspecting the city''s condition. The walls sported cracks all over, withrge portions of it had fallen out under the relentless breath attacks of the beasts.

    The beasts conforming to the water element took the lead, condensing their breath attacks before shooting them at the walls. In the meantime, a hail of arrowsnded on them, killing some animals while injuring the beasts.

    The injuries of the beasts were only surface scratches, for they were blessed by tough skin that resisted normal arrows. Even among the animals, most of them only went down after being pierced by more than 10 arrows.

    Whenever a beast charged towards the wall, the soldiers focused their arrows on it, trying their best to whittle it down. If it charged forth even after all that, then the crossbows stationed on the city walls were employed.

    Just the arrow used in such crossbows spanned the height of a person. They were made using the Ju n''s Metal Qi, so they were tough and were the best counter to the beasts. Every time such an arrow was released, a thunderousshing sound would be produced.

    The arrow would then m into the beast, mostly killing it. It was what they relied on to kill the beasts other than the close-rangedbat by the Harmonisers. But even it failed to kill the beasts all the time and was sometimes even deflected.

    Re''Rak focused on a Punou that was twice bigger than the rest. It sauntered through the battlefield, leading a group of Punous as it headed towards the walls. It led more than 100 Punous, a significant force that could easily breach through the walls without much effort if left alone.

    The moment they appeared, the soldiers on the wall moured, rying distress signals to the ones in charge. Within a couple of breaths in time, a group of Harmonisers arrived. They were part of the Vi n, possessing the smallest statures of the lot. Most of them just resembled the kids of Re n in terms of height.

    Though, the moment they appeared, the soldiers calmed down a little. They focused a crossbow on the Punou at the front,cing the arrow with poison as theyunched it. The arrow sped forth before they could blink, arriving before the Punou.

    The Punou had been focusing on the crossbow the moment it was pointed at, condensing a sphere of water within its mouth. The sphere elongated and turned into a cone as it opened its mouth, reacting the moment the people behind the crossbow moved their hands, an action it had seen numerous times. It was what they used tounch the arrow.

    Its breath attack¡ªshaped into a cone¡ªflew and collided with the arrow. The water within sshed forth while the arrow lost all momentum behind it, falling to the ground. A Punou that was nearby picked it up with its tail.

    It brought the arrow closer to its nose, sniffing it once as it cackled, gazing at its leader that was twice bigger than the rest. With a start, the leader Punou sprinted towards the city, followed by all the Punous.

    On the other side, the Harmonisers from the Vi n condensed a violet sphere before them, summoning their Pranic Avatars that dropped to the ground and sprinted towards the Punous, nning to intercept them. Even though their attacks were weakened in the rain, they had no other choice.

    The Re n was already hard-pressed as is for having to defend theirrge city. This was just the scene happening on one side of the city. Simr fights happened all around it. Re''Rak adjusted the distance between his hands and zoomed in further, looking at an army marching from farther away, "The troops from Burfuna City are finally here. They were supposed to arrive by morning but are arriving only now."

    "My lord," A soldier saluted from behind as he addressed, lowering his voice, "We found traces of mydy Re''Kha in the Ju n''s western settlement. But, we haven''t managed to find her yet. And¡­"

    "And," Re''Rak frowned, seeing the soldier''s hesitation, "Please continue."

    The soldier gulped as he took in a deep breath, "There were traces of her in the eastern portion of the settlement. And, we tracked the house where her presence was the most concentrated only to find¡­"

    "Speak!" Re''Rak stared without blinking his eyes.

    "Yes," His voice shivered as the soldier finally spoke with great difficulty, suppressing his fear, "We found a lot of Rhipa within that house. Unfortunately, since we had gone in preparation against the Kalhas, we weren''t able to deal with it and had to retreat."

    "The Ju n¡­" Re''Rak closed his eyes. The rain droplets falling around him trembled, avoiding him, falling a foot nearby. He opened his eyes, "I''ll deal with themter. Re''Khaes first."

    He looked at the soldier, "Prepare a horse for me."

    He had just spoken when the rain drizzled down and stopped. He immediately saw ck shadows emerge from numerous crevices and from within sheltered ces, "Dammit, we have to annihte these Kalhas first."

 Chapter 103 - Surviving From A Gaze

    "Everyone, head into the shelters!" Re''Rak shouted, watching all the soldiers under him retreat into the wooden bunkers they had created. Once they entered them, they pulled in a rectangr vessel¡ªthat was filled with rainwater¡ªover the bunkers. The Water Qi in it acted as a form of defence against the Kalhas.

    Moreover, it prevented the Kalhas from sensing their presences. The Kalhas were sensitive to the presence of other creatures. Whenever a creature gazed at them, irrespective of the method employed, they would sense it and reverse trace it to the source. Moreover, they were able to transmit their attack through any means of perception. It was one of the reasons they were feared the most.

    Re''Rak entered a tower they had created. It was arge container, sporting double walls; their inside was filled to the brim by water. Re''Rak and a team of ten soldiers entered it, quickly taking up positions within. They closed the entrance at the top with a vessel that conformed to the ceiling''s shape, filled with rainwater.

    There was a gear affixed at the bottom that a team of two soldiers began to rotate immediately. There were altogether 36 holes near the top of the tower, spanning its circumference. This allowed them to see the outside in every direction.

    But, it was dangerous considering the Kalhas were on the move. As the soldiers spun the gear, a thin veil of water flowed over the holes, acting as a nket. There were also wooden tes attached next to each hole to be slid over when they were not in use.

    This was to prevent perceiving the Kalhas by mistake or causing them to enter within.

    There was a semi-circr tform at the top where Re''Rak and two other soldiers stood. They closed all the holes for the time being. One of the soldiers lifted a bucket¡ªfilled to the brim with water.

    Collected on the floor, below the rotating gear was rainwater. The remainder of the soldiers were ready on the tform above it, holding buckets filled with water each.

    The second soldier beside Re''Rak fitted himself within an apparatus, mping his hands into it. He could still move his wrists and touch each other, but he couldn''t bring them close to his head. The apparatus locked him in a stiff position; a gear attached at its base allowed him to turn a full circle.

    And, his eyes were aligned with the holes; he was the scout that was about to gaze outside and keep track of the situation. Otherwise, they wouldn''t know about the activities of the Kalhas.

    The Kalhas could control every being whose eyes they had burrowed into. So, there was a considerable chance they would stomp through their defences using the beasts they controlled. Once their defences were breached, they too would fall under the control of the Kalhas.

    That was why they had erected this tower. It was to observe the movements of the Kalhas and ry instructions to the army ordingly. They had done it twice before and were d it worked without a hitch.

    Their army wasn''t imposing size-wise, only numbering in the five thousand. But, they had more than 100 Harmonisers. So, in times of need, they could put up a fight ordingly.

    Everything would be easy as long as they knew where to attack. It was why the soldiers in the tower were risking their lives for.

    "Are you ready?" Re''Rak looked at the soldier strapped to the apparatus, seeing the other party filled with resolute fighting spirit.

    "My lord, if I am unable to endure, please give me an honourable death." The soldier smiled.

    "You have my word." Re''Rak patted his shoulder, making eye contact with the soldier standing nearby¡ªwith a bucket¡ªas he muttered, "Look at the west first."

    "Yes," The soldier took in a deep breath as Re''Rak condensed a thin lens of water, fitting it within a hole as he opened its cover. The soldier stared with widened eyes, gazing at the eye cluster and their movements, taking everything of note within the instant of duration avable to him. The instant he gazed at them, the eye cluster looked back at him.

    The soldier became dazed as his hands tried to move towards his eyes. But, his hands remained stiff, unable to close in on his eyes; a bucket full of water poured over him. Thanks to the angle of the ssh, the water went into his eyes, nose and mouth, causing the soldier to cough as he regained rity.

    Re''Rak had long since closed the hole shut. The water lens he created had two purposes: one, to allow the soldier to gaze afar with rity and two, to filter out the potency of the Kalhas'' gaze while also preventing their scent and sound to travel within.

    It took him three breaths before the soldier regained enough rity of mind to convey the message, "They are battling the 100 Punous in the area. The Punous are sting their breath attacks into the sky and are whittling down the Kalhas. But within 10 breaths, they would start to fall within the control of the Kalhas. It seems they n to breach the city walls and invade using the beasts."

    "Good job." Re''Rak patted his shoulder,manding a soldier stationed at the bottom to ry the message to the troops as he said, "Now, let''s look at the north."

    "Yes," The soldier took in a deep breath, turning the apparatus as he positioned himself before the hole pointing north. A soldier from below passed on another bucket¡ªfilled to the brim with rainwater.

    Re''Rak condensed the water lens before the hole as he pulled open its cover, allowing the soldier to see everything that happened beyond. The curvature of the lens gave him a wider scope. This time, the Kalhas he saw were already controlling some animals and hence, were a tad slower to gaze his way.

    The moment his eyes widened, a bucket of water was poured over him, causing him to return to normal after a couple of breaths. Re''Rak swiftly closed the hole as he sighed in relief, hearing the soldier say, "Arge cloud of Kalhas is within our attacking range."

    "Great!" Re''Rak pped, transmitting the message to the rest of his troops as he seemed intent to annihte them.

 Chapter 104 - Peace For A Day

    "Fire!" Re''Rak shouted. A soldier stationed at the bottom of the tower blew into a trumpet. The trumpet had been designed specifically to ry instructions over long distances. It had vents at numerous ces, designated based on the trenches dug within the ground within which the soldiers hid.

    It was muffled at the area of reception to ensure the sound wouldn''t leak out of their hiding spot. Moreover, the words used were different from those used in day-to-day conversations. They had unique, non-repeating pronunciations to ensure the receptor wouldn''t misunderstand the message.

    The moment the soldier trumpeted the signal to open fire, the soldiers hiding within all the trenches aimed with their crossbows. Crossbows consumed less space, as they didn''t need the draw length during the time of firing. So, it made the perfect weapon to use in their current situation where they were huddled close to each other.

    A soldier was positioned at every interval that cranked a long rod. Attached to the rod were a row of cylinders, with each aligning positions of the soldiers. Upon hearing the signal, the soldiers holding the rod pushed it upward.

    The cylinders peaked out of the water at the top¡ªthe vessel filled with rainwater they had used to cover their trenches. The soldiers pulled the rod sideways, opening the lid of the cylinder, causing them to be able to see the outside through them.

    The other soldiers¡ªcarrying the crossbows¡ªaimed into the cylinders and fired. They had their eyes closed and noses blocked by a mask. The moment they had fired, the soldiers handling the rod moved it sideways, closing the cylinder cap. They then pulled the rod down, causing the cylinders to retreat into the water.

    A hail of arrows flew from their encampment. As it was situated over a hill, they gained an advantage due to the height. The arrows, numbering five thousand arched in the air, losing their vertical momentum after reaching a certain height as they curved downward, heading towards the Kalhas.

    As they fell, they elerated, gaining power as they emitted a whistling sound. The arrows headed towards the cloud below, mming into it as the momentum behind them caused the sharp arrows to prate through the cloud.

    Blood dripped through the cloud like rain as tens of Kalhas skewered by each arrow mmed on the ground. The force of the impact caused them to stter. If any being was in this ce, they would instantly be delirious thanks to the scent wafting from the blood and smashed Kalhas.

    The Punous resisting the Kalhas, the animals whose bodies were steadily slipping away from their control, and the other beasts prowling about, everyone instantly became delirious. But, the Kalhas forming the cloud above couldn''t move in to control their bodies yet, for another hail of arrows mmed into them.

    The walls of Burkurel City were filled with soldiers blindly shooting arrows from atop. Their eyes were closed, their ears sealed to a considerable extent while they wore filters over their nose. It was to prevent them from being affected by the Kalhas as much as possible.

    After all, they couldn''t just hide the moment the Kalhas took to the air. For, that would leave their city defenceless. The strength of the walls mattered naught as the beasts controlled by the Kalhas could simply spam breath attacks and destroy it within a couple of breaths.

    To prevent that, they took some measures. It was them just brute-forcing their way through. Soldiers stood at various stations, with each shooting arrows at a designated angle. This way, they covered considerable range and height, preventing the Kalhas from getting nearby.

    Though, it wasn''t foolproof, for the Kalhas could simply fly over from a higher altitude. But, they had only attempted that the first few times and had given up after that. After all, the moment it began to rain again, they had to go into hiding.

    And, soldiers were prowling about in the city just to hunt them. They used the same method the scouts had used against the house Re''Kha had taken refuge within. Themon popce had long since sealed their houses from all directions, preventing any Kalha from getting in.

    So, eradicating the hiding Kalhas was easy. The soldiers only had to scoop water collected on the roads using a bucket and ssh it over the houses. The spaces to hide were limited to the extended roofs in the houses and their balconies. It made targeting them easy.

    Thanks to that, the Kalhas suffered heavy losses. Once they realised it, they refrained from invading the city directly and nned to breach the walls first. This way, they could bring in all the beasts and animals under their control, and wouldn''t be eradicated easily.

    The hail of arrows continued to rain over the eye cluster cloud formed by the Kalhas, killing them inrge droves. The Kalhas separated arge portion to head towards the hill from which the arrows were being shot.

    But without any beasts to control, they were mostly helpless. They couldn''t breach the defences on the hill on their own. Only the strength of the beasts could do that. But, scaling the hill took time, time they didn''t have since it rained after every short interval. Even though closing its eyes¡ªshielding the Kalha controlling it¡ªwas all it needed for the beast to remain alive, it was killed soon after by the soldiers that could freely target it.

    "We endured!" Re''Rak bellowed, raising his hands in joy as it started to rain once again. Based on the forecast of the Re n, this rain was supposed to continue for an entire day without stopping. So, it meant they had a day to prepare.

    Re''Rak exited the tower and barged into a sealed shed, taking out his trusty horse. He was apanied by five water-attributed Harmonisers, three scouts from the Burkurel Mu n, one messenger from the Burkurel In n, and a team of 20 soldiers.

    Without wasting any moment, they headed towards the Burkurel Ju n''s western settlement. Re''Rak focused on the path ahead, speeding forth at the maximum pace his horse could traverse upon.

 Chapter 105 - 200 Rhipas

    It had taken considerable time, at the end of which Re''Rak and his small team arrived at the Burkurel Ju n''s western settlement. Normally, if a person walked at a steady pace, it would take an entire day to reach the settlement from Burkurel City. So, it was a considerable distance to traverse, even on horseback.

    The moment they arrived, Re''Rak nodded at the three scouts, motioning them to begin tracking. The scouts immediately summoned their Pranic Avatar¡ªa Nerou¡ªand began tracing the presence of Re''Kha and everywhere she had moved.

    Among the three Nerou, one scoured the settlement''s surroundings, one moved through the settlement, and the final made a beeline to the house in the centre. Each of them held a small pouch in their mouths. The pouch was the same as what the scout team that pursued Re''Kha before had used.

    It was a herb named Dakhli; it was capable of absorbing and storing the presence of everything in its immediate surroundings. So, it wasmonly used to record the presence of people, animal, or beasts in a ce to keep track of. It was also how they investigated a ce of crime and presented evidence. Also, a single pouch could only be used once to store the presence of an area, so it couldn''t be tampered with easily.

    Adding onto the powerful senses of the Nerou, the scouts were capable of digging out a lot of information in a short duration. Their tracking range was alsorge and spanned days to months. As long as the presence didn''t vanish, they could track it down.

    The presence was a strange concept. It couldn''t be erased like the other traces. It was something intangible that only the Nerou could perceive. That was why the scouts¡ªnsmen of the Ul n¡ªformed one of the Four Great ns of their country.

    The first Nerou that was scaling outside the settlement made its round, taking its time to track all the ces Re''Kha had moved towards. After a while, the scout who had unleashed it found something, gazing at Re''Rak, "Re''Kha had exited the settlement from its eastern gate and had moved outside. This presence seems thetest."

    "Let''s head towards it," Re''Rak nodded. They were currently before the settlement''s southern gate. They soon arrived at the spot where Re''Kha was carried by the Pakou¡ªthe Pranic Avatar of Burmat Re''Shi.

    "This is the spot she wasst present at. After that, it seems like she vanished¡­" The scout frowned, processing all the information his Nerou sensed, "No, it seems¡­she was taken by a¡­Pakou."

    "The Burmat Re n," Re''Rak frowned; his eyes emitted unconceble bloodlust, ''You dare pull my daughter into your political ys?''

    "Is it definite the Pakou had taken her?" Re''Rak tried to make it double sure.

    "She hadste into contact with a Pakou in this spot. After this, the presence of both her and the Pakou vanished. So, they must have taken off into the air. But¡­" The scout frowned, "For some reason, this Pakou feels a lot stronger than the ones I''ve seen in the Burmat Re n. There is a small chance it might be from the wild."

    "Are there any traces of a Kalha on it?" Re''Rak controlled his emotions, refraining his judgement to be affected by his emotions.

    "There are faint traces of the Kalha, but it seems to be on Re''Kha, rather than the Pakou." The scout finished inspecting everything, using a pouch filled with the Dakhli to record the presence in the area forter study.

    "Then it shouldn''t be a Pakou from the wild." Re''Rak nodded, "If it was, it would have long fallen under the control of the Kalhas. After all, they have been active here a lottely."

    "And¡­" Re''Rak gazed towards the west, noticing a spiralling pir of light situated behind the Bahara mountain range. "The cause of everything seems to stem from there. Has any scout teams gone that far to inspect the cause?"

    "We only sent one scout two days ago. He failed to report back. He''s probably dead. We n to scout the surroundings first once this beast wave ends." The scout replied, getting up as he pocketed the pouch.

    The Nerou that had been inspecting the settlement arrived, slightly injured as it dropped the pouch in its mouth. The scout that had summoned it sighed, "The Rhipas are spreading out."

    The final scout grunted, "My Nerou was killed by them just now."

    He then summoned another Nerou and sent it sprinting into the settlement, in an effort to retrieve the pouch it took with it before, "It barely managed to store the presences of all the people who had been in the houses at the centre of the settlement."

    "How''s the situation there?" Re''Rak frowned.

    "It''s bad, really bad," The scout squinted, "They were experimenting on the Rhipas. A lot of people have been used as breeding grounds for them. And, it''s not just one house. There are about three houses that have conducted these. The rest just have massive granaries to store food."

    "Let''s make a copy of all the evidence and send it to the City Lord first. Judging by how it looks, the entire Burkurel Ju n might be behind this." Re''Rak then noticed the Nerou the scout sent into the settlement limp on its return, copsing before them as it spat out a pouch.

    "The Rhipa are heading this way. We have to retreat." The scout pocketed the pouch and spoke in rm, "Their numbers have already surpassed two hundred."

    "We can''t face against such numbers," Re''Rak thought, ''It seems Re''Kha is alive, thankfully. I have to head towards the Burmat Re n for any further evidence. This ce isn''t of any concern to me then.''

    He looked at the messenger, "Please send a message to the City Lord."

    Re''Rak took a portion of the three pouches and put them in small packets, putting them within a cylindrical roll, followed by a parchment containing everything he said the messenger to ry.

    After it was sealed, the messenger summoned his Pranic Avatar that was shaped into a bird. It swallowed the container and took off to the air, shing past at tremendous speeds through the sky.

    Re''Rak motioned for everyone to retreat, speeding away on their horses towards their encampment. Re''Rak was more confident now. The fact that Re''Kha was alive gave him strength. He still didn''t know of her plight, but the situation was better than her potential death.

    ''I''ll find you soon, Re''Kha. Hold on until then, wherever you are.''

 Chapter 106 - Time To Learn The Next Technique

    Re''Rak and his team returned to their encampment, proceeding about with their tasks as they geared up to reinforce Burkurel City. An army of three thousand headed towards Burkurel City, attacking the beasts and animals that had gathered around the region.

    They pincer attacked the rampant beasts and animals, timing with the army from Burfuna City. The army from Burfuna City numbered ten thousand. They were part of the first wave. It was what Burfuna City could put together in a short timeframe. They were preparing their main army to be sent after that, for gearing them up would take a lot of time.

    Re''Rak had remained behind in the encampment, givingmand from the rear while preparing their camp for when the rain stopped.

    "My lord, you have a letter." A soldier knocked and entered his room. Perched on his hand was a bird, the same as what the messenger had sent before. But this was different from that, a Pranic Avatar of a different individual.

    Inki!

    It was the name of the Pranic Avatar of the In n¡ªThe n of messengers. It specialised in high-speed flight and boasted the highest survivability in the air. Despite its smaller stature, its feathers were metallic, able to resist more than one hundred arrows, a lightning strike, torrential downpour for days, etc.

    Its speed was to the extent it could reach the capital city from the Bura Fort within a quarter of a day. Its constitution also allowed it to swallow and safe-keep things in its stomach while it flew. It was how messages were transported from one city to another.

    The moment the soldier entered, the Inki pped its wings andnded on the outstretched arm of Re''Rak, chirping once as it spat out a cylinder. Once it was done with its job, the Inki flew out of the room and exited their camp, flying in the direction of Burkurel City.

    ''The City Lord replied so soon?'' Re''Rak was surprised as he motioned for the soldier to leave, closing the door as he opened the container, pulling out the parchment from within. He looked at the words on the top, surprised as he read it, "Dear Re''Rak, this is Mu''Tua¡­"

    His body shuddered as Re''Rak was unable to conceal his excitement. He was relieved, as if a weight on his chest was lifted. "Re''Kha is alive."

    His heart thumped as his eyes moistened; Re''Rak continued to read the parchment, soon frowning as Mu''Tua exined some of the experiences Re''Kha had recounted to her. She also mentioned how the Blinded Ghost had stolen her eyes.

    "The eyes on its front, positioned in the ce where its eyes should be if it had one; so, those are the eyes of Re''Kha." Re''Rak noted, etching the detail in his mind, "If Ie across it, I should be cautious enough to not damage them by mistake."

    He then read further, reading the final sentence Mu''Tua had written, "Don''t reply to this letter, I know it has reached you. Let Re''Kha stay with me for the time being. Your wife might learn of her survival through her informationwork sooner orter. So, until then, let Re''Kha get some peace of mind. I''ll also try my best to return her sight to her."

    "You''re the best as always, aunt Mu''Tua." Re''Rakughed and burned the parchment, destroying all traces of the message. ''My child is alive and well now. That''s all that matters to me.''

    He sighed in relief, continuing about his task as he soon received a letter from the City Lord, beginning to prepare ordingly, "The Ju n went overboard this time."

    ¡­

    Re''Kha cultivated nonstop,prehending the wood element without rest. She was fully immersed in the experience brought about by the saturated Wood Qi. Moreover, she perceived a clear fact, herprehension of the Wood and Wind elements was only average.

    If she continued with it naturally, then she would at most obtain a unit worth of Element Qi¡ªwood or wind¡ªper year, if she focused on one element alone. It wasrgely inferior to her talent with the water element where she couldprehend three units worth per year naturally.

    But, that all changed with her transformation. In her excited state, once ten breaths had passed, she transformed into a Bisheen. In this form, her talents were reversed. Now, she was able toprehend three units of Wind or Wood Qi per year naturally. It was a considerable upgrade, no different from her talent with the water element in her original form.

    Moreover, this was a natural talent. Comprehending while in a saturated, 100 percent pure environment brought about by the Elemental Qi Essence was even faster.

    Mu''Tua helped her at times, ensuring she was never disturbed. She also made sure Re''Kha had proper meals and rest. As for the rest, she allowed her toprehend her element without any disturbances.

    If not for the fact she felt something dangerous would befall on Mu''Tua if she talked about the organisation that killed her master, Re''Kha would have given her an Art of the Elements she had obtained.

    From what she perceived, through great difficulties, while in the saturated environment, one of the Art of the Elements conformed to the Mu n. It seemed to be something that would create a beneficial healing environment where people would heal automatically upon entering.

    She was unable to glean the information of the rest, for it was tooplex. If Re''Kha gave it to Mu''Tua, she would have to exin where she had obtained it. It would mean revealing sensitive information to her that would endanger her life. She didn''t want that, so hadn''t spoken anything about her situation ever since.

    She only spoke of her experiences with the Blinded Ghost, for that was her target and Mu''Tua nned toe up with a scheme to help her. Time passed in such a manner. Her life became repetitive.

    Finally, on the 10th of Early Fire month, Re''Kha opened her eyes, smiling as she returned to her original form, "It''s finally done. It took me only three months toprehend a unit of Wood Qi. As expected of a saturated environment made by the Wood Qi Essence."

    "It''s time to learn the next technique."

 Chapter 107 - Wind Element Pranic Art

    Re''Kha mentally willed, watching the Wood Qi Essence stop emitting Wood Qi. She then stayed in the same pose, meditating for some more time before using her storage ring. The moment she used it, the storage ring absorbed some of the Wood Qi remaining around.

    Re''Kha fished out the bag her master had given her, taking out the book, Bodhi from it. It was a Spirit Artifact.

    Artifacts were ssified into three: Magic Artifact, Spirit Artifact, and Celestial Artifact.

    Normally, a Harmoniser only used basic metal weapons. At most, they would add the bones or other materials from beasts of their element to make it possess some conductivity for their Elemental Qi attacks. A Harmoniser cannot afford to have anything extra.

    Then came the Magic Artifacts. Each Magic Artifact was made from Elemental Qi Essence. The Elemental Qi Essence consumed varied based on its size. So, the bigger it was, the more expensive it turned out to be. It was also more powerful this way, since the concentration of Elemental Qi it could emit was greater.

    Depending on the type of equipment it was forged into, the materials of the beasts used also varied. And, it took at least a year to forge a Magic Artifact. So, each Magic Artifact was heavily valued by each Elemental n. They were only taken out to use upon times of necessity.

    A n''s foundation was the number of Magic Artifacts it possessed. Just that alone showed how valuable they were.

    Next came the Spirit Artifacts. Re''Kha only knew the fact that Spirit Artifacts were wielded by beings that stood above the Martial Masters. A Martial Master was a being who stood at the peak of the realm of a Harmoniser. Details beyond Martial Masters were ssified and were usually only disclosed to the head of each Elemental n.

    So, individuals like Re''Kha didn''t have any possibilities of getting to know information about them. The only thing she knew was the fact they were addressed as Celestial Kings.

    Finally, at the top of the Artifacts was the Celestial Artifact. Re''Kha didn''t even know anything about Spirit Artifacts, not to mention Celestial Artifacts. ''Though, judging by the name, if there exists a being who can wield it, then there''s only one.''

    Her race''s Celestial Emperor, the being that stood at the absolute peak of her race, the race of Kalki. Only he might wield a Celestial Artifact.

    Judging based on what her master said, the book named Bodhi was actually a Spirit Artifact. Just that alone implied her master''s identity wasn''t simple. Though, Re''Kha didn''t know of any use for the book, except that it contained a lot of knowledge that she would gradually unlock.

    Re''Kha held the book in her hand and ced the bag within her storage space. She then flipped to the second page, infusing her Wood Qi into it. Thanks to herprehension session, she could circte two units of Wood Qi in her meridians.

    The moment she infused her Wood Qi into the second page, something seemed to peer into her from it after which two units of Wood Qi were fully sucked by it. Immediately after, a formless Qi radiated from the page and impacted her.

    Re''Kha immediately felt the familiarity in the Qi. It was the same thing she experienced when she had opened the first page and when she was inducted into her n''s cultivation technique after bing a Harmoniser.

    Kalki Qi!

    That was what the elders in her n called it. It was the purest form of Qi produced by her race. But normally, the quantity they produced was minimal to the extent they were unable to sense it. Normally, the Qi flowed in their meridians, a circuit that developed in their bodies after birth as their Pranic Heart grew.

    And, through their Elemental Qi perception, they were able to notice the flow of the Elemental Qi in their meridians. But, that was all they were able to sense. This fact was only helpful in training their Pranic Art and understanding it further. Other than that, it had no other use.

    Based on what she had been taught, Re''Kha knew that the Kalki Qi was present in her body and circted through her blood. And, unless she realised its existence, she would be unable to perceive it flowing through her body.

    And, such realisation was what they termed as Awakening. Every race had its respective Race Qi. And, anyone capable of perceiving it was termed a Martial Master. Moreover, there were distinct changes to them when they began to perceive and control their Racial Qi.

    In the case of the Kalki, it was the opening of their third eye. The third eye was shut from birth and never opened for most of the popce even until their death. Only in someone that had awakened would the third eye open.

    Once it happened, they didn''t even need to wear their Tikka jewellery. Their third eye would give them all the protection they need. But, an awakening was difficult. The conditions to awaken were different for different individuals and usually depended on chance, luck, fate, etc.

    As for Re''Kha, she hadn''t felt anything of the sort. Now, as the Kalki Qi seeped into her, a vast surge of information settled in her mind, condensing into a Pranic Art. The moment the Pranic Art condensed, the Kalki Qi disappeared.

    The Kalki Qi was also used to impart the cultivation technique, and her Palm and Hand Projection. So, Re''Kha was used to it. It was the most efficient method devised by their Celestial Emperor that allowed everyone to learn the techniques without a single mistake.

    The ingenuity in the technique basically eradicated human error and ensured every Harmoniser only learned the technique in its original correct form, whether it be their cultivation technique or a Pranic Art.

    The process was also swift, taking naught but a couple of breaths in time. Moreover, since it functioned using their Racial Qi, foreign races couldn''t obtain information from them.

    The moment Re''Kha understood the Pranic Art, she smiled, "So, It''s a Pranic Art from the Wind Element. Finally!"

 Chapter 108 - One Unit

    "Finally, I can use the wind element now." Re''Kha was overjoyed. She then closed the book after seeing that she had obtained everything that had been imbued on the second page.

    Re''Kha ced the book in the bag and kept it in the storage space. She noticed through her Wood Qi perception how the storage ring absorbed all the Wood Qi floating around her after it opened the entrance to the storage space twice.

    ''I see; this is a good method to erase all traces of Wood Qi in the future.'' Re''Kha made a mental note of it as she got up, stretching her limbs as she rxed. She basically understood what her Pranic Art entailed now.

    "Wind de; it shoots a de of wind the size of my arm. Its range is twice my height,sts for a breath in time, and consumes only one unit of Wind Qi." Re''Kha iterated the information, expressing her thoughts, "This is more lethal than a wind attribute palm projection. And, there should be a reason master ced this as the first Pranic Art I would learn."

    She anticipated the content on the third page. But since she only possessed two units of Wood Qi now, she couldn''t ess the contents on the third page. At present, she had one unit of Wind Qi circting in her meridians while 11 units were within her Pranic Heart.

    Therefore, using a Pranic Art that consumed one unit of Wind Qi was her limit. Still, she was able to unleash 12 Wind des when needed. So, Re''Kha was fine with it.

    When she switched to the wood element, she had two units of Wood Qi circting in her meridians while another 10 units were in her Pranic Heart. So, the maximum consumption Pranic Art she could use now would be one that consumed two units of Wood Qi to activate.

    Re''Kha sighed, "If I wish to have 13 units of Elemental Qi in me, I need toprehend 13 units worth of all the three elements. Only then can I increase the Qi from 12 units to 13 units by consuming a Prana Stone."

    ''Until then, I have no requirement to return to my n. Thankfully, grandma Mu''Tua has already informed father. So I can rest assured.''

    Re''Kha took in a deep breath, raising her right hand before her chest. She slightly crouched and widened the distance between her feet to give herself better bnce. As the Pranic Art only had a range of two men, she distanced herself ordingly to prevent hitting any object.

    Whenever the range of a Pranic Art was said, it was stated in terms of men. After all, the height specified in a Pranic Art varied ording to the user. The range of the Wind de was two men, so it meant it could travel to a distance twice the height of Re''Kha.

    If the same Pranic Art was used by someone taller than her, then the range of action of his Pranic Art would be greater than Re''Kha. And, the increase in range would be twice the height difference between the two individuals.

    There were only three variations in the range of a Pranic Art, no more, no less. It was a range of two men, four men, and six men. And, depending on the range, it was valued Copper, Silver, and Gold respectively.

    If determined in the metric system, the height of Re''Kha would be 160 centimetres. So, when she unleashed the Wind de, its range would be 320 centimetres.

    The second variation in a Pranic Art was the duration it couldst before dispersing. This too only had three variations: one breath, two breaths, and three breaths in time. The breath used here was subjective andsted for how long the Harmoniser held his/her breath in.

    That''s why all the Harmonisers trained their lung capacity rigorously. For, the greater they could hold their breaths, the longer their Pranic Art projectionssted.

    And, depending on the breaths the Pranic Artssted, one, two, and three breaths, they were rated as Tier 1, Tier 2, and Tier 3 respectively.

    The Elemental Qi consumed by a Pranic Art to activate was determined based on its range and duration of existence. At the very bottom was a Copper Tier 1 Pranic Art. With a range of two men and a duration of one breath in time, all Pranic Arts in this domain only consumed three Elemental Qi to activate.

    And, for every increase in the Tier, the consumed Elemental Qi increased by one unit. Simrly, for every increase in its value¡ªCopper, Silver, and Gold¡ªthe consumed Elemental Qi increased by another unit.

    For example, the Hand Projection used by Re''Kha had a range of four men andsted for three breaths in time. So, it cost five plus one unit of Elemental Qi to consolidate the projection, altogether six units of Water Qi.

    The maximum a Pranic Art could consume was seven units of Elemental Qi, which was at the height of a Harmoniser''s Elemental Qi consumption.

    But, there was an exception that fell below them¡ªthe Palm Projections. A Palm Projection only consumed one Elemental Qi to activate. Its range was two men and itsted for one breath in time. But, that was only theoretical.

    Any Pranic Art, irrespective of its value or Tier,sted until its duration was up. Until then, it could be manipted by the Harmoniser freely. That''s why Re''Kha could use her Hand Projection to climb up and down the house before. Depending on the Pranic Art, it could dance in the air and do a variety of effects.

    But, a palm projection wasn''t like that. The moment it was unleashed, it left the Harmoniser''s control and went straight. And, the moment it crossed the range of two men, it straight up disappeared.

    And, the moment it mmed into any obstacle, its effect was done. It transmitted all the force it was carrying into the obstacle and disappeared. So, Palm Projections were the easiest to use because they had zero aspect of individual control in them.

    But, the only reason they were popr in use was that they only needed one Elemental Qi to activate. After all, any other Pranic Art needed a minimum of three Elemental Qi to activate.

    And now, in the same ce of the palm projections was the Wind de, something her master had probably created. She hadn''t evere across a Pranic Art other than the Palm Projection that consumed just one Elemental Qi.

 Chapter 109 - I Need A Bow

    "Let''s see how good the Wind de is," Re''Kha positioned herself, entering the excited state of her cultivation technique as she switched over to the wind element. The unit worth of Wing Qi flowing in her meridians moved into her right hand, converging under the nodes along the side outer side of her palm.

    When all the Wind Qi converged into a certain design under the various nodes, they opened in sequential order, starting from the nodes closer to the tip of her little finger. The way in which it flowed through the nodes and the pressure the nodes exerted on the Wind Qi shaped it ordingly.

    The Wind Qi formed a thin line along the edge of her palm as Re''Kha swiped her right hand outwards, like a sword sh. A wind, shaped like the crescent moon flew out as a result of her action, moving at speeds faster than her hand''s movements. The wind de moved for a distance twice her height before disappearing.

    It was silent and was unable to be seen by the naked eye. Though, in her Wind Qi perception, it was registered with startling rity. The length of the wind de had been exactly the length of her arm.

    This was both a boon and a bane for the Pranic Arts. Their strength directly depended on the user''s physique. A taller person had a longer range of attack. Considering the concept of the variation of arc length with respect to the radius, the taller one was, the stronger their Pranic Art became.

    Among their race, men were slightly taller than women. But, the height of men and women varied based on their n. Among themoners, their height varied depending on their affinity to the respective element.

    The shortest among them all was the Harmonisers from the lightning n. The average height of a male from the lightning n ranged between 150-160 centimetres. As for the women, they ranged between 145-155 centimetres. There was usually a decrease of 5-10 centimetres from men to women.

    The height of a male from a water n ranged between 155-165 centimetres. For a male from a fire n, the height varied between 170-180 centimetres. Finally, the males from the metal ns were the tallest, averaging between 200-220 centimetres.

    Overall, the stature of their race was one of the smallest. After all, when Re''Kha transformed into a Bisheen, she was twice her height. Just that alone showed the physical superiority of a Bisheen whenpared to a Kalki.

    Though, the Kalki had an elemental advantage, able to wield four elements aspared to the three wielded by the Bisheen.

    Re''Kha entered the stance once again, unleashing another wind de as she noticed it fly at a speed simr to when she unleashed a palm projection. The only difference was in its length and sharpness. The element of wind had another advantage. It couldn''t be seen.

    Normally, one could only feel the wind but was unable to see it. Therefore, even flowing wind cannot be seen. Only in ces filled with dust clouds would the movement of the wind be detected. But in clear ces without any dust, her wind de would move undetected.

    ''This would be pretty useful in fights.'' Re''Kha realised its uses immediately, feeling a bit better now that she could attack in one more element. She relied on the Wind Qi perception to see. So, in cases she was in danger, she had to switch to the water element and attack. But when she did so, unless it rained, she couldn''t see anything. Moreover, the rain only allowed her to perceive the ground over which water stagnated.

    Now, she no longer had to do that. She could directly attack in the wind element now. Just this alone ensured her a lot, giving her the confidence in surviving. Re''Kha continued to practice until she got used to the movements needed for unleashing a wind de, attacking using both hands.

    The method to unleash them was all imbued in her¡ªboth mind and body¡ªusing the Kalki Qi. So, she didn''t have to learn the Pranic Art from scratch. That was why Pranic Arts and cultivation techniques were transmitted using the Kalki Qi.

    It meant one thing: even a newbie Harmoniser that had just learnt a Pranic Art could unleash it without any errors.

    Once she had unleashed the wind de twelve times, Re''Kha was soaked with sweat while her Elemental Qi reserves had dried. It was currently day 10 of the Early Fire Month. So, it was hot.

    The climate in the Water Season was cold while the rain fell most of the times. There wasn''t anything drastic that happened in the Fire Season, except that it became hot. And, during the Peak Fire Month, there was a chance dry substances could catch fire easily, for every object would beyered by Fire Qi.

    When Re''Kha activated her Wind Qi perception, the grey sand world wasn''t clearly defined. The concentration of the grey sand had reduced by a quarter thanks to the Fire Qi in the air. Based on the rate the grey sand''s concentration decreased daily, Re''Kha estimated there would barely be a quarter remaining when the Peak Fire Month started.

    Thankfully, no natural phenomenon like the rain apanied the Fire Season. Otherwise, her Wind Qi perception would be rendered useless in the Peak Fire Month, just like how it fared in the Peak Water Month.

    That was why Re''Kha avoided any activities and just focused onprehending the wood element during that time.

    "It''s been three months since then," Her gaze sharpened as Re''Kha recalled the masterminds behind the incident with the four Sha, "Now that I have a means of protecting myself and an environment where my perception isn''t hindered, it''s time I track them. Based on their conversation back then, they nned to move again somewhere around this month."

    Re''Kha wiped her sweat as she rubbed her storage ring, clenching and unclenching her hand as she muttered, "It''s time I visited the market. I need a bow."

 Chapter 110 - Only One Way To Find It

    "You look a lot bright these days, Re''Luk." Mu''Tua smiled; her eyes darted to the servant who was cleaning a corner of the room as she mentally sighed, having to use a foreign name on her granddaughter.

    "Of course," Re''Kha smiled cheerfully, stuffing her mouth full as she ate without restraint, "I have no responsibilities now and can fully focus on meditation. These days are the most peaceful I ever felt after bing a Harmoniser."

    "It''s been three months already¡­" Mu''Tua sighed. She then saw how ufortable it felt as she motioned for the servant, Sii to give them some private space. The servant bowed and exited the dining room, closing the door upon her exit as she stood outside. She had to remain in ce until she was summoned inside once again.

    Now that she could speak freely, Mu''Tuained, "I''ve been researching through many documents about regenerating the eyes. And, I have a fair enough confidence of healing you fully without any issues. But, the only thing I''m afraid of is the Ghost Qi in your eyes. I am unable to determine their functions yet."

    ''The moment you regenerate a new pair of eyes is when the Blinded Ghost can use its connection with you to possess your body. That is one of the reasons it does that.'' Re''Kha thought about what her master had said previously as she spoke after a moment, "Grandma, in the chance you''re able to regenerate my eyes without issues, will the Blinded Ghost use that to possess me?"

    She then iterated the experience she shared with the Blinded Ghost in thest encounter, "At that time, I could actually see myself through my eyes. And, somehow, the Blinded Ghost was able to take control of my palm projection."

    Mu''Tua frowned as she seemed to recall something, immediately getting up as she rushed to her study room. Sometimeter, she exited the study room, prancing around the house as she shouted, "Sii, where is the document of the patients whose body parts were stolen by a Sha and had been treated?"

    Sii entered the room immediately as she replied after a moment of thought, "Mydy, you had given it to the n Head a couple of years ago."

    Mu''Tua stopped, nodding in realisation, "Right, I gave it to him when he was researching about the topic."

    She then looked at Re''Kha, "I''ll be leaving on work now. Once I find something concrete about it, I''ll tell you."

    "I nned to roam the market today for a change," Re''Kha replied as she saw Mu''Tua leave in a hurry.

    "If you are short on cash, just ask Sii," Mu''Tua said and exited the house.

    Sii helped her board the cycle rickshaw always on standby in their n, waited until the cycle rickshaw disappeared before returning to the house. She then bowed a little towards Re''Kha, "Lady Re''Luk, how much do you want me to withdraw?"

    "It''s fine," Re''Kha waved her hands, "I have enough money for what I wish to purchase. It''s nothing expensive anyways."

    Sii nodded, recalling something as she said, "Lady Ki''Nua had sent a letter in the morning. She wanted to meet you if you went to the market. I couldn''t disturb you since you were meditating, mydy."

    "Oh, that''s nice. I wanted to see her too." Re''Kha smiled, recalling the fun conversation she shared with the three girls, "Do you have a method to contact her? I was just nning to head to the market myself."

    "Yes," Sii nodded, "We have reared some birds in the n. We usually use those to send short messages to other establishments within the city. Please give me some time, mydy. I''ll return with a reply soon."

    "Please take your time," Re''Kha waved her hand, watching Sii bow and exit the room. It didn''t even seem like she had realised her age, aging around the sixties, prancing around everywhere like she was only in her thirties. Though, it also meant she had received favourable treatment from Mu''Tua, and hence her body was maintained in tiptop condition.

    It was something she had noticed in the Mu n, in the times she extended her Wind Qi perception to epass the entire n. Every nsman she noticed was brimming with vigour. They were like in their teens, hyperactive.

    ''It was probably due to them being in an environment that constantly nurtured their body. The herbs, not to mention their Pranic Avatar and its miraculous powers. All thesebined might have been the cause for their activeness.'' She thought.

    ''Right, is everything alright with my Pranic Avatar?'' Re''Kha wondered. After all, a Pranic Avatar was nurtured and stored in a Harmoniser''s Pranic Heart. It was more like a key to them as their bodies were condensed using the Elemental Qi they consume.

    But in her case, her master had fused his Pranic Heart into hers. So, she was unsure if there was anything amiss about her Pranic Avatar. Until now, she was focused on meditating and increasing her Wood Qi that she hadpletely forgotten about it. Before that, she never had enough Elemental Qi to condense it.

    After all, the minimum a Pranic Avatar needed to condense was 10 units of Elemental Qi. It was why Re''Kha hadn''t used it. It was also because her Pranic Avatar only had a single foundation, and could only exist for 120 breaths before it disappeared. If she summoned it when it didn''t have much practical use, she was just wasting 10 units of Elemental Qi.

    After all, it took a full meal to recover a unit''s worth of Elemental Qi. So, it took at least three days to generate the required Elemental Qi to condense her Pranic Avatar.

    And in all the battles before, either the situation wasn''t suitable or she didn''t have enough Elemental Qi to condense it. Only now did she recall about it, wondering if it too had been through any changes.

    "Only one way to find it out." On seeing how it would take some time for Sii to send a message and obtain a reply from Ki''Nua, Re''Kha hurried to her room, locked the door, and fished out a Water Qi Essence.

    That was one method to recover her Elemental Qi quickly.

 Chapter 111 - Ten Breaths Per One Unit

    Re''Kha activated the Water Qi Essence, feeling it emit Water Qi at a steady rate. Activating a Magic Artifact or an Elemental Qi Essence was a simple feat. All one needed to do was will it into activating or deactivating. But, that was only in the case they hadn''t been used by anyone else.

    In its untainted state, when Re''Kha gazed at the Water Qi Essence, a sort of connection was formed after several breaths in time passed. As she was a Harmoniser, she synchronised with the Water Qi in the Water Qi Essence, using that to establish a connection between them as she inserted her will into it.

    After that, all she needed was a thought to activate it. But, just like the Magic Artifacts, she needed to keep the Water Qi Essence in contact when activating or deactivating. There was one difference between them.

    An activated Magic Artifact would deactivate the moment it left the user''s hands. But, an Elemental Qi Essence would remain in its state¡ªwhether activated or deactivated¡ªafter it leaves the user''s hands. It only needed contact when activating or deactivating.

    This was why Re''Kha was just able to activate a Water Qi Essence and leave it alone when she was hiding in the granary¡ªin the Ju n''s western settlement.

    And, suppose a Magic Artifact or Elemental Qi Essence already had an owner before, it would contain his/her will in it. So, to form a connection with them, Re''Kha would have to spend some time to destroy their will and fill it up with her will.

    And, the time this process took varied based on her affinity to the element. So, when it was the Water Qi Essence, Re''Kha only needed a couple of breaths in time. Because, in the water element, her affinity to it was one of the highest.

    As it was contained in the Ju n''s western settlement, the one who had ced his/her will in it wouldn''t have a talent exceeding hers. This was another reason Magic Artifacts wasn''t ced in the hands of Harmonisers with subpar talents.

    It was in the fear their opponent could override their will in the Magic Artifact while in conflict and take control of it. That''s why, only Harmonisers like Re''Kha or those with elemental affinity close to hers were allowed to wield a Magic Artifact, that too only during times of necessity.

    It was also a reason Re''Kha was apprehensive about returning to her n. Her n had given her a Magic Artifact to use. It was because she was pursuing the Blinded Ghost, a prime target that had terrorised their city, Burkurel City a lot.

    And, as she ran into it numerous times, she had been allowed the Magic Artifact. It was also what she had relied on to severely wound the Blinded Ghost every time.

    But, the moment things turned south, the Blinded Ghost would just vanish. Fighting against it was also severely annoying as it passed through the buildings and moved without being hindered, and sneak attacked whenever an opportunity presented itself.

    Unfortunately for her, she had lost her Magic Artifact when her eyes were stolen by the Blinded Ghost.

    Now that she had activated the Water Qi Essence, Re''Kha put all the distracting thoughts away, limiting the range of the Water Qi emitted by the Water Qi Essence to an arm''s distance around herself.

    She took in deep breaths, breathing in the Water Qi that was mixed into the air. The Water Qi flowed into her lungs, got mixed into her blood, and when it flowed to her heart, it was filtered and branched to her Pranic Heart.

    From there, it began to flow in her meridians. This was possible because of a connection shared between the Heart and her Pranic Heart. It was a one-way channel and was the mode through which the Elemental Qi of all Harmonisers was replenished as they consumed food.

    Since she had a high affinity to the water element, her body wasn''t damaged when the Water Qi flowed through her blood. Though, her affinity only allowed that until a certain concentration. It was why she felt suffocated when the concentration of Water Qi in the granary reached the point of natural saturation.

    Only a water element Harmoniser who was able toprehend four units of Water Qi per year naturally would be unaffected in such concentrations and beyond. But, something of that level was a feat of the legends. And, if such a candidate existed, he would be nurtured to take the seat as their Celestial Emperor in the future.

    With every ten breaths, Re''Kha replenished a unit worth of Water Qi. From the initial empty state, the Water Qi in her meridians turned into a trickle that flowed, steadily increasing in volume. Soon, Re''Kha had replenished all 12 units of her Water Qi.

    If she absorbed any more Water Qi, it would only prove harmful, so she stopped well in advance. She even calcted that she would recover her 12th unit of Water Qi only after breathing in all the Water Qi left around her after deactivating the Water Qi Essence.

    It was best to not leave any evidence behind.

    "Phew," Re''Kha let out a breath in relief, cing the Water Qi Essence within her storage ring as she entered her excited state, watching her Water Qi return to her Pranic Heart, and flow out as Wind Qi. She then repeated the same to see it get converted into Wood Qi.

    Finally, Re''Kha returned to her base state, sensing the Water Qi circte through her meridians once again. "Alright, there are no problems with this method."

    It was a wasteful way to use a Water Qi Essence just to recover her Water Qi. If anyone were to hear it, they would just p her for being wasteful. But, no one knew it, so Re''Kha was fine. Besides, she had a dozen of them lying in her storage space. And, even if it was kept activated continuously, an Elemental Qi Essence wouldst at least a decade, if not more.

    "Alright, now to check and see if anything is strange with my Pranic Avatar."

 Chapter 112 - A Second Pranic Avatar

    "Come out, Balou." Re''Kha extended her hand, condensing a sphere of water before her that shrunk, forming a miniature version of a beast. Immediately, it absorbed Water Qi from her body inrge amounts and grew massive, turning corporeal.

    The beast gently touched the ground when it finished forming, gazing at Re''Kha with its hulking figure. It wasn''t impressive height-wise, only reaching her neck, or in appearance, considering how other Pranic Avatars looked.

    It had a smooth, lustrous skin that was hardened. Layered over it was armour whose thickness surpassed her thumb''s. Its appearance was a mixture of a dog and a turtle, coping up with the shape, flexibility, and agility of the former and the defensive shell of thetter.

    But, since its facial features aligned to that of a turtle''s, it didn''t look menacing. Nheless, it was a mobile hull.

    It was a beast that was able to move onnd and underwater. So, it was the perfect Pranic Avatar for a water n like hers. As they shared thoughts in real-time, Re''Kha didn''t need to instruct it. Whatever she thought, saw, and felt, her Pranic Avatar knew. And simrly, whatever her Pranic Avatar saw, felt, and thought, she knew it.

    It was like splitting herself into a second individual. It was weird to cope up with at first, but thanks to the training every Harmoniser went through, they got used to it by the end of their first Pranic Avatar condensation''s disappearance, which only spanned 120 breaths. So, it wasn''t all that difficult to master, a quirk that came with their power naturally.

    It was like their second nature.

    Re''Kha observed the Balou, the name her Pranic Avatar and the Pranic Avatars of all her nsmen went by. It was no different from before, whether in its appearance or anything that mattered in its functions.

    She felt around from the perspective of her Pranic Avatar and observed no difference, "There is¡­none. Then, did nothing happen?"

    "But, that can''t be possible. There should definitely a change in my Pranic Avatar." Re''Kha frowned, sensing her heart sped up all of a sudden, prompting her to be alert. She then felt an instinct of sorts¡ªthat she had been able to perceive after departing from her master¡ªthat conformed to her thoughts, generating in her a train of thought that she hadn''t before.

    ''I am a Kalki, and my element is the water. But, thanks to the changes brought about by fusing my master''s Pranic Heart into mine, I obtained the elements of wind and wood. And, they belong to the race of Bisheen."

    Re''Kha took out her Water Qi Essence once again, using it to generate Water Qi that she inhaled, replenishing the 10 units of Water Qi she had just expended. Once she was done with it, Re''Kha returned the Water Qi Essence to her storage ring and took in a deep breath.

    She entered the activated state in her cultivation technique, changing to the element of wind. There were still 20 breaths in time before her Pranic Avatar disappeared. She nned to use this time to verify her conjecture.

    Re''Kha looked at the Balou, noticing that it had no perceivable changes. She also didn''t lose any control over it. Nothing unusual happened. After taking in a long breath, Re''Kha changed to the wood element, noticing there be no difference.

    But, there was a faint thumping in her heart, conveying that there was something in her that was different, something that she had yet to find out. After a moment of thought, Re''Kha undressed, unwilling to see her clothes be ripped again.

    At present, she was using an old pair of clothes Mu''Tua had prepared for her. Thankfully, they had almost simr sizes. The clothes of Mu''Tua were a bit loose for her, but as she only used them within the house, she was fine with them.

    ''I have to buy some clothes too. I guess there goes my shopping list.'' She chuckled, making a mental count of the breaths as she focused on herself, trying to see if there were any changes in either her body or in her Pranic Avatar.

    When ten breaths were up, her body expanded as her skin turned into smoothened-out tree bark. Her stature became twice asrge; Re''Kha had turned into a Bisheen once again. The moment she did, Re''Kha felt intense thumping in her chest.

    But this time, it wasn''t from her heart, but from her Pranic Heart. Now that she was a Bisheen, Re''Kha knew something was up as she felt the oddity in her Pranic Heart, feeling the strangeness that was at the same time, familiar, "It¡­can''t be?"

    She then performed the same steps used to summon her Pranic Avatar, watching Wood Qi gush out of her body and condense into a sphere before her, turning into a miniature beast as 10 units of her Wood Qi flowed into it.

    From the sphere spread out a pair of wings, tiny as a cute little beak peeked out. The bird''s head seemed to be a coiling of antlers, judging by its rugged design. Its beak was a tiny triangle, akin to a chick''s. Its body seemed no bigger than her palm.

    The moment it was summoned, Re''Kha stared at it with shock, "I really do have another one now. But¡­how? This isn''t master''s Pranic Avatar."

    A Harmoniser only had one Pranic Avatar. There was always one. It was an established fact after centuries worth of information collection. Just the fact that she had a second Pranic Avatar was unprecedented.

    Re''Kha noticed how both her Pranic Avatars were fine, existing at the same time. Now that she had summoned it, Re''Kha understood the conditions needed to summon it. All she had to do was circte either Wind or Wood Qi in her meridians and she would be able to summon the bird. She didn''t need to transform into a Bisheen every time to summon it. It seemed it was only necessary for the first time.

    Re''Kha shuddered, "Master has been giving me one advantage over another. This means, he was that powerful and resourceful when he was fatally wounded. Then, just how strong are his enemies?"

 Chapter 113 - The Bird

    Re''Kha shuddered in fear the more she thought about it. Her master was basically a being that was capable of pulling out mysterious results that have been unprecedented one after another like it was easy.

    The first was the act of fusing two Pranic Hearts. She had inquired about it with Mu''Tua and learned that while the act was possible, it wasn''t easy to perform. In such cases, the Pranic Hearts of the two individuals have to be carefully stitched and healed together.

    Moreover, since part of it wasn''t the owner''s, it would cause a permanent resistance to the flow of Elemental Qi in their meridians. It would still function as a Pranic Heart, but their elemental affinity would experience a sharp reduction while even the pumping of the Elemental Qi in their meridians would be slow.

    Because of this, the time they took to unleash a Pranic Art would be long. It would mean their strength as a Harmoniser would be reduced. Moreover, if the fused Pranic Heart was a significant portion, there was a chance the Harmoniser''s Pranic Avatar would be lost forever.

    Mu''Tua had told her about how most of the patients end up losing their Pranic Avatar, a Harmoniser''s greatest ally.

    But, it was because they had suffered a serious injury to their Pranic Heart in the first ce did they undergo surgery. After all, a damaged Pranic Heart meant Elemental Qi wouldn''t flow through their meridians.

    So, not to mention summoning their Pranic Avatar, they wouldn''t even be able to use a Pranic Art or activate their Elemental Qi perception, reducing them to a mortal. It was why they underwent the surgery. And, the source of the Pranic Heart was an elderly Harmoniser from their respective n.

    At old age, being a Harmoniser wasn''t of much use. And, losing their Pranic Heart wouldn''t adversely affect them. So, they donated theirs to help their younger generation. Moreover, to prevent the Pranic Avatars from the respective Pranic Hearts shing and killing each other, only the Pranic Hearts of Harmonisers from the same n were used.

    As the Pranic Avatars were from the same species, there was a faint chance one of them might remain alive during the fusion process. Moreover, the fusion process was a long surgery that was performed by a team of doctors that worked in numerous sessions. It took anywhere from a couple of days to a month.

    But in her case, her master did a swish action, and his Pranic Heart seeped into her and fused into her heart. It was a mystical feat. And, not only did he achieve a wless fusion, he managed to imbue in her two extra elements, elements unbelonging to her race.

    And, she had the option to transform into a Bisheen. Moreover, she now had two Pranic Avatars, an unprecedented existence. Just this alone showed the leaps and bounds of the mysterious abilities her master possessed. And, he did all this when he had a foot in his grave.

    So, Re''Kha was unable to even fathom the true extent of her master''s power when he was in his prime. And, his enemies were even more unfathomable, for they had reduced such an existence to the state she witnessed.

    There was a formless pressure on her as Re''Kha thought about the enemies she had to face. If it was really the machinations of fate like her master had proimed, then she was bound to run into them sooner orter.

    Moreover, the very first settlement she entered after leaving her master was rted to their organisation. So, they were most probably a behemoth that she had no idea of. And, the fact that her master was preparing her step by step meant her enemies were just that overwhelming.

    ''I should start investigating about them. But the question is, how?'' After a moment of thought, she decided on her objective, ''There are those from the settlement, and there are those that had let out the three Sha. I can start from them and move up from there. But, I have to be careful. If they had reduced master to that state, killing me would be simple.''

    The bird chirped and flew towards her, moving to her back as it expanded in size. Its ws mped on her hip as its wings pped once. The size of its wings had surpassed half her height. And, based on what the Pranic Avatar thought, Re''Kha realised it could grow even bigger if its foundation was improved. It brimmed with Wood Qi.

    Once the time was up, her Balou dissolved into specs of blue radiance and disappeared.

    After a moment of thought, Re''Kha changed into the element of wind, noticing the bird on her back be lightweight all of a sudden. It didn''t even seem like she was carrying anything on her back. The only thing she felt was the sense of touch by the bird''s ws on her hips.

    Re''Kha patted it using her hand, feeling that the bird now seemed a condensation of air. It still had a coherent form but seemed as if a gentle wind would blow it away and copse its nature. Appearance-wise, it was the same. But, unless dust covered the air, its form would be invisible to the naked eye.

    Finally, Re''Kha returned to her base form, feeling the bird be a being of water. Its body seemed like a sculpture of flowing water now as Re''Kha could feel the flow when she ced her hand on it.

    Re''Kha willed it to fly as the bird left its hold on her and took off to the air, facing no difficulties in flying even though it was a mass of water now. Re''Kha noticed how it subtly altered the shape of its wings and body, now able to fly while in the form of water. Moreover, it shrunk in size to the same palm size as before.

    Re''Kha switched to the wind element as she noticed the dextrous flying ability of the bird. Unlike the birds she had seen, the one before her was able to p its wings and hover in a single ce. Moreover, the sheer skill it disyed ensured its body didn''t even budge an inch from its ce. The only motion was the pping of its wings.

 Chapter 114 - Rupak

    Even though the bird continued to p its wings nonstop, it didn''t produce any sound. Re''Kha changed to the element of wood, hearing the high-frequency pping of its wings. When she changed to the element of water, the bird''s pping frequency was the highest and the sound it produced was the loudest.

    It seemed only in the wind element did its pping produce no sound. Re''Kha just stared at it in admiration, noticing how its body didn''t even budge. Its flight had the grace to it that Re''Kha couldn''t describe. Its head turned in all directions while also having a wide vision.

    Using it, Re''Kha was able to see her reflection. The eyes of the bird were even better than hers, so it was a good chance. She was almost losing her sense of colour after looking at the world in the grey sand structure always.

    Using the bird''s vision, Re''Kha looked around the room, taking note of everything. She then fully took the perspective of the bird, obtaining some knowledge. "This bird is named the Rupak. It was a beast race that came to live in an area that was previously dominated by the Bisheen but waster upied by the Kalki. Because of that, it still retains an affinity to the elements of wood and wind while adapting to the element of water."

    She took in a deep breath, learning the information streaming into her, "This bird''s race is the only one of its kind that could rapidly adapt to an element, thereby inheriting the trait into its Pranic Avatar. And, the one I have is¡­"

    She frowned as her expression morphed into one of shock, "actually the Beast King. So, I see, there doesn''t exist anyone else that has the Rupak as their Pranic Avatar. If there exists any, it would be in my descendants."

    Each beast was different. And, every race of beasts had their own traits and lived in their respective habitats. And, when the poption of a beast race exceeds a certain number, they give birth to a special variant of their race that wouldter grow up to rule them all. Such beasts were termed the Beast King.

    Normally, if there were more than 300 beasts in a group, it was enough to topple an Elemental n. After all, the maximum number of active Harmonisers an Elemental n, irrespective of the city it originated from was at most 400.

    And, if they went toe-to-toe, a Harmoniser may or may not win against a beast. Beasts had tougher bodies aspared to the Harmonisers. Harmonisers possessed Pranic Arts that they could wield to show a variety of results.

    On the other hand, the beasts only had their breath attacks to rely on. And, the shape of the breath attacks of every beast race varied. Still, their advantagey in the range. As long as the momentum behind it allowed, the breath attack of a beast could travel without limits.

    The case wasn''t the same for the Harmoniser, whose maximum distance was six men. So, it created a lot of variables that factored their battles; it wasn''t possible to say who between a Harmoniser and a beast would end up as the victor unless they actually fought it out.

    A Harmoniser was also able to depend on his Pranic Avatar to fight. But when it only had a single foundation, the Pranic Avatar was unable to use its breath attack. So, it could only rely on its physique to fight. It would only gain the ability tounch a breath attack when it had two foundations.

    So usually, when a beast race produced a Beast King, it meant they possessed enough numbers to overwhelm a city. They became a force to reckon with. The Beast Kings were stronger than other members of their race, had a bigger build, stronger breath attacks, and also lived twice longer.

    Its descendants were also a tad stronger than the rest. And usually, when the Beast King died, the child of one of its descendants, or line of descendants would be birthed as the next Beast King. This was a natural process and continued¡­unless it was interrupted.

    Suppose the Beast King was killed by a Harmoniser; he would extract its heart, store it, and present it to their race''s Celestial Emperor. Their Celestial Emperor would use his method on it to fuse the Beast King''s heart into the Harmoniser, granting him a Pranic Avatar.

    After that, when he summons the Pranic Avatar, it would be the beast race the respective Beast King had ruled over. So, he would be the first of his line of Harmonisers with the respective Pranic Avatar. And, when he has descendants, and they be Harmonisers, they too woulde to nurture the same beast in their Pranic Hearts.

    And, there was a faint chance the nurtured beast could be a Beast King, which meant its physique would grow bigger, stronger, tougher, and also gain the ability tomand others of its race, both the Pranic Avatars and the beasts in the wilds.

    But, it was incredibly rare, so rare it wasn''t even seen. Even for the first Harmoniser, the one that had obtained the heart of the Beast King, it was difficult to nurture his Pranic Avatar into a Beast King.

    There could only exist one Beast King for a beast race. And, once a Beast King was killed and a Harmoniser obtained it as their Pranic Heart, it meant the line of the Beast King was lost forever to the beast race.

    So, a Beast King would never be born in the wilds ever again. The only chance for its arrival would be when one of the Pranic Avatars grows into the Beast King.

    Re''Kha hadn''t evere across a Beast King, not in the wilds, and not in the possession of a Harmoniser as his Pranic Avatar. So, that alone disyed just how incredible Beast Kings were. Now, her Rupak was sourced from a Beast King. So, it meant she was the first in the line of Harmonisers to possess the respective Pranic Avatar.

    "This is just¡­amazing!" Re''Kha remarked, experimenting with the Rupak. It was because she was the first to possess it did she obtain information from it.

    Her descendants would only learn of basic information like the name of its race, and its habitat¡ªthe habitat they lived upon when they were ruled by their Beast King. Re''Kha had learned the same for her Balou when she obtained 10 units of Water Qi.

    10 units of Water Qi was the requirement to summon her Balou. Simrly, it was 10 units of Elemental Qi to summon the Pranic Avatars for others. So, only when she obtained her 10th unit did she learn of the information about her Balou''s origins.

    As for the Rupak, she also obtained some memories from it, memories of a man that had single-handedly killed it¡ªthe Rupak Beast King. It was the Beast King''s memory. As she was inheriting the race of Rupak in her blood, she ought to know about it.

    That was why the memories existed in her; they came along with the Beast King''s heart. Once she learns everything about it, this information would be contained in her blood and would be passed on to her future generations.

    Even though they wouldn''t be able to learn the information, it would still be in them and act as a foundation for them to rely on while using their Pranic Avatar. It would be converted into an instinct of sorts for them. That was why no Harmoniser ever struggled to control their Pranic Avatar.

    "It''s good." Re''Kha relished the experience, intending to learn more about the Rupak when she heard footsteps through the extended range of her Wind Qi perception. She sighed, feeling it was a pity that she was unable to learn more about the Rupak when there were still a lot of memories to unearth.

    She hadn''t even seen the appearance of the man. Though, judging through her instincts, she knew it was her master. So, she was ample curious to know it further.

    ''I can learn more about this once I recover my Elemental Qi naturally.'' Re''Kha retracted her Pranic Avatar as she wore her dress. While experimenting before, once she shifted to her water element, her Bisheen transformation came undone and she returned to her original appearance. So, Re''Kha quickly wore her dress and adjusted her appearance.

    She double-checked to see there was nothing strange in her appearance, clothes, and the room. She then matched the pace of the servant Sii, standing before the door as she opened it a moment before Sii was about to call for her, "Oh, you are here? Did you get a reply?"

    "Yes, mydy." Sii nodded, "Lady Ki''Nua said she would arrive here soon enough. It takes less than 600 breaths in time to reach here from her home."

    "That''s quick," Re''Kha nodded, "I guess I''ll get ready then."

    "Mydy, do you want me to prepare a good set of dress for you? Your current clothes aren''t¡­good enough to visit." Sii said after a careful nce at Re''Kha.

    "It''s fine, I''ll wear a Re n''s dress. I have a couple of them with me. I am morefortable with wearing them when I go out." Re''Kha pointed at the cupboard, saying she had what she needed.

    "Then, I''ll prepare a nice shoulder bag for you, mydy." Sii bowed and exited.

 Chapter 115 - Market

    "Sister Re''Luk, it has been long since ourst meeting." Ki''Nua made a formal bow as she spoke, failing to conceal the excitement in her voice.

    "Yes indeed, Ki''Nua." Re''Kha smiled, boarding the cycle rickshaw that stood before her. Once the two boarded it, the cycle rickshaw started to move. Unlike the ones from before, this was a two-person carriage. And, it was driven by only one driver.

    Still, it was fairly fast, so they weren''t concerned. Besides, the journey itself was fun.

    "I didn''t know you liked the Re n''s style of dressing," Re''Kha spoke with a smile. The dressing sense was something she recognised from far away with a single nce. So even in her grey sand world, it was easy to identify.

    "Yes, they are really pleasant to the eyes. I like them the most out of all. My talent for the water element is also slightly superior to the rest, so I usually wear this when I don''t sneak out of the n," Ki''Nua chuckled, "Besides, the Re n''s dress is the mostfortable during this hot weather."

    "Indeed," Re''Kha nodded, then whispering, "Have you had any other dreams about the Withered Courtyard?"

    "Withered Courtyard?" Ki''Nua sat up in fright, "How did you know about it, sister?"

    "You mean your mother never told you about it?" Re''Kha inquired in shock.

    "She was the one who told me its name, saying it''s from a verified source¡­" Ki''Nua then stared at Re''Kha in surprise, "Are you that¡­verified source?"

    "Indeed I am," Re''Kha nodded, "Actually, your mother mentioned how you saw a broken house one day, right?"

    Seeing Ki''Nua nod, Re''Kha sighed, "I was the one who had destroyed that house. I had actually lived there for half a day."

    "How was the ce actually? I''ve always had the same dream till now." Ki''Nua asked.

    "How many times have you been there by now?"

    "28 times."

    ''That''s¡­high. Nothing unusual happened apart from that, so Ki''Nha didn''t inform me about it. I see, this meeting must also be her arrangement, to see if something might happen.'' Re''Kha had her doubts, automatically extending her Wind Qi perception. She then noticed a cycle rickshaw trailing behind them, situated far away.

    As it was behind five other cycle rickshaws, Ki''Nua was unable to notice their presence, even by a mistake. Through her Wind Qi perception, Re''Kha saw the threedies, Ki''Nha, Ki''Tse, and Ki''Sha.

    "Has anything happened there?"

    "Nothing as of yet."

    "We are not only putting Ki''Nua at risk, but we are also involving Lady Re''Luk in it." One of them sighed.

    "If there is a problem with it, it means Lady Re''Luk is in danger too. One way or another, we have to face it. At least, we have brought our Magic Artifacts this time. So, we can face whatever situation that mighte our way."

    "You''re right. I hope nothing sprouts out from the Withered Courtyard. Just hearing its name gives me the creeps."

    "So, did you see anything unusual in it?" Re''Kha continued to converse with Ki''Nua.

    "Nothing I could notice," Ki''Nua shook her head, "But, I just can''t understand why this is happening to me in the first ce. Ki'' and Ki''Sul haven''t seen anything like it in their dreams. And, the three of us are always together."

    "Do you remember getting any item before this dream of yours started?" Re''Kha frowned, "It can be anything that you hadn''t had before. Or, it can be an object in your house from long ago, but you have recently made a connection with it, like spilling your blood or body fluid on it. Does anything like that strike you?"

    "Hm," Ki''Nua thought long and hard, "I cannot remember anything like that. Sister, why don''t youe to my house tonight? We can search for the clues together."

    "That''s a good idea¡­" Re''Kha was just about to agree when she remembered something, postponing it immediately, "I''ll visit after three days. If something does happen, we should be prepared. Currently, I am unprepared."

    She then smiled, "I''ll be buying some weaponster. Why don''t we also begin preparing anything and everything we need in the off chance we are pulled into the Withered Courtyard?"

    "That sounds perfect!" Ki''Nua cheered, looking forward to it even though it was their current destination.

    Time passed in such a fashion. It was afternoon by the time they reached the market. It was thergest building in the entirety of Burfuna City. There existed four markets in total, with each situated in one of the four districts: Northern, Southern, Eastern, and Western. There wasn''t a market in the central district.

    The market was six storeys high and spanned a length equivalent to 30 houses lined side by side. It was almost a square in shape. The entrance was arge opening, like the mouth of a prehistoric beast, open until a height of three storeys.

    Anyone who passed by it would be able to peer into it and witness the true scale of the shops lined within. It was a fully roofed structure as pirs ran across the entire establishment. Because of this, there was no issue of the elemental forces disturbing the atmosphere within.

    There were four entrances to the market, positioned on each side respectively. This allowed for the passage of air through it, keeping the massive space within ventted. Re''Kha and Ki''Nua had to climb almost 20 steps before they could pass through its entrance.

    The moment they heard the cacophony of noises, filled with the sounds of bargains, shopkeepers peddling their wares, the customers inquiring the details of the goods, prices, etc. Re''Kha and Ki''Nua became excited.

    Laid before them was a plethora of shops, selling everything they knew off and were also unaware about. Only by looking through it would they be able to widen their knowledge.

    "Do you have enough money?" Re''Kha whispered as she saw Ki''Nua gulp in anticipation.

    "I¡­hope." Ki''Nua smiled awkwardly, "I have a long list that I nned to buy. But now, I have a feeling the list would be even longer."

    "Same," Re''Khaughed.

 Chapter 116 - Rows Of Shops

    The ground floor was mostly empty in the centre, save for two rows of shops. The shops were those that sold food of all varieties. It was meant for the people to eat and replenish their energies before engaging in a shopping spree.

    There didn''t exist any individual shops in Burfuna City or the other cities for the matter. The only ce where people could buy goods was from the markets. And, there were only four of them per city. So, a significant crowd visited each market daily.

    It was why the markets were the most crowded ce of all in the city.

    The two rows of shops at the centre sold food that was usually wrapped in a piece of cloth to be savoured immediately. They didn''t have any setup where people could sit to eat peacefully. Thanks to the crowd that moved constantly, it made the ce kind of messy.

    Still, there existed a team of cleaning personnel in every area that was efficient in their actions, ensuring the ce was kept clean always. After all, it wasn''t just themoners that visited the market. Every person of power, hailing from either the Elemental ns or the Royal n too visited the market regrly.

    If the ce became dirty, the people in charge of the cleaning would have their heads rolling on the ground. So, they took their jobs seriously, as if their lives depended on it. The two rows of shops shared walls on their back, with their fronts facing the crowd moving on both sides.

    Among them were two special shops that faced the ends of the two rows, with each upying an entire side. These were the biggest of all the shops selling instant food and facilitated the highest revenue. They were also owned by the people that ran the market, which was basically people from the Royal n.

    There were steps at regr intervals that lead people to the roofs of the shops. There, it was a massive restaurant where people could sit momentarily in peace and eat their food. There were two restaurants, positioned on either of the shorter sides.

    They served therge crowd on the roof with unabated efficiency. There didn''t exist any roofing here, allowing the people to gaze around at the shops while they ate. In this way, people didn''t have to waste their time searching for the shop they needed and proceed directly to it once they were done with their meals.

    Grills were ced at appropriate ces, preventing people from falling off the roof by mistake. After all, there wasrge traffic, so anything could happen amid the chaotic flow of the crowd.

    "Have one hand on your purse always." Re''Kha offered her advice, speaking from experience. In the market existed goods, and people visited to buy them. It meant they had to have brought enough money to buy them. So, there existed purse-snatchers.

    It wasn''t like there existed poor slum people who were unable to afford any money and resorted to stealing. Stuff like that didn''t exist in their cities. After all, people had to pay taxes to live within the city. And, only those that could afford to do so were permitted entry and were allowed to live within.

    If they failed to pay taxes after a certain duration had passed, they would lose their permit and would have to relocate to a settlement. So, even though people lived hard lives, there wasn''t poverty, at least within Burfuna City.

    As the city was a nned construct, it didn''t allow any space for slums to crop up. To ensure its continued existence with ample functionality, a lot of thought had been put into its construction.

    But, the reason Re''Kha had advised as such was that, even though they weren''t in poverty, it wasn''t as if people would say no to free money. And, such opportunities existed the most in the market.

    So, while buying their goods, if they saw someone''s purse left in an unguarded state, they wouldn''t hesitate to snatch it. It happened so many times daily that it almost seemed part of their culture.

    Ki''Nua nodded, using her left hand to hold her purse. To ensure the purse wouldn''t be too big, she had only brought coins with a higher denomination. She nned to exchange one of them in a shop¡ªafter buying an item¡ªfor a lot of change. That way, she wouldn''t be carrying too many coins in her purse. Re''Kha too was using the same strategy.

    There was a massive floor space to walk and move around. In the end, positioned along the walls were the shops selling the wares. There were steps to traverse up and reach the higher floors. As all the shop entrances faced the inside, Re''Kha and Ki''Nua were able to look around the shops on all the floors from their spot on the ground floor.

    It was thanks to the wide distance between the walls of the market, allowing for enough space to window shop from afar.

    "Let''s start from you," Re''Kha looked at Ki''Nua, "What do you want to buy first?"

    "Hmm, a hat?" Ki''Nua replied, "Would it be better to buy the important items first and return to some casual shoppingter?"

    "Yeah, that would be for the best." Re''Kha nodded, "I want to buy some weapons first then. What about you?"

    "I nned the same," Ki''Nua nodded, "I just want to look around and see if there is a nice weapon I mighte to like. The ones in my n are standard ones that are only fit for killing."

    "That is normal," Re''Kha chuckled, "Though, they too buy from here. The only difference is the fact that they order directly from a shop in bulk."

    Re''Kha looked around, noticing a servant dressed in a style unique to the market, approaching her as she inquired, "Where are the shops selling weapons?"

    "There, on the third floor, mydy." The servant made a light bow as she pointed towards a row of shops. "Most of this district''s supply of weapons is from there."

 Chapter 117 - One Ticket Costs 250 RuQi

    Re''Kha and Ki''Nua slowly walked towards a flight of stairs positioned at one end of the market. It was a long journey, taking at least 60 breaths in time if the ce was vacant. And, since it was crowded, they had to weave through the crowd, consuming even more time.

    But all along, they engaged in chatter, having fun as theymented about everything they saw. People were dressed in all sorts of dressing styles, with a majority of them mimicking the style of the Elemental n they favoured upon.

    The dresses of each Elemental n conformed to their respective element. And, since themoners had an affinity to all four elements at different levels, their dressing sense was based on the element they had the highest affinity of.

    It was simr to why Ki''Nua preferred the Re n''s style of dress. In her case, she was able to wield all four elements but had the highest affinity to water. In the case of themoners, they couldn''t wield the elements. Still, their affinities to the respective four elements existed, however little.

    It was why they preferred the dressing style of the Elemental ns. The Re n''s style of dressing conformed to the usage of ribbons that wrapped around the arms, going over the indentations in the muscles. Some also wore the same ribbons on their legs.

    The difference between all the four elemental dresses was in the extent they covered the body. The lightning element dress was the most revealing of them all, consisting of sleeveless frock for women that only reached their hips. Worn below it was a type of knicker that was slightly buffy.

    The ends of their dresses were woven to be pointed, same for the design of their arm and leg guard. The dress for the men was no different, save for the shirt that connected with the knicker seamlessly.

    As those attuned to the lightning element had short statures, it fitted them perfectly.

    In contrast, the fire element clothes were a set of puffy loose-fitting clothes that outlined the figures of those wearing them along their sides. The sleeves reached the elbow for both men and women, with the men sporting a diamond-shaped texture on their fabric while the women sported a cylindrical shaped texture.

    Their dresses reached below the knees for both, ending with arge puffy section outlined by some sort of soft fur.

    Finally, the metal element dress was the least revealing. It covered the wearer from head to toe, save for the face. The men wore triangr-shaped shoulder pads while the women sported helically-shaped shoulder pads.

    Their dress was the heaviest of them all, sporting fur extensions along the sleeves and joints. Both men and women wore pants and a small fleeted skirt that was parted on the two ends. The length of the skirt for men only spanned the length of a palm while for women, it reached their knees.

    Depending on the user''s wishes, they changed the skirt. Some of them added metal tes over it, while some attached fur to it. Re''Kha saw a Harmoniser from the Ju n have barbed wire mesh over his skirt, causing the people walking near him to part way automatically in fear they would be hurt by it.

    One thingmon among the people was the fact their eyes darted to the Tikka jewellery of the passer-by first before gazing at their faces. Re''Kha was no different. It was a habit cultivated by them after prolonged use.

    After all, the colour of the gem on the Tikka jewellery told all the information about the person, whethermoner or Harmoniser. Re''Kha heard lots of exim from the people that nced at her Tikka jewellery.

    Even the Harmoniser from the Ju n that wore barbed wire over his skirt avoided her by arge distance the moment he gazed at her Tikka jewellery.

    ''This should be enough.'' Re''Kha thought, pulling her hood closer as she attached it to the tip of the ribbon covering her eyes, preventing it froming off in the chance someone bumped into her. The moment she did that, Re''Kha switched to using the Wind Qi perception once again.

    She had to be careful about using it in public ces, ensuring she always kept her Tikka jewellery hidden when she used it. Otherwise, people would take up arms against her.

    Until now, the reason for exims was thanks to the bright blue glow of the gem on her Tikka jewellery. Her talent in the water element was one of the highest after all. There might be at most one or two such individuals in the entire Burfuna City.

    "Sister, are you nning to visit the auction that happens in five days?" Ki''Nua said, heaving a sigh of relief when they arrived before a flight of stairs.

    "There is one happening?" Re''Kha inquired, "I didn''t know about it. Who is hosting it?"

    "By the City Lord himself," Ki''Nua said, "So, this is probably thergest auction in our city in the past three years. I heard even the tickets to it are incredibly expensive."

    "How much is one ticket?"

    "250 RuQi."

    "That''s¡­exorbitant." Re''Kha sighed, "I don''t know if I want to attend one if it is that expensive. Even if I did, I won''t be able to buy anything in it anyway."

    1 RuQi was enough to buy arge meal for a well-built man to eat to his full.

    "It is indeed. But as it is hosted by the City Lord, the items should be that good. So, only those that can fork this price easily can afford to attend it." Ki''Nua said, inching closer as she whispered in her ears, "And, based on the rumours circting in my n, some of the goods auctioned this time also consist of those looted from the Treka."

    "From the Treka?" Her eyes widened as Re''Kha was surprised, "Have we been attacked by the Treka recently?"

    "No," Ki''Nua shook her head, "Based on what I know, it seems we raided them this time. Though, it was only a settlement or something. I am unsure about the details since I am not qualified yet to learn them, haha."

    Re''Kha sighed, wishing to attend the auction now that her curiosity was piqued. ''Let me tally my expenses after this purchase. I''ll decide once I am done with my preparations.''

 Chapter 118 - Shared Borders

    The Treka was a race neighbouring their territory in the south. At one point in history, they had been a tremendously powerful race, ruling over the vastnds that formed their country and beyond.

    But now, they had been driven out by the Kalki, forcing them to retreat time and again. Before their First Celestial Emperor was born, the Kalki was a race subordinated by the Treka. They led pitiful lives.

    They, and the Gaiko, another race that had been subordinated by the Treka revolted and managed to emerge victoriously. During the chaos, one of the Kalki reaped the life of a pinnacle being of the Treka and be a Celestial Emperor.

    The Gaiko too reaped the life of another pinnacle being, driving the Treka to the edge. During their height, the Treka had three emperors, a tremendous power that seemed invincible. But now, they only had one emperor while they were losingnd to the Kalki slowly but surely with each passing day.

    To the south bordered the Treka, the race that always tried to break into the country of Kalki and reim thend that was once theirs. To the east was the race of Gaiko, where they had friction constantly as both the races tried to encroach into each other''snds in an effort to expand their power.

    To the north was the Bisheen, a massive empire with two emperors. So, the race of Kalki was pretty passive against them in fear they would be annihted. Finally, to the westy the Pitruha, the race most detested by the Kalki and waged war constantly.

    They had no choice but to do so since they were constantly attacked by the other party. But in this case too, the Kalki had never initiated an attack even once. For, the race of Pitruha was even more powerful, having three emperors.

    As they were a massive country, they had more enemies. So, it wasn''t as if all their three emperors could just gang up on their Celestial Emperor. In the end, it created an unbnced harmony that might copse at any moment when sparked.

    That was why Re''Kha was shocked when she heard they had raided the Treka. Even though the Treka were severely weakened now, it was only whenpared to their country of the past when they were at their prime.

    Their current strength was still enough to overwhelm the army of Kalki. The Bura Fort was one such ce where they constantly waged wars with the Treka. And, as Burkurel City was the closest to the Bura Fort, Re''Kha was greatly familiar with the race of Treka.

    Her father had always told her stories about the Treka, spurring her curiosity. Though, as she was a woman, Re''Kha had never seen anyone from another race. Their society followed a strict order. The women took care of all internal matters while the men fought against the foreign races.

    It was to ensure the foundation of their race¡ªthe people¡ªwouldn''t be expended. After all, only women were capable of giving birth. With the loss of every woman meant a reduction in their future generation, causing a vicious cycle.

    Moreover, it wasn''t as if they didn''t have any internal problems. Just the Sha alone was a dangerous entity they had to be careful about. There were also the numerous beast groups that threatened to destroy the cities and settlements whenever an opportunity presented itself.

    As they had a lot on their te, the women weren''t allowed to participate in the wars. So, they wouldn''t ever see how foreign races looked like, except for paintings that didn''t give a realistic portrayal. That was why Re''Kha was interested in the spoils of war from the Treka.

    After all, when she transformed into a Bisheen, Re''Kha witnessed the imposing presence and threatening might she oozed wasn''t present in the paintings of Bisheen she had seen before. The paintings were without any point of reference, preventing her from understanding just howrge or small the physique of a Bisheen was, not to mention the sturdiness of their body, their agility, their endurance, etc.

    Only a realistic witness can portray them correctly. Though, she would be lying if she said she had a decisive need to obtain information on the Treka through their items. She was just being spurred on by curiosity.

    The two reached the third floor, walking along the open corridor as they browsed through the shops. On their right was a grill; they could see the entirety of the market easily because of this. To their left were the shops, lined next to each other without any gaps.

    Each shop was rectangr, upying a small breadth while their length expanded to at least 10-15 times her height. In contrast, the breadth was only 4-5 times her height. All shops were more or less this size. Some shops sold bigger wares and hence had arger floor space.

    "Let''s first choose the bows, shall we?" Re''Kha spoke, watching Ki''Nua nod in excitement. The two of them then entered the first bow shop they came across, noticing hundreds of bows lined across the wall.

    Some were just hung in the centre, made to dangle with the wind like decoration. Just their amount made the shop exude a primal feeling.

    Re''Kha grabbed hold of a bow, feeling the grip to becking for her. She had long hands, so she preferred bows with thicker, and rounded grips. Re''Kha felt around the bows, checking their shape, the rigidity of the arms, the sticity of the string, its draw length, and the stability of the bow when she drew the string.

    "Mydy," The shopkeeper made a light bow as he inquired, "Do you want a smaller bow that you can use while riding a horse?"

    "You have smaller ones too?" Re''Kha was surprised. The smaller the bow, the weaker it was. Even though everything varied based on the stiffness of the bow, its design, and the string used, it was a general notion that the smaller the bow, the weaker it was. Therefore, they weren''t manufactured much.

    "Yes, please follow me." The shopkeeper smiled, motioning with a show of his hands, "We recently received this product."

 Chapter 119 - Yes To All

    "Wow," Re''Kha eximed in surprise as she held a bow that was only twice the length of her palm. Attached to its riser was a rectangr column acting as a cartridge. Contained within it was an arrow that was fixed after it was bent a little, using its stiffness as a spring.

    Contained within it was a small section through which arrows could be loaded. There was a thin open space trailing underneath the bent arrow, allowing for the bowstring to be drawn. When it was fully drawn, it would automatically get nocked.

    This was established perfectly thanks to the bent arrow pressing on the normal arrows, pushing them in line to the string to get nocked. It was a simple mechanism, using a wooden rectangr box and an extra arrow. It was wide enough to hold four arrows in total, excluding the bent arrow. The length of each arrow was also twice the length of her palm.

    As Re''Kha admired its workings, the shopkeeper smiled and introduced its functions, "When you are riding a horse through the forest, it isn''t always possible to use arge drawing action to nock the arrows. The branches and leaves might hinder you. During emergencies, that would be fatal."

    "But," His voice became excited, "You can just attach this bow to your arm. And, all you need to do is pull the string when you wish tounch an arrow. It has four arrows in it, so you canunch them all in the shortest time possible."

    "And," He pointed at the rectangr box, "Once you haveunched all four arrows, it would need time to reload them. If you don''t have that, you can just pull out this box and use it as a normal bow. It can also be used to defend against at least two to three sword shes."

    "How''s its range?" Re''Kha drew the string to its limits, noticing how the bow was averagely stable. If she wished to do long shots using it, then she would miss the mark.

    "We have only devised it to be useable against close-quartersbat. So, it is the most effective in the range of 5-6 men. You can still aim it beyond that distance, but the design is not stable enough to support effective uracy and power." The shopkeeper was truthful in his ims, not stating anything beyond what the bow could actively perform.

    "How much is this?" Re''Kha asked, intending to buy it if it was cheaper. After all, it was easy to use and didn''t require anything on her part. Moreover, it was meant for close quarters. As a Harmoniser, she was the best at close-quartersbat, but that was only until she didn''t run out of Elemental Qi.

    So, when she was running dry, the bow would prove to be helpful. After all, she didn''t need to separately nock the arrow to fire. The existing setup had four arrows, which meant she could reap the lives of four people if she aimed it right.

    "It costs 16 RuQi, mydy. It''s slightly on the expensive side because of the difficulties in keeping it stable for such a short arm length." The shopkeeper made a light bowing gesture, "But, we will also provide 10 arrows with it."

    "I need to test this once," Re''Kha said, watching the shopkeeper nod and show her to the side of the shop. A small range had been ced there. It was only wide enough for her to stand and shoot. If she raised her arms to a horizontal level, they would touch the wall.

    Positioned at the end was a target, allowing one to shoot and test the bow''s effectiveness. Though, due to the constraints of the space, there was only one range in ce. Still, it was enough to test the bow''s features.

    Re''Kha loaded four arrows into the cartridge, noticing how easy the action was. She then realised that as long as she practiced with it, she would be able to load them even while on the run. Once she was done, Re''Kha held the grip, taking a momentary aim as she pulled the string to the end of the cartridge.

    The moment the string reached the end of the cartridge, it slid underneath an arrow¡ªpushing it a little¡ªand nocked it as the arrow was pushed downward by the bent arrow. The moment she released her hold, the arrow flew out with a swish andnded on the target.

    Just when the sound of the arrow beingunched resounded, Re''Kha pulled the string again, releasing another arrow. She swiftlyunched all four arrows, noticing that the aim was better than she had expected.

    There were some faults with it, but they were consistent. So, as long as she got used to the bow, she would be able to manually correct the ws through her aim and increase her uracy.

    "Give me two of them," Re''Kha said after shooting to her satisfaction, "Also, do you have any version of this that could be attached to my hand?"

    "We have some small crossbows, mydy." The shopkeeper smiled wryly, "But, I wouldn''t rmend them. Theyck the strength to even prate through normal leather. It would be better to throw darks using your hands. That would be many times stronger."

    "Do you have darts?" Her eyes lit up as she was getting enthusiastic. Re''Kha had yed with a lot of weapons since childhood as a form of training. So, there wasn''t any weapon that she was unable to wield.

    Though, if she had a preference, she would pick a bow for long-range, and a weapon designed simr to Harpen Weaves for mid and short-range.

    "The next shop has them, mydy." The shopkeeper replied, "Do you wish to buy a standard bow?"

    "I need a medium-sized bow and two crossbows. As for the crossbows, I don''t care about the time I would need to load the arrows in them. But, I need them to pack as much power as they can while I should be able to wield them in one hand." Re''Kha stated her requirements, watching the shopkeeper''s face beam in happiness.

    No shopkeeper disliked a rich patron.

 Chapter 120 - Elemental Arrows

    Re''Kha held a bow that was almost half her height. Its build was stable and the arrows it shot were fast and packed a lot of power. It was a decent bow, nothing remarkable about it. Still, it was a type of bow many preferred to use.

    So, Re''Kha would be able to use such a bow in the wilds after taking it from her in enemies. That was why it was better to get ustomed to it. In this way, even when she takes the bows of her enemies, she wouldn''t need to spend time to get used to it and directly work it up like normal and shoot arrows with the same uracy.

    "We have a lot of arrowheads for this, mydy. Do you have any requirements for them?" The shopkeeper showed her to a drawer where a lot of arrows with different arrowheads were ced.

    The shopkeeper showed them as he implied their use, "This one with a blunt tip is for stunning the foes. We also have a sharp tip for the heavy one. The range is reduced in this case, but it can prate most armours."

    He then iterated numerous other arrow tips. Re''Kha listened in on what he said, finding some new arrowheads that she hadn''te across before. Each design had its use, and as she usually only used some arrowheads, Re''Kha found it enlightening.

    Eventually, she picked the normal arrows she was used to, getting at least 40-50 arrows. She then picked 5-10 of the other arrows that she felt were interesting, nning to train with them first before purchasing them in bulk.

    The arrows she chose cost 1 RuQi for 20 arrows of each. They were cheap arrows. Chances were, they would break after hitting the target once. Re''Kha also picked up some quality arrows that could be used tens of times, unless they mmed into boulders.

    Re''Kha frowned after choosing all the arrows, looking at the shopkeeper as she spoke, "Do you have elemental arrows?"

    "Elemental arrows?" The shopkeeper was stunned for a moment before he broke into a sweat, "We have some of them, mydy. But they are expensive. And, if you need more of them, I''m afraid my shop alone cannot produce them in a short time. Almost all our stock has been taken out by the army that has been dispatched to Burkurel City."

    "It''s fine," Re''Kha nodded, "Just show me the ones you have."

    "Alright," The shopkeeper nodded and retreated into a section in the shop,ing out with a suitcase that he ced on the counter, opening it to reveal some arrowheads that glistened. In her Wind Qi perception, they were blurry nk spaces."

    "The majority we have now are from the fire element. Please pick those of your choice, mydy. We''ll fit them with the arrow shafts of your choosing." The shopkeeper said, motioning at Re''Kha to choose.

    Ki''Nua arrived just at the right time, carrying a short bow and some small crossbows¡ªthe same ones Re''Kha had refrained from buying. She then saw Re''Kha looking through the elemental arrows, linking the reason to the purchase as she entered the conversation, speaking to the shopkeeper, "How many elemental arrows do you have?"

    "Only the ones in this box, mydy." The shopkeeper sighed, "Rest all have been taken out by the army."

    "Alright," Ki''Nua nodded, looking at Re''Kha as she spoke, "Will they be enough, sister?"

    "I hope they would be," Re''Kha nodded after a moment of thought, inquiring the price, "How much do they cost?"

    "1 RuQi per each arrowhead, mydy." The shopkeeper said.

    ''That is expensive, indeed.'' Re''Kha sighed. Elemental arrows were manufactured using the body parts of the beasts rich in the respective element. To make them, beasts had to be killed. And, it wasn''t as if killing them was easy. For, a Harmoniser had to risk his life to kill one, and there was a good chance he would be the one that dies.

    And, most of the beasts usually roamed in packs. So, to annihte them, a subjugation force had to be created. The only time they obtained a lot of beast carcasses was when the beasts tried to break into the city. Through defensive warfare, they would be able to rain down arrows and other attacks on the beasts and kill them with minimal losses.

    After that, they had to manufacture the arrowheads using the materials from the beasts. Everything consumed resources. So, the end result ended up costing 1 RuQi per arrow. It was to be noted that the arrowheads would be damaged to an extent beyond reuse after a single shot.

    So, with every shot, she was spending enough money to buy herself a meal. Moreover, the concentration of Elemental Qi in them wasn''t high. That was why she could still perceive the arrow texture through the nk space. The concentration of Elemental Qi was way too low in it.

    So, they were probably arrowheads the army was unwilling to use. A better way to phrase it would be that they were rejected goods. The ones the army used as their trump cards against powerful Sha or beasts had a higher concentration of Elemental Qi in them.

    "We''ll buy all of them," Ki''Nua said as she nced at Re''Kha, watching her nod.

    "We''ll pack and transport all the goods you buy from our shop and other shops to your residence, mydy." The shopkeeper said, calling a servant in his shop to pack all the goods they had bought till now.

    "I''ll collect it from your ce." Re''Kha looked at Ki''Nua, watching her nod in return. Since she was also preparing in the chance something might happen when she visited Ki''Nua to her house, it was better to send all the items there first. Re''Kha would just collect them once she arrived there.

    Ki''Nua gave her address to the shopkeeper as she and Re''Kha footed their respective bills. They then exited the shop and entered the next one, gazing at the walls filled with darts of all forms.

 Chapter 121 - It Is Better To Be Overprepared

    "Are you sure you wish to buy them all, mydy?" The shopkeeper stared at Re''Kha in shock. "Each of these darts has an elemental attribute."

    "Yes," Re''Kha nodded, taking a nce at the 120 elemental darts before her. She felt a pinch for spending such arge sum of money, for each dart cost 1 RuQi. But, Re''Kha didn''t wish to stint on the expenditure in this case.

    After all, she nned to fight the Blinded Ghost, and the people part of a mysterious organisation that had unleashed the three Sha during the Early Water Month. Such preparations were a must if she wished to take on such a powerful foe.

    After all, she only had 12 units of Elemental Qi. Two hand projections and she was done. Moreover, even though she had a lot of Magic Artifacts to use, they were close-ranged objects. She needed one that she could throw and damage the enemy.

    The best for the job in long-range were the elemental arrows. And, for the medium range, she decided on the darts. It was easy for her to strap around 10 such darts on each of her thighs. Moreover, they were easy to use.

    Every Harmoniser was trained to use them. But, very few actually used them, for a bow had a longer range while they subsisted with a spear or a whip for a shorter range. Only a small fraction of Harmonisers used the darts. But, it didn''t mean they never used them.

    All Harmonisers carried some elemental darts with them. After all, if they ran out of Elemental Qi while facing a Sha, the elemental darts woulde in handy. Moreover, they also had an elemental weapon in their hands. It was the standard weapon every Harmoniser purchased.

    It was something a Harmoniser could afford. Though, the quality of their elemental weapon varied depending on their foundation¡ªthe money they could afford to spend. The one Re''Kha had before also had some faint Elemental Qi Essence powder mixed into it. It was one of the highest quality elemental swords in the market. Though, it was shattered by the Blinded Ghost.

    "Do you want them?" Re''Kha looked at Ki''Nua, seeing her nod.

    "Sister, how many of them do you need? I''ll take the rest."

    "Hm," After a moment of thought, Re''Kha replied, "I will take 100 darts for now. You can take the remaining twenty. If we need more, we can always return to buy."

    "Right?" She looked at the shopkeeper, seeing him nod in return.

    He made a light bow, "We will restock within 10 days, mydy."

    "Great," Re''Kha handed out a 100 RuQi coin as she took the box with the elemental darts. The shopkeeper also gave them two straps each to store the darts free of charge.

    "Which shop takes custom orders for elemental weapons?" Re''Kha looked around, seeing that she had nothing else to buy in the dart shop. She only came for the elemental darts. She didn''t n on buying any normal ones.

    "Mydy, it depends on the type of elemental weapon you prefer. If it is a dart, we can customise one for you. If it is rted to a sword, then the shop selling the swords would take a custom order." The shopkeeper replied.

    "Thank you," Re''Kha and Ki''Nua exited the dart shop and walked along the open corridor, sooning across a weapons shop that was thergest of them all. It covered an area equivalent to five other weapon shops.

    Either they were influential or were the best of the bunch to have arge number of products. The moment they entered, they noticed how the customers in the shops were only Harmonisers. Most of them seemed to be from the Elemental ns.

    Re''Kha looked around, seeing that she was unable to recognise anyone from the Re n. She hadn''t seen them before. And judging by their reactions to her, they didn''t know her either. She hadn''t visited the Burfuna Re n even once, so it wasn''t odd she didn''t know them.

    Thankfully, none of them seemed to be those connected to her Burkurel Re n. Otherwise, they would have recognised her easily.

    ''That was an oversight on my part. I should have been more careful whening across a Re nsman.'' Re''Kha sighed in relief, thanking her luck as she looked around, noticing how the weapons in this shop were of superior quality aspared to the rest. She also noticed a lot of elemental weapons, smiling as she noticed the nk spaces forming them were a lot sharper aspared to the elemental darts and arrowheads she had purchased.

    As arrows and darts were consumable weapons, they weren''t manufactured with too high a quality. After all, even a Harmoniser didn''t wish to burn through money with every attack.

    Re''Kha looked around,ing across a sword that she liked. As for Ki''Nua, she seemed the type to prefer sabres, so she was looking through them. The two of them were preparing for the eventual possibility that they might be pulled into the Withered Courtyard one day.

    ''Ki''Nua hasn''t matured yet. There is a good chance something would happen on the day she matures. And, judging by what she said, the other two girls have already matured. And, she feels she might mature within the next couple of days.'' She sighed, feeling that time was too short for her preparations.

    But, after being there once, Re''Kha knew she had formed a connection with the Withered Courtyard. This was a definite trait with the Sha. They would mark every target theye across and were able to find them in the future easily.

    So, she knew she would have to face it once again. And, considering how the first family of people she met aftering to Burfuna City was rted to it, Re''Kha was assured she would be pulled into it one way or another. So, it was wise to be prepared beforehand.

    Besides, it wasn''t like buying them was any waste of money. Moreover, she had a fortune to spend. So, she had no qualms about her expenditure. It was better to be overprepared than to be underprepared.

 Chapter 122 - Harpen Waves Imitation

    "That is one of our finest swords, mydy." The shopkeeper, a man in his seventies appeared, sporting a mild hunchback. He looked at her with a smile, "But, I advise you to pick something else. You have well-bnced arms, so you are better with dual-wielding weapons. I can suggest a pair of short swords that would be the perfect weight for your strength."

    Re''Kha noticed that he was a Harmoniser from the Ju n, and judging by the glow of the gem on his Tikka jewellery, he was powerful. Through his natural talents alone, he would have been able toprehend two units worth of Metal Qi in a year.

    So, judging by his age, she wouldn''t be surprised if he had already reached the peak as a Harmoniser. 100 units of Elemental Qi was the peak of a Harmoniser.

    "May I know your name, senior?" Re''Kha made a formal bow as she spoke with a respectful tone. The person opposite her might very well be an elder of the Ju n. So, she had to show proper respect.

    "You can call me Ju''Dra." He said with a smile.

    "Senior Ju''Dra," Re''Kha cupped her fists, "I wanted to buy this sword as a spare, to use when my main weapon is damaged. I wanted tomission a specific type of weapon from here."

    "Is it an elemental weapon?" Ju''Dra looked around, motioning with his eyes to ask whether the type of weapon she preferred was in disy.

    "Yes," Re''Kha nodded, motioning with her hand that what she was looking for wasn''t disyed. She whispered, "Senior, do you know the names of most Magic Artifacts?"

    "If it is something produced in our state, I would definitely know them." He smiled, whispering in return as he motioned for her to follow him. Re''Kha said she''ll return soon to Ki''Nua, asking her to continue looking through the weapons as she followed the old man.

    Ju''Dra led her to a secluded room situated at one corner of the shop. It was fully sound-proof, preventing people from hearing the conversation continued within.

    Ju''Dra became serious as he spoke, "Which Magic Artifact''s design do you want to follow for yourmission?"

    "Harpen Waves," Re''Kha replied.

    "¡­" Ju''Dra turned silent for some time, making the situation awkward. He then sighed as he spoke, "Can you handle that weapon?"

    "Yes, I had once practiced using a simrly designed weapon. Sadly, it got damaged during my travels. It wasn''t of high quality." Re''Kha nodded.

    Harpen Waves was a famous Magic Artifact of her Burkurel Re n. A lot of the Harmonisers from her n possessed elemental weapons designed simrly to that. It was for two reasons: one, to get used to wielding it so that when they wielded Harpen Waves in the future, they would be able to do so without any faults. Two, it was also to prevent people from knowing which was the actual Harpen Waves when the n mobilised it. So, even if people schemed to steal it, they wouldn''t be able to determine which was real.

    So, every n had a lot of elemental weapons designed exactly like their Magic Artifacts. Moreover, some of themon popce too made their weapons based on such designs. Unfortunately for Harpen Waves, it got lost when its wielder died long ago. Thankfully, it ended up in her hands.

    This was also her n to make it seem normal in the off-chance people saw her using it. As she had her storage ring, Re''Kha would be able to swap Harpen Waves with its elemental weapon version and pretend nothing was strange.

    This was one reason. The second reason was the fact she preferred it the best. It was what she was able to use the best among all the weapons. It gave her a greater advantage.

    "Give me a moment," The old man craned the door open a little, beckoning for a servant. The servant quickly entered the room as he bowed.

    "Do we still have a stock of an elemental weapon imitation of Harpen Waves?" Ju''Dra spoke.

    "We still have them," The servant nodded after some thought as he whispered, "But, we had made it long ago. The weapon design lost its hype ever since the Burkurel Re n lost Harpen Waves. We haven''t even done any maintenance to the remaining ones that failed to sell after being on our shelf for many years."

    "Where are they now?" Ju''Dra pointed at Re''Kha, "Ourdy here wishes to buy them."

    "They are in our storage. I''ll be back soon." The servant replied and dashed off.

    "Mydy, please continue to look around our weapons until he returns." Ju''Dra then took a second nce at Re''Kha, "Do you wish to buy any armour? We also make elemental armours."

    "They are heavy so I don''t use them." Re''Kha shook her head. "I think a shield would be better."

    "No Harmoniser prefers wearing heavy armours like the ones from the army," Ju''Dra sighed, "But, armours protect you from most of the harm."

    "But, my speed is severely impeded because of them. And, against most attacks, I can use my palm projections to defend against." Re''Kha retorted, "I can also hide and resort to long-range attacks using my bow. Running around in the forests and steep terrain wearing armour would swiftly exhaust me. And, its weight would prevent me from dodging any attacks."

    She replied with a slight smugness, "I am confident in my ability to even dodge arrows shot at me."

    "Haha, I knew you would never wear an armour, just like every other Harmoniser, including me." Ju''Draughed, shaking his head as he motioned for Re''Kha to follow him. "But, I wasn''t speaking about those normal armours."

    There was a door at the end of the shop which led into another room. There, armours were disyed in two parallel rows. But, these armours looked like they were made from cloth and fur. They didn''t look like they would protect the wearer from any blow at all.

    "It''s not much, but they are made from a tough material that doesn''t get cut easily. I have ones designed simr to the Re n''s style of clothing. They are not good against heavy blows, but normal sword shes won''t even damage you if you wear them. And most of all, they are only slightly heavier than the dress you are wearing." Ju''Dra said with pride, "They are elemental armours I personally created. They are the best pick for Harmonisers like you."

    "And, the best part of them all lies here," He smiled, pointing at a token embedded in its hip section.

 Chapter 123 - Armour

    ''An Elemental Qi Essence fragment.'' Even without touching it, Re''Kha was able to know about it. After all, in her grey sand world, it was a sharp nk space. But, her Wind Qi perception was unable to determine which element the Element Qi Essence conformed towards.

    So, Re''Kha touched the part, feeling something soft and smooth on her finger. She was unable to touch the Elemental Qi Essence, preventing her from knowing what it was. After all, every Elemental Qi Essence would allow her to perceive something upon touch.

    A Water Qi Essence would make her hear the sounds of flowing water and feel like the air turned humid all of a sudden. A Fire Qi Essence would make the air feel hot, a Lightning Qi Essence would make her feel numb, and a Metal Qi Essence would make her feel heavy while a ringing sound resounded in her ears. So, it was easy to determine an Elemental Qi Essence''s attribute just by touching.

    Faint pores existed around the edges of the surface, modelled after their currency. It was through these was she able to extend her Wind Qi perception and detect the presence of the Elemental Qi Essence.

    "This is¡­an Elemental Qi Essence fragment?" Re''Kha looked shocked as she gazed at Ju''Dra, "Just how expensive is this armour?"

    "180 RuQi," Ju''Dra smiled, "But, most of its price stems from the Elemental Qi Essence fragment embedded into it. As the material forming the armour contains a significant quantity of Water Qi in it, the moment you activate the Water Qi Essence, the Water Qi it emits would flow throughout the armour, increasing your defence against all Elemental Qi attacks. Wearing this, you can face beasts and the Sha more daringly."

    "How long¡­does this Elemental Qi Essence fragmentst?" Re''Kha frowned, "It would be dangerous if it lost its reserves during a time of need."

    "If you activate it, it can continuously emit Water Qi for one month," Ju''Dra said. Though, considering the size of the fragment, Re''Kha could also make an estimate ordingly. As long as she formed a connection with it, she would be able to determine the quantity of Water Qi in it the moment she touches it.

    And, every Harmoniser was capable of achieving this. So, there wasn''t any fear that Ju''Dra would make a fool out of her.

    Re''Kha inspected the numerous armours Ju''Dra showed her, ncing at the defensive strength they provided her. The base defensive strength they provided was only along the level of normal armours. Thanks to the material, they were able to resist sword shes to a certain extent without getting torn.

    But, most of its defensive property arose from the Water Qi unleashed by the Water Qi Essence fragment embedded in every water-based armour. Moreover, as the material was sourced from beasts, they contained some Water Qi in them and were also good conductors of it.

    So, the moment she activated them, they would be able to resist the breath attacks of beasts and the mysterious abilities of the Sha to a fair extent.

    "But¡­" Re''Kha frowned, "The problem is the Water Qi Essence fragments. I always travel from one city to another. This entire armour would be rendered useless the moment the Water Qi Essence fragment expends all its Water Qi. There is a good chance I won''t be able to visit here every time I wish to change them."

    "We also have separate clips that you can swap out when one is used," Ju''Dra said, "As long as you give an advance, we would be able to provide as much as you need. Each clip costs 50 RuQi."

    ''The armour has lots of use and would help me a lot. But, its price is too high. I wouldn''t be able to maintain this expenditure for long. And, I don''t have the necessary tools to grind the Elemental Qi Essences I have to fit in the armour.'' Re''Kha thought, speaking as she expressed her thoughts, "Using those clips is unsustainable. I don''t have a habit of carrying anything valuable in my luggage except for those on me."

    "Do you have elemental armours embedded with a Magic Artifact? Even if the amount of Water Qi it could produce is lower than this, it would still be a better option for me." Re''Kha looked at Ju''Dra, anticipating how this experienced elder before her would react.

    Ju''Dra indeed frowned at her response. After all, each Water Qi Essence Fragment embedded in an armour was very small, only the size of a rice grain. He made a small profit every time someone bought a clip. After all, the clip was nothing expensive to manufacture. It was only a tool used to store the Water Qi Essence Fragment and allowed for an ease of swap.

    This gave him a continuous transaction and patronage. But if it was an armour with a Magic Artifact, he would only get a one-time deal.

    "We do have those," Ju''Dra sighed, "But, they are incredibly expensive. So, I have never managed to sell them."

    "Can you show me those?" Re''Kha smiled, "As long as it is worth it, I won''t mind the price."

    "Haha, alright." Ju''Dra chuckled, motioning for Re''Kha to follow him as he reached the end of the room, pulling a lever beside as he disyed four armours. There was one per each element. Re''Kha saw how they were made to have adjustable lengths.

    Currently, they were adjusted at the maximum height they could expand. As for the water armour, it was at the same height as her. After all, she was as tall as ady from a water n could grow up.

    Re''Kha touched the armour, feeling that the material used in making it was many times superior to the armour from before. "What¡­is it made from?"

    "The Punou," Ju''Dra said with pride, "It took me an entire Water Season to make this. The elemental defence is the same as the previous armour, but embedded in its centre is a Magic Artifact."

    "Also," He pointed at the hip, speaking, "I modified the design to make this entire strip on the hip be the Magic Artifact. This way, the Water Qi it emits would travel to the rest of the armour faster."

 Chapter 124 - Rigid Water

    A Magic Artifact was basically an item that was made using an Elemental Qi Essence as the core. Its prime function was to emit Elemental Qi. And, depending on how it was made, the way it emitted the Elemental Qi varied.

    In the armour before her, the Magic Artifact''s function was to spread Water Qi through the armour upon activation.

    "If this is made using the Punou, its quality is guaranteed." Re''Kha nodded. When the three-headed beast¡ªthe Pranic Avatar of her master¡ªran through the Kuhera Forest, it had to face the Punou. The Punou had tough skin, so an armour made from them was able to withstand a lot of hits without getting damaged.

    "But, the only w of this armour is the Magic Artifact," Ju''Dra sighed, "It was one of the reasons I was unable to sell this armour."

    "What is this w?"

    "The concentration of the Water Qi it can emit is twice the armours I showed before. But, it can onlyst for 600 breaths in time before it needs to recharge. And, the recharge process is incredibly slow. If you immerse it in the rain during the Early Water Month, it needs around 2400 breaths to rechargepletely." Ju''Dra said.

    "That is too slow. No wonder no one has bought it yet." Re''Kha frowned, "Why can''t you use a bigger Water Qi Essence fragment?"

    "It is because of the design limit." Ju''Dra sighed, "This was already the limit of what I could do using the materials I obtained. If I had obtained the corpse of the Punou Beast King, I could have made this entire armour as a Magic Artifact. It wouldn''t have such a limitation after that."

    Re''Kha grabbed the armour, weighing it in her hands, ''The defensive strength is superior to the armour worn by the troops. Moreover, its elemental defence is also superior to the armour from before. It also has a Magic Artifact and can emit Water Qi at a faster pace.''

    She also thought of the difference between the Elemental Qi fragment and the Magic Artifact. When the Elemental Qi Essence emitted Elemental Qi, the armour had to absorb it naturally and spread it throughout itself. This took time toplete.

    But, with the Magic Artifact, it would transmit Elemental Qi into the armour directly, pumping through it like blood. So, the activation would be instantaneous. Moreover, the best fact about it was that it could be recharged. So, in times of necessity, Re''Kha could make use of the Elemental Qi Essence she possessed.

    A normal person would frown due to the time it couldst. But for her, it wasn''t an issue. Moreover, it wasn''t as if she had to keep the armour activated always. She only needed to activate it when defending against an elemental attack.

    Besides, if she wore the normal¡ªthe one using the Elemental Qi Essence fragment¡ªarmour, the lingering Water Qi would hinder her Wind Qi perception. And, every time she switched elements, she had to deactivate and activate it again. In battles, that would prove fatal since it needed a lot of time to spread the Water Qi through the armour.

    The armour with the Magic Artifact was more suited for her. As it would be expensive, Re''Kha behaved as if she was thinking, disliking the armour, "It cannot evenst for the duration of a battle. How much does this cost?"

    "580 RuQi, mydy," Ju''Dra replied.

    "Even though it''s almost useless?" Re''Kha frowned, "I''ll pay 260 RuQi, sell it to me."

    After some time arguing, Re''Kha bought it for 340 RuQi. Ju''Dra didn''t seem angry to be honest. Rather, his eyes shone with the cunning of a merchant. When Re''Kha was weighing the armour, she had adjusted her hood. In that short instant, Ju''Dra managed to nce at the gem on her Tikka jewellery.

    It was a blue radiance that he had only seen once in the Burfuna Re n. Just that alone was enough for him to know that Re''Kha was someone with tremendous talent. As long as she didn''t die, she would be a powerful figure.

    Moreover, as long as she used his armour, it meant as a source of advertisement for him. When people hear about her and know about where she had bought her armour, they would learn of his shop ande to buy it.

    As long as people witness something in action, they would be interested in it. So, even though he made a small loss in the cost price of the armour, he was getting a better deal. So, Ju''Dra wasn''t disappointed.

    "Since this armour is fitted with a Magic Artifact, have you given it a name?" Re''Kha felt around the armour, liking it more and more as she sensed the smooth flow of Water Qi in it when she activated its Magic Artifact.

    "I named it Rigid Water," Ju''Dra replied with a smile.

    The dress resembled the Ju n''s style of dressing, as it had to cover the body of the user it was protecting. But still, it followed some basic style of the Re n''s so that a water Harmoniser can still wear it without disliking the design.

    "I don''t carry enough money with me. Please sent this armour to my house address and collect the payment there." Re''Kha said.

    "It would be my pleasure," Ju''Dra smiled.

    The servant from before returned with arge, dusty box, opening it to reveal two elemental weapons resembling Harpen Waves. Re''Kha touched them, inspected them with her Water Qi perception to see they were still in good condition.

    "How much are they?" Re''Kha asked.

    "The one with a shorter chain costs 60 RuQi while the one with a longer chain costs 70 RuQi," Ju''Dra replied.

    "I''ll take them both," Re''Kha said as she called Ki''Nua, telling her about the armours.

    "I''ll have to consult my mother about that. I don''t have enough money to spend on it." Ki''Nua said. Once they were finished with buying all their weapons, Re''Kha and Ki''Nua continued to shop around as they bought some clothes, hair essories, etc.

    It was nighttime when they parted ways and returned to their respective homes. Re''Kha then noticed the servant Suu looking anxious as she waited at the entrance.

 Chapter 125 - The Letter

    The moment Suu noticed the figure of Re''Kha alight from the cycle rickshaw, she sighed in relief, "I was anxious,dy Re''Luk. If you werete any longer, I would have visited the market myself."

    "I had a goodpany this time, so we didn''t see the track of time." Re''Kha apologised. They only stopped their shopping spree when the shops were being closed.

    Suu was the granddaughter of the servant Sii. She was the only one who usually attended to the needs of Re''Kha in the house. She helped Re''Kha carry therge shoulder bag Re''Kha had brought with her, taking it to her room.

    Contained in the bag were a lot of clothes, essories, and some items of interest she had grabbed. Re''Kha also bought a lot of fasting pills. They were round balls the size of her thumb. Each ball was enough for one meal. And, they had a shelf life of one year.

    So, in the case when she was travelling, they would prove a lot useful. Re''Kha bought 30 of them just in case and stored them in her storage space. Once she had removed the food ration and the spare clothes stuffed in them, there was a lot of free space.

    Moreover, she had yet to pay for the armour, the spare elemental sword, and the two Harpen Waves imitations. She nned to use 1 RuQi coins to pay them, thereby reducing the weight in her bag.

    She had already given all the medicines she had stolen from the Ju n''s western settlement to Mu''Tua, saying they were something she had looted from her pursuers. Mu''Tua didn''t ask for details, knowing what to do with them.

    It was also a mode Re''Kha used to pay Mu''Tua for taking care of her. As she knew she would be imposing on her a lot, she wished to at least repay a small part of it in this manner.

    Once she ced the shoulder bag in her room, Suu handed Re''Kha a letter, "This letter arrived in the evening, mydy. It was addressed to you."

    "Thank you," Re''Kha nodded.

    "It''ste, mydy. If you are hungry, shall I make something for you?" Suu asked.

    "It''s fine. I already ate my fill in the market." Re''Kha waved her hand, motioning for the servant Suu to close the door.

    Re''Kha sat on the table, increasing the brightness of the oilntern by adjusting the position of its wick. She then opened the letter, smiling upon guessing the sender.

    "Re''Shi¡­" Re''Kha read the letter with a smile. She already knew who it would have been from the moment she received the letter. Mu''Tua had informed her that she already ryed the message of her survival to her dad. Moreover, to prevent her mother from sniffing out her position, he was warned by Mu''Tua to not send her a letter.

    Therefore, the only person that would still send her a letter would be Burmat Re''Shi. She was surprised he managed to track her whereabouts so soon. It meant he still had some trusted subordinates by his side.

    Re''Kha read the letter, seeing how there were no names written in it, "I made it safely to the city. Let''s meet during noon in the restaurant with a simr name to the one we first met in."

    "Haha," Re''Khaughed, "It''s good that you have managed to get here."

    Simr to her, Burmat Re''Shi too was broiled in political schemes. His stepmother wished to give more power to her children and strip power from him, who was next in line to seed the Burmat Re n.

    So, she tried many ways to secretly chip away at his health and mental sanity through numerous schemes. If it wasn''t for her wishing to destroy him without leaving any pieces of evidence behind, she would have had numerous chances to kill him.

    After all, despite his talents, Burmat Re''Shi wasn''t as strong as Burmat Re''Kya, who had more time to develop. Moreover, as his father was in the Bura Fort, most of the n''s power was controlled by her. So, there were a lot of eyes on him, not giving him the freedom to even breathe safely.

    The fact that he still managed to weave his way towards Burfuna City disyed his wit.

    Re''Kha exited her room, soon finding the servant Suu, "Are there any restaurants named afterkes?"

    Suu thought for a moment before replying, "There is the Bright Lake Restaurant, Petal Lake Restaurant, Ripple Lake Restaurant¡­"

    "How many Ripple Lake Restaurants are there?" Re''Kha interjected.

    "There''s only one, but it is a bit far. You would have to enter the Southern District for that," The servant Suu said.

    "I need to meet someone there tomorrow afternoon. At what time should I depart?"

    "Sometimete in the morning would be enough. There is a route with fewer turns to it. So, you can reach it quite early."

    "Thank you," Re''Kha returned to her room, falling asleep immediately. The next morning, she was woken up early by Suu to receive the delivery.

    Re''Kha took the armour, Rigid Water, and the three elemental weapons from the shop''s servant. She gave him a bag filled with money, mostly of 1 RuQi coins. The servant quickly counted through the coins in the bag, double-checking to ensure the amount was correct.

    Once it was done, he bowed and walked away.

    Re''Kha returned to her room, inspecting the items to see they were the same she had chosen in the shop. She then activated the armour, smiling upon sensing the dense amount of Water Qi it emitted.

    ''The density it emits is almost 1 unit of Water Qi.'' Re''Kha smiled, feeling that it was a steal she had obtained the armour. It would improve her defensive aspects a lot when she fights the Blinded Ghost the next time.

    She kept all the items in her storage space, seeing how it was almost full once again. The armour was only a piece of cloth, so once folded, Re''Kha could easily store it in the storage space.

    She then got ready, wearing one of the dresses she had bought the previous day. As Mu''Tua hadn''t returned yet, she informed the servant Suu and hailed a cycle rickshaw, excited at seeing Re''Shi once again.

 Chapter 126 - Childhood Friend

    Re''Kha sat in the cycle rickshaw, recalling her memories of the first time she saw Burmat Re''Shi. The first time she saw him was when she was around 6 years old. Re''Kha hadn''t visited any other cities since childhood, but it wasn''t as if she hadn''t met people that were from different cities.

    In fact, she had met a lot of individuals hailing from different parts of the country. Everything was thanks to the existence of the Bura Fort. The Bura Fort was one of the two southernmost forts in their country.

    There were two states in the south of their country, and a fort existed for each that defended their southern border. For their state of Burlong, it was the Bura Fort. Bordering them to the south was the Treka, a race that had sworn vengeance against them.

    So, wars frequency sparked between them. A ce with a lot of war needed a lot of people. And, to fuel that, people from all parts of their city and beyond headed to the Bura Fort.

    The Bura Fort was established as a massive defensive line against the Treka. Therefore, it needed a lot of resources to sustain itself. It was where the settlements under each city existed for. Each settlement had its own food production unit that sent a determined sum to the Bura Fort every season.

    Thanks to the Aeki, there were no worries of the food ever getting spoiled. So, a shortage of food was always the least of their concern. Moreover, the same went for a source of water. There existed the water season, replenishing the groundwater levels every year.

    And, through an Aeki that stored water, they used it as a well, getting a stable water supply of purified water.

    When people were enlisted to the Bura Fort, they travelled from all parts of the country to it and stopped at Burkurel City. As Burkurel City was thest city in the south, situated closest to Bura Fort, most of the enlisted people stayed there first before heading to Bura Fort.

    Moreover, whenever people from the Bura Fort needed to rest and rx, they visited Burkurel City. It was because of this that flowing traffic was the highest in Burkurel City. As part of the Re n that governed it, Re''Kha had a lot of chances to meet people of power and influence.

    After all, her mother was one of the five heads that controlled the Burkurel Re n. And, as her child with the greatest talent, Re''Kha was able to meet with a lot of people in power. On one such asion was her meeting with Burmat Re''Shi.

    Burmat Re''Shi was currently 21 years of age, two years older than her. He was pretty smart and had a great presence of mind. Though when he was young, he was na?ve and innocent. His mental maturity made it seem he was younger than his age.

    So, when they met, they became good friends. Upon seeing that, whenever his father had to return to Bura Fort, he would leave Burmat Re''Shi in the Burkurel Re n. After all, no one would dare scheme against him here. The people of the Burkurel Re n both feared and revered the Burmat Re n, the strongest of all the Re ns.

    If it was back in the Burmat Re n, his father was afraid someone might scheme against him. It hadn''t been a concern until the mother of Burmat Re''Shi died under the hands of a Sha. Even though he remarried, it was due to political reasons. So, most of the time, he left Burmat Re''Shi in the family of Re''Kha.

    As both of their fathers were good friends and had shared numerous life and death instances with each other, developing significant trust, upon seeing their children shared a good rtionship, they decided to engage the two.

    Their engagement was something everyone in the Burkurel Re n envied upon. After all, Burmat Re''Shi was the direct sessor to the Burmat Re n. Thanks to his talents when he awakened as a Harmoniser, he basically had no rivals to his session.

    Inparison, the status of Re''Kha was inferior. After all, she wasn''t in direct line of session to the Burkurel Re n. Every n had five divisions in them: the four directions and the central division.

    The central division was the main family, and sessors only emerged from this. There were four other families, forming each of the other directions. They were named differently in every n. For example, in the Burkurel Re n, each family was named ording tokes.

    So, when Re''Kha introduced herself, she would say she was the daughter of the Burkurel Re n''s West Lake''s Head. Their family status wasn''t permanent. After all, the strongest family became the main family, while the remaining four were the branch families.

    When Re''Kha exhibited her talent in the field of water at a young age, her mother became ambitious. Moreover, when she heard the news of how Burfuna Re''Rak, the father of Re''Kha got Re''Kha engaged to Burmat Re''Shi, she felt it was perfect.

    After all, with an engagement to the Burmat Re n, the status of their family elevated further, bing equal to the main family in the Burkurel Re n. As the main family too possessed a sessor with the same talent as her, there was a lot of friction between the two families.

    Itter progressed to such an extent her nsmen plotted to kill Re''Kha, and almost seeded if not for the timely intervention of her master. And, it seemed Burmat Re''Shi too had suffered from a simr situation.

    People with talent were usually pulled into the politics of the powerful in an effort to string them. Along the way, they either died or became the pawns of someone. Only in the rare cases where they capitalised on their talents and grew powerful would they be free from such schemes.

    "Hah," Re''Kha shook her head, erasing all theplicated thoughts in her head as she alighted from the cycle rickshaw and paid the driver. She looked at the que on the restaurant, reading the words, "Ripple Lake Restaurant."

    Re''Kha activated her Wind Qi perception and enveloped the entire restaurant in it, soon spotting a familiar figure as she beamed with happiness.

 Chapter 127 - The Tall Lady Behind The Reception

    Re''Kha didn''t immediately rush in, stopping as she cooled her head. Using the Wind Qi perception, she looked around the restaurant, taking note of the faces of the people seated there. She wasn''t able to grasp any significant detail in her Wind Qi perception, but she still made note of the design of their eyes, noseline, mouth, jaw, the creases on their foreheads, their facial structure, etc.

    This way, she would be able to determine who they were when she encountered them in the future. After all, she wasn''t assured none failed to track Burmat Re''Shi. After all, based on her memories and of what Re''Shi had told her, Burmat Re''Kya wasn''t a simple person. Her schemes were meticulous and ran deep.

    So, Re''Kha had some suspicion that one of her men went undetected even under the scrutinising radar of Burmat Re''Shi. So, using the advantages of her Wind Qi perception, Re''Kha wished to help him.

    She wished to talk and chat with him, reminiscing old times. But, this wasn''t the appropriate situation for that. She was currently in hiding, and there ought to have been a lot of eyes trained on Burmat Re''Shi.

    Re''Kha focused on the eyes of the people seated in the restaurant, trailing past their gases, their bodynguage, and their conversation. She snooped around the conversations of other people, listening for any evidence she could find.

    "The young master looks so lonely. He seems to have lost weight recently."

    "Shush, don''t speak aloud. He might hear us?"

    "Are you mad, we are sitting so far away. Even if we were to talk normally, he wouldn''t hear anything. And besides, he''s been visiting this restaurant every day."

    "From what I heard, this ce shares the same name as thatdy."

    "Ahh, her. She was really pretty. It''s a sad fate she ended up that way."

    "The young master wanted to clear his mind by visiting this auction. But, it seems he still cannot get her out of his head."

    "Well, if I had someone that pretty by my side, I wouldn''t be able to forget her either."

    "As if, have you looked at your face?"

    "Damn you, what is wrong with my face?"

    Re''Kha frowned, the conversation she randomly spied on was about her. She then focused on another table as her frown deepened.

    "Are you sure the young master is waiting for someone?"

    "He''s just bing insane these days. Burkurel Re''Kha is dead. Lady Re''Kya said it personally."

    "Still, there is a chance he could be nning something. He might even me everything on Lady Re''Kya and might be nning to do something to her. We cannot rule out that possibility."

    Re''Kha snooped around another table, hearing some conversations about her and Re''Shi from time to time. Only now did she notice that everyone on the first floor of the restaurant was talking about simr things.

    They were all hushed about it; even the servants that moved about delivering food didn''t hear their conversations. Only thanks to her Wind Qi perception was Re''Kha able to hear it. She then focused on the figure of Burmat Re''Shi as her eyes emitted killing intent.

    At first, she was fooled into thinking it was him, thanks to the exact same physique and facial structure he shared. But, she was unable to feel any sense of familiarity from him now that she took a closer look.

    After all, when he saved her before, Re''Kha remembered the connection she felt with his Pranic Avatar. So, it was strange she didn''t feel the same now.

    Re''Kha didn''t immediately leave the restaurant, for she had just stepped in its entrance. It would look odd if she exited now, for she could feel some gazes on her. Thankfully, it was because of her getup. Re''Kha had her face mostly covered, save for her nose and mouth.

    Unless it was her father or mother, no one would be able to recognise it was her through this alone. The reason people shot nces her way was because she had her eyes and Tikka jewellery covered.

    The restaurant only had the ground and first floor. And, it seemed the entirety of the first floor had been upied by the people tailing after Burmat Re''Shi.

    ''Now, where have you gone?'' Re''Kha made a sweep around the restaurant, failing to find anyone close to her. She then felt something strange, noticing something amiss as she felt a sense of familiarity with thedy behind the reception counter.

    Thedy behind the counter dwarfed her. She was tall, and supposedly pretty, judging by the looks she was getting from the passer-by. Upon seeing Re''Kha, she beckoned her with a smile, "What shall I get for you, mydy?"

    Her action, her posture, her smile, and her mimicked voice, Re''Kha reined in herughter, controlling herself as she apuded in her mind. ''Brilliant! That was a good one!''

    "Well¡­" Re''Kha smiled, acting like a spoiled aristocrat as she looked at the talldy from head to toe in a lecherous manner, "I was supposed to apany a friend to a meal today. But, something came up and she was unable to make it. Why don''t you take her ce? My treat!"

    Thedy behind the counter looked troubled, hesitating as she noticed the restaurant owner walking towards them, intending to mediate and prevent the situation from escting further. A lot of aristocrats behaved wrongly with people, especially with beautiful people, men and women included. So, he was experienced in these affairs, knowing what to do to ensure the aristocrats wouldn''t be offended.

    Though, just when he was about to mediate, the tall woman made a subtle action with her hand, implying that she had the situation under control. The restaurant owner nodded and gazed from afar, intending to step in the moment something turned amiss.

    The talldy smiled as she looked at Re''Kha, performing a formal bow. "It would be my pleasure, mydy. How may I address you?"

    "You can call me Re''Luk." Re''Kha smiled, watching thedy behind the counter lead her towards a secluded table on the ground floor, away from the auditory range of the crowd.

    "Are you fine with our VIP table, mydy?" The talldy smiled.

    "Of course," Re''Kha chuckled.

 Chapter 128 - A Rushed Conversation

    The VIP table wasn''t anything special, except for the fact it was situated far away from everyone and was mostly hidden behind a pir over which flower vines grew. This cast a wall that prevented people from seeing the ones seated on the table.

    Moreover, it upied a lot of space, preventing anyone from even mistakenly hearing the conversation that happened in the ce.

    The talldy brought Re''Kha to the table, making her sitfortably on the chair. She then sat opposite to her, acting in line with her position, disying her professionalism to do something that she didn''t like doing.

    Re''Kha didn''t seem to mind it though, acting as if she was enjoying being in thepany of the tall, beautifuldy. A servant arrived and took their orders, sighing as he nced at the talldy before leaving.

    Re''Kha kept her Wind Qi perception active, ensuring there was no one else within audible range. She slightly rxed, gazing at the talldy, expressing her surprise, "How¡­were you able to pull this off?"

    "I have a friend who''s a spy," The talldy smiled, "She is someone who has conducted seven sessful missions of infiltrating into thend of the Treka and even managed to live there for a couple of months every time."

    The talldy chuckled, "She helped me with this disguise. How is it? Even you couldn''t recognise me like this, right?"

    "Didn''t the thought cross in your mind that I wouldn''t be able to recognise you and head straight to the first floor?" Re''Kha frowned, acting like she was slightly angry.

    "You can feel that connection, right?" The talldyughed, "That would have been more than enough. Besides, I disguised as the receptionist precisely to prevent any troubles from cropping up."

    "And," She smiled, "The one acting as my double is one of my close friends. My spy friend disguised himself as me. How was it? Was his appearance perfect?"

    "I didn''t actually see him," Re''Kha shrugged, "It''s not as if the ability my master gave me can perceive people like the sight."

    "Right, you did talk about that." The talldy nodded. Re''Kha hadn''t said anything about her Wind Qi perception to Re''Shi yet. She didn''t wish to trouble him more than she already did. She felt it would be better to do so once Re''Shi freed himself from his situation.

    At present, what she said to Re''Shi was simr to what she had said to Mu''Tua. It wasn''t the truth, but it wasn''t entirely a lie either. That was why Re''Kha went with such an exnation.

    "Just¡­what is happening up there? I just felt¡­a sense of danger from up there." Re''Kha frowned, "I thought you managed to extricate yourself from the politics of your n."

    "That wouldn''t stop until Re''Kya kills me," The talldy sighed, actingpletely different from how Re''Shi behaved. "I just said I wished to take some time away from the n and cool my head. I used the uing auction as an excuse. Unfortunately, Re''Kya still dispatched a lot of people to keep tabs on me."

    "How will you return after this? Are you able to stay longer?" Re''Kha asked; her voice choked up as she didn''t wish to part ways so quickly.

    "The person I am disguised as is actually the receptionist of this restaurant. I picked this because we have a simr height and my spy friend said she could pull off her appearance through a disguise. I paid her enough to make sure she skipped work today. But, if I do this again, she might be suspicious." The talldy sighed. Her expression morphed into one who was troubled but still put through with the demands of the other person, acting in time when the servant returned with the food.

    He then set the table, arranged the food items, and walked away. The talldy''s expression returned to normal as Re''Khaughed, "When did you be so good with acting?"

    "I''ve been acting a lot recently. I guess, trying to fool an expert of acting like Re''Kya forced me to drastically improve my skills." The talldy said with a smug expression, waving her hand above her chest, "Aren''t mine bigger than yours?"

    "As if," Re''Kha rolled her eyes, "They aren''t."

    Re''Khaughed, heaving a sigh of relief after that, "There is a person I met after arriving at this city. Her name is Ki''Nua, and she''s also connected to the Withered Courtyard. I am nning to investigate her house in two days."

    "That''s risky," The talldy''s voice turned a tad louder, almost sounding manly for an instant before she controlled herself, taking in a deep breath before speaking, "That contains a lot of risk. What are you nning to do if you are pulled into it? It would bete by the time Ie to know about it and rush to your rescue."

    "Rx," Re''Kha smiled, "I made some preparations. And besides, I have Harpen Waves."

    "Harpen Waves¡­? You mean the real deal?" The talldy''s eyes widened in surprise, "Where did you get it?"

    "In that settlement," Re''Kha sighed, talking about some more of her experiences that she hadn''t been able to share the previous time.

    "Just don''t attempt anything risky for the time being. Focus on recuperating. Lady Mu''Tua should be able to heal your eyes fully. So, just stay at her ce and meditate. As for the details concerning your master, I''m already on it. Once I uncover something, I''ll ry a message to you."

    "And," The talldy sighed, "I think your mother is already onto you."

    "How? I have been careful all along." Re''Kha frowned, "How did she get a clue despite that?"

    "There are two clues actually." The talldy sighed, "First, the fact thatdy Mu''Tua has a guest that has stayed in her house for three months, and based on witness, Re''Luk is a water attributed Harmoniser. The second clue was¡­"

    "Your father," She didn''t know how to express herself, "He''s not a good actor. That fact that his expression of loss and despair had disappeared all of a sudden is more than enough of a clue for your mother."

 Chapter 129 - Visit Earth

    "Dad has never been good at hiding his emotions." Re''Kha sighed. She then noticed the talldy bing uneasy, as if she had sensed something.

    Re''Kha activated her Wind Qi perception, extending it to see the young master¡ªthe double acting as Burmat Re''Shi¡ªhad finished his meal and had just gotten up.

    "Do you have to leave already?" Re''Kha felt sad, having to part ways so soon.

    "Don''t worry," The talldy ced a whistle in her hands, "This whistle can call forth a special bird I have been raising in the wild for the past year. We can use it to exchange letters secretly."

    "Also, I''ll try my best to prolong the time before either of our motherse to know of your survival." She got up, holding the hand of Re''Kha tightly for a moment before turning around and walking away.

    Re''Kha wanted to cry for a moment, having been thrust into such a situation where she wasn''t even able to talk freely with the one person she held dear. She then saw that the talldy had left a 20 RuQi coin on the table, the price of their meal.

    The servant came soon after and picked up the coin after bowing towards Re''Kha. Re''Kha waved him away and she sighed. She noticed how the talldy excused herself from the restaurant owner and rushed out.

    The fake Burmat Re''Shi was pushed on his wheelchair by the maid who took care of him always. Along the way, he said he had to use the restroom. When they arrived before the restroom, a servant of the restaurant took him inside, making the maid wait at the entrance.

    After all, it wouldn''t be pleasant allowing a woman to enter the men''s restroom. In actuality, the servant was actually a trusted follower of Burmat Re''Shi. The moment they entered the restroom, the fake Burmat Re''Shi swapped ces with the real one.

    Burmat Re''Shi had swiftly changed into his regr appearance, also managing topletely erase the feminine scent that was on him earlier. He seemed as if he hadn''t dressed up as the receptionistdy.

    After a grunt, Burmat Re''Shi sat on his wheelchair and acted as usual as he was pushed out by the servant. The maid then took charge of him as they exited the restaurant.

    Re''Kha remained in the restaurant, continuing to eat at a slow pace as she made use of her Wind Qi perception to trace the ce Re''Shi was staying at. It wasn''t far, and the moment she finished scanning his ce for any potential dangers in his room, Re''Kha swiftly left the restaurant, taking care not to be spotted by the people descending from the first floor.

    She then boarded a cycle rickshaw and returned to her home, watching Mu''Tua sitting in the living room with a frown. The moment she noticed Re''Kha, she stood up, "Is your Elemental Qi capacity at full?"

    "Yes, it is. I have all my 12 units of Water Qi in me." Re''Kha nodded. She had already replenished her Water Qi reserves using the Water Qi Essence before heading to the market. After all, it was wise to be prepared in such cases.

    She was apanying Ki''Nua, someone who had been having dreams about the Withered Courtyard. So, Re''Kha didn''t wish to take any chances and proceed without enough Water Qi in her. She had a lot of Water Qi Essences, enough tost her a lifetime and still not be depleted.

    It would be idiotic of her to save them in cases where her life might be at risk. So, Re''Kha ensured she was in an optimal state.

    "Good, get ready now. We will head to the Vi n tonight." Mu''Tua said.

    "Did something happen?" Re''Kha became alert, thinking of what Burmat Re''Shi had said to her, wondering if either her mother or Re''Kya had already discovered her identity.

    "I and the Mu n head went through some records." Mu''Tua motioned for her to sit as she spoke, "We noticed that there were strange instances in history."

    "What strange instances?"

    "Situations, where a person''s body part is stolen by a Sha, isn''t rare. And, as long as it is a physical injury, and as long as the person can afford it, we would fully regenerate his lost body part. And, he would then go about his daily life without problems." Mu''Tua sighed, "But, this wasn''t true for some cases."

    "In most of such situations, the victims had only been treated after the Sha that stole their body part had been killed. So, nothing unusual was recorded. And, as for the Sha that hadn''t been killed, they had only stolen the body parts ofmoners most of the time. As they couldn''t afford our services, they only obtained basic healing and lived as a cripple for the rest of their lives." She massaged her forehead.

    Feeling that her wrinkles were increasing, she rxed, "And, even in most of the cases where a Sha hadn''t been killed and the victim was fully healed, nothing usual happened, except in the cases where the stolen body part had something to do with the sensory organs."

    "Sensory organs?" Re''Kha frowned.

    "Yes," Mu''Tua nodded, consoling her as she said, "In such cases, the patients were normal even after they had been healed. But, over time, they started to behave strangely. And most of the time, they either died in a war or a fight with a beast. But sometimes, they went mad and killed other people until they were killed by the guards. The cases were so rare we only managed to unearth three cases. And, all three of them pertained to one thing¡­"

    Her expression turned solemn as the air chilled, "They had been possessed by the Sha. The Sha continued to live as them for the rest of their lives. And, their mad states were because of a conflict of the memories, ego, willpower, etc. of the victim and the Sha."

    ''So, master was indeed correct about this.'' Re''Kha nodded, "So, why do we have to visit the Vi n for this?"

    "It is because after paying a price, the Vi n allowed us one of their slots," Mu''Tua nodded, "It is in hopes that the connection between you and the Blinded Ghost would be severed if you¡­"

    "Visit Earth."

 Chapter 130 - Visiting The Vi Clan

    "Would visiting Earth be of any use? A slot to it would have been incredibly expensive." Re''Kha pondered, feeling worried about the price Mu''Tua would have paid for that. She was feeling guilty for imposing on her to this extent.

    "Haha," Mu''Tua patted her head, "Child, you don''t have to worry about something like that. We would have paid such a price anyway the moment we noticed such an issue. After all, the number of Sha prowling about has increasedtely. So, know this information beforehand has helped us a lot. Besides, the Sha that you faced was capable of stealing one''s sense of sweetness, right?"

    Mu''Tua expressed her worry, "And, this is something rted to one''s senses. If we had blindly healed those people, just imagine the chaos it would have created."

    "So, just remember that this is valuable information. It was also why the Vi n allowed us a slot and didn''t overcharge us. They just nned to use make use of their magnanimity in this issue and fight a war of words over the other Elemental ns to gain better benefits." Sheughed, waving her hands, "Let them y with their politics while we solve our problems."

    "There isn''t enough time," Mu''Tua urged Re''Kha to get ready, "We''ll have to head to the Vi n right now. The time for your slot is midnight, so we have to hurry. After all, there might be a lot of formality and discussions to maintain there. We can only focus on our task once all such round-about nonsense is finished."

    "I''m already ready," Re''Kha looked at herself, noticing that her dress was sufficiently good enough to visit the Vi n.

    "No," Mu''Tua gazed at her dress before shaking her head, "This will not do. It would be better for you to wear a Mu n dress. It saves a lot of time and effort for me."

    "Alright," Re''Kha nodded, watching Mu''Tua call for the servant Sii, motioning for her to bring a set of dresses suitable for Re''Kha.

    Sii hadplete knowledge of everything in the house, so she soon returned with a set of dresses perfect for Re''Kha. As the dress of the Mu n was one thatpletely covered her body, save for the face, Re''Kha was d. She didn''t have to use another cloth to cover her head separately.

    Seeing how Re''Kha had kept her eyes covered by a ribbon all the time, Sii also brought a white ribbon that matched the colour of the dress. Re''Kha swiftly returned to her room and changed into the dress, feeling that while it allowed for dextrous movement of her hands, it was slightly constricting when it came to her legs.

    This showed the mindset of the Mu nsmen. They needed the freedom of movement for their hands since all the operations they conducted were performed using their hands. But, the cloth on their legs made them unable to sprint.

    It was because of a simple reason; a doctor must never run. As they were always in the hospital, running might cause them to bump into people along the way. There was a chance. And, since the people they bump into might be patients with a variety of injuries, their actions might further endanger the patients, or possibly even cause their deaths.

    Moreover, even if the hallways were empty, running caused their heartbeats to increase. This caused their hands to mildly shiver while they would be out of breath. Both were risky in the case they had to converse with patients or had to operate on them right away.

    That was why their lower garments were slightly constrictive, preventing them from running. This saved a lot of trouble for them, hence the design was incorporated into their clothes.

    ''I am not going to fight there, so it is okay.'' Re''Kha thought, since everything that happened on Earth followed a different scheme.

    Re''Kha didn''t remove her storage ring, Budding Dew. After all, there was no reason to do so. Besides, she kept all her weapons in it for emergencies. As her Elemental Qi was at maximum capacity, she was fully geared up.

    "We''ll return after a day," Mu''Tua said to Sii as she and Re''Kha exited the house, hailing the cycle rickshaw always on standby in their n. The two boarded it and headed towards the Vi n.

    Mu''Tua closed her eyes, mentally preparing herself for the annoyance that would happen once she entered the Vi n. She then looked at Re''Kha, "Unless it is absolutely necessary, don''t speak. Also, if someone continues to annoy you, just say you have something important to tell me or you had just obtained an idea. Those from the Vi n talk too much."

    "I know," Re''Kha nodded, "Whenever we had meetings between the other ns, it was annoying to deal with those from the Vi n. They ask too many questions, and most of the time, they speak just for the sake of speaking. There is no cause or information in most of what they speak."

    "Indeed," Mu''Tua sighed, "But since it was them who has lent a helping hand to us, we must disy our gratitude and not tell them off. Keep that in mind."

    "I know, grandma." Re''Kha nodded, "I have dealt with a lot of the younger generation from the Vi n."

    "That''s good," Mu''Tua nodded, "What we have is just a conjecture. But, we hope to see if entering Earth would sever the connection between you and the blinded Ghost. That would save us a lot of trouble."

    "What do you usually use to sever the connection between a person and a Sha?" Re''Kha inquired, "This shouldn''t be the first time, right?"

    "Like I said," Mu''Tua spoke, "We only begin treating the patients after the Sha has been killed. Even in the other cases, as the Sha had already stolen the necessary body part from them, they weren''t bothered by the respective Sha again. The only exceptions were the possession cases we just realised about."

    "Possession is indeed scary," Re''Kha shuddered.

 Chapter 131 - Burfuna Vi Clan

    "Pleasee in,dy Mu''Tua." The n Head of the Burfuna Vi n personally arrived at the entrance to receive her. After all, just considering their age alone, Mu''Tua was on the older side and from a generation before him, so the n Head had to be respectful.

    Moreover, she was a highly respected doctor and was close to achieving the Realm of a Martial Master. So, it was only natural for him to personally arrive to receive her.

    "Thank you, Vi n Head." Mu''Tua cupped her fists respectfully, gazing a bit down to make eye contact with the Vi n Head. He was half a head shorter than her.

    Everyone from the Vi n was short, forming the shortest bunch in their society. It was to the extent some of the females who had a younger face even disguised themselves as children. They also had thin statures, so it was easy to mistake them for children.

    The Vi n Head though was short but had considerable body mass, not to mention the thick beard he grew. His face also sported a massive scar, something he didn''t wish to erase using treatment, wearing it as a badge of honour.

    "Pleasee in," After making a cordial nce at Re''Kha, the Vi n Head looked at Mu''Tua and invited them into the Vi n''s main hallway.

    The design of every n was different and conformed to enhance the environment with their respective element. The Re n had lots of water, upying most of their n space. As their element conformed to water, they lived in an area rich in water.

    Moreover, they also grew a certain beast in the water that would enrich the Water Qi in it over time and help with theprehension sessions of the Harmonisers of Re n.

    Re''Kha entered the Vi n and immediately noticed numerous beasts roaming about in their respective territories. They were barricaded to prevent the beasts from harming the people. There was a certain box in every area that was used to store the bodily waste of the beasts.

    Emitted from the boxes was a subtle fluctuation. The moment Re''Kha began to walk through the path, she felt a faint numbing sensation. She then noticed the hair of the Vi n Head stand up.

    Depending on their affinity to the lightning element, the straightness of their hair standing up varied. As for the Vi n Head, it was the most perfect straight she had seen. Through her Wind Qi perception, Re''Kha immediately noticed that the concentration of the grey sand world had decreased here.

    Thanks to the numbing sensation she felt, she determined the cause was the faint traces of Lightning Qi in the air. Normally speaking, only Wind Qi could be present in the air, nothing else. But, depending on the climate, the Wind Qi would be either suppressed or cut off.

    It was what happened when it rained. The Wind Qi still existed, but thanks to the raindrops filled with Water Qi, they impeded her perception, preventing it from travelling forth. That''s why she was unable to see anything during the rains and why she was able to see immediately once it stopped.

    In nature, despite shing, the elements lived in a harmony of sorts. The natural phenomenon worked in aplicated mechanism to keep each other in check. That was why the Wind Qi returned swiftly whenever it stopped raining.

    The one difference between their houses, aspared to the ones in the Vi n to the Re n, was how bridges existed that trailed from the terrace of one house to another, as a form of parallel wires.

    It was like a mechanism to walk upon. Re''Kha saw a Harmoniser holding a long pole as he walked over the rope, travelling from one house to another. He used the pole to bnce himself as he walked on the rope like he did on the ground, carefree.

    Even though they could perfectly travel on the ground, they still chose to travel using the ropes.

    "Lightning is the most mysterious element of them all. It can never be controlled fully. That is why we train our bodies so that our control over the element deepens." The Vi n Head noticed Re''Kha looked at the wires, smiling as he exined.

    They then entered the main hall of the n, a massive house structured around their centre. Chairs were ced in two rows facing each other. At the end was a tform elevated by a single step where two chairs were ced on each side, facing each other. This was where the heads of the four directions in their n sat.

    The final one, facing the path and situated another step higher was the seat of the n Head. Finally, embedded in the wall, positioned beyond the height of a man were three seats, facing the path. It was where the n Elders sat.

    At present, all the three Vi n Elders sat in ce, showing the importance they ced in the visit of Mu''Tua. After all, only a Martial Master could be a n Elder.

    ''The Burfuna Vi n too has three Martial Masters.'' Re''Kha gazed up, noticing how the seats of the three Elders were veiled, preventing one from even guessing their size, not to mention their appearance.

    "Elders, I''ve brought Lady Mu''Tua." The Vi n Head bowed towards the three seats on the wall.

    "Good, take your seat, n Head." A voice from the seat on the right resounded as the Vi n Head took his seat. The seats of the four directions were already filled. The heads of every other family too were seated, depending on their status in the n.

    Mu''Tua and Re''Kha were standing as they paid their respects. "Mu''Tua (Re''Luk) pays her respect to the Burfuna Vi n."

    "About the possession," A slightly concerned voice resounded from the seat of the Elder on the left, "Is it true a Sha can do it?"

    "Based on what we have found out," Mu''Tua nodded, "Yes, they can. It is why we havee here with our request."

    "I hope a visit to Earth can sever the connection, or at least damage it." The Voice from the Elder in the centre resounded as his gaze fell on Re''Kha, "Is this the child that would be entering Earth?"

 Chapter 132 - Earth

    "Yes, she would be the one entering Earth," Mu''Tua said as she nced at Re''Kha, "She hade in contact with a Sha recently. So, we are trying to see if a trip to Earth would sever her connection with the Sha."

    "This is the first time someone who hade into contact with a Sha is allowed entry to Earth." The Elder seated in the centre said, "Let''s exercise caution. Let her mingle with our n''s younger generation until it is her time."

    "Yes," Mu''Tua nced at Re''Kha, motioning for her to leave the main hall. Re''Kha bowed towards the Vi n Head, also implying her bow was directed towards the three Elders thanks to facing the same direction. She bowed twice, making contact with the heights each were seated at.

    Re''Kha turned around and walked away, exiting the hall as she could still hear faint murmurs of the conversation shared between Mu''Tua and the Elders. Re''Kha didn''t use her Wind Qi perception for most of the duration, afraid the Elders would sense something.

    So, she only used it at the start to know the positions of everyone before switching it off. She had been careful not to show her Tikka jewellery in the meantime. As for the Vi n Head, all he did was frown once when he noticed her Tikka jewellery was hidden.

    Re''Kha didn''t wish to walk anywhere else, after all, she was in the territory of a different n. She neither had any friends nor acquaints in the Burfuna Vi n. So, instead of roaming around the area and stir up something unwanted, she decided to stay put in the ce.

    Re''Kha found a perfect ce to sit along the side of a path as she moved the hood covering her head, making the bottom half of her Tikka jewellery''s gem be revealed. It was a habit of everyone from her race to gaze at the Tikka jewellery of people they came across.

    When someone hid their Tikka jewellery, others usually saw it either annoying or sometimes offensive. In such a case where she came to meet the leaders of a n, it wasn''t wise to cover her Tikka jewellery like that.

    But, it wouldn''t have been polite if she adjusted her hood once she was in their presence. The n Hall was a ce where strictness was implied the most, since people were in the presence of the n Elders there, beings who were Martial Masters.

    And, the Martial Masters were people who were really old, so their mindsets were different from the youth who managed the n. Based on what she had been told, the Martial Masters were most probably seniors to even people like Mu''Tua in age.

    So that''s why she didn''t do anything else and exited the moment she was permitted to.

    "Hah," Re''Kha rxed, not feeling afraid despite the fact she wasn''t using her Wind Qi perception to see. Re''Kha could feel a couple of gazes on her. And, as the gazes moved, she could also sense a rtive distance between them.

    This was the reason Re''Kha usually lied about her master teaching her a method that allowed her to perceive people around her. It wasn''t a lie, but just that the effect was incredibly weak and vague. But, Re''Kha knew that as long as she trained with her Wind Qi perception, her senses would improve.

    After all, the presences she felt was basically the airing into contact with them. And, the effect their moving bodies had on the wind was faintly perceived by her. This was a sense exclusive to the wind element. Re''Kha had an inkling that this sense would grow until she could clearly sense the presence of people further down the line, at least until a certain range after which it would be blurry.

    As to how long the range could grow towards, she was unsure.

    "Hello there, mydy." The voice of a man resounded as Re''Kha turned in the direction of the voice, acting based on the presence she felt.

    Re''Kha stood up and performed a formal bow, "I am called Re''Luk."

    "It''s a pleasure meeting you,dy Re''Luk." The other party introduced himself, "I am¡­"

    Re''Kha didn''t seem to focus on what he said, getting diverted when she heard her name being called by Mu''Tua. Re''Kha made a formal bow to the man who had spoken to her, "It was a pleasure meeting you."

    She then adjusted her hood, covering the gem on her Tikka jewellery once again as she walked towards Mu''Tua. She had revealed it before solely because she felt some gazes on her. It was to prevent them from having suspicion. After all, nomoners were allowed entry to Earth. It was something banned by imperialw.

    So, the prime concern of the Vi nsmen was the fact she could hail from themoners, someone who wasn''t a Harmoniser. Once they saw her bright blue radiance, their gazes trailed past one after another.

    Re''Kha and Mu''Tua went around,ing across the Vi nsmen as they chatted from time to time, attended tea breaks, dinner, etc. Finally, when it was sometime before midnight, Re''Kha apanied the Vi n Head who led her to an underground room beneath the main hall.

    It was a long, narrow corridor that was dark, save for some luminescent stones embedded in the walls that barely illuminated the path. It was just enough for one to not trip while walking. As for why the radiance was so dim and why the n hadn''t invested in embedding more stones into the wall, Re''Kha had once asked the Burkurel Re n Head.

    All she got as a reply was the fact that it was enough. When she pressed forth for an answer, she was greeted with silence.

    ''I never knew I would be able to visit here when Ick my sight. As to the fact whether the Earth is different in different cities, I''ll personally verify it now.'' Re''Kha hadn''t activated her Wind Qi perception, for she knew the entity before her would change colours based on the element of the user.

    Using her Wind Qi perception now was a death sentence. Thankfully, it was the same as in her n. Re''Kha waited in the ce with the Vi n Head for some time, soon hearing a series of footsteps. The Vi nsmen who had finished his exploration emerged, shooting a confused nce at Re''Kha as he noticed her bright blue gem, wondering why his n had invited an outsider for an exploration.

    He didn''t say anything, bowing once at the n Head as he entered a room beside. The Vi n Head looked at Re''Kha, "It''s your time, now. Don''t dy."

    "Thank you," Re''Kha bowed and continued to walk. She felt something moist envelop her as the colour of the mist in the ce had turned blue and became moist, changing because her element was water.

    Re''Kha continued to walk at such a pace, feeling the moisture around her intensity suddenly as she felt as if she was drowning in water. An instantter, her eyes shot open, now able to ''see'' her surroundings.

 Chapter 133 - Quest

    Re''Kha felt a mild headache as her eyes shot open, squinting under the sharp rays of the morning sun. The weather was hot, while the surroundings were bright. Adding onto all the ss-panelled walls that reflected the sunlight, her eyes hurt.

    "Ugh," Re''Kha grunted, feeling pain in her back and heel. She also felt stuffy thanks to the ufortably tight clothes she was wearing. Moreover, theyer of coating on her face and the thick perfume on her clothes made her frown, feeling difficulty in breathing.

    The scent wasn''t something she liked. She was currently positioned at the side of the road, wearing branded clothes, present in a position where she had picked up a pocket makeup kit and had looked into thepact mirror attached to the underside of its lid, intending to check her appearance.

    Re''Kha looked at her appearance, noticing that she looked like a woman in herte thirties. Her hair was long and braided, and the bangs on the front made her appearance seem younger than her age.

    Mellowed wheatish skinplexion, brown eyes, dark brown hair, wide facial structure with slightly puffed cheeks, sported by a sharp jawline, it was an entirely different person.

    To her right was a luxury car out of which she had just alighted. It had been parked at the entrance of a building. A chauffeur arrived and took the car, shooting a nce at her through the corner of his eyes as he went about driving the car.

    Her current appearance screamed of a wealthy sessful woman who was trying her best to maintain her fading youth. Everything had been happening simultaneously; Re''Kha hadn''t even grasped her situation yet.

    When she looked at thepact mirror held on her left, its name automatically resounded in her mind as she knew what it was supposed to be used for. It was the same for the handbag hung on her right. Just the sense of touch was enough for all the information pertaining to the bag, the type of items in it, their brand names, their value, their use, etc. resounded in her mind.

    It was a seamless transmission of information, as if Re''Kha had been this particrdy from the start. Re''Kha took a step forward, feeling difficulty in walking thanks to the heels worn by thedy. She almost stumbled. Her second step was better as an instinct of sorts guided her actions, making her third step be the same as someone who had a habit of wearing such heels usually.

    ''I am on earth now.'' The thought just popped in her mind when the sounds of a bike whirring into life resounded beside her with great volume, causing her to flinch instinctively. A hand shot forward and grabbed her handbag, pulling it out of her hold using her instinctive action to their advantage.

    The dangling earrings on her ears moved in conjunction with the draft caused by the bike; the tyres of the bike scrapped on the road, causing tyre marks as faint smoke was generated. Two people rode on the bike; the driver had his right hand on the elerator while his left hand had grabbed hold of her handbag.

    The left hand of the other guy trailed right behind her butt, only separated by a small distance. It was slowly inching forward as the grin on the guy crept into a wider grin. The ambience changed as the sunlight lost most of its colours.

    The world turned ck and white, slowing down by one hundred times. The sound from the bike, his action of stealing her handbag, and her instinctive reaction caused thepact mirror in her left hand to fly up.

    It slowly rotated in the air, reflecting the surroundings, turning as it showed the figures of the two men on the bike. The scene paned as the face of thedy in her thirties was reflected in the mirror. Everything happened slowly as Re''Kha felt the heightening of her consciousness.

    She was able to process information at a faster rate now as a soft sound echoed in her ears.

    <Ding>

    Letters shed on herpact mirror, the information in them was registered in her mind instantly.

    [Quest: Reim your belongings from the purse snatchers.]

    [Quest Description: Hari and Giri are two lecherous brothers who thrive by snatching the purse of hardworking women. Chase after them and reim your belongings before they are sold.]

    [Time Limit: Until your exploration ends.]

    [Restriction: Usage of Harmoniser power is restricted.]

    [Quest Reward: 2 Prana Stones.]

    Information pertaining to the quest resounded in her mind as Re''Kha immediately understood the basics of the concepts that revolved around her. Though, it was only limited to the quest. Anything else beyond that would not be fed to her.

    Moreover, all the information that was fed to her would vanish the moment she left the Earth. Her eyes moved to the sides as Re''Kha etched the faces of the two thugs in her mind. The ck and white ambience turned normal as the speed of flow of the events became real-time once again.

    The driver thugughed boisterously as he had seeded in snatching the purse of a rich woman. The scene was something that happened in a second. So, Re''Kha was unable to react to something in such a short time frame, even if she had been able to grasp the situation properly when the time was running slow.

    The left hand of the other thug pped her butt and pinched her while he was at it.

    "Perky!" The other thugughed lecherously as he turned his head, making a licking action as he looked at Re''Kha. The two thugs sped on their bike, moving at tremendous speeds, the likes her feet would never be able to catch up to.

    Re''Kha caught hold of thepact mirror and closed it, aiming with it as she threw it with all her might. Her arm strength was tremendously weak, iparable to her actual body. Still, it was barely sufficient to send thepact mirror flying and hit her luxury car the chauffeur had just begun to drive. The sound caused him to stop the car and turn around, noticing the figure of Re''Kha run towards the car, at a speed that was akin to a normal person''s jog.

 Chapter 134 - Slots And Prana Stones

    "Get out!" Re''Kha shouted as she arrived next to the driver''s seat. Her tone was arrogant, treating people as if they didn''t have much to be worthy about. It was the character of thedy in effect. As it wasn''t her first exploration, Re''Kha wasn''t bothered by it.

    She had been to Earth four times till now. ording to the rules established by the Celestial Emperor, a Harmoniser could only visit Earth once per year. There were no penalties imposed by the Celestial Emperor. After all, the portals themselves wouldn''t allow someone more than once per year.

    But, it was only concerning to the respective portal. The same Harmoniser could visit the portal in another city and reach Earth a second time in the same year. But, no one actually did that. After all, it wasn''t as if Harmonisers from another city would allow a slot for someone other than their own.

    After all, a slot meant one day. And, a Harmoniser only gathered around 2-3 Prana Stones per slot. So, that was all they obtained during each exploration. Therefore, the Prana Stones they obtained from their limited slots was a n''s foundation.

    Only by using a Prana Stone would a Harmoniser increase the Elemental Qi in him by one unit. And, the greater the quantity of Prana Stones they possessed, the stronger a n grew.

    But, it wasn''t easy to do so. After all, there only existed four pathways to Earth per city. And, each pathway¡ªleading to the portal¡ªwas controlled by each Elemental n respectively. There were 365 days per year, so it meant each Elemental n only had 365 slots to Earth.

    They wouldn''t give it to someone else for whatever reason. Unless the reason was something that had either been a solution to their troubles or a cause that would profit them, no Elemental n would give up their respective slots.

    Therefore, a Harmoniser wasn''t able to visit Earth through another city''s portal. In their home city itself, they only had one chance per year. Though for everyone, this was enough, despite the taxes they had to pay.

    A significant portion of the Harmonisers were barely able toprehend a unit worth of Elemental Qi per year. So, one Prana Stone was enough for their needs.

    As the tax per exploration was one Prana Stone, they had to obtain two Prana Stones per exploration, and it would be enough for them. And, any Prana Stones they obtained above that were sold for profit to the n Elders.

    Only the n Elders managed the Prana Stones and prevented it from ever leaving the vicinity of the portal. The reason was to prevent the Prana Stones from ending up in the hands of others. The second reason was that when the Prana Stones were brought a certain distance from the portal, they vaporised.

    It was why the Vi nsman from before had entered a room near the path the moment he exited the portal. Therefore, the entire storage of each Elemental n''s reserve of Prana Stones was kept in one ce and was watched by the n Elder.

    There also was a delegate from the Royal Family ced in the area to ensure nothing unexpected happened.

    The Harmonisers paid a tax of one Prana Stone to the n upon exiting. Any Prana Stones they obtained apart from that were for their exclusive use.

    They could either use it then and there or store it in the n treasury to be used by their family. Everything would be ounted for by the n Elder to prevent any malpractice. Usually, no Harmoniser saved any Prana Stones for his or her family members.

    After all, an Elemental n only had enough active Harmonisers as its number of slots. Based on past experience, when the number crossed this, the overall strength of the n eventually reduced. So, every active Harmoniser was able to obtain enough Prana Stones for his/her need through their slot.

    And, to someone that failed to obtain even one Prana Stone, they would be permanently cklisted from entering Earth ever again. After all, their failure meant a Prana Stone''s worth of loss to the n.

    365 Prana Stones, that was the number of Prana Stones each Elemental n umted every year. This was the foundation they used to recruit guards who would be inducted into Harmonisers to work for their n.

    In most of the cases, the guards at most possessed 2-3 units of Elemental Qi. It was to ensure they weren''t helpless when facing a Sha, which was what threatened the Elemental ns the most in their city.

    After all, the guards had no use for existence if they were unable to stop the threat that knocked on their door. But, it wasn''t as if the Elemental ns could make use of all the 365 Prana Stones.

    After all, 270 Prana Stones had to be paid to the Royal Family as tax every year. This was one of the most expensive taxes the Elemental ns had to pay. Moreover, to prevent the Elemental ns from taxing their nsmen more Prana Stones to make up for this, the delegate from the Royal n existed.

    Every n Elder was a person of wisdom who was capable of seeing long term. So, they too ensured nothing like an increase of tax ever urred.

    The 270 Prana Stones seemed like a lot, but they were all the Royal n relied on to nurture the growth of their Harmonisers. It wasn''t that alone. They also had to take care of the nsmen from the Four Great ns under them. After all, they didn''t have a source to obtain Prana Stones other than from the taxes.

    They had established aplicated system revolving around the Prana Stones, the sole item that was able to increase the Elemental Qi in a Harmoniser by one unit. It was why every exploration to Earth was valuable.

    And, there wasn''t enough time to finish borate quests. It was why Re''Kha was unwilling to let this chance slip past her. "After all, it''s rare toe across a deliberate quest like this. It saves me a lot of time in trying to find a quest. Besides, the reward is two Prana Stones. So, this is incredibly rewarding."

    Re''Kha smiled and started the car.

 Chapter 135 - Information Flow

    The car jerked and came to a stop. Re''Kha felt like an idiot. She didn''t even know anything about a car, some time ago. But now, information rted to it flowed into her mind, bing her muscle memory.

    She whirred the car to life once again, starting it as she gently pressed on the elerator while leaving the clutch. The car jerked and came to a stop once again. She sighed, taking a deep breath as her hands held the steering wheel. Her eyes though were trailing after the thugs on the bike.

    They had long since escaped from her view. All Re''Kha could do was note the direction they had proceeded towards, hoping that she would be able toe across them.

    "Ma''am, if it is an emergency, shall I escort you?" The chauffeur from before stood at the door, asking with a polite smile. He seemed like the type that had been used to the harsh treatment directed at him daily. After all, with wealth came arrogance to oneself. And as most of the people he met daily were such people, he came across a lot of them that gave him a bitter experience.

    But, he didn''t have any other option but to sh a fake smile and talk. He had no other choice but to do so since any one of his customers was capable of firing him from his bread earning job. His job had a high pay with the least among of work whenpared to every other job. After all, most of his job was just listening to the threats of the people that were being jerks just because they were capable of doing so without any repercussions.

    ''I''m fine on my own,'' Re''Kha looked at the chauffeur, "Just mind your damn business."

    The words she wished to say were filtered by the time they spewed out of her mouth. When in someone''s character, her actions would be ording to that. It was a rule that governed Earth.

    ''As I expected, this ce looks different from the Earth back in Burkurel City.'' Re''Kha noticed her vision trail to the clothes of the chauffeur, spotting a rectangr piece of gadget. The moment she gazed at it, information rted to it flowed into her mind.

    Her hand shot forth, making contact with the chauffeur''s phone, causing him to flinch in fear for a moment. A single contact was enough for her to know everything about mobile phones. She then picked up his phone, not caring about his reaction as she clicked on it.

    ''Thankfully, it''s not password protected.'' She thought, dialling the number 100 in it as she made the call. Seeing the number dialled, the chauffeur was afraid now, thinking he was going to get reported under false charges.

    Just when he nned to snatch his phone and escape from the scene, he heard the voice of thedy in her thirties.

    "Hello, police station? My purse was snatched in MG Road. The thieves rode a bike with the license te number KA02 CH 1764¡­yes, my phone is in my purse¡­the number is¡­ 8035769612. Yes¡­I''ll be there in 10 minutes." Re''Kha threw the phone to the chauffeur, "Thank you."

    She then started the car and drove away. Thoughts whirred in her mind, ''Thankfully, I didn''t give chase blindly. I wouldn''t have been able to find them otherwise.''

    Re''Kha looked at the time disyed on her watch, noting that it was 09:20 AM. ''There''s still 10 minutes before my work starts.''

    She sighed, gazing at the ticking time of the watch, ''How wonderful would it be if such a timing device existed back on our world?''

    Every time she was on Earth, such a thought would resound in her mind. A device to converse through long-distance, a device to give an urate time, a device that allowed her to travel long distances without feeling tired, etc. Everything of convenience was present in abundance stunned her.

    After all, the character she was controlling was a weakdy, despite only being in her thirties. She was weak but was still able to travel at an incredible speed thanks to the car. Re''Kha didn''t dwell much on the matter, for she knew she would forget everything rted to this once she left Earth.

    She would still remember everything that she had witnessed, but she wouldn''t be able to make any sense of them. All her understanding of it would be removed, preventing her from understanding why she did what she had done on Earth.

    Some sort of inhibition prevented her, and every other Harmoniser from ever understanding about Earth. It was one of the highest forms of puzzles that every Harmoniser struggled to even make sense of.

    ''Thankfully, I obtained a deliberate quest this time.'' Re''Kha felt happy about this point. Deliberate quests were something that happened on their own and involved the Quest takers¡ªHarmonisers visiting Earth. So, even before they tried, they would obtain a Quest.

    It was the best of their kind. But, they seldom appeared.

    This was the first time Re''Kha hade across one of them. Re''Kha honked as she overtook another car, shouting at the top of her lungs, "Can''t you see where you are driving? Blind nipoop!"

    The words automatically stemmed from her mouth when Re''Kha hadn''t even intended to speak anything. She hadn''t even nned to shout, intending to only focus on her task. She involuntarily sighed, frowning at the fact she yed a troublesome character this time.

    She saw the target of her curse mutter something under his mouth, inaudible since she had already crossed his vehicle and sped along.

    10:10 AM, after swimming through the traffic, she finally arrived before the police station. Re''Kha sauntered in like she owned the ce, directly approaching the Inspector as she spoke, "I want to file an FIR about my stolen purse. I believe I talked with one of the police here through phone 50 minutes ago."

    The Inspector frowned at her attitude, pointing at a seat as he said with a gruff voice, "Sit."

 Chapter 136 - Itâ€™s An LV

    "Sit." The Inspector said and opened a file. He then shouted, "Constable, take an FIR report from thisdy."

    The constable looked at her from top to bottom once as he beckoned her to his seat. Just when Re''Kha nned to head there, her body failed to budge as an irritated voice rang out from her, "Look, I already told everything through the phone. You should trace the thugs first before they switch off my mobile phone."

    "Look here,dy," The Inspector spoke with a frown, "Don''t tell us what to do. This is our job. We know what to do."

    "I''ll sue¡­" Re''Kha took in a deep breath, controlling herself from speaking out the rest. She focused, barely managing to shut her mouth as she opened it a secondter, "I''ll file an FIR. But please consider what we have said."

    The Inspector still maintained his frown, but it softened by a bit as he looked at another constable, "Is anyone on this case?"

    "The culprits are the Hari and Giri brothers. Only they are active on MG road this early in the morning." A constable replied.

    "The Hari and Giri brothers¡­" The Inspector muttered, feeling a headache building up in him as he massaged his forehead. He looked at Re''Kha, "Fill the FIR."

    "Fine," Re''Kha approached the designated constable as she gave the necessary details. After noting down everything, the constable asked, "What colour is your purse?"

    "It''s an LV," Re''Kha replied, feeling her eyelids twitch as she felt annoyed internally at the woman''s character.

    The constable looked at her in confusion, "And¡­what colour is an LV? Light Blue?"

    "It''s a brand¡­" Re''Kha looked around, feeling a lot of information pour into her head as said, "I can show it to you on google."

    "Please," The constable said as he pushed the keyboard towards her. The moment Re''Kha touched the keyboard, an instinct of sorts enveloped her as her fingers danced on it. Three secondster, she pulled up the image of the bag and showed it to the constable, "It''s this bag."

    The constable looked at the bag as inhaled a sharp breath, "Is it made from gold?"

    "It''s an LV." She replied automatically, cursing the character mentally as she iterated, "It''s¡­not."

    "Then this price makes no sense." The constable grumbled as he got up and left. His grumbling voice was audible to her, "My three years'' worth of sry for a stupid bag. These rich people are¡­ugh."

    Re''Kha didn''tment anything despite hearing his grumbling. She was controlling her character from flipping out for no reason once again.

    ''Someone that has a ridiculous amount of ego for no reason.'' That was her opinion of the character.

    The constable entered the room nearby and came out with a printout, stating to the Inspector about her case. It seemed they were either done with the pending work or some of them were already on other cases; so, they were able to spare time for her case immediately.

    The constable pointed at the ce on the printed map, "Her phone was switched off at this ce. It''s one of the shops that deal with theft electronics."

    "Let''s get going then," The Inspector stood up as he looked at Re''Kha, "We''ll inform you when we find it. Leave any other contact info here."

    "I''lle too," Re''Kha said, unwilling to miss the action. After all, she wasn''t guaranteed a lead until the snatchers were caught. And, if it took more than a day, then she would have failed the quest.

    Thankfully, this was a forced quest, so it didn''te with any penalties. Otherwise, the situation would have be riskier.

    The goal of her visit this time was to see if this trip to Earth would sever her connection with the Blinded Ghost. But, that didn''t mean she could just fail her mission and not earn any Prana Stones. That would be worse. At least, if she obtained any, she would have been able to give them to Mu''Tua aspensation.

    "You?" The Inspectorughed sarcastically, "Lady, this is not your office. Your life would be at risk ife with us."

    Information rted to thedy in her thirties resounded in her head as Re''Kha swiftly thought of a reason, showing her resolve, "It''s not the price of the purse that matters. What matters are the documents in it that would save lives. And, only I can recognise their worth. For anyone else, they would just look like regr papers."

    "What are those documents?" The Inspector frowned.

    "I can''t say that," Re''Kha shook her head, "But, I can tell you that the livelihood of many are dependent on it."

    "If it is something that important, why did you keep it in the purse in the first ce¡­" The Inspector grunted as he waved his hand, irritated, "Suit yourself."

    He shouted, "Damodar and Saadhav,e with me."

    The constables named Damodar and Saadhav immediately got up from their seats and apanied them to their jeep. Re''Kha boarded the seat on the back; Damodar drove while the Inspector sat to his left. Seated behind his seat was Saadhav, and to his right was Re''Kha.

    The jeep plied through the road as it swam through the traffic. The constable Saadhav kept in touch with the team that was tracking her phone while the Inspector conversed with the police from other stations, asking for any details about the one they were pursuing.

    Re''Kha tried to activate her Wind Qi perception like usual, finding that she was unable to do so. It was as if such a concept didn''t exist here. Moreover, she noticed a certain object holstered to the Inspector''s hip, feeling a sense of fear from it.

    The information rted to it flowed into her mind as some rted memories shed. Re''Kha shuddered at the might the object had, ''So, this is a gun.''

    This was her first Quest that involved the police and the thugs, so she came across things that she hadn''t in her previous explorations.

    The roads started to get slightly bumpy and narrow as the jeep stopped. The Inspector looked at Damodar, "Stay here."

    He then looked at the remaining constable, "We''ll check through the shop then."

 Chapter 137 - An Inspectorâ€™s Slap

    The Inspector and Saadhav walked through a narrow route as they seemed familiar with the ce. The roads were barely three metres in breadth while narrow shops littered both sides of the street.

    A variety of items were disyed in the shops that seemed to sell anything and everything. They were mostly electronics, the items in each shop seemed to be simr to the stuff sold in the other shops. The only difference was in the size of the shops and the number of people in them.

    Most of the shops were just being opened as there wasn''t much traffic in the area. Still, people were pacing about on the roads, familiar with the area as they conversed with the shopkeepers. It was mostly electronics that were sold in these shops, followed by the parts that were put in a variety of electricals and electronics.

    Re''Kha looked at the backs of the two police that disappeared from her line of sight as they took a turn to the right. The path there seemed even narrower, barely a metre in breadth. But, neither the Inspector nor the constable Saadhav seemed to be scared.

    It seemed they had experience dealing with the people hidden in the area that did illegal activities. With a single sweep of the ce, Re''Kha obtained a lot of information that resounded in her mind, making her realise that this was the best area for anyone part of an illegal business to be situated at.

    After all, the shops here dealt with electronics. They weren''t normal showrooms but ones that sold both branded and Chinese knock-offs. They also catered to all orders, such as repairing electronic gadgets, making custom ones based on orders, etc.

    Re''Kha looked around, noticing that the police jeep was situated in a ce that was in a slightly open area. It was located in a junction, so the road was wider here. She noticed how the expressions of the people moving about in the area were no different to the ones she encountered in her daily life¡ªas the character of thedy in her thirties.

    They were all busy and seemed pressed for time. Re''Kha trailed past the faces of everyone, asking Damodar, "Will there be any trouble with a direct confrontation?"

    "Heh," Damodar snorted, "There are a lot of low-lives hidden among ces like these. They use the traffic in these parts to hide away from the police. And, even if we nab them, their gangs make use of the loopholes in thews to free them soon. Our only choice is to beat the shit out of them when they are in our custody in hopes the pain makes them find something better to do in life. But, they are worse than bulls. They have neither shame nor any values."

    ¡­

    The Inspector remained in his frown as his stoic face scanned past the crowd that brushed past him. Saadhav trailed right behind him, ready to nab anyone the inspector pointed at. They then arrived before a path that went into a building.

    The path was barely a metre and trailed between two two-storey buildings. It acted as a corridor and branched into two rooms on the right. Both the rooms were also shops, selling goods. It was unknown why they operated in a narrow ce where most of the customers would refrain from entering, but since they remained operating, either the ce was theirs or they obtained enough customers to pay rent.

    The Inspector walked through the narrow path as he saw the figure of a young man who had crouched low to open the lock that had been mped at the bottom of the shutter. Hearing the sounds of footsteps, the man slightly turned his head while remaining in his crouched posture, gazing at the face of the Inspector.

    Without a second''s hesitation, he sprang forth and headed towards the wall at the back, intending to jump over it. He had just made a jump and grabbed hold of the top of the wall when a hand grabbed the back of his shirt and tugged him with force.

    The force of the pull tore his shirt. But before he nned to slip by, the Inspector grabbed hold of his pant and pulled him, sending him reeling to the ground. The man instinctively shielded his body with his hands as the Inspector rained down kicks on him.

    The constable Saadhav too joined in on the attack as the two beat up the man for a minute before propping him up. The Inspector mmed the man on the wall and spoke, "Hari and Giri, where are they now? The items they gave you today, return them to me."

    "Y-Yes¡­" The man gasped for breath as he kneeled on the floor, coughing intermittently as he struggled to get up. He then slowly walked towards the shutter, nning to open it as he grabbed its lock. His eyes darted stealthily as his body suddenly jerked and leaped through a gap between the constable''s legs and the wall, quickly springing back to his feet as he sprinted with strength that he hadn''t disyed before.

    The constable Saadhav acted in a fluster while the Inspector didn''t react, shouting, "I have the keys."

    He then dangled the keys in the air, causing them to make a nging sound. The man didn''t stop, unwilling to fall for such a im as his body continued to run. Just when he was about to arrive at the road, his hands shot to his pant, feeling around to notice that he had indeed missed his keys.

    He turned around, watching the constable Saadhav pounce on him as he was dragged back to the shop. The Inspector gave Saadhav the keys, motioning for him to open the shutter while he sent a p to the man, causing his eyes to turn red.

    The p did more damage to him than the earlier beating. After all, apanying the crisp sound of the palm meeting his cheek was a wave of humiliation that was capable of prating even through his thick skin.

    The constable opened the shutters and revealed a mobile repair shop that was no different than others. But, the Inspector''s eyes turned venomous as he looked at the items in the shop.

 Chapter 138 - Forced Behaviour

    There wasn''t anything suspicious in the shop. All the tools and items were just normal stuff avable in a shop meant to repair mobiles. But, it was to what they were being used that pissed the Inspector.

    He noticed how they were tampering with sim cards that wouldter join the retail market, as if they had just arrived from the factory. They were also making changes to mobile chargers so that they were able to obtain sensitive information from the mobile phone through it.

    There were quite a few like this, stuff they used to obtain private information of people that wouldter be used for ckmailing purposes. Without another word, the Inspector pped the man once again, this time putting enough force behind the p to knock the man unconscious.

    "Check if thatdy''s phone is here." He said to the constable, acting as the lookout as he looked through other items of notice in the shop. He fished under their drawer, picking up the phone in it as he surfed through it.

    "Bank ount numbers, pin, social media usernames, and passwords¡­" The more he read, the more he scowled. "Saadhav, wasn''t this shop just something that sold stolen electronics? Since when did they begin to do all this?"

    The constable shook his head, expressing his ignorance on the matter as he finally obtained the phone of thedy in her thirties. He saw the lock screen, confirming that it was indeed hers. It hadn''t been tampered with yet, judging by its state. Or maybe it had already been tampered with and was perfectly covered up.

    "Take evidence of everything this shop has," The Inspector said as the constable took pictures of everything in the shop, especially the ckmailing materials. In the meantime, the Inspector pped the man awake, speaking when the other party regained lucidity, "What else did they leave behind?"

    "O-Only the mobile phone." The man replied with obvious fear.

    "What about the rest? Where have they taken the goods they stole in the morning." The Inspector questioned, expressing his temperament that was ready to beat the living daylights of the man.

    "I-In the third floor of za Bazaar, the shop of¡­Kar¡­" The man stuttered as the Inspector motioned for him to shut up. The information was more than enough for him to know who it was.

    ''But, that shop is close to our jeep.'' He frowned, making eye contact with the constable to see that he had obtained all the evidence. He then looked at the man, ring at him, "If I see you doing anything beyond what you did before, I''ll make your life a living hell. Understand?"

    "Y-Yes," The man nodded weakly as he gasped for breath. The Inspector and the constable quickly retreated from the scene as they walked along the path to their jeep.

    They hadn''t arrested the man, for that was a stupid thing to do considering the situation. Even if they arrest him, another person would rece him the next day. The root cause of the situation wouldn''t be solved.

    And, despite knowing the root of the issue, the Inspector didn''t take any action. For, the other party was backed by someone he couldn''t offend. The moment he did so would his position be ripped off or some harm would befall his family. He had to do his job while ensuring he could see the next day with less of a frown.

    So, all he could do was make sure the man wouldn''tmit a crime beyond that of stealing. At least, the stolen goods would still circte within the market and could be retrieved by them somehow.

    The two of them soon arrived in the line of sight of their jeep to see there was no one inside. It was empty. The Inspector took his walkie-talkie, cursing, "Damodar, where have you gone?"

    "Dammit," He cursed upon hearing his voice from within the jeep.

    ¡­

    Re''Kha continued to look past the faces of the people that walked past, keeping attention on all the shops to see if she would find her target. Suddenly, she noticed the back of a familiar silhouette, shouting, "It''s them!"

    Damodar looked at the back of the individual she had pointed at, immediately recognising them as the culprits. He took his walkie-talkie, intending to report it to the Inspector when Re''Kha exited the jeep and chased after the two thugs.

    "Curse thisdy," Damodar jumped out of the jeep and chased after Re''Kha, intending to keep her safe. After all, if a civilian was injured while under their care, it would prove as a bad image for them. The media would overinte it and talk crap about them, painting them as useless people that did nothing but eat taxpayer money. As the cause for it, he would be med. He would no longer get any promotions in the future.

    Such thoughts resounded in his mind as the constable Damodar left the jeep in a hurry and chased after Re''Kha. In his hurry, he left the walkie-talkie in the jeep itself, for he used the same hand¡ªthat had been holding the walkie-talkie ¨Cto open the door.

    Unconsciously, he dropped it while opening the door to chase after Re''Kha. He hadn''t even securely locked the jeep. But, since it was a police vehicle, no one would steal it. And, it was parked in public, so no one would dare to do so unless they wished to make headlines in the newspaper the next day.

    Re''Kha scowled, not because she was chasing after the two thugs, but because her body had moved automatically. It was the character taking control of the situation. That was whypleting Quests on Earth was difficult. It was because the characters they yed as took control at many times, also affecting their mode of speech, behaviour, etc.

    Situations becameplicated and most of the time, the characters they yed as were weak, as if they hadn''t exercised in their lifetime. If Re''Kha had been her real self, she would have already finished her quest by now.

    Without wasting any time, Re''Kha ran after the thugs, soon closing in on them as she noticed her bag was still in their hands. They had just exited a shop that provided them breakfast and were walking on the road, about to enter a shop where they could sell the bag.

 Chapter 139 - A Simple Plan

    Even though she had chased after the thugs with blinding enthusiasm, her actual speed wasn''t anything spectacr. It was inferior whenpared to a normal person''s walking speed.

    First were the high heels she wore, and second, was the ufortably tight clothes that bound her body, and third was her weak physique. All of them made her running ce a snail''s crawl.

    Thedy in her thirties didn''t even cross five metres from the jeep before the constable Damodar caught hold of her hand, whispering to her, "What are you doing?"

    "They are the thugs who stole my bag. See, it is still in their hands." A voice automatically resounded from her mouth as Re''Kha focused her attention on other ces, intending to think of a method that would help her deal with the situation.

    "So what?" Damodar spoke in anger, "You cannot do anything to them. Sit in the car. When the other two return, we can easily nab them. If your shouting alerts them and they were to escape, what will you do? It would be hard to track them through these parts."

    "Look," Re''Kha took control of her character as her tone turned a tad polite, motioning with her eyes as she pointed at the shop the two thugs were entering, "If the documents in the bag are taken out and destroyed, everything would be meaningless. And, they are entering a shop that probably knows what to do with those documents. If they obtain it, they could use it for ckmails and threaten the lives of many people."

    "Fine, our objective is the bag, right?" Damodar was convinced as he motioned for her to remain seated in the jeep, "Hide in the jeep. I''ll try to chase after them."

    "Wait," Re''Kha said as she pointed at the path that went around the shop the two thugs nned to enter, "If you circle through that and jump on them, even if they were to escape from your hold, they would still have to run this way. I might be able to do something to them then."

    "Fine, just be careful," Damodar said as he stealthily moved through the crowd. There wasn''t enough time since the thugs were about to enter the shop. It was aplex, arge building in these parts that at most had two storeys. Moreover, the ce within was teeming with people who had a connection to the gangs one way or another.

    So, he had to be quick and nab the purse before the situation escted. Damodar noticed how the two thugs seemed to have found someone familiar as they chatted with him. Judging by their bodynguage and the way they shed the purse in their hands, he determined they were probably boasting their exploits.

    He quickly moved through the crowd and took a narrow path in an effort to circle around the shop and jump upon them from the other side. Re''Kha witnessed everything, realising that her current physique prevented her from doing anything worthwhile.

    She was a weak character now, but that didn''t mean she was weak in the truest sense. Re''Kha looked around, noticing how many gazes were directed at her. After all, her appearance was shy, and she was pretty enough, not to mention the tight dress she wore that revealed her curves. It would be odd if heads didn''t turn her way.

    Re''Kha noticed that most of the shopkeepers could feel something was amiss. So, they didn''t call her to buy any of their wares. She kept watch on the position of the two thugs as she looked around for anything valuable to make use of.

    Finally, her eyes shined as she found a good target that she could take advantage of. It was a 12-year-old kid that seemed like someone who did odd jobs while having a rebellious nature. He also seemed like an opportunist that wouldn''t say no to any money.

    Re''Kha watched how the boy peered into the shops from afar in hopes of obtaining some information that would profit him. As Re''Kha observed him, he felt her gaze, turning around to make eye contact.

    Re''Kha shed a gentle smile, beckoning him toe closer with her hand. The boy looked around, wondering if it was someone else who was being called instead of him. He turned his head, seeing that there wasn''t anyone around him besides himself.

    On realising that a gorgeous, maturedy was calling him, the boy consciously straightened his appearance as he brushed his hands through his hair in an effort to make it look less messy. He then quickly arrived before her, "Do you need something, sister?"

    Just when Re''Kha nned to say something, she felt a pleasant feeling bloom within her the moment the boy called her ''sister''. It stemmed from the character. She ignored it and shed him her watch, "Do you like this watch?"

    The boy gazed at it, noticing its pristine state, the metals used in it, and the shine it radiated under the sun. As someone who had mingled among the shops where numerous watches had been sold, he could immediately determine whether something was truly expensive or was a cheap knockoff.

    "It''s girly, but looks expensive." The boy stated his honest opinion.

    "This will be yours if you do a small favour for sister here." Re''Kha smiled, looking at the boy''s expression to see that he was interested.

    But, a secondter, the boy frowned, looking hesitant, "But, I won''t hurt anyone."

    "Oh, what I want is simple," Re''Kha subtle pointed in the direction of the two thugs, "You see, they stole my purse an hour ago. The one in their hands is my purse. If you snatch it back from them, I''ll reward you with this watch. What do you say?"

    The boy turned around to look at the two thugs, muttering, "So, it is them. No wonder. They always target officedies like you, sister."

    He then shed a bright smile, "Consider it done sister. I''ll call my friend too so that we can steal it back without problems."

 Chapter 140 - Being A Natural

    "Don''t worry, sister. We''ll return your purse without fail." The boy patted his chest, mimicking a soldier''s salute that he had learnt from television. "Please give me 100 rupees. That would make things easier for me."

    "A police constable I hired will try to jump on them any moment now. You can time yourself ordingly." Re''Kha smiled as she handed him a 100 rupee note. Even though she had lost her purse, it seemed her character had a habit of keeping some change in her pocket. And, since it was just a piece of paper, it was easy to be stuffed in the tight-fitting dress without it poking out through the fabric.

    "Police¡­" The boy was slightly cautious.

    Seeing that, Re''Kha lightly patted him, "I promise the police won''t do anything to you. Let''s keep it like this."

    She shed a gentle smile, "If you do this, I''ll also reward you with anything you need."

    "Anything?" The boy was excited.

    "Only if it is in my capability," Re''Kha made a pinching action as she said. Seeing how casual she was in talking with him, the boy rxed. His expression turned serious as he quickly ran through the streets, soon arriving with another boy his age.

    The two of them looked at Re''Kha along the way and shed a sheepish smile before disappearing into the crowd. The traffic through the streets had increased substantially now.

    Re''Kha noticed how the two boys moved through the crowd like fish through water, treating it as their yground. Just the expertise they showed assured Re''Kha that they were capable children.

    Most of the time, their small stature gave them enough of an advantage in most situations. That was why there were a lot of pickpocketers among children. Their height gave them a better reach into the pockets of other people. Moreover, most of the people only looked along their eye level and rarely looked down, giving the children the perfect opportunity to work their magic.

    The two boys were shorter than other boys their age, possibly because of malnutrition that stunted their growth. Still, their actions were dextrous. They looked like assassins there were sent into war in an enemy stronghold. They blended into the environment.

    Re''Kha noticed how instead of heading straight to the thugs, one of the boys disappeared into the streets. Soon, he returned with a purse that was of a simr size to her purse. It seemed the reason the boy had asked her for 100 rupees was for this. The boy had also taken measures to make the stuffing in the purse be simr to here to ensure the fatness of both were the same.

    The colour of them was also simr. Moreover, even though she only gazed at it from afar, due to the obsession of her character with purses, she realised that the purse the boy bought was a replica of her model. And¡­the difference in their rates was akin to dirt and gold.

    The two boys then disappeared into the crowd, approached the two thugs that still seemed immersed in their chatter, swapped the purses automatically by taking advantage of the reflexes that humans possessed against many stimuli.

    The process was naturally executed to the extent Re''Kha stared in wonder. Soon, she saw the boy appear before her as he handed her the purse, "Mission aplished, sister~"

    Her body automatically grabbed hold of the purse and fished through it, heaving a sigh of relief as the documents she wished to safe keep were in it and seemed undamaged. All the remaining items too were inside. It seemed the thugs had only sold the electronics¡ªher mobile phone¡ªfirst and nned to sell the rest in a single batch. It turned out better for her.

    Re''Kha held the purse dear to her as she removed her watch and gave it to the boy. Her character resisted the action but she willed her way through. On seeing how she had kept her word, the boy was happy.

    Re''Kha smiled, "Alright, what do you need? Let''s see if sister here can fulfil it."

    The two boys looked at each other, nodding as they seemed to have the same intention. They looked at Re''Kha with sparkling eyes, saying in unison, "Sister, you have a car, right? Give us a ride in it, please."

    "Pfft," Re''Kha burst intoughter. Her cheerfulughter made the boys automatically blush as she patted them, "Alright. My car is pretty fast, you know."

    "Yesh!" The two boys cheered as they gave hi-fi to each other.

    <Ding>

    [Second Quest: Give a ride to the two kids.]

    [Quest Description: Raghu and Raghav are honest brothers that wish to upload justice in their own way by stealing from the criminals. Their desire has always been to ride a sports car. Fulfil their desire.]

    [Quest Duration: Until the exploration ends.]

    [Reward: 1 Prana Stone]

    [Punishment: 1 Damage]

    ''Yes, another Quest. And this one is incredibly easy.'' Re''Kha cheered mentally as she motioned for the two kids to follow her to the police jeep. Even though they slightly apprehensive, but thanks to her persuasive power, they relented and followed her.

    Re''Kha noticed the Inspector standing beside the jeep as he cursed. He immediately noticed her approach and expressed his anger. But, before he could say anything, Re''Kha shed her purse, saying that she had obtained it, "Constable Damodar is still waiting to jump on the thugs. Please tell him to return."

    "How¡­did you get it?" The Inspector said when his eyes darted to the two boys who flinched under his gaze. They immediately hid behind Re''Kha who shielded them.

    "They are brave children that have helped me," Re''Kha said as she motioned for them to follow her, boarding the jeep.

    Re''Kha then pointed at the two thugs, "Constable Damodar is somewhere around there."

    "Fine," The Inspector clicked his tongue as he and Constable Saadhav quickly rushed through the crowd and found Damodar. They returned to the jeep and took off from the area, swiftly leaving the ce now that they had finished their objective.

    The two thugs remained unaware all along. Once they finished chatting, they entered the shop, nning to sell the expensive purse they had stolen today. It was enough for them to ck off for a month or two and indulge in whatever they desired.

    They indulged in their daydreams as theyughed and opened the door to a certain room where such dealings were usually conducted.

 Chapter 141 - The Unchanging Date

    [Second Quest: Give a ride to the two kids.]

    [Quest Description: Raghu and Raghav are honest brothers that wish to upload justice in their own way by stealing from the criminals. Their desire has always been to ride a sports car. Fulfil their desire.]

    [Quest Duration: Until the exploration ends.]

    [Reward: 1 Prana Stone]

    [Punishment: 1 Damage]

    Re''Kha used a sparepact mirror in her purse to look at the information. There didn''t exist any holograms that depicted the quests or anything game-like on Earth. There only existed the mysterious sound that would resound in one''s ear to notify them of something, either a Questpletion or the addition of a new Quest.

    To see it, one must approach the nearest mirror. Only in a mirror would the Quest details be disyed. And, this was the one constant that every Harmoniser was aware of. Whatever character they be, their starting position would always have a mirror nearby¡ªin one form or another. And it was through this the contents of their Quest, if they obtained one would be given.

    Re''Kha looked at thest row that had appeared now. Unlike before, when she obtained the forced Quest, there was a new tab that dictated punishments. It was one of the sole factors that made the Harmonisers apprehensive from taking drastic actions while on Earth.

    After all, if the character they yed wasn''t their body, then the actions they took wouldn''t be conservative. After all, since they would be leaving it after the duration of a day anyway, they didn''t have to worry about any repercussions and could abuse their character''s body to the limit.

    This was where the punishments came into y. For every normal Quest, they woulde with certain levels of punishment. And, these punishments were usually ssified as damage. And, the greater the reward, the greater the apanying punishment upon failure.

    So that was why most Harmonisers didn''t try to initiate any difficult quests. They wouldplete the easy ones, obtain 3-4 Prana Stones and wait it out until the end of their exploration or try to search for another easy Quest.

    The punishment wasn''t something dealt to their character, but their real body. And, based on what she had been taught, every unit of damage would wound her permanently. But, thanks to the Mu n, such damages could be healed.

    Unfortunately, there existed a hidden rule, and that was the damage umtion. When the total damage a Harmoniser had received from all her explorations reaches 100, she would die. It was another reason the Harmonisers were always cautious of the Quests and didn''t just bulldoze their way through.

    Re''Kha looked at thepact mirror, thinking about the total damage she had received, watching the image disyed on it change.

    [Total Damage Received: 3 Damage]

    It was possible to fail even easy Quests. And, during her first exploration, she failed a mildly difficult Quest, obtaining two damage. She obtained another damage in her second exploration. Thankfully, she managed to score enough Prana Stones during both the explorations, so her qualifications to enter Earth wasn''t revoked by her n.

    This was also why she didn''t try to blindly tackle the thugs but rather tried to use others to solve her issues. This way, she was able toplete her Quest safely while also creating a chance for triggering another Quest.

    And, she had to be careful about triggering any Quests. After all, once triggered, it wasn''t possible to refuse it. It was the same with the two children. Once they expressed their wish to ride a car, the Quest was triggered. If Re''Kha failed toplete it, she would receive one damage.

    That was why she had to be careful about her actions and what she spoke to others. There was a chance a Quest would be triggered anytime. It was another conflict the Harmonisers faced. Triggering a Quest was easy as long as they engaged with the people around them.

    But, they had to be careful in doing so. Otherwise, they would find themselves in the midst of a difficult Quest. They would fail the Quest, receive damage ordingly, and even waste valuable time that they could have used in farming Prana Stones.

    So, they had to be careful and try to predict the type of Quest they could obtain from the people. In an alien world filled to the brim with stuff they didn''t understand, it was difficult to judge whether the person would give them a worthy Quest or not.

    Re''Kha sighed, watching the image disappear as she saw the reflection of her face. She noticed thedy''s in forehead that formed tiny wrinkles when she furrowed her brows. ''The difference between a Kalki and a Human isn''t much. The only difference is our third eye, Pranic Heart, our meridians, and our hair and eye colour.''

    As the jeep began to move, Re''Kha looked at the Inspector, "Did you manage to find my phone?"

    "Yes," The Inspector returned her phone as he spoke with a tone of caution, "Don''t use it for the time being. We''ll send it to Cyber Security and ensure they haven''t tampered with it."

    "Thank you," Re''Kha nodded as she held her phone, clicking the power button as the lock screen was disyed. She looked at the date disyed on it, frowning, ''1st August 2031; the date hasn''t changed here either. It''s the same day.''

    She remembered seeing the date during her first exploration. It was the 1st of August 2031. When she conversed with the people during the different explorations, they always said the same date. It never changed, despite the fact she visited once every year.

    Re''Kha knew for a fact their calendar functioned normally, considering the information she obtained when she gazed and touched them. So, it indeed confused her as to why the date never changed. She had talked about this topic once with her father and was met with the answer that he too was ignorant about the reason why this was the case.

    Her expression changed as she saw an image sh on herpact mirror once again, disying a row of words as the familiar sound resounded in her ears.

    <Ding>

 Chapter 142 - What Is Earth?

    <Ding>

    [Quest: Reim your belongings from the purse snatchers.]

    [Status: Completed]

    [Reward: 2 Prana Stones]

    Once she read through it, the image vanished. Re''Kha knew she would receive the reward once she returned to her world. That was how it always worked.

    To be honest, she had yet to understand the purpose of Earth''s existence. All she knew was the fact it was the source of Prana Stones that helped them increase the units of Elemental Qi in their body. Other than that, everything about it was mysterious.

    There only existed few portals to Earth. And, cities were erected around such portals. Earth seemed technologically advanced than her world, too much in fact, but for some reason, no Human had ever managed to cross over to her world.

    Moreover, it seemed as if they didn''t even know the existence of her world. The confusing fact was how she was able to enter and control the actions of another individual. Moreover, it wasn''t as if they manipted a lifeless realistic-looking doll to move around. It was a real person, a living breathing being.

    And, the fact that the choices of the owners would be apparent in numerous cases, whether it was the way they walked, the abrupt actions they took, the tone and choice of words, or the time when the body moved on its own, despite being inhabited by a Harmoniser, everything made it apparent that they were controlling alive people.

    There were a lot of things that she was curious about and puzzled about Earth. When she felt a headache from all the thoughts, Re''Kha returned her phone to the inspector, only nning to take it after it was verified to be safe to use.

    She ced thepact mirror in her purse and looked out, feeling a lot of information flow into her head as she saw vehicles move past, the numerous shops, and the variety of items in each of them. A lot of them caused a considerable amount of information to flow into her.

    Thankfully for her, it was something that was caused by thews that governed Earth, so Re''Kha didn''t experience any information overload. She patiently looked at everything and learned everything she could about Earth in the short time she was here.

    Even though she would forget everything once she left, any piece of information she hadpletely understood on her own would remain in her and wouldn''t be forgotten. That was what she was hoping to achieve.

    Moreover, the more she saw, the greater the volume of information flowing into her. And, this increased her understanding of Earth, allowing her to have a solid grasp of it soon enough.

    The jeep returned to the police station as the Inspector spoke in his gruff voice, "It would take an hour to finish inspecting your phone. You can either wait here or returnter."

    "I''ll return after an hour then," Re''Kha thanked the Inspector as she looked at the two boys, "Shall we ride my car until then?"

    "Sister, is that your car?" The boy gawked in shock as he pointed at a shy car parked in the police station.

    "That''s mine," Re''Kha smiled, "Let''s get going."

    "Alright!" The two boys jumped in joy as they somersaulted towards the car, exited at riding it.

    The boy she met first took the seat on the front while the other boy upied the two seats on the back, making an expression as if he was in heaven. Re''Kha chuckled as she started the car, slowly bringing it to the main road before whirring it into action, "Put on your seat belts."

    The two boys seemed to know about it, thanks to their interest in cars. And, judging by the way their eyes darted to theponents of the car, it seemed they also had detailed knowledge about them. They were car enthusiasts.

    Re''Kha drove the car on the road, watching the eyes of the boys widen in excitement. She smirked, feeling yful as she elerated it the moment she noticed there was enough free space on the road to do so.

    The sudden increase in speed startled the two boys before they cheered in excitement,ughing at the top of their lungs. The two were high-spirited, enjoying the ride fully.

    To ensure their enjoyment was the maximum, Re''Kha made sharp turns at times, overtook many vehicles, and elerated rapidly in empty spaces before deelerating when in the presence of traffic.

    All her actions caused the thumping of their hearts to increase and decrease in sync. They were caught up in the moment, enjoying it to the limit. Soon, they noticed the car begin to slow down before stopping.

    When they looked around in confusion, they noticed they had reached the police station once again. Confused, the boys looked at Re''Kha who spoke with a smile, "We have been driving for almost two hours now. I still have to get back to work."

    "Thank you, sister." The two boys said with a dispirited tone. The boy wearing her watch was in disbelief as he looked at the time disyed in it, wondering how two hours passed so quickly. Once the car stopped in the police station, they quickly alighted, intending to return back home.

    <Ding>

    Re''Kha opened herpact mirror to see that she hadpleted the Quest. But, upon seeing their hunched backs and their gazes of longing as they stole nces at her car, Re''Kha didn''t wish to leave them like that.

    "Wait here for a minute." Saying so, she entered the police station, directly approaching the Inspector. The ego in her character prevented her from walking towards anyone that didn''t have the highest authority in the police station.

    The Inspector handed her phone, speaking with a solemn tone, "It was good that you hadn''t used it. They had actually tampered with it. It''s been fixed now. So, you can use it without any problems. Still, I suggest you change your phone to a new one."

    "Thank you, for your service," Re''Kha replied and exited the police station, making a call to a certain someone as she looked at the two boys. The moment she looked at the call registry, a mountain of information flooded her mind.

 Chapter 143 - Setting Them Onto A Path

    Re''Kha immediately knew who to call to get the work done. It was odd hearing the voice of a man from a tiny device, but since she was inhabiting thedy in her thirties, her logical self treated it as something normal.

    Once she finished the call, Re''Kha approached the two kids, "What do the two of you love to do the most?"

    "Make and drive cars," The two boys replied in sync.

    "Do you wish to study to make that a reality?" She smiled, seeing their expressions change from calm to confusion.

    "Can we?" One of them asked with hesitation, unsure of himself.

    "All you need to do is ask. Your help saved me from a lot of trouble. So, consider it your actual reward." Re''Kha pressed forth, making eye contact with them as she spoke.

    "We want to make it a reality, sister." The two children shouted.

    <Ding>

    Upon hearing the familiar sound, Re''Kha smiled, motioning at her car with a smile, "Climb aboard then. I have a friend who deals with second-hand cars. He''s also the owner of a technical school. I''ll make you meet him."

    After the two boys boarded the car, Re''Kha went around to reach her driver seat, using the chance to take out herpact mirror and look at the information.

    [Quest: Set the two children on a path they desire]

    [Quest Description: It was the dearest wish of Raghu and Raghav to live around cars for the rest of their lives. Pave the way to their future and allow these enthusiastic individuals to bloom in the field they are passionate about.]

    [Quest Reward: 3 Prana Stones]

    [Quest Duration: Till the end of exploration]

    [Punishment: 7 Damage]

    Re''Kha took in a sharp breath, for both the rewards and punishments were beyond what she had expected. It was then she thought of the difficulty of the task and the consequences its failure would pose.

    The task was to give the two boys a future and set them on the path to a field they desired to work in. It meant to provide them education, something that wasn''t cheap. Moreover, they were already 12 years old, long past the age to begin their schooling.

    Failing this task meant the children would go back to their previous life, a life where they wandered around the shops in search of opportunities. They were still young and had maintained a fairly innocent take on matters till now.

    But, as they grow, and their hardships increase, their innocence would evaporate slowly while they would be cunning. Their moral standing would slowly be skewed towards a path that would eventually lead them into bing thugs.

    To prevent them from suffering such a fate, a lot had to be done, not to mention the sheer capital required for something like that.

    Re''Kha was embroiled in thought throughout the journey, not talking much with the two boys. The two of them didn''t seem to mind as they enjoyed the ride, looking around as they saw the buildings pan quickly past them.

    Soon, Re''Kha arrived before a massive shop that dealt with second-hand cars. The shop owner was already at the entrance, awaiting her visit. The moment her car stopped, he quickly approached the driver''s seat and opened the door, "Ma''am, if you had called me, I myself would havee. You didn''t have to trouble yourself this much."

    "It''s fine," Re''Kha controlled her facial expression from hardening up. It was a constant fight between her and the character she yed. The moment she rxed, the character would take over with actions executed in her way, suiting her ego.

    It proved to be a lot annoying, preventing Re''Kha from thinking clearly most of the time. Still, she was d to have obtained a Quest that she was able to solve by borrowing help from others.

    The show owner quickly led them inside as he seated them in the reception. He looked at Re''Kha, asking with a respectful tone, "Ma''am, do you like any drinks?"

    "I have to return to work now," Re''Kha said, or rather, thedy had said it. The mild change in her tone caused the shop owner to sweat as he quickly called forth someone, hushed him in anger for something before entering with a piece of paper.

    He handed it over to Re''Kha, "I have awyer friend who set up a contract. Please see if it is to your wishes."

    Re''Kha nced at it once before setting it down. She took a pen and signed it. A lot of information swirled in her mind as she determined the ins and outs of the contract with a nce, deciding that it was okay to sign it.

    She then stood up, and patted the two boys, "From today onwards, you can call this ce your home."

    Seeing the confusion of the two boys, Re''Kha pointed at the shop owner, "He would be your guardian and would take care of you. In the morning, you will be studying like every other boy your age. During the evening, you can work here to learn the craft. In the future, you will have your own car shop."

    The two boys gawked in shock as Re''Kha looked at one of them with a smile, "Take care of my watch. It is valuable."

    She then nodded at the shop owner and exited the building, hurrying to her car as she drove off. The boys came to a realisation onlyter as they sprinted out of the building, only to see the car vanish from their line of sight.

    The shop owner arrived at the scene, looking at the two boys as he sighed, "This is the first time I am seeing her help someone this much. You two really lucked out for life. What exactly did you do to receive this much favour from her?"

    "We just took her purse from some thugs and returned it to her." One of the boys replied, feeling a bit confused, "Maybe it is rted to those papers she checked in the purse?"

    "Well, either way, she already provided enough expenses until you graduate from a university." The shop owner patted their shoulders as he looked at the trail her car made.

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 Chapter 144 - Google Maps

    Quests were either easy or difficult based on the character one yed as and the type of Quest they obtained. Considering her first Quest as an example, if Re''Kha had chosen to chase the thugs on foot, then she would have simply failed the Quest.

    Her speed would make her unable to even close in on the speeding bike. Moreover, the exertion might tire her, cause her clothes to tear, or even make her faint under exhaustion. After all, her body was one that hardly ever did any physical activity. So, it was tremendously frail.

    The moment she fainted, Re''Kha was unsure as to what might happen to her. Maybe she might end up in a hospital or maybe someone might use this chaos to kidnap her. Either way, she would have been toote to reim her purse.

    Moreover, if she waste in reacting to her purse getting snatched, the chauffeur might have driven her car away. And, to get it back, she either had to wait for him to return or head inside her office to call the designated person to take care of it.

    And, in such a case, she might havee across a co-worker who might have rushed her to the meeting. After all, based on the documents she carried in her bag, she was very likely part of something important.

    And, the moment she entered the office, one thing or another would lead her to the meeting. After all, meeting with one co-worker was enough to generate a quest where she had to be present for the meeting.

    It would give rise to conflicting Quests where she had to choose one over another. They were the worst of the bunch. Though, if that had been the case, she would have chosen the office Quest over reiming her purse.

    After all, the purse Quest was a forced Quest and didn''t have any punishments. But, this also meant she wouldn''t receive the rted rewards for it, not to mention losing her documents, which would ce her in a situation in the meeting where she had to obtain them one way or another.

    Maybe by then, the Quest would have be something even bigger, something beyond her capability to handle.

    That''s why the prompt retrieval of her car saved her from a lot of trouble. After that, she obtained two Quests from the children who she had made use of to reim her purse. And, thanks to her character''s wide range of contacts, she was easily able to solve a difficult Quest.

    ''This character has a lot of money and connections. So, Quests in this line are the best suited for her.'' Re''Kha thought as she drove the car, deciding that she had earned enough Prana Stones for this exploration.

    Thanks to the forced Quest, and her prompt actions, Re''Kha had solved three Quests quickly. She made the correct use of the variables around her. In the previous explorations, even though she used the variables, they weren''t the perfectbo. So, she had spent the entirety of her time and barely managed to obtain some Prana Stones.

    3:30 PM; Re''Kha nced at the time disyed on her mobile, smiling as she noticed the number of missed calls registered on it. She didn''t pick them up, for she knew she would be pulled into another Quest if she did so.

    She had missed an important meeting, the repercussions of which would have grown significantly by now. So, attending the call would be dangerous. Besides, she had already obtained 6 Prana Stones. It was a significant sum, the likes very few Harmonisers would have obtained.

    So, she didn''t wish to risk her life any further and increase the chances of umting damage. Out of the 6 Prana Stones, one would be returned to the Burfuna Vi n while the rest belonged to her.

    Since they were useless to the current her, and as they couldn''t be taken beyond a certain distance from the portal itself, Re''Kha nned to give them to Mu''Tua as a show of her appreciation. And, even these five Prana Stones were a significant sum.

    If she obtained any more, then it would look suspicious. And besides, it was unnecessary risks for unwanted causes. So, Re''Kha nned to waste the rest of her exploration time.

    She had appeared at 9:20 AM, so she had time until the same time the next day to conclude her exploration. Re''Kha activated the GPS, clicking the button in it that said ''Home''. She then drove her car ording to the route and returned home.

    The moment she looked at the apartment where her penthouse was situated, information gushed into her mind, detailing her husband the two kids she had. Re''Kha immediately mmed the brakes on her car, reversed it, returned to the road, and started driving once again.

    ording to the memories, the husband of the character was an interior designer. So, he worked from home most of the time, only moving out of the house to click pictures of the homes he wasmissioned to design next.

    So, interacting with him was bound to cause an information exchange. And, there was a chance it might lead into another quest, whether easy or difficult. Moreover, her kids were also at home. So, one way or another, it was a bad decision to return there for the time being.

    Re''Kha sped her car along the road, stopping along the side once she had crossed a certain distance. She thought long and hard, ''How do I spend the rest of my time here?''

    She then thought of something, zooming out the map of the city she was in until the name of the city appeared, "Ben¡­ga¡­luru?"

    She then iterated it a couple more times until her character spelled it right, "Bengaluru."

    Re''Kha then thought of the scenic location in the ce on Earth she had essed during her previous explorations¡ªfrom Burkurel City. She searched the ce on her phone, "Mysore Pce."

    The searches showed it as she determined the name of the city it was based in, "The city of Mysore."

    She then set a route to Mysore Pce in her GPS, "Hmm, it takes around four hours. I have more than enough time. This is doable."

    She whirred the car to life and sped along the road, "Let me see if I am able to ess that ce."

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 Chapter 145 - The Setting Sun

    Re''Kha continued to drive as she felt the struggles from her character increase. At first, it was tolerable. But now, it continued to increase to the extent the moment Re''Kha took a rxing breath, her character would take control and would reverse the car.

    And, this feeling was increasing constantly until it became unbearable. Still, Re''Kha was a trained veteran that was even able to control herself from shouting when she sustained a heavy injury. So, the time for which she was able to persist with the struggle was beyond what her character could do.

    So, an hourter, the resistance from her character subsided. But, Re''Kha didn''t let her guard down, for she knew her character was storing up strength to result in a powerful resistance that would throw her control over the body away.

    In all her previous explorations, Re''Kha was busy trying to gather as many Prana Stones as possible during the allotted time. Moreover, it took considerable time to finish a quest. The case was the same for every other Harmoniser that they simply couldn''t afford to research about Earth further.

    But now, because of a difference in her case, Re''Kha had the opportunity to research about Earth further.

    Her master''s actions caused her to obtain the element of Wood and Wind. So, only when she hadprehended them both to 12 units would she be able to think about increasing the Elemental Qi in her. And, that would further have to wait until sheprehended all three elements to at least 14 or 15 units worth.

    Only after then would entering Earth prove useful to her. So, until then, she had no use for Prana Stones. And that was a duration spanning seven years. It was a long time.

    And at present, the goal of her visit to Earth was an experiment to determine if this would destroy her connection to the Blinded Ghost. The Prana Stones were just added bonus. She was just obliged to give one Prana Stone to the Vi n. Rest was hers to use.

    And, this was only brought about because she had coincidently made use of her character''s advantages to deal with Quests that were rted to them. That way, she was able to quickly finish them.

    She had appeared at 9:20 AM and had obtained 6 Prana Stones by 3:30 PM, in just 6 hours. It was insanely fast aspared to others, including her previous explorations. Re''Kha attributed it to both luck and her choice of action with respect to her character that resulted in this.

    Now that she had enough time, she decided to visit the city where she had finished her first four explorations. Along the way, she stopped at a shop and bought enough food and water tost her a day.

    She also bought a portable charger to keep her phone running. Re''Kha hummed a tune that yed on the radio as she inserted her left hand into a bag of chips, took out one chip, and ate it. When she was halfway to her destination, she stopped at a petrol bunk and refilled her car.

    She then continued to drive, trying her best to understand the difference between Earth and her world.

    Soon, Re''Kha realised a startling fact, "There are no beasts in the wilds here. Even the animals are few and far between. And, they aren''t even a threat to the humans here. The animals here pose a faint resemnce to the ones back home, but that''s it."

    She frowned as she gazed up, noticing a bright orange ball of fire amid some clouds, "And, the clouds are so thin here. The sunlight is clear and the sun is clearly visible."

    This was odd to her because even during the Peak Fire Month, the sun wasn''t visible in her world. The only difference was the increase in the temperature and the brightening of the ce. But no matter what, a thickyer of clouds permanently existed above them.

    Using the standards of Earth to measure, theyer of clouds was like a sea that existed two kilometres from the ground. And no matter which season, they never disappeared.

    But on Earth, the clouds were both thick and thin. Moreover, most of them were individual clouds that were constantly on the move due to the wind and the changes in high-pressure and low-pressure weather on thend.

    As she continued to drive the car, the sun slowly set. Re''Kha stopped the car along the side of the road as she gawked in shock at such a clear celestial phenomenon. She was used to the concept of daylight dimming until it was night. But, this was the first time she witnessed the massive ball of fire in the sky disappear behind the mountains.

    Moreover, Re''Kha looked at the other side in the sky, noticing a whiteish-grey object present, emitting a gentle light that was getting brighter as the sun set. The moment she looked at it, a term automatically appeared in her mind, "The moon."

    Her world didn''t have a moon. Or, even if it existed, she hadn''t ever heard about it. After all, their nights were pitch ck without a radiance of light present. The only source of light was from thenterns hung on the side of their streets.

    Re''Kha leaned on her car as she nced at the speeding vehicles on the road and the tremendous noise they produced. She was driving on a highway, so the frequency of the cars travelling on it was very less. There were at most one or two vehicles plying about every ten seconds.

    "They are¡­fast." Re''Kha sighed in admiration from the bottom of her heart at the objects of convenience that allowed such high-speed travel, the concrete roads that allowed one to travel at high speeds with zero risks or difort, and finally, the modes of transportation that were rxing to travel within and that transported a lot of people.

    She saw a bus carrying more than forty people and still move at a tremendous speed. As Re''Kha sighed, it had be twilight as she noticed tiny glimmers in the sky. She was shocked, wondering if the sky was about to copse on her when the logic stemming forth from her character calmed her.

 Chapter 146 - The Quest Of A Past Exploration

    "The Stars¡­" Re''Kha muttered, finding it odd at the sight before her. The stars too were a concept alien to her. She hadn''t ever seen them in her world nor had evere across documents pertaining to one.

    It was as if her world didn''t possess any stars. Re''Kha gazed at their twinkling figures for some time before she remembered her goal. She sighed, nning to understand them through googleter as she grabbed a quick bite before driving her car.

    Her phone had been ringing nonstop so she ced it on mute. She didn''t even see the name of the caller nor the messages that she had received. For, seeing them would mean a Quest would be triggered.

    It might be as simple as returning to her home. But, such a Quest might screw up her ns. That was why Re''Kha closed her eyes and swiped them away before using her phone''s functions. Thanks to the information that flowed into her mind, she readily turned off all notifications from all the apps.

    This way, no message would pop up while she was surfing the inte for some information. It soon became night, but the roads were still bright enough for her to see with her naked eye.

    Re''Kha looked up and noticed the bright radiance emitted from the moon. The twinkling of the stars also added to the brightness, making the night seem less grim than what she had been used to.

    In her world, nights were scary. After all, it was when the Sha were the most active. Re''Kha trembled unconsciously when it became nighttime, but the logic stemming from her character made her realise that there existed no such thing as a Sha on Earth.

    Moreover, this information was familiar. "Right, I did learn of most of them in my previous explorations. But, I had forgotten them because Icked enough understanding of such concepts."

    "What should I do¡­" Re''Kha mumbled, "How can I retain all the information I learned here and not forget them when I return to my world?"

    As she drove around, Re''Kha noticed some houses located in the wilderness. There was just a small cluster of houses, numbering around 20, followed by vast swathes ofnds where crops were grown.

    "¡­Agriculture," The term resounded in her mind. Again, this too was a foreign concept to her. In her world, most of the food resources weren''t produced from crops, but from massive trees that were guarded in the settlements and the centre of the cities.

    Only when they were that massive were they able to resist the elements and grow. Any small crop nted outside wouldn''t survive until harvest time. After all, there were numerous instances of the beasts and animals prowling about. Most of the time, they would destroy any signs of activity on thends.

    It was also the reason they attacked the cities, for, in their minds, the settlements were an act that went against nature. That was why they had never cultivated anything on the vastnd thaty outside their cities and settlements.

    But here, Re''Kha saw people move about freely over thend and do whatever they wanted without a single sign of threat. Judging by their postures, Re''Kha noted how they were just concerned about their work.

    And, there didn''t seem to be an enemy that threatened them.

    "So, humans here have no threat to their lives. How envious," She sighed as some information rted to it resounded in her mind, "On Earth, the only race that poses a threat to humans are fellow humans themselves."

    "Such irony," She sighed, "You are all part of one race without any biological difference. But, instead of enjoying in peace, you still wage wars from time to time."

    As she looked around her, sheughed, "But still, this world is mostly one of peace. Look, people here have no sense of danger in them."

    She then looked at the appearance of her character, "And, the fact that such weak people lead wealthy lives is a sign the world is peaceful."

    8:00 PM, Re''Kha arrived at the city of Mysore. She stopped her car at a certain spot and peered through the window, looking at the image of the Mysore Pce, the ce she had appeared in her second exploration.

    It was the same as in her memories. After a moment of thought, Re''Kha exited her car, locked it, and held the key in her hand. She walked through the ce, looking around based on the memory from her second exploration, "There should be someone selling that dish named Chole Bhature around here."

    She soon spotted the vendor that sold it, stopping as she gazed at it from afar. She looked at the time on her watch, "It should happen soon."

    She then noticed a crying eight-year-old girl walk on the road, having been separated from her parents. The girl stopped before the shop selling the food as she silently shed tears.

    "Last time, I found her around this time. And, if nothing else happens, her mother should arrive about now." Re''Kha thought, feeling a headache at the amount of difficulty she faced in locating the girl.

    They had been separated two hours ago, and considering the crowd that traversed the ce, it was hard finding her. Moreover, the reason she had failed the quest was due to a certain someone that appeared at the scene right before her mother¡ªthe character Re''Kha had been ying as back then¡ªcoulde to her rescue and kidnapped her.

    "Just as I expected, she''s here." Re''Kha frowned as she made a move, watching a middle-ageddy nce around the girl before noticing that she was really alone. She also ensured to wait for a couple of minutes to judge the time the girl had been alone based on her bodynguage and herck of energy in crying.

    But, before the middle-ageddy could appear to sweet-talk the girl, Re''Kha arrived at the scene, smiling at the girl, "I was searching everywhere for you, Swetha."

 Chapter 147 - Easy To Kidnap

    "I was searching everywhere for you, Swetha," Re''Kha said with a smile as she approached the eight-year-old girl. And, before the crying girl could respond, Re''Kha shot a nce at the middle-ageddy, "¡­Yes?"

    "Uh, nothing. I was just passing by." The middle-ageddy waved her hands and used the crowd to vanish from the scene.

    Swetha, that was the name of the girl before her and her second exploration''s Quest objective. Re''Kha had struggled a lot that time in trying to move through the crowd in hopes of locating her, failing the Quest right at the end.

    And, before she could try anything to salvage the situation, her time of exploration ran out. After all, the time at which the Harmonisers arrived on Earth was different for different explorations and was dependent on the time at which a character encountered some incident of sorts or was on the cusp of an incident.

    "Who are you, aunty?" Swetha said as she wiped her tears, feeling afraid when she noticed the back of the escaping middle-ageddy.

    "I''m a friend of your mother," Re''Kha smiled, taking out her visiting card from her purse as she handed it to Swetha, "Don''t worry, aunty here would help find your mother."

    Saying so, Re''Kha picked up her phone, thinking for a moment as she recalled her previous experiences. It wasn''t as if the memories themselves were erased from her head. But, they were wrapped around by something that prevented her from essing such memories.

    Because she lost her understanding of such memories, they seemed like jumbled information that she was unable to make heads or tails of. That''s why most Harmonisers failed to remember anything from their explorations on Earth.

    Though, the moment shended on Earth and was umtingprehension of the things as she looked around, the memories in her mind began to make sense once more. Using it, she was able to remember the number of Swetha''s mother.

    After all, when she yed as Swetha''s mother in her second exploration, she had used her number on a lot of asions. Thanks to that, she could type it by heart. Soon, the ring went through as she heard the gruff voice of a man, "¡­yes?"

    Re''Kha hurriedly cut the call, mentally cursing as she recalled the contents of her second exploration. There was one instance where she had to escape from a potential ident. It wasn''t even something risky. But, Re''Kha remembered the trail of events that led to such a cause.

    Even though she made mistakes, Re''Kha had yed it safe from the start, so she had been weakening the difficulty of the end situation. That was why, in the event where a bike sped towards her when she was searching for Swetha, Re''Kha was able to easily avoid it and treat it like it wasn''t much.

    ''But, without my interference, what would have happened to her back then?'' Re''Kha thought, immediately getting a bad feeling. Just as she had expected, the familiar sound resounded in her ears.

    <Ding>

    [Quest: The Other Side of a Quest.]

    [Quest Description: Swetha''s mother led a different sequence of events before and had arrived at a different oue thanks to your interference. Now, her original timeline is ying out. Find her, and see the end of her journey.]

    [Quest Duration: Until the end of exploration.]

    [Reward: 1 Prana Stone]

    [Punishment: 1 Damage]

    ''I should have just stayed put.'' Re''Kha reprimanded herself. She didn''t wish to see Swetha be kidnapped once again before her eyes. So, she interfered.

    She had only nned to interfere a little and leave the moment her mother had arrived to her rescue. But, she had clearly glossed over one fact. Swetha''s mother arrived at the scene on that particr time only because of her actions. It was thanks to Re''Kha taking active control of the character.

    Now, without that change in sequence, things yed out differently. This was apse in her foresight. Now, she had to bear the result.

    Re''Kha fiddled with her mobile phone, saving the number of Swetha''s mother with her name. She then smiled at Swetha, "I just talked with your mother. She''s currently on the other side. Why don''t I drop you at your home? That would be faster."

    Swetha looked at her for a couple of seconds before hesitantly nodding her head, making Re''Kha curse in her mind, ''No wonder she was kidnapped so easilyst time. She isn''t wary of strangers.''

    Re''Kha then led her to her car and took off immediately. She already knew the route to her address, so she began to drive, ensuring she took the same route her mother had taken to arrive at the ce.

    The Mysore Pce was a tourist destination. So, a lot of people frequented it daily. Even the locals visited it from time to time, just to see the vast pce that was maintained very well.

    Re''Kha then looked at Swetha, "I forgot some turns in the route. Why don''t you say when I make a mistake?"

    "Okay, aunty." Swetha nodded as she looked out through the window, watching the familiar shops pan past.

    Just to make it seem normal, Re''Kha tried to head in a wrong turn. Swetha immediately caught onto it and pointed in the right direction. Smiling, Re''Kha went through the correct path, looking around as she said, "Ah, I remember from here."

    She then smiled, "I visited your house three years ago. Do you remember me?"

    Swetha shook her head, "Sorry, aunty."

    "Haha, it''s fine. You were only five years old then." Re''Kha patted her head as her car made numerous turns, moving through a residential area before arriving at the doorstep of a house.

    Once the car alighted, Re''Kha horned twice, watching the door to the house open as an old man walked out.

    Swetha chirped in joy as she got out of the car, "Grandpa!"

    "Oh, Swetha. What happened to you? Why were you crying?" Her grandpa immediately caught hold of her in worry as he saw the shy car parked at their entrance drive off immediately.

    He frowned, ''We don''t know anyone with such an expensive car. Who was that?''

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 Chapter 148 - Future Quests Would Be Bizarre And Difficult

    ''Now, I have to find her mother. Just where are you?'' Re''Kha frowned, then recalling her call did go through. As long as it wasn''t a possible kidnapping case, there should at least be some clue with the receiver.

    Re''Kha connected the mobile''s Bluetooth to her car''s as she made the call. Soon, after a couple of rings, the call went through as the man''s gruff voice resounded once again, "¡­Hello?"

    "Hello, this is my friend''s number. Can you give the phone to her?"

    "She''s¡­dead." The gruff voice resounded with a deadpan tone.

    "What?" Re''Kha shouted in surprise, "What happened to her? Where is she now? And who are you?"

    "¡­Just your average Serial Killer." Saying his piece, the owner of the gruff voice smashed the phone to the ground before stomping on it. Re''Kha could clearly determine it based on the sound she heard.

    Before the voice cut off, she could hear the sounds of people talking. Upon that, Re''Kha picked up some clues. "It is still someone around the Mysore Pce."

    She mmed the brakes of her car, stopping in the middle of the road as the people behind her cursed. As they passed by her car, they pointed at her as they cursed and drove off.

    Re''Kha didn''t care about their reactions, feeling shocked at how a person''s life changed through a matter of choices, both simple and grand. If she heard whether the cause of her death was an ident, then Re''Kha would have believed it.

    After all, Re''Kha had experienced through her life before and knew what all to expect from it. But now, hearing about a casual serial killer killing her and even admitting it over the phone, she was unable to make sense of the situation.

    ''Just how messed up was her original timeline?'' Re''Kha frowned as she looked at the time disyed on her phone, noticing that it was already 9:15 PM, "There''s isn''t enough time."

    Midnight, that was her time limit. After that, the scene would change. After all, the day repeated on Earth. And, in all her previous explorations, she had always changed bodies once this happened.

    Even though her Quest would continue until her time ran out, it would be hard toplete it. After all, the current her possessed a car to give chase. Moreover, she was on the trail of the quest, present in close proximity.

    But, if she inhabited the body of someone on the other side of the city, then it would be toote by the time she reached the spot toplete her Quest. Moreover, she was unsure as to what circumstances her next character would face.

    That way, if she obtained a conflicting Quest, Re''Kha was unsure what she would do. In the first ce, she didn''t even wish to take on a Quest. But, thanks to apse in her judgement, she was broiled in another Quest.

    "Such is fate," She sighed and continued driving. Completing the Quest was her only choice. Re''Kha had zero intention to receive the punishment. After all, she already had umted four damage from her past explorations.

    The moment this counter reaches 100, she would die. And, Re''Kha was unsure as to the difficulty of Quests she would receive in the future. After all, based on what she learned in her n, the closer one was to obtaining 100 Units of Elemental Qi and had explored Earth many times, the difficulty of his/her Quest would skyrocket ordingly.

    Moreover, from what Re''Kha had heard, the changes would be¡­bizarre. She was unsure as to what they would signify, for her nsmen refrained from talking about it to her, including her father. When she inquired about it, all she came to know was that the moment she came to know about them, the contents of her Quest might change too much.

    That way, they wouldn''t be able to guess about it. At least, if not for that, even without telling her about the contents, they would still be able to teach and prepare her ordingly based on their experiences.

    ''Will the scenery on Earth change?'' Re''Kha was unsure, continuing to drive as she saw numerous vehicles ply about. Some of them used heavy beams in ce of their headlights, causing disturbance to the vehicles moving in the opposite direction. Some of them moved through any and every gap they saw, trying everything possible to move past.

    Re''Kha was indeed confused about their actions. But, from the logic of thedy in her thirties, this seemed nothing inparison to what she had faced daily in her city¡ªBengaluru.

    Soon, Re''Kha arrived at the same spot as before as she parked her car in the parking area. She then grabbed hold of her phone as she exited the car. After thinking for a second, she turned the phone silent, preventing any notifications to pop up even when she received a call.

    It was just in case. She had to be prepared against all possibilities. She wished to grab a weapon to feel safe. But seeing as how her charactercked the strength to wield anything to a threatening degree, she pocketed the pepper spray from her purse.

    The pepper spray was a tiny tube, 6 centimetres long, and possessed a diameter of a centimetre. It was something she could easily clutch in her hands without making it seem obvious. Re''Kha held it as she walked through the area, noticing how the crowd moving about reduced in density.

    It was gettingte into the night. And, as a city that didn''t have much nightlife, the shops were beginning to close one after another as the crowd of people soon trickled down. Some watchmen also moved about on the streets, blowing whistles to signal people to leave the premises.

    After a moment of thought, Re''Kha judged it was unsafe to move about in the open like this, weak, and unguarded. So, she returned to her car and drove it around, making a round around the Mysore Pce before stopping at a certain spot. This was where she hade across the potential ident in her second exploration.

    Re''Kha looked around, frowning as she noticed the exact same bike being parked on the other side of the road. It seemed things weren''t as simple as she had assumed in her second exploration.

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 Chapter 149 - Inte-rest-ine

    Warning: Following scenes has some Gore. Reader discretion advised.

    Re''Kha switched off her car, turning off all the lights within. She made it seem like there wasn''t anyone inside the car, using the opportunity to peer outside with some mental peace.

    Even then, she was on guard; her right hand held the pepper spray as her left held her phone, intending to call the police the moment something happened.

    Re''Kha saw the traffic in the road slowly trickle down to a halt, all the while focusing on the bike and everything that happened nearby. She then saw a man, who was most probably a young adult judging by his body stature, gait, voice, and manners, head out of the nearby building.

    The building seemed to be a hotel of sorts, and judging by its conditions, it wasn''t something people with money preferred. The man was smoking a cigarette as he started iling a string of curses for no reason, moving around as he kicked everything in sight.

    His cursing shouts were almost the sole sounds that resounded in the area as Re''Kha noticed the lights from the nearby buildings switch off one by one. It was past 10:00 PM now, as a chilly wind blew through the streets.

    For some reason, Re''Kha could feel a chill creeping up her heart. She then felt around, realising that it wasn''t that cold. But the sense of chillness continued to build up in her. This feeling was familiar, but at the same time, odd.

    ''Is there a Sha here? But such a thing cannot exist on Earth.'' She frowned, feeling a sense of fear creep up in her. But irrespective of what, Re''Kha kept calm, also suppressing the ego of the character she inhabited.

    The sense of fear generated by her was tremendous, also affecting Re''Kha as time passed. It was affecting her thought process, interfering with her logical state. On seeing that her situation would be worse as time passed, Re''Kha didn''t wish to remain in the ce, inching her hand towards the car keys, intending to start the car and drive away.

    She nned to drive around and search for clues. After all, just sitting in the same ce wouldn''t bring about anything subjective and conclusive to her. So, Re''Kha nned to risk it a little. If she stayed behind any longer, her mental state wouldn''t be suitable to solve anything, even if an opportunity presented itself before her.

    Just when she was about to start her car, the man''s shout from the other side of the road resounded. For some reason, he was fuelled by anger. And, to vent his anger, he kicked the bike parked nearby.

    And, it was the very same bike Swetha''s mother missed getting run over by when she was controlled by Re''Kha.

    The man seemed to have kicked its muffler, screaming as his unguarded legs seemed to have been singed by it. He cursed immediately, "Who the heck has driven my bike? Just you wait. I''ll kill you the moment I find you."

    He also seemed to be drunk, for he unleashed a lot of drunken stupors as he iled around, kicking the bike once again as he jumped around in pain. Re''Kha immediately sensed something was amiss when an intense stench wafted over to her the moment the man kicked the bike.

    For a moment, she froze in fear as the man took out his knife and plunged it into the bike seat, causing something to spurt out from it, sshing everywhere. Some of it also fell on her window, thanks to the pressure at which it spurted. It had a tang of iron in it, judging by the smell it produced. It was blood.

    "Kya!" Her character screamed uncontrobly as she immediately shut her mouth. Thankfully, the man didn''t seem to have noticed her shout. Rather, he seemed to be caught up by something as he stared at a spot in surprise.

    His expression soon morphed into shock as he shouted at the top of his longs, staring deep into the darkness, at the figure hidden behind a tree ced next to the pce walls. There was a gap of two metres between the tree and the walls, moreover, the tree wasn''t too big. It seemed like an ornamental shrub ced at the side of the road for decoration purposes.

    The moment the man shouted, a figure rushed at him from behind the tree, shing a knife as he butchered him immediately. The man had been drunk, so he wasn''t an opponent to the figure that seemed to be trained in the ways of killing a person.

    Re''Kha watched in shock as someone was killed right before her. More than her own emotions, it was the emotions felt by her character who was so overwhelmed by fear, it paralysed her legs. Re''Kha was unable to get up or even react for the time being.

    All she could do was stare with wide eyes as the figure wearing a simple brown pyjama hack the man a couple of times and swiftly end his life. He then cut open his stomach and pulled out his small intestine, using it to tie up his leg.

    He then grabbed hold of the other end of the intestine as he dragged the dead man on the road, walking over to the tree as he stopped. He threw the end of the intestine over a branch of the tree as he coiled it around the hip of the man, tying up aplicated knot.

    He then pulled one side; the body of the man was lifted up. As the small intestine was getting stretched under the load, he made a second and third loop, using the distance of the small intestine to his advantage as he coiled it around the branch,pletely tying up the man''s carcass to it.

    Re''Kha immediately threw up, unable to bear watching it any longer. Even she wasn''t used to such raw gore, that too inflicted by a human onto another. Once she emptied her stomach, Re''Kha weakly looked up and saw the figure wearing the brown pyjama fish something out from the man''s pocket.

    It was his lighter. And, the lighter seemed equipped with a torch that the figure conveniently used to light up the tree for a moment, ncing at his work to see if it suited his vision.

    The moment she looked at it, her face turned deathly pale as the familiar sound echoed in her mind.

    <Ding>

 Chapter 150 - Mellow, Orange Light

    <Ding>

    [Quest: The Other Side of a Quest.]

    [Quest Description: Swetha''s mother led a different sequence of events before and had arrived at a different oue thanks to your interference. Now, her original timeline is ying out. Find her, and see the end of her journey.]

    [Quest Clue: She''s Alive.]

    [Quest Duration: Until the end of exploration.]

    [Reward: 1 Prana Stone]

    [Punishment: 1 Damage]

    Re''Kha looked at the window on her right, noticing the words appear automatically on it. And, unlike before, there was a single extra line added in the Quest window.

    ''She''s Alive¡­?'' Re''Kha frowned as she looked at the tree once again, noticing how the figure with the brown pyjama had disappeared. The scene she saw before when the figure shed the light frightened her.

    The tree was only nine metres tall. Its branches were young and sturdy, an obvious sign of maintenance and nurturing by the caretakers. But now, on each of its branches were tied a dead body, using its intestines as a rope to tie it around.

    Their body weights caused the branches of the tree to bend. The rate of its bend continued to steadily increase as the chilly winds blew without rest. There were no more sounds in the streets, except for the ones in the hotel opposite.

    The people within seemed to have been stirred up by the sounds of the man. But, they hadn''te out yet. Unable to see where the figure had gone, Re''Kha was getting afraid, realistically so as both she and her character felt fear now.

    The air had a bloody tang to it now as it filled up the streets with a pungent smell. And, this smell wafted into the car through the vent, causing her to feel nauseous once again. The car was already full of the smell of vomit; adding onto the smell emitted by the corpses, it caused her stomach to churn once again.

    Bow wow!

    Bow Bow!

    She heard the distant sounds of a dog''s bark that was soon followed by a whimper. Seconds passed like this as her limbs were paralysed from fear, not budging an inch as she tried to move them. She wished to start the car as soon as possible and just escape from the area.

    But unfortunately for her, her limbs failed to cooperate with her. If it had been Re''Kha in the situation in her real body, she wouldn''t have been this helpless. Even if she felt fear, she wouldn''t have been incapacitated from it.

    Unfortunately for her, her character was a member of the society that hadn''t ever been subjected to such horrors in her life. So, thrust into it the first time, that too at such a gruesome scene just short-circuited her response system.

    The sounds of her heartbeat resounded in her ears as Re''Kha could feel her ragged breaths that were struggling with every breath. Her limbs shivered while she was unable to exert strength in them.

    Re''Kha looked forward, seeing how her right hand was close to the car keys but was unable to move now. Leaving that aside, her left hand clutched her phone. A call to the police was all she needed to get some peace.

    ''Move! Move! Dammit! MOVE!'' Re''Kha struggled as her thumb trembled a little, followed by her index finger that moved towards the fingerprint scanner, intending to unlock the phone. Slowly, her index finger moved, little by little, inching towards the fingerprint scanner.

    Her heart thumped as Re''Kha could feel something approaching her, for the eerie winds followed by the sounds of the footsteps resounded louder and louder.

    One minute, two minutes, one hour, two hours, Re''Kha felt as if she was in such a position for eternity as in actuality, it was only a few seconds. Her index finger finally touched the fingerprint scanner, unlocking the phone, causing it to emit a bright light, illuminating the entirety of the car''s interior.

    Bang!

    The body of a dog mmed into her windshield, sttering blood while spilling out its guts all over through the cuts on its body. One of its eyes popped out, still connected to its optic nerve as it mmed on the mirror.

    Thanks to the bright light of the phone, Re''Kha saw it in closeup. And, the loud thud that rattled her car in the silence caused her heart to jump out of her mouth.

    "Kyaaaaa! Aaaahhh! Aiiieeeee!" Her character shouted at the top of her lungs, having lost her mind as the fear overwhelmed her. The dislocated jaw of the dog was positioned right before her as its popped-out eye looked directly at her eyes.

    The scent of blood magnified in the car, for all she breathed now was its scent. Her heart thumped with the maximum intensities she had ever experienced as Re''Kha felt pain in her chest. It was too much for her to bear, and upon every thump, her chest pain increased.

    Finally, her hands moved as Re''Kha iled around, hitting the centre of the steering wheel once, causing its horn to resound loud and clear in the night. The people within the nearby hotel were stirred up as they flooded out of the building one by one, frowning as they smelled the thick scent of the blood.

    "Aahhhhhh!" Re''Kha mmed the elerator in her hurry, but the car didn''t move. For it wasn''t started yet. Her right hand trembled as she shot it towards the car keys, barely able to reach it as she tried to turn it on, watching a tiny, ming wisp appear from the right side of her window.

    It was barely three centimetres in length, a mellow orange that appeared bright thanks to the nighttime. The power went off right at this time, plunging the entire area into darkness. The people who exited the hotel were unable to see anything as shouts of surprise resounded. They iled their hands to pull out their phones to create some light.

    Her heart thumped as her right hand finally grabbed hold of the car key as her eyes darted to her right, watching the visage of a face slowly be clear in the mellow, orange light.

 Chapter 151 - Chaya

    "Aaaaahhh¡­?" Her shouts came to a halt as Re''Kha recognised the face the appeared before her window. But, this was the first time she realised such a mellow face could express something sinister. She couldn''t even fathom how something this twisted could appear on her face.

    But, she recognised her. It was Swetha''s mother, the person she had yed as during her second exploration. She was just a regr housewife born and brought up in a regr family. She had average grades, studied in a local university, and got married when it was time for her to get married.

    She then birthed her daughter, Swetha within a year and had led a pretty normal life.

    ''Just what went wrong for her to end up like this?'' Re''Kha had zero ideas as to why. For, even when she yed as the character, she hadn''t sensed anything amiss, neither from the resistance posed by the character nor from the habits ingrained in her body.

    There was nothing in her that painted her as a bloodthirsty gore pronounced individual.

    Her cheeks trembled as her entire face was a mess; Re''Kha stared at the bloody face of thedy before her as she tried to talk. But, her voice failed toe out.

    Swetha''s mother tilted her head to one side as her widened eyes gazed right through the window, peering into Re''Kha as she seemed to be searching for something. A droplet of blood moved through her curved eyebrows as it cascaded down before falling into her eyes, turning the whites red.

    But her eyes didn''t even blink at this as she stared straight at Re''Kha. And, something seemed to be welling up within them.

    Re''Kha immediately felt a sense of doom as her right hand finally grabbed hold of the car keys and twisted it, switching on her car immediately. Thankfully, her legs worked they acted on the instinctual motion of driving the car.

    Her left hand mmed into the gear, pushing it into reverse as her car sped immediately. This was the only way she could build up enough speed from the start with minimal gear change. After all, her left hand was still struggling to move.

    The moment her car whirred into motion, the rear wheel on her right got punctured, causing her car to lose control as it began to spin. Re''Kha was unable to control it, for her right hand wasn''t on the steering.

    Moreover, her right foot was still pressing onto the elerator. She wasn''t able to pull it up immediately as the momentum built up by her car''s motion caused whatever strength she had craned in her legs to vanish. Thanks to their weight, her right leg pressed onto the elerator, causing her car to spin at a faster speed.

    "Aaarghhhhh!" Re''Kha could barely shout as her car spun faster and faster, causing her head to spin as she was unable to make out the directions anymore. The car crashed into the pce walls as it thrashed about a little from the impact, denting its sides before the built-up traction in the tyres caused it to scrape against the wall, causing an ear-piercing before crashing into a tree.

    The m stopped it finally as her bo waspletely dented. The force of the impact caused the airbags toe out and m into her, almost knocking her out unconscious. Themotion alerted the people that had exited the hotel as they shed their mobile lights, noticing her car and the blood-drenched figure of Swetha''s mother.

    Some of them rushed towards the car immediately while part of them rushed towards Swetha''s mother. They were concerned as they had assumed she was also injured from the crash.

    Swetha''s mother and the car were only positioned three metres away, so it was a believable conjecture. In the darkness, they hadn''t noticed the knife she was hiding in her sleeves.

    "Are you okay?" A man was the first to rush at her, stopping right before her in an effort to not injure her. shing his torchlight on her face to check her condition, the man frowned as the blood-soaked figure seemed familiar.

    "Chaya¡­?" The man uttered as his words were cut short. For, piercing his chest was a knife, drilling into it through the gaps in the ribcage before piercing his heart. One stab and he was done.

    An expression of disbelief was on his face as his body fell t on the ground, causing a loud thud. Everyone stared at the scene in shock as they simultaneously directed their lights in her direction, noticing the knife in her hands.

    "Chaya¡­?" Some of them frowned as they noticed her face, shocked at herplete transformation. Irrespective of what happened, Chaya didn''t blink, causing her eyes to look red thanks to the blood that seeped into them.

    Chaya, that was the name of Swetha''s mother. As the airbag slowly deted, Re''Kha peered through a hole in the windshield that hadpletely shattered from the crash, watching the familiar figure. Thanks to the light that was shed on her figure, Re''Kha was able to fully take in the familiar figure that looked the same but exuded an entirely different presence.

    Chaya slightly crouched as she stepped forth, shing with her knife as she cut the carotid artery of the person right before her, causing him to clutch his neck as he tumbled to the ground. Her sh neither contained the strength nor speed of a killer or someone habited with such an action, clearly proving this was the first time she was wielding her knife like this.

    But, her precision was different. It was as if she was a born killer, directly aiming at the ces on the human body that lead to a swift death.

    "What?"

    "She killed him!"

    "No way!"

    "Is this Chaya?"

    "She must be possessed!"

    The onlookers expressed all sorts of emotions as all of them ganged up on Chaya, nning to pin her to the ground. But, she was like a slippery eel, with every contact with her causing the death of someone.

 Chapter 152 - Mass Murder

    "Inspector, it''s already 11:00 PM, but her mother hasn''t returned home yet." Standing before the Inspector was Swetha and her grandpa. They had an expression of worry as they looked at the Inspector, wishing the other party could solve it.

    "Ugh," The Inspector grunted as he removed his feet from the table, buttoning his shirt that he had loosened to rx during the night. He then took his seat as he spoke in his usual gritty tone, "Where was shest seen?"

    "She and my granddaughter visited the Mysore Pce today. But, somewhere in that area, they had been separated." The grandpa said with a frown as he pointed at Swetha, "And, someone dropped her at our house just earlier."

    He then handed him the visiting card Re''Kha had given Swetha, "This is the visiting card of thedy that dropped her."

    "Anything else?" The Inspector frowned as he looked at Swetha, "Did your mother tell you to meet at somece if you were to get lost?"

    "No," Swetha said while trembling, "Mummy told me to stay close to her and not wander off."

    "Fine," The Inspector sighed as he massaged his forehead, grunting as he got up and looked at a constable, "Get thatdy''s phone number from him and trace it."

    "Also," He handed the constable the visiting card, "Track this number too and keep me posted about her location."

    The constable nodded and walked into a different room, sooning out after a couple of minutes, "Sir, we have been unable to track thedy''s phone. It seems to have been destroyed. And, as for the number on the visiting card¡­"

    Seeing his hesitation, the Inspector frowned and urged him, "Where is she now?"

    "I-In the Mysore Pce, sir." The Constable muttered as he wiped off his sweat. Both of them immediately realised that they had encountered a genuine case and were no longer able to rx for the night.

    He then looked at the grandpa, "Is there anyone else in your home? What about her husband?"

    "He''s currently on a business trip. There''s no one else in our home." The grandpa replied.

    "Hm," The Inspector looked at a Constable, "Apany them to their house and report back."

    He gazed at the grandpa, "We''ll keep you posted about anything we find. Bringing children is unsafe, so you return to your house. Leave your number to the Constable."

    "Yes," The Grandpa could only nod in return. He was old and wasn''t able to move quickly. So, he would only be a deadweight for the investigation. Moreover, it was risky to bring Swetha, an energetic eight-year-old to the scene. So, he didn''t protest and returned with Swetha to their home.

    Two police jeeps immediately set off from the police station. The moment they set off, all thendlines in the police station began to ring simultaneously. The remaining Constables were flustered for a moment as the scene looked ominous.

    It was almost midnight after all. The Constables attended the call, frowning as their faces turned pale, making eye contact with each other as they realised the call was for the same reason.

    Mass Murder!

    And, as they inquired further details, they realised how it was the same area as where the two police jeeps were headed towards. Immediately, a Constable phoned the Inspector and ryed the information.

    "Alright, keep me posted." The Inspector ended the call and cursed, mming the sides of the jeep in anger. The jeep sped along the vacant roads at its maximum speed. The driver also kept watch of his surroundings to ensure he didn''t run over some unfortunate drunk soul that roamed the roads in the middle of the night.

    The expression of all the police was solemn as they realised the issue was atrge now. Usually, they arrived at a scene once everyone was done. So, they only witnessed the end result. Besides, it was at most one or two murders.

    But now, it was a mass murder, one that was actively reported. It meant they had to confront a serial killer.

    The Inspector made a couple more calls, nodding as he sighed in relief, "I got a shoot-on-sight permit now."

    Hearing his words caused the police to feel less tense. As long as they were able to use their guns, they could manage. Based on the witness ounts they had received, the deaths were due to stab wounds.

    So, it meant the foe they had to face didn''t carry an illegal firearm. As long as they were careful, they should be able to do it without risking their lives too much.

    "Have the forensic experts been dispatched to the scene?" The Inspector called another person as he kept watch on the street, frowning as he could smell a mild scent of blood.

    "Good, tell them to arrive within 20 minutes." The Inspector ended his call and looked around as he inched his right hand into his holster. He was ready to shoot on sight.

    11:30 PM, the jeep arrived at the scene as all the police frowned. Some of their faces turned white as the less experienced ones were on the verge of puking. The stench was too much for them to bear.

    "Spineless cowards," The Inspector cursed at them and prompted them to scout the area, "Proceed as a group of three. Don''t venture alone, no matter what."

    "Yes!" All the police replied as they spread out in search of clues, guarded against any form of attack.

    The Inspector and two constables approached the ce where a group of peopley dead. They shone their torches at the scene and frowned immediately, "This sted electricity only had to disappear at this time. Useless!"

    "Sir!" A Constable shouted as he stumbled towards his back, plopping on the road with a mild thud as he gaped. His face was deathly pale as he pointed with his hand at the scene before him.

    The Inspector shed his torchlight in the pointed direction, finding a treee into his view. Its branches had almost touched the ground thanks to its weight.

 Chapter 153 - Horror

    The moment he saw it, the Inspector took a step back in shock. Even he himself felt revulsion at the scene, "Just how messed up in the head is the culprit to do this?"

    Another car arrived at the scene as two forensic experts exited, frowning as they too noticed everything present in the area. Their reactions were pretty mellow inparison to the police, quickly using their tools to scout the area.

    "Aah!"

    The Inspector turned around in reflex as he heard a mild shout from beyond the pce walls. He then looked at the crashed car, watching how the ss had been broken haphazardly while blood had been spilled all over it.

    He looked at the forensic experts, leaving six police to say behind and keep watch over the area and protect them. He took the rest with him, found a bike nearby to use as a crutch that they used to jump over the walls.

    They didn''t use the car to jump over, even if it was the fastest way to go over. After all, the car''s metallic surface would have been the only ce with fingerprints and other evidence. They didn''t wish to destroy them.

    Still, they were quick to react, so they hadn''t wasted any time using their method. The moment he stepped on the bike seat, the Inspector frowned as he smelled an intense stench emanating from it.

    He turned around, shouting towards the forensic expert, "Check this bike once you are done with that."

    He then jumped over the wall, followed by the Constables that followed him. Theynded on a field of grass that formed a part of the pce, quickly looking around as they searched for the source of the shout from before.

    They shed their torch lights as they searched, splitting into three groups, with each group having three police. Moreover, they ensured to remain within the line of sight of the other two groups, so that they could react the moment something happened.

    "Hee¡­lp¡­" They heard a faint shout once again, this time able to track it thanks to the silence of the ce. The Inspector immediately located the shout as he pointed towards a certain stretch of bushes, rushing forth with the police immediately.

    The moment they were two metres from the stretch of bushes, they stopped abruptly, intending to act cautiously in fear the killer might be using this as a trap. They then shed their torch lights and scanned through the bush.

    The bush was a stretch of ornamental nts that borne flowers every morning, enriching the greenery of the scenery and making it a lively tourist attraction. Even though the people only visited to see the grand pce, the presence of these nts painted it with a better picture.

    They were just shrubs, barely reaching 20 centimetres in height, covered by flower buds that would bloom during dawn. As their torch lights shed over them, they noticed torn clothes strewn about, covered in blood.

    As they focused on them, they noticed the breathing figure of a woman within. The Inspector looked at her, noticing how there were cut wounds all over her arms and legs, but she was still alive. As he nced at her face, despite it being covered with blood and grime, he could still recognise her.

    After all, she was thedy he had set out to find in the first ce. "She''s Chaya, the one we have been searching for. Help her immediately, and call for an ambnce."

    The Constables immediately helped pick her up as they carefully carried her, inspecting to see what first aid they had to give her. Chaya was frightened, curling up like a scared kitten that had witnessed shing lightning and raging thunder.

    She was unable to see, for the blood had filled her eyes. The Constables didn''t do much to her, fearing they would do something that would worsen her condition. All they did was ce her on the t ground. As it was covered by grass, it was soft enough to not injure her.

    Besides, it was better than lying atop the bushes.

    The Inspector looked at her, asking in a hurry, "Who did this to you? Where is he?"

    Chayacked the strength to reply as she gasped for air, struggling to garner strength in her voice. In the meantime, one of the Constables shouted, "There''s another person here."

    Soon, they picked the body of ady wearing tight-fitting clothes and carried her, shouting, "She''s alive too."

    They then ced her next to Chaya as the Inspector looked at her, noticing that thedy was conscious, but was unable to move for she had suffered a lot of cuts on her, severing her nerves. She waspletely paralysed now.

    But, her eyes were open, and they expressed horror. And, the closer they brought her towards Chaya, the greater the fear in her eyes became. She seemed to be conveying something through her eyes as the Inspector became rmed, looking around to see that there was no one suspicious behind him.

    "The killer must be somewhere around here. Stay alert, and form a circle around the injured." Saying so, the Inspector turned around, facing his back to the twodies as he stood in guard. The other Constables too turned around, rmed.

    They no longer had the attention span to care about the two injureddies, for their lives too were in danger now. And, if they rxed for even a moment, their lives could as well be forfeit. They too had their respective families to feed, so they couldn''t act recklessly with their lives.

    That was why they were cautious. The Inspector took out his gun and entered a shooting stance while the Constables searched around with their torch lights, not missing a single nook and cranny in the field of bushes.

    With great difficulty, thedy with the tight-fitting dress struggled to breathe as she slowly gathered strength in her arms as she turned to the side, looking at Chaya, making eye contact.

    Chaya''s expression changed from one that was terrified of the situation to the same sinistrous expression from before. A de slipped out from her left sleeve that she grabbed hold of using her left hand and swung it.

    "To the ones that made my life a hell, death."

    Spurt!

 Chapter 154 - Gore

    Through the hole in the windshield, Re''Kha peered out, watching the scene of Chaya confronting a group of people, who were mostly guys. Upon seeing her murder two of them right before their eyes, they were shocked.

    And, followed by a moment of stupor under the shock, they reacted, rushing at her with the intent to either pin her or cripple her. Their spontaneous action indeed shocked Re''Kha, for it seemed they had zero hesitation in harming a life, even if it stemmed from a killer.

    After all, any normal person would refrain from killing someone, even under anger. Only when the anger became uncontroble and overwhelmed their thought process would one kill a person out of rage. After all, as part of the same species, humans had a tendency to not kill one of their own.

    They would feel a hesitation of sorts right before the deed is done. So, it was shocking that they jumped on Chaya immediately.

    ''I don''t care about that now.'' Re''Kha thought as she pulled herself, trying to get up. The car had been severely damaged, cramping her within. it wasn''t easy to move out, considering she still felt weak all over.

    Re''Kha held the steering wheel for support as she pulled her body upward, slowly adjusting her legs as she moved towards the other seat. Her side of the door was facing the wall now. It was why she moved to the other side.

    This was her only way to exit it. The seats were covered with debris from the car, including shards of the ss that had fallen on it.

    "Ugh," It felt like she was electrocuted as piercing pain reverberated throughout her when her knees scrapped over some ss shards. Re''Kha could feel the blood flowing out as the pain was making her lose focus and strength in her actions.

    ''If it isn''t treated soon, the wound might be septic.'' She thought, grunting as she nced at the ongoing fight, for a moment forgetting to move.

    Chaya wasn''t a fighter, nor did she possess a strong body. She was as weak as a housewife that didn''t work much, including the house chores. So, the fight was bloodcurdling.

    It seemed as if her brain had cut off all pain sensors, for when she was punched in the gut, her body reeled forward in reflex. But not even a grunt leaked out of her.

    And in response, her hand shot forward, using the knife to sh at the groin of the attacker. The attacker lost consciousness immediately from the pain as he fell on the road. It wasn''t apparent whether he was alive or dead.

    But Chaya seemed to know what had to be done. With a sh, she cut off his carotid artery, causing his body to instinctively flinch once before turning still. Blood gushed out of him nonstop.

    The people around her were shocked, scared even. Some of them were already hesitant, intending to silently slip away from the scene. For a moment, no one tried to attack her. After all, lying near her feet were the corpses of six people.

    Guessing their intentions, Chaya opened her mouth, letting out an innocent chuckle, simr to a sixteen-year-old girl who came across a beautiful romanticedy. Herughter resounded across the area; the people around her felt as if a stone was smashed on their hearts, for they felt a chill. Their skins crawled under the eeriness as their intention to escape became apparent.

    Chaya''s voice froze them on the spot as she gently raised her right hand and pointed at the nearby tree, "Even if you escape, I know everything about all of you. All of you will be branches here."

    One of them redirected his torchlight towards the tree before dropping it in reflex with a shout. His legs lost strength in them as he puked, unable to endure the scene he had just witnessed.

    "T-That''s my brother!" One of the people stammered in shock as he focused on the face of the corpse tied onto a certain branch. His expression became filled with rage as he pulled out a foldable knife from his pocket, using a lighter to heat its edge.

    "Bitch, I''ll skin you alive." He cursed as his knife radiated with mild reddish-hue. It was faintly visible in the dark thanks to its glow. The man immediately rushed at Chaya, making swift jabs that tried to poke numerous holes in her.

    Chaya jumped backward, bent, and made a couple of cuts along the shoulder of a corpse. She perfectly severed the tendons and ligaments of the joint and pulled out the arm from his corpse.

    She dodged the stab sent to her face as she iled using the severed arm she held, spraying out a lot of blood everywhere. She aimed it perfectly, making use of therger area of the blood ssh to her advantage, spilling some of the blood onto the attacker''s face.

    He instinctively closed his eyes to prevent the blood from falling into his eyes. Chaya threw the severed hand towards him. The moment it touched him, he retaliated and stabbed his knife into it. She moved from the side and made a cut on his neck and swiftly retreated.

    The man held his neck, unable to curse as he applied pressure on it, no longer able to move. He used his shirt to wipe the blood on his face and opened his eyes, only to see a mildly glowing knife before his eyes.

    At some point in time, using the flow of attacks, Chaya had used the chance to grab his knife. She used it to pierce his eyes before throwing it towards another attacker. The attacker had opened his mouth to shout as he rushed at her.

    Her knife throw had been urate as it flew into his mouth and lodged in the interior of his throat. Chaya followed it up by throwing the severed arm at him, causing it to m into the back of the knife.

    The whites of his eyes were disyed as he plopped to the road.

 Chapter 155 - Target

    "Ugh," Re''Kha craned her left hand as she reached the handle of the door on the opposite side. It was hard, considering she had to keep watch over the sharp objects that hurt her. There were already nicks and scratches all over her body.

    "Haah¡­haaah¡­" She gasped for breath upon finally grabbing hold of the handle, using it as a support to pull herself towards it. This gave her better stability, allowing her to pull her legs out from the cramped boot space.

    The fight outside became bloodthirsty as the people became rabid dogs, intending to give a limb to im a life. Even then, they fell like flies after inflicting some injuries to Chaya.

    Re''Kha was unwilling to leave it as is, nning to escape first before she thought of a n. She scrambled for her phone, finally finding it after some search as she noticed its screen had shattered.

    The touchscreen was no longer functioning. All she was able to do was to see the time.

    ''There''s still a lot of time until midnight.'' Re''Kha was slightly worried now, hoping for a moment to hide within the car and wait it out. Though, the moment the thought hit her, she felt a chill stem from her heart.

    For, the light from her phone caused the interior to be barely illuminated. And, thanks to the holes in the windshield, the radiance was apparent to Chaya who shot a nce in her direction.

    ''Idiot!'' Re''Kha screamed at the instinctual reactions of her body. She could no longer dilly-dally, so she pulled herself andnded on the adjacent seat, craning her hands on the door as she silently unlocked it, opening it little by little to not garner the attention of anyone else.

    Re''Kha peered out, noticing how only six people remained alive. But, they seemed to have been soaked up by the atmosphere, having long forgotten the fact that they could run away. But unfortunately for them, a lot of people they were emotionally attached towards had died.

    They were all killed by Chaya. So, their hatred towards her ran deep. Moreover, they saw how she was staggering now, about to lose bnce any movement. So, they didn''t want to give up at this moment and nned to execute their revenge.

    ''Hiiik!'' Re''Kha mentally screamed as she craned her leg out after opening the door a little. It seemed the ident had cracked some of her bones. For, she felt pain in her chest, hips, and her ankle.

    She took in a sharp breath of air as Re''Kha touched her foot to the ground, feeling that she had enough strength to stand up and move away. Re''Kha stealthily moved out as her eyes looked around, noticing how the road was a straight path without many distractions.

    And, it seemed the people in the buildings situated farther away hadn''t heard of themotion that had happened. After all, the street wasn''t crowded like other parts of the city, to keep the serenity of the ce.

    Unfortunately for her, it meant she couldn''t go far to seek help before she was spotted by Chaya.

    ''There''s only one option.'' Re''Kha thought as she looked at the pce wall nearby. Normally, it was a height her character couldn''t scale up. But now, thanks to the car, she should be able to traverse it. Re''Kha was barefoot now, for only that was silent.

    She didn''t care about the bleeding in her legs, thanks to being injured by the ss shards. If she wanted to survive, she had to grit her teeth and move. Re''Kha wholly suppressed the instincts of her character as she took charge, causing a slight change in her demeanour.

    She looked at the fight between Chaya and the six people¡ªfour men and two women¡ªthat was still ongoing. It seemed they were able to hold their own as Chaya was greatly exhausted. The moment a man moved in the line of sight between Chaya and her, Re''Kha pushed out the door and shot out from her car.

    Her eyes turned red from the pain as she grit her teeth, firing up her fighting spirit as she pressed forth through sheer willpower, brute-forcing through her sensations of pain. She made a light jump and sat on the hatchback of her car, sliding a bit on it as she spun her body, curling her legs as she turned around to face the rear ss of her car.

    "Argh," She felt piercing pain all over her body as Re''Kha tried to get up. She controlled herself from losing bnce due to the pain as she climbed to the top of the car with one leap. She then used the weight that built up in her thanks to the jump, using it topress on her legs that acted as a spring.

    In one swell motion, her legs sprang forth, causing her to leap high enough to reach the walls. Re''Kha used the momentum of her jump to move her legs forward andnd on the top of the walls as her hands pulled her upper body forth.

    She quickly climbed above the wall and looked on the other side to note it was just grass. Just when she jumped, a knife flew over and lodged itself into the calf on her left leg, causing her to lose her bnce and fall.

    "Argh!" Re''Kha grunted as she shifted her weight, using her hands as a spring to cushion her fall as she rolled on the grass ground. The shifting inertia spiked the pain in her as Re''Kha almost lost consciousness.

    She barely reined in her focus as she pulled out the knife from her left calf, clutching it as she got up and dragged herself forward. She looked back, hearing sounds of screams of people getting stabbed as she increased the speeds of her limping, intending to hide somewhere in the meantime.

    "Ugh!" Re''Kha tumbled to the ground as something hit the back of her head, causing her to bleed. She looked back and saw that it was her phone. The disy screen shed and showed the time.

    11:20 PM!

 Chapter 156 - Taking Credit For An Action Uncommitted

    "Aah!" The force from the impact caused her wobbly self to fall. Re''Kha quickly craned strength in her arms as she propped herself up, turning around to notice the cause was her phone. It flickered with light and disyed the time.

    Re''Kha looked back, noticing Chaya seated atop the wall as she panted. Her posture seemed like one that had just made a throw.

    ''She already killed all six of them?'' Re''Kha was shocked, for when she was climbing the wall, they were still faring enough to not die by her hands soon. Besides, Chaya had been getting tired.

    But to her shock, Re''Kha hadn''t even managed to escape far before Chaya managed to kill all of them and even chased after her. Clutching the knife in her hands for self-defence, Re''Kha took in a deep breath, intending to pit her life in this fight.

    Even though the death of her character wouldn''t result in her death, in reality, she would still umte some damage. And, she didn''t know how many units of damage she would receive this time, for it varied based on the difficulty of the Quest, the closeness of one''spletion of the Quest, and the extent of the character''s injury before death.

    All of them varied how many units of damage she would receive in the end upon her character''s death. So, Re''Kha had zero intentions to die.

    Propping herself up, she regted her breathing, controlling her character to enter a stance as she slowly familiarised herself with the injured body, intending to fight depending on that after setting her mind to it.

    Chaya leaped andnded on the ground, making a couple of rolls before getting up. Even though she was panting, her eyes were dead serious.

    The only source of light in the ce was from her mobile. It was incredibly dull. And for some reason, it seemed the mobile didn''t automatically switch off the screen after some time had passed.

    The damage seemed to have corrupted its settings as it shone light from the screen without any change. Even the time disyed on it was a garble, flickering from time to time. Re''Kha bent and picked up the phone, carrying it using her left hand as she shone the light onto Chaya.

    This way, she would be on the side of darkness while being able to see her foe better. This would give her some advantage. The moment Chaya began to walk towards her, Re''Kha shouted, "Why are you attacking me? I''m unrted to you."

    "Lies," Chaya''s stoic voice resounded, brittle like a cube of ice dropped on the road, "Everyone living in this area is my enemy. Your death is a guarantee."

    "Let''s see you try, then." Re''Kha no longer had any intentions to pull her punches. She determined Chaya had lost her mind. And, judging by how she had acted, nothing Re''Kha said would affect.

    After all, no sane person would pull out the intestines of a person and use it to tie his body on the branches of a tree. This was an act that went beyond sanity.

    Re''Kha slowly stepped backward as Chaya approached her, intending to waste as much time as possible. Her goal was tost until midnight. After that, she would be safe.

    After a moment of thought, Re''Kha shouted, "I had called you some time ago. Your daughter gave me your number. She was lost and I helped her reach home. I''m not rted to anything that''s happening here."

    "Swetha¡­" Followed by a murmur from Chaya, she spoke in her icy tone, "That life isn''t mine."

    "The heck?" Re''Kha cursed as she shouted, "Some guy picked up your phone. Who was it?"

    "You mean this?" Her voice changed, turning into a man''s, the same that Re''Kha had heard through the phone.

    "Dammit, you lunatic." Her suspicion was confirmed now as Re''Kha took a couple of steps back in a hurry. She was guaranteed that Chaya was a lunatic by now. Without any hesitation, she shed the light behind her, noticing the stretch of flowery bushes span forth.

    She jumped and winced in pain when a sharp branch hurt her legs. But without caring about it, Re''Kha took a couple more steps before turning around to see Chaya had closed in on her. They were only separated by four metres now.

    Re''Kha had entered the stretch of bushes because it was tough to walk through them. It was tough for her, but it would prove to be even more difficult for Chaya who had been fighting all along and had been exhausted.

    So, as they move around in these bushes, Chaya would swiftly be exhausted and could no longer move. That was what Re''Kha was gunning for.

    "Come, what are you waiting for?" Re''Kha taunted, "I told you I have no rtion with you. But if you wish to kill me, don''t me me for killing you in return."

    "It doesn''t matter," Chaya took a step into the bush, slightly wobbling from the effort as she stabilised herself, "Chaya will kill everyone."

    Such third-person addressal of oneself did confuse her, but Re''Kha didn''t distract herself with the thought, slowly but surely traversing through the bushes, one step at a time. Chaya seemed to be in a hurry as she closed in on her, but Re''Kha moved steadily, propping the knife in her hand before her, intending to swipe immediately when in range.

    It was a tag between the two, both with the intention of killing the other party. With every step, Chaya''s exhaustion became apparent. She suddenly stopped, taking in a deep breath as she pulled out a small shrub from near her feet and swung it towards Re''Kha.

    The soil clutched by its roots flew towards her, mming into Re''Kha, causing her to flinch as she defended herself.

    Chaya used the chance to leap forward and lunge in on Re''Kha, shing her knife that aimed at her knee.

    Re''Kha swiftly pulled her leg back as she felt a sharp pain from the wounded region, grunting as she retaliated.

 Chapter 157 - The Call For Help

    "Ugh!" Re''Kha retracted her leg as she swiped forth with her knife, cutting Chaya''s lunging arm. As she took a step back, she ensured to retain most of her body weight on her leg that stood still, unwilling to lose bnce if she stumbled due to some bush.

    Her legs were bleeding all over as the sharp branches from the bushes scrapped past her. Some of them were roses, the thorns of which caused her legs to bleed from numerous ces.

    She was constantly experiencing scrapping pain every time she moved or shifted her body weight. Turning the grip on her knife to the reverse, Re''Kha made a back-handed cut on Chaya''s thigh.

    Chaya didn''t seem to feel any pain as she plunged her knife towards her chest, making a cut on her breasts. The pain caused Re''Kha to feel dizzy, for her character wasn''t a battle-hardened warrior. So, every time she was hurt, her consciousness shuddered as her character wished to il around in pain.

    It was difficult to control both her character''s struggling will and her character''s weak body to fight against an expert who seemed to know where to target to deliver maximum damage. She seemed well-versed with the human body, always aiming at the vital areas where only one attack was needed to kill the target. Re''Kha had to constantly be on guard and shift her body to minimise the lethality of the attacks she tanked.

    Re''Kha moved her right hand forward, making a cut on Chaya''s thumb, cutting the nerves in it that prevented her from exerting strength through it. Chaya swiftly changed the knife to another hand as she lunged lower.

    Re''Kha lifted the feet that were being targeted as she kicked forth, grunting as Chaya caught hold of it as her right hand shed, making three cuts on her leg.

    "Argh!" Re''Kha grunted as she kneed Chaya''s face, using the recoil to take a step back. Her body wobbled as she was unable to gather much strength in her right leg. Her left calf was already injured, and now her right leg followed suit.

    Re''Kha was finding it difficult to even stand as she noticed Chaya get up creepily as if she was a marite. Re''Kha tried to take a step back but found that she was unable to bnce herself. It seemed Chaya had severed most of the vital nerves on her right leg that prevented her from moving.

    So, she had no other choice but to remain standing in ce and fight Chaya.

    "Hehe, you''re thest." Chaya chuckled as she slowly walked forward until she stood right before Re''Kha, "Once I kill you, my revenge would beplete."

    "Shove it!" Re''Kha shouted as she punched using her left, aiming at her jaw, shing the light on Chaya''s eyes in an effort to distract her. But, she noticed how the lens in her eyes dted to adjust to the brightness at a frightening speed, almost inhuman.

    Having adjusted to the light, her eyes darted towards the fist approaching her as she opened her mouth, meeting the fist with the sharpness of her teeth, crunching upon contact.

    "Argh!" Re''Kha cried out in pain as blood gushed out of her knuckles. On the other hand, her punch sent Chaya tumbling to her back, causing her to fall to the ground.

    Re''Kha was unable to feel her left hand, except for the phantom pain that resounded through it. She wasn''t even able to stand or move her hands now, barely focusing on them as she noticed threecerations on her.

    It seemed Chaya had done them while using her teeth to bite onto her fist. She had shed her knife twice, one to sh onto her attacking hand, rendering it useless while the other on her abdomen, causing problems in her leg.

    All nerves were connected. And, damaging a nerve in one ce affected it everywhere in the body it existed.

    The punch she exerted all her might into seemed to be thest straw that broke the camel''s neck as Chaya no longer got up.

    But, upon a closer look, Re''Kha could still see the faint rise and fall of her chest, concluding that Chaya was still alive. When Re''Kha wished to deliver the killing blow, she noticed how both her hands failed to move.

    Moreover, she could no longer feel her legs.

    There was a gentle wind at this time, causing her body to lose bnce. Re''Kha moved her shoulders, changing the distribution of weight in her body as she directed the way and side she would fall at. Thanks to her quick thinking, her body rolled on the bushes for a couple of metres before stopping.

    "Haah¡­haah¡­" Re''Kha gasped for air as the crack in her bones seemed to have worsened, causing her difficulty in breathing as she gasped for all the air she could obtain and mustered her strength, "Aah!"

    "Aaaaaah!"

    "Ahhhhhhhh!"

    She shouted at the top of her lungs, wishing for someone to hear it ande to her rescue. This was all she could say, for shouting ''Aah!'' required almost no effort on her vocal cords. But any other words needed some effort, something she couldn''t muster for the time being.

    Using her strength, she continued to shout, finally hearing the sound of a jeeping to a stop. Soon after, a group of police jumped over the walls and began searching the area.

    Re''Kha tried to shout once again as sounds failed toe out from her throat. It was parched and was running on air now, unable to generate any sound. Just when she tried to make another attempt, a voice resounded from near her.

    "Help!" It was Chaya.

    Having opened her mouth, and by using all her strength, Chaya shouted. Her shout was very mild, barely audible. Thanks to the silence of the ce, the police were able to hear her.

    "There," Followed by the Inspector, the police began to walk in their direction.

    ''Dammit!'' Re''Kha struggled to get up as she noticed the policee closer to Chaya. And, the moment they saw her, they assumed she was a victim and began to treat her as such.

 Chapter 158 - The Reset

    "There''s another person here. She''s alive." A Constable said after discovering Re''Kha.

    ''Dammit, she''s the killer. She''s acting like a victim now. Don''t be fooled by her!'' Re''Kha mentally shouted as she opened her mouth to speak, only able to let out gasps that were faint to the extent even she was unable to hear them.

    Two constables picked her up and carefully brought her out of the stretch of bushes. And, no matter how she tried to signal them, they didn''t seem to have obtained her message.

    Her heart lurched when they set her next to Chaya, screaming in her mind for them to look at her and understand her message. The Inspector seemed to be the smartest of the bunch. So, she quickly looked at him, motioning with her eyes as she tried her best to express her fear for Chaya.

    This way, she hoped for him to understand and quickly separate them before Chaya made use of the chance. Unfortunately for her, he seemed to have misunderstood her, thinking the serial killer was prowling in the surroundings.

    Immediately, all of them turned around and took stances. The Inspector even pulled out his gun, taking aim as the rest of the constables searched around for traces of the killer. In the meantime, they had already called for an ambnce.

    The moment they turned their backs on them, Re''Kha was devastated. No longer able to depend on them, she craned strength in her right hand. Even though it was damaged pretty harshly, it was the least wounded rtively whenpared to her other limbs.

    So, she had the highest chance of making it move through sheer effort.

    ''Move! Dammit, move! MOVE!'' She screamed in her mind as her right hand twitched, slowly umting strength in it. Feeling a light rustle on her right, her expression copsed as Re''Kha turned her head, eyes widened as she made eye contact with Chaya.

    ''Dammit!''

    Chaya pulled out the knife she had hidden under her sleeves and clenched it using her left. She had been biding for time while recovering her strength all this time. And, upon seeing the Constablesy Re''Kha next to her, she smiled, feeling that the heavens had helped her.

    Craning all the strength left in her, she lunged the knife straight at the throat of Re''Kha, nning to rend her life once and for all. That way, her revenge would beplete.

    ''Ugh!'' Re''Kha barely managed to react on time as she lifted her right hand, facing the bone towards the knife that pierced it. It got lodged deep into her as Re''Kha pulled her hand, gritting through the pain as she prevented Chaya from removing the knife tounch another attack.

    Hearing themotion, the Inspector and the Constables turned around, shing their torchlights as they saw the scene of Chaya stabbing a knife into the right hand of Re''Kha and was struggling to pull it up. Her emotionless face coupled with the density of blood smeared on her hand that was a mixture of wet and dried blood, gears churned in their heads as they realised the concept at y here.

    Chaya was the serial killer!

    They instinctually had glossed over the fact that women too could be serial killers. Unfortunately for their mindset, killing people required strength. And, as women were biologically weaker than men, they had glossed over this fact.

    It was also to be attributed to the fact that almost all the cases they dealt with usually involved men as killers. So, they default thought the serial killer this time was a man. After all, the killing feat could only be performed by someone with enough strength to kill a group of people singlehandedly.

    Without any hesitation, the Inspector grabbed hold of Chaya''s hand and pulled her away as three Constables helped pin her down. They swiftly cuffed her while the other Constable headed to the rescue of Re''Kha, "Are you alright?"

    Re''Kha tried to reply but words failed to form in her mouth. All she could do was try her best to stabilise her breathing and prevent herself from falling unconscious.

    "She must be dead! I''ll kill her! Don''t stop me!" Chaya screamed like a banshee as the Constables moved her a couple of metres away, unwilling to take any chances where she might escape their grip and lunge at Re''Kha once again.

    Upon hearing the noise, some of the Constables standing guard around the forensic experts jumped over the walls and arrived at the scene. The chatter in the ce increased as Re''Kha felt a bit rxed now.

    ''One mistake from my side embroiled me in such a difficult Quest.'' Re''Kha mentally sighed, feeling exhausted since she hadn''t even heard the familiar sound in her ears. It meant she hadn''tpleted the Quest yet.

    This was the problem with the Quests. Even if it might seem like an easy Quest, if the direction of approach to it was wrong, it would consume a lot of time and wouldn''t even be resolved. If Re''Kha had taken a different approach to it, she would probably havepleted the Quest by now.

    Re''Kha opened her mouth, barely able to utter something as she was able to exert some strength in her vocal cords now. Upon seeing her actions, the Inspector craned his ear closer in an effort to hear her better.

    Followed by a lot of exhausting gasps, Re''Kha finally managed to utter a word, "¡­time?"

    "Time?" The Inspector frowned for a moment as he shed the torchlight on his watch, "It''s 11:58 PM."

    ''Two more minutes left then.'' Re''Kha heaved a sigh in relief, feeling that she somehow made it through. Chaya was taken away by the police. And, she was waiting for an ambnce, surrounded by some police that guarded her safety and tried their best to aid her.

    She could also hear the sounds of an ambnce''s siren in the surroundings. Within a couple of minutes, it would arrive on the scene and she would survive.

    Just as she thought of this, the air around her felt moist before it seemed like she had jumped into a river. The next moment, Re''Kha sat up, looking around to see her surroundings were silent.

 Chapter 159 - Contemporary Murim

    "Ah," Re''Kha felt confused for a couple of seconds before she understood her situation. As she had endured through it, midnight arrived, resetting Earth while helping her inhabit the body of another individual.

    As the same day was repeated, it meant the scene she was in a minute ago hadn''t even urred now. But unfortunately for her, she couldn''t wait until it happened. For, the moment it was 9:20 AM, she would be automatically transported out of Earth.

    Her surroundings were dark, preventing her from seeing anything, thanks to the power cut. It seemed the power cut happenedte into the night daily. So, the darkness prevented her from judging her surroundings.

    She then touched the surface she was upon, feeling its softness as the rted memory gushed into her. It was a bed, and as Re''Kha probed around in the dark, upon every contact, the rted memory flowed into her mind, allowing her to understand her situation better.

    Finally, she gathered enough information to trigger the character''s memory, just for a short moment where she was able to know the position of the mobile phone. It was only now did she feel a sort of heaviness on her head, one that felt like a burden to her.

    But as she didn''t know what it was, Re''Kha didn''t rashly remove it, searching for the phone first. She craned her hands, reaching a spot next to the bed based on memory, and finally grabbed hold of the character''s mobile.

    She switched it on, noticing the time first as she heaved a sigh of relief.

    00:02 AM!

    It meant she had avoided a potential death of her character and saved herself from obtaining a lot of damage points. She then gazed into the lock screen on the phone, noticing how it was the image of a pretty girl in herte teens.

    The moment she saw the image, the rted memory rushed into her mind, allowing her to know the phone''s password. She unlocked it and adjusted its brightness, switching on its torchlight as she clicked a picture of herself.

    The technology was tremendously developed in the year 2031, allowing her to perfectly capture the image of a person in dim lighting without the least sacrifice in image quality. Moreover, the camera was also able to imbue the feeling of depth into the image, even going to the extent of creating a 3D model.

    Re''Kha moved her image in the picture, getting an idea of her appearance thanks to the 3D avatar. She was currently a boy in histe teens, one that was living with his parents as hemuted to a local university.

    It seemed he had recently joined a gym, and hence maintained a fairly passable physique. He was also tall, almost reaching 180 centimetres in height. Re''Kha then focused on the headgear her character was wearing, looking at it as she zoomed into the 3D image.

    She then noticed the words printed on it in small font, reading it aloud, "Contemporary Murim."

    Re''Kha frowned, ''What does this mean.''

    No matter what, she was unable to understand it. After all, unlike the other objects, no information flowed into her mind when she looked at the headgear. It was shaped simr to a helmet, covering the entirety of her face.

    Re''Kha had been seeing through the ss panel that was over her eyes. It was why she was able to see. Moreover, the headgear wasn''t heavy, barely weighing 50 grams. It was the reason she hadn''t felt its existence at the start.

    The headgear seemed to have been designed to suit the user''sfort. Moreover, it seemed to have been customised to suit the individual. Hence, it perfectly fit her character.

    Re''Kha was surprised when the familiar influx of information didn''t ur. This was the first time she faced this. Moreover, this was the first time she had seen such headgear.

    Re''Kha shed the torchlight of her phone around the room, noticing how more than half the area of the room was upied by a hexagon-shaped tform. The tform had a height of 10 centimetres while its top surface was concave. It consumed an area equivalent to a circle with a radius of two metres. It was considerablyrge.

    Complex patterns seemed to be engraved on it, for reasons unknown to her. After all, when she looked at the tform, she received no information. Re''Kha then walked towards the tform, thinking for a moment before taking a step on it, noticing how her headgear activated automatically.

    She heard the familiar sound, but this time, it resounded through the headgear as a feminine voice echoed in her ears.

    <Ding>

    <Initiating System Database>

    <Verifying User¡­>

    <ess Denied>

    "What¡­is this?" She frowned, feeling like it contained deeper secrets that she was unaware, but was something incredibly valuable. The headgear automatically switched off as Re''Kha was unable to hear anything else.

    She stood on the hexagonal tform, nothing happened. She descended and climbed above it once again, watching the headgear activate. But just like the first time, it repeated the same statements before switching off.

    "Let me finish my Quest first." Re''Kha looked at her phone, noticing how it had a data connection, allowing her to ess the inte. She immediately essed it and began to search for personal information about Chaya, starting with her social media.

    Re''Kha had controlled Chaya''s character during her second exploration. So, she was familiar with Chaya''s habits and knew many details about her. After all, she had spent a lot of time in that body, essing a tremendous volume of information rted to her as a result.

    So, she was confused about one thing: How did Chaya be so different? As the same day was repeated, it meant such a quality had been brewing forth within her from long ago. But, what was the reason for it?

    How could someone normal turn into a serial killer with no rhyme or reason? Re''Kha also recalled how the people she fought against lunged on Chaya immediately, intending to kill her without hesitation. Moreover, they also seemed to know her.

    Overall, Re''Kha was assured there was a deeper,plicated reason.

 Chapter 160 - Diving In

    "Just what is the reason?" Re''Kha frowned, unable to think of anything. No memory rted to Chaya showed such a character in her. She was a regr housewife, through and through.

    She surfed through Chaya''s social media, looking at the numerous pictures she had uploaded. It was just typical of someone like her, nothing unusual. Re''Kha then looked past them, trailing over the years to her past, finally arriving at her first picture that had been uploaded when she was in high school.

    She was considerably pretty back then, as she had been active in sports. It seems she hadn''t bothered to maintain her physique after giving birth, causing her to lose most of her previous charm.

    Using the torchlight of her phone, Re''Kha shed around the room, looking at everything installed in ce. Even though her character was living with his parents, he seemed to maintain his own private life, judging by the facilities installed in ce.

    Re''Kha exited the room and noticed how the adjacent room housed his parents. They were currently sleeping, undisturbed when she shed her light on them for a second. It seemed they were heavy sleepers.

    ''It would be for the best if I visit Chaya''s house to find out the truth.'' Re''Kha thought, for that was the only option left for her. Otherwise, she didn''t have any idea about how she would proceed inpleting her Quest. She had no intentions to umte another unit of damage.

    After all, she had no idea about how difficult her future missions would turn out to be. So, in the case she fails some of them, she should have enough leeway to survive even after taking a lot of damage.

    So, even though she only umted four damage till now, and would only die when the count reaches one hundred, Re''Kha didn''t wish to take her chances. She arrived before her character''s wardrobe, taking out some clothes to wear.

    She chose ck clothes, including a hoodie and a mask to fully cover herself. She also packed a roll of duct tape. Her character was an engineering student, she had had a lot of useful tools left in his home.

    Even though she wasn''t able to do much, considering she was still receiving information at a steady stream whenever she saw anything, Re''Kha could perform the basics. She created a suit of armour that she wore underneath her vest, also ensuring to protect her thighs.

    After all, if Chaya noticed her and went bazooka on her, she should be able to protect herself. Soon, Re''Kha was fully equipped with everything she needed. She then thought for a moment before entering the kitchen to take a knife.

    Wielding it for a couple of swings she determined it was perfect for her current physique, ''This character has considerable strength, even if his speed is a bitcking.''

    Moreover, she faced zero resistance from her character. On the contrary, she could sense waves of curiosity from her character that tried toprehend the situation.

    "Engineers¡­" She said with a knowing tone, realising that her character had a base voice. After covering herself fully, gloves, a face mask, a pair of soft sneakers, Re''Kha exited her house, all the while ensuring she didn''t many any noise.

    She then approached her bike and switched it on, cranking the gear as she slowly moved it out of her house to the road before gently increasing the speed. In the silent night, with the power was cut off, the sounds from the bike were ear-piercing.

    In order to not make too much of amotion, she quickly drove it off from the street, arriving onto the main road as she sped forth. If possible, she preferred to ride a cycle. And, her character did have one, as he seemed to be the type to ride in the morning, probably a habit his father had drilled into him to keep him healthy.

    But, upon seeing the distance between the two ces in the maps, Re''Kha refrained from using the cycle. There wasn''t a straight route to Chaya''s house from her location. So, she had to take many roundabout cuts. And that totalled a distance of 12 kilometres.

    It was still a distance traversable through a cycle. But, that would leave her tired. And in the off chance, she had to fight Chaya again, the exhaustion would put her at too much of a risk.

    After all, even though Chaya didn''t have much strength or even speed for the matter, her actions were efficient and vicious and urately aimed at the vital areas of the human body. Moreover, she didn''t even flinch at a wound, so it made her a pretty dangerous opponent.

    In the end, she had taken down almost thirty people. So, her ability to kill people was apparent. Unless Re''Kha was in her optimal state, encountering her was suicidal. That was why she decided to use the bike.

    Re''Kha sped along the road, noticing a police jeep stationed at the side of the road. The moment she sped past them, she noticed how the police within had ced a radar gun and aimed it on the road, checking for any vehicles that exceeded the city speed limits during the night.

    With barely any traffic during the night, those on the road usually didn''t care about the rules, eventually leading to a series of idents. So, to prevent that, they were usually stationed at various parts of the city where youths usually roamed around during the night.

    ''Dammit, the speed limit.'' Only now did Re''Kha remember it, noticing how the speed limit was only 40 kilometres per hour in that section of the road. On the contrary, she was driving at double the speed.

    So, the moment her bike passed by, the police jeep chased after her.

    ''It would be a pain.'' Re''Kha understood how the fine she had to pay, the police inquiry, and other formalities would dy her too much, not giving her enough time in the end to finish her Quest. So, without any hesitation, she sped forth and escaped through a narrow road, intending to throw them off.

 Chapter 161 - Minor Clues

    The moment she turned into a narrow road, Re''Kha noticed how the speed of the jeep had slowed down. After all, it didn''t have enough space to drive fast and had to proceed carefully. As a two-wheeler, Re''Kha didn''t have such concerns.

    She then took a turn into an even more narrow road, driving rtively slower through it before entering a slightly wider road. Before the police jeep could follow her trail, she reached the main road once again and sped forth.

    Driving at the maximum speed her bike allowed, she traversed one street after another, soon returning on her path once again. Twenty minutester, she reached Chaya''s house, driving slowly once she reached the street, unwilling to alert anyone with the sound.

    She parked her bike near Chaya''s house walls, keeping it close to the wall so that no one would notice anything amiss if they were to see out at this time. But even considering how the possibility for something like that was pretty slim, Re''Kha didn''t wish to take her chances.

    She then climbed atop her bike and leapt over the wall,nding on the other side. She barely made any sounds due to her soft sneakers. Moreover, their household didn''t seem to have any interest in raising dogs, so Re''Kha didn''t have to worry about them.

    She then arrived before the door, dialling the password to the door lock. Thankfully for her, they only had a digital lock and required a password that could be punched in. Otherwise, if she had to use a key, she would have felt some trouble.

    As she knew the password, she faced no difficulty in opening the door, gently closing it shut upon entering the house. It was a duplex with three bedrooms. Chaya slept with her daughter on the first floor while Swetha''s grandfather upied the room on the ground floor.

    Due to his age, he felt difficulty in pacing up and down the steps, and hence upied the room on the ground floor. Re''Kha first appeared before his room, locking it shut before changing its password. Now, even if he wanted, he couldn''te out.

    Re''Kha then stealthily crept through the flight of stairs, soon appearing on the first floor as she ced her ear on the door, trying to hear the sounds inside. Thanks to her memory from the second exploration, Chaya was bound to be sleeping at such a time.

    So, Re''Kha didn''t wish to screw up the chance as she swiftly changed the password of the door and retreated, returning to the living room. She depended on the torchlight from her phone for illumination as Re''Kha browsed around, trying to get any clues.

    Even though she knew the chances for that were slim, Re''Kha couldn''t give up that easily. Any documents, files, etc. were searched through by her. Unfortunately for her, Re''Kha didn''t see any information worth of notice.

    ''What am I searching for?'' Re''Kha frowned, thinking for a couple of minutes to straighten her thoughts first. Only with a clear direction could she tackle the issue ordingly.

    ''Chaya had been a normal housewife. But for some reason, she became a bloodthirsty murderer. Moreover, the victims she had killed seemed to be those that knew her.''

    ''So, they shared a connection or an enmity of sorts between them, enough to kill each other?'' She then frowned, ''No, that didn''t seem to be the case. Something is missing here.''

    Re''Kha then searched through everywhere on the ground floor, unable to find anything conclusive. She then entered the other room on the first floor, noticing how the room seemed to be a study. A lot of books littered the racks attached to the walls, ranging between various subjects.

    Some of them wereics meant for kids. As she flipped through them, all Re''Kha saw were crayon scribbles that Swetha had made while reading it. Re''Kha flipped through all the books, trying to see if she found any clue.

    She first nned to do a general sweep before proceeding with a detailed sweepter. ced in the racks were also some old notebooks that Swetha had used before. They contained her sswork and homework, stuff she filled in school. They seemed to be from a lower grade.

    She casually flipped through them before stopping in shock, looking at the bold words written on thest page, ''Die!''

    Re''Kha frowned, for the handwriting seemed different from Swetha''s. It wasn''t Chaya''s too. She then flipped through the notebook, unable to find anything else that was odd in it. Finding something amiss, Re''Kha flipped through the other notebooks and books, finding that such words did exist asionally in the books.

    But most of the time, they were crayon graffiti. Re''Kha could immediately guess the markings weren''t by Swetha, for the strokes contained weight and rity to them that only adults possessed.

    But, that was it. No matter what else she searched for, Re''Kha was unable to find anything else. She then thought of something, returning to the ground floor as she reverted the password on the room of Swetha''s grandfather to the old one. She then entered it, noticing that Swetha''s grandfather was fast asleep.

    She scanned the room once, unable to find any clues as she slowly exited the room, ensuring to keep the door in the same position as before. She then arrived at the first floor to repeat the same in Chaya''s room.

    But, she dared not enter. For, that was too risky.

    ''It seems I have to wait.'' Re''Kha thought as she proceeded to climb the flight of stairs, heading towards the terrace. Based on her memory of the day, Swetha had a half-day at school. And, to drop her, Chaya would leave the house at 8:00 AM.

    So, that was the only time Re''Kha could use to enter her room and search through her belongings. She opened the door to the terrace and found a perfect hiding spot to hide within and spy around. She then returned to the kitchen, picked up a couple of paper cups and a thin strand of thread.

    Heading straight to the terrace, Re''Kha gently closed the door and took position, intending to camp at the terrace all night.

 Chapter 162 - Awake And Conscious Character

    Re''Kha made tiny holes at the bottom of both the paper cups and wound the thread through them, finalising the simple process. It was the simple telephone taught as a science experiment in sixth grade.

    It seemed there existed a lot of backstory to them, but Re''Kha didn''t receive them. Moreover, she wasn''t bordered about learning about them in detail for the time being. She wished to get the Questpleted first.

    Once they were connected, Re''Kha dropped one paper cup over the way, watching it fall slowly as she pulled the thread, adjusting its descent. She then ced it right next to the window of Chaya''s room.

    To ensure it would fly away or wobble around with the wind, Re''Kha had used the duct tape to form a circle around the cup. Moreover, this circle was double folded, to ensure there was a stickyyer on the outside too.

    Therefore, the moment the cup was in the right position, Re''Kha pulled the thread a little, making the cup touch the wall. The contact stuck the cup to the wall. Even though it wasn''t fully stuck and could stille off if the wind grew fiercer, it would do for her.

    Re''Kha then pulled the string gently until it was stretched taut, cing her ear in the other paper cup, trying to hear any sounds. Nothing was happening in Chaya''s room now, so there wasn''t anything she picked except for some muffled sounds of wind moving. It was thanks to the sound produced by the ceiling fan in the room.

    Once she had the basic setup going on, Re''Kha leanedfortably, using the wall as a backrest as she ced the paper cup on her ear. This way, she was hidden and could constantly hear anything that happened in the room.

    Even though the sounds were greatly muffled, she could still make out something from it. At least, she would know when Chaya left the house and can act immediately after that.

    Re''Kha then picked up her phone, dimmed the brightness, double-checked to ensure all the sounds were switched off and essed the inte. She then began to search for answers to key questions that she hade across like ''Dtion of Time'', ''System of Units'', ''Principle of geometry'', ''Folklore'', etc.

    She primarily stuck to mathematics and science, feeling that they would prove useful to her the most. She nned to understand them while she already had a great understanding of such concepts thanks to her character. As an engineer, her character had the best understanding of these two subjects, so it was wiser to learn them now.

    Besides, even if it seemed like she understood the reason for all the actions she had made till now, the moment she left Earth, all her actions wouldn''t make any sense. It was because she wouldn''t be able to understand the numerous concepts that were in ce in Earth''s activities.

    After all, they were from two different worlds withpletely differentws,ndscapes, and nature. Moreover, her world had Elemental Qi and everything was decided based on them and their interaction, which was always a violent sh.

    But on Earth, there didn''t exist any Elemental Qi, but the elements reacted with one another to produce mysterious effects. Even though she could understand them using the concept of protons, neutrons, and electrons, she was unable to imagine them.

    "Just consider it as if there only exist three variables that govern this world: protons, neutrons, and electrons. And, the way theybine and exist varies what entity they be, which we call atoms. And, these atoms usually exist as molecules orpounds in nature, some of them areplex chains while others are just bimolecr."

    "What the¡­?" Re''Kha was shocked when her mouth began talking all of a sudden. She then sensed how there wasn''t any resistance from her character, except for moving the mouth. The moment Re''Kha loosened her control over his mouth, her character began to speak, ensuring he muttered to avoid making any loud sounds, "Wow, this is awesome. How can you control my body? And how did you enter it in the first ce? Are you a parasite?"

    After a moment of thought, Re''Kha replied by controlling her character''s mouth, "No, when I entered this world, I automatically woke up in your body."

    "Ahh, an alien? Wow, so aliens were real?" The boy expressed his shock and excitement.

    He then spoke before Re''Kha could reply, "And, how do you¡­aliens look like? Giant wriggly tentacle double-headed creatures with insane telepathic prowess?"

    "We are humanoid creatures¡­" Re''Kha continued, intending to learn more about Earth through this conversation. After all, this was the first time she was ever able to converse with her character. Until now, even when the characters took control of the body to react or make a decision, they weren''t conscious about it. It seemed more like an instinctual reaction based on their character and behaviour.

    This was the first time the character she inhabited was able to speak voluntarily. So, Re''Kha wished to see if she could learn something different from this conversation, speaking without any masking or lies, "There are a lot of races in our world. We are constantly at war with each other. Appearance-wise, my race isn''t all that different from humans."

    "How same or how different they are to be precise?" The boy said.

    "Like," Re''Kha thought for a moment before stating, "We have a third eye on our forehead, a second heart, and an extra set of nerves we call the meridians. Physique-wise, it''s more or less the same, even the aging factor is almost the same. Our resistance to diseases is pretty high, so we tend to live longer. Our natural life expectancy is around 100-120 years."

    "What is your race known as?" The boy said after pausing for a couple of seconds.

    "We call ourselves the Kalki," Re''Kha said.

    There was silence for more than fifteen seconds before the boy spoke, "And¡­do you cover your third eye with a Tikka jewellery?"

 Chapter 163 - Steelcraft

    "And¡­do you cover your third eye with a Tikka jewellery?" The boy''s voice resounded, causing Re''Kha to jerk in shock.

    "What? How did you know about that?" Re''Kha frowned.

    "The names of some of the other races¡­" The boy spoke again, "Are they Treka, Bisheen, Gaiko, and Pitruha?"

    "What the¡­" Re''Kha was even more shocked now, "How did you know about them too?"

    "Wait, so when you were controlling my body, you didn''t even realise what that helmet was¡­" The boy paused in confusion before nodding as if he got the gist of it, "I see, so that''s why it said ess Denied."

    "What do you mean?" Re''Kha inquired.

    "Well, we have something called a VR Game here. It means a game using Virtual Reality." The boy said.

    The moment she heard the word, a flood of information gushed into her mind, immediately allowing her to understand everything about Virtual Reality. Though, there was some garbled static that apanied it this time, preventing her from understanding certain stuff in them.

    Even then, she obtained a general gist of it, enough for her to understand just how they functioned and the reason the headgear and the hexagonal tform existed.

    "Do continue," Re''Kha nodded.

    "Alright," The boy too nodded in return as he continued, "In recent years, the rate of obesity around the world was increasing to an rming percent. It was because of the grain surplus that had been generated thanks to new agricultural breakthroughs. So, tobat this, they developed something that would make people willing to move naturally."

    "Hmm, I didn''t see a lot of obese people though," Re''Kha muttered, "I have been here and in Bengaluru."

    "The percentage is still rtively less in these two cities, thanks to our genes. But obesity is a growing cause. I don''t know the exact numbers, but that had been the case one year ago. Now, thanks to this VR, a lot of obese people have managed to reduce their weight to eptable levels."

    "So, what game is in this VR that made this possible?" Re''Kha inquired, able to understand their perspective. In her world, even the merchants weren''t fat or obese. They were fit because numerous incidents happened all the time. And, if someone was unfit, they wouldn''t be able to escape from a problem or even have the strength to face it.

    Moreover, the mentality prevalent in their society disdained anyone who wasn''t fit enough to protect himself. So, she hadn''t ever seen anyone that was obese in her world.

    But on Earth, the situation was different. It was argely peaceful world. And with the advent of technology, it brought the world closer, allowing people to ess information from all parts of the world from thefort of the couch in their homes.

    And, thanks to all door delivery options, one didn''t even need to step out from thefort of his/her home. And this was the primary cause that caused one ack of exercise, which eventually added more and more weight to his/her body.

    And, being obese was dangerous to one''s health;bating the issue was of primal importance. So, Re''Kha was curious as to how they managed to do it through a game. After all, based on the information she had obtained, all the games could be yed with minimal exercise.

    At most, one had to move their fingers. So, it wasn''t enough to lose weight.

    "It''s a simple but ground-breaking game that makes people fit to the extent they can pose as martial artists." The boyughed as he said, "After wearing the headset, the neural transmission technology in it synchronises with our brain waves, allowing us to perceive an entirely different world."

    Followed by a chuckle, he spoke, "And, we obtain an avatar that we control in this world. We can customise it a bit to our liking, but the general bone and muscle structure follow our real-life''s version. And, once we enter that world, weplete missions that earn money, wield supernatural powers, etc."

    "And the best part about this is¡­" He smiled, causing his lips to curl up, "Our avatar in-game would only perform the set of actions we execute in reality. So, if we wish to run fast, we have to run as fast as in reality. The hexagonal tform is for that. It allows us to make all sorts of motions and movements without moving away from the tform. This way, we don''t risk any injury while ying."

    "But, that''s just like real life. Earth is even more interesting than the survival world you speak of." Re''Kha frowned.

    "Surely technology is convenient, I''ll give you that. But, most of us desire that something which isn''t avable on Earth. But it is present in-game. And, that is all we ever need to dive into it." The boy replied.

    "And that something is?"

    "Superpowers," The boy said, "Each of us can choose an attribute of our choice and develop our character ordingly around it. And, the way we develop it disys our skill. Most people may or may not have the interest to prove themselves better than others in life, since there isn''t any parameter to determine that in a world asplex and disoriented as ours. But, everyone loves to prove themselves in a game. After all, there is one concept in games that make them addicting."

    "And that is?"

    "As long as you put in the effort, you can visibly see your improvement. This improvement is visible, quantitative, and can allow us to judge whether an action we took is beneficial to us or not. And, as we have to constantly move to use the superpowers, we would end up losing weight in the long term."

    "And," He chuckled, "Thanks to the vivid immersion that allows us to experience ourselves wielding the powers of fire, thunder, gravity, etc. we arepletely addicted to it and before we realise it, we be fit enough to do gymnastics."

    "And, is Contemporary Murim the name of this game?" Re''Kha inquired.

    "No," The boy shook his head, "That''s the name of the headgear. And, since it has been designed to forge our obese bodies into perfect, fit-looking humans, the game has been termed¡­"

    "Steelcraft!"

 Chapter 164 - Numbers Matter A Lot

    "Steelcraft¡­" Re''Kha muttered, feeling the name was apt for the situation. She then thought about it and said, "Then, why is the headgear named Contemporary Murim? Does the name serve any purpose?"

    "Well, truth to be told," The boy let out a wry smile, "It''s because of a simple reason. The VR world we ess is the Murim or the World of Martial Arts in simple terms. And, since we ess that world while we exist, move, and affect Earth, and as the headgear is what makes it possible, it was given such a name."

    "And, that is where I came to know about it," The boy said as he opened the camera of his phone, disying his smiling face in the front-facing camera, "The VR world we ess seems to be a replica of your world. That may be another reason you have been able to inhabit me. Or¡­"

    He frowned, deep in thought, "So, if we customise a character, are we actually entering that world and inhabiting one of their characters that look as such? No, if that was possible, something like the Turd Brothers Battleground Guild wouldn''t have been established. Stuff like that is only possible for the troll gamers."

    "Hmm," Re''Kha thought, pulling up an inte search for the word ''Steelcraft''. She didn''t even need to type it whole. The moment she typed in the first three letters, it popped up as the first search. Upon clicking it, Re''Kha entered their home page, frowning as she noticed how everything on the homepage had be garbled characters.

    And, floating above them was a bold letter, filing up a quarter of the screen¡­

    ess Denied!

    "What the¡­why?" Re''Kha frowned, refreshing it to see it was the same.

    "Why? What happened? Is this not actually part of your world?" The boy spoke by taking control of her mouth.

    "I cannot see anything," Re''Kha said.

    "Hmm, give me control of my arms for a bit," He said, moving his arms immediately once he obtained control and began to pull up some images from the inte, speaking, "Also, will you be inhabiting my body for the rest of my life?"

    "No, I''ll be pulled out at 9:20 AM," Re''Kha replied.

    "That''s good then," The boy sighed in relief as he looked at the image, "See if this is visible to you?"

    "Nope, I just see static on the screen," Re''Kha said.

    "Then¡­" He zoomed into the image until focusing on a single strand of grass. "Can you see this now?"

    "Yeah," Re''Kha replied after a couple of seconds, "I could see it the moment there was only a patch of grass in the picture."

    "I see," The boy then zoomed in on another detail on the page, "Is this visible now?"

    "Nope, this looks like static to me," Re''Kha replied, "What was it though?"

    "Tikka jewellery of the Kalki race." The boy replied.

    "I see," Re''Kha nodded, "So, anything rted to the game is invisible to me. I can at most see some unrted ground textures in it."

    "It pretty much seems to be the case," The boy nodded, then wondering as he spoke, "By the way, how were you even able to move my bike? Are there bikes in your world?"

    "No, there aren''t," Re''Kha shook her head, "Once on Earth, the moment I see an object, I would receive information rted to it. Though, this information is rted to the character''s understanding of the said object. If he/she is clueless, I too wouldn''t obtain much when I look at things around me."

    "Well, consider it luck that you inhabited me, haha. Not to brag, but I''m probably the smartest of the bunch in this city." The boy smirked with a smug expression.

    "By the way¡­" He quickly essed the app store, downloading a certain app as he spoke, "For what reason did you inhabit me? Do you do this often? And do others from your world do it too?"

    "Do you recall anyone else that had inhabited your body before?" Re''Kha replied with a question of her own.

    "No, I don''t. This feels a bit like d¨¦j¨¤ vu, but I don''t recall anyone inhabiting my body, nor have I seen my friends act weird." He replied.

    "Actually, there should at least be four people being inhabited in this city. And, the people being habited changes every day." Re''Kha didn''t talk about the reset or the repeat of the day, feeling that she shouldn''t talk about it. She could just feel an instinct of sorts pressing down on her, preventing her from saying certain things.

    This was the first time she was experiencing this. First was theck of any memory influx when she looked at the headgear, the second was the static of images that her character could clearly perceive, and third was this instinct that was warning her to not talk about certain things.

    ''It seems this is a sensitive topic. I should be careful and not take too many risks. And¡­this static seems to be the reason no one mentioned about Steelcraft back in my n. If it is of such importance, surely, they would have told me. But, it seems they were unable to know about it. Right, it''s only because I can actively talk with my character that I noticed this issue. Otherwise, just talking with other people wouldn''t have been enough to determine the oddity.'' Re''Kha pondered.

    As they would usually be focused onpleting their Quests, they wouldn''t have paid much attention to this or would have simply glossed over it. And since everything wouldn''t make sense once they exit Earth anyway, this memory gets buried in their mind and wouldn''t be triggered unless theye across it with definite information.

    Re''Kha then noticed her hands moving as the boy spoke, "Tell me the moment the image starts to be a blur."

    He was simply operating an editing app, having masked an image with an invisibleyer. He used a tool to gently make a stroke on it, revealing the part of the image under the stroke. This way, he could get an urate grasp of the extent the information in an image should be before it gets censored in her eyes.

    "Numbers matter a lot to us Engineers."

 Chapter 165 - Major Quest: 3rd Chain

    "Is it visible?"

    "Yes."

    "Now?"

    "Still yes."

    "How about now?"

    "It started to get blurry halfway through the stroke."

    "And now?"

    "It''s fully like a mosaic now. I cannot make sense of anything from it."

    "Hmm," The boy then thought of something, "Why don''t you see through one eye while I see through the rest? That way, we might find something good."

    "Great idea," Re''Kha nodded, relinquishing control over the left eye as she looked through the right. It was odd at first before the brain synchronised the image to their respective minds.

    The mosaic before her eyes flickered, shing off with intermittent monochromatic glitches as it vanished in and out of existence. For an instant, Re''Kha was able to see the image on the phone screen. She didn''t manage to get a clear view, but she could guess it was the image of a Pitruha, a race bordering northwest to her country.

    "Ugh," Re''Kha grunted in pain as she clutched her head, dropping the phone as the splitting images merged into one. The headache was akin to a force that would split her head into two. Thanks to her training, Re''Kha swiftly took full control of the character, preventing herself from shouting as she gritted her teeth and endured.

    Three secondster, the pain vanished as a cool feeling swashed into her mind, alleviating her tense state.

    <Ding>

    <Warning: Ineligible ess>

    <ess Denied>

    <Making Database Correction>

    <Assigning Major Quest: 3rd Chain>

    <Ding>

    Re''Kha quickly shut the phone, using the nk screen as a mirror to see the contents of her Quest, asking, "Can you see anything now?"

    "No, I can''t." The boy replied, "What was that just now?"

    "I''ll fill you in a moment," Saying so, Re''Kha focused on the details of the Quest.

    <Major Quest: 3rd Chain>

    <Quest Description: Learn More>

    [Will be Updated]

    [Will be Updated]

    <Quest Duration: Until Permit to Earth Expires>

    <Quest Reward: Will be Updated>

    ''This ispletely unprecedented.'' Re''Kha clenched her head, unable to make heads or tails of the situation. The Quest was basically something that spanned until the day she no longer had ess to Earth.

    So, it meant she could continue on the Quest until she reaches the peak of the Harmoniser Realm. Obtaining a Quest through unexpected means was surprising indeed. Moreover, Re''Kha was assured of one fact this time: The Quest she received now wasn''t because of her master''s machinations. Rather, it was a result of all her choices.

    ''Is it because I entered from the portal in Burfuna City and arrived at Bengaluru, the part of Earth essed by those in Burfuna City. And, I left the city and travelled to Mysore, the city I already explored four times from Burkurel City.''

    ''I then encountered an individual from my second Quest and received another Quest to witness the other part of my older Quest. And then, once midnight stroke, I inhabited the body of this boy, a resident of the city of Mysore, and not Bengaluru.''

    ''Have all these been the cause that resulted in the triggering of the Main Quest? Moreover, the fact that there existed a character that could talk while I inhabited his body. And, his cooperation with me and finally, that act with our shared vision.''

    Re''Kha thought through for some more time before sighing, ''I have to think deeply about thister.''

    After massaging her head, Re''Kha muttered, "It seems what we have attempted just now is forbidden by the system that governs us while on Earth."

    "System? And just how does it function?" The boy expressed his curiosity.

    "I''m not exactly sure about it myself." Re''Kha frowned as she said, "I haven''t been able to research about it, nor have others that visit Earth."

    "And why is that?"

    "Well, the moment we leave Earth, we lose understanding of basically everything we learned from here. Remember that memory influx we experience the moment we look at an object here? Everything we receive from here, our understanding of it would be voided. The memory would still remain with us, but to us, it would look no different from a garbled mess." Re''Kha sighed.

    Her tone then turned solemn, "But that is unless we truly understand the said concept governing them. if we fullyprehend them, we retain an understanding of that part even after exiting Earth."

    "Has the people from your world been visiting ours from long ago?" The boy spoke.

    "Based on our records, yeah. We have been visiting for at least a few thousand years." Re''Kha nodded.

    "I see," The boy nodded, "That might be the reason Steelcraft is based on your world."

    The boy then veered into his train of thought, "So, one of those from your world had inhabited a rich genius and had conversed with him, telling him about his world. Once he left, this person set out to recreate the world based on the description. At least, something along those lines."

    "But, it''s rare for us to be able to talk to those we inhabit. From all my visits, you''re the first. And, seeing as how I didn''t hear anything about this in my n, possibly no one has even inhabited someone who could converse with them." Re''Kha said.

    "Then, what do they do while you inhabit and control their bodies?" The boy asked.

    "Well, they still take control of our actions at times or change the tone of the words we wish to convey to suit their character and ego. Sometimes, they also twist our words and weave them ording to their understanding of the situation. But at all times, it is like they are acting based on a temte. None of them has been consciously aware of this as you." Re''Kha said. She spoke the truth, for she too was curious as to why he was an exception, and if it stemmed from her decision or if he was an innately perceptive individual.

    "Wow, I always knew I was awesome. But I never knew I was this awesome, haha." The boy chuckled, "Well, thank you for your praise."

    He then pulled up the image of a man on his phone, "If what you say is correct, then this individual must have been the other person like me who was able to talk with the alien that inhabited his body."

    "He''s the creator of Steelcraft."

 Chapter 166 - Censorship Works Based On Intent

    "The creator of Steelcraft?" Re''Kha frowned as all she could see on the screen was garbled static. After a moment of thought, she spoke, "What is his name?"

    "#&*&%"

    "What did you say?" Re''Kha asked.

    "#&*&%, his name is #&*&%." The boy replied. He then realised something as he said, "How did his name sound to you?"

    "It sounded like #&*&%," Re''Kha said.

    The boy then said the names of other people that had been important in the creation of Steelcraft, and Re''Kha then iterated the garbled sound it resounded as in her ear. Followed by a sigh, he picked up his phone and opened another app, writing the character ''M'' in it.

    "Can you understand this?" The boy said, watching his right hand disy a thumbs up. He then wrote the second character, watching the thumbs up slowly curve downward until the thumb faced him straight.

    And, as he drew the third letter, the thumb fully faced downward. The boy concluded, "This shows that two letters are the limit before it is fully censored in your senses."

    He then erased it, took in a deep breath, and wrote ''A'', ''B'', and ''C'' on the phone, getting to know Re''Kha was able to see it perfectly. Then, he wrote the letter ''H'' after rubbing the three letters. It was still visible.

    Then, he wrote ''D'', ''E'', ''F'', noticing Re''Kha was able to see this too. Followed by a smile, he wrote the letter ''M'' again. This too was visible. The boy continued to draw like this until he finished everything, erasing thest letter he drew.

    "Ignore the three-letter batches and join the rest. You''ll get the name of the creator¡­" He was suddenly gued by intense coughing fits. Only when he began to take in deep breaths and rx his posture did the coughing fits stop.

    And, the moment he tried to continue the previous sentence, the coughing fit returned. As it continued three to four times, he realised what was happening and sighed, "It seems I cannot explicitly say them to you. But, I understood the basic rule the censorship works with."

    "So, what rule is this?" Re''Kha inquired.

    "Intent," The boy rxed as he smiled.

    "Intent?"

    "Yes," The boy nodded as he muttered, "Irrespective of thews used to restrict us, even if there are thousands ofws, humans are good at finding loopholes in them. So, instead of that, the censorship works through intent. If there is something forbidden, whatever action I do with the intent to deliver that forbidden something, it would be censored. This would be a lot more fool-proof than hundreds of uses of restricting cause and effect."

    "That makes a lot of sense." Re''Kha nodded, adjusting the paper cup over her ear to continue listening to the sounds in Chaya''s room.

    "Yes, but as you saw, it is not foolproof. I was still able to give you the name of the creator of Steelcraft. See if you can pronounce his name." The boy said.

    "I can''t," Re''Kha sighed as she shook her head, "My thoughts are getting interrupted. I can picture each letter of the name clearly, but am unable to put them together."

    She then took control of the hands, scribbling on the phone. But, the moment she finished the first two letters, the image became garbled static to her.

    "At least, you got the name right. So, you might one day be able to say it outright." The boy said, looking at the time to see that it was still the middle of the night. There was a lot of time for dawn to arise.

    "Alright, now teach me some basics about the fundamentals of your world. Since you''re an Engineer, it should be possible for you, right?" Re''Kha said.

    "Alright," The boy nodded, "But in return, tell me more about your world and how the superpowers there actually work."

    "Alright, fine by me." Re''Kha nodded, feeling it was better for her to learn from an expert than surf through the inte. Her understanding of it might still be shallow even if she spent a lot of time on the inte.

    But on the contrary, the boy was pretty smart too. So, he might be able toe up with terms that Re''Kha was knowledgeable about to use them as a base and teach her. This way, she wouldn''t forget them after exiting Earth.

    The two engaged in a discussion, constantly exchanging information from both their worlds. At times when it involved Steelcraft, the information would be censored to her. But on the contrary, Re''Kha could talk about anything and nothing was censored to the boy.

    ''Is it because he would forget everything with the next reset?'' She thought.

    Time passed in such a manner as Re''Kha obtained a basic understanding of their mathematics, time, and the basic system of units like distance, weight, etc. She then learned about concepts involving the elements and how everything in their world functioned based on them

    The boy primarily focused on the aerofoil theory and propulsion, stating how those two were the primaryponents that changed their world greatly. Re''Kha used her current understanding to tell about many things from her world which the boy used as a base to form a rtion between the elements active in both the worlds.

    And, using this rtion, he exined the fundamentalws of earth. This way, Re''Kha wouldn''t forget them upon exiting Earth. Time passed in such a manner. Soon, it dawned as the birds took flight early in the morning.

    As her character had been covered from head to toe in protective gear, he wasn''t affected by the cold during the night. Moreover, he felt slightly warmer. Thankfully for him, the morning still consisted of cold winds.

    Onlyter during the day would his getup be ufortable. Finally, it was 6:00 AM as Re''Kha heard the sounds of rm through the paper cup, stopping all discussions as she tensed up immediately.

    It was time to confront Chaya''s secrets.

 Chapter 167 - Creeping Horror

    6:00 AM, through the paper cup, Re''Kha heard the sounds of the rm, followed by faint rustles as someone seemed to have gotten up. As she continued to hear, Re''Kha nodded in gratitude as her character didn''t try anything to talk.

    She tried to talk about her Quest to her character before. But, the moment she tried to do so, Re''Kha could feel an instinct of sorts preventing her from doing so. That''s why she refrained from consulting him about it.

    But, that didn''t stop her entirely. She did present a simr case and asked him about it, wishing to see if he had any interesting take on the matter. Unfortunately for her, he didn''t have too many ideas on the topic. But even then, he said he will point out anything of importance by moving her left hand''s little finger.

    As she would hardly use that finger, it served as a good identification. They made up some basic setup between themselves. Re''Kha no longer controlled her left hand''s little finger, giving her character full control over that part.

    So, when he wriggled the finger, she would automatically relinquish control over the left hand to him. He would then use the hand to either grab any item of notice, search for something, or write words in the air to tell her, etc.

    That way, she would be able to observe better through silence. Re''Kha continued to listen in through the paper cap. Even though the sounds weren''t clear enough, it was more than enough for her to spy without disying her location.

    Time passed in such a fashion. The sounds in the bedroom had turned a notch higher as Chaya shouted from time to time, reminding Swetha to not bete.

    They ate their breakfast at 7:45 AM, finished all preparations and rushed out of the house. Swetha''s grandpa was in the living room, listening to some music as he read the newspaper. From the terrace, Re''Kha stealthily peaked out, watching Chaya drive their car and sped past.

    Immediately, she sprinted through the stairs, opened the door, ensured to close it again without making any sound and quickly entered Chaya''s room. The moment she entered, she changed the password of the door, ensuring that would buy her time and not catch her off guard in the off-chance Chaya indeedes back.

    The moment she entered the room, Re''Kha felt an uncanny chillness for a moment. The room spanned seven metres in length and five metres in breadth. It was a spacious room. ced in the centre, touching one of the walls was the bed.

    On either side of it were small stools, attached with a rack to ce some items, usually misceneous chargers, etc. On one side of the room were shelves, and ced within were a variety of clothes, some regr, some designer, etc.

    There existed another shelf on the opposite side that Re''Kha started with. It seemed to be the shelf housing the clothes of Chaya''s husband. After making a full sweep through it, all Re''Kha found were money, some jewels, a set of watches, etc.

    There wasn''t anything that could serve as a clue to her in them. She then arrived before Chaya''s shelf, opening it as she took in a deep breath. This was the location she could think of that might have some clues. Other than this, she had to visit that hotel. So, Re''Kha was hoping she would be able to finish her Quest through it.

    She searched from the top, looking through all the dresses one by one. The more she was unable to find anything, the more restless she became, for the potential ces for clues were beginning to decrease.

    Finally, Re''Kha lifted thest dress, failing to find anything. "Dammit."

    She mmed her fit on the shelf, grunting as she hadn''t been able to find a single clue. It was then her little finger moved as Re''Kha voluntarily relinquished control of her left hand. The left hand then began to knock on all the walls of the shelf, checking for the difference in the sound.

    After that, Re''Kha felt her character''s willingness to speak for a moment. The boy immediately whispered, "Let me control myself for a minute. There''s something I want to attempt."

    "Sure," Re''Kha said and watched her character move. The main control of the body still remained with her. if she wanted, she could instantly take full control of the body without any issues. But since the boy had been understanding all along, Re''Kha didn''t say anything, allowing the boy to do his thing.

    The boy then arrived before the stool ced next to the bed and opened its drawer, looking through the stuff in it. He then fished out a couple of hairclips from it and closed the drawer, arriving before the shelf of Chaya''s husband.

    He began to knock on all its walls once again, just like before, "Aha, it''s here too."

    He then focused on the ce where the sound was mildly different. He took out the clothes from it and ced them on the bed, looking at the b in the shelf that looked no different to the rest. Without any hesitation, he ced the hairclip in one corner, inserting it through the seams, smiling the moment it went in easily.

    He then gave a bit of force into it, watching a part of the b move up, "All the bs look the same in their dimensions, but one of them had a tiny hollow space within."

    The hollow space was small, spanning a length of 20 centimetres, a breadth of 15 centimetres, and a depth of a centimetre. ced within it was a couple of papers, an envelope, some bills, a medical certificate, and a memory card in a stic cover.

    He simultaneously did the same in Chaya''s shelf too, taking out simr items from it before stuffing all the clothes back in their rightful ce. The boy then spoke, "Are these it?"

    "Let me check," Re''Kha looked into an envelope, seeing a couple of familiar faces in them, nodding in relief for they were the clues she sought. But as she looked further, her face paled.

 Chapter 168 - The Other Side Of The Quest

    Warning: Following content may not be advised for the faint of heart or mind. Please avoid it if you don''t wish to read anything mentally disturbing or emotionally scarring.

    Driving through the road was Re''Kha, her face pale, on the verge of vomiting. Her hands trembled as she quickly reached her character''s house, inching back to his room without alerting his parents.

    The moment she arrived, she sat on the bed as the boy spoke automatically, "Just what the hell was that?"

    "Hah, something one mustn''t see," Re''Kha sighed, massaging her forehead as she felt a headache. On seeing how her time was running out, Re''Kha didn''t dare dy, gritting her teeth as she looked through all the photos in the two envelopes.

    Both seemed to have been taken at different dates, situated a month apart. Upon seeing them, Re''Kha felt anger, intense anger. Her character too seemed to boil with anger as he cursed, "Those monsters deserve the most horrible of deaths."

    "You are right," Re''Kha nodded. Her character then inserted the SD Card in hisptop and pulled up the contents within.

    It happened three months after Chaya had been married. Her husband had attended a ss reunion to meet up with some of his friends. There, news of his pretty wife became the most talked about topic coincidentally. Since it was just the usual tease between friends, he didn''t mind it.

    But, that was also the time when one of those who had attended the reunion, a once jovial guy who had changed his ways in life due to circumstances had his fire lit after stealing a nce at her picture.

    Upon getting the social media profile of Chaya''s husband, he was able to easily discover Chaya''s profile through it. He became obsessed with it and began to stalk her online. At first, he didn''t have any ns for her. He was just obsessed.

    At that time, Chaya had been young and beautiful, having a lot of admirers. She was also active on social media, so active, she uploaded posts at least twice a day. And, these posts usually showed her routine, the ces she visited, the shops she frequented, the friends she was in close contact with, etc.

    Through this, he was basically able to get her entire habits. He had memorised them to the extent he could judge her behavioural patterns, such was his obsession. The fact that he had been jealous of Chaya''s husband since school days¡ªnurturing the emotion in himself for years¡ªfurther spurred him on to tread the horrid path.

    As they were newlyweds, Chaya and her husband moved out to live in a house of their own. They were also doing well enough to afford it in such an early phase of their life.

    On one fine day, when Chaya''s husband had to leave for a business meeting, and there wasn''t anyone else in her home. Chaya had invited a couple of her girlfriends for some tea and stuff.

    He, on the other hand, had just been waiting for such an opportunity. Having nned the entire thing, he sent a teenager dressed simrly to one of her neighbours. It was a bitte into the night when Chaya''s friends bode farewell to her and left her house.

    Upon sending them off, she had just closed the door when the boy appeared and rang the doorbell, looking like he hade to find the cricket ball that he had mistakenly sent flying into her house. Upon seeing the somewhat familiar face¡ªshe wasn''t exactly sure since she was still new to the area¡ªChaya opened the door, only to be sprayed by a certain gas that immediately caused her to faint.

    The boy vanished as the man and three other men entered the house and closed the door. They forced themselves onto her for the entire duration of her husband''s business trip. Having also collected enough ckmail material, they promised her they won''t reveal anything as long as she didn''tin to the police.

    To avoid public shame, Chaya was unable to refuse.

    A monthter, her husband had to leave for another business trip. And this time, the duration was even longer, spanning almost a week.

    During this week, her house had basically be a brothel as he and all his buddies took their turns to force themselves onto her over the course of the week. Chaya was mentally broken by the end of it. And, a product of this act was Swetha.

    Since they had been close during the rest of the time he wasn''t on a business trip, Chaya''s husband thought it was his daughter, and didn''t find anything suspicious. After all, there were no external wounds on Chaya.

    The perpetrator hadn''t gone overboard, for he had nned to enjoy her many times, whenever he got the chance. A monthter, he lost his life in a truck ident. So, no one targeted Chaya again. But, the rest of the gang that had forced themselves onto her remained alive.

    Moreover, the shame, humiliation, anger, and a myriad of emotions she experienced twisted her mind, causing her to develop a split personality. One part of her became the normal Chaya without any memory of the incident.

    So, she led her life normally with her family. But, the other part of her became increasingly twisted and only came out asionally, learning the arts of killing as she tracked the perpetrators and killed them one after another in the most gruesome way possible.

    She practiced her skills on their bodies, expertly understanding the human body. Though, to avoid being out too long in fear Chaya or her husband would notice something amiss, her twisted personality seldom came out. So, the pace of her killing was slow.

    And, only six of the gang had been killed by the time Swetha grew up into an eight-year-old girl. The medical reports consisted of a DNA check to see whether Swetha was really a child between Chaya and her husband, which proved otherwise. The other report was of her split personality issue; both had been hidden from the rest of her family.

    The photos had been those taken by the gang to ckmail Chaya and had been sent in an envelope to create the chance for their second session. And finally, the SD card consisted of Chaya''s twisted personality''s motives, thoughts, and scenes of her brutal killings. Most of her thoughts had been recorded when she was in the midst of dissecting her foes. That was also where she recounted her experience, slowly, one by one, the names and faces of everyone as they forced themselves onto her¡­all while cutting up her perpetrator.

    Once she looked through everything, Re''Kha stared at the wall before her nkly as the familiar sound echoed in her ear.

 Chapter 169 - Yavar Adiga

    <Ding>

    [Quest: The Other Side of a Quest.]

    [Reward: 1 Prana Stone]

    [Quest Completed]

    "It''s finally done," Re''Kha sighed, rxing now that she no longer had to ept the punishment. Though, her sense of rxation wasn''t shared by her character, who was still pent up with anger.

    "So, what will you be doing about it now?" The boy spoke.

    "I can''t do anything," Re''Kha sighed, looking at the time to see she only had five minutes left, "My time here is up."

    "Then," The boy frowned, raising his voice, "What should I do? We can''t leave such scums like that."

    He then muttered, "I can send this anonymously through the post to the police."

    "You can," Re''Kha nodded, "But don''t send it immediately."

    "Why?"

    "Because, if what I had seen before is correct, today is the day she will take revenge on all of them. She has be a serial killer, so she is capable of killing them all." Re''Kha nodded, "If the police catch them, they at most would be jailed."

    "Right," The boy nodded, "And, it would take a lot of time for them to be given any sentence. But if they have some powerful backing, then there is a chance they could get bail soon."

    "So, let Chaya do her thing. And once all is over, send a copy of these to the police so that they''ll know she''s the victim and not the perpetrator." Re''Kha sighed, "She is only harming the inhuman scourges that have caused her hell. She''s not breaking any human rights."

    "Right," The boy nodded as he picked up a paper. It was the final piece in the stash they had brought in. It was basically an invitation for a gathering. And, only the people that had participated as the gang had been invited.

    Upon seeing the address and time, Re''Kha understood it was the hotel she saw back then. Thoughts collided in her mind as she linked up numerous instances that had happened before.

    She realised why Chaya had taken Swetha to the Mysore Pce on that day¡ªtoday, since it was always the same day on Earth. And, she understood the reason she was roaming those parts, making a chance encounter.

    The kidnapping of Swetha in her second exploration seemed to have been a different set of events unrted to this case. Swetha was just coincidently kidnapped since she was too trusting of strangers.

    Based on the time, only the people involved in the incident would be on the street or in the hotel. So, it made sense as to why Chaya had aimed to kill Re''Kha back then. She had assumed Re''Kha too had some hand in it, for she had arrived at the scene.

    After all, using one of her perpetrators, it was Chaya who had invited them all to the ce. So, everything made sense once Re''Kha began to think about it.

    Re''Kha then heaved a sigh, speaking, "Don''t put yourself at risk by heading there. She''ll probably assume you as one among them too. Just say here."

    "I know," The boy nodded, "I have no intentions of killing myself for vigntism."

    He then heaved a sigh, trying his best to cool himself, ncing at the clock to see the time Re''Kha specified draw close. After a moment of thought, he cleared his head and spoke, "By the way, I didn''t get your name yet."

    "Ah," Re''Kha chuckled, "I''m Burkurel Re''Kha."

    "I''m Yavar Adiga," The boy replied, smiling, "the next time you visit, let''s y Steelcraft together."

    "That would be great," Re''Kha smiled, "I don''t know how many yearster I''ll be returning here again. But, even if I inhabit a different body, I''ll try to contact you."

    "Nice¡­" The boy smiled when he realised he could fully move his body once again. The presence of Re''Kha in him had vanished abruptly.

    "I didn''t even realise it. It''s like a call getting disconnected," He sighed,ying t on the bed, "Burkurel Re''Kha, would be nice if I can enter her supernatural world."

    He then sat up and operated hisptop, taking to the forums as he tried to search for any clues or information rted to it. Soon, he was busy piling up information as he opened a notebook and began to take notes, trying to obtain clues based on the exchange of information.

    For some reason, he was in a state of hurry, as if he would forget it soon. He wished to do something about it, unwilling to see it pass away like that. Unknown to him, the air around him turned viscous for the fraction of a second.

    He didn''t realise it and continued typing away on hisptop. Once he was done, he took all the evidence he had taken from Chaya''s home, made a couple of copies of them, and created two parcels.

    He then left the house to parcel them, one to the police, and the other to the media, nning to make the two parties receive this parcel only after Chaya had finished her deed.

    "If it happens around that hotel, I need a good vantage point to observe everything." He thought aloud and was just about to leave the house when his mother shouted, "You haven''t eaten breakfast yet. Are you nning to miss your first lecture today too?"

    ¡­

    One second, she was talking to her character, the next second, she was back in a mist as something guided her to move forward. At first, it was as if she had drowned herself in the sea, it felt suffocating.

    But with every step, the sensation disappeared as she was no longer able to see once again. She sighed, continuing to walk forward, ''It would have been nice if I had my sight once again.''

    Being able to see while she was on Earth, Re''Kha missed her sight. She wished to be able to see once again. As she continued to walk, the air around her swirled, condensing into a tablet over which seven spherical marbles had been embedded.

    It gently hovered right before her face as Re''Kha could feel its presence, thanks to the faint interaction of the air between it and her. Knowing before what it was, Re''Kha stretched her hand to grab it and continued to walk, soon feeling all the sensation of viscousness had disappeared as she appeared back in the narrow chamber.

 Chapter 170 - Obtaining Seven Prana Stones

    Re''Kha continued to walk, sensing the presence of two people before her. One of them walked past her, heading into the fog behind while the other just stood in ce. The moment she approached the person, she heard a clear, bold voice.

    "We''ll collect one Prana Stone. The rest are yours. You can register them under your name and retrieve them whenever you wish."

    "Thank you," Re''Kha nodded and turned left, entering the chamber beside. It was a spacious room. And through her perception of the surroundings based on the interaction of the air with it, she could get a general gist of its dimensions.

    She wasn''t using Wind Qi perception, for activating that would turn her Tikka jewellery grey and cause her a lot of problems. Therefore, all she had to depend on was the developing sensory perception of her that improved every time she used her Wind Qi perception.

    It still hadn''t be urate enough to rely on in a battle, but when she was walking slowly, it was enough for her to not walk into any objects. Thanks to her conversation with Yavar Adiga, she was still able to retain some knowledge. Though, they were just basic.

    But, it was these basics that she could use to slowlyprehend and enrich her understanding of all the memory from Earth that was in her mind. That was why she focused solely on learning the basics. After all, she could learn the advanced stuff any time she visited Earth. All she needed was an ess to the inte, a word she could still know the meaning of here.

    Though, she didn''t know anything beyond that now. Using her perception, Re''Kha calcted the dimensions of the room ordingly, ''Length¡­10 metres, breadth¡­10 metres, height¡­8 metres?''

    It was only a general estimate. Still, it was more concise than before. For her world didn''t have a proper system of units for measurement. They worked on a rtive perspective and differed based on who did the measurement.

    Considering how their power system worked, it was enough. But after getting to know the system of measurement used on Earth, Re''Kha felt it would prove to be more useful for her if she also got ustomed to using it in her daily life.

    Besides, it would help enrich her knowledge base and allow her to understand more and more information about Earth in her mind. That would save her a lot every time she did a Quest.

    At the centre of the room was a massive circr tform, spanning a radius of four metres. Covering it wholly were spherical concaves, numbering 365 in total. Among them, almost two hundred were filled with tiny spherical stones. They were the Prana Stones.

    Every Prana Stone the Burfuna Vi n possessed were stored in this ce. But, as to the concern of whether any would be stolen, there wasn''t. After all, seated nearby was a being fully shrouded by a veil, covered from head to toe, preventing one from recognising the age, physique, or even the gender of the person.

    Based on her understanding, an Elder of the n always stood guard in the chamber with the Prana Stones. He/she oversaw it and ensured nothing unfair took ce. As they were typically incredibly old, and possibly a couple of generations prior, they didn''t have any favourites among the n and maintained fair y.

    Re''Kha immediately bowed towards him, "Re''Luk pays respect to Elder."

    An ambiguous voice resounded from within, "You can ce all the Prana Stones in it and take the tablet with you. If you want, you can consume them right now. The choice Is yours."

    "I don''t need the Prana Stones for the time being. But, I want Lady Mu''Tua to receive the six Prana Stones on my behalf." Re''Kha then stared in the direction of the Elder, turning silent.

    "Alright, it is of no problem. Give the tablet to her once you exit. She can use that to retrieve her share of six Prana Stones anytime in the future." The Elder''s voice resounded.

    Re''Kha removed the Prana Stones from her tablet and ced them on the circr tform in the centre, putting one in each spherical concave. She was able to sense the ces where there was a concave and where a Prana Stone had upied¡­barely.

    It was like a hunch as the sensations of the wind interacting with them were transmitted to her skin. Air was a fluid whose individual particles never remained still and were constantly in a state of movement. Therefore, even in the most silent rooms, she could still perceive her surroundings.

    Though, in her present state, the range was barely ten metres around her. Anything beyond, and the sensation she felt became too vague to make sense. Even now, she slowly ced one Prana Stone after another, finally finishing after some time had passed.

    The Elder didn''t seem to mind her actions, for he was going to spend days at a stretch in the same spot anyway. So, he had incredible patience. Moreover, it wasn''t as if anyone else would be arriving in the room, so he was fine with Re''Kha taking her sweet time.

    "Thank you for giving me this chance to use your n''s quota, Elder." Re''Kha made a bow of gratitude.

    "I''ll be waiting for any results from Mu''Tua. I hope this has been a sess." The Elder said from within, motioning for her to leave.

    Re''Kha bowed once again and left, apanying the owner of the clear, bold voice as they exited the narrow chamber, soon exiting the hall before he bode her farewell. At the entrance of the hall was Mu''Tua, waiting for her with anticipation.

    "How did it do? Do you feel anything strange?" The moment she spotted her, Mu''Tua bombarded her with a flurry of questions.

    "I don''t feel anything different from before," Re''Kha replied, making a disy by moving her hands up and down, even making a punching action. Her posture and her movement were enough for Mu''Tua to determine there wasn''t anything unusual about her.

    She then pulled Re''Kha along as they boarded the cycle rickshaw that had been waiting all along, "Let''s quickly return home and check your condition."

 Chapter 171 - Metal Heart, Warm Blood

    In a destend where poisonous mist swirled about, a pce stood tall atop a mountain. It was a pcecking any walls. Poisonous mist gushed in without end, condensing before dissipating over on the other side. Cackling sounds asionally resounded amidst the swirling mist while beings ofrge statures flew within.

    The throne room extended for a very long distance, beyond what one could see in the mist-covered area. Prostrated on the floor were beings that breathed in the poisonous mist like it was normal air. The wings on their backs trembled while asionally pping, pulling in more poisonous mist from the outside.

    Each being was at least 1.5 times taller than Re''Kha. They were part of a race that dominated a massive segment of the continent all life resided on.

    Seated on the throne was a being that was ten times their size, a hulking figure with tremendous presence. Even though he sat in the open, his body was concealed under the mist, the pping of his wings caused them to form mini twisters.

    It was a male, sporting a massive pair of horns on his head that extended until aligning with the edges of his jaw. Simr horns grew from his elbow and ended below his wrist. Finally, a pair of horns extended from his ankle and dug into the floor, acting as a natural heel of sorts.

    His two eyes were like the moon but purple in colour, with hints of red and ck. He extended his left hand forward, tilting it to gaze at the underside, noticing 12 stars line from the wrist to the elbow. Each star shone with resplendent splendour, akin to a real star. Among them, the third star sported a crack, having lost its sheen for some time now.

    Suddenly, a thirteenth star began to form, starting with a mild outline, flickering in and out of existence. It seemed like a candle me that would be snuffed out of existence any minute. But, it still persisted, unwilling to disappear, existing just because of its desire to exist.

    Noticing the change, the being was stunned for a second before bursting intoughter, "Finally, after so long, the Thirteenth Cmity has begun to form."

    His radiant eyes shut as he sensed through the link between him and the forming cmity, using the barely forming thirteenth star as a medium, muttering, "It''s forming in the very south of the Land of Kalki. Interesting."

    "I should make a move when it finishes maturing." The pce soon resounded with raucousughter.

    ¡­

    "Grandma, I got seven Prana Stones in total this time. I don''t have any use for them, so please use them." Re''Kha spoke as they neared the Mu n''s residence.

    Mu''Tua red at her immediately, "What nonsense are you saying? You have barely begun your journey as a Harmoniser. You would definitely need them to increase your Water Qi reserves."

    Before Re''Kha could say anything, Mu''Tua raised her hand, motioning for her to drop the matter, "I''m close to bing a Martial Master. I don''t need them. You would definitely need them a lot. So, keep it."

    "Besides," Mu''Tua looked at Re''Kha from top to bottom, "We don''t know what your mother would do once she takes you back to your n. You may or may not get another chance to enter Earth again. So, it''s for the best you keep them with you, just in case you need them in the future, alright?"

    "Fine, I''ll do as you say, grandma." Re''Kha sulked.

    "That''s my girl," Mu''Tua patted her head as the cycle rickshaw arrived at her house. The two servants, Suu, and Sii were waiting at the entrance of the house, ready to receive them.

    She tipped the cycle rickshaw driver and looked at Sii, "Get the operation theatre ready."

    "Yes, mydy." Sii bowed and immediately set off to get it done. It wasn''t in her home, rather was a separate house built at a walkable distance. There were only a couple of such operation theatres in their n, for it was only meant to be used by the nsmen.

    They did all the treatment for others in the hospitals and never had a habit of treating outsiders within the n.

    "Come with me," Mu''Tua beckoned for Re''Kha to follow her. The two of them didn''t even enter their house as they walked along the path adjacent to a bush that grew herbs. Upon seeing a bush, Re''Kha was slightly repulsed as she could recall the brutal killings she had witnessed.

    "Did something happen?" Mu''Tua asked in worry upon noticing her pale face.

    "No, I just remembered something horrible I saw on Earth." Re''Kha took in a deep breath as she waved her hand, trying her best to rx as she fought to get the image off her mind.

    She then thought for a moment before asking, "Grandma, how do you tackle the Quests on Earth? What do you do when you experience something cruel there?"

    "Well," Mu''Tua stopped, thinking for a couple of breaths as she smiled, "Whether it is Earth or our world, gore exists in both. And, gore-inducing actions take ce in both. But on Earth, we aren''t affected much, as the influence of the incidents from there wears off on us within a couple of days. But, we are part of this world you see."

    "So, you see," Mu''Tua smiled, "What you should focus on is to learn how to deal with everything that happens here. Only in that way can you progress far in life."

    "Have a heart of metal, but the blood that pumps through it should be warm."

    "Warmblood in a heart of metal, understood." Re''Kha took the words to her heart as she felt a bit better. Her mind was slowly returning to her world, leaving behind everything on Earth that had influenced her.

    On seeing how she was quickly adapting back, Mu''Tua smiled and led her to the operation theatre, intending to see if their gamble had paid off. It was still the middle of the night, but Re''Kha could feel the warmth of her world once again, feeling rxed.

 Chapter 172 - Deepened Connection

    The trip to Earth began in the middle of the night and ended on the next day, exactly at the same time. So, their surroundings were almost pitch ck, save for the light from thenterns hung at equidistant ces.

    The operation theatre had already been brightly lit thanks to all thenterns the servant Sii had lit. it wasn''t anything spectacr. There was arge granite b in the centre, rectangr in shape, big enough for even the tallest in their n toy with enough space above his head and below his feet.

    There was a table set aside, and ced atop it was an array of tools, mostly Magic Artifacts that she used on a daily basis. The operation theatre had a set of tools necessary to do a variety of procedures. So, Mu''Tua didn''t need to bring anything of her own.

    As the operation theatre could only be used after obtaining permission from the n Head, there wasn''t any worry of the Magic Artifacts inside getting stolen. Besides, stealing them had no practical use. They couldn''t be wielded to fight, and even if they were sold, no one would buy in fear of offending the Mu n.

    As Re''Khay t on the granite b, Mu''Tua stood beside, nodding once at the servant who moved to the back and pulled out a certain apparatus. The apparatus had a crane, attached to arge rectangr te.

    Rollers were attached to the tform under the crane, used to move it all over the ce. And finally, attached to the rectangr te were soft glowing stones that emitted a gentle blue radiance. There were the same that had been embedded on the walls in the chamber that lead to the portal to Earth.

    Almost a hundred had been embedded in the small te, causing it to emit a beam of gentle blue light onto the rectangr b on which Re''Khay. Moreover, the rectangr te wasn''t t but was slightly convex, allowing the light to shine everywhere, giving Mu''Tua greater visibility for her inspection and possible operation.

    If she couldn''t see properly, then she wouldn''t be able to do a proper job of treating Re''Kha. Besides, performing surgery while depending on the light from thentern was foolish. The light it emitted usually created patches of darkness as most of the fabric and other materials had a tendency to absorb the light it emitted.

    That was why Mu''Tua depended on the stones for illumination. The light it produced wasn''t absorbed by most materials, making it perfect for the task. Besides, it didn''t require any fuel to emit light.

    "Be ready to assist me, whenever necessary," Mu''Tua said to Sii who immediately grabbed hold of a palm-sized te and stood ready. The te was embedded with around ten stones that glowed the same as the others.

    She was supposed to use the te to light up the sides of the areas Mu''Tua inspected. This way, all bases would be covered. Moreover, she was also ready to pick up any tool and give it to Mu''Tua when necessary. Having apanied her on numerous asions throughout her life, the servant Sii was well-versed in her job.

    "Let''s perform a basic check now," Mu''Tua said as she took a needle-shaped Magic Artifact and pierced it through the feet of Re''Kha, activating it as she seeped in her Water Qi. She first inspected her meridians.

    Upon noticing nothing amiss in it, she pierced the needle in another ce on the foot, seeping her Water Qi into a blood vessel. She formed awork using her Water Qi, trying to sense for any impurities in her blood and other parts of her body using the blood vessel as the medium of transportation.

    Finally, her tinge of Water Qi reached her eyes, getting blocked by a cloud of Ghost Qi, one that was even denser than before. Moreover, it also seemed sentient, immediately pouncing on her Water Qi and destroying it.

    As she had seeped in her Water Qi while using the needle-shaped Magic Artifact as a medium, Mu''Tua hadn''t taken any damage in the frontal assault. Without any hesitation, she continued pouring in her Water Qi, gently steering it towards her eyes once again.

    The Ghost Qi pounced upon it once again, destroying it. And, the way it destroyed the Water Qi while taking the least damage basically confirmed the level of its sentience; it was pretty developed.

    ''This is bad, it has developed significantly aspared to before. A visit to Earth hasn''t severed the connection, rather, the fear she experienced while in there had been converted into Ghost Qi in her body. And, all of them have umted in her eyes.'' Mu''Tua sighed as her expression copsed, reced by a feeling of sadness and regret.

    "I caused you harm," Her voice trembled as she spoke, "Your trip to Earth has actually worsened the development of the Ghost Qi in your eyes. The fear you experienced there has umted in you, turned into Fear Qi when it had umted enough, and waster turned into Ghost Qi by the Ghost Qi left in your eyes. Because of this, your connection with the Blinded Ghost had strengthened instead."

    "Then," Re''Kha frowned, "Isn''t this for the better? We can use this opportunity to lure it towards me."

    "If only that was easy," Mu''Tua sighed, "But, I guess you should be able to sense its position the moment it appears within a certain range. That is based on the documents I had read over the past few days."

    "That''s great then," Re''Kha nodded "I still have hope to reim my eyes if that is the case."

    "Will you be able to return on your own?" After retracting the needle-shaped Magic Artifact, Mu''Tua sighed, "I will go and talk with the n Head now. The two of us will try to devise a n to make sure the Blinded Ghost cannot possess you. We have already thought of the process based on historical documentspiled by our predecessors. We''ll finalise it in a couple of days and get back to you."

    "Thank you, Grandma." Re''Kha smiled, trying to cheer up the other party as she began to walk towards their house, "You''ve been a lot of help to me."

 Chapter 173 - Arriving At The Market Again

    Re''Kha purposely wore the dress of the Ju n, covering herself from head to toe. She wore a light hood, covering her Tikka jewellery using it. Over that, she sported a hat, one that prevented others from seeing her eyes directly.

    It was to prevent the annoying matter where she had to adjust her Tikka jewellery every time she was in the presence of a guard or someone from one of the Elemental ns. It was all to prevent herself from getting suspected as a foreign race spy.

    Though, in times of necessity, she just nned to condense the blue radiance on her hands, for that was the fastest way to prove her identity. Even though the Gaiko, the race that bordered them on their northeast too were able to wield Water Qi, their body statures were massive, even for children.

    So, there was absolutely zero chance anyone would even suspect she might be a Gaiko. So, just showing her ability to wield Water Qi was enough. And, that was what Re''Kha nned to roll by in tough situations.

    Though, if it seemed like a tricky situation, it hardly took her any time to remove her hat and show her Tikka jewellery. It was only because she wanted to hide it while using her Wind Qi perception did Re''Kha don the current getup.

    Her Ju n''s dress was just an exterior coverup of the armour, Rigid Water she wore underneath. This way, her defence against Elemental Qi attacks had risen up by a notch. If someone mmed a Palm Projection at her, then she could simply tank it by suffering hardly any damage.

    After all, the Water Qi output of the armour equalled one unit, which was the same as a Palm Projection. To fully cover it was the reason Re''Kha wore the Ju n''s dress. It was also to not make others witness the armour. For, she probably was the only one who was wearing it for the time being.

    So, in any ce she appeared with it, her identity could be linked and all her past actions could be easily traced. As she was nning to investigate her enemies, she wished to give them as little or no clues, if possible, hence, her preparations.

    Once she was ready, Re''Kha informed the servant Sii, "I''ll be heading out. I''ll probably returnte during the night."

    "Shall I reserve an extra portion for you at dinner, mydy?" Sii said with a mild bow.

    "Hmm," After a moment of thought, Re''Kha nodded, "Please do."

    Mu''Tua hadn''t returned home yet. It seemed she had been busy discussing the details about her with the n Head. They were formting a n to ensure the Ghost Qi in her eyes wouldn''t affect her or make it easy for the Blinded Ghost to possess her.

    Re''Kha was grateful to Mu''Tua for all the help she provided. She had first nned to give the Prana Stones as a show of her gratitude. But after Mu''Tua had rejected it, Re''Kha didn''t know what to give her.

    ''I''ll think about itter.'' Re''Kha mentally sighed as she waved her hands towards the servant Sii, exiting the house as she boarded the cycle rickshaw always stationed in the n, "Please drop me at the nearest cycle rickshaw stand."

    "That should be easy, mydy." The cycle rickshaw driver nodded with great enthusiasm as he drove the rickshaw and swiftly exited the Mu n''s residence. He was given a monthly ie for his services, one that was greater than his fellow cycle rickshaw driver peers.

    Moreover, when he or his family fell sick, they weren''t charged by the Mu n and were given medicine free of cost. So, he was happy with his job. That''s why he was enthusiastic in his greeting and was chirpy throughout the day.

    And, his happy state was also something that brought a smile to the Mu nsmen, alleviating their moods that had be dull thanks to the grimness in the hospital where a lot of patients suffered from a lot of ailments daily.

    It was a situation that was preferrable to both of them. The cycle rickshaw soon arrived at the nearest cycle rickshaw stand as the driver got down, motioning for Re''Kha to remain seated. He then ran into the rickshaw stand and hailed one himself, bringing it to the road and positioning it in such a way Re''Kha didn''t even have to touch the road with her feet. She climbed from one rickshaw to another.

    The new cycle rickshaw driver turned around and asked with a respectable bow, "Where should I head towards, mydy?"

    "Head towards the market." Re''Kha nodded with a gentle smile. It was around there that she had nned to start her investigation. After all, the hotel she stayed at first was situated closer to the market.

    As the three Sha released by that group of individuals roamed in that area and at how she had zoomed in on their location using her Wind Qi perception, Re''Kha nned to directly head there and locate the people. And, if presented with a choice, interrogate them.

    Re''Kha gently nudged the ring, Budding Dew worn on her left. Everything she needed was packed in it, including the elemental darts, and other elemental weapons she had bought back then. The bow and arrows were with Burfuna Ki''Nua, so she couldn''t use them.

    Moreover, she had zero intentions of using a bow in the city. Darts were sufficient for any ranged attacks. Besides, she could easily track her targets using her Wind Qi perception. After all, she wasn''t hindered by the environment like when it rained. Her Wind Qi perception wouldn''t be interrupted now.

    "It''s time I actively confronted the lot of you," Re''Kha muttered as her expression turned serious. Even her posture and breathing turned steady, ready to erupt with her strongest attack instantly.

    After travelling for a long time, the cycle rickshaw alighted at the eastern entrance of the market, for that was the closest. She paid him and sent him off, gazing around to look at the flowing crowd of people.

    Taking in a deep breath, Re''Kha activated her Wind Qi perception, rapidly increasing its range.

 Chapter 174 - Spying On Her Target

    Re''Kha extended her Wind Qi perception, enveloping the entire market under her gaze. She could expand even further if needed but didn''t choose to do so for the moment. Unwilling to stand in the middle of the road for long, she quickly moved, crossing the road as she entered a decently sized restaurant.

    And like always, it had a terrace without any walls, and the roof was hoisted by sturdy pirs. Re''Kha took a seat and ordered some light food that wouldn''t fill her belly too much. Since she nned to sit in the area and inspect, she needed time to do so and nned to eat the light food slowly until her belly was full.

    This was the reason she hadn''t eaten any breakfast. The servant arrived, took the order, and went to bring in the food items. In the meantime, she focused on the people moving about in the market, trying to link them to the four individuals that had been her target.

    It was hard, considering all she saw on their faces were some dark grey lines. It was hard to differentiate them easily aspared to looking them through the eye. Still, she had one target that she was able to spot better.

    She was an eighty-year-olddy and the leader of their group of four. She had been the one who oversaw the release and sealing of the three Sha back then. Moreover, thanks to her age, her face had more lines than others. So, it made identifying her easier.

    Moreover, there weren''t too many in that age to go through in the area, so it was easier for her to focus on the olddy than the rest who were within the regr popce bracket. Re''Kha slowly extended her Wind Qi perception in the direction of the house in the water tank of which the crate with the three Sha was ced.

    She nned to start from the destination, looking through the ce to find that it was a household of six. It was judging by the amodation. Currently, there was thedy of the house doing chores while the kids helped her.

    They were addressed as adults from the day their Pranic Heart finished growing. Usually, a year before that, they would join one of the vocational training institutes managed by either the Royal n or the Elemental ns.

    And there, they would learn some professions and start working in that direction. The girls usually picked up tailoring, sewing, food rearing, etc. The boys, on the other hand, picked up cksmithing, carpentry, stone working, etc.

    There was no restriction based on gender as to what vocation they could choose. Everyone had their freedom. But there were only two vocations that had such restrictions: Guards and Soldiers.

    The Guards were those that took care of crimes happening within the city and usually protected it from harm. And, only girls were allowed to join this vocation.

    On the other hand, only boys were allowed to be a soldier. And, they would usually train in one of the settlements before heading to one of the forts to reinforce there.

    And, unlike all other vocations, the guards and soldiers were the most fought for. After all, there was an incredible allure waiting for them there. As long as they showed talent and provided a significant contribution to the city, they would be promoted through the ranks and would get the chance to be a Harmoniser.

    Most of the time, even as a Harmoniser, they wouldn''t even receive a single Prana Stone for all their lives. But, as long as they were initiated, they would obtain one unit of Elemental Qi. Moreover, they would be taught the Palm Projection of their respective element.

    That was all that was needed to elevate their status in society andfortably feed their family. Moreover, having a Palm Projection didn''t leave them helpless in the face of a Sha. And, that was the prime reason the two professions were fought for the most.

    At present, none of the children in the household seemed to have be of age. So, they were just helping with the chores and some crafting that they could sellter for some money in the market.

    Re''Kha zoomed in on their water tank but was unable to peer into it because of theyer of water in it. It was filled with Water Qi, and was bereft of Wind Qi, preventing her from seeing into it. She then backtracked from the house, looking at the faces of everyone in the street as she approached the market, jolting for a moment in surprise as she found the eighty-year-olddy. She was currently buying groceries from a vendor in the market. Trailing behind her was a young boy in his teens, possibly part of her family.

    The boy carried a bag that stored all the groceries the olddy bought. He did seem to have a grumpy expression, asionally shooting nces at a certain item of interest in an adjacent shop.

    The olddy continued to buy her groceries, as if she hadn''t noticed his gaze. Re''Kha continued to observe her actions, at times forgetting to eat. As it was early in the morning and wasn''t the rush hour yet, no one came to disturb her or prompt her to hurry up with her eating.

    Time passed in such a fashion. Re''Kha made an approximate guess based on what she had learnt on earth, ''It''s been an hour.''

    The boy looked downcast as he dragged his feet, carrying the heavy bag full of stuff he had zero interest in. Then, followed by a gentle smile, the olddy patted his head, motioning with her eyes at the item he had been eyeing all along.

    Followed by a chirpy jump, the boy didn''t even seem to mind the weight he carried as he approached the shop and bought the item. Then, the two of them began to return to their home, all the while the boy whistled a tune he had learnt recently, expressing his giddiness. The olddy chuckled from time to time.

    Re''Kha spied in on their conversation, frowning as she didn''t notice anything amiss, ''Until now, everything about them seems normal.''

 Chapter 175 - As Always, Focus On The Granary

    Even though the conversation between the olddy and the teenage boy waspletely normal, Re''Kha knew she shouldn''t be fooled by them. After all, it was the olddy that had taken charge to release the three Sha back then.

    Moreover, she had whistled using the whistle hung on her neck. And, immediately after that, water started flowing in the water tank where the crate with the three Sha was kept. So, it meant she had more helpers, rather capable ones in fact.

    So, Re''Kha was cautious and didn''t take any abrupt action that would make them notice her presence. After all, based on what they had said before, they nned to make a move only in the middle of the Peak Fire Month.

    There was still a month for that to happen. So, Re''Kha didn''t rush. Besides, as long as she trailed past their actions, she would be able to know when they nned to release the three Sha again. She could immediately alert the people of them and prevent their ns from seeding.

    Besides, she had a faint hunch that the group with the three Sha were those part of the same organisation whose leaders had joined hands to kill her master. She didn''t even know the name of their organisation yet, even though she had taken refuge in one of their branches for a couple of days. They were a mysterious organisation.

    The olddy and the teenage boy soon returned to their homes, proceeding about with their daily lives. Re''Kha made note of their residence, also ncing around at all the routes that lead to their house. This way, she tried to see if their location posed any significance.

    There was one significance with the house, for it was the very same household in whose water tank was the crate. It seemed she was directly living in the same house with the objective they were nurturing.

    Re''Kha then focused on thedy of the house, wondering if she too had been part of the group on that day. Upon failing to find any resemnce, she then looked around the neighbour''s house, just intending to do so when ady entered the house, shouting, "Mother, I told you not to go to the market at your age. Wouldn''t it have been enough if I went instead?"

    ''That''s the one who operated the box in the centre, the one containing a bangle. So, she is the olddy''s daughter.'' Re''Kha nodded as she listened in on their conversation. This was the advantage of her Wind Qi perception, something she couldn''t stress enough.

    Irrespective of the distance, as long as she could sense them in her perception, she could listen in on their conversation. This was such a cheating ability that would prove useful to her for investigating through any situation.

    "As long as I can walk, I will be the one who will buy the groceries. Besides, I am just buying them. He''s the one who carried them all," The olddy smiled and patted the head of the teenage boy nearby who had begun to y with the item he had just bought.

    "Has mother returned?" A bulky man in his forties returned at this time, carrying a hammer on his hand.

    "Mal, I told you to not bring in your working tools inside the house." The olddy chided the man in his forties who immediately escaped from the scene, entered the nearby house, ced his hammer in its respective ce within a crate, and returned.

    He spoke while shing a wry smile, "Mother, I have just been promoted. I''m on wall-maintenance duty from now on and am the leader of a group of 10."

    "That''s¡­incredible," The olddy seemed genuinely happy, "Your workload would reduce a bit from now on. Thankfully, you wouldn''t have to suffer back pain like your older brother, Pal."

    "Speaking of him, where is he now?" Mal frowned, "I thought today was supposed to be his day off."

    "Pal said he''s buying me a new chair to sit on. You know how my old one has been making a lot of noise and is on the verge of breaking apart." The olddy smiled, "He''s in the market now."

    Re''Kha immediately focused on the market, looking for the final person. From the conversation, she determined their rtionship to one another and had figured out their identities. All of them were the children of the olddy.

    There was a stark difference in their demeanour from that night and their current selves, as if they were entirely different individuals. As she had already confirmed three of the four people, she knew who to search for in the market, remembering his stature and face cut.

    He was a man in his fifties, and possessed a bulky frame, thanks to his affinity leaning towards the element of metal. So, he was easy to find now that Re''Kha was actively looking for him. Soon, she found him haggling at a furniture shop.

    His actions made him seem like a normal person. There was nothing usual about him. And after observing him for a moment, Re''Kha returned to focus on their house, peering through the interior of their house as she tried to find anything amiss there.

    Soon, she focused on their kitchen, noticing they had a granary installed in ce. The granary was only wide enough for two people to stand inside while feeling cramped. Currently stored within it were some basic dry food, nuts, and spices that had a shelf life for almost a year.

    And, their quantity wasn''t anything suspicious. It was the same as what a regr household like them ought to possess. But, thanks to her experience in Burkurel Ju n''s Western Settlement, Re''Kha focused on the granary, watching thedy of the house take some of the items in it to cook.

    The chance presented for her as Re''Kha could notice some minute gaps in the corner of the granary walls. She barely managed to extend her perception inside after a couple of minutes of struggle, smiling when she had done, ''As I expected.''

 Chapter 176 - Gloved Bracelets

    Just as she had expected, Re''Kha found another space underneath the granary. But, it was the same width as the granary and was barely a metre high. Contained within it was just a crate, within which were some weapons to use.

    There were four Magic Artifacts, each one of them corresponding to a respective element each. Moreover, they were all shaped as gloved bracelets with four dangling chains. The chains seemed to be the type to be wound over the arm wearing the bracelet.

    It was a weird design, for Re''Kha didn''t know why they were made as such. It seemed inefficient if she thought about it. But, as it fully covered the hand like a glove, it would increase the potency of their Palm Projection, doubling it even depending on the quality of the Magic Artifact.

    But, it seemed they were a group of four that operated away from their base. And hence, they only brought with them the items needed toplete their mission. They were unlike back at the Burkurel Ju n''s Western Settlement, hoarding a tremendous number of resources.

    Except for the food in the settlement branch, Re''Kha did wipe them dry for the rest.

    For a moment, she did n to steal the four Magic Artifacts in the household. But after a moment of thought, she reined in her greed. Even if she was capable, it wasn''t wise to take them.

    After all, her objective was to deal with the three Sha. Followed by it was capturing the four people that were responsible for using them. But, unless she could determine who that hidden helper of theirs was, Re''Kha didn''t n on taking action.

    After all, even destroying the crate with the three Sha would prove to be tough. It was a Magic Artifact, so it would be ridiculously tough. Unless Re''Kha spammed attacks on it for a long time, she wouldn''t be able to damage the crate.

    That alone would cause too muchmotion. Moreover, destroying the crate wasn''t enough. She had to destroy the Sha ced within. But, the moment she destroyed the crate, the three Sha would break free and would simultaneously attack her.

    Dealing with three of them at a time was a suicide mission. Maybe, if she was a Martial Master, she could still preserve her life against them. But she was just a little Harmoniser, only possessing a reserve of 12 units of Elemental Qi. So, Re''Kha couldn''t take any risks by springing in abruptly.

    Besides, she didn''t know if the four were Harmonisers or not. As they were part of the workforce, people would find it suspicious if they had been Harmonisers. But, the fact that they possessed Magic Artifacts proved otherwise.

    ''Maybe they aren''t Harmonisers and are nning to fight against one with their Magic Artifacts?" Re''Kha thought, frowning at the possibility. There was a lot about them that she was clueless about.

    And, for a moment, she was inclined to ambush them one by one during the night and kill them. After all, thanks to the Wind Qi perception, she was able to move unhindered through the night.

    And, she did have the Wind de Pranic Art to silently reap the lives of people without making any sounds or leaving any traces behind. Just by using that, she could kill them, since their Magic Artifacts were stored away.

    But, all that would only be possible if they weren''t Harmonisers and hadn''t been secretly trained in any ability to detect the appearance of a third party. Moreover, the moment she killed one, she had to swiftly kill the rest before the scent of blood alerted them all.

    Besides, it wasn''t easy breaking through the house. She hadn''t attempted to see how her Wind des would work on solid objects. There were way too many uncertainties in the matter.

    ''This is just the first day of my observation. Over the days, I''ll surely get some clues on them to act ordingly.'' She thought, then realising that the restaurant was getting crowded. The servants were already darting eyes on her for a while.

    Re''Kha finished the rest of her breakfast and exited the restaurant, slowly walking around as she found another restaurant, one that served cold drinks for people to relieve themselves in the heat. It was a speciality during the Fire Season.

    Re''Kha entered it next, nning to spy on the household from there. Time passed in such a fashion as it was evening by now. Re''Kha then boarded a cycle rickshaw and returned to her house.

    Ideally speaking, she wished to spy on them during the night too. But unfortunately for her, she didn''t have the time to do that. She had to visit Burfuna Ki''Nua the next day early in the morning. So, she had to sleep early.

    Besides, once she was done with the matter about Ki''Nua, she would have enough time to spy on the four for longer durations. Theoretically speaking, she could technically extend her Wind Qi perception towards their household all the way from her house in the Mu n.

    But in this way, the volume of information she was perceiving would be way too much for her to handle, quickly tiring her out. This was the reason Re''Kha travelled all the way to the market in the first ce.

    But she still nned to spy on them during the night for at least a couple of seconds, just to see if there was anything to be gained from it. Re''Kha returned to her room, meditating as she focused on her Wind Qi perception, increasing her understanding of it.

    She was hoping to increase the sensitivity of the basic sense that she had obtained recently. By improving it, she didn''t need to depend on her Wind Qi perception and could use her Water Qi attacks without trouble.

    It was what she hoped to do for the rest of the night. Re''Kha took out the Wind Qi Essence, activating it to create a sphere around her, increasing the concentration of Wind Qi in it. From a gentle breeze, it was soon akin to staying within a twister.

    But, she wasn''t affected, thanks to her affinity with the element.

 Chapter 177 - Heart Of Burfuna

    Re''Kha wore her armour, Rigid Water, moving around a little to see that it was perfect for her figure. It also looked incredibly luxurious, thanks to the quality of the material that had been used in its making.

    Moreover, it was embedded with a Magic Artifact. So, every time it was activated, the Water Qi it unleashed was soaked up by the armour, causing it to be maintained at a pristine state. The condition of the material also increased in quality by a subtle amount thanks to this. Re''Kha noticed the difference upon wearing it for two days already.

    "This armour is a steal indeed," She smiled, feeling that the armour woulde in handy a lot during the course of her life. Spending just 340 RuQi for something like that was cheap. After all, she wasn''t even spending her hard-earned money, but something she had taken out from the Burkurel Ju n''s Western Settlement. She had a fortune to spend to better herself, so Re''Kha did just that.

    She then draped a blue coloured cloak over the armour to cover it and also keep her appearance civil and not look like someone geared up for war. She also rearranged everything in her storage space, keeping the items of necessity at the top so that she could retrieve them easily when necessary.

    She also double-checked to see the development of the cloth banner hadn''t progressed. It was the same as before, having been mostly devoid of all its Ghost Qi. This was the state Re''Kha was maintaining it at. After all, she didn''t want it to develop its spiritual form and haunt her for life.

    She already had the Blinded Ghost to worry about. Re''Kha then strapped the Harpen Waves imitation, the one with the longer chain on her hip. It was easy to carry around, so she nned to keep it on her at all times.

    Besides, it was to show that she wasn''t someone unprepared. Because, even though she was visiting Burfuna Ki''Nua to chat and spend time, in actuality, they were going to investigate her surroundings and learn the reason as to why she alone was being pulled to the Withered Courtyard.

    Even though all Ki''Nua had experienced were dreams of the same ce, it still meant she was forming a connection with the Withered Courtyard, albeit different from usual. And, with every visit, this connection of hers was getting stronger.

    And, as far as the Sha went, tracing them was hard, if not impossible. After all, every Sha possessed bizarre abilities that couldn''t be exined throughmon sense. So, only by dealing with the source could they save Ki''Nua.

    After all, even if they remove all traces of Ghost Qi on her, the connection she formed might still remain. After all, a connection with the Sha was a formless, intangible one. It couldn''t be severed that easily. And, depending on the Sha, the method to sever a connection with it would vary and had to be created.

    That was why she hadn''t been cured yet. This was another reason the Burfuna Vi n had allowed Re''Kha an opportunity to visit Earth. It was in the hope the visit would sever her connection with the Blinded Ghost or even weaken it.

    If it worked, then it would mean the same would work with all the other Sha. Treating Harmonisers affected by the Sha would be easier then. It wasn''t just being guarded against the possession. There was also the fact the Sha robbed something from the victim. Some just robbed once, like a body part or an organ.

    But there was also Sha that robbed one''s feelings, emotions, memories, constantly. So, in such cases, the Sha was able to constantly siphon the rted parts¡ªemotion, memories, etc¡ªfrom the victim through their connection from a long distance away.

    Guarding against had been impossible to date. Only after killing the Sha were the victims freed of them all. Now, neither Re''Kha nor Ki''Nha and others were able to determine the reason Ki''Nua had been pulled into the Withered Courtyard constantly.

    Moreover, they were unsure just what aspect of her were they stealing or siphoning away. As Ki''Nua was close to maturing, it was all the more reason Re''Kha had to be prepared against anything that might happen.

    Upon getting fully ready, Re''Kha boarded a cycle rickshaw and headed straight to the centre of Burfuna City, entering the inner city. The inner city was a ce where massive merchant unions, the headquarters of the Four Great ns, and the respective organisations they managed existed.

    It also consisted of a massive barracks where the army amassed by the Royal n was stationed and trained. The same could also be said to the station of the guards where they were trained and reported for duty.

    They did have smaller offices throughout the city, but themand was in the head office located in the inner city.

    The inner city wasmonly addressed as the central district, the same as the other four districts controlled by the Elemental ns respectively. Out of all the five districts, the Central District was the biggest and upied the same area as two of the other districtsbined.

    At the dead centre of the city was the City Lord''s mansion. It was addressed as such, but it wasn''t the ce where the City Lord actually stayed. It was the ce where all the administrative work was conducted.

    And, situated right behind the City Lord''s Mansion was the entrance to the Ki n, ormonly referred to as the Royal n. The cycle rickshaw stopped well in advance to the entrance of the Royal n as the driver was afraid to proceed any further.

    Just the area of the ce alone was of prime significance to anyone who was born and grew up in Burfuna City. So, they couldn''t just casually drive forth to the ce. Re''Kha paid him his fare and descended the cycle rickshaw, feeling her heart thump at the majesty of the massive pirs before her.

    On it was a sentence that echoed in her mind, booming into her, "Heart of Burfuna."

 Chapter 178 - Maturing

    "Heart of Burfuna." As the words boomed into her mind, she jolted back to her senses and took a deep breath, "Well, it''s the truth."

    The Royal n was the beating heart of the city while the Four Great ns under it were its four senses. The Elemental ns, on the other hand, were its limbs. Together as a whole, they maintain the functioning of the city.

    After all, their numbers were few, numbering in the three hundreds per each n aspared to the hundreds of thousands among themon popce. So, they were literally part of the governing body, almost all of them.

    If she hadn''t been ambushed and had to run away in the end, Re''Kha too would have taken up an administrative position by now. Though, it wasn''t as if she would be running an organisation or a shop on her own.

    She would just be the one calling the shots while everything else would be left in capable hands. And, if her performance wasn''t satisfactory, she would be transferred to a different shop or organisation.

    Because of this reason, none of the n members would try to make rash decisions and would try their best to develop the shop or organisation they were allotted and try their best to keep it in their hands for as long as possible.

    As for the older nsmen in her Burkurel Re n, they had basically been maintaining their shops for almost a decade and had proven themselves enough to permanently maintain it. And in such a fashion, the greater the shops under them performed, the greater the weight they had in their n.

    And, it was in such a manner her mother managed to be Head of the Burkurel Re n''s West Lake. Though, if her strength had beencking, she wouldn''t have reached the position in the first ce. She would have fallen under the schemes of her fellow n members.

    After all, they just didn''t sit all day and did administrative duties. They also had to move all over the city and its surroundings in the hunt for Sha and beasts that threatened their safety. So, it gave theirpetitors numerous chances to pull the rug from under them. So, they needed enough strength to protect themselves and deter their foes.

    Just the gates alone spanned a width twenty times her height. It was massive. And, positioned to their side was a smaller gate, wide enough for two people to enter side by side. As Re''Kha approached it, the guards standing at the entrance respectfully motioned for her to stop.

    They weren''t ill-trained guards but were experienced enough to be posted for the important duty. After all, the visitors to the Royal n usually were from the Four Great ns or the Elemental ns. So, they had to be respectful.

    Besides, once they motioned for her to stop, Re''Kha gently removed her hood, disying the bright blue gem on her Tikka jewellery. For a moment, the guards stared in stunned silence, for this was the first time they saw such bright blue radiance.

    Even for them, this was a rarity. After all, there were at most two to three such people in the entire Burfuna City.

    "May I know the reason for your visit, mydy?" One of the guards cupped his fists and asked with a tone of respect. He didn''t bow, for that would mean he was treating the visitors with enough importance that was greater than the people he served.

    That was an act that was disrespecting the Royal n. So that''s why he was respectful in his tone and actions without going overboard.

    "I''vee to meet Burfuna Ki''Nha and Burfuna Ki''Nua. Tell them Re''Luk hase to see them." Re''Kha cupped her fists, speaking slowly.

    "Pleasee in," One of the guards showed the way in, motioning for her to enter through the gates. And, the moment she entered, she was directed towards the room on the side. It was the visiting room where guests would wait until the purpose of their visit was confirmed by the designated individuals.

    Having known of the details beforehand, Re''Kha didn''t say anything much, just smiling as she entered the room and took afortable seat. She was waiting as she noticed a guard take his cycle and ride it through the road, proceeding to inform Ki''Nha.

    As she was waiting, Re''Kha calcted her breaths. ''One breath takes approximately five seconds. And, if I breathe slowly, it takes around 15-16 seconds. If I take an average of my breaths during my normal time, ites to around 5 seconds. So, there are 12 breaths per minute.''

    As Re''Kha continued to calcte the breaths in terms of the system of units she had learnt on Earth, time passed. After twenty minutes passed in such a fashion, Ki''Nua entered the room, beaming with a wide smile upon seeing Re''Kha, "Sister Re''Luk, you came at the right time."

    "Ohh, did something good happen?" Re''Kha smiled as she got up and apanied the chirpy girl to the outside of the room. After seeing as how the visitor hade with the right reason, the guards rxed, watching the two girls walk further into the n.

    "Our house is situated quite close, so we can just walk till there." Ki''Nua smiled.

    "That''s fine by me too," Re''Kha chuckled, "So, did something good happen?"

    As she asked her piece, Re''Kha looked around, noticing how the design of the Royal n hadbined theyouts of all the Elemental ns into one. There were overarching bridges atop water canals,rge pirs of metal that were ced everywhere,rge granite vats with torches spewing out a zing fire, and some beast rearing area where their dung caused the air to turn static.

    Theyouts of all the Elemental ns were mashed into one cohesive whole, creating the perfect environment for the Harmonisers of the Royal n that were capable of wielding all four elements.

    "Yeah," Ki''Nuaughed as she spun a couple of times while walking, "I''ll be maturing sometime around tonight."

 Chapter 179 - A Painting?

    "I''ll be maturing tonight." Hearing her chirpy voice, Re''Kha couldn''t bring herself to disy her worries. She yed along, acting happy for her.

    Re''Kha smiled, "You''ll soon be a Harmoniser. I have a pretty good present for you. I''ll give it to you then."

    "Really?" Ki''Nua was excited, "I''ll be waiting for that. Oh my, I am curious what it is."

    "It''s nothing special or expensive, haha. So, don''t expect too much from me." Re''Kha waved her hands, smiling as she diverted the topic.

    She had nned to give her the Harpen Waves Imitation with the shorter chain. She did like the girl''s character, so she was willing to gift her that. Besides, Re''Kha had the actual one with her to use, so she wasn''t concerned.

    The other imitation was more than enough for her. After all, she only bought it to conceal the fact the original was with her. And, since the Harpen Waves imitation was indeed a quality piece of an elemental weapon, it would be quite helpful for Ki''Nua.

    As they walked, they continued to talk, asionallyughing about as they joked with each other. Soon, they reached her house, a three-storey building withrge floor space. There were around eight to ten rooms, excluding the storerooms, the living room, kitchen, etc.

    It showed just how affluent they were. After all, they were part of those that controlled Burfuna City, one of the three cities in their state. So, it was a given they would be rich, incredibly so.

    Burfuna Ki''Nha had three children, out of which, Ki''Nua was the oldest. The other two were pretty young, 7 and 11 years old respectively.

    Upon entering the house, Ki''Nua shouted, "Mom, I brought sister Re''Luk with me."

    "Lady Re''Luk, it''s nice meeting you again." Ki''Nha came out of the study and greeted by cupping her fists. She then looked at Re''Kha, for a second surprised at her raging vigour.

    ''She looks like a different person aspared to back then. She''s a lot stronger and confident now. Her abilities have also seemed to have improved a lot. It seems Lady Mu''Tua has treated her well, incredibly so.'' Ki''Nha recalled the injured figure of Re''Kha from back then,paring it with the current figure that was oozing out vitality.

    Just her presence alone was a strong factor, apparent thanks to her experience of having fought against strong beasts. Ki''Nua smiled as she thought, ''She would prove to be valuable to Ki''Nua. I wonder just how strong Lady Re''Luk can grow. She''s also pretty young. It''s a waste I don''t have an old enough son.''

    "The pleasure''s all mine," Re''Kha cupped her fists with a respectable greeting. She was then immediately dragged by Ki''Nua to her room.

    "This is my collection!" Ki''Nua almost shouted in her excitement, disying a row of goods in her room. They ranged from a variety of toys to props used in fighting. Some of them were even wigs and the such to help with disguises.

    It seemed Ki''Nua had a lot of interest in them, so she had been ying with a lot of them. Besides, she had two others her age, so the three of thembined had a lot of mess around with.

    "Mom bought this painting for me from this expert painter. He had used the Palm Projection alone to do this. It had taken him almost a month to finish this." Ki''Nua pointed at a metal b on which the head of a beast had been inscribed.

    But, this seemed to have been done with a lot of force, and judging by her exnation, had been done by mming a Palm Projection onto it quite a few times. Even then, the end result was spectacr, for the shape of the beast head was still outlined urately.

    Moreover, thanks to the impression, it gave a feeling that the beast in the metal b was alive, and its head had been smashed and melted into the mental b to result in the painting. It was hardly a painting at this point. But, Ki''Nua still addressed it as a painting.

    She then said, sulking a bit, "Mom has a painting that is even more impressive than this. It was made by a Martial Master. I remember the entire auction house going crazy when it arrived. Just seeing that painting would inspire you to create a Pranic Art. Though, she said she''ll only allow me to see it once I be a Harmoniser."

    "You''ll be able to see it tomorrow then," Re''Kha smiled. Her attention was indeed captured by the painting, for it seemed to be conveying something to her. As to what it was, she didn''t know. But just the fact that it was expressive made Re''Kha realise the painting in the hands of Ki''Nua alone was a masterpiece.

    It should have been worth a lot. For a moment, Re''Kha did feel that her gift was way too inferior. After all, an elemental weapon was nothing impressive for someone part of the Royalty. And besides, she had just bought it in a shop.

    After a moment of thought, she just shook her head, deciding that the Harpen Waves imitation was a good gift indeed. Besides, it wasn''t cheap. Moreover, once mastered, Ki''Nua would be more of a threat to her foes than if she wielded a regr elemental weapon.

    Re''Kha then pulled in her hood, covering the gem on her Tikka jewellery. Only now feelingfortable, as she could activate her Wind Qi perception.

    "Sister, why do you cover your Tikka jewellery all the time? Is there a reason for that?" Ki''Nua expressed her curiosity, having seen the scene numerous times.

    ''How else can I use my Wind Qi perception without anyone noticing the gem on my Tikka jewellery turning grey?'' Re''Kha thought, but didn''t say it aloud, thinking of a believable reason as she smiled, "Well, just consider it as training."

    Having activated her Wind Qi perception, Re''Kha expanded her range until it epassed all nook and cranny of the house, quickly making a sweep for any traces of the nk space. That would be the fastest way for her to begin searching for clues.

 Chapter 180 - The Subtle Strokes Of Blank Space

    "This is for training too?" Ki''Nua expressed her confusion, "What does this training do to you, sister?"

    "Well," After a moment of thought, Re''Kha smiled, pointing at her back, "Show any number on your finger while standing behind me. I''ll state it."

    "Really? You can do that?" Even though she was partially in disbelief at the im, Ki''Nua did as told, standing behind Re''Kha as she pointed four fingers.

    "Four," Re''Kha chuckled.

    "Awesome," Ki''Nua eximed as her eyes widened in surprise. She then showed one finger, watching Re''Kha guess it correctly once again. After thinking, she smiled and gently turned around, facing her back to Re''Kha.

    She then showed five fingers, shocked when Re''Kha guessed it correctly once again. She then showed two fingers using her right while covering it with her left. "How much is it now, sister?"

    "Hm, you are covering it too much. I can''t tell. Is it two?"

    "Right again," Ki''Nua jumped around in shock, expressing her wonder, "Just how did you do it, sister?"

    "Well, my master did something to me. After that, I was able to sense this. But, it wasn''t this good before. I have been training it constantly, relying on it more than my eyes." Re''Kha chuckled, "Desperation in training often produces results."

    "I want to learn it too," Ki''Nua pouted.

    "That will depend on whether you can meet my master. He''s a mysterious man. I''ve only met him once." Re''Kha weaved through into the lies to make it believable, sighing, ''Sorry, Ki''Nua. I cannot tell you the whole truth. That would just put your life in danger.''

    "Now, leave that aside," She smiled, "You''ll meet him if you are fated to meet. I''m hungry now, let''s eat something."

    "I''ll order some sweets. Our new maid is pretty talented in cooking." Ki''Nua said, flexing her arms as if she would be the one to cook.

    "I''ll look forward to it then," Re''Khaughed as her expression stilled. Her sudden change in demeanour frightened Ki''Nua, unable to determine the reason as to her change.

    Just when she was about to ask, Re''Kha motioned for her to remain silent as veins popped on her forehead; she concentrated fully on her Wind Qi perception. She sat cross-legged on the floor, scouting with better bnce without having to fear she would just fall while immersed in her search.

    Starting from the ground floor, her sweep covered one ce after another, looking for any traces of nk spaces. After all, if it was a nk space, it meant it was fully of Elemental Qi in concentrated forms¡ªof elements different than the one she was perceiving.

    And, the sharper the nk space, the greater the concentration of Elemental Qi in them. Normally, it was hard to notice them, after all, they just looked like empty spaces in her grey sand world. So, it was easy to miss them when she searched through a wide scale.

    After all, if they were hidden under a leaf, she wouldn''t even notice their existence and just gloss over them. After all, her mind was trained to spot the objects or protrusions in anything. So, even if she looked over slowly, she was bound to miss the nk spaces.

    It was unless she was searching for them right from the start. In this case, she wouldn''t gloss over their existence. And, the moment she used her Wind Qi perception, she hadn''t even done much of a sweep when she noticed a nk space.

    It was a tiny pebble in a potted nt. It was buried under some simr-looking pebbles. If Re''Kha didn''t focus on them, she would have assumed the nk space in it was just because the shape of the pebbles caused them to form such a gap between them.

    That was the first one she noticed.

    As she continued her sweep, she noticed a simr nk space within a book. It was an old book that probably hadn''t been touched in years. But, it had a nk space too, or rather, one of its pages had it.

    And in such a fashion, Re''Kha noticed a lot of objects in the house that were nk spaces. And, all these objects were those that were used by wealthy people like the nsmen of the Royal n.

    But, they were objects the nsmen themselves would hardly ever touch. The only ones who touched them would be the servants who would do so to clean them. Therefore, they wouldn''t have noticed the concentration of any form of Elemental Qi in them.

    Even for a Harmoniser, only after they activated their Elemental Qi perception would they be able to sense the nk space of the objects. And, if it was their respective element, they would be able to sense it clearly. It wouldn''t look like a nk space to them.

    So, this might have been the reason the household hadn''t sensed them yet. Moreover, Re''Kha was startled because of one fact. The painting that Ki''Nua had boasted about too was a nk space.

    But unlike the other objects, it wasn''tpletely a nk space. Most of it was a normal metal. But, some of the subtle indentations, ones that wouldn''t normally be essible to the touch of the fingers due to the lower levels¡ªdepressions¡ªand closeness of the surrounding metal, such strokes were nk spaces.

    As they couldn''t be touched, it wasn''t possible to sense their nk spaces. But, as long as the wind could seep into it, Re''Kha could sense them. That was why she noticed the oddity. And now, as she looked at the painting, focusing solely on the indentations forming the nk space while ignoring the rest, her heart shuddered.

    For, what Re''Kha could see was the silhouette of something that was a mix between a man and a beast. It was unclear as to what it exactly was, but Re''Kha could feel that whatever it was, would have been the reason for whatever was happening to Ki''Nua.

    "Come with me," Re''Kha pulled Ki''Nua with her as they exited the room immediately. As she had been looking through the Wind Qi perception, Re''Kha hadn''t been facing the painting, so Ki''Nua was unable to guess as to which object had been the cause.

    The two sprinted through the house and appeared at the living room, barging into the study, startling Ki''Nha and her husband who seemed to have been in a political conversation.

 Chapter 181 - A Pile Of Danger

    "What happened?" On seeing the two girls abruptly barge into the study, Ki''Nha was flustered for a moment, thinking something had happened to her daughter. Though, upon seeing Ki''Nua safe behind Re''Kha, she heaved a sigh of relief, thinking that the worst hadn''te to pass yet.

    "The items in this household," Re''Kha frowned as she looked at Ki''Nha and her husband, "Since when have they been here?"

    "Is there a problem with them¡­?" Ki''Nha had just begun to speak when she noticed the grim expression of Re''Kha, immediately nodding as she spoke, "A lot of the items in our house are those belonging to a previous generation and beyond. As they are of high quality, they hardly get damaged even after a hundred years."

    "Come with me then," Re''Kha beckoned Ki''Nha as the two left the study. Ki''Nua stayed behind as her father inquired her about a couple of things, trying to be on the same page as others.

    Re''Kha and Ki''Nha quickly arrived before the room of Ki''Nua as Re''Kha looked around, "Do you have a Magic Artifact with you? Or even an Elemental Qi Essence fragment is enough."

    "I have an Elemental Qi Essence fragment. Let me get it," Ki''Nha said and sprinted through the corridor, arriving at the study as she pulled a notebook, opening the cupboard to reveal a secret storage room.

    Within it was myriad items arranged neatly. Re''Kha noticed how all of the items within looked like nk spaces to her. She then saw Ki''Nha pick up a certain box and return, handing it to Re''Kha, "It contains a Metal Qi Essence fragment."

    "Come with me," Re''Kha opened the door to the room of Ki''Nua and entered it, arriving before the realistic metal b painting, "Try to sense it using your Metal Qi perception."

    Ki''Nha ced her hand on the painting as she used her Metal Qi perception, unable to find anything amiss. Re''Kha noticed how her fingers were unable to touch the bottom portion of the folds in the painting, which was precisely the ce of suspicion.

    This was the reason it hadn''t been figured yet. Re''Kha then motioned for Ki''Nha to use the Metal Qi Essence fragment before sensing through her Metal Qi perception.

    Ki''Nha opened the box in her hands and took out a tiny Metal Qi Essence fragment from it, activating it with a thought, causing Metal Qi to waft out. The Metal Qi formed a spherical radius around her as Ki''Nha stopped it after it had reached a certain level of concentration.

    She then picked up the metal b painting, frowning in shock the moment it came under the area filled with Metal Qi. She noticed the lines of nk space in her perception, frowning immediately upon seeing the shape it outlined.

    Gears churned in her mind as she thought about the person that had created the metal b painting, "He was an expert Harmoniser of the metal n from another state."

    "This is not the only thing that''s suspicious." Re''Kha frowned, "This might be the reason you haven''t been able to discover anything amiss. It''s because they are hidden under normal objects."

    "There are others like this in my house?" Ki''Nha stared in shock.

    "Plenty," Re''Kha nodded, "And, any one of them might have been the cause that made Ki''Nua experience the weird dreams and form a connection with the Withered Courtyard."

    Ki''Nha immediately cupped her hands, "Lady Re''Luk, please help us."

    "Of course, I came here with that intention," Re''Kha nodded as she apanied Ki''Nha, making a sweep around the entire house as they carefully picked up every object of suspicion. They ced all the items on the table in the living room, breaking out in a cold sweat as the items continued to increase.

    "We had been living in such a vtile environment," Her husband arrived at the scene, frowning as he touched one of the items after it was pulled into the area covered by Metal Qi unleashed by the Metal Qi Essence fragment.

    "Ki''Nha, bring in the other Elemental Qi Essence fragments too. We''ll filter through them all." He said, watching Ki''Nha move immediately and arrive with three other boxes. Contained within them were the Elemental Qi Essence fragments of the water, fire, and lightning element respectively.

    Using them one after the other while activating its respective Elemental Qi perception, he filtered out the items that conformed to the respective element, sighing once the items on the table had reduced by half.

    Some of them had been those belonging to the respective elements of their race, so they were taken out. Even then, he inspected them rigorously until he was assured they didn''t have any nk spaces even after being verified using the four elements.

    Finally, he set his eyes onto the pile on the table, frowning as he nned to burn them all using Fire Qi.

    "Wait, we first have to check if one of the items here has been the cause behind Ki''Nua and her connection to the Withered Courtyard." Re''Kha stopped him, pointing at Ki''Nua whose expression was one of fear upon seeing everything that had transpired.

    "And, how will we determine that?" He frowned, "I never heard of such a method to track the source."

    "It''s not a method, but the victim making use of the connection with a Sha to sense its whereabouts. It doesn''t normally work, but¡­" She then whispered, ensuring only Ki''Nha and her husband could hear, "Since she''s about to mature, if anything ought to happen, it would be now. So, the connection should be at its strongest. Ki''Nua should be able to sense something, at the very least."

    "That''s a sound conjecture," Ki''Nha nodded and arranged all the items in one line, motioning for Ki''Nua to close her eyes and try to sense them, "See if any one of them feels familiar to you."

    "A-Alright," Ki''Nua nodded and shot a nce at Re''Kha, watching the other party nod at her once. She then took in a deep breath and sat cross-legged on the floor, closing her eyes as she focused.

    Everyone looked at her with bated breaths, hoping they could just resolve the issue through this.

 Chapter 182 - Maturity And A Harmoniser

    Time passed in such a manner, but Ki''Nua remained seated, having no luck at sensing anything. It was already afternoon by now as her stomach rumbled with hunger. She then opened her eyes, sighing as she said, "I couldn''t sense anything."

    "What about this? Do you sense anything from it?" Re''Kha held the metal b painting in her hands, bringing it closer to Ki''Nua as she inquired.

    Ki''Nua stared at it for a long time but was unable to sense anything as she shook her head. Upon seeing how they couldn''t find any clue, Re''Kha sighed, out of ideas for the time being. She then looked at Ki''Nha, "I think we can just destroy them first before thinking about the rest."

    "That would be for the best," Ki''Nha said as her husband took a bucket and put all the items of suspect in it, "I''ll consult others too about this. It would be for the best if we obtained some clue out of it."

    "Alright," Ki''Nha just nodded when she noticed the face of Ki''Nua was flushed red. As she concentrated after kneeling before Ki''Nua, she could hear the sounds of her heartbeat had spiked all of a sudden.

    "Mom, I''m going to mature any moment now." Ki''Nua was immediately happy, forgetting most of her perplexment from before. After all, once she became a Harmoniser, she would no longer be helpless and would be able to fend for herself.

    "Let''s head to the main hall for now," Ki''Nha said to Ki''Nua as she cupped her fists at Re''Kha, "Lady Re''Luk, please make yourselffortable here. We''ll return once the formalities arepleted."

    "Please go ahead," Re''Kha smiled as she waved her hand. Soon, the entire house was empty, save for the servants who still went about doing their menial chores for the day.

    Having nothing else to do, she sat in the living room, closing her eyes as she expanded her Wind Qi perception, soon finding the figure of Ki''Nua. She intended to spy on her from the living room and arrive at her rescue when necessary.

    ''Though, her n''s Martial Masters must be present in the main hall. They would swiftly be able to react to anything that springs up, even a Sha.'' She thought, rxing in the living room as she looked around for any other clues.

    She looked into the houses of others too, just in case if there were any clues there, only to find numerous nk spaces in the houses of each. It was as if someone had been targeting the Royal n for a long period and were nning to get rid of them all one fine day.

    ''Unfortunately, the ambient Qi of the season is useless in such situations.'' She sighed, thanking at the fact she possessed the Wind Qi perception. Otherwise, she wouldn''t have been able to notice so many issues at the ce.

    In the Water Season, rain filled with Water Qi fell. But, even if a Harmoniser activated his/her Water Qi perception during this time, they wouldn''t be able to sense anything in the air. After all, each raindrop was discrete. And without any connection, their Elemental Qi perception couldn''t be extended.

    It was the same case in the Fire Season too. The Fire Qi wasn''t in the air but seemed into objects and stayed in their interior. Because of this, even if one touched an object, they would be able to sense the Fire Qi settled in its centre.

    Because of the Fire Qi in the objects, there were chances of them catching onto fire. But that was it. It didn''t help extend the Fire Qi perception of the fire-based harmonisers. It was the same in the other two seasons too.

    The ambient Elemental Qi of the elements existed as discrete packets in the air, as the air was typically filled with Wind Qi.

    This was the reason all such items wereying around without being found. Normally, a Harmoniser only touched the surface of an object to determine whether it contained some Elemental Qi or not. That was usually enough.

    But, this was her first time seeing them be used in such ingenious ways so that even after activating their Elemental Qi perception, the Harmonisers still wouldn''t be able to sense anything. This was in the case they didn''t employ the help of an Elemental Qi Essence.

    Even for the Royal n, Elemental Qi Essences were expensive and dictated their foundation. After all, as they cultivated all four elements, they were overly reliant on the Elemental Qi Essences.

    After all, for an average Harmoniser¡ªtalented enough toprehend a unit worth of Elemental Qi in a year¡ªfrom the Royal n, he would need 400 years to reach the peak as a Harmoniser. This was impossible considering their lifespans.

    Hence, they relied on Elemental Qi Essences to a greater extent than the other Elemental ns. That was why they hadn''t employed their use in their investigations, causing an oversight in the matter. This was the reason they hadn''t been able to discover so many items of suspect¡ªpossibly holders of Fear Qi or Ghost Qi¡ªhidden in their houses.

    ''There are just way too many of them here.'' Re''Kha frowned, immediately realising that some organisation had been secretly moving along to spring a massive trap onto the Royal n. And, the scale was just toorge and wide.

    Even for foreign races, it would be difficult. After all, a Sha was only birthed because of a Kalki. So, no foreign races could make use of them against the Kalki.

    Re''Kha saw Ki''Nua enter their n''s main hall and kneel on the floor, stating her name and age. Seated on two rows on either side of the main hall were important people of the Royal n, those who wielded the most power there, enough to be included in important affairs of the n.

    Seated at the back, directly facing Ki''Nua was the Royal n Head, also addressed as the City Lord. And finally, seated on the wall to his back were five people,pletely hidden from view. They were the n''s Elders, those who had be Martial Masters and have lived for a long time.

    There were a total of five, showing the Royal n''s foundation.

 Chapter 183 - Initiation Into A Harmoniser

    "This is a joyous asion," The City Lord smiled as his booming voice resounded throughout the main hall, "Another one of us will be a Harmoniser tonight. Moreover, she is considerably talented. She''ll be one of the pirs that hoist us in the future."

    There was a cordial p following his speech. It was from all the people of importance in the Royal n. The City Lord smiled as he looked at Ki''Nua, subtly murmuring something. It was followed by a faint shake in the curtain of one of the Elders.

    Obviously, they were privy to her connection with the Withered Courtyard. But, they hadn''t been able to sense any Ghost Qi in her body.

    Currently, Ki''Nha was waiting at the entrance of the main hall. Despite her strength, she wasn''t influential enough to be seated within the main hall. So, all she could do was wait in patience at the entrance, hoping their n''s Elders would be able to resolve.

    Ki''Nua was kneeling on the ground, silent, unwilling to talk unless she was permitted to do so. She then heard gasps of shock before the end of a curtain hovered before her. The curtain reached the floor, preventing her from seeing the entity within.

    But, as she knew it was one of her n''s Elders, Ki''Nua didn''t dare do anything disrespectful. She then noticed a ribbon from the curtain wrap around her head, preventing the others from seeing the actions taken by the Elder.

    As for Ki''Nua, she could feel a gentle touch, as if the one who had touched her was a child younger than her. For a moment, she thought it was her younger sister who had touched her head. Followed by a pat on her head, a gentle voice resounded in her ears, "You are about to mature now. I''ll guard you, just in case to prevent anything amiss from urring."

    "Yes, Elder." Ki''Nua bowed further lower as she could sense something change in the entity within the curtain. For a moment, she felt as if the other party could see right through her. Her third eye trembled in response for a moment before turning still.

    Just when she was about to turn her head, Ki''Nua felt strange. For, she could feel some pain and a sense of rxation emanating from her chest. It was as if something she had been growing all her life was about to bepleted now.

    It was a subtle feeling, as she could soon hear two heartbeats in her ears. The pores on her skin opened while her senses expanded all of a sudden, increasing their sensitivity. Ki''Nua was able to hear the faint vibrations in the floor, caused by the subtle shift in the weight of the people seated around as they conversed or looked at their peers.

    It was a short sensation that vanished immediately, including the double heartbeats. Everything returned to normalcy, but a certain feeling spread in herself. Ki''Nua knew with assurance, that from now on, she was an adult.

    And, all she needed to do was get initiated into bing a Harmoniser. Upon sensing the changes in her body, the Elder spoke, "It''s done. You have matured now."

    Even though the Elder spoke, there was no change in the situation. For, the Elder was still alert against anything that might crop up suddenly and change the status quo. They were in the same pose for quite some time before the Elder sighed in relief, "Nothing seems to be happening for the time being. Let''s proceed with the initiation ceremony."

    The n Head then got off from his seat and arrived before Ki''Nua, beckoning her to apany him, "Follow me. Let''s make you a Harmoniser now."

    "Yes, City Lord." Ki''Nua bowed as she stood up, noticing how the figure of the Elder standing beside her had disappeared. She then noticed all the five Elders were seated in their original positions.

    As she apanied the City Lord, two of them vanished from their spots, stealthily trailing after Ki''Nua while making their presences obscure.

    There was a tiny entrance to the back of the main hall, positioned right next to the one that trailed towards the entrance to Earth.

    It led into a corridor, disying numerous rooms on the left. Upon gazing at them, the City Lord smiled, "Right, this is the first time you areing here."

    He then pointed at the doors on the left, "Each room contains a Pranic Heart. After your initiation ceremony, you''ll first learn the Palm Projection of the water element, followed by the metal, lightning, and fire elements, one per month. A year after that, once you got the hang of all four Palm Projections, you''ll get to learn the advanced Pranic Arts."

    "We''ll visit the room with the water element Palm Projection next. For now," The City Lord arrived before a door that was ced at the end of the path, solemnly opening it to reveal a spherical room inside, "Head inside and be a Harmoniser."

    As she had already been informed of everything she needed to know well in advance, Ki''Nua knew what to do, nodding, "Yes, City Lord."

    She then entered the room, watching the City Lord close the door shut. Immediately, her attention was captured by the massive metal te in the centre of the spherical room. It was almost as big as the City Lord and seemed to be fully made from metal.

    Moreover, that didn''t seem to be the only thing. For, arcs of lightning shed in the words inscribed into it. Patterns were engraved in its outermost surface that seemed wet, for a thinyer of water flowed through them.

    Some inscriptions shone with a gentle red light, for molten metal was flowing through it nonstop. The air was slightly hot and humid thanks to everything that happened in the metal te.

    But, the moment Ki''Nua looked at it, something seemed to originate from it and m into her, seeping directly into the core of her being. It was a strange energy, one that seemed to form her functional makeup but at the same time, was something inessible to the current her.

 Chapter 184 - Kalki

    This particr energy was the most harmful for foreign races but was the most beneficial to her or anyone from her race. It was something that nourished her, protecting her from harm while also imbuing in her the secrets of her race.

    Kalki Qi!

    The energy that was exclusive to her race. It was what was stored in the metal te, and was being transmitted into her the moment Ki''Nua approached it. This energy seeped into her body, circted through it by using the blood as a carrier, and eventually settled within her heart.

    From there, it exhibited certain biological stimuli through her body, causing her mind to imagine things, a sort of hallucination. But, unlike those created when one''s mind was unstable, this was a perfect hallucination that kept her mind at an optimal state.

    Symbols, images, words, true meaning, etc. flowed into her mind, bing a part of her existence. The Kalki Qi was also absorbed into parts of her body along with the influence on her mind, turning into her experience.

    This was the most ingenious method and the reason the Kalki Qi was auspicious. Because, through it, the Celestial Emperor was able to transmit the core of their teachings into the people and make it their own immediately, with zero side effects.

    Such was the magnificence of this particr energy. Ki''Nua closed her eyes as her mind whirred into thought, digesting everything that was inserted into her. Her body too was behaving the same, absorbing everything transmitted by the Kalki Qi as her own.

    Time passed in such a manner before Ki''Nua could no longer feel the formless energy mming into her. She opened her eyes, feeling tranquil as she could sense her Pranic Heart now.

    Rather, she could even get a clear image of it in her mind, including all her meridians. There was a tinge of Water Qi flowing in her meridians, circting as her Pranic Heart pumped it. It was exactly a unit of Water Qi, nothing more, nothing less.

    After a moment of thought, Ki''Nua willed for it to change, sensing the Water Qi enter her Pranic Heart, experience a subtle change before flowing out into her meridians as Fire Qi. She then did the same, turning it into Metal Qi and Lightning Qi.

    She smiled, feeling incredible joy, "I''m a Harmoniser now and can wield all four elements."

    There was an immediate change in her hair and eyes. Before, her hair was simr to amoner''s, consisting of all four colours in a mixture. The area dominated by blue was the maximum, followed by ck, violet, and finally red.

    Her eyes too were the same. But now, both her eyes and hair had turned blue as she circted Water Qi through her meridians. As she had the greatest affinity to Water qi, it had turned as such.

    And, when she circted Fire Qi through her meridians, there was no change in her hair or eyes, except for a faint tinge of red hue on them. But, it was something barely noticeable, even if one was in pitch darkness.

    So, people wouldn''t be able to see it normally. Ki''Nua smiled in satisfaction as she exited the room, bowing to the City Lord who had been waiting right at the entrance.

    Upon seeing her, he beckoned for her to follow, nodding after looking at her once, "As expected, you have the greatest affinity to the water element. You''ll learn the water element Palm Projection next."

    "But City Lord, I have one doubt." Ki''Nua hesitated as she looked at his trailing back, finally mustering her courage to ask it.

    "What is it," The City Lord gave her a knowing smile, as if he had already expected the question.

    "Every Cultivation Technique has a name, right? What''s the name of ours?" She inquired with a respectable bow, using her utmost polite tone.

    "What''s the name of our race?" The City Lord smiled, controlling his urge tough.

    "¡­Kalki?" Ki''Nua said, getting confused for a moment.

    "There you have it," The City Lord smiled, "Our cultivation technique is the core of our race. It wasn''t created by us, after all."

    "W-What does that mean?" Ki''Nua was flustered upon hearing something that hadn''t been told to her before.

    "Our cultivation technique was¡­" The City Lord looked at the ceiling as he sighed, "It was created by the world and left in the hands of the First Celestial Emperor. And¡­that was the start of our race''s rise."

    His voice turned solemn as he looked at Ki''Nua, "So, remember it as you circte the four elements of our race in you. The Royal n is our race''s pir that has received the favour of the world once. So, we must always strive our best to better our race''s condition."

    "Yes, City Lord. I''ll perform my duty." Ki''Nua bowed.

    "It''s not a duty," The City Lord shook his head as he looked at Ki''Nua, "Neither is it our fate or responsibility."

    "Then¡­" Ki''Nua was confused once again.

    "It''s our identity," The City Lord smiled, "As long as our race stands tall, we are a necessity. And, in times of its decline, we are a necessity to reim its lost glory. And at the height of its prime, we are a necessity to maintain our race''s standing."

    "We are our race''s identity. That''s what being part of the Royal n means." He made eye contact with Ki''Nua, smiling, "As a Harmoniser, you''lle across things you never imagined existed in our world. But, those are what we must constantly face against to ensure our livelihood is harmonious with nature."

    "And¡­" His voice turned solemn, "That is what it means to be a Harmoniser."

    He then led her to the first room, situated next to the entrance of the corridor, motioning for Ki''Nua to enter it. "You''ll learn the water element Palm Projection inside. With that, you''ll be a bonafide Harmoniser and would be eligible to take matters of our citizens in your own hands."

    "Yes, City Lord." Followed a bow, Ki''Nua entered the room, watching the door shut behind her immediately.

 Chapter 185 - A Shaâ€™s Shell

    The room was a rectangle, spanning thrice her height as the length and twice her height as the breadth. It wasn''t a big room. And, hung on the wall at the back was an arm-length te, spherical in shape, metallic.

    Many details were inscribed on it,prised of swirling lines and zigzagged scratches. And finally, embedded in the centre was the impression of a palm, deep enough as if a person''s palm had fully pressed into the metal ce to the limit.

    The moment Ki''Nua looked at it, a formless energy wafted out from it and mmed into her. The energy didn''t do any damage to her though, for it was Kalki Qi. It immediately lodged into her body, seeping into each of her cells before flowing into her meridians.

    The Kalki Qi then flowed through the meridians, getting umted within the numerous nodes. The meridians too were awork simr to the nerves on the body. But, there was one difference here.

    There existed numerous central veins, through those the Elemental Qi flowed at the greatest rate. And, some of such meridians either joined together at certain junctions or split into two or more branches of the meridians. Such ces were termed the nodes.

    And, these nodes were unique, in the fact they were like muscles and could be controlled by the Harmoniser. So, a Harmoniser was able to expand or contract each and every node. Usually, this was incredibly hard.

    After all, even to use the muscles, one had to train for a significant time before they could even individually actuate each and every muscle in their limbs. To control the nodes in such a fashion was even more difficult and required decades of practice.

    Even then, their expertise wouldn''t have improved to an extent battle-ready. But, here came the Kalki Qi. It directly entered the nodes, seeping into them to imbue in the Harmoniser the experience of controlling the certain node.

    So, in this way, it was as if they had been training to control the respective nodes for decades and were now able to instinctively control them.

    As the nodes were junctions, they decided the flow of the Elemental Qi through the meridians connected to them. When expanded, it slows down the flow of Elemental Qi while increasing its volume.

    And, whenpressed, it increases the speed of Elemental Qi flow while decreasing its volume. And, it can also fullypress until it blocks the Elemental Qi from flowing past in. As there were thousands of such nodes throughout the body, a lot of variations could be exhibited through them.

    And, using a variety of degrees ofpression or rxation on the nodes, the Elemental Qi could be emitted from the extremities of the meridians, which existed right under the skin and were nodes themselves.

    And, by shaping the Elemental Qi flowing through the meridians, and the nodes under the skin through which they were emitted, and their sequence of emission, allbined result in a physical effect, usually termed the Pranic Art.

    The Palm Projection was one such thing. For a normal person, it would take them probably their lifetime to master a single Palm Projection. After all, the steps to execute it required a lot of trial and error.

    But, the Kalki Qi removed all that process and directly imbued the experience in the individual, making them capable of wielding the Pranic Art without any difficulties on their very first try. If thought about it, the concept alone was scary.

    After all, even an untrained person could wield a Pranic Art to the same extent as a master. Everything was thanks to their Celestial Emperor who made such a feat a reality. All the tes containing the Pranic Arts and the massive metal te containing the Cultivation Technique were all personally made by the Celestial Emperor.

    One, it made obtaining knowledge from them incredibly easy for anyone from their race. And two, it prevented the foreign races from ever getting their hands on such knowledge. After all, the Kalki Qi was poison to them.

    It was a foolproof method, using one action to check all the necessities and counter all possibilities of misuse.

    Ki''Nua stared in amazement as everything needed to unleash the water element Palm Projection was imbued in her mind. Now, all she needed was a thought to unleash the Palm Projection. Upon sensing how the formless energy had vanished, Ki''Nua bowed towards the metal te before exiting the room.

    The City Lord had been waiting at the entrance, smiling upon seeing her exit. "Let your mother teach you the remaining about your duties. You''ll begin your training as a Harmoniser from tomorrow. I''ll asionallye to give instructions whenever I am free. It would be hard, but I hope you persevere."

    "It is my honour to learn and develop as a Harmoniser." Ki''Nua beamed with a smile as she bowed.

    "Alright, let''s leave now." The City Lord smiled and apanied her to the exit, arriving back in the main hall as he bode her farewell.

    Ki''Nua exited the main hall and noticed her mother, Ki''Nha standing at the entrance with anticipation, and a mixture of fear and hope. Upon seeing her, she was relieved, breaking into tears as she pulled Ki''Nua into a hug. "Thank god, you''re safe."

    The City Lord watched the scene from afar as he frowned, muttering under his breath, "The Withered Courtyard¡­mysterious."

    His tone then turned respectful as he muttered, "Elder, did you obtain any clues?"

    "Even using my third eye, I could only sense a vague connection on her. As to where it goes, I am unsure. After an arm''s length away from her, all traces of the connection vanish. This is the first time I am witnessing such a powerful Sha." An Elder''s voice resounded as the figure covered by the curtain appeared on the City Lord''s right.

    "But, if the information obtained by Ki''Nha is urate, then there is a chance¡­" Another Elder appeared on the City Lord''s left.

    The City Lord gazed back, looking at the individual covered in curtains, spanning only half his height, one that spoke with a high-pitched tone, "There is a good chance the Withered Courtyard is a Sha''s shell."

 Chapter 186 - The Palm Imprint

    All along, using every gap to extend her Wind Qi perception, Re''Kha kept an eye on Ki''Nua. Until now, she didn''t sense anything weird on her, feeling confused at this fact.

    After all, she had assumed the Sha from Withered Courtyard or the very Withered Courtyard itself had formed a connection with Ki''Nua for a reason. And, the best chance would have been right when she matured, for that was when she obtained all qualifications to be a Harmoniser but hadn''t be one yet.

    As she was reeling in her confusion, Ki''Nha and Ki''Nua returned. Re''Kha and Ki''Nha made eye contact with each other, heaving a collective sigh of relief.

    "Have the items been disposed of by now?" After a moment, Re''Kha spoke, darting a nce at Ki''Nua to see she was in high spirits.

    "My husband is looking for some clues in them with his peers." Ki''Nha looked at Ki''Nua, "They hope to find a lead through them that might exin the reason Ki''Nua has been experiencing the same dream."

    Ki''Nha then thought about something as she pped her hand once, "Lady Re''Luk, I have a couple of tickets to the auction that happens tomorrow. Why don''t you visit it with Ki''Nua for a change of pace? You haven''t explored Burfuna City much right? You can also stay here tonight."

    "I don''t mean to impose on you that far," Re''Kha waved her hand, unwilling to participate in the auction. For, every ticket cost 250 RuQi, a fortune for most, including the Harmonisers. So, she didn''t wish to use something like that.

    "Please, I insist. Using what you have pointed out, we n to make a general sweep of the ce," Ki''Nha then whispered towards Re''Kha, "And, I would feel rxed if Ki''Nua is far away from here during that time. I don''t wish for something unexpected to happen while we destroy all objects containing Fear Qi and Ghost Qi. I don''t want those two Qi to use her connection to the Withered Courtyard as a catalyst to burrow into her. So, her being as far away from here is for the best."

    "Alright, I''ll apany her to the auction tomorrow." Re''Kha nodded, mentally sighing at the fact Ki''Nha was solidly persuasive.

    There was a reason she had nned all that; it was to keep Re''Kha close to Ki''Nua. After all, among everyone Ki''Nha knew, only the two of them shared a connection to the Withered Courtyard.

    Ki''Nua had been having frequent dreams of the ce while Re''Kha had physically visited the ce once.

    So, in the case something happened to Ki''Nua, Re''Kha too would be involved. And, thanks to her experience, she would be able to help save Ki''Nua in such situations. That was what Ki''Nha was banking upon.

    Hence, she proposed Re''Kha stay the night in their house, using the auction as a pretext. This way, Re''Kha would be able to protect Ki''Nua whenever something happens. After all, even though Ki''Nua had matured, it hadn''t even been a day since then. So, she wasn''t assured something unfortunate wouldn''t happen.

    "That''s great," Ki''Nha cupped her fists at Re''Kha, "Lady Re''Luk, my family will be grateful to you for all the help you''ve provided us."

    "It''s fine, we are just helping each other out in times of need," Re''Kha smiled as she waved her hands, making it seem as if she didn''t put much weight on the matter. Her focus was to ensure she didn''t stir up Ki''Nua too much and frighten her.

    After all, Ki''Nua had just be a Harmoniser. There was a lot she had to learn before she developed the mentality necessary to be one.

    "Let''s see your Palm Projection now." After some time passed, Ki''Nha smiled, lighting up the environment.

    "Alright!" Ki''Nuaughed as she entered a position, about to unleash her Palm Projection when Ki''Nha smacked her head, pointing at the outside of the house, motioning for her tounch it there at the designated ce.

    Apologising once with a wry smile, Ki''Nua exited the house and took up position, taking in a deep breath. Ki''Nha and Re''Kha stood aside, watching Ki''Nua stand before a rock pir that was situated at a position within the range of twice her height.

    That was the range of her Palm Projection. Upon seeing how Ki''Nua was able to adjust it correctly so that the target of her attack was only a finger''s width in her attacking range, Ki''Nha smiled, feeling that her daughter had developed the correct battle sense.

    After all, the Palm Projection possessed the greatest power at the end of its path. It was the most destructive right before it vanished. Hence, attacking in such a way the targets were barely within the end of their attacking range was the best move a Harmoniser could make to erupt with the greatest force.

    Upon seeing how Ki''Nua had positioned herself ordingly on her first try, Ki''Nha felt a bit proud.

    Ki''Nua took in a deep breath, focused as she craned her hand backward, faced the palm forward before mming it forward with all the strength and speed she could muster. All the Water Qi in her body flowed into her hand, exiting through the desired nodes as they were moulded into a shape, exiting rapidly from the pores in her palm.

    The blue radiance condensed into the shape of her palm, making an exact replica, including her fingerprint. The condensed blue radiance was shaped into her palm as Ki''Nua mmed it forward.

    With the time it took for her hand to move from her body to its maximum stretched position, the palm projection traversed the distance equal to twice her height in the same time, mming into the rock pir with force beyond what she could physically erupt with.

    An impression of her palm formed on the rock pir as the material seemed to have beenpressed a little. The palm projection was fine, precisely inscribed on the rock pir as the blue radiance vanished.

    Taking in a deep breath, Ki''Nua heaved a sigh of relief, wiping the sweat on her forehead, watching her palm imprint positioned right next to simr-looking palm imprints.

 Chapter 187 - Gift

    The other palm imprints were those made by other Harmonisers in the Royal n. It was their very first release of a Palm Projection. The rock pir she had unleashed her Palm Projection was one used by the Harmonisers who had the highest affinity to the water element.

    So, all the Palm Projections created a sharp impression on the rock pir without a single crack. The rock pir on which Ki''Nua had mmed her Palm Projection on was a heirloom of her family for generations.

    Those in her family tree had unleashed their first water-based Palm Projection on it. There were three other rock pirs positioned nearby. The impressions made by the water-based Palm Projections were sharp, not even sporting a single crack due to the impact.

    This showed the water''s fluid properties.

    The impressions made by the metal-based Palm Projection too was sharp, but the area of impact was covered by cracks, disying the properties of metal to store and transmit shock.

    The impressions made by the fire-based Palm Projections weren''t sharp. Moreover, the edges were singed while the area in the centre of impact had melted.

    Finally, the impressions made by the lightning-based Palm Projections were the most mysterious. The impressions weren''t even as clear as the ones made by the fire Palm Projections. Moreover, trailing from the impressions were cracks that zigzagged throughout the rock pir, forming awork of roots.

    Faint swirls of dust formed loops around the impressions, as if something within the rock pir had been rearranged. It was the most mysterious and vague of them all.

    Upon seeing Ki''Nua sessfully unleash her Palm Projection, Ki''Nha teared up, feeling that everything was alright with her. She then looked at Re''Kha and muttered with a tone of gratitude, "Thank you."

    "I didn''t do anything though." Re''Kha shook her head, unwilling to take credit for something she hadn''t done.

    "Still, you were the one who brought awareness to things we were ignorant about. Thank you for that." Ki''Nha expressed her gratitude, cupping her fists, looking like she was ready to help Re''Kha, no matter the cost.

    "How was it, mom?" Ki''Nua jumped about as she sprinted through the ce,ughing in merry as she posed like a valiant warrior that had been the one to end a war in victory.

    "That was pretty neat," Ki''Nha smiled as she looked at Re''Kha, "Shall we eat now? It''s alreadyte."

    Re''Kha patted her stomach, feeling it rumble in hunger as sheughed, "That would be great."

    Once they had their lunch, Re''Kha apanied Ki''Nua to her room as they conversed.

    Ki''Nha, on the other hand, exited their house and went to find her husband, intending to know about the status of disposing the items with Fear Qi and Ghost Qi.

    She then found her husband, noticing that he was in talks with a group of people. And, ced on the table before them were six vats, each filled with a plethora of items. Upon seeing Ki''Nha, her husband spoke with a grim tone, "We made a sweep in the other houses too. Each house contains so many objects with Ghost Qi and Fear Qi. And the worst part of them all is how all of them are situated in gaps that we cannot reach with our fingers."

    "That is¡­" Ki''Nha frowned, realising the seriousness of the issue. The numerous objects, the meticulousness of the Ghost Qi and Fear Qi in them, ensuring the Harmonisers wouldn''t be able to sense anything upon touch, and the fact the items were those favoured by the Harmonisers but were those they hardly interacted with, all lead to the same conclusion.

    The Burfuna Ki n was being targeted by someone. And, as the items were thosemonly purchased by them, the perpetrator could have been anyone or any organisation. After all, when they checked the date the items were bought, some of them had been in their houses for almost a century.

    That was too great of a time. So, if it had been intentional, then it must mean there was an organisation that had existed for so long and had been targeting their n all along. If it wasn''t an organisation like that, then it meant there was a Sha that was capable of the same.

    But, that also led to a shocking conclusion. There was a Sha that had been alive for over a century.

    "Wasn''t Lady Mu''Tua talking about how the Sha were capable of possession?" One of them said when everyone collectively took in a sharp breath of air, feeling a chill. The situation was moreplicated than they had thought about.

    So, they were unable to determine the one that had caused Ki''Nua to make contact with the Withered Courtyard. Moreover, now they also had to prepare countermeasures to ensure none of their nsmen would form a connection with a Sha.

    "We have to make a sweep through the city," One of them frowned, "But, the search radius is too big. Even we can''t afford to expend that much Elemental Qi Essences."

    "Let''s first talk about the method to eradicate them." Another one of them said, pointing at the vats, "If we are careless, we might birth a Sha instantly."

    Time passed in such a fashion before it was nighttime. After spending time together, Ki'' and Ki''Sul returned to their homes, leaving behind Re''Kha and Ki''Nua.

    Followed by a smile, Re''Kha took out the Harpen Waves imitation, the one with the shorter chain, "Congrattions on bing a Harmoniser. I believe you can wield this elemental weapon the best."

    "Wow, I love this design," Ki''Nua clutched It as she beamed with a smile. She then held the Harpen Waves imitation in her hands, making a slicing motion to see it was perfectly suited to her.

    She then looked at Re''Kha, "Sister, can you teach me the right way to wield this weapon?"

    "Of course," Re''Kha nodded, "I have some experience in using this weapon. It is dangerous at first, but once you get a hang of it, you can even survive an encounter against a Sha using it."

    "That''s great," Ki''Nua smiled as the gem on her Tikka jewellery flickered for a moment.

 Chapter 188 - Refining The Eyes

    It was a silent, narrow street, winding past a wider road. The houses here formed argeplex and acted as a closedmunity. People didn''t even use cycles within themunity and onlymuted by foot.

    There was a shared parking space on one side where cycles were ced. Currently in the silence of the night emerged a shadow, moving past the cycles as it seeped into the first house on the right.

    A faint chill apanied it, making the warm night colder along its wake. The shadow was spherical in shape, possessing tworge arms that were sturdy. The shadow was like a fluid as it flowed from one limb to another as the entity moved.

    It was hovering above the ground with nothing to prop itself up. Embedded along its spherical body, facing all the sides were numerous pairs of eyes, numbering around 40 by now. All of them were closed, save for one pair of eyes situated at the bottom that it used to look around.

    The Blinded Ghost!

    The ce it was attached to determined the importance the Blinded Ghost ced on the pair of eyes. The ces easily defendable by its pair of arms were the eyes of Harmonisers it had stolen. And, judging by the condition of the eyes, the owners seemed to be either weak ones¡ªlike the guards who at most possessed a unit of Elemental Qi or were retired Harmonisers who were nearing the end of their lifespan.

    Some eyes seemed to have been taken from Harmonisers in the prime of their life. These eyes were closely guarded, as the pair of arms were constantly hovering above them to prevent them from being harmed.

    And, among such eyes was one that it guarded the most. Even its body had altered its shape a little, creating a tough pair of eyelids that guarded the pair of eyes. And, out of all, the presence exhibited by this pair of eyes was the most.

    As it moved around, a thin tinge of Ghost Qi seeped into the pair of eyes, trying to strengthen their connection while refining the eyes into something different.

    At the same time, in the eye hollow of Re''Kha, the Ghost Qi present within squirmed, gently moving forth to generate some Fear Qi that waster seeped into the head.

    "¡­Almost¡­done¡­" The Blinded Ghost muttered as it moved forward, entering a room as it looked at a child that was sleeping beside her mother. After a nce, it floated away, judging that the target was unsuitable.

    It then moved to the next room, finding an olddy that was sleeping peacefully. Her face was wrinkled while her skin was dishevelled, making it apparent she was the one who had been working the hardest to uphold the livelihood of her family.

    And, after umting some wealth, she was rxing the rest of her life, judging by her toned body but one that was beginning to soften, a sign of rxation. As the Blinded Ghost closed in on her, the room turned colder.

    A thin stream of ice flowed like water and moved up the body of the olddy, forming a thinyer over her before inching towards her face. The Blinded Ghost didn''t do anything and watched the formation of ice, noticing how the breathing of the olddy becameboured.

    It then focused on her forehead, noticing the Tikka jewellery, peering under it to see how her third eye twitched from time to time. The moment it noticed it, the Blinded Ghost stopped its actions, quickly retracting the forming ice as it exited the room.

    "Great¡­target¡­but¡­too¡­early¡­" It softly muttered as the eyes it used to see began to bleed, gentle at the start. It didn''t bleed blood, but rather seemed to be the shadowy fluid that made up its body. The bleeding was akin to the pair of eyes crying. And, it was getting damaged in the process.

    But upon noticing it, the Blinded Ghost paused, muttering, "This eye¡­inferior¡­quality¡­"

    "Onlysted¡­a day¡­" It then entered the next room, finding the figures of a couple, a man and woman in their fifties. It first focused on the woman before directing its sights on the man, noticing that his eyes were suitable, quality-wise.

    It then began to freeze up the two. But, unlike the olddy, they quickly noticed the temperature change, waking up immediately when they realised their bodies were numb, slow in reacting.

    The cold caused them to rub their hands, after all, the darkness prevented them from noticing the figure of the Blinded Ghost before them.

    "Why is it so cold?"

    "This is the Fire Season. It shouldn''t be this cold."

    As they muttered, their expressions froze, because their bodies suddenly turned numb from fear. After all, they were able to see a figure in the dark now, but one that faintly radiated with white light, bright enough for them to make out its figure.

    Moreover, they saw tens of eyes shoot open on it, frightening them to the limit. But, when they screamed in reflex, they realised to their horror that their voices failed toe out. Moreover, they were no longer able to move their bodies.

    The fear they experienced generated a torrent of Fear Qi that seeped into the Blinded Ghost, swiftly getting converted into Ghost Qi that seeped into the pair of eyes in the centre, the one it guarded the most. The Blinded Ghost seemed to be doing something to them, refining it into something beyond.

    The steady influx of Ghost Qi healed some of the injuries sustained on its body, recovering its condition to a certain extent as its pair of arms thickened, slowly moving towards the man as they rested on his eyes.

    It then retracted its hands, holding an eyeball in each, gently cing them on its body, watching them take root and be one with it. The man was aghast after he was no longer able to see. He didn''t feel any pain though, thanks to the Ghost Qi lodged in his eye sockets, nor did any medicalplication arise because of it.

    As his wife saw the scene of his eyes being taken out, fear overwhelmed her as she fainted.

 Chapter 189 - The Blinded Ghostâ€™s Feast

    The Blinded Ghost remained in ce after the eye it was using to see close shut. It hovered in ce, retracting its arms as it just existed. The man hadn''t fainted yet, still reeling from the effects of having lost his sight.

    The abrupt plunge into darkness caused him primal fear. From time to time, the Blinded Ghost just extended its hands and tapped a couple of times on the bed, causing the man''s heart to shudder in fear at the sound.

    All the fear he felt coagted in the air, turning into Fear Qi that the Blinded Ghost absorbed. It was like a tonic to it, slowly causing the nicks and gashes on its shadowy form to recover. Its mass also increased as its form became more condensed.

    With every use of its abilities, it was expending Ghost Qi. If it continued in such a fashion, despite all the abilities it possessed, it would be vulnerable to its foes. After all, people resisted it. And, whenever it encountered a Harmoniser, it was wounded.

    Only by absorbing Ghost Qi would it be able to recover from the injuries and heal itself back to full strength. And now, it had a steady supply of Ghost Qi, so it just rested by hovering in ce. And, once it stopped seeing, the eyes it used before were shut. The pair of eyes were no longer bleeding out the shadowy fluid.

    After all, even though it could use the eyes of others to see, there was a time limit. The higher the quality of the eyes, the greater the duration it wouldst before breaking apart. That''s why it didn''t just steal the eyes of any random person it came across.

    The Blinded Ghost spent a lot of time hovering in the ce, opening the eyes on its bottom once the trickle of Fear Qi stopped. It noticed how the man had fainted, no longer able to endure the feeling of fear.

    Upon seeing how the man had reached the limit in his ability to feel fear, the Blinded Ghost moved towards the nearby wall, passing through it as it exited the house. It then slowly moved through the houses,ing across one sleeping person after another.

    It then came across a house where the lights were still lit. It saw how the people inside were partying. They were a group of youngsters who had returned from war and were rxing, feeling alive as they gorged on food to their limit, sang, and danced.

    The moment the Blinded Ghost appeared, the faces of the soldiers paled in fear before they reacted, pulling out one weapon after another as they lunged on it. But, their attacks didn''t damage it. Rather, they just passed through it, as if it didn''t exist.

    Nothing happened as the Blinded Ghost stopped after arriving at the centre of the room. The soldiers blinked, rubbing their eyes to see if they were hallucinating.

    "Did we eat something weird?" One of them muttered, taking a nce at the food on the table. The Blinded Ghost hovered right above it, still as a statue.

    Another soldier arrived before the Blinded Ghost, poking it to see his fingers passed right through it, "What is this? This looks cool but incredibly scary."

    With its eyes shut and its hands retracted, the Blinded Ghost was no different from a shadowy sphere. So, it didn''t elicit any feeling of fear from them.

    "You are right." A soldierughed, taking a bite of the food in his hand as he too arrived before the Blinded Ghost, peering close at it before leaning forward. He was brave, for he ced his head inside the Blinded Ghost.

    "This is fun," Heughed, motioning for the others to repeat the same. His eyes were slightly trembling for reasons unknown, but neither he nor the others noticed it. The other soldier that seeped his finger into the Blinded Ghost too was acting the same.

    Eventually, curiosity got the best of them as all the soldiers in the room converged around the Blinded Ghost, touching it at least once as theyughed about,menting how all of them had probably eaten something strange that caused them to imagine the same thing.

    As time passed, they were starting to lose interest in it. But what they hadn''t realised was how the eyes of everyone was faintly trembling as it darted to and fro, as if they were in the starting stages of paranoia.

    Suddenly, all the 41 pairs of eyes on the Blinded Ghost shot open as the temperature of the room abruptly cooled down. As all the soldiers were standing right next to it, they were hit at the same time. Moreover, even though they tried to react, intending to use their reflexes honed in numerous battles, they realised to their horror, their bodies were numb.

    All of them lost bnce simultaneously and fell to the ground, noticing their hands were stuck to the floor, same for their feet. They opened their mouths to scream and realised their voices failed toe out.

    Slowly, ice formed on their bodies,pletely immobilising them all. And, their hearts shuddered as a voice, chill-inducing, and bone-rattling, resounded from the Blinded Ghost, "All¡­eyes¡­me¡­want¡­"

    A pair of hands shot out from it and entered the head of the first soldier,ing out with his eyeballs. There wasn''t even any shudder from the victim, for he hadn''t even realised his eyes had been stolen.

    In his perspective, he suddenly lost his sight. But, upon realising he couldn''t see, despite opening his eyelids, he couldn''t feel anything inside. The realisation of his loss of sight slowly dawned on him as he was overwhelmed by fear, the fear of loss, the fear of unable to see anything anymore, and the feeling of darkness he witnessed.

    All of them built up fear in him. Moreover, as the Blinded Ghost had done something to them, the fear he experienced was magnified. The soldier behaved as if he had lost everything, from his life''s savings to his entire family. From sadness, it turned into maddened fear.

    The same thing was repeated on all the other soldiers too as the number of eyes on the Blinded Ghost increased. A dense stream of Fear Qi was produced that it sucked into itself, converted it into Ghost Qi, and sent most of them into the pair of eyes on its front, the one it guarded the most.

    Followed by a spike in Ghost Qi, the eyes shot open, the pupils within had lost their blue colour and had now be ck.

 Chapter 190 - Product Of Ghost Qi

    The pair of eyes hadpletely changed as even the mere presence it exuded was staggering. Moreover, it had be one with the Blinded Ghost, no longer getting damaged even when it was being used to look around.

    One of the reasons the Blinded Ghost was always on the hunt for eyes was because it was innately blind. And, it had to steal the eyes of others and use them to see. But, every time it used a pair of eyes to see, the eyes would get damaged while it would have to expend some Ghost Qi in the process.

    Some eyessted for a day while most fully shattered within a quarter of a day or even earlier. So, if it didn''t wish to remain blind, it had to search for a suitable pair of eyes to steal. And now, having done something to the pair of eyes on its centre, it had changed its inherent nature.

    Now, it wouldn''t get damaged when the Blinded Ghost used this particr pair of eyes to look around. It had a lot of abilities to use, and it could umte more by stealing the eyes of others. Therefore, the Blinded Ghost had the means to salvage its situation.

    But all along, it hadn''t obtained a pair of eyes with enough quality to achieve that. Thankfully for it, there existed a Harmoniser who had fought it numerous times in the past. Through their encounters, even though it was severely injured most of the time, it determined the quality of the eyes of its opponent.

    And finally, when a chance presented itself, it had stolen the eyes. And then, it began to refine it using Ghost Qi, all the while strengthening the connection with the owner¡ªBurkurel Re''Kha!

    "The¡­eyes¡­ready¡­" It uttered as it drunk all the Fear Qi generated in the room. There were around 15 soldiers in the room. Therefore, the collective fear they exhibited was a staggering amount, enough to facilitate all its needs.

    The Blinded Ghost soon reached the peak of its current development, ncing around as it muttered, "Those three¡­will die¡­by my hands¡­tomorrow¡­"

    Saying its piece, it vanished from the scene. The ice formed in the room began to slowly melt as the air turned warm once again. But, none of the soldiers had any energy to move or even shout. One after another, they fainted.

    ¡­

    "The¡­eyes¡­ready¡­" Followed by what seemed to be a long nightmare, the final words caused her to wake up with a start and pant. Re''Kha looked around, noticing her surroundings were pitch ck. Upon realising the fact she was blind, she calmed herself, relying on her basic senses to see she was in her room.

    Nothing had changed. She then heaved a sigh in relief, inching her right hand to her Tikka jewellery and covered it with her hood, activating her Wind Qi perception immediately. She was met with an intense headache, causing her to grunt and clutch the bed.

    Re''Kha took in deep breaths as she regted her heartbeats, sensing the flow of Wind Qi in her meridians. As she took in calm, deep breaths, the headache waned as she could finally sense her Wind Qi perception activating.

    It seemed a burden of sorts ced on her mind was eradicated the moment her Wind Qi perception was activated. But, Re''Kha was unsure of the cause, not having the time to think about it as she sensed something amiss.

    Her surroundings were cold, eerie as if she was on a battlefield post-war and was walking past a pile of corpses. The atmosphere was eerily simr as Re''Kha shot up with a start, soon closing in on the ce of oddity.

    "Ki''Nua!" She quickly sprang out of her room and rushed to the adjacent room, barging inside to see a figure standing beside Ki''Nua. Without any hesitation, Re''Kha attacked using her Harpen Waves imitation, watching the figure wave its hands and stop her attack.

    "Stop it, child." A gentle voice resounded from the figure as Re''Kha halted her actions. She was still alert, but upon noticing how the voice of the other party was one of the Elders of the Royal n that she had spied upon earlier, she didn''t attack further.

    After all, the other party was a Martial Master.

    The figure sighed, "It''s her fortune to have a caring, talented friend like you."

    "Ki''Nua," Re''Kha quickly noticed a wave of nk space had coagted around Ki''Nua, forming a cocoon around her. The nk space was condensing into something within her, at times seeping into her, and at times, extracting something from her.

    "Elder, please save her," Re''Kha shouted, looking around to hear a couple of footsteps trailing towards them. It seemed themotion had alerted Ki''Nha and her husband. They quickly arrived and noticed the figures of Re''Kha and the Elder.

    Upon seeing them, the Elder sighed, "It happened in an instant. It seemed a significant quantity of Ghost Qi had been brewing within her body for more than a decade. I hadn''t even managed to sense it despite observing her with my third eye. This is beyond my expertise."

    "Elder, please save my daughter." Ki''Nha prostrated on the ground, begging. Her husband too did the same, wishing for the knowledgeable elder to do something about it.

    "I have infused almost 50 units of my Kalki Qi in her body. If anything, that should help preserve her life. Unfortunately, I am unable to do anything beyond this. If I disturb anything, she would immediately die." The Elder sighed, appearing less mysterious than when she presented herself in the n''s main hall. At present, she just seemed like a helpless individual herself.

    "Elder, Ki''Nua was able to unleash her Palm Projection today. And, she had just undergone an initiation. So, shouldn''t the Kalki Qi that initiated her have some effect on the Ghost Qi in her body? It would make sense if the connection isn''t severed, but that shouldn''t be the case for the Ghost Qi. Then, how did the Ghost Qi manage to survive through that?"

    "This is what I found," The Elder grunted, looking at Ki''Nua with pity, "Since her childhood, as her Pranic Heart and meridians developed, part of what formed them was the Ghost Qi. So at present, in Ki''Nua¡­"

    "Her Pranic Heart and meridians have be a product of Ghost Qi."

 Chapter 191 - Welcome, To The Withered Courtyard

    "Her Pranic Heart and meridians have be a product of Ghost Qi."

    The Elder''s words were like boulders being dropped on their minds as Re''Kha and others were stupefied beyond belief. Ki''Nha looked aghast as she forgot to breathe for a moment. She almost fainted, feeling the world around her spin as she lost her bnce.

    Her husband came to her help and bnced her, consoling her as he barely held his mind from shattering apart due to the news. He took in a deep breath and gazed at Ki''Nua, watching her rather peaceful face that was illuminated by thentern light.

    He looked at the Elder, "Elder, what should we do now to save her? Moreover, if her Pranic Heart and Meridians have be a product of Ghost Qi, how was she able to use her Palm Projection before? Until now, she was circting Water Qi in her meridians without any issues."

    "I believe that is thest time she ever fires a Palm Projection," The Elder gazed at Ki''Nua, trying to sense any other clues as he spoke, "She had justpleted her initiation ceremony. So, the Kalki Qi in her meridians prevented the circting Water Qi from being affected by the Ghost Qi inherent in her meridians."

    "Then," Ki''Nua reoriented herself as she panted, controlling herself from crying as she spoke, trying to grasp for any semnce of hope she could find, "Then, as long as we supply her with enough Kalki Qi, she should be alright, right?"

    "That''s what I have done now," The Elder said, "Times have be harsher recently. More and more bizarre dangers are cropping up recently. So, I''ll stay beside her and help stabilise her."

    ''So, this was the Withered Courtyard''s n all along.'' Re''Kha sighed at the fact that the Withered Courtyard was way too mysterious. She then realised the fact that she had escaped from the very same ce when she was blind. Now that she thought about it, there was absolutely no way she could escape from that ce with her abilities, not when she was blind, and barely had much Water Qi in her.

    She then thought of her master, thinking about the series of coincidences that happened around her. She then recalled how the first people she had a conversation with after arriving at Burfuna City were them. That meant, they were probably included or were a part of her master''s ns.

    After all, his goal was to seek revenge on the enemies that made him suffer for 20 years. Re''Kha was his only disciple, based on what he had stated. But, that didn''t mean he would make arrangements in others too. After all, he himself had said so, and that Re''Kha would have to stumble upon his arrangements in her life.

    After thinking of all the coincidences that had transpired, Re''Kha was assured of one fact. The thing that Ki''Nua was experiencing would definitely screw with her life. But, there was definitely a reason for that, one that would probably make her a key yer somewhere else.

    "She''ll be fine," Re''Kha said with a tone of confidence, causing the Elder to look at her with shock. She had been paying attention to Re''Kha for quite some time, having sensed many points of oddity in her.

    First of all, Re''Kha hadn''t ever opened her eyes, not once. Besides, she always hid the gem on her Tikka jewellery. Though, just a piece of cloth couldn''t block everything from the vision of her third eye. So, the Elder had been feeling bouts of shock all along upon noticing the oddity in Re''Kha.

    But, she didn''t do anything. She neither confided the details to the other Elders nor interrogated Re''Kha to spill the details. She could sense that something was happening in the background, something grand and sinister.

    And, the individual before her was one of the solutions to it. Therefore, the Elder wisely didn''t interfere, thinking of first understanding everything before taking any action. After a moment of thought, the Elder mentally went through the statement Re''Kha had said, finally facing her as she spoke, "Is it because you are alive?"

    ''Of course, a Martial Master can notice it.'' Re''Kha didn''t express any feeling of shock, thinking as she nodded, "Yes, I have stepped foot in the Withered Courtyard and made it out alive. Though, I can''t guarantee anything that might happen in the future. But¡­"

    She looked at Ki''Nua, "The fact that these changes had been happening in her since young, there is a chance Ki''Nua could pull through."

    "Even though I shouldn''t be saying this," The Elder let out a wry smile, "But, whoever it was, the entity that used the Ghost Qi managed to fool my eyes perfectly. I have inspected Ki''Nua twice before but hadn''t noticed this issue in her at all."

    She then chuckled with a helpless tone, "It seems I have lived in vain for all these years."

    ¡­

    It was a narrow room, strewn with tools used in day-to-day life. Opening her eyes was a young girl who looked around with familiarity. With habit, she got up and dusted herself, heading towards the door.

    "It seems I am back here once again," Ki''Nua muttered, opening the door to gaze at the familiar street. It was currently the middle of the night, but the street was illuminated bynterns hung all over the sides of the roads.

    The wooden flooring creaked as she walked through the courtyard, looking around to not see anyone else in the area. But, unlike before, she hadn''t woken up yet. Rather, it seemed as if she could freely move through the area.

    "That''s strange," Ki''Nua muttered as she stepped foot on the road, intending to walk towards the nearby house when she noticed the door to another house being opened. This was the house that had been damaged in one of her visits, the only time something odd or different happened in the ce.

    Sheter came to know it was the house Re''Kha had destroyed. And now, its door opened as a talldy exited it, looking at Ki''Nua as she shed a smile, "Wee, to the Withered Courtyard."

 Chapter 192 - Master Of The Withered Courtyard

    "You are¡­?" Ki''Nua looked around in surprise at the talldy, for this was the first time she was interacting with someone in the Withered Courtyard. All along, the moment she exited the room, she would wake up soon after.

    So, it was surprising that there was a perfectly normal person in such a ce where she visited a lot of times in her dreams.

    "You can call me Ju''Tha," The talldy smiled, motioning for Ki''Nua to apany her as she walked on the road, "This hasn''t been the first time we have talked, though."

    "What¡­do you mean?" Ki''Nua was shocked, hearing something that went against her experiences. Moreover, her shock stemmed from another astonishing fact. When Ju''Tha said the statement, Ki''Nua felt that it was the truth. Such a fact did confuse her, making her stare agape, rooted to the spot.

    "It had happened really long ago though, so it isn''t shocking that you can''t remember it," Ju''Tha smiled, thinking as she tapped her chin with her index finger, soon recalling the info as she spoke, "I think it was when you were around three years of age. On the first night when your Pranic Heart had begun to grow, you had appeared here."

    "But how?" Ki''Nua finally decided to learn the situation now that she had a chance to ask someone, even if she couldn''t guess the inclination of the other party, "I never had any connection to the Withered Courtyard. So, how did I appear here? And that too at such a young age?"

    "There was a connection though," Ju''Tha smiled, "But, it wasn''t through you. Rather, it was through your mother, Ki''Nha."

    "My mother shared a connection to this ce?" Ki''Nua was scared now, fearing something bad would happen to her mother.

    Seeing her reaction, Ju''Tha didn''t console her, continuing to speak, "During one of her fights with a Sha, your mother was significantly injured. There was a lot of Ghost Qi deposited in her body. But, this heavy concentration of Ghost Qi caused her to stumble upon the Withered Courtyard."

    "You mean, my mother entered this ce in the flesh?" Ki''Nua no longer had an idea as to what she should feel, intending to first hear the rest of the details.

    "Yes," Ju''Tha nodded, "She wasn''t the first, and she wasn''t thest either. At that time, the Withered Courtyard was situated right next to a mining vige. Your mother fainted right after entering here. She stayed the entire night with us and left in the morning, thinking all along that she had stayed in that mining vige."

    "But," Ju''Tha smiled, her lips curling up eerily as she looked at Ki''Nua, "What your mother hadn''t realised at that time was that fact that you were a month-old foetus in her. And, that was when you formed a connection with this ce."

    "Even before I was born¡­" Ki''Nua stared vacantly, losing hope that she could extricate herself from the ce.

    "You don''t need to fret," Ju''Tha patted her head. "The Withered Courtyard won''t do anything to you. Rather than getting harmed by this, you will be obtaining benefits instead."

    "What¡­do you mean?" Ki''Nua was confused. Moreover, she flinched when Ju''Tha patted her head. For, all she could feel was ice-coldness, as if the other party was a block of ice.

    "I suppose there is no harm in saying this to you," Ju''Thaughed, "You''ll forget everything I said to you anyway. Only when you are here would you be able to remember it."

    "This is what will happen to you," Ju''Tha pointed at herself, "I was the same as you a hundred years ago."

    "A hundred years ago?" Ki''Nua was shocked, looking around as she shuddered. After all, the longer a Sha lived, the stronger and more mysterious it became. Moreover, it would grow beyond the extent a Harmoniser could handle.

    Any Sha couldn''t be scaled usingmon sense. Therefore, they had to be treated with caution and eradicated as soon as possible. Otherwise, if they continued to grow, they would soon destroy entire cities overnight.

    "Yes," Ju''Tha nodded, "My mother faced a simr situation as you. And because of it, I had developed a connection to this ce. And, when I died, I became a Sha that was a resident of this ce."

    "What¡­? A Sha? How could that be possible? A Sha cannot form like that." Ki''Nua refuted immediately.

    "And, why do you think so?" Ju''Tha leaned in on Ki''Nua, letting out a derisive sneer, "Your Pranic Heart and meridians are made from Ghost Qi now. So, you are already a Pseudo Sha. Therefore, the moment you die, your corpse would absorb all the resentment and other negative emotions you had umted throughout your life and would be immediately born as a Sha."

    "Why?" Ki''Nua gritted her teeth, "Why do you want to make me a Sha? I just wish to be a Harmoniser."

    "You are indeed a Harmoniser, still are." Ju''Tha smiled, "The traces of Ghost Qi in your Pranic Heart and meridians wouldpletely vanish after a day."

    "Then¡­?"

    "Let me finish," Ju''Tha turned serious for a moment, causing Ki''Nua to flinch as she spoke, "You wouldn''t be able to live your life as a Harmoniser and wield the four elements dictated by your Cultivation technique, supposedly. But¡­"

    The face of Ju''Tha convulsed as she grew a pair of horns as her body began to bulge, turning into a beast. Before Ki''Nua could register the other party''s appearance, Ju''Tha returned to her normal appearance, "All the Ghost Qi in you would condense in your Pranic Heart and form your Pranic Avatar."

    "So," Ju''Tha chuckled, "Your Pranic Avatar would be slightly different from the others in your n. And, when you die, it is your Pranic Avatar that bes a Sha. And, if you wish, you can even use your humanoid form then."

    Soon, they arrived before a house in the centre of the ce as Ju''Tha motioned for Ki''Nua to enter inside, "You''ll know more about everything inside. The Master of the Withered Courtyard will tell you."

 Chapter 193 - The Raceâ€™s First

    Unlike all the wooden houses in the Withered Courtyard, this was the sole three-storeyed building. Moreover, it upied the housing space of at least four normal housesbined. It was a massive building rtively speaking.

    The moment she stood before it, Ki''Nua could feel her heart rate elerate as if she was sprinting through a forest trail. It was odd, for she was currently in a dream. So, the sense of realism unnerved her.

    For a moment, Ki''Nua was unable to differentiate the dream from the real world. If someone told her she had been transported to the ce in the real world, she would have believed it immediately.

    After all, the chillness of the night, the faint wind that brushed past her, the gentle warmth radiated from thenterns hung all over on the sides of the road she traversed, and finally, the prickling sensation she felt as she walked on the road, everything was exactly as if she had walked in the same ce in reality.

    She looked at the three-storeyed building before her, hesitant to set foot within as she looked at Ju''Tha, noticing the other party was faintly trembling. There was the emotion of zealous worship hidden amidst fear.

    Ki''Nua unconsciously gulped as Ju''Tha motioned at her with a respectful show of hands, "Please head inside. It is not wise to keep the Master waiting."

    "R-Right," Ki''Nua nodded as her body turned rigid. Even though she wished to escape from the ce, having arrived at the ce numerous times, Ki''Nua realised that she had no other option but toply. After all, she was currently in her dream.

    Even if she were to escape now, as long as she slept, she would return to the ce again. So, as long as the connection between them existed, Ki''Nua couldn''t escape from the Withered Courtyard.

    After taking in a deep breath, Ki''Nua took a step forward, cing her right foot on the first step. There were four steps to traverse before she could move through the house''s entrance.

    A formless pressure immediately impacted her, causing her to lose her bnce and be thrown back. Ki''Nua stared with a nk expression as she was unable to make sense of the situation.

    "Please try again," Ju''Tha stood at the side, saying with a tone of respect, treating Ki''Nua as her superior for some reason, "The Master is testing your mettle."

    "Fine," For some reason, Ki''Nua didn''t wish to relent. She was already deep into it, so in such a state, she just decided to see what will happen to her. She wasn''t a character that would curl up in fear for too long.

    Beyond a limit, she was the type to spring back with full force. Ki''Nua stood up with a start, pumping herself as she approached the flight of stairs, cing her leg on the first step. Now that she was prepared, when the formless pressure mmed into her, she curled her body ordingly to resist it, preventing herself from losing her bnce.

    In the same manner, Ki''Nua took the second step, feeling the pressure increase once again, almost overwhelming her. She began to sweat buckets, feeling that her body was on the verge of giving up.

    "Ugh," She grunted, unwilling to give up so soon as she tried to scale up the third step. There were only four steps. So, she had already scaled up halfway. But, before she took the next step, Ki''Nua felt her head spun.

    She seemed to be on the verge of fainting.

    ''I am already asleep. Then, why would I faint? This is a dream. So, in that case, is this a contest of my willpower?'' Her expression firmed as Ki''Nua shouted, "If it''s a contest of willpower, I am not that weak to give in."

    Her vision cleared up as she took the third step, still able to bear the pressure that multiplied by twice. But, it seemed she was about to lost consciousness any moment. Before she lost consciousness, Ki''Nua shouted as she took the final step, noticing how the pressure had vanished immediately.

    She then looked around, intending to see the expression of Ju''Tha for some reason, noticing her figure had disappeared.

    The surroundings were eerily silent as she peered into the house through the open door, gulping as she took a step forward, entering the house. She stopped immediately, noticing a flight of stairs before her. There wasn''t the living room she had expected, nor was there a floor to greet her. It was just a field of vacancy, as if the entire ground had caved in.

    There was just a small path enough for her to take a couple of steps. And, trailing from it was a flight of stairs, proceeding deep into the ground as a spiral.

    And, the lower one went, the darker the surroundings got, causing her to jitter like crazy from tension. Ki''Nua continued to descend through the flight of stairs, ignorant as to where she got all that courage from.

    If it was the usual her, she would have refrained from proceeding lower in the flight of stairs. She would rather wait a fair distance away than take the risk. But now, something was urging her to move, giving her the necessary courage, and boldness that almost bordered recklessness.

    That was the reason she did whatever she did in the Withered Courtyard. Her breaths turned slower and colder as Ki''Nua proceeded deep into the ground through the flight of stairs, now slowly surrounded by darkness that seemed like it would devour her any moment.

    But slowly, a blue radiance was emitted from further below her, lighting up the surroundings steadily as she proceeded downward. As she continued forth, her surroundings lit up, bing brighter and brighter.

    The flight of stairs stopped as Ki''Nua arrived at a balcony of sorts, peeking out into a massive open area. And, seated before her on the ground was a figure that was a vortex of Ghost Qi. Just the figure''s eyes were as big as her.

    But the moment she looked at the face of the figure, Ki''Nua was stunned into silence, rooted to the spot in shock before she kneeled instinctually, "I greet our race''s First."

 Chapter 194 - The First Celestial Emperor

    The figure before Ki''Nua was someone everyone in their race knew about. After all, he was a legend, one that had changed the status of their race and made history; the one with the most tragic history among all the pinnacle beings of their race and the most short-lived one with the grandest feat.

    The First Celestial Emperor!

    Before that, their race was ruled over by the Treka, a race that had been immensely powerful back in those periods. The Treka had three Celestial Emperors. They were a powerhouse race that didn''t fear anyone.

    As a race ruled over by them, the Kalki lead hard lives. But, everything changed with the arrival of the First Celestial Emperor. He freed their race, made them a ce to call their own, and actively promoted the growth of their race.

    Unfortunately, the object he had used to be a Celestial Emperor had been the property of one of the Treka''s Celestial Emperors. Due to the ipatibility, he had suffered through his life as a Celestial Emperor.

    Eventually, his injuries umted as he faced the attacks from every other race that wished to snatch the device in his hands in order to birth a Celestial Emperor of their own. And, he soon passed away, leaving behind his legacy and making enough arrangements for their race to birth the Second Celestial Emperor.

    Thanks to that legacy, their race prospered and were now under the rule of the Fourth Celestial Emperor.

    The Celestial Emperors were the pinnacle beings of their race, ones that shouldered their race''s fate singlehandedly during their times of rule. So, whenever a newborn was birthed, before seeing its parents, the figures of the four Celestial Emperors were shown to it first.

    And every city had the statue of the four Celestial Emperors in the centre of the city and was flocked over by the people to pray daily. It was an act that gave them mental peace. For, as long as they were assured they were watched over by the Celestial Emperors, they could face any difficulties in life.

    It wasn''t a sentiment shared by themoners alone. Even the Harmonisers were the same. Rather, the sense of worship they felt was even greater than themoners. After all, whenever they gazed at the statues of the Celestial Emperors, the Elemental Qi in their bodies would tremble and prostrate.

    That was why Ki''Nua could instantly recognise the identity of the other party. Before she could even register the identity of the other party in her mind, her body moved suit in reflex, prostrating on the ground as she showed her proper respects.

    "You''ve done well, child." A sonorous voice resounded from the First Celestial Emperor, causing Ki''Nua to tear up immediately. To most people, just hearing the voice of their Celestial Emperor would make them give up their lives. So, her emotions were justified.

    She was happy to hear his voice. Moreover, she was ted to be offered words of praise. For a moment, she had forgotten the fact that their First Celestial Emperor had died numerous centuries ago.

    "You might have a lot of questions. But, I''ll keep it short. If you stay before me for too long, your mind would shatter." The First Celestial Emperor spoke, "First of all, after my death, all the pain, resentment, etc. I suffered throughout my life coted in me. And, as I was the spiritual pir of our race, their entirety of negative emotions condensed in me and revived me as a Sha."

    Ki''Nua listened in silence, not daring to interrupt the other party. After all, to her, or anyone else from her race, the Celestial Emperor''s words were thew.

    "I was confused at first. But as years passed, I slowly regained my bearings and sought to work based on the negative emotions that birthed me," He slowly smiled, "Thankfully, the emotions of everyone was worry about the race, worry about their safety, and worry about their race''s future. It is a wonder that all of them perfectly aligned with the same convictions I possessed when alive. So, I hadn''t turned into a monster after bing a Sha."

    "And," He said with a tone of pride when talking about his people, "It was their genuine worries that made me into who I am today. It did take me many centuries before I could move and n ordingly. If I had moved any sooner, I would have lost my way like a normal Sha. Once I could move, I created this Withered Courtyard, a city of Sha that works in secret, eliminating threats of our race."

    "Thanks to a certain mysterious organisation, too many problems are cropping up in ournds. They are endangering our people without our knowledge. And hence¡­" His eyes focused on Ki''Nua, "Tobat them, I slowly convert potential talents among my people into a Sha after their death. And, to ensure they wouldn''t lose the convictions they possessed when they were alive, I make a connection when they were an infant itself. This connection maintains a tether to their mind and keeps them as sane as when they had been alive."

    His eyes shifted a little before focusing back on Ki''Nua, "I believe Ju''Tha has informed you about some things. Now, I''ll tell you the real purpose of why I brought you here."

    Ki''Nua nodded, looking forward with an expression of anticipation.

    Seeing her devoted look, the First Celestial Emperor''s eyes turned a tad gentle, speaking with a tone of authority, but one suffused with the care for his people, "Unlike the others where my preparation on them hindered their lives, yours is more perfect. After all, you are my bloodline and among everyone in our race, your affinity to Ghost Qi is the highest."

    "Normally, after the changes, the person I chose would be unable to wield the other elements. Unable to endure the changes, theymitted suicide most of the time and became a Sha immediately. But as a Sha, we do have limitations in the actions we can take." Followed by a mild sigh, his eyes looked up once.

    He then spoke, "But twenty years ago, the appearance of a certain Human gave me an opportunity."

 Chapter 195 - Kill The Calamities

    "An H-Human? H-Here?" Even Ki''Nua was unable to stay silent. After all, the notion of a human appearing in their world was absurd. After all, humans were only present on Earth. And until now, there didn''t seem to be any pathway for them to reach their world.

    "Until now, 12 Humans have managed to sneak into our world." The First Celestial Emperor said, "And,mon sense doesn''t apply to either of them. They are the ones who are wreaking havoc on our world. The recent spike in danger in ournds is all thanks to them."

    "But," He let out a gentle sigh, "One of them had differing views. He called himself the Third Cmity. We made a deal. He''ll help me with one thing while I''ll help with his revenge on the other Cmities. It was a beneficial deal for me. After all, Humans should not exist in our world. They have to be eradicated before they destroy our world."

    "I created the Blinded Ghost to Nurture the growth of his disciple and also gave her an item of this ce. And, before his death, he had already kept up with his end of the deal and gave me a certain something."

    As Ki''Nua made eye contact, the First Celestial Emperor spoke, "Ki''Nua, my descendant. The future is turbulent. Are you willing to shoulder the fate I made for you and protect our people from the Cmities?"

    "Yes, I am willing." Ki''Nua thumped her heart as she spoke with resolute conviction.

    "I''m d I didn''t make a wrong choice," The Celestial Emperor smiled, "Out of everyone, your affinity to Ghost Qi is the maximum. It is because I have been changing you since childhood. I converted your affinity to the four elements to Ghost Qi. Because of this, you will no longer be able to use any of the four elements in the future. Your days as a Harmoniser are over."

    "But," His smile widened, "Using the item the Third Cmity left to me, I managed to create the perfect solution. As for everyone else before you, I couldn''t bring their original bodies here by making them a Sha. All I could affect was their Pranic Avatars. So, as a Sha, they only had half the strength I desired in them. And, the time they needed to grow was many times longer than a Sha birthed naturally."

    "Your case is different," His tone turned a tad happy, "When you die, your entire existence would be a Sha, with growth simr to one birthed naturally. But leaving that aside, for I don''t n on you dying anytime soon, you will defy themon sense of a Harmoniser."

    As her eyes widened in surprise, The First Celestial Emperor continued, "A Harmoniser can summon his Pranic Avatar. As they have shared thoughts, their synchronisation is perfect. But no matter what, once they die, their Pranic Avatar dies too. The only exception to this rule is the Royal n, for our Pranic Avatars have attained the Divine Beast status. Even after our deaths, we can live on as our Pranic Avatars."

    "But no matter what, even for us, we have to consume a significant quantity of Elemental Qi and Kalki Qi to summon our Pranic Avatars in its strongest state. In your case though, that rule will no longer apply." Followed by a chuckle, the First Celestial Emperor spoke, "Your Pranic Avatar will reside in your Pranic Heart. But, with a thought, you can interchange positions with it, making your body reside in its Pranic Heart. And, this doesn''t consume any energy to achieve."

    "Moreover," His eyes focused on Ki''Nua, watching her reactions, "Thanks to the changes, you will no longer be able to wield the four elements. Your Pranic Avatar is the same too. But, it has already begun to grow in your Pranic Heart, as a Sha. So, when you move about in your Pranic Avatar form, you are no different from a Sha. You can pass through obstacles and wield the immense strength that is innate to our Pranic Avatar."

    "Also," Heughed for the first time, proud of his creation, "You can assume your humanoid form even while using your Pranic Avatar form. And this way, you can exhibit its strength while looking normal, pass through objects, etc. And, suppose it rains, you can instantly take up your original form and be unaffected by the Water Qi in it. This way, you won''t have any weaknesses. And in the case you are injured, you can just absorb some Fear Qi, convert it into Ghost Qi and rapidly heal yourself. This works in both your forms, so you can rest assured."

    "Finally," He spoke with a solemn tone, "Your growth will follow the same route as a Sha. Keepprehending Ghost Qi while absorbing it through numerous sources. Since the Prana Stones would be useless to you, you will have to slowly grind your way in this manner. Your growth will be iparably slow, but thanks to your talent, you will be able to increase your Ghost Qi reserves by a unit every year."

    He then unleashed a jet-ck beam, seeping it into Ki''Nua, "When you leave this ce, send that energy to Burkurel Re''Kha. She''s the disciple of that Third Cmity and is currently going by the name Re''Luk. She''s right next to you. That wouldplete my end of the deal."

    Followed by a sigh, he spoke as a tiny sphere of white light appeared before him, slowly inching towards Ki''Nua, "You need 10 units of Elemental Qi to finish forming your Pranic Avatar. Even now, that difference hasn''t changed. So, I will forcefully awaken your Pranic Avatar and will also give youprehension and attainment of 10 units of Ghost Qi. I will be in a state of slumber as a result, so even in times of emergencies, the Withered Courtyard wouldn''t be able toe to your rescue. Therefore, you''ll be on your own while facing the Cmities."

    "I am ready," Ki''Nua patted her chest and proimed with a tone of assurance as the sphere of white seeped into her, highlighting her form for a breath in time before vanishing. Immediately, Ki''Nua could sense the changes in her, feeling that she was now capable of everything the First Celestial Emperor had said she could do.

    "No one would be able to sense the changes in you. Even if they did, my powers would make them overlook it, even if they were Celestial Kings. Only the Fourth Celestial Emperor can see through you." It seemed he had expended a lot of power as the eyes of the First Celestial Emperor drooped, "The Third Cmity is dead. All the other Cmities have be active recently. They have people everywhere."

    Finally, his eyes closed as his voice turned weaker, "Burkurel Re''Kha will be actively hunting the people associated with the Cmities. Even for me, detecting them or the people associated with them is almost impossible. Don''t tell her about yourself, but silently assist her. Your abilities allow you to do so."

    "And, this will help hide your identity." A face mask condensed in the air beforetching onto the face of Ki''Nua, seeping into her, "You can alter your physique to a certain extent using it. But, the alteration isn''t reality, but only makes the onlookers perceive you as so. Don''t take its abilities to be perfect, since your opponents aren''t those who abide bymon sense."

    "The Third Cmity managed to give Burkurel Re''Kha the elements of Wind and Wood. Using the item he gave me, I imbued in you the element of Ghost Qi." The surroundings turned ethereal as his voice echoed in her mind, "The humans don''t have any racial limitation in the type of element they could wield. A human can also wield around seven elements; no race in our world can do that. That''s why they call themselves Cmities. When you face them, be careful."

    "Yes, Emperor! I''ll protect our race." Ki''Nua said as she vanished from the ce. Her eyes shot open as she woke up, noticing the faces of her parents, Re''Kha, and her n Elder.

 Chapter 196 - The Ghost Mask

    The Elder frowned, noticing the Ghost Qi around Ki''Nua dissipate. She also noticed the ethereal connection between Ki''Nua and the Withered Courtyard had disappeared. It seemed as if the connection hadn''t existed in the first ce.

    Re''Kha too noticed the issue. But, she neither understood the context of the situation nor had any solutions in ce to solve it. She could only watch as the cocoon of nk space around Ki''Nua gently dissipate.

    Then, Ki''Nua gently moved, noticing the disturbance in her surroundings as her eyes shot open. She then looked at the four people standing around her, looking confused as she gazed at Ki''Nha, "Mom, what happened?"

    "Oh Ki''Nua," Ki''Nha hugged her tightly, only now feeling a sense of relief as she felt the warmth of her daughter, "It is good that you returned safely."

    "I feel free now, mom." Ki''Nua smiled as she consoled her mother, "My connection with the Withered Courtyard was snapped for some reasons. It happened when I arrived at the same ce as before. But now, something crashed into it and severed my connection with the ce."

    "Elder, please." Ki''Nha looked at the Elder, bowing towards her, asking for her to inspect the condition of Ki''Nua.

    The Elder didn''t say anything and inspected Ki''Nua. For a moment, her eyes lost their focus as she shook her head once, taking a second nce as she smiled in content, "She''s normal now. All the Ghost Qi forming her meridians and Pranic Heart has vanished mysteriously. She''s a normal Harmoniser now."

    Then, as if she was brought about to speak, for reasons unknown to her, the Elder spoke, "But, I suggest she doesn''t train as a Harmoniser or learn any Pranic Arts for the time being. At least, give her a year. Only after that can we decide that she is free from all troubles. And, even if something was damaged, this would be enough time for her topletely recover."

    "Yes, Elder." Ki''Nua looked sad for a moment at the fact that she couldn''t be active as a Harmoniser for a year. Though, it wasn''t what she felt in reality, but was putting on an act.

    It wasn''t as if she had mastered the method to act and lie overnight. Rather, she was using the mask given to her by the First Celestial Emperor to subtly change her facial expressions. Her actual expression was one of calm, but in the eyes of others, she looked sad.

    That was what she was making them perceive. The mask was akin to a Pranic Art, so she already knew everything to know about it and was able to fully wield it. Moreover, she was using it to cause the Elder from seeing through her.

    After all, flowing through her meridians at present was a thick stream of Ghost Qi, totalling 10 units. It was a considerable amount, enough to shock anyone. After all, only one of the four elements¡ªwater, metal, fire, and lightning¡ªought to flow through her meridians.

    The fact that Ghost Qi was flowing through it would cause their reactions to turn vtile. For a moment, when she thought of how her family would react to the truth, her heart lurched. But upon recalling her mission, she firmed herself.

    It was something the First Celestial Emperor had personally handed to her. So, she nned to devote her entire existence to fulfilling it. That was her pride, as a member of the Royal n that protected and governed their race, the race of Kalki.

    She was also using the face mask to prevent them from noticing the change in her Tikka jewellery. The gem on it currently showcased a lustreless swirling ck. It was different from the solid ck of the Harmonisers using Metal Qi. After all, their gem had a faint lustre to it.

    The difference, though subtle, would be apparent to anyone from her race who had lived all their lives looking at the Tikka jewellery of the other people. So, even if they didn''t take a closer look, a nce was all they needed to notice something was amiss in her Tikka jewellery.

    That was why she hid it instantly the moment she woke up. Before that, the First Celestial Emperor''s arrangements prevented the others from sensing the changes in her.

    Her face mask behaved like a passive ability. As long as she inputted a certain change in it, it would maintain that change unless she decided otherwise. So, after she made the changes so that the people around her would perceive the gem on her tikka jewellery to radiate with a blue glow, even the Elder couldn''t see otherwise.

    And, thanks to the mask, her action was perfect. After some inspections, everyone left the room, motioning for Ki''Nua to return to her sleep. Ki''Nua closed her eyes after that and swiftly fell asleep, at least, that was how she looked to the onlookers.

    In actuality, she was testing out all the changes in her, mentally, while trying to change her mindset and allow the fact that she was a pseudo-Sha to sink in.

    Re''Kha bowed to the Elder and returned to her room, all the while keeping an eye on Ki''Nua through her Wind Qi perception. She felt it was weird that nothing happened to Ki''Nua. After all, she was prepared to be pulled into the Withered Courtyard along with Ki''Nua.

    She had thought through the routes in the Withered Courtyard, the path they must take to reach the exit, the method they had to use to scale up the walls, etc. But in actuality, nothing unusual happened. Moreover, even if she wished to look at the condition of Ki''Nua with a hint of suspicion, for some reason, she was unable to be suspicious of her.

    Something was altering her thought process, preventing her from looking at Ki''Nua with a hint of suspicion. As time passed in such a fashion, the idea that Ki''Nua had tided through her problem settled in her mind. Soon, she fell asleep.

    Ki''Nha and her husband too weren''t any different. They heaved a sigh of relief at the fact their daughter was safe, not even realising that something could happen to her once again. They seemed to be on the thought that Ki''Nua was perfectly alright.

    The Elder was slightly different from them as she gazed at Ki''Nua from beyond the door, eventually sighing when the thought set in her mind too. Shaking her head, she disappeared from the ce.

 Chapter 197 - Scheme Of The Four

    In the dead of the night stood four people on a certain house''s terrace. Their current demeanours were eerie, as if they had been entirely different individuals than the ones Re''Kha had tailed after the previous day.

    Currently, the eighty-year-olddy, the leader of the group was gazing at the city from the terrace, noticing how the number of people travelling on the roads had trickled down until the streets were bereft of people.

    The only ones prowling about were the guards in teams of five, patrolling the streets in search of anything amiss or to deter people frommitting anything illegal. The teams of guards moving about were indeed a lot, so she had to be careful when choosing the time to act.

    Currently, the three people behind her were hiding, preventing themselves from being spotted. On the other hand, she was the only one who had peaked out to look around. As she noticed the team of guards on their street proceed into the next street, she signalled with a light grunt.

    Immediately, the three people sprang into action, heading to their house''s water tank. One of them jumped inside,nding on the almost full tank as she proceeded inside, acting based on memory that she had practiced numerous times.

    She unhooked the eight chains that bound a certain crate to the corners of the cuboidal water tank and immediately ced her hand on its bottom, pushing it up with all her strength. Thanks to the buoyancy of the water, the strength she had to exert was lower than if she had done it outside.

    This allowed her to push the crate all the way to the top. The moment it reached the top, the two men outside grabbed the four chains on either side of the crate, holding two chains per hand as they grunted, lifting the crate as they cautiously stepped to the side, little by little.

    Finally, they inched the crate towards the ground, finally settling it on the floor, heaving a sigh of relief once that was done. Thedy exited the water tank and dried her clothes by twisting the ends.

    The three of them simultaneously gazed at the olddy; she motioned them with a wave of her hands. The three then helped carry the crate while she left first, proceeding through the flight of stairs.

    They were the four individuals Re''Kha was observed the day before, the very same people who had set the three Sha onto the popce. Now, they were nning something once again.

    They had been careful all along, from the start to the finish. It was to ensure nothing amiss would happen. They had even worn their Magic Artifacts, just in case, they came upon some obstacles.

    Soon, they entered the living room and set the crate in the centre, gasping for breaths as the olddy entered the bedroom, watching thedy of the house be deep asleep. She had been drugged during dinner. So, she would only wake up in the morning.

    "We have a long journey ahead of us. And, we don''t have enough time. Get ample rest now," The olddy spoke in an icy tone, looking at the three people with a gaze that didn''t seem like they were her children. "They will act soon enough."

    They rested in the living room while the olddy peered through the front of their house, noticing how there weren''t any guards in the vicinity. She gently closed the door, ensuring nothing amiss would happen.

    Even in the living room, only onentern was lit. This was to just give them enough illumination to get their job done.

    The olddy looked at the expression of the three people, nodding upon seeing that they had recovered their strength, "Let''s begin now."

    "Alright," Pal, the eldest of the three nodded and used his Magic Artifact-wearing hand to grab something on the floor as he activated it, unleashing a dense concentration of Metal Qi. Immediately, a small tform in the middle of their living room elevated itself.

    It was a thick b of metal, heavy enough that only someone using Metal Qi to activate the mechanism within could move it. This was how they ensured no one would even feel the section underneath was hollow while moving over it daily.

    Once the metal tform was moved aside, it revealed a tunnel underneath. And, this tunnel was pretty huge, big enough for them to move while crouched. Cal, thedy among the three was the first to jump into it, pulling forth a certain trolley that she set up right underneath the entrance.

    Pal and Mal helped lower the crate through the entrance while Cal adjusted it, aligning it before cing it on the trolley. Now, they could simply move the crate forward without having to carry it.

    After all, the space in the tunnel was only wide enough for them to move while crouching. So, they couldn''t carry the crate and move in such a situation. Therefore, they used the roller mechanism to push it around.

    Cal pushed it until she arrived before a door, one that seemed to seal the water flow from beyond, preventing it from gushing into their small tunnel. Moreover, this door directly led into the mainline of the city''s water flow.

    From the positioning of their house, the digging and creation of a branch to the main pipeline, and their arrangements in stopping and resuming the water flow whenever they needed, everything showed that there were a lot of people working behind the scenes.

    The olddy didn''t speak as she ced her hand on her ear, seemingly trying to hear something. Upon getting the signal she wished for, she looked at the three individuals before her, "We have 4000 breaths before which the water supply resumes its flow. In this duration, we have to reach the first checkpoint."

    Her expression became serious, "There are four such checkpoints in total before we reach the destination house. Only then would we be in the range of the auction house. It would be morning by the time you reach there. I''ll be informing you of the intervals to make a move in the respective houses in the checkpoints."

    "That item in the auction, we have to obtain it without fail." Her expression became solemn as everyone nodded in all seriousness, "That''s what our master desires."

 Chapter 198 - Pranic Avatar Foundations

    Ki''Nua closed her eyes, deeply focusing on her meridians, sensing the Ghost Qi flow through them, as if it was the most natural. She then tried to activate her n''s cultivation technique, noticing how she had forgotten it entirely.

    And, in ce of it was a new cultivation technique, a derivation of her n''s cultivation technique. Just this fact alone proved that the master of the Withered Courtyard was the First Celestial Emperor.

    After all, only the four Celestial Emperors had mastered the cultivation technique to the extent they could change or modify it. As it was already perfect from the start, because it was created by the world, no Celestial Emperor bothered to upgrade it. But, that didn''t mean they hadn''t mastered the cultivation technique.

    Rather, they had only be the Celestial Emperor after mastering the cultivation technique. That was one of the conditions, one they used to make their respective elements submit to them.

    And now, the same technique had been modified and imbued in her, causing her Ghost Qi to circte ordingly. She could trace the roots of the cultivation technique to her n''s cultivation technique. But the modifications shocked her. For, she was unable to understand just how something like that resulted in Ghost Qi circting through her meridians without any issues.

    ''So, sister Re''Luk¡­Re''Kha has the Wind and Wood elements in her, just like me.'' She thought, then focusing on her Pranic Heart that was thumping and causing the Ghost Qi to circte without pause.

    As she focused, she peered right into it, meditating in such a state as the image of her Pranic Avatar outlined in her mind. This too was a technique taught to her. Only through it would her performance be impable and prevent people from noticing anything amiss.

    A beast with the mane and lower jaw of a lion, an upper jaw, trunk, and the tusks of an elephant, it had a frightening face. With the massive body of a lion, it was covered by ayer of scales, through the gaps of which grew hair, creating a fur-like mane throughout its body, almost shaped into feathers.

    The skin over its stomach flesh was tough, connected by a pair of tough hinge bones along the spine, allowing it to be retracted and unfurled like wings any time. And finally, it had a long tail of a snake.

    Overall, it was a hulking beast with zero weakness and was the apex predator of their race, one born to live in all of their four elements. Moreover, along with their cultivation technique, this Pranic Avatar too was created by the world and given to the First Celestial Emperor, starting the legacy of the Royal n, and invariably, their race.

    Yali!

    And, it was the sole Pranic Avatar with five foundations, giving it the status of a Divine Beast. The foundation of a Pranic Avatar was basically its developmental and growth potential. The higher the foundation, the stronger it was.

    Pranic Avatars had restrictions ced on them based on their foundations. A Pranic Avatar with a single foundation was typically addressed as a Magic Animal. It consumed 10 units of Elemental Qi to materialise and could exist in the material world for 120 breaths.

    The Pranic Avatar of the Burkurel Re n had one foundation.

    A Pranic Avatar with two foundations was called a Beast. They were on par with the beasts in the wilds. They needed 20 units of Elemental Qi to materialise and couldst for 240 breaths in the material world. Moreover, they could unleash a breath attack that was on par with the beasts in the wilds.

    But, they could only unleash a breath attack in one element. Moreover, it would be fixed upon the firstunch. So, if a Harmoniser wielded the elements of water and metal, suppose his Pranic Avatarunched a breath attack in the water element, it would be fixed. After that, it could only unleash breath attacks in the water element until the Harmoniser''s death. It would never be able to unleash a breath attack in the metal element.

    A Pranic Avatar with three foundations was called an Elemental Beast. It was stronger than a regr beast in the wild. It needed 40 units of Elemental Qi to materialise and couldst for 480 breaths in the material world.

    It can unleash one breath attack per element. So, if a Harmoniser wielded two elements, it could unleash two breath attacks, one per each element. The Pranic Avatar of the Burmat Re n had three foundations.

    A Pranic Avatar with four foundations was known as a Martial Beast and was on par with Beast Kings in the wild in terms of strength. It needed 80 units of Elemental Qi to materialise and couldst an entire day in the material world.

    From the Pranic Avatar with three foundations to one with four was a major leap in strength, achieving a qualitative change. Such a Pranic Avatar could unleash 10 breath attacks in total. Moreover, the reason it was called a Martial Beast was because it could also use one of the Harmoniser''s Pranic Arts.

    Once fixed, it could never be changed. But still, being able to wield a Pranic Art would make it tremendously powerful to the extent it could go toe to toe with a Beast King in the wilds without the help of the Harmoniser.

    The three-headed beast of the master of Re''Kha was at this level. The Pranic Avatars of nsmen from the main family of the Four Great ns¡ªstationed in the capital¡ªtoo were at this level. Their subsidiary families though, stationed in the other cities only had three foundations.

    And finally, the Pranic Avatar with five foundations, standing at the apex of all Pranic Avatars was known as a Divine Beast. It needed 100 units of Elemental Qi to be summoned and couldst for one entire season.

    Moreover, it could unleash a total of 10 breath attacks and wield two Pranic Arts. It would be an unstoppable force in any battle. But, the reason it had attained the Divine Beast status wasn''t because of this.

 Chapter 199 - Kiâ€™Nua And Her Pranic Avatar

    Once a Harmoniser bes a Martial Master, they could tap into their race''s exclusive energy, the Kalki Qi. And, when the Pranic Avatar was summoned after consuming 100 units Elemental Qi and 100 units of Kalki Qi, the summoned Pranic Avatar could exist in the material world permanently.

    It wouldn''t dissipate after time had passed. Moreover, its lifespan was double its respective Harmoniser.

    Only the members of the Royal n possessed the Pranic Avatar with five foundations. This wasn''t a stage that could be attained through any means other than by being born as part of the Royal n. The limit to develop the foundation of a Pranic Avatar was only four, end even that was so rare, it was almost a myth, for it relied on a mystical item.

    And, using the trait of the Divine Beast, the Royal n''s Martial Masters lived on as Divine Beasts even after the death of their real bodies. And in this way, they acted as their n''s guardians. And, it was because of this foundation did the cities protected by the Royal n stayed strong despite numerous foreign race invasions.

    At present, Ki''Nua gazed at the Yali, her Pranic Avatar. The image formed in her mind depicted exactly how it would form in real life. Though, it wouldn''t be summoned as a Divine Beast. To warrant that, she had to reach the peak as a Martial Master first.

    At present, thanks to the 10 units of Ghost Qi in her, her Pranic Avatar''s development was only on the same level as a Magic Animal. Even for a normal Harmoniser, they could only unleash the strongest state of their Pranic Avatars by expending the required Elemental Qi.

    If they only used 10 units of Elemental Qi, then it would only appear as a Magic Beast. Most Harmonisers used their Pranic Avatars as mounts that helped them break through a crisis. After all, summoning one was expensive.

    In the end, they onlysted for a short duration before vanishing. So, the Harmonisers had to time it right to create the greatest impact with their Pranic Avatar. This was the reason Re''Kha decided to use a Hand Projection first when she was in the Withered Courtyard.

    If she had summoned her Pranic Avatar, she would have expended 10 units of Water Qi. If the timing wasn''t right, she would be wasting almost all her Water Qi. So, it was a wiser choice to use a Hand Projection instead. That way, she still had enough Water Qi to unleash some Palm Projections afterwards.

    It was a choice of action any Harmoniser would have taken in her situation. After all, they had limited Elemental Qi to rely upon. So, they had to be careful in their actions. So that was why, even if their Pranic Avatar had two or three foundations, they typically just summoned it as a Magic Animal by expending 10 units of Elemental Qi.

    But, the case of Ki''Nua was different. She didn''t need to expend any Ghost Qi to use her Pranic Avatar. After all, all she did was interchange ces with it. So, as long as her Elemental Qi reserves were developed enough, her Pranic Avatar too would grow ordingly.

    That was also one of the reasons the First Celestial Emperor took the risk to forcefully elevate herprehension and Ghost Qi reserves to 10 units. This way, her Pranic Avatar finished forming. Moreover, she was able to use it whenever she wanted.

    Otherwise, if she had to reach such a state naturally, it would have taken her another 10 years. And considering the severity of theirnd''s situation, as he had stated, that would have been toote. There was a chance Ki''Nua would have been caught up in some conflict and lost her life by then.

    But now that she could interchange positions with her Pranic Avatar instantly, her life was guaranteed, unless the foe was beyond her ability to handle.

    As Ki''Nua focused on the Pranic Avatar, she willed using her thought, watching the Yali morph its body and turn humanoid. It still retained its respective muscle density, rather, due to beingpressed into the tiny frame of Ki''Nua, its explosive strength was furtherpressed.

    So, in this form, the strength she could erupt with was even greater. The appearance of the Pranic Avatar looked no different from her own. But, it was currently naked. Even if she possessed the Ghost Mask, going about naked was risky.

    After all, she did need to protect herself with some armour. Thankfully, the First Celestial Emperor had covered for that aspect too by imbuing the detail in her cultivation technique, nting the respective modification in her.

    The Pranic Avatar used some of the Ghost Qi forming its body to create a suitable armour for herself. Moreover, with a thought, Ki''Nua was able to change the garment worn by the Pranic Avatar to exactly match what she wore.

    The appearance too could be manipted to maintain the same, including any injuries she sustained in a situation.

    Moreover, just to experiment, Ki''Nua thought. Her body disappeared, including the dress she wore. And, in the ce appeared her Pranic Avatar, looking no different, including the dress it wore. The bed did creak due to the weight difference; she swapped ces once again.

    In her normal form, Ki''Nua was asleep. The change was so fast even if someone had been staring right at her, they wouldn''t have noticed. Thanks to the faint energy revolving from her Ghost Mask, they wouldn''t have been able to notice anything even if their senses were absurdly sharp.

    ''It seems my clothes are carried with me as I reside in the Pranic Avatar''s Pranic Heart. That''s convenient.'' Ki''Nua thought as she giggled, realising the current change in her was immensely more exciting than being a normal Harmoniser.

    She then increased the range of effect brought by her Ghost Mask, enveloping both her room and the adjacent room, ensuring no one would notice her movement, even if they had been watching.

    Even though Ki''Nua was assured the n Elder had left the ce due to the arrangement¡ªthe First Celestial Emperor made¡ªin her that prevented people from doubting her condition, Ki''Nua didn''t take any risks.

    She took it as a form of training, intending to develop ordingly if she wished to take down foes threatening hernd that even the First Celestial Emperor couldn''t sense.

    As she walked on the floor, she took on her Pranic Avatar form, looking no different appearance-wise as she passed through the wall and arrived before Re''Kha, maintaining a gentle smile.

 Chapter 200 - Keeping Up Their End Of The Deal

    ''I will probably be able to understand the burden you face soon enough.'' Ki''Nua thought, noticing the sleeping figure of Re''Kha. Even if she had been pretending to sleep, she wouldn''t notice anything amiss.

    For, the effect of the First Celestial Emperor''s arrangement was still active on her. So, even if Re''Kha managed to sense something through her Wind Qi perception, she wouldn''t think of it as odd.

    Using the opportunity, Ki''Nua directed her palm towards Re''Kha, focusing on her eyes. Then, the jet-ck energy given to her by the First Celestial Emperor gushed out and entered her eyes. They didn''t seem to bear any hostility to Re''Kha, rather, they seemed to be doing something that would help herter.

    Two masters had schemed to better the advantages of their disciples, all to finish their agendas. If seen from one perspective, it might seem maniptive. But in another perspective, it would show the careful care and nning used to nurture their disciples.

    It was just a difference in perspective.

    The jet-ck energypletely disappeared in the eyes of Re''Kha as Ki''Nua retreated from the room, passing through the wall as she returned to sleep. Before taking a step on her bed, she returned to her original form. There wasn''t even any fluctuation in her gait as she swapped ces with her Pranic Avatar.

    It was smooth, without any time dy. It was instantaneous.

    Ki''Nua then slept peacefully, waking up in the morning as she was woken up by Ki''Nha.

    "Ki''Nua, you have to attend the auction. Hurry up!" Ki''Nha patted her a couple of times before Ki''Nua groggily woke up, looking around as her hair was a mess. Even though she hadn''t slept for long, she was feeling fresh now.

    The changes in her physique helped her. Ki''Nua noticed how the effect of the Ghost Qi wasn''t like the other Elemental Qi. All the other Elemental Wi were emission-based. But, it was because they were a product of nature that formed naturally.

    As for Fear Qi and Ghost Qi, they were produced artificially, through the people. So, their effects were different. As the Ghost Qi circted through her meridians, it did subtle changes to her body. For one, her body had be a tad lighter. And secondly, her physique was improving.

    The limitations of a flesh body were reducing in her. After all, as long as there was a source of fear in any ce, she could umte Fear Qi using it, and then convert it into Ghost Qi. She could easily heal her wounds through that.

    Moreover, even if she was running out of Ghost Qi to use, the same could be done. And, it was not to mention she could use the Ghost Qi to replenish her strength and stamina.

    And, the amount of Ghost Qi she possessed was the extent of her recoverability. Even though she didn''t have any ranged attacks like other Harmonisers, her ability to phase through things, the improvement in her physique, and the tremendously powerful Pranic Avatar form she could switch to at any instant, all made her a powerful closebat figure.

    Moreover, as long as she protected herself by a veil of Ghost Qi, she could even phase through the ground and avoid being severely damaged by the Earth Qi in the ground. And, just that one advantage could save her life in terms of need.

    ''So, with a greater reserve of Ghost Qi, I can survive, fight, and escape for longer durations. And, I can exercise stealth to the greatest extent. I can now understand why the First Celestial Emperor chose such methods for me to use.'' Ki''Nua thought as she smiled, "I''ll get ready soon, mother."

    "Alright, don''t dy. I''ll wake up Lady Re''Luk now." Ki''Nha said and exited the room.

    ''Though, as to how I''ll sniff out our enemies, I have zero clues. It seems sister Re''Kha has some clues already. Shall I just ask her?'' Ki''Nua shook her head immediately, ''No, I can''t do that. Since the First Celestial Emperor has warned against disclosing my identity to her, I should abide by it.''

    She then sighed, watching the formless energy protecting her vanish. It was the reason her actions remained unsuspicious all along, ''It won''t be possible to remain undetected any longer. Sister Re''Kha would be able to see me trailing her easily. I guess I can only try to apany her and learn from any clues I can probe from her. Though, when she returns to the Burkurel Re n, it would be hard for me to contact her openly.''

    As she pondered about the choices avable for her, Ki''Nua began to get refreshed. She peered out of the window, noticing how the outside was just beginning to brighten up. Smiling, she began to get dressed, muttering, "Now, I am excited to see the treasures presented in the auction."

    After waking up Re''Kha, Ki''Nha had just arrived when she overheard her, chuckling as she said, "We have prepared countless treasures this time. From what I heard, the other families too managed to give out countless precious goods. Even the City Lord has parted with one of his collections. And¡­"

    Ki''Nha whispered in a hushed voice, "We also have items arriving straight from the capital this time. It seems they wish to support our state a bit because we have suffered a lot from the Kalhas and have to prepare for another disaster immediately."

    "There would be another disaster?" Ki''Nua was shocked.

    "Yeah, it has been kept in wraps for now. I''ll tell you once I obtain permission from the City Lord to do so." Ki''Nha patted her head, "This auction''s prime objective is to empower our state further. And, since we are located in the centre of the state, and closer to Burkurel City that suffered the worst from the disaster, all items to auction are sent here. So, this is thergest auction held in thest decade in our state."

    "Wow, really?" Ki''Nua was getting excited as she spoke.

    "Yes," Ki''Nha nodded, "We even had to expand the seating area to facilitate arge crowd. And, preparing for everything was a daunting task. Since you hadn''t been a Harmoniser when we were doing all the preparations, I couldn''t show you."

    She then patted Ki''Nua, "Well, you''ll be surprised by it. I''ll assure you of that."

 Chapter 201 - An Auctionâ€™s Rule

    Re''Kha stretched her limbs, feeling warm as she felt a mysterious sense of confidence stream through her. It was as if she was aided by something formless that would help her in her time of need.

    It was a weird feeling, one she wouldn''t hesitate to indulge in. After getting refreshed, she wore her armour, Rigid Water. Even though she felt it was overkill to be dressed for battle when visiting an auction, Re''Kha felt it was wise to just go with it.

    After all, from an outsider''s perspective, it just looked like a fusion between the dressing style of the Re n and the Ju n. And, it was considerably luxurious in appearance and didn''t seem like anything one would wear for battle.

    That was thanks to the quality of the base materials used that had soaked up the Water Qi the embedded Magic Artifact emitted upon activation. Because of this, the armour was maintained in a pristine state and only seemed like luxurious clothing Harmonisers wore for special asions.

    The previous day, she had draped a simple gown over it to hide it from view. Now, she didn''t use the gown. The clothes and the rich blue colour did entuate her beauty. Though, she had most of her face covered.

    The armour had a retractable portion to cover her face too. But as she wasn''t heading into battle now, Re''Kha hid the part and only wore it as a hood. The design itself allowed her to do so, another reason she was inclined to buy it in the first ce.

    Upon exiting her room, Re''Kha walked through the ce, habitually checking to see the gem on her Tikka jewellery was covered. She then activated her Wind Qi perception, inspecting every nook and cranny of the house to see the nk spaces she had spotted the previous day was no longer present.

    She then expanded the range of her perception, noticing the nearby houses too were bereft of them. There were still some nk spaces, but upon seeing their stored locations, Re''Kha determined they were Magic Artifacts or elemental weapons used by the respective household.

    She walked to the living room, noticing Ki''Nha drag a rather heavy bag before setting it atop the table with a grunt. And just based on the sound it produced, Re''Kha knew it was filled to the brim with money.

    Upon seeing her puzzled look, Ki''Nha wiped her sweat and took the time to talk, "Have you visited an auction before?"

    "No, I haven''t." Re''Kha shook her head. After she had be a Harmoniser, she had been busy training and building experience. Because of it, she had missed the auctions that were conducted every year.

    It was always conducted when she was either busy or was on a mission.

    "There is one rule we follow in the auction, always." Ki''Nha smiled, "It is that all your money has to be deposited before you are seated inside. And, only the money you have deposited can be used to buy items from within. So, you must always bring enough and have to spend calctedly if you don''t wish to be short of money by the time your item of wish appears."

    "That seemsplicated," Re''Kha nodded, "Most cannot buy anything else with peace of mind if they are gunning for a treasure."

    "Indeed, that is precisely how the auction works." Ki''Nha nodded, "Otherwise, it would make zero sense if people exited the auction and returned with more money. Because of this, information of the auction would leak out and there is also a chance for the people to enter bankruptcy"

    "That''s why we added this rule," Ki''Nha let out a gentle sigh, "Most people wouldn''t appear with the intent to spend all their life''s savings to obtain a treasure. And besides, this one rule tests the mind of everyone. Now, only the best schemer will win."

    "Is the Royal n organising this auction?" Re''Kha inquired.

    "It is always us, and only us that organises one," Ki''Nha nodded, "If any of the merchant organisations or the Elemental ns wish to auction something, they would submit the item to us. And, there is an important reason we conduct an auction in the first ce."

    Upon seeing the confused expression on Re''Kha, Ki''Nha smiled, "It is to make money circte through the market. Otherwise, the merchant organisations and the Elemental ns will continue to hoard it. And in the future, they will be able to manipte the market value as they wished. This is to prevent that."

    With a sly smile, she snickered, "That''s why we conduct auctions every year. This way, to buy the treasures, all the wealthy would spend the money. And, we will use this money to pay everyone working under us. This will keep the money circting continuously and prevent them from hoarding it. And the best part of this is¡­"

    Sheughed, "Even if they know our intention, they have no other choice but to fall into it. If they don''t buy, another merchant organisation or an Elemental n will obtain it. This will give them an edge. So, without even realising, theypete with each other and blow up the prices of the items in the auction."

    "That makes a lot of sense," Re''Kha nodded, "This is how the Royal n can keep the Elemental ns in check."

    "It seems you can grasp it quickly," Ki''Nha smiled in praise.

    "My¡­mother is precisely such a character. She must always be kept in check." Re''Kha said when she thought of something, quickly interrupting the follow-up question of Ki''Nha, "What type of treasures will there be this time?"

    "Haha," Ki''Nha let out a wry smile, "I cannot give you any details. But, this auction is thergest of the past decade in our state. There are items taken from the Treka, treasures our Royal n has given out¡­and a lot of goods that have arrived from the capital."

    "Even the capital?" Re''Kha was shocked, wondering the reason the capital took charge of the matter.

    She then heard Ki''Nha sigh, "There will be another disaster in this state soon. This is in preparation against that."

    "Disaster?" Her eyes widened as she noticed how Ki''Nha did seem willing to answer, inquiring immediately, "What is the cause?"

    "The Rhipa."

 Chapter 202 - Desiring The Rhipa

    "The Rhipa."

    Upon hearing the name, Re''Kha immediately recalled the lie she had concocted against the scouts in the Burkurel Ju n''s Western Settlement. There was a reason she had made such a lie back then.

    It was because of the immenseness of the granary and the countless Aeki situated within. The quantity of food they stored was tremendous for a house in the Settlement. Even if they had been operating as a branch for the mysterious organisation, it didn''t make sense to store so much food.

    After all, their state never had a shortage of food. They always had enough to sustain themselves, and even had some excess every year that was stored in the thousands of Aeki in every city.

    And, considering the tremendous stash of wealth they possessed, no matter what, they could simply buy any food at whatever quantity they needed. So, it didn''t make sense to store as much food as they did.

    So, the lie she spurred on the moment made use of the massive space in the granary and the countless Aeki in it. As the Settlement belonged to the Burkurel Ju n, they might have been taking part in an experiment to control the Rhipa.

    Even if it was forbidden, the Rhipa had tremendous use to the Harmonisers of the metal element. If the Rhipa created an ideal environment filled with Metal Qi, their development would skyrocket. It would be like giving all the nsmen ess to the meditation chamber continuously.

    Even if they didn''t wish to, theirprehension of the metal element would continue to increase. Moreover, there was another reason it was worth the risk to cultivate a Rhipa, despite being forbidden by thew.

    The Rhipas have always been in the wilds. And, there was a chance their Beast King was amongst them. And as they were always killed the moment they were spotted; it meant a chance for the metal Harmonisers.

    If they managed to kill the Beast King of the Rhipas and take out its heart, they could present it to their Celestial Emperor and obtain it as their Pranic Avatar.

    The Rhipas were capable of changing entire terrains into regions filled with Metal Qi. They had strategic value. The allure was too great. That was why many metal ns had been researching the Rhipa and were cultivating them.

    It was in an effort to produce a Beast King among them. Even otherwise, just making them create and ideal for the metal Harmonisers was still great. But unfortunately for every metal n that had tried it in the past, none of them seeded.

    Moreover, the Rhipa went out of control and wiped out the ns. There was one time when an entire city was overrun by them. If they weren''t eradicated, within a year, they would be a disaster.

    So, when the scouts sensed the granary and all the food items in ce, if she said they were cultivating the Rhipas there, it would have made perfect sense. That was how she made them mistakenly assume the Kalhas as the Rhipas and fall prey to them immediately after.

    But now, upon hearing from Ki''Nha that the disaster they would face next would be caused by the Rhipas, thoughts churned in her mind as she quickly connected the dots. She looked at Ki''Nha, "Where is the source?"

    "We found traces of them in the Burkurel Ju n''s Western Settlement. But, they seemed to have been drawn over to the ce from the wilds." Ki''Nha shook her head, "After our investigation, we determined the Burkurel Ju n didn''t have a hand in this matter. It seems the Rhipas have been stirred into action because of the Kalhas. And since the Burkurel Ju n''s Western Settlement is situated westernmost, and also has a suitable environment since some metal Harmonisers had lived there, it was raided by the Rhipas first."

    She then pped her hand, "Anyway, the number of treasures appearing this time is tremendous. So, you should look forward to the auction."

    She then whispered, "And, we also hoped Ki''Nua could take her mind off things because of this. That''s why I prepared so much money."

    "Couldn''t you just use a bigger denomination?" Re''Kha tilted her head in wonder, "That way, this big bag would just be a tiny purse, right?"

    "Well," Ki''Nha coughed once as she nced around, not able to notice any of the servants in their house, whispering, "The person in charge of counting these through is someone I dislike. So, I would love to see her twisted expression because of this. That''s why, all the coins in this are 1 RuQi coin. Some of us that hate her pooled this money, haha. She''ll probably die in frustration by counting all this."

    She then coughed and controlled her excited expression, "Usually, it happens as you say. Everyone uses the coins with the biggest denomination in their possession. So, even for the wealthiest, they will only bring a small pouch."

    She then looked at Re''Kha and spoke in all seriousness, "If there is something you wish to buy, please don''t hesitate to use this money. There is a lot in it than what Ki''Nua would be able to use."

    "I don''t mean to impose, please. And I am sure she would wish to buy something expensive too," Re''Kha waved her hands, thinking for a moment as she said, "I think it would be better for me to make a quick trip to my house and return, haha. There might be something interesting that I can buy."

    ''It might be a good chance to dump all the one RuQi coins I have. I can then exchange them for some higher denomination coins.'' As she thought, Re''Kha spoke, "They''ll return our remaining money, right?"

    "Of course," Ki''Nha nodded.

    "Then, I have saved up a lot of change I collected during my journey. They are too heavy for my travels. So¡­" Re''Kha chuckled.

    "Awesome, do it!" Ki''Nhaughed, "The more you give stress to that detestabledy, the happier I would be."

 Chapter 203 - Bringing A Lot

    After returning to her house, Re''Kha looked around, unable to find Mu''Tua. She then informed the servant Sii and entered her room, looking at the bag she used to carry her belongings. Currently, there was only the money within it, covered by some of the clothes she had taken in the Burkurel Ju n''s western settlement.

    Contained in the bag were a lot of coins, mostly at 1 RuQi coin denomination. There were also a lot of 2 RuQi coins in it. Re''Kha didn''t even bother to count, just making a general estimate based on the weight of a single coin and the total weight of the bag, ''At least 6000 RuQi.''

    She then activated her storage ring, carefully taking out the items from within as she set them on the floor. After she had taken out everything, she then poured out all the coins on the bed, making arge pile.

    Re''Kha quickly sorted through them, putting all the higher denominations on one side and all the 2 RuQi coins on the other. It made anotherrge pile. Once she was done, she poured all the 2 RuQi coins into the bag, watching it make jingling sounds of metal hitting metal.

    Re''Kha quickly ced all the items¡ªthat she had taken out from her storage ring¡ªback into the storage ring, Budding Dew. She was always thankful for the fact it was a Magic Artifact that relied on Wood Qi to function.

    And, it had a considerable reserve of that in it. So, Re''Kha didn''t have to expend her own Wood Qi. Moreover, all she had to do was at times replenish its reserves by nting it in some trees asionally.

    Considering the rare few times she used the spatial ring, its reserves were quickly replenished within a day. She hadn''t replenished it even once till now. It was replenished when she was cultivating using the Wood Qi Essence.

    After rearranging everything back into it, Re''Kha shifted the positions of the items inside, keeping the cloth banner covered by Elemental Qi Essence to prevent it from stirring up within. She then ced other items within before finally keeping the five vials at the top, right next to the Magic Artifacts.

    In times of need, the five vials would prove to be her trump cards. After all, securely stored in them were five Kalhas respectively. As there was enough powder from the Elemental Qi Essence¡ªafter it was sucked dry of all its Elemental Qi¡ªwithin each vial, the Kalhas would be kept fed for at least a decade.

    Re''Kha also ced the Harpen Waves imitation in the storage ring and closed its entrance. She couldn''t head into it while carrying weapons. Ki''Nha hadn''t said anything after seeing her armour, so Re''Kha judged it was fine to wear it inside.

    She held the top of the bag with her right and tried to lift it, feeling the weight. It was pretty heavy. It was even bigger than the bag prepared for Ki''Nua. After thinking for a moment, Re''Kha still decided to go with it.

    She was told by Ki''Nua that everyone would wear ck gowns¡ªthat covered them from head to toe¡ªto hide their identities once they stepped past the initial inspection. Only after that would they proceed to deposit their money. So, it was fine.

    As for the gown, they could wear one from the start too. Normally, they would be provided one in the auction, but since Ki''Nha was part of the Royal n, she arranged two gowns for them already. So, their identities were hidden right from the start.

    Many powerful figures too did the same. After all, there were a lot of internal conflicts among them. And, it wasn''t like only one person from an Elemental n was dispatched. Anyone from the Elemental n that managed to obtain a ticket would be allowed to appear for the auction.

    So, there would be many families from the same Elemental npeting with each other for treasures. After all, most of their choices would align, for they were Harmonisers from the same element.

    To prevent any fights, assassination attempts, and thieving that would happen once people leave the auction house, such a system was installed in ce. This way, the identities of everyone were hid.

    And because of it, no problems would be stirred in the aftermath. Only the Royal n would be privy of the actual details of their identities, noted during their inspection.

    Even then, as long as they were part of their races, nothing else would matter. People could fake their identities right from the get-go if they so wished. Though for most, they would be famous people in the city, so their identities would be obvious.

    Re''Kha boarded a cycle rickshaw and arrived at the entrance to the Royal n''s residence, noticing the numerous cycle rickshaws that were parked in the ce. Most of the older Harmonisers and the higher-ups in the Royal n weren''t interested in the auction.

    After all, they were the ones who had given the treasures in the first ce. It was only the young Harmonisers like Ki''Nua who were excited.

    Through her Wind Qi perception, Re''Kha noticed the two girls, Ki'' and Ki''Sul, seated in a cycle rickshaw and seemed to be excitedly conversing. They were the trio of girls that always moved together with Ki''Nua.

    She then noticed Ki''Nua waiting with Ki''Nha. Upon noticing her, they waved their hands, beckoning for her toe. Her cycle rickshaw stopped right before them as Re''Kha alighted, grunting as she carried her bag, noticing the expressions of Ki''Nha and Ki''Nua freeze up for a moment.

    Followed by an awkward cough, Ki''Nha spoke, "Lady Re''Luk has¡­considerable wealth."

    "Just luck, haha." Re''Kha let out a wry smile as she boarded the carriage designated for her. She and Ki''Nua boarded it and waved at Ki''Nha, watching the cycle rickshaw move immediately.

    "It''s pretty near, only 300 breaths away." Ki''Nua smiled, excited for the auction. Soon, the cycle rickshaw arrived at their destination.

 Chapter 204 - Security Measures In The Auction House

    The auction house had the same height as a typical six-storey building, but in actuality, there were only two floors. Moreover, it had arge campus. As it was the sole auction house in the city, it had to be ordinglyrge enough.

    And, considering the recent expansion they had done to it, it was even more majestic. There was a wide-open gate with guards posted all over. And, a significant portion of them were Harmonisers, those trained by the Royal n.

    Each guard only cultivated one element and didn''t have much Elemental Qi in her. But, there were a considerable number of them present on the scene, patrolling the campus to deter anyone having nefarious thoughts.

    Though, in a ce present with so much security and elites from the Elemental ns, no one would be brave enough to garner thoughts of stealing the treasures, not from the auction at least.

    ''There seem to be Harmonisers from Burkurel and Burmat City too.'' Re''Kha thought as she spied on the people through her Wind Qi perception. It was better to be safe than sorry. And, just as she had expected, her face froze as she noticed a certain individual seated inside a carriage, carrying with her the air as if she owned everything materialistic there was to possess.

    Burkurel Re''Bah!

    Her mother, and the person she never wished to encounter. Burkurel Re''Bah was an ambitious person that saw her own children as tools to fulfil her political agenda. She wasn''t hesitant to use any means necessary to achieve what she desired.

    It was thanks to her ambitions that a massive internal friction was present in her Burkurel Re n. And, a result of this was the betrayal of her nsmen during one of their missions, at the end of which Re''Kha lost her eyes and ended up as the sole survivor.

    She had also lost her Magic Artifact in the process. The losses their n suffered within a few months were greater than what they had faced in the past 6-7 yearsbined. Due to the political schemes Burkurel Re''Bah and the Central Lake Head waged, the Harmonisers among their n were split in two.

    It was to the extent their n Elders decided to sit out and observe things first. They only nned to step in when things spiralled out of control.

    Therefore, the moment she noticed her mother, Re''Kha began to tremble unconsciously. There was dread in her expression as her breaths became ragged. She quickly retracted her Wind Qi perception, only then able to heave a sigh of relief.

    "Are you okay, sister?" Ki''Nua had noticed the change in her, inquiring in worry.

    "It''s fine, I just thought of a bad memory. Nothing to worry about," Re''Kha forced a smile and noticed the cycle rickshaw stop. A couple of guards peered into the carriage and then left after a bow.

    They were just checking to see the people within were part of their race. The gem on their Tikka jewellery was enough proof of that. They did pause a moment in shock upon seeing the bright blue glow of the gem on Re''Kha but quickly went about with their tasks.

    The cycle rickshaws formed a line and entered the entrance one after another. Re''Kha covered her Tikka jewellery and activated her Wind Qi perception, taking in a deep breath as she focused on her mother''s carriage.

    She just observed the other party, intending to hear any details. But, her mother was tight-lipped. She didn''t utter a single word throughout the journey. And, it seemed she was only apanied by a couple of guards from her n that acted as servants, all the more reason for her silence.

    When they passed through the entrance, Re''Kha was no longer able to observe them, for the area appeared as a nk space in her perception. The guards there held an Elemental Qi Essence fragment and had activated it. Using it, they checked if the people carried any Elemental Weapons or Magic Artifacts.

    This was the simplest and sure-fire method to sense for anything. All they had to rely on was their Elemental Qi perception. After all, only Elemental Weapons and Magic Artifacts were threatening.

    Even though a normal knife or arrow could kill the Harmoniser all the same as a normal person, they could be guarded against through numerous means. Without any Elemental Qi in them, the damage they could induce into a Pranic Art Projection was minimal.

    Soon, it was their turn as their carriage passed through the entrance. Re''Kha had already prepared herself, returning to her base state as Water Qi circted through her meridians. Through her Water Qi perception, Re''Kha noticed the guards were using a Water Qi Essence fragment.

    Just one was enough. They didn''t need to use other Elemental Qi Essence fragments. After all, items with Water Qi would be apparent, and those with other Elemental Qi would appear as nk spaces. So, in both cases, spotting Magic Artifacts and elemental weapons were simple.

    Through her Water Qi perception, Re''Kha could see the thin nk space wrapped around her finger. It was her storage ring. But, as it wasn''t a weapon, the guards didn''t nitpick about it. If it was shaped into a weapon or was designed to further aid Pranic Art Projections, they would have confiscated it until the end of the auction.

    Their attention was focused on her ring and armour, deciding that there weren''t any issues with her. Upon not finding anything suspicious in their carriage, they were led entry. A guard immediately apanied their cycle rickshaw, directing them to the path they had to take, making the cycle rickshaw stop at a certain location.

    There was a small path before them, one that led them straight to a counter. There was another counter at the entrance, one ced to note details about them. There were a couple of Harmonisers from the Royal n seated behind it.

    When Re''Kha and Ki''Nua descended their cycle rickshaw, they scribbled something in a note before them, checking the ticket Ki''Nua presented.

    One of them looked at Ki''Nua, "Please head inside first to deposit your money. The person next to you can head in after that."

 Chapter 205 - The Metal Slab

    Ki''Nua walked through the narrow path, sandwiched between walls of the auction house. The narrow path wasn''t a point of entry into the auction house. It was only for checking the identity of the individual and counting the money each person submitted.

    Such narrow paths were situated upon every interval, barricaded by walls the height of a person, preventing others from seeing who travelled through which path. As the cycle rickshaws stopped right at the entrance of the narrow paths, the moment the person within stepped out, he/she would be hidden by the walls.

    It was an borate setup to ensure the identity of everyone remained discrete. Typically, the guards would present a gown to everyone within their carriage itself. But upon seeing that Ki''Nua and Re''Kha were already dressed, they left them to proceed as-is into the narrow path.

    After her identity check, Ki''Nua walked through the narrow path, arriving before the counter at the end. The counter was fully grilled. And, all the counters in the ce were connected to one another. Harmonisers from the Royal n streamed within, carrying bags of coins that have been separated based on their denomination.

    And, every time a bag was filled, they transported it to a different ce. Stringent checks were conducted to prevent any malpractices. Moreover, there were a lot of eyes from behind, watching their every action.

    So, there wasn''t a chance anyone would slip up counting a couple of coins and pocket it. Moreover, as everyone working in the ce was from the Royal n, they wouldn''t do anything for some money. After all, no Harmoniser from the Royal ncked any money.

    So, they wouldn''t even bother with any malpractices. It was beneath them and just wasn''t worth the effort. This was the reason they took charge of the counters in the first ce. If it had been the regr guards, they might be tempted while handling so much money.

    When Ki''Nua arrived before the counter, thedy standing behind motioned for her to pour the coins in a funnel beside. But, the moment she noticed the size of her bag, she frowned, immediately calling forth a couple of her colleagues.

    Snickering in her mind, Ki''Nua poured all the coins into the funnel. The funnel''s entrance was situated outside, positioned right next to her hip. And, its exit was ced within the counter, leading into a t tray.

    As it was nted, when the coins slid into the tray, they were arranged neatly along its surface. It was considerably long enough, so the coins only made threeyers.

    Followed by a grunt, the threedies began to pick up the coins, putting them in small containers beside them. Each container was cylindrical in shape. And, at their top were small rectangr holes. And, the holes of each corresponded to the diameter of each coin denomination.

    Moreover, there was a dial on each cylinder. It had been set based on the weight applied by the contents within the cylinder. Moreover, numbers were specified on the dial, from one to hundred per each.

    The dial moved by one unit every time a coin fell into the cylinder. Since all the coins of the same denomination had the same weight, it was easy to calibrate them into numbers based on the weight. This way, they didn''t have to manually count the number of coins and fear skipping or adding a couple of extra numbers while counting.

    Errors might arrive while counting manually. And since they had arge volume to count, mistakes were bound to happen. And to prevent something like that from happening, such a simple mechanism was ced.

    Once 100 one RuQi coins were inserted into a cylinder, the dial on it hovered above the number 100. Thedy quickly set the respective cylinder aside, taking out another cylinder. This way, they mechanically inserted coins into each cylinder depending on its denomination.

    As all the coins were mostly one RuQi denomination, it was easy for them. Soon, there were 37 cylinders on the counter. The other twodies heaved a sigh of relief and left the ce, intending to support others who required help.

    Thedy behind the counter looked at Ki''Nua, mumbling something under her breath as she spoke, taking a nce at the 37th cylinder, "The money you brought totals to 3682 RuQi."

    "Alright," Ki''Nua nodded, watching thedy take out a certain contraption and begin inputting a set of numbers in four digits.

    The contraption wasn''t a normal Magic Artifact. Rather, it was a series of Magic Artifacts used to execute just one job. After she finished the input, the contraption spat out a metal b. It seemed to be a low-grade elemental b.

    It had a fair quantity of Metal Qi inside it. And, inscribed on its centre was the number ''3682'', the amount Ki''Nua had submitted, in a dense concentration of Metal Qi. Thedy behind the counter gave it to Ki''Nua, speaking, "Let me tell you the simple rule that is followed here."

    "Please," Ki''Nua nodded.

    "When you are seated, there would be a metal tform before you. ce this b on it. We will know the amount of wealth you have submitted through this. And, the team of ountants will keep tabs on your remainder as you spend. You will be provided a pen and paper to keep a tally of your expense in your seat." She then motioned for Ki''Nua to proceed through the door nearby, "You''ll reach the main entrance through this. Also, your seat number is printed on the back of the b."

    "Alright," Ki''Nua looked at the number, turned around, and waved at Re''Kha. She then left through the pointed entrance, acting chirpy as she reached the main entrance and entered the auction house.

    The guards motioned for Re''Kha to move now. All along, she had kept attention on her mother, noting the seat she was seated at. Through her Wind Qi perception, she had obtained the information of the money her mother had brought.

    And simrly, she obtained the information of the money brought by the others, also hearing some rumours that made her change her opinion immediately. She then dragged her bag and arrived before the counter, startling thedy standing behind it.

 Chapter 206 - Fortune Beyond An Individualâ€™s Capacity

    Re''Kha had been spying on others during the time she was waiting for the threedies behind the counter to count the money Ki''Nua had brought. In this time, she noticed the sheer quantity of money submitted by the others.

    It was easy to determine because thedy behind the counter in every counter announced the money that had been submitted. It wasn''t audible to anyone else due to being blocked by the walls on all sides, and the whisper by thedies.

    But to her, it was as if they were speaking in her ear. She could easily hear them. So, it was easy to know that the treasures appearing this time would have incredible value. And, quite a few among them were those that were able to elevate a Harmoniser''s strength.

    Therefore, Re''Kha had zero intentions to miss the chance. Due to the enemies she had to face, she needed to grasp every opportunity avable to her. Just when this thought struck her, Re''Kha frowned, recalling the words of Ki''Nha and realising the depth of her master''s scheme.

    The reason the capital had sent precious treasures to this auction was because their state had suffered from a disaster this time. It was primarily Burkurel City. But as there were only three cities in their state, it meant one-third had been affected by this disaster.

    And, the uing disaster was the Rhipa, those that had been discovered after the Burkurel Ju n''s Western Settlement was overrun by the Kalhas and Re''Kha had taken refuge within a house.

    And in the eventual fight, she had with the scouts, the message of the Rhipa was transmitted. It was through the disciple of the scout leader, the sole person that had survived among them, solely because he had left early. After this, when the father of Re''Kha investigated the scene, he confirmed the traces of the Rhipa.

    Because of this, the three cities were notified in advance and could prepare ordingly. If the Rhipa weren''t discovered, then the threat would continue developing until it grew to the extent it could swallow their cities whole.

    It was because the threat was uncovered earlier were they able to take measures. And, to support the three cities in their fight with the Rhipas, the capital had sent help to elevate their survivability.

    At the centre of this incident was Re''Kha. And, the cause of this series of incidents was her master. As she thought about it, Re''Kha felt her head spin, realising the meticulousness of her master''s schemes.

    He was trapped in a cave for 20 years, unable to move in fear the poison guing him would devour him whole. But despite all that, he had been able to predict the scenario to such aplex extent.

    Using one disaster, he managed to avert them against a disaster that was capable of destroying thempletely, also raising their awareness of possible hidden organisations that were plotting against the popce.

    With just the one action of his death, he managed to deal with a lot of things. Moreover, every experience either gave her some benefit or helped nurture her somehow. When she realised it, Re''Kha felt a chill.

    ''Master is a scary individual. And, this makes it obvious.'' She heaved a deep sigh, ''His enemies ought to be equally scary and mysterious.''

    She then thought through her actions, gazing at look at her bag, ''then, since the capital is supporting our state through this action, the treasures should be beneficial to me. I shouldn''t be saving up money then. Best to go all out.''

    Re''Kha acted like it was taking time to count¡ªthe money Ki''Nua had submitted¡ªand behaved as if she was feeling bored. She naturally entered her carriage and seated herself inside, intending to rest.

    In her same posture, she opened her bag''s entrance and ced both her hands inside.

    Subtly, she opened the entrance to her storage space, taking out the remainder of her money. She only kept 300 RuQi inside for emergencies, cing everything else inside the bag. This further erged the bag until it was bursting.

    Thankfully, she hadn''t taken it out until now. So, the guards wouldn''t have noticed the change in the bag''s size. Even otherwise, nothing will happen. She could simply act like she had brought two bags and decided tobine them into one.

    After some time, she noticed the amount Ki''Nua brought with her, standing outside the carriage to see Ki''Nua wave at her and enter a path next to her.

    ''I hope the treasures directly help me now,'' Re''Kha smiled as she took out her bag from the carriage, for a moment startling the guards. Followed by a grunt, she carried the bag and walked slowly, carrying it.

    One of the guards arrived at her help, failing to mask her disbelief as she helped Re''Kha carry the bag to the counter. Thedy behind the counter stared at the bag with a pale face, mentally cursing whoever was within the gown.

    With the help of the guard, Re''Kha poured the contents of the bag through the funnel, hearing a constant stream made by the falling coins. The moment she was through a quarter of the bag, the tray within was full.

    Thedy behind the counter beckoned for five moredies to help her, mumbling something amidst themselves as they began to sort the money ordingly. And, as the number of coins on the tray reduced to a certain extent, Re''Kha and the guard poured the coins once again.

    And, every time this happened, the sixdies behind the counter trembled, mentally cursing Re''Kha to their utmost limit. But, they persisted with their task. Their expression changed every time they heard the sounds of the coins jingling through the funnel.

    It seemed like forever when the sounds of the coins jingling through the funnel stopped. And, when they heard Re''Kha thanking the guard, they felt a feeling of relief. But, as they stared at the cylinders stacked on the counter, they shuddered, wondering just who it was to have amassed such a fortune.

    It was equal to an Elemental n''s funds for at least a couple of years. It wasn''t something an individual coulde to possess, even if he/she was the head of a merchant organisation. Such thoughts echoed in their minds as they finished counting all the money. As long as the person passed through the initial verification, it meant they were legit. So, they curbed their thoughts, feeling their heads spin for a moment as they totalled the number.

    The other fivedies went off as thedy behind the counter input the number in the contraption. Then, once the metal b was spat out, she handed it over to Re''Kha.

 Chapter 207 - 207

    As thedy behind the counter handed Re''Kha the metal b, her hand trembled, "The amount you submitted totals to 21,762 RuQi. Your seat number is printed at the back of the b."

    She then recounted the same exnation she had given to Ki''Nua, finally pointing at the door beside. Followed by a nod, Re''Kha opened the door and entered the path inside. It was a flight of stairs, carpeted to allow silent traversal.

    Once Re''Kha had left, thedy behind the countermented, "These Harmonisers from the Elemental ns have amassed a lot of money. Once the quality of treasures has increased, they are bringing them out one after another."

    "Indeed, this is precisely the reason we are conducting an auction in the first ce." Another Harmoniser from behind hermented, "Otherwise, these Elemental ns would affect the value of our coins as they please."

    "Still," Thedy behind the counter gazed at the door Re''Kha had passed through, "She seems young but possesses shocking wealth. Does any Elder from the Elemental ns in our state match her description?"

    "No idea. Though, we can obtain a lot of information about her based on her actions in the auction."

    She didn''t have to travel much before Re''Kha arrived at the main entrance. It was a spacious passage, at the end of which was the entrance into the auction house. Ki''Nua had already entered, so Re''Kha didn''t dy and proceeded through the entrance, gawking in surprise at the sheer size of the auction house.

    ''This can seat at least 3000 people.'' The quantity itself was pretty high. After all, auctions were usually attended by people in the hundreds. There were times when an auction only had participants in the double digits.

    Even though she hadn''t participated in one before, she did hear some basic information about them. So, Re''Kha wasn''tpletely clueless about auctions.

    A ce to seat 3000 people wouldn''t be very big. But in this case, because every person had an individual box to be seated within, the space upied by 3000 seats was massive.

    The auction house was shaped like a fan, with the stage set on the tip. And from there, the seats were ced on rings that acted as steps. This way, everyone was able to see the stage clearly. Moreover, the steps were steep.

    Each box had a chair meant for one where two people could be seated side by sidefortably. ced before the chair was a cylindrical tform, and forming an indent on it, shaped into a rectangle was where the metal b had to be inserted.

    And, ced right next to it were four levers. The levers were simple. They could be pulled and pushed. When pulled, each lever would lift a metal te. And, inscribed on each metal te was a number.

    There were four number tes in total, inscribed with the numbers ''1'', ''10'', ''100'', and ''1000'' respectively. Except for the front, all other sides of the box were covered. Moreover, the cylindrical tform was ced in such a way no one else would be able to see the number inscribed on the metal b ced in it.

    This was to prevent people from peaking into their box while passing by the entrance in search of their seats. In an auction, the wealth one possessed mattered the most, especially in their auction structure, since no one was able to recharge money once the auction started. Therefore, knowing the money one had brought with them was a tremendous advantage.

    That was why steps were taken to ensure nothing of the sort would happen. ques were hung at the entrance of every box, dictating their seat numbers. And, as they were arranged in order, it was easy for Re''Kha to locate her seat.

    She walked through the narrow path present in every row, leading into all the boxes ced on it. Finally arriving before her box, Re''Kha looked at the que, reading in her mind, ''Number 207.''

    She seated herself inside, taking out the b from inside her gown. There was a pocket stitched in the gown, designed especially to hold the metal b. Moreover, the way it was stitched prevented anyone else from determining the number printed on the metal b, even through the protrusion.

    ''Thankfully, everything here is inscribed. So, I don''t have to struggle to read.'' Re''Kha heaved a sigh in relief, noticing the seat of Ki''Nua, seeing that she was seated in seat number 200.

    As for her mother, she was seated in seat number 11. The earlier one arrived at the auction, the nearer to the stage they were allotted a seat. Depending on their preference, people arrived at the auction ordingly.

    Auction veterans were precisely able to time themselves and arrive at the exact moment to obtain the seat they desired to be seated at.

    After cing her metal b in its designated socket, Re''Kha rxed on her chair. In this ce, where measures were taken to prevent people from ncing at the metal bs of others, Re''Kha had the full advantage.

    Wind Qi Perception!

    Re''Kha expanded her perception, going through the metal bs of everyone seated around her, proceeding through the lot one after another. Upon seeing the difference in the amount of money they had brought, she rxed.

    But soon, her rxed posture disappeared as people continued to arrive, bringing with them bigger and bigger denominations. There were even some who brought as much money as her. And upon seeing the way they carried themselves, even though they were covered by a gown, their identities were obvious.

    n Heads!

    Only they were able to match the amount of money Re''Kha had brought with her. Soon, everyone was seated in their respective ces as Re''Kha used the pen and paper ced on her chair''s armrest to scribble some words.

    She used alphabets to dictate the seat numbers of each n Head, intending to tally their expenditure. And, upon seeing how Re''Kha wasn''t the only person doing this, she wryly smiled, realising the entire auction was one big mental battle.

    The n Heads hadn''t sauntered in their signature gaits without reason. They were simply announcing their presence, deterring others from trying topete with them for the items they bid. Their actions simply meant one thing: Only fellow n Heads were worthy ofpeting against them in a contest of numbers.

 Chapter 208 - Auction Start

    If one said Re''Kha had the confidence of winning a mental battle with the n Heads, even she wouldn''t believe it. After all, this was her first time participating in the auction. As for the n Heads, they had probably been in one too many times.

    So, they were well-versed with all the ins and outs of the auction process. Moreover, they would be veterans of the game. Therefore, even if in a situation it appeared as if she was making them suffer a loss, it wouldn''t have been the truth.

    Rather, it was a fact she was being yed by them. So, if she didn''t wish to waste all her money on a worthless item, she had to be careful and not y the game of numbers against anyone before judging the worth of the auction item through her own means.

    She mentally repeated the same many times, etching the fact in her mind to not get into a fight with anyone in the ce.

    As Re''Kha finished jotting down some details of the people she kept an eye on based on the amount of money they had brought, the auction house turned silent. The entrance closed with a rumble and was locked, preventing anyone else from disturbing them.

    The auction house was illuminated by glowing stones, the very same that was used in the chamber leading to the portal connected to Earth. They were mysterious objects that weren''t sold in the market. So, even the Elemental ns didn''t have them, except for a couple of stones they had paid a heavy price to obtain.

    The light they emitted illuminated the auction house to a certain extent. As for the stage, the number of stones embedded in the ceiling above it was even more, making it the brightest part of the auction house.

    Wearing the Ju n''s dress, ady appeared on the stage. She was from the Royal n, the one in charge of the auction this time. She was in herte fifties but looked to be in her twenties thanks to their royal genes.

    She stood in the centre of the stage, looking around for a moment as she spoke. Her booming voice echoed throughout the auditorium without any reduction in the sound, "Wee, everyone, to our Grand Auction. I''m sure all of you must know by now. The capital has sent a lot of treasures to be auctioned this time."

    She chuckled, "I''m sure there are some people who are attending this auction for the first time. So, I''ll iterate the rules for them once."

    Her pleasant tone resounded, "Once the initial price of an item is announced, you can start bidding for it. All you have to do is pull one of the four levers before you. And, when you pull it, you are adding the amount inscribed on the lever to the bid. And, this will be treated in sequential order based on everyone that has raised the bid. Please don''t raise bids in a hurry and end up paying more than what you wished."

    Followed by a smile, she raised four fingers on her right, shing it around, "The first lever raises the bid by 1 RuQi. The second lever raises the bid by 10 RuQi. The third and fourth lever raises the bid by 100 RuQi and 1000 RuQi respectively. So, don''t pull up any lever by mistake."

    She then pointed at the side, at the tform situated in the auction walls. On each tform was a team of people seated. Their seats seemed to be made of metal. And, ced before each was around 20 levers.

    Thedy said after a pause, "They are the ountants who will be keeping an eye on the seats assigned to them. In the case you bid an amount that exceeded the amount of money you have submitted, they would pull the respective lever, cancelling your bid. Once that happens, you will no longer be able to bid for that auction piece."

    "You can still bid for the subsequent pieces, as long as you have enough money. Therefore, to avoid outbidding yourself, please keep a tally on your bnce." She chuckled, "During the course of the auction, don''t take out the metal b we have provided you. If you do so, we will consider that you no longer wish to participate in the auction. A team of guards will escort you out and any items you bought will be packed and given to you."

    "Finally," Taking in a deep breath, she spoke, "Once the auction ends, we will call you based on your seat number, you can collect the items you bid for, obtain the remainder of the money you hadn''t spent, and board the carriage waiting for you in the premises. The expert drivers will ensure your departure isn''t obvious to any onlookers. So, you can rest assured that your identity will be safe."

    "Please avoid talking during this time, irrespective of who you are. The only sounds during this period would be the sounds of the levers being pulled up and down, and my announcements, that''s all." She then pped once, making a waving motion to the side of the stage.

    A younger Harmoniser from the Royal n pushed forth a tray. And, covered at its top was an item, looking rather small. Thedy shouted with an enthusiastic tone, "Even I am excited about all the treasures that will be given out this time. Now, the first item of the day¡­"

    She uncovered the cloth, revealing a dagger, "It''s a water element Magic Artifact created by our Burfuna Ki n."

    She picked it up, taking in a breath as she changed her element, causing the gem on her Tikka jewellery to spike with a blue glow. She activated the Magic Artifact, causing it to hum once before emitting bright blue radiance.

    The blue radiance it emitted caused the ambiance of the auction house to appear dim for a moment, disying the rich Water Qi it could emit. Followed by a chuckle, she shouted, "The starting price for this Water Qi Magic Artifact is 1000 RuQi."

    "You can start bidding now."

 Chapter 209 - The Dagger Magic Artifact

    The Water Qi emitted by the dagger coursed through the auction house, allowing all the water-based Harmonisers to sense its power. After a breath in time, the auctioneerdy deactivated the dagger, stating with a smile, "This Magic Artifact can emit Water Qi continuously for half a day. And, it would need around a month to recharge."

    A lot of the people were excited upon hearing it. If the Magic Artifact could emit Elemental Qi for half a day, then it was significantly useful. It was not to mention they had already sensed the power it could emit.

    Moreover, most Magic Artifacts were stored in the n''s treasury for safekeeping and were only taken out during times of need. So, it requiring a month to recharge wasn''t even a negative point. It was also shaped like a dagger, a convenient tool to wield for Harmonisers.

    So, most of the water-based Harmonisers present in the auction house were interested. Even Re''Kha was drawn in by it. For, the sheer amount of Water Qi it could unleash was on par with her Harpen Waves, the prized Magic Artifact of her n.

    So, it was apparent just how valuable it was. Even in her n, there were only three such Magic Artifacts. The remaining Magic Artifacts weren''t that spectacr. The Water Qi they could emit wasn''t much, and the duration they couldst too was inferior. Thanks to the inferior raw materials used, they also needed a longer recharge time.

    ''They are starting with a bang.'' Re''Kha was drawn in, controlling herself after a moment of thought. She already had Harpen Waves. And, they could be wielded as knives too if she wished for. So, buying the dagger Magic Artifact was just a waste of money.

    ''In the face of treasure, it is hard to remain logical.'' She sighed, massaging her forehead as she could hear the sounds of the levers being pulled. The voice of the auctioneerdy resounded every time this happened, pointing at the respective seat number to announce their bid.

    "Seat number 38 has increased the price by 10 RuQi. The total price is 1010 RuQi."

    "Seat number 568 increases it by another 10. Seat number 1227 increases it by 100. Oh, it is heating up. Right, that''s how auctions should be. Show your spirit!"

    The auctioneer seemed into her role, riling up the crowd with her enthusiastic voice. In the meantime, Re''Kha focused on the cylindrical tform before her. Embedded on the grove at its top was the metal b.

    The side with her money inscribed was pointed upwards. Re''Kha touched the cylindrical pir, feeling that it waspletely made from metal. And through her Wind Qi perception, it looked no different from a nk space.

    Simrly, she noticed the seats all the ountants used to sit were nk spaces too. As she observed, Re''Kha understood the principle at y, ''So, this cylinder is connected to their seats. And through this connection, they can sense the number printed on the metal b. This way, they know the total amount possessed by each person.''

    ''And,'' She thought, mentally apuding the ingenuity of the mechanism used, ''They can keep tally of the scores of the seats assigned to them. And in the case, I outbid myself, the ountant assigned to me will pull one of the levers before him. And that would push the lever before me into its original position, cancelling my bid. This is an impressive setup.''

    "Awesome, seat number 11 has increased the price by 1000 RuQi. The dagger stands at 4310 RuQi now. Any higher bids?"

    ''That''s mother.'' Re''Kha frowned, for a moment wishing to snatch the item from her. But upon thinking how it didn''t matter in the grand scale of things, Re''Kha refrained from acting on her impulse.

    "Great, seat number 261 increases it by another 100."

    "Nice, seat number 11 increases it by another 100. We have a war, folks."

    The tug of war between the two individuals continued as the auctioneer increased the pitch of her voice, "Ah! Seat number 11 increased the price by another 1000 RuQi. Do we finally have a winner?"

    Through her Wind Qi perception, Re''Kha could hear the person in seat number 261 click her tongue before mming another lever, causing the auctioneer tough, hyped, "Seat number 261 returns with an explosive deal, raising the price by another 1000 RuQi. The dagger stands at 6510 RuQi. Do we have a winner?"

    "6510 RuQi, going once!"

    "6510 RuQi, going twice!"

    "6510 RuQi, going thrice!"

    "Seat number 261 wins the Magic Artifact. Congrattions to the person that managed to win the first item of this auction." The auctioneer nodded at the younger Harmoniser that had brought in the item, motioning for him to return.

    As he exited the stage, another young Harmoniser pushed in the second trolley, causing the auctioneerdy to smile immediately upon revealing its cloth, "Folks, this is a pleasant surprise. The Water Sect has sent in pill coupons. Each coupon allows you to order 10 pills. And, the pills can be anything, as long as it is something the Water Sect can make. There are 10 such coupons in total and each will be auctioned separately."

    She then lifted a scroll and revealed it, disying an borate painting in it. The scroll had the length of her arm and the breadth of her palm. The borate painting inside was as if water waves had condensed into a jar. And inside the jar were ten bubbles. It was the coupon to obtain the pills.

    Upon seeing it, Re''Kha was interested. She had removed her previous preconceived notions. And after talking with Mu''Tua, she learnt that the actual mysterious medicines were only avable in the Sects. And, they would only be consumed within the Sect premises and couldn''t be taken out, hence its secrecy.

    It was hard getting admitted into the Water Sect or any other Sect for the matter. So, details about them weren''t disclosed to the popce. Only the higher-ups of the Elemental ns, those who were part of the Sects themselves would be privy of such knowledge.

    ''If I n to join the Water Sect in the future, this coupon woulde in use then.'' Re''Kha thought, looking at the auctioneer with anticipation.

 Chapter 210 - Pill Coupon

    Even though the figures of every one was hidden by the gowns, their subtle change in posture, the way they inched their hand towards the levers, and the number of gazes directed at her, all allowed the auctioneerdy to determine their interest in the item.

    She chuckled, thinking, ''This will be a sessful auction indeed.''

    Her energetic voice boomed through the auction house, "We''ll start with the first coupon. Starting price is 400 RuQi."

    The sounds of many levers being pressed at the same time resounded. As they were pressed at the same time, the auctioneerdy only looked at the seat that had pressed thergest denomination, "Seat number 691 starts with raising the price by 100 RuQi."

    More than twenty levers were pulled the next instant. As if she had trained her life to this very day, the auctioneerdy wasn''t even flustered. With a single nce, she determined the seats to focus upon, choosing one of the seats that had bid the highest price.

    And, she always picked the seat that seemed the least confident among the lot that had bid the same price. This way, the others would bid more. And because of this, the price of the item would increase.

    With a single general nce, numerous data streamed into her mind. It was as if she had practiced the same thing tens of thousands of times that even a subtle action among the crowd was enough for her to get a clue about them.

    It was as if the audience wasn''t covered by the gowns but wereid bare, with their facial expressions zoomed further for her to see. This was how they looked in her eyes, thanks to the tremendous volume of experience she had gathered.

    This was the very reason she took charge of the auction, one that was the most important and thergest in their state''s past decade of auctions. This way, her subtle maniptions caused the people to spend more money than they would have done normally.

    After all, when more than two people bid with the same price, it was her choice as to who to pick. Moreover, in such cases, it meant they would be continuing until there was a clear winner. So, it didn''t even matter. It was just to announce the increase in the price.

    But, the way it was told spurred the intentions of the crowd to fight with one another in a battle of money. Moreover, even if they were triggered, nothing negative would happen. After all, the identities of everyone among the crowd were protected by the Royal n.

    This was the reason she riled up everyone as much as she could. Upon seeing their enthusiasm, she smiled, shouting with renewed gusto, "Seat number 207 has increased the price by another 100 RuQi."

    "Seat number 11 has increased it by another 100 RuQi."

    "Amazing, we have a fiercepetitor among us now. Seat number 207 has increased the price by 1000 RuQi. Do we have a winner here? Is there anyone else who wishes to bid for this coupon?"

    After reiterating the usual phrase thrice, the auctioneer smiled, "Congrattions, seat number 207 has won this coupon."

    It was Re''Kha that had won it. She wasn''t happy though, wondering if she had spent too much money on it. She wasn''t sure if raising the amount by 100 every time would work or if it would cause the price to increase too much upon the gradual increments. So, she had increased it by 1000 RuQi.

    She spent 1700 RuQi in total for the coupon. Once the price was set, the auctioneerdy sold the second coupon. And upon seeing the price it was sold for, Re''Kha heaved a sigh in relief, feeling that she hadn''t spent too much.

    For, all the other coupons more or less sold around the same price as hers. Thest three coupons even crossed the 2000 RuQi mark and were the most expensive of the lot.

    Once all the items were sold, the auctioneerdy watched another young Harmoniser bring in an item stored inside a box, revealing it as she smiled, "We have a Fire Qi Essence. Starting price is 300 RuQi."

    "Seat number 3 increases it by 10 RuQi."

    "Seat number¡­"

    "Seat¡­"

    "The Fire Qi Essence is sold for 1380 RuQi."

    What arrived next were a series of Elemental Qi Essences, totalling 5 Fire Qi Essences, 4 Water Qi Essences, 8 Metal Qi Essences, and 2 Lightning Qi Essences.

    On seeing as how the prices of theter Metal Qi Essences were dropping aspared to the initial ones, the auctioneerdy motioned with her hands, subtly telling the people working backstage to change the order of the items. They were told by the capital to distribute a lot of Elemental Qi Essences this time, so they had no other choice but to do so. Hence, they took up a lot of the item slots.

    The auctioneerdy then smiled upon seeing the next item that was being brought. At the side of each trolley was a tiny number te. There were four-digit numbers inscribed on each trolley. As it was positioned on the side, the audience wouldn''t be able to notice it.

    But as for her, she had already memorised all the items. So, the moment she saw the code number, she immediately knew the item that was being brought and prepared her lines ordingly.

    But for the current item, the code wasn''t even needed. For, it was a massive item that two people carefully pushed forth on the trolley that was custom made to hold it. It was arge wall, spanning the height of a person and the width of two people.

    It waspletely made of stone, seemingly a mural. And inscribed on it was an borate scene, vividly described. The moment it was revealed, everyone among the crowd stirred in response. For, it wasn''t an item of their race, but one of their spoils of war from the Treka.

    Seated on seat number 200, Ki''Nua was startled for a moment as she stirred up in shock.

 Chapter 211 - Elemental Qi Skin?

    ''That¡­that''s not possible. How could something like that exist?'' Ki''Nua was shocked, trembling in fear and excitement. She tried her best to control herself, quickly using her Ghost Mask to mask her body behaviour, appearing nonchnt in the eyes of the auctioneerdy.

    But, many people among the crowd too were excited. After all, the mural had something subtle in it that drew their attention. It was simr to the metal inscription murals their painters made. Moreover, this was a treasure from the Treka, the race with the oldest and richest history.

    So, there might be a lot of value in it. Even otherwise, just the sheer presence it emitted would inspire them to create a whole new Pranic Art. After all, anything was possible. One only needed a source for inspiration. And for something as inspiring as the mural, the attention of the people was captured.

    Upon seeing the crowd''s reaction, the auctioneerdy subtly smiled. She acted the same as usual, looking around the crowd as she tried to hype them up even more. But all along, her gazes were on the n Heads, seeing their level of interest.

    They seemed pretty interested too. But, they weren''tpletely bent on obtaining it, judging by their determined postures. The auctioneer continued with her act while thinking, ''They are probably here for the final auction items.''

    Followed by a boisterousugh, she spoke, "This was an ancient mural dating back to more than 1000 years ago. It seems to be a fragment of one of the temples the Treka had built back in the days. This was probably forgotten when they fell from grace and were busy preserving their lives."

    Her voice boomed through as her energy levels hyped up the crowd, "In our recent expedition into thend of the Treka, while digging up an ambush for our foes, we unearthed it. Thanks to the valiant efforts of our soldiers, not only did we managed to ambush the Treka sessfully, but also managed to bring this mural and a lot of other relics of their past back."

    "Just the sheer presence it emits would be obvious right? Even based on my experience, I can clearly state that you will get enough inspiration to create a Pranic Art." She pointed at the mural, "Moreover, this entire piece is coated with a dense Earth Qi. Even if you have no other use, just nting it in the soil would spike thend''s vitality in the area."

    The mural wall looked like a thick b of rock. And, inscribed on it were two people. One of them was a short man, possessing two pairs of arms. His rotund body was bursting with power. And kneeling on the ground before him was a bleeding serpent, riddled with injuries.

    The horns on its head seemed to have been ripped out and were currently held in the mouth of the second man with a rotund body who was currently pressing the head of the serpent on the ground. The two of them seemed like valiant warriors who had been the overlords of war numerous times.

    The two were from the race of Treka. And just the sheer sense of dominance they exuded in it made it apparent the mural was from the time when the Treka were a dominant part of the world. It was from their golden ages.

    Among the two Treka people, one was wielding a knife. But in his arms, it seemed like a short sword. And, the second Treka was wearing a shield. One for attack, and one for defence; it seemed they had used such abination to defeat the serpent, which seemed rather huge. After all, just its eyes alone were bigger than their bodies.

    Only a fraction of its head was inscribed in the mural, as if its body spanned the entire mural that formed the temple and this was but a fragment of it.

    Followed by a cheer, the auctioneerdy shouted energetically, "Starting price is 800 RuQi. You can bid for it now!"

    Numerous levers went up immediately, and shockingly, the price crossed a 1000 RuQi immediately. Even though Re''Kha was interested in it, she didn''t have the capability to bring something like that with her.

    Moreover, she didn''t have any interest in creating a Pranic Art. After all, making one wasn''t easy. It took some people their entire lifetime before theypleted it. The mural was only guaranteed to give inspiration. It wasn''t able to speed up the process of the Pranic Art''s creation.

    So, to her, it had almost no practical value. Besides, there were many Pranic Arts suitable to her in the book, Bodhi that her master had made for her. That was what she could feel. After all, just the first Pranic Art, the Wind de defiedmon sense.

    So, Re''Kha decided to sit this one out. As she was looking through the actions of others, she noticed Ki''Nua was bidding for it too, seeming rather interested in the mural.

    ''Did she always have this much interest in murals?'' Re''Kha thought of the time when Ki''Nua was telling her about the metal b painting¡ªinscription¡ªthat she had obtained before. Just by the enthusiasm she expressed, there might be a reason she wanted to buy it. Besides, since her metal b painting was taken out to be disposed of, she might be nning to buy this as a form ofpensation.

    As she thought of this, Re''Kha noticed how most of the people bidding for it bailed out soon enough once it crossed 1200 RuQi, feeling that it wasn''t worth it anymore. Only two people were bidding for it now, Ki''Nua and another person seated at the very back.

    For some reason, when Re''Kha focused on the person at the back, her heart began to thump rapidly all of a sudden. Moreover, when she slipped in through the gaps in the other party''s gown in hopes of seeing the face, she was shocked.

    For, all she could see was a nk space. There wasn''t anything else, as if the other party''s entire skin was suffused with Elemental Qi.

 Chapter 212 - Purely Air

    ''Who is that? And how did they managed to achieve this?'' Re''Kha frowned, thinking if the other party dissolved an Elemental Qi Essence into liquid form and coated it on their skin?

    But, she was unable to determine just how they managed to do it. After all, an Elemental Qi Essence was incredibly hard. It wasn''t possible to shatter one easily. Moreover, despite the difficulty, when it was ground to dust, the Elemental Qi inside one would simply seep into the surroundings, causing its value to plummet.

    Just grounding one alone was almost impossible, unless they used an Elemental Qi Essence after all the Elemental Qi inside it was expended. Then it was easy, for it turned brittle.

    But to get any property of Elemental Qi into any item, the Elemental Qi Essence had to be forged when it was filled with Elemental Qi. Just grinding one to dust alone was difficult. But, turning it into a solvent and coating it on the skin was even more difficult, if not straight-up impossible.

    Moreover, if the case had been something like this, the guards at the auction house should have sensed something amiss during their inspections while using an Elemental Qi Essence fragment.

    So, it was indeed odd Re''Kha coulde across such an individual. But, upon scanning the person from top to bottom after passing through the gaps in their fabric, Re''Kha noticed how their entire body was one big nk space, rather sharp at that.

    The quality of the Elemental Qi was on the same level as her armour. So, it was incredibly suspicious. Moreover, due to her doubts, Re''Kha enveloped the entire ce in her Wind Qi perception, seeping her attention into the gowns of everyone, frowning more and more.

    She noticed how there were quite a lot among the participants, now that she had looked through carefully. And, almost half among them had been the ones who had pulled up the lever for the mural during the first bid.

    The more she thought about it, the more suspicious Re''Kha felt. Moreover, her attention was grabbed by a certain individual seated in seat number 2021. This individual had ced her hand inside her gown and brought it towards her mouth, acting as if she was just scratching her cheek.

    But in actuality, she had opened her mouth a little and was slowly pulling out a thin fment. The fment was a nk space, simr to the rest that Re''Kha had seen.

    Thedy in the seat was slowly but surely spreading the fment across her body. The fment seemed rather alive as it wriggled and adjusted itself to the contours of her body, outlining her figure perfectly.

    Soon, she closed her mouth, having taken out the entire fment. Her entire figure was one big nk space to Re''Kha now.

    ''A Scheme¡­'' Re''Kha thought, unable to determine the cause. But upon seeing their enthusiasm on the mural, she determined they were there for it.

    Re''Kha swiftly looked at the money all the suspicious individuals had brought over, frowning as the amount wasn''t much. Most of them had around 500-800 RuQi. There were only three individuals who had greater than 1000 RuQi.

    And finally, the individualpeting with Ki''Nua was the only person who had the highest amount among them all. He was only short of Ki''Nua by a little amount. But, he seemed determined to obtain it no matter what.

    As for Ki''Nua, she too seemed hell-bent on obtaining it, not even relenting as she continued to increase the price. After the battle between the two of them continued, Ki''Nua increased the bid by another 100 RuQi, raising the total to 3600 RuQi. She only had 82 RuQi remaining after this.

    Thankfully, her opponent had run out of money to spend, cursing as he didn''t seem to wish to ept his defeat. Though, he hadn''t cursed aloud, for the auction rules clearly warned against doing so.

    All he did was curse under his breath while mming on his lever, as if he was venting a little. Though, the moment Re''Kha heard the contents of his statement, her blood turned cold while murderous rage broiled within her.

    "Shit, even pooling most of our money, I still failed to obtain that item. It will be difficult to control those three without that mural. Damn that seat number 200. Just you wait. I''ll personally kill you and snatch that mural, no matter what. Our n is close topetition, dammit. If not for our regional base getting destroyed, we wouldn''t have been short on money."

    Judging by his voice, it seemed to be a man in histe forties. And, judging by the tone of his voice, he was somewhat flustered, angry at himself for not being able to obtain it. But as she heard the contents, Re''Kha could easily determine their identity.

    The Mysterious Organisation!

    ''So, the three Sha are theirs too. And, they seemed to be concocting something here.'' Re''Kha tore off a piece of paper and noted the seat numbers of everyone that had been acting suspiciously. She wrote a word of caution and folded the note as much as possible before it was but a small piece.

    She then took a deep breath, trying to regte her breathing as she calmed herself, ncing at the auctioneerdy, ''I have to do something.''

    Her Pranic Heart continued to circte the Water Qi through her meridians. All the water Qi entered her Pranic Heart, changed nature, and was pumped out as Wind Qi. After taking in a deep breath, Re''Kha ced her hand forward, facing the palm downward, away from the line of sight of others.

    It was also blocked by the gown, anotheryer of caution. 10 units of her Wind Qi condensed and turned into her Pranic Avatar, Rupak that immediately shrunk itself by condensing all the Wind Qi into a smaller form.

    At present, it was only the side of her palm, the smallest it could be. As the inside of the auction house was clean and bereft of any wind, it was invisible to the naked eye.

    The Rupak grabbed hold of the paper in its beak and flew out, silent in its departure, not even causing any stray winds due to the pping of its wings. At present, its body was purely air.

 Chapter 213 - Beware

    Thanks to her master''s arrangement, Re''Kha possessed two Pranic Avatars now, the Balou, and the Rupak. The Balou was possessed by everyone in the Burkurel Re n. But as for the Rupak, she was its sole possessor.

    Every Pranic Avatar had its distinct traits, both positive and negative. And, their traits determined their value. As for the Balou, it wasn''t anything special. But, it possessed tough skin and was able to elerate for a short distance.

    This gave the Harmonisers possessing it the ability to charge through a crowd in battles. Moreover, if there was something that blocked their paths, they could depend on their Balou to ram through it.

    Possessing a tough defence, armoured from top to bottom, and the ability to elerate for short distances, it was the perfect tank. Moreover, it was a water attributed beast. So, it was even stronger during the Water Season.

    To the Burkurel Re n, it was one of their best choices.

    As for the Rupak, it had two traits. The first was being able topletely take on the form of the Elemental Qi used to summon it. So, when it was summoned using Water Qi, it would be a being of water. The case was the same for Wood Qi and Wind Qi.

    Its second trait was being able to morph its size. It couldn''t change itself too much but was still able to expand and shrink to a certain extent. When it is a beast in the wild, this trait wasn''t pronounced enough, sincepressing and expanding flesh and bones wasn''t an easy issue.

    But as a Pranic Avatar, its body was made by the Elemental Qi. So, such changes were possible. Though, it did consume some Elemental Qi in the process.

    Now that she used Wind Qi to summon it, the Rupak''s body wasposed of air. Without any dust to highlight it, it was invisible to the naked eye. Still, Re''Kha couldn''t be careless. After all, it was holding the paper bit in its beak.

    Even though it was tiny, it was still visible to anyone that saw it. After all, Rupak''s body was entirely transparent. So, people would be able to notice the piece of paper moving. That was why she was careful.

    She and the Rupak had shared thoughts. They were one and the same. So, Re''Kha didn''t even need to give it any instructions. It was just an extension of her body that operated individually.

    Closing her eyes, Re''Kha rested, cing all her concentration on the Rupak. At present, it was just a palm-sized bird that had left her box andnded on the floor immediately. It was risky flying above, in fear someone might notice the tiny piece of paper flying past.

    Even though the auction house was fairly dim, all Harmonisers had impressive eyesight. So, there wasn''t a chance they might miss seeing it fly past them. To avoid that, the Rupak moved on the floor, away from the attention of everyone.

    Using the path of traversal that they used to enter their respective boxes, the Rupak moved past. As it was hidden from the view of everyone, it was the perfect ce for it to fly past. Moreover, its wings pped continuously, allowing it to hover in one ce like a statue. The only thing that would move would be its wings.

    It was simr to a hummingbird.

    Soon, the Rupak reached the end of the row and entered the path on the side of the auction house. It swiftly made a turn and entered the row forward, keeping track of the situation as it moved.

    As the entire auction house was in her Wind Qi perception, Re''Kha kept watch on the people; the Rupak only moved when their attention wasn''t anywhere near the ce it was moving through. This way, the Rupak managed to reach the first row without being noticed.

    The only thing to be noticed was the piece of paper in its beak. It was a tiny object to be noticed.

    It was slightly risky from this point onwards as the Rupak arrived at one corner and moved behind a curtain, using it to scale up. It had to be as slow as possible to not shake the curtain and make it apparent something was moving within.

    Thankfully, the attention of everyone was on the mural. After confirming that the attention of everyone was indeed on the mural, the Rupak exited the curtain andnded on the stage. Half of the stage was curtained, allowing for the people working behind to keep track of the situation and join in to reinforce if something turned amiss.

    The Rupak had difficulties but it still managed to reach the centre of the stage by using the curtain, arriving behind the mural. It then crept up the mural, stopped right before reaching the top and spat out the paper bit after taking careful aim.

    Thanks to the Wind Qi perception, Re''Kha was able to arrange everything perfectly and act ordingly. Still, she had spent a lot of time in this process.

    The paper bit made a small arc andnded on the fur coat of the auctioneerdy. As she was part of the Royal n, Re''Kha thought giving her a heads up would be the best course of action. As everything happened behind her, no one managed to notice anything amiss.

    As for the two young Harmonisers that had pushed the mural on the trolley, they were busy moving it out of the stage and hence hadn''t noticed Rupak''s action. The moment the paper bitnded on her fur coat, the auctioneerdy felt it immediately.

    She just acted natural, making it seem like she was adjusting her hair a little as she felt around the fur coat, picking up the paper bit. Upon sensing it based on touch, she was puzzled for a moment, shooting a nce at the two young Harmonisers that were moving forth the mural.

    ''Strange, where did thise from?'' She was confused, unable to detect anything around her that could possibly do it. She then gave the two young Harmonisers some instructions, acting as if they were facing some difficulties in moving out the mural that was akin to a wall.

    Using it as the reason, she appeared backstage and quickly opened the paper bit, frowning immediately.

 Chapter 214 - Four Elemental Hammer Magic Artifacts

    "Beware!"

    "2021, 617, 922¡­" The auctioneerdy read the contents of the piece of paper that had one word and a set of numbers. As she read through them all, she frowned, ''Isn''t this the seat numbers? Just who sent this?''

    She was wholly confused, feeling fear at this mysterious individual that was able to send her this paper chit without her knowledge. It was unnerving. Though, she took a second nce at the contents of the chit, immersed in thought for a moment before returning to the stage, ''For whatever reason, someone sent me this. First, let me observe their seats and see if something is amiss.''

    She thought, looking around the auction house as usual, but was subtly marking the seats that were mentioned in the paper bit. As for the paper bit, she kept it in her pocket for now.

    Then, without any change in expression, she cheered on like usual, "Now, the next item is something a lot of you might be interested in."

    As a young Harmoniser pushed forth arge trolley, she pulled its nket, revealing the item within. There were four hammers within, each in different colours. Upon disying the hammers, she didn''t even need to say anything as the crowd stirred.

    She could hear a lot of them taking in a sharp breath in shock, smiling, "Right, just as you have guessed, these are forging hammers. They were Magic Artifacts themselves and have been made in such a way only the face of the hammer head emits Elemental Qi. These four hammers are one of the items sent by the capital."

    "Each hammer represents one element. It is clear based on their colour. You can use it to forge Magic Artifacts. The hammers will be sold separately," She announced with boisterousughter, "This is one of this auction''s main items. We''ll first start with the Fire Qi Hammer. Starting price is 1200 RuQi."

    Everyone who had rtion to the fire element was stirred up to the extent they even nned to spend all their money to obtain the hammer. After all, it was a tool used to forge Magic Artifacts.

    Normal tools were useless and couldn''t even damage the Elemental Qi Essence. So, only a hammer containing Elemental Qi of the respective Elemental Qi Essence was able to process it. But even then, it needed stringent requirements.

    After all, its quality had to be superior to the Magic Artifact being forged. Otherwise, it would cause wastage in the Elemental Qi Essence and even result in a subpar item. Moreover, if they had the hammer, they obtained the qualifications to create Magic Artifacts using the Elemental Qi Essences they obtained.

    This way, they didn''t have to spend fortunes to obtain any Magic Artifacts. At present, each Elemental n only possessed one such hammer. And hence, when they were working on a Magic Artifact, they couldn''t use it on another.

    With a second hammer, they could forge at twice the pace, obtaining the qualifications to equip more of their members with Magic Artifacts in times of need. It would result in a qualitative change.

    Therefore, the moment the price was announced, everyone bid with an increment of 1000 RuQi directly, disying the sheer value it possessed. Moreover, everyone wished to obtain the hammer for themselves.

    If they possessed the hammer, then all forging duties of Magic Artifacts in their n would fall into their hands. This meant their status in the n would be second to the Elders, on par with the n Head. It was way too sweet a deal to be missed upon.

    Moreover, since all the Elemental Qi Essence would go through their hands to be manufactured into Magic Artifacts, this meant none of the nsmen would try to get on their bad side. It was not to mention the sheer profits they could make within the n itself.

    Even otherwise, in their free time, they could forge some elemental weapons to generate more profit. The hammer would be their family''s heirloom, making them one of the pirs of their respective Elemental n.

    Moreover, if they had some talented younger generation that was able toprehend three units of Elemental Qi per year, and if said child matured into a powerhouse, they could even be the n''s central pir. In the future, the n Head would only be born from their family.

    The advantages were long-term. So, the eyes of everyone among the audience wereden with greed, including the n Heads. None of them had any intention of missing this opportunity. After all, there were four Elemental ns per city.

    And in their state, there were three cities in total. It was not to mention the Four Great ns serving under the Royal n of each city. And, there might even be the case someone from the Royal n of the three cities might be among the crowd, just waiting to obtain this to elevate the status of their family in the Royal n.

    So, thepetition was tough right from the start.

    After looking for a moment, Re''Kha didn''t even have any intention to participate. Obtaining the hammer didn''t give her any advantage, neither now nor during the future. She never had any interest in forging, so she didn''t bother with it and just looked at the heated bidding with interest.

    She also diverted part of her attention on the suspicious people among the crowd, noticing that they too were bidding furiously. But they were giving up one after another as the price exceeded the amount they had brought.

    Re''Kha was also interested in the change in behaviour of Ki''Nua who was sighing in relief while patting her heart. She also seemed to look around from within her box, trying to sense for something.

    Re''Kha didn''t know the details, but her interest was garnered, wondering the reason Ki''Nua spent that much fortune in buying the mural that probably didn''t have any use for her.

    When she tried to sense it, all Re''Kha could perceive was a wall of nk space. And judging by what the auctioneerdy had said, it was coated with Earth Qi. So, even if Ki''Nua had been enthusiastic about such murals, spending 3600 RuQi on it was too much.

    After all, it was way too much money. And considering her past interaction, she seemed like an individual who was well aware of the value of money. So, her actions didn''t make much sense. Besides, Re''Kha had some more suspicions.

 Chapter 215 - Kiâ€™Nua Takes Action

    "13,470 RuQi, going once¡­going twice¡­going thrice¡­sold!" The auctioneerdy shouted, "Congrattions to seat number 319 for obtaining this treasure."

    She thenughed, "The next is the Water Qi hammer. The starting price is 1200 RuQi. You can bid for it now!"

    The sounds of the levers going up resounded throughout the auction house as most of the participants increased the price by 1000 RuQi. All along, the auctioneerdy had been observing the seats pointed in the paper but was unable to detect anything amiss.

    She was getting more and more confused, wondering the reason she received the piece of paper in the first ce. For a moment, the thought that someone was screwing with her did cross her mind. But despite being alert all along, she hadn''t managed to sense the paper bit until it hit her fur coat.

    Moreover, at the time, the two young Harmonisers were moving the mural. She had been observing them through the corner of her eye, so they wouldn''t have been the ones to do that. So in the end, she didn''t manage to detect the person that gave her this note of caution.

    ''Who managed to do this? Such a mysterious person.'' She mentally sighed, nning to consult one of her friends during break timeter. She then concentrated fully on the auction, smiling as the price for each hammer continued to increase.

    Eventually, a winner emerged as she shouted, "14,991 going thrice¡­sold! Congrattions to seat number 11 for obtaining this hammer."

    "Of course, mother wouldn''t miss such a chance," Re''Kha muttered as she sighed. After delivering the message, the Rupak vanished from the stage. It just dissolved into the air. As the air already contained Wind Qi, its actions didn''t cause any stir.

    Re''Kha returned to the base state of her cultivation technique, noticing how there were only two units of Water Qi circting in her meridians now. She ced her hands away from the line of sight of the auctioneerdy and opened the entrance to her storage space, taking out a Water Qi Essence from it.

    She then ced it within her gown and activated it, creating a tiny bubble that wrapped around her head. A tinge of it was absorbed into her armour, replenishing the tiny expenditure the Magic Artifact embedded in it had experienced before.

    Re''Kha awaited a couple of moments until all the Wind Qi within the bubble was destroyed and the Water Qi attained the saturation point. She then took in a deep breath, inhaling the air full of Water Qi.

    The Water Qi seeped into her lungs, mixed with her blood, and was pumped throughout her body. And when it arrived at her heart, a thin channel siphoned all the Water Qi from her heart and into her Pranic Heart.

    The quantity of Water Qi circting through her meridians continued to increase as Re''Kha took in slow but deep breaths. It took considerable time before she had recovered to her maximum capacity.

    ''It is risky to not have a full capacity of Elemental Qi now.'' Followed by a sigh of relief, Re''Kha carefully ced the Water Qi Essence back in her storage space. She then took in a deep breath and changed her attribute to wind, activating her Wind Qi perception immediately.

    There wasn''t any change in the suspicious people.

    Her mother had managed to obtain the Water Qi hammer while the remaining two hammers were obtained by the respective n Heads. It was indeed surprising that her mother managed to obtain the Water Qi hammer. After all, it was an item contested by the n Heads of the three water ns.

    And, the amount of wealth she amassed wouldn''t be enough topete with them. But, as Re''Kha looked at her mother''s demeanour, she sighed, "Indeed, she wouldn''t leave things so easily."

    Her mother''s demeanour was no different from a n Head. And the arrogance suffused in her every action was as if she had been in the position for considerable decades. And considering the amount she had brought with her, it was no inferior to the n Heads.

    "Right, if she didn''t have such a foundation, she wouldn''t have begun to fight with the Central Lake Head in the first ce." Re''Kha sighed.

    The position of the n Head was obtained through numerous factors, both internal, and external. And, only the best of the best in the n, one who was only inferior to the Elders obtained the right to be called the n Head.

    The first was personal strength, which was the most important. It was followed by the foundation, revenue streams, followers, soldiers, etc. Only the person that reigns supreme among everything was called the n Head.

    Though, by the time one managed to obtain this position, they usually retired from the daily chaos and remained in the n for the rest of their lives, managing their n''s affairs.

    Her mother was young and hadn''tpletely obtained all qualifications, hence the friction in her n. Re''Kha sighed, clearing her thoughts as she tried to focus on more important things.

    After the four hammers were auctioned off, the subsequent items weren''t as impressive. They were still enough to make the crowd bid crazily for them. After a long time had passed, when the energy in the crowd was beginning to wane, the auctioneerdy smiled, "Let''s take a short break. We''ll resume with another treasure sent from the capital."

    Re''Kha patted her stomach, feeling a bit hungry. But unfortunately for her, food wasn''t served during the auction. It was to prevent any problems from cropping up. Everyone among the crowd had been prepared ordingly, so there weren''t any problems from them.

    There was silence in the auction house as the auctioneerdy was just about to retreat backstage when one of the ountants pulled a lever. Sighing, the auctioneerdy looked around, exchanging information with the ountant with a couple of hand signals.

    She then gazed at one of the seats in the front, "Seat number 200, please wait while we escort you out. The items you have bid for will be packed and sent to you shortly."

 Chapter 216 - Kiâ€™Nua And Her Arsenal Of Items

    ''Why is Ki''Nua leaving so soon? Wasn''t she excited about this auction?'' Re''Kha frowned, ''As I suspected, something is different about her now.''

    Two of the young Harmonisers that had brought in the items at the start arrived before seat number 200, escorting Ki''Nua to the backstage. They nned to direct her to the exit from there.

    Re''Kha swooped in on their conversation, watching one of the young Harmonisers talk to Ki''Nua, "You''ll only be able to leave once the auction ends. Until then, you''ll have to wait in one of the exclusive carriages where we''ll load your items. Please don''t worry. You''ll be the first to leave once the auction ends."

    "That''s fine by me," Ki''Nua replied, feeling her heart thump in tension. She then proceeded as directed by the two young Harmonisers, arriving at a room where a group of Harmonisers from the Royal n were seated behind a counter.

    They were in charge of returning the remainder of the money that wasn''t spent in the auction. When Ki''Nua gave them her metal b, they looked at the number on it, referring to what the ountant had informed them.

    One of thedies spoke, "Your bnce is 82 RuQi. Do you need it in any specific denomination?"

    "Anything is fine," Ki''Nua spoke.

    "Alright," Thedy behind the counter took an embroidered pouch and carried it with her, approaching a couple of cylinders as she took out coins from them and put them into the pouch. She paced 7 ten RuQi coins, 5 two RuQi coins, and 2 one RuQi coins in it and gave them to Ki''Nua, "Check and see if they are correct.

    As she had already seen the other party put the money in the pouch, Ki''Nua didn''t bother to count, taking the pouch as she left the room. She was then escorted to another room where a couple of people stood before the mural.

    One of them made a formal bow towards her, saying, "You can verify this once to see whether it is what you have bought. We''ll then pack it for you."

    The thumping of her heart and the mysterious feeling she felt from it were enough to guarantee the mural''s authenticity. So, Ki''Nua nodded, "It is this indeed."

    She then touched the mural once, retracting her hand immediately as the Earth Qi coating it prickled her. She then looked at the others, "Can you please leave me alone here for some time? I bought this for research purposes. And since I have a lot of time to kill until the auction ends, I''ll be researching it."

    One of the Harmonisers in charge of maintaining the mural nodded, showing that they didn''t mind it, "But, please note that we won''t reimburse you with the money if you find any faults with it now."

    "I don''t intend to." Ki''Nua smiled, seeing the other party nod and apany everyone else to exit. They locked the door securely, ensuring no one would disturb her. Moreover, the locking mechanism was simple. If she wished, she could exit it any time.

    Moreover, two Harmonisers were posted at the entrance to prevent anything amiss from happening. Moreover, a lot of Harmonisers from the Royal n were patrolling the area. So, nothing unexpected would ur.

    Upon seeing that she was alone, Ki''Nua heaved a sigh in relief, "I didn''t expect something like this to appear. I''ll definitely make this mine, First Celestial Emperor."

    She swapped ces with her Pranic Avatar. There wasn''t even a flicker apanying the swap. Moreover, her Pranic Avatar looked no different from her current self, the gown included. Now, she approached the mural, standing before it as she gazed at the serpent''s eye, for a moment shuddering in fear.

    She shook her head, "This isn''t a simple serpent."

    She looked throughout the mural, gently cing her hand on the serpent''s eye, flinching when the Earth Qi damaged her. She then seeped her head through it, retracting it immediately as she took a couple of steps back in fear.

    "I understand how this came to be now." She patted her thumping heart, shuddering in fear as she regted her breathing, ''Those Cmities should be behind this. This is what they had been nning in thend of the Treka.''

    She took in deep breaths as her scowl eased up, finally sighing as she looked at the Treka that was wielding a short sword, focusing on the weapon in his hand. She then arrived before it, phasing her hand through the mural as she seemed to be digging for something, relying on her senses as she could feel the dense concentrated Ghost Qi inside.

    ''How the heck did those Cmities devise a method to create Ghost Qi Essence?'' She was puzzled, feeling her Harmoniser knowledge wascking.

    ''But, I''ll be reaping your harvest and will use it to deal with the lot of you in the future.'' Her eyes glinted with faint killing intent as she pulled her hand outward, bringing out an ethereal knife from the mural.

    It was a Magic Artifact, one created using Ghost Qi Essence. It was incredible. Ki''Nua wielded it, feeling that she was able to bring out all its strength. The knife was longer than typical knives; the ded portion alone was almost the length of her hand.

    She then seeped her left hand into the mural, in the ce where the other Treka¡ªthe one with the armour¡ªwas inscribed, pulling out an armour from within. It too was a Magic Artifact, made using Ghost Qi.

    It seemed the mysterious organisation had been using the Kalki they had kidnapped to create Ghost Qi Magic Artifacts using the relics of the Treka.

    Both the knife and the armour were jet ck, not even reflecting any light incident on them. And, as they had been created differently, their shapes seemed fluid.

    The moment she touched them, Ki''Nua immediately knew what to do with them. After all, she too was a Sha now.

    Smiling, she wore the armour, watching it adjust its shape to fit her perfectly. She then strapped the knife to her hip, chuckling once as her form changed. She had swapped ces with her normal form.

    Ki''Nua looked at the mural, "Before they notice anything amiss, let me try to obtain as much information as possible from this mural."

 Chapter 217 - Was It Necessary?

    North-western gate of Burfuna City, the soldiers stationed at the gate were feeling bored now. Most of the crowd that wished to work left in the morning. And, they would only be arriving during the evenings.

    They still had some time before they would be busy. At present, the soldiers were just chit-chatting with each other, making small talk.

    Through the main road appeared a carriage, driven by a couple of horses. All the horses were cared for in massive sheds in the city built exclusively for them. So, everyone that owned a horse would leave them in the shed and pay a certain fee for the caretakers to take care of the horses'' wellbeing.

    And when they wished to take them, they had toplete a couple of formal procedures. After that, the horses would be harnessed to the carriage they either rented or owned for the asion. And, the ce where all the carriages were stored was right opposite to all the sheds of the horses.

    This way, the process was efficient. Moreover, there was a wide road connecting them to the main road of the city, allowing them speedy exit when necessary. And now, treading on the main road was a rather old carriage driven by two horses.

    The horses were on the older side, looking like they had to retire from duty within a couple of years. The coachman was in his fifties, slightly malnourished. And, seated within the carriage were two people, slightly cramped in the seats.

    The remainder of the carriage space was filled with goods, seemingly food, and other daily necessities. The soldiers immediately motioned for the carriage to stop. As the coachman struggled a bit to stop it, one of the soldiers opened the carriage door and looked inside, noticing the figures of a man in his seventies and a girl barely in her teens.

    The old man seemed to be her grandfather. And, he didn''t seem to be in the best of health, having suffered from numerous injuries during his service that wasn''t treated. Just a nce at them showed that they weren''t well off.

    The soldier looked at the old man, speaking with a brisk tone, "Please show me your permit."

    "Here," The old man seemed reluctant but took in a deep breath, seemingly epting his fate as he fished out a metal te and handed it over to the soldier.

    "This isn''t the city permit¡­" The soldier frowned as he looked at the metal b, realising the content as his eyes widened, suffused with a look of pity. He then returned it to the old man, "Which settlement are you nning to head towards?"

    "Ka (Fire) n''s Southern Settlement." The old man sighed while replying.

    "May you lead a stress-free life there," The soldier patted his chest as he pointed at the goods in the carriage, "We need to make a sweep of the goods, sir. It won''t take long."

    The old man nodded, seemingly having lost the energy to say anything. All along, his granddaughter hadn''t spoken a single word. She just sat in silence, not even having the intention to do anything.

    A couple of years ago, she had lost her parents to a Sha. At least, her grandmother and grandfather were alive while her brother had be a soldier and became the breadwinner of their house. It was hard, but they still managed to get by and pay the required taxes to stay within the city.

    But, such times didn''tst long. Her brother had been drafted to the raid into thend of the Treka. Even though the raid was a sess, they had lost a lot of lives in the process, and one of them was her brother.

    The news of his death sent her grandmother into shock, iming her life. And, as if that wasn''t enough, a couple of dayster, she lost her eyes to the Blinded Ghost. Devastated, her grandfather was helpless.

    Their source of ie was cut short while the living members of their family consisted of an old man and a blinded teenager. Even if they wished for, they had no other means to live within the city. And, before they were kicked out, they used the remainder of their savings to find a spot in the Ka n''s Southern Settlement.

    The old man managed to find a job. Although it was a low-paying job, it would give them enough to get by in the Settlement. But, he had lost all hope. With his granddaughter blind, there wasn''t anyone to take care of him as he grew old.

    Moreover, he had to take care of her instead. And the day he fell ill was when she would be stranded on the streets. Currently, their expressions were gloomy. And after she had witnessed the deaths of her family one after another, and had also lost her sight, the girl shut herself in her heart, no longer talking or even doing anything.

    She looked like she was weing her death. And, it was evident as the strings making her Tikka jewellery sported signs of damage.

    After the inspection concluded, the soldiers allowed them to leave the city, watching the carriage pass through the gates and proceed north.

    One of the soldiers sighed, "Such a tragedy."

    "If we don''t stay alive, our family will suffer from the same fate." Another soldiermented with a sigh.

    There was silence in the surroundings before one of them spoke, "If I were to die in the future, please take care of my family."

    "Likewise, us brothers need to support each other in these troubled times."

    "Heh, when were the times not troubling? We have enemies on all sides."

    "You are right about that."

    The carriage continued to move forth as it proceeded on a well-paved road connecting the city to the nearest settlement. The old man closed his eyes as he sighed,cking the motivation and hope to see the next day.

    All he could do was pat his granddaughter''s head as a form of constion as he looked at the sight of the city walls looking smaller and smaller. Since birth, he had lived in Burfuna City. And now in his old age, he was leaving it. As he thought about it, tears streamed out from his eyes, "A Raid¡­on the Treka. Was it necessary?"

 Chapter 218 - The Whistle

    Seated at the back of the auction house was a man veiled by the gown. He was the one that had fought against Ki''Nua in a war of money to obtain the mural. After seeing the couple of young Harmonisers move the mural away from the stage, he looked at it with a longing expression, cursing softly.

    The auctioneerdy had announced a short break and was just about to return backstage when the person in seat number 200 pulled out their rectangr b, prompting one of the ountants seated in the tform embedded in the walls to pull a lever,municating with the auctioneerdy.

    She then looked at the person in seat number 200, motioning for a couple of Harmoniser to escort the person out.

    He saw how the person had a short stature. And judging by the gait, she seemed feminine. ''So, either she''s someone young or from the Vi n. But considering the amount of money she has, she should most probably be someone high up in one of the Vi ns.''

    ''But, it doesn''t matter. We have to obtain that mural no matter what.'' He then noticed how Ki''Nua was leaving the auction house, frowning, ''If she leaves this ce, tracking her would be almost impossible. After numerous difficulties, we managed to track this mural. All of us would lose our lives upon this failure. Dammit!''

    ''I didn''t wish to resort to this. But I have no other choice now.'' He scowled as he grabbed hold of a thin cylinder, the size of his finger, hung on his neck. It was shaped like a flute, only able to produce a single sound.

    His hands shivered for a moment as he held it, taking in a deep breath before blowing into it. He didn''t produce any sound, as if the flute was broken. But upon blowing into it, he wiped the sweat covering his forehead.

    Having been spying on him all along, Re''Kha could immediately perceive something was amiss when the grey sand world around him trembled. And, thanks to her Wind Qi perception, she heard a faint high-pitched sound.

    She could immediately sense that it was something that could only be registered in her Wind Qi perception and not in her ears. ''Isn''t that simr to what the olddy had done while storing the three Sha?''

    Re''Kha frowned, feeling jittery for a moment as she thought something might happen. Though, when she saw how there were many powerful people around her and how the auction house was situated quite near to the Royal n, she calmed down a little.

    There were also a lot of guards and Harmonisers from the Royal n patrolling the area.

    ''If ites to the worst, I can at least use my Rupak to fly away from this ce.'' She thought, calming herself. When it expanded to its maximum size, the Rupak was able to carry her on its back.

    That way, she would be able to fly away. Moreover, she had enough Elemental Qi Essences to use and recover her Elemental Qi. So, Re''Kha would always be able to remain at an optimal state and act ordingly.

    As she thought of it, Re''Kha extended her Wind Qi perception, training on the figure of Ki''Nua, watching her remain in a room far away and study the mural. It seemed she was waiting for the auction to end and was unable to satiate her curiosity any longer.

    That was why she began to study the mural immediately. ''The target is the mural.''

    Re''Kha then thought of her experience from when she stayed in the inn after arriving at Burfuna City, focusing on Ki''Nua as she mouthed a word, "Leave!"

    Re''Kha immediately perceived a bubble trail from her mouth and quickly fly through the auction house, swerving through the corridors before arriving at the entrance of the room Ki''Nua was inside.

    But, this room was almost air-tight. And considering the side of the bubble, it wasn''t able to seep inside through the gaps. The moment it tried to pass through, it copsed when it hit the door, causing her voice to resound in the area, startling the couple of Harmonisers who stood guard at the ce.

    "Leave!"

    Upon hearing an unfamiliar feminine voice, the two Harmonisers were startled. Then, they looked around, seeing that no one else was around them. They looked at the faces of each other, muttering, "This doesn''t seem like the voice of thedy from inside. Then¡­"

    "Is there a Sha being birthed here?"

    "I''ll go and inform my aunt about this."

    "Hurry back soon, don''t leave me alone here."

    "Are you scared?"

    "Of course, I''m a hatchling Harmoniser. I can''t face a Sha on my own, even if it was birthed just now."

    "Fine fine, I''ll be back soon."

    ¡­

    Many streets away from the auction house was a restaurant. It was a fairly big restaurant, four storeys high. It faced a fairly important road and had considerable traffic.

    And situated behind it was an inconspicuous house, two storeys high. And, this house was inhabited by a family who was quite well off. Their family had been living in it for generations, and hence, had saved up enough tost a couple of decades.

    Moreover, the working members of the household had fairly important positions, so they were well off. Currently, their house''s entrance was closed as the family members were outside, making what seemed to be a wooden sculpture.

    A couple of familiar passers-by waved their hands and inquired details about it, smiling as they chit-chatted a bit before leaving. It seemed the household was having fun with the activity that they had nned for family bonding.

    But, everything was a ruse. It was just to avoid any neighbours from visiting at this time and entering their house. After all, currently in their water tank, situated on their terrace were three people, standing still as they gazed at the crate before them.

    And, seated in the living room was an olddy in her eighties. Currently, she was seated in a meditative pose, wearing the gloved bracelet Magic Artifact on her right hand. Her ears were trained on her surroundings, seemingly trying to hear something.

    Finally, after a long time had passed, she could hear something, shooting her eyes open as she walked through the living room and climbed the stairs, sighing, "I didn''t want it toe to this point. But we have no other choice but to act prematurely. If only our branch wasn''t raided, obtaining that mural would have been simple."

 Chapter 219 - The Muralâ€™s History

    The olddy arrived at the terrace, making a general sweep of the surroundings to see if there were any eyes on her or the terrace in general. She had worn an armour to protect herself. And considering her age and the fact that she was within the city, it was an odd sight.

    And even though she draped a gown over it, it was still odd enough the onlookers might gaze for a longer time just to satiate their curiosity. So, to prevent anyone from looking at her, the olddy waited and only made a move when she was assured there were no eyes on her.

    She quickly arrived before the water tank, climbing up the short flight of stairs that trailed over the tank, arriving at its top. The cover on it was kept open as the olddy peeked inside, looking at her three children that were staring at the crate before them.

    The crate was fully submerged underwater. They had arrived at this ce at the crack of dawn and had hurriedly brought the crate into the water tank to be kept safe.

    The olddy stared at everyone for a while, not speaking anything as she regted her breath. Then, followed by a violent smack to her stomach, she spat out a tiny vial, the size of her little finger''s nail. The vial was seemingly made with a material different from ss but was transparent.

    And, contained in it was a jet-ck rock, segmented into three pieces. They filled up the vial''s interior. The olddy looked at the vial as she sighed, "I never wished to use this. It took us a decade to condense this vial."

    She shook her head, "If only the three Sha reachedplete maturity, I wouldn''t have needed to resort to this. Unfortunately, this is our only choice to secure the mural."

    She then turned silent, her face looking still, like ake. After she breathed a couple of times, her face was suddenly suffused with unprecedented horror, as if she had witnessed the worst of the world.

    The fear she felt caused her body to tremble uncontrobly; all the fear condensed and turned into Fear Qi, being siphoned out of her body the moment she opened the vial. The Fear Qi seeped into the three rocks within the vial, gettingpletely absorbed by them as the olddy uttered with great difficulty, "Secure¡­the¡­mural¡­"

    She then gasped for air, closing the vial as she copsed on the floor, barely inching her arm forth as she dropped the vial into the water tank. Standing within, Pal, the oldest of the three caught the vial, looking at the other two as he nodded, handing one rock to each.

    Fear Qi Essence!

    It was a precious material they had created to suit their agenda. Now, to obtain the mural, an item of greatest importance, they had no choice but to use all the Fear Qi Essence at their disposal.

    The mural was something their branch in thend of Treka had discovered long ago. But, they didn''t dig it out. Rather, they used mysterious methods to create a pathway to it within the ground. And, they conducted live sacrifices of the Kalki before it.

    They then reaped the eyes of the fallen Kalki and inserted them into the mural through mysterious means. After that, they always captured the Kalki soldiers that they defeated in war and tied them to the mural.

    And, as the Kalki soldiers felt fear, they began to generate Fear Qi. And this Fear Qi seeped into the mural, embodying the two Treka inscribed into it, condensing into something within them. Over the years, the Fear Qi slowly nurtured something within the mural.

    As the mural was buried in a ce near the border, it meant wars constantly took ce on the ground. The blood spilled during it seeped into the ground and dripped onto the mural. The Treka were masters of thend, easily able to achieve this feat.

    The blood of the Treka and the Kalki alike dripped onto it. And always, the Treka part of the mysterious organisation ensured at least two Kalki were tied to the mural, alive. So, they were subjected to the constant torture of being bathed in the blood of their allies and enemies alike.

    This continued for 50 years!

    After that, the respective branch was destroyed for some reason, and the information rted to the mural was lost. Subsequent branches of the mysterious organisation had their respective schemes at y and hence hadn''t managed to unearth any clues.

    Moreover, they couldn''t afford to do so, since the branch''s destruction was rather high-profile and fell in the eyes of the Celestial Kings of the Treka.

    Even though information about it was lost, the arrangement still existed. Therefore, as wars were waged, the blood of the Kalki and the Treka continued to drip onto the mural. And, as the eyes of the Kalki were ced within it, it formed a medium to generate and nurture Fear Qi, absorbing all the fear in the blood that the owners had experienced while dying.

    Another 30 years had passed in such a fashion before the Kalkiunched a raid into thend of the Treka. And while they were digging up the ground to set up a trap, they discovered the mural, bringing it back with them.

    As they hadn''t drilled or broken it, they couldn''t discover the arrangements made inside. After all, from an external detection, it was only covered by a denseyer of Earth Qi and the inscriptions on it were vivid enough to inspire a Harmoniser into creating a Pranic Art.

    And, as the Kalki soldiers brought it back into theirnds, a couple of spies among them ryed the news to their branch, alerting them of the mural''s existence. After referring to their records, and considering the time that had spanned, the worth of the mural had surpassed what it was initially created for.

    When the news was transmitted to one of the Cmities that ruled their organisation, their branch was ordered to obtain the mural, no matter the cost. Unfortunately for them, their branch too was raided by someone, causing them significant losses.

    So, they had no other choice but to take drastic measures by expending everything they had worked in creating. And one of them was the Fear Qi Essences that took them a decade to create.

 Chapter 220 - Evolving The Three Sha

    "A decade''s worth of umtion," Pal sighed as he held the Fear Qi Essence fragment in his left hand. The other two did the same, using their right hands to unlock the crate, revealing the three boxes within.

    The three ced their hands on the box they respectively controlled. Pal held the box on the left, trembling as he barely managed to activate it, causing the box to radiate with faint Fear Qi. It was a low-quality box they had created using a Fear Qi Essence fragment they had.

    The amount of Fear Qi it can radiate was pitiful. Moreover, it can only emit it for 30 breaths before requiring to recharge. Also, it needed three months to recover. Even though it was a low-quality item, creating that in itself was immensely difficult.

    After all, Fear Qi and Ghost Qi weren''t natural elements. Therefore, there didn''t exist any Elemental Qi Essence containing these two Elemental Qi. So, they had to struggle a lot to create it. Moreover, processing the created Fear Qi Essence was a mountainous task.

    After all, they didn''t have the required tools to do so. In the end, creating the three boxes was already their limit. The only reason they had done so was to control the three Sha they had been nurturing for a long time.

    The three Sha and the Fear Qi Essence fragments were what their branch had been working on as their top priority. There was also the Rhipa, but it was an impossible project from the start, as they hadn''t managed to birth its Beast King yet.

    And now, they were expending all their Fear Qi Essence fragments to obtain the mural as they had been directed.

    "If our branch wasn''t raided, we wouldn''t have had to resort to this." Pal scowled as veins popped on his hand, barely managing to activate his box. As it emitted Fear Qi, the ring ced within hummed faintly.

    A tiny figure condensed above it, gazing at the sweating Pal with an eerie look. Trembling, Pal presented it with the Fear Qi Essence fragment, watching it take it with interest.

    It then swallowed the Fear Qi Essence fragment, causing something to erupt within its body as it released a suffocating presence, causing the three people to lose bnce immediately. As if it was an illusion, the Sha retreated into its shell.

    But, the ring faintly shimmered with Fear Qi; the Sha was still digesting the Fear Qi Essence fragment, bing explosively dangerous. It seemed to need some more time to fully digest it and evolve.

    Mal, Pal''s younger brother took charge next, taking in a deep breath as he ced his hand on the box on the right, activating it after some time had passed. He noticed the locket within tremble once as its Sha appeared in a miniature form, taking the Fear Qi Essence fragment from him.

    It ate it and retreated into the locket.

    Finally, Cal, ady in her forties, and the youngest of the three did the same to the box in the centre, feeding a Fear Qi Essence fragment to the Sha that condensed from the bangle.

    Once they were done so, the voice of the olddy resounded through the three shells, affecting the three Sha. It was a method the olddy had used to control the three Sha and make them do her bidding.

    And unlike before, she used a Fear Qi Essence fragment to do the same. So, this time, her control over them had surpassed normal levels. Upon seeing the three Sha churning within their respective shells, the olddy sighed in relief as she looked at Pal, "The moment they finish evolving, unleash them all at the same time. If there is any change to the n, I''ll inform through the whistle. So, keep your ears trained to perceive it."

    The whistle was another thing their branch had created. It allowed them to send signals to others among their branch at sounds normal people wouldn''t be able to sense. It was only achievable thanks to an operation conducted in their branch that modified one of their ears with the ears of a certain beast.

    It was why all of them were only able to hear with one ear. The other ear was exclusive to hear the sound produced by the whistle. And appearance-wise, the operated ear was no different to the regr ear, a reason they were able to avoid any suspicion.

    The olddy left the terrace and entered the house, returning to the living room as she blew in her whistle, informing the spy within the auction house about the time it would take for them to take action.

    She then sat on the sofa, gazing with a solemn expression, "It''s time to take action."

    ¡­

    "Now, presented before you is one of the main items of today''s auction. This too was sent by the capital." The auctioneerdy stated with unwavering enthusiasm, revealing a scroll that was rolled up andpletely bound, "This here is an Art of the Element."

    The crowd stirred up in shock as a lot of people were unable to control themselves, dumbfounded as they stood. Seeing their reactions, the auctioneerdy smiled wryly, "I understand your concerns. Even we were shocked when we saw this. But we couldn''t do anything. This was orders straight from the capital."

    She then motioned for the crowd to remain seated, speaking once they took their seats, "This Art of the Elements is called the Fire-Bird. As the name implies, it would create a firebird that you can use to attack your foes. The size of the firebird and its attack range is entirely dependent on the quantity of Fire Qi Essences you have used and the amount of Fire Qi you have imbued into it."

    Followed by a smile, she spoke, watching the crowd''s enthusiasm, "This is a Grade Two Art of the Element. Starting price is 6000 RuQi. You can bid for it now."

 Chapter 221 - Art Of The Element: Fire-Bird

    Art of the Element; it was a scroll that was entirely created using the materials from a Beast King. Only they were suitable to house the properties of one. Numerous patterns, taking reference from the meridians in their bodies would be inscribed on the scroll.

    In actuality, the scroll was the skin of the Beast King. And, the patterns were made using its meridians, the one it used to circte the Elemental Qi in itself. And, these patterns were done to imitate a Pranic Art in effect.

    Essentially, it was the same as unleashing a Pranic Art. But here, the circuit was created beforehand and was finalised into the scroll. And when activated, it only unleashed the effect of a single Pranic Art.

    But, there was an ingenuity used in this, a reason an Art of the Element was tremendously valued. Harmonisers were only able to unleash their Elemental Qi in the form of Pranic Arts. As for the beasts, they were only able to unleash their Elemental Qi in the form of breath attacks.

    An Art of the Element took the best of both worlds andbined them into one. The Art of the Element would condense a projection or effect of some sort like a Pranic Art. And, it could be unleashed forth like a breath attack.

    Moreover, it could be controlled to a certain extent. The range and emission of a breath attack, and the control and creation of a Pranic Art,bined together resulted in an Art of the Element.

    And, the circuit would be made in such a way an Elemental Qi Essence has to be ced in the ce of its Pranic Heart. This Elemental Qi Essence would be what fuels the circuit into activating and unleashing the attack.

    Moreover, the Harmoniser that actuates the Elemental Qi Essence¡ªafter mentally refining it through willpower and forming a connection with it¡ªwould be the one who would control the unleashed effect of the Art of the Element.

    And, the greater the number of Elemental Qi Essences that could be imbued in the Art of the Element, the greater the resulting quality of the pronounced effect. Hence, its grade also varied ordingly.

    An Art of the Element that can only use one Elemental Qi Essence was Grade 1. Simrly, a Grade 2 Art of the Element could house two Elemental Qi Essences. Its range and destructive power were higher.

    Depending on the grade, theplexity of the circuit varies. So, it was progressively more expensive as the grade increased. At present, an Elemental n in their state at most possessed a couple of Grade 1 Art of the Elements.

    Even the Art of the Elements she had stolen from the Burkurel Ju n''s Western Settlement was only Grade 1. And now, the fact that the capital had sent a Grade 2 Art of the Element caused everyone to tremble with greed.

    After all, an Art of the Element had strategic value. In wars, they were the most efficient in killing their foes. And, if they possessed a powerful Art of the Element, their n''s prestige would skyrocket until it would stand at the peak of their state. After that, they might even obtain the chance topletely migrate into a Sect and establish themselves within it.

    After all, the strongest ns of every state were situated in their respective Sect.

    And upon seeing the Grade 2 Art of the Element, even Re''Kha was unable to control herself. But she stopped herself timely, looking at the pace the price increased. ''No, I have four Art of the Elements with me. Even if they are Grade 1, they are beyond what a lone person like myself needs. Besides, in my current blinded state, I cannot even see anything on it. So, even if I get this, I cannot use it.''

    As she thought about it, Re''Kha sighed in disappointment. Even though an Art of the Element was aplex circuit, it couldn''t bepletely sensed through the Wind Qi perception. After all, the Art of the Element contained a strong repulsive force that prevented any other Elemental Qi from approaching it.

    Because of this, Re''Kha was unable to see what was on the scroll at all. It was something only determinable through sight. She had determined their identity in the Burkurel Ju n''s Western Settlement because her Wind Qi perception was repelled from the scrolls.

    And only an Art of the Element disyed this property. So, she immediately knew the hazy nk space she perceived was a scroll¡ªArt of the Element.

    Re''Kha just sat back and watched the auction proceed, inhaling a sharp breath in shock when it was sold for a grand price of 21,000 RuQi. ''Even if I bid for it, I couldn''t have won it.''

    Upon seeing how well it performed, the auctioneerdy was all smiles, shouting, "We''ll look at another main attraction of today''s auction now before proceeding to the final three items of this auction."

    Saying so, she watched a young Harmoniser push forth a trolley with great care, as if he was afraid about it with his life. There was a cloth draped over an item. And, the ends of the cloth were tied to the trolley.

    And, when the trolled was pushed, the cloth pulled at the item within, making it move ordingly. And, just seeing his actions, the crowd lost their cool. Some of them began to sweat in excitement while the rest had flushed faces.

    The auctioneerdy didn''t seem to care about this item as much whenpared to the rest of the treasures. For, it was useless to her and anyone from the Royal n. But as for the rest, it was a life-changing treasure.

    She smiled, slowly removing the cloth to reveal a tiny sphere, shaped like a seed, white in colour. It emitted a copper glow and hovered in the air. Even though its glow was gentle, most among the crowd were tranced by it.

    Followed by a chuckle, the auctioneerdy spoke, "I don''t even need to talk about this much. This is a Copper Pranic Essence. Starting price is 5500 RuQi."

 Chapter 222 - Copper Pranic Essence

    ''I need this the most now.'' Re''Kha became alert, taking in deep breaths to calm herself from making a mistake due to her greed. She then reminded herself that she had enough money to spend, calming herself down eventually before staring at the crowd increasing the price of the item.

    The sounds of the levers being pulled continuously resounded through the auction house as people increased the bid either by 100 RuQi or even by 1000 RuQi. The price snowballed as the auctioneerdy continued to shout with great enthusiasm, increasing the fervour in the auction by a pitch.

    Copper Pranic Essence; it was a substance that elevated the foundation of one''s Pranic Avatar. It was incredibly precious. Currently, both her mother and father had a Pranic Avatar with a single foundation.

    That was why when she became a Harmoniser, her Balou only had one foundation. The Pranic Avatars of everyone in her Burkurel Re n¡ªthe Balou¡ªonly had one foundation. But, if suppose her mother obtains the Copper Pranic Essence, then her Pranic Avatar will have two foundations.

    If she had a child after that, then when the child bes a Harmoniser, his/her Pranic Avatar too would have two foundations¡ªthe same Balou.

    But as Re''Kha had been born before that, her Pranic Avatar''s foundation would remain the same. The foundation would only be transferred from parent to child as a form of bloodline.

    So, if someone obtained the Copper Pranic Essence, their Pranic Avatar would have two foundations and all their future generations too would have the same. So, in a n where everyone else''s Pranic Avatar only had one foundation, if one of them had a Pranic Avatar with two foundations, then without any doubt, they would be the n Head.

    And, their family would be its central pir, forming the mainline from which future n Heads would be birthed. So, no one wished to lose out on such an opportunity.

    Wind Qi Perception!

    Re''Kha quickly spied on the people she had marked from the start, those that had brought in more money than her. She then looked at her notes, looking through their expenditure. ''There is one who almost has the same amount as me. I only have 2 RuQi more than him.''

    She waited in patience, noticing how many were willing to bid for the Copper Pranic Essence. She only wished to participate in the end and try to win it. She was willing to spend all her money in obtaining the Copper Pranic Essence.

    There were three types of Pranic Essence in total: Copper, Silver, and Gold. It was determined by the glow each white sphere radiates.

    A Copper Pranic Essence increases a Pranic Avatar''s Foundation from one to two. A Silver Pranic Essence increases the foundation from two to three. And finally, the Gold Pranic Essence increases the foundation from three to four.

    There wasn''t any Silver Pranic Essence circting in the market. All of them were in the hands of the Fourth Celestial Emperor. And it was usually bestowed to a family if they had contributed significantly to their country.

    As for the Gold Pranic Essence, it was almost something from the legend, for word of it hadn''t emerged for at least a century.

    Even for the Copper Pranic Essence, it only appeared once 80 years ago in an auction conducted in a different state. And that too was because the Fourth Celestial Emperor had sent it to the auction. All the Pranic Essences were strictly in the hands of the Fourth Celestial Emperor.

    Anything that might have appeared in the wilds had already been taken and tucked away in the safety of the royal treasury. So, the only chance for them to obtain the Copper Pranic Essence was in such cases where one of them was dispatched from the capital.

    So, the crowd seethed with desire. The auctioneerdy frowned, unable to bear their heated gazes. Still, she continued to rile up the people, ensuring to increase the price until it reached the maximum amount.

    "11,070 RuQi¡­whoa, seat number 2197 has increased it by 100 RuQi. Seat number 1 has increased it by 100 RuQi. Seat number 3 has increased it by 1000 RuQi."

    Finally, when the price reached 16,000 RuQi, the flurry of the levers had almost stopped. There were just five people who werepeting for it. And Re''Kha determined they were the n Heads. She wasn''t interested in determining which n''s Head they were, only focusing on obtaining the Copper Pranic Essence.

    Besides, she was guaranteed at the fact that she had the highest of them all. It was because they came across a lot of important treasures before and had bought some of them. Otherwise, she wouldn''t have been this rxed.

    After all, no amount of money could obtain it. Re''Kha grabbed hold of the lever on the right extreme, pulling it up.

    The auctioneerdy immediately spotted it, announcing it with a boisterous tone, "Seat number 207 has increased the price by another 1000 RuQi. The total stands at 18,570 RuQi. Do we have a winner amongst ourselves?"

    Immediately, another lever was pulled with force, a tad louder sound than usual. The person was showing their anger through it, disying their vigour and tenacity to buy the item. They had increased the price by another 1000 RuQi.

    Re''Kha increased it by another 100 RuQi, bringing the total to 19,670. She had a total of 20,062 remaining on her.

    "Seat number 27 increases the bid by another 100 RuQi. Wow, what a fierce match. We have the contest of the decade before us." The auctioneerdy announced as Re''Kha increased the price by another 100 RuQi.

    The other party increased it by another 100, bringing the total to 19,970 RuQi. All the others had dropped out by now, as the price exceeded the amount they had brought. They could only regret and see the two people bid for it relentlessly.

    The two then had no other choice but to increase the price by 10 RuQi each in turns, finally stopping at 20,060 RuQi, the maximum amount brought by the person in seat number 27.

    They had tied!

 Chapter 223 - The Key To Becoming A Martial Master

    "Wow, for the first time in this auction, we have a tie, folks¡­" The auctioneerdy was just speaking in amusement when she was interrupted by the sound of a lever being pulled. For a moment, the auction house was silent.

    She gazed at seat number 207, looking at a lever that was pulled which propped a certain metal te, allowing her to see the single-digit number inscribed on it. For a moment, she was lost for words.

    Re''Kha had increased the price by 1 RuQi. It was the first of the four levers, one whose existence was forgotten by everyone as no one ever used it. Everyone who had arrived at this auction at least had some money with them.

    So, they never resorted to using the first lever that increased the bid by 1 RuQi. Even if one did that, the auctioneerdy wouldn''t even nce their way. Moreover, it was embarrassing. So, the minimum most they increased a bid by was 10 RuQi.

    And as all the items were treasures, the jump in numbers was usually by 100 RuQi, sometimes even 1000 RuQi. After all, 10 RuQi was a small amount. So, if someone saw that it was going to win, they would increase it by another 10 RuQi. After all, it wasn''t much to anyone seated in the auction house.

    Therefore, during the final stages of an item''s bid, even the lever with 10 RuQi wasn''t ever pulled. And now that the lever with 1 RuQi was pulled, it took some time before the auctioneerdy remembered it, expressing her shock as she spoke, "Seat number 207 has increased the price by 1 RuQi. Do we have a winner among ourselves?"

    Re''Kha could hear the person in seat number 27 curse. As the person had controlled his tone, the auctioneerdy hadn''t heard him. So, he wasn''t escorted out for disrupting the auction''s atmosphere by not following its rules.

    After repeating it thrice, the auctioneerdy smiled, "The Copper Pranic Essence has been sold to seat number 207 for 20,061 RuQi."

    ''Finally,'' Re''Kha thought as she could feel some sense of danger, immediately lifting her metal b¡ªthe one with her seat number and her total amount. The ountant in charge of her seat immediately sensed it, pulling a lever as he motioned the detail to the auctioneerdy.

    The auctioneerdy didn''t say anything, just assuming the winner was too excited to receive the Copper Pranic Essence and was unable to control herself. A couple of Harmonisers arrived and Escorted Re''Kha through the backstage, bringing her to a certain room.

    It was the counter where they would be returned their unused money. When Re''Kha arrived there, thedy behind the counter looked at her metal b and the data presented by their ountant, coughing as she took a one RuQi coin and gave it to Re''Kha.

    Re''Kha didn''t say anything and just received it, waving her hand to show she didn''t wish to receive the pouch for just one coin. The atmosphere was slightly awkward as she was escorted by the two Harmonisers to another room.

    One of them spoke to her, "We''ll be bringing in the items you have purchased shortly. Please wait here until the end of the auction. Usually, we''llplete the same formalities as you to the rest of the people and make them stay in their respective rooms. Only after that would we allow them to exit. This is to prevent any chaos. I hope you understand."

    "I understand," Re''Kha nodded, noticing that the room was fairly simple. There was a bed to rest, a chair to be seated on, and a table on which some food was ced. There was an attached bathroom to the room. It was pretty simple.

    As Re''Kha sat on the chair, one of the two Harmonisers exited the room and apanied two people who brought her items. The first was the Pill Coupon using which she could order 10 pills of her choice from the Water Sect. The scroll was carefully packed with a symbol from the auction house. It was to prove its authenticity and proof that it was the original.

    As long as it wasn''t damaged, if Re''Kha found out the Pill Coupon within was damaged, she could ask the Royal n for reimbursement and they would investigate into it and give her justice.

    And, the second was the Copper Pranic Essence. It was secured in a ss vial. It didn''t need to be verified. Just the glow it emitted and the feeling it induced in the Pranic Hearts of the Harmonisers was enough proof of its authenticity.

    After stating some reminders, one of the Harmonisers gave her a piece of paper. Written on it was the instruction she had to follow to obtain her pills from the Water Sect and the way in which she had to consume the Copper Pranic Essence.

    Re''Kha was unable to read it. She didn''t stare at it and nodded at the others, watching them exit the room, leaving her behind.

    ''I''ll make Re''Shi read this to me.'' She thought and immediately ced all the items in her storage ring. She then entered the bathroom to freshen up, exiting it sometimeter. Seated on the bed, she ate the food, satiating her hunger while keeping tabs on Ki''Nua and the auction house.

    She heard the auctioneerdy announce with a boisterous tone about the final three auction items. Upon hearing the first one, she was surprised. For, it was a coupon too. But, this coupon allowed one to change their Pranic Avatar and gain a new one. And, it would be bestowed by the Fourth Celestial Emperor.

    Just the fact of meeting him would be an honour to everyone. So, it was contested for severely, almost being sold for a price only 100 RuQi less than what she paid for the Copper Pranic Essence.

    The second among them was another coupon. But this one made the crowd rile up once again. For, it was the key to bing a Martial Master.

 Chapter 224 - Auction Raid

    Martial Master; it was a stage beyond a Harmoniser. But in actuality, Martial Masters were in essence, still Harmonisers. Based on her understanding from what Mu''Tua had informed her vaguely, Martial Masters only differed from Harmonisers in one regard: They were able to use their race''s Racial Qi¡ªKalki Qi.

    And it seemed to be a Martial Master, one needed to achieve certain conditions first. And upon obtaining the qualifications, they would receive an invitation to meet with their race''s Fourth Celestial Emperor and be Martial Masters.

    Mu''Tua did say that there were cases where one became Martial Masters naturally. But those were incredibly rare. Most were turned into Martial Masters by the Fourth Celestial Emperor. But, when she inquired further about it, Mu''Tua remained tight-lipped.

    Rather, it seemed as if even she herself was unsure about the details, despite being close to reaching the peak as a Harmoniser.

    And now, one of the treasures was a coupon to be a Martial Master. If Re''Kha had known about that before, she would have closed her eyes and fought for this coupon first. After all, the effects of bing a Martial Master should be immediate.

    Objectivelyparing the two, the advantages were tremendous in bing a Martial Master first. She would directly receive Elder''s status in her n and be free of all worries. Even considering long-term benefits, bing a Martial Master first was more advantageous.

    "Still, there''s nothing that I can do about it now." Re''Kha shook her head, "There is still a chance for me to be a Martial Master naturally like the rest of my n Elders. But as for the Copper Pranic Essence, I cannot obtain it naturally. So, this is a better choice."

    She consoled herself and finished eating, resting as she noticed the bidding for the coupon be iparably fierce. But a momentter, Re''Kha stood up in rm, noticing the suspicious person¡ªthe one that bid with Ki''Nua for the mural¡ªstir up as he blew into the whistle on his neck once again.

    And, in every interval, he continued to blow into the whistle, and the frequency of the message being exchanged continued to increase. His actions weren''t subtle, but to the eyes of the onlookers, it wouldn''t seem odd. It would only seem like he was scratching his chin a lot, possibly in irritation at not managing to obtain the treasures.

    Moreover, Re''Kha saw all the other suspects remain still, as if they were no longer interested in the auction. She realised that they were about to take action. And, in order to stop them, Re''Kha opened the door to her room and acted like she just didn''t wish to keep it closed.

    She kept it slightly open and returned to her seat, closing her eyes as she seemed to be in a state of meditation. The couple of Harmonisers were patrolling the corridor where there were around 20 rooms.

    They didn''t bother with her upon seeing that she stayed put in her room and didn''t try to cause any trouble.

    Re''Kha then muttered, "They are about to take action!"

    Her voice didn''t resound through the room, but rather formed a bubble and flew out of her room. It was just a bubble of air and hence was invisible to the naked eye. It travelled at the speed of sound and popped near the ear of the auctioneerdy, causing her to flinch when she heard the whisper.

    For a moment, the auctioneerdy was rmed, almost creeped out. But, she didn''t give in to her fear, regting her breaths to appear normal to everyone in the auction. She continued to talk the same as the crowd bid for the coupon, thinking, ''That mysterious person was actually able to whisper in my ear from afar. And judging by her tone, she''s young. Is she a Celestial King that was patrolling this ce in disguise? If yes, shouldn''t she be able to resolve this issue easily? But if not, does she not wish to reveal her identity for reasons unknown?''

    Thinking of the mysterious means used, she had assumed the other party was a Celestial King. As to what a Celestial King implies, she knew, as a member of the Royal n. Once the coupon was sold, she acted as if she was giving time for the crowd to rest before auctioning off the final item.

    She found her friend and informed her of the details, telling her to keep an eye on the suspicious individuals and to take action immediately the moment something happened.

    She then took action, swapping the final item with something else. ''Anyway, they said to not sell this unless someone brings in at least 50,000 RuQi. People in our state most probably won''t possess that much money.''

    She then sold the final item, speaking with a slightly tired but enthusiastic tone, "This was a wonderful auction. It was sessful thanks to the lot of you that work in serving our country. Now, we''ll escort you one by one toplete all the formalities."

    A couple of Harmonisers arrived before seat number 1 as the auctioneerdy said, "We''ll start from seat number 1 and proceed ordingly."

    As they were escorted one after another, the auctioneerdy frowned, ''The first one among them is at seat number 24.''

    Nothing unusual happened as the people were escorted out,pleted the formalities, and were sent to rest in one of the rooms with the items they had bid for. Soon, almost three hundred had been escorted out in such a manner as the auctioneerdy felt a chill for a moment.

    And just as she had expected, something did happen. Those that had been alert from the start reacted promptly, entering battle stances while the rest slowly realised that something was amiss the moment they could feel the air turn colder.

    It was just evening and considering they were in the Early Fire Month, it was always supposed to be hot.

    "So, it was the truth," The auctioneerdy muttered as she noticed jet ck smoke billow into the auction house by phasing in through the walls.

 Chapter 225 - Fight Against The Sha

    ''They are here,'' Re''Kha muttered as she could sense arge nk space enter the auction house. And, judging by the way it was moving, it seemed to be a Sha. But, it was huge, way too huge.

    "Did it reach maturity?" She shuddered, feeling a deathly chill envelop her, causing her body to tremble uncontrobly.

    It wasn''t just one Sha that had arrived, but two. Two Sha simultaneous appeared in the auction house, startling everyone. If the Sha were the normal kind, then a team of Harmonisers would have been able to deal with it.

    But the ones that arrived now were those that had maturedpletely. Meaning, they were at the peak of the Harmoniser realm in terms of strength. And considering the bizarre abilities they possessed, they weren''t targets that could be beaten down easily.

    Even considering the line-up of Harmonisers in the auction, the situation was still risky. Upon noticing their arrival, the auctioneerdy reacted, banking on her reserve of experience, shouting, "Everyone, don''t worry about the auction treasures. All your identities have already been recorded. You can im themter from us once we have avoided this crisis. As part of the Burfuna Royal n, Imand you all to stop these two Sha."

    Her voice resounded throughout the auction house as those that had been nervous calmed down. Some sighed while others grunted, having no other choice but to fight. The auctioneerdy''s words were doubleyered.

    The firstyer stated that their items would be preserved safely and they could im itter and be reimbursed for their unspent money. It was because their identities were with the Royal n. And, they had the data of the seat numbers they were seated on and the items they had bought.

    So, it was easy to obtain their respective bought treasurester. But, this also meant another thing. If they didn''tply with themand of the Royal n, they would be determined as traitors. Not only would the treasures they had bought and their money not be returned, but they would also face capital punishment.

    Moreover, this act would dishonour their families. And if their future generations didn''t do anything to uphold themselves as worthy of honour, their dishonour would cause their entire family tree to wither away.

    So, whether they liked it or not, everyone present in the auction house had to fight. Though, despite receiving themand, none of them took action. They first exited their seats and mingled through the crowd, ensuring no one would be able to link their identities to their respective seats.

    This way, no one would be able to determine the treasures they had bought. The data would only be in the hands of the Royal n. And, as the Royal n had vowed secrecy of their identities, it would remain as such. They weren''t called the Royal n for no reason.

    The moment they had shuffled through the crowd, they still wore their gowns but began to brace themselves for the fight.

    As for the auctioneerdy, all she did was stand in silence atop the stage as a group of Harmonisers from the Royal n mingled through the crowd. They didn''t show themselves but were silently tailing the people she had been tipped off.

    This way, they would be able to take action immediately the moment those suspects did anything.

    The walls of the auction house began to form a faintyer of ice as a feeling of fear took root within everyone. It was the passive effect unleashed by the two Sha.

    At present, one Sha had appeared from the entrance while the other appeared from the side. Each Sha had a size equivalent to two people. But, the reserve of Ghost Qi they possessed was tremendous.

    It was apparent thanks to the sheer level of fear they were capable of inducing in others. Depending on how much Ghost Qi a Sha possessed, the potency of the fear they could induce in others varied ordingly.

    So, it was a good measure of their ability. And now, quite a few among the crowd were unable to even stand up, feeling fear as their knees trembled. Most of them were from merchant organisations.

    Even though they were Harmonisers themselves, they hadn''t fought against a Sha. At most, they had fought off some animals or beasts in the wilds while travelling. And that too, they weren''t alone, usually apanied by a troop of soldiers travelling with their cargo.

    So, they hadn''t experienced the level of fear a Sha could exert on them. Those among the merchants that had prior encounters with a Sha were rtivelyposed, getting ready to attack as their hands began to radiate with light.

    "Take this!" Followed by a bellow, a figure shot straight towards the Sha at the back, pointing his index and middle finger as he made a thrusting action with them. Lightning Qi condensed into them and turned into a beam that was emitted from the two fingers.

    The lightning beam crashed into the Sha, singeing it as the lightning currents arched all over its body, causing the Sha to emit violent screams of struggle. But, it wasn''tpletely paralysed by the attack, swiftly flying as it entered the ground, surfacing from another ce as it swiped a Harmoniser''s back, sending him flying away.

    Immediately, five Palm Projections flew its way. But before they could m into it, the Sha passed through the ground, evading them all. It then surfaced in another location, only peeking with its pair of hands, grabbing the legs of a Harmoniser as it unleashed strength in it, crushing his legs.

    Followed by crunching sounds, the Harmoniser screamed in pain as the bones in his legs were crushed into pieces. The pain he felt induced fear in him, coagting into Fear Qi that flowed into the ground, getting absorbed by the Sha.

    By absorbing the Fear Qi, it converted it into Ghost Qi, instantly recovering from the damage the individual at the start had caused. Despite being in a crowd, the Sha''s movements prevented them from ganging upon it.

 Chapter 226 - The Serpentine Sha

    All along, everyone only fought against the one Sha. As for the second one, it still hovered near the ceiling, staring at the ongoing battle below. It was shaped like a kite, having a t body. And, it seemed fragile, moving ording to the breeze generated from the fight below.

    At first nce, it didn''t seem to possess any power, seeming weak. But, the sheer fear it could induce in the hearts of others was enough proof that it was tremendously powerful. At present, on seeing that it was stationary in the ce, no one bothered to attack it.

    A part of the crowd just stared at it, nning to act the moment it moved. As for the rest, they were fighting against the other Sha that used the ground to its advantage. This was shaped like a serpent with humanoid arms, numbering almost 20.

    So, it gave it a lot of avenues to attack. Every hand was used to swipe at its foes, sending them flying. Whenever a couple of Palm Projections flew its way, it used its hands to m straight into it, receiving damage in the process.

    But, it didn''t try to remain standing in the same ce for long, flying through the air as it swerved through the crowd, just continuing to hit the people. The number of injured people did increase, but the number of incapacitated people was just two.

    They seemed to be from the merchant organisations and didn''t have enoughbat experience to react timely. As for the other Harmonisers, even though they were attacked, all they did was crash into the boxes covering the seats.

    They didn''t suffer harsh injuries, quickly getting back up to their feet tobat the Sha. The Serpentine Sha hadn''t used its signature ability yet, so all Harmonisers were on guard against it. While attacking, they just used Palm Projections to probe its foundation while keeping a tally of its strength and Ghost Qi reserves.

    They nned to use heavier attackster and when a chance presented itself. As the Serpentine Sha seeped into the ground, everyone became alert.

    Standing near the edge of the auction house was a lone Harmoniser, having a petite body, looking young, like a child. He was currently trembling in fear, jittery as his legs were on the verge of losing bnce.

    He was positioned away from the rest of the people. And, it seemed he hadn''t thought to take cover among the crowd or just escape from the ce, rooted to the spot in shock. And, due to his small stature, and the fact that he was hidden from the views of others by one of the boxes, no one managed to nce his way.

    Rather, everyone was busy observing the ground in order to react against the Serpentine Sha.

    "No¡­no¡­help me¡­" The child muttered with a trembling voice, hoarse, almost on the verge of despair. A faint tinge of Fear Qi radiated from his body as he seemed to be captured further and further by his feelings of fear.

    And right at this time, having opened its mouth, the Serpentine Sha emerged from the ground, swallowing him from the leg up, intending to swallow him whole and use him as a battery to continuously generate Fear Qi for it to absorb.

    But right when its mouth passed the boy''s shoulder, his hands shone with a dense violet radiance as he mped his hands on the inner walls of its body. At the same time, his legs too shone with violet radiance as they emitted blinding arcs of lightning.

    The lightning coalesced through the Serpentine Sha''s body, causing it to scream as patches of its body vaporised instantly. And, thanks to the sh of the two Elemental¡ªGhost and Lightning¡ªQi the Sha was unable to extricate itself from his hold.

    After all, he was pressing on its internals using his palms radiating Lightning Qi. And just like that, the boyughed as he continued to unleash a torrent of lightning bolts, singeing the Serpentine Sha, bellowing with an authoritative tone, "What are the lot of you doing? Hurry up and attack it already! Everyone that has ess to Lightning Qi, attack it now."

    Those around him immediately stepped aside, allowing for the volunteers toe forward. The ones that arrived were those from the Vi n, Harmonisers using Lightning Qi. They converged around the Serpentine Sha, mming Palm Projections one after another.

    One of them retracted his hand, craning his hand to the back while pointing his index and middle finger forward, causing them to shine with a dense violet radiance. And, followed by a bellow, he thrust forward with all his strength, unleashing a thick lightning bolt that arched and mmed dead centre onto the Serpentine Sha, causing it to scream.

    Pranic Art¡ªDouble Finger Projection!

    As for the boy in its mouth, his entire body wasyered by Lightning Qi, protecting him against all the Lightning Qi attacks. This way, he continued to damage it.

    But right this time, the Kite Sha mmed into the ground, unleashing a wave of force that sent everyone flying. It thenshed out with its tail, hitting the head of the boy in the Serpent Sha''s mouth, suffering damage in the process while sending him flying.

    The boy crashed into a box and dented it. He cursed as he stood up, spitting out a mouthful of blood before charging at the two Sha without an ounce of fear. At the start, he had been acting like a scaredy-cat to lure them, disying his sheer acting prowess where he could even mimic fear to the extent Fear Qi was produced in his body.

    He had used his petite body to his advantage. But in actuality, he was an old man that was nearing retirement.

    n Head of Burfuna Vi n!

    He immediately took the lead, disying his expert prowess, andbated against the two Sha. Even though he suffered from many attacks, most of which sent him flying, he always used his abilities to redact the damage and spring up almost instantly.

 Chapter 227 - The Kite Sha

    Even though he was covered by the gown, his voice, his actions, his petite body, the way he moved, and his signature Lightning Qi Pranic Art, everything allowed the crowd to determine his identity. Upon seeing that he was the n Head of the Burfuna Vi n, the other Harmonisers with Lightning Qi too took action.

    Among all the elements, Lightning Qi was the most effective against the Sha. It was followed by Fire Qi, Metal Qi, and Water Qi. Until now, most of the attackers were those using Lightning Qi. As for the Harmonisers using Fire Qi, all they did till now was unleash Palm Projections.

    As they were in the interior of the auction house, using fire in such a ce wouldn''t bode well for them. And, there was a considerable risk a fire wouldtch onto the auction house and endanger the treasures in it. So, they controlled themselves.

    And, in the case, a fire didtch onto one of the boxes, some of the Water Qi Harmonisers standing nearby quickly doused it. As for the Metal Qi Harmonisers, they were the ones who hadn''t taken action till now.

    But, they didn''t idle. Instead, they formed a perimeter, standing before the auction walls. This way, they nned to prevent the two Sha from escaping from the auction house. After all, unlike all the other three elements, they were able to create solid objects.

    And when necessary, they would create constructs that wouldpletely block the Sha''s routes, locking it down. The difference between the Metal Qi Harmonisers and the other element Harmonisers was the fact that the constructs they create would remain lightweight to them alone while exhibiting their actual weight to the rest.

    The Kite Sha flew for a moment before numerous ribbons shot forth from its body like an energy wave, coiled around the bodies of some Harmonisers before spinning, throwing them all off. But, it had just finished its attack and was preparing for a second attack when it noticed its ribbons were damaged.

    The ones it had lifted off had used the opportunity to m a Palm Projection each into its ribbons, destroying them. A Palm Projection only consumed one unit of Elemental Qi. And thanks to its simplicity and the less Elemental Qi requirement, it was the fastest mode of attack.

    So in times of need, every Harmoniser resorted to using a Palm Projection first. And, right at this time, followed by a sh of lightning, three petite figures surrounded it, thrusting lightning des into the Kite Sha''s body.

    Their bodies danced as they hacked away at it, severely wounding it while reducing the quantity of Ghost Qi in its body. As its reserves of Ghost Qi fell sharply with every attack, the Kite Sha panicked for a moment, intending to retreat into the ground when it bounced off from the ground.

    For, ayer of lightning covered the ground. The Lightning Qi in it was too dense that it would take severe damage if it tried to forcefully pass through it. The three petite figures wielded two Lightning des each and attacked it nonstop.

    Moreover, their speeds were beyond a normal Harmoniser wielding the other elements. The Kite Sha was unable to retaliate. And to avoid suffering even more damage, it vanished from the scene. It had retreated into its shell that was positioned somewhere far away.

    This was the prime reason killing a Sha was almost impossible. The moment they were at a disadvantage, they would disappear from the scene and retreat into their shell. They can then arrive at the scene of the battle as if they hadn''t been trapped in the first ce.

    They hadn''t even taken two breaths as the three petite figures gazed in a certain direction, watching the Kite Sha enter the auction house from there.

    "It came from the west. Its shell should probably be somewhere there."

    "Let''s probe it further."

    "We have to hurry. Without our Magic Artifacts, we won''t be able to sustain this fight longer."

    The three Vi n Heads conversed amongst themselves as they chased after the Kite Sha once again. Upon seeing their approach, the Kite Sha retreated into the auction house walls and proceeded towards the ground through it.

    Suddenly, more than twenty ribbons emerged from the ground andtched onto an injured Harmoniser, causing him to scream as something within him was stolen. He could only scream with a primal tone as his tongue had been stolen.

    As for the Kite Sha, it appeared in the air, now possessing an extra ribbon. All the ribbons grabbed hold of a box and lifted it, throwing it towards the three petite figures, causing them to dodge hurriedly.

    The box crashed into a couple of boxes, causing a loud impact. Upon seeing its actions, the three petite figures looked at each other, muttering simultaneously, "That''s its primary ability. With every tongue it steals, it forms a new ribbon."

    In the meantime, the Serpentine Sha was rowing through the crowd like a train, causing everyone facing it to be sent flying. Its twenty arms were more than enough to fight against a crowd, using its advantage to m attacks on its foes.

    Even if it received some damage in return, thanks to the fear the two Sha induced in everyone, they were replenished by a steady stream of Fear Qi. It was another reason killing a Sha was almost impossible.

    Even if they were in a state of near-death, as long as they were supplied with Ghost Qi, they would fully recover. Moreover, in crowded ces, they would be replenished even faster. After all, not everyone was exempt from the feeling of fear, including the most hardened warriors.

    Even though everyone in the auction house was an elite, the two Sha they were facing weren''t ordinary either, but rather had matured. So, they were tremendously powerful opponents, the likes of which they couldn''t defeat easily.

    Even normally, when an expedition force was created to assault a Sha, there was at least one among them that possessed a Magic Artifact. It was only through this could they stay on the offensive without running out of Elemental Qi.

    After all, regr physical attacks cannot even connect with the Sha.

 Chapter 228 - Decisive Beheading

    "Aargh!" A Harmoniser screamed in pain as the Serpentine Sha grabbed hold of his arms. Then, it activated its ability, instantly stealing his arms, using it to condense another pair of arms on its back.

    This way, it replenished the number of arms on itself. And, followed by a burst of chaoticughter, its body began to balloon in size, growing bigger and bigger to the extent resembling the massive cloud-like forms they had at the start while entering the auction.

    "Step Back! They are using their true forms now." The three petite figures bellowed simultaneously, now serious as they stared at the Kite Sha that had condensed 100 ribbons. Its main body alone was four times the size of a person.

    Simrly, the Serpentine Sha too now possessed 100 arms, or fifty pairs of arms. This was its maximum limit. But now, having unleashed its true power, it was almost unstoppable.

    More than 20 Harmonisers unleashed their Palm Projections simultaneously, watching the Serpentine Sha use twice the number of hands to stop them, barely suffering damage.

    "We can''t go on like this. We need to use our Magic Artifacts!" Numerous Harmonisers belonging to the Elemental ns shouted. They had been attacking constantly from the start but hadn''t made any significant damage.

    Moreover, they were running out of Elemental Qi to use. After all, at the peak of the Harmoniser Realm, a Harmoniser possessed 100 units of Elemental Qi. And, if they used all to unleash Palm Projections, they were only capable of 100 attacks.

    It wasn''t much, considering their opponents were able to constantly recover. Moreover, not everyone had that much Elemental Qi at their disposal. Even the n Heads didn''t possess 100 units of Elemental Qi, not to mention the others.

    Just consider Re''Kha for example. Despite her talents of being able toprehend three units of Water Qi per year, she only possessed 12 units of Water Qi. And considering her talent, she would have originally required 33 years to reach the peak as a Harmoniser.

    For the general elites in the auction house, they would at most have talent enough toprehend two units of Elemental Qi per year. So, it wasn''t easy for them to spam attacks without considering their Elemental Qi expenditure.

    If they used any stronger attacks, they would swiftly run out of Elemental Qi.

    The moment the two Sha unleashed their full power, everyone present came to realise that they had arrived with a certain objective at hand, linking to the fact that one of the treasures might have lured them over.

    And now that the targets have be big, the Fire Qi Harmonisers began to attack, mming Palm Projections at the Serpentine Sha.

    All the Lightning Qi Harmonisers targeted the Kite Sha while the Fire Qi Harmonisers targeted the Serpentine Sha.

    One of the Fire Qi Harmonisers looked around before jumping onto a box, summoning his Pranic Avatar. The moment it appeared, the Pranic Avatar condensed Fire Qi in its mouth and unleashed a column of fire towards the Serpentine Sha, causing it to scream from the attack.

    Immediately using the chance, a couple more Harmonisers too unleashed the same Pranic Avatar, unleashing their breath attacks. The three of them were from the Burmat Ka n. Among the three cities in their state, only the Elemental ns in Burmat City had Pranic Avatars capable of unleashing breath attacks.

    It was because they had three foundations, as Elemental ns serving the capital of their state. As for the Elemental ns in the other two cities, they only had one foundation, unable to unleash breath attacks.

    It was the reason they hadn''t summoned their Pranic Avatars yet. It was just a waste of Elemental Qi in this situation. Unlike the Palm Projections, the breath attacks of the three Pranic Avatars were condensed using 10 units of Fire Qi.

    So, they packed a punch, heaving damaging the Serpentine Sha, causing almost a dozen of its arms to melt as the Ghost Qi within was annihted. And right at this time, three people jumped onto the three Harmonisers from the Burmat Ka n, unleashing their strongest attacks.

    "Die!"

    They seemed intent to kill the three Harmonisers. But, before their attacks mmed into the other party, their heads rolled on the ground. The three Burmat Ka n Harmonisers were startled, turning around to see just what had happened.

    One of the three who had killed the attackers took off her gown, revealing her face. She was the auctioneerdy. She then raised her hand before clenching her fist. Immediately, numerous screams echoed throughout the auction house as heads rolled one after another.

    The Royal n had finally taken action. Thanks to the tip, the auctioneerdy had been monitoring the suspicious people from the start. And, she noticed how they weren''t targeted by the two Sha. Moreover, they continuously shuttled to and fro in the auction house, but not once did theyunch any attacks. Rather, they seemed to be positioning themselves behind the strongest Harmonisers, intending to sneak attack them.

    So, she no longer hesitated, immediately informing everyone tailing after the suspicious people to take action. She immediately arrived behind one of them, erupting with her strongest attack. And, to ensure she attacked urately, she used Metal Qi, condensing arge sword that she swung.

    The moment itnded on the opponent''s neck, most of the Metal Qi within her sword was annihted. It seemed the suspicious person hadyered himself with something that was like an Elemental Qi armour.

    But having expected something like to happen, she had used Metal Qi. So, even after most of the Metal Qi in it was annihted, the sword was undamaged. Even though she swung it effortlessly, it had considerable weight.

    And adding onto its sharpness, it cut through the opponent''s defence and cleaved his head off. Everyone else did simrly, annihting all the suspicious individuals in the auction house.

    The auctioneerdy then pointed at the two Sha, "We just killed the individuals that had lured them here. Now¡­"

    "Kill them!"

 Chapter 229 - Pissing Off A Sha

    "They are¡­huge," Re''Kha was able to sense the sheer size of the two Sha in the auction house. She noticed their approach and was shocked when they assumed their true forms. The sheer density of Ghost Qi they erupted with presented themselves as sharp nk spaces in her Wind Qi perception.

    And, upon seeing the auctioneerdy behead the suspicious individuals, she heaved a sigh in relief, "She took action immediately. As expected of someone from the Royal n."

    Simrly, small teams of Harmonisers entered the room of the suspicious people that had left the auction house early, capturing them immediately, using cuffs from Metal Qi. This way, they were unable to escape.

    But, no sooner were they captured did the suspicious people die immediately. It didn''t seem as if they hadmitted suicide voluntarily. But, the moment they were captured, something within their bodies seemed to have been triggered, causing their deaths.

    The atmosphere in the said rooms chilled as the Harmonisers from the Royal n looked at the faces of each other, noticing their sombre expressions. Now they realised that there was a scary organisation operating on theirnd.

    Unwilling to leave the corpses behind, they transported them away, intending to find any clues through their corpses. That was their only clue. Even otherwise, they nned to determine the poison that killed them, intending to develop an antidote for it.

    It was so that when they capture such people again in the future, they would have the antidotes ready. Only through that would they be able to interrogate the suspects.

    As she was fully covered by the gown, Re''Kha didn''t have to worry about using her Wind Qi perception. She then sensed around without relying on her Wind Qi perception, noticing that she could at least determine the walls in the room. And as she moved, she was able to determine her position with respect to the walls.

    "It''s not developed enough. But in times of need, I can rely on it." She nodded. She had to be careful, after all, she couldn''t use her Wind Qi perception for more than 10 breaths in time without rest. Otherwise, she would turn into a Bisheen. And that would guarantee her death as she would be swarmed by all the Harmonisers in the auction house that would treat her as an enemy.

    So, during the time she couldn''t use her Wind Qi perception and when she was using her Magic Artifacts, she had to rely on her basic senses. Now that everyone from the mysterious organisation in the auction house had died, Re''Kha could use her Magic Artifacts without trouble.

    She adjusted the items in her storage ring, cing the Harpen Waves at the top so that she could take it out immediately. As they hadn''t been allowed to bring in any weapons within the auction, it would be odd if she used the Harpen Waves, a lost Magic Artifact of the Burkurel Re n.

    As they were privy of her identity¡ªas Re''Luk, the one that stayed with Mu''Tua¡ªand her ce of amodation, if she does anything suspicious, then Mu''Tua would be interrogated. So, unless her life was at absolute risk, she didn''t n on taking Harpen Waves out.

    At least for defence, she had her armour. It would protect her to an extent against the Sha''s attacks. And, just as she thought of this, her surroundings chilled as a Sha appeared in the rooms they stayed.

    It seemed to have arrived from the roof,nding on the fourth floor first as it moved through the rooms, swatting aside the Harmonisers that tried to attack it. Unlike the others, it had arrived with its true form right from the start.

    Shaped like a sphere, its body was fully covered by mirrors. And, this one seemed stronger than the other two Sha, judging by the sheer level of fear it could imbue in the hearts of everyone. Even when the Harmonisers attacked it nonstop, including those from the Royal n, it remained unaffected.

    Rather, it moved its body slightly, using one of the mirrors on its body to absorb the Pranic Art Projections. It used one mirror per each Projection, unleashing it to attack the Harmonisers. This was its primary ability.

    The only way to injure it was to attack in ces without any mirrors or target the mirrors already containing a Pranic Art Projection. But, considering its speed of travel, it wasn''t possible. Having spied on its approach through the Wind Qi perception, Re''Kha heard the shouts of the Royal n Harmonisers.

    After just attacking it a couple dozen times, they had alreadyprehended the essence of its ability. And as they transmitted the information to others, Re''Kha learned of it, getting ready as she could see the Mirror Sha heading towards the room with the mural.

    It seemed it was unable to sense the mural, and hence took this roundabout approach where it had to scour through all the rooms. And upon seeing how it was about to enter her room before proceeding towards the room of Ki''Nua that was positioned four rooms away, Re''Kha took out her Harpen Waves, calcting the Mirror Sha''s speed of approach as she entered her base state, beginning to circte Water Qi through her meridians.

    She then activated the Harpen Waves to its maximum limit, hurling one of the des forward after spinning the chain, increasing its speed of travel. The moment the Mirror Sha entered her room in search of the mural, the de of Harpen Waves impacted its face, shattering one of its mirrors.

    The Water Qi it emitted damaged it severely,pletely melting off one of its hundred mirrors while affecting a couple more. Re''Kha didn''t press forth with her attacks, pulling the chain as she entered the excited state of her cultivation technique, having deactivated the Harpen Waves.

    She stored the Harpen Waves in her storage ring and bolted out of the room as the Mirror Sha chased after her angrily, intending to destroy her first.

 Chapter 230 - The Fourth Shaâ€™s Arrival

    Re''Kha skid out of the room, rolled on the floor once, and jumped away, watching the hand of the Mirror Sha sh right underneath her. Unlike the other two Sha, it only had a pair of arms to attack. But, it was able to extend them to a considerable range, equivalent to the maximum range of their Pranic Arts.

    Moreover, it was a defensive unit, able to absorb their Pranic Art Projections using its mirrors before mming the same onto its attackers. Moreover, it could use them whenever it pleased, making it all the more deadly.

    Four Harmonisers from the Royal n arrived right at this time as Re''Kha jumped aside, watching them condense Metal Qi swords immediately. Upon seeing how emission-based attacks were useless against the Mirror Sha, they resorted to close-ranged attacks.

    Without any hesitation, the two at the front shed with their swords, sending the Sha''s hand¡ªthat intended to attack them¡ªflying away. Another Royal n Harmoniser muttered to Re''Kha, "Its mirrors can absorb all emission-based attacks. So, stay away."

    "Alright," Re''Kha nodded and distanced herself from the battle, watching two more Harmonisers from the Royal n arrive at the scene. In the name of distancing herself, she arrived at the entrance of the room where Ki''Nua stayed, making her actions seem coincidental.

    But this way, she was trying to protect Ki''Nua. After all, based on what the Burfuna Ki n Elder had said, Ki''Nua was no longer able to act a Harmoniser, for at least a year before she could determine it was safe for her to practice once again.

    So at present, Ki''Nua was unable to protect herself. Even if she was still able to use her abilities, all she was capable of was unleashing one Palm Projection. It wouldn''t even damage the Mirror Sha. Rather, it could very well be captured in one of its mirrors.

    Reinforcements began to arrive at the scene. But as the corridor was rather narrow, it allowed the Mirror Sha a lot of ces to hide away from their attacks, causing them to only deal damage to the walls.

    Suddenly, it arrived in the corridor and unleashed a total of ten Palm Projections of various elements, prompting everyone to defend hurriedly. The swords of some shattered from the impact while some slid on the floor for a fair distance before stopping.

    Using the chance, the Mirror Sha passed through the ground and arrived within the room of Ki''Nua, gazing at the mural as it exhibited a feeling of being relieved. Immediately, it unleashed 10 Palm Projections from its mirrors, destroying the tough auction house walls, making the gap wide enough to bring the mural outside.

    Though, the moment it tried to grab the mural, Ki''Nua exited the ground and kicked its face, sending it flying out of the building. She then jumped andnded on the bed, curling at the corner, looking afraid.

    The door was broken down as Re''Kha and the group of Royal n Harmonisers arrived, looking at the figure of the Mirror Sha outside. They engaged with it immediately while Re''Kha arrived before Ki''Nua, "Are you alright?"

    "Y-Yeah," Ki''Nua nodded with a trembling figure. She was currently in her normal form, knowing that Re''Kha had the Wind Qi perception to rely upon. That''s why, she took action after the Mirror Sha had destroyed the wall and when Re''Kha had mmed a palm projection on her room''s door to shatter it.

    Using this chance, she kicked the Mirror Sha out of the room, not giving it the chance to take her mural away. Having observed it over the time period, she realised the mural wasn''t as simple as she had thought. After all, it was able to create two Ghost Qi Magic Artifacts from scratch, naturally.

    So, it was a priceless treasure to her. She had zero intentions of handing it over to her enemies, foes that she had vowed to hunt down.

    "It is dangerous to remain here. We must move away." Re''Kha said, intending to drag Ki''Nua away when the other party shook her head.

    "You know how I''ve always had an interest in these things right?" Ki''Nua said, pointing at the mural, "As I was studying this, I could feel that the effect it exudes can also be helpful to the Sha. Simr to us being able to devise a Pranic Art based on the feeling it radiates, the Sha might also be able to birth a new ability through it. That should probably be why they are targeting it."

    "What you said¡­is that the truth?" One of the Royal n Harmonisers said, having hurried over due to themotion, being part of the reinforcements. Upon hearing her, she looked at Ki''Nua immediately.

    "Yes, aunt." Ki''Nua nodded, removing her gown to show her identity.

    "Ahh, Ki''Nua," The Royal n Harmoniser nodded, "If you are the one saying it, it must have some substance. Head to safety immediately."

    She said her piece and immediately rushed out of the room, attacking the Mirror Sha, preventing it from closing in on the mural. Unlike the building that was artificially built, the roads were just on the ground.

    And, filled in it was Earth Qi. So, every time the Mirror Sha tried to seep through the ground, it suffered damage from the Earth Qi. Moreover, now that they had determined its goal, they could attack ordingly, aiming around the mural the moment the Mirror Sha disappeared into the ground.

    But right at this time, followed by a rumble, the Kite Sha appeared at the scene, coiling its ribbons around the mural, intending to lift it up when ice covered it, causing it to retract the ribbons in hurry.

    A mass of Ghost Qi condensed into the air as a hair-raising scream resounded. Followed by the scream, a hand condensed by Ghost Qi smashed right in the centre of the Kite Sha, sending it flying away. And, the moment sheid her eyes on the newly arrived nk space, Re''Kha shuddered as her expression exuded killing intent.

    A fourth Sha had appeared at the scene!

 Chapter 231 - Winter

    "The Blinded Ghost¡­" Re''Kha muttered through gritted teeth as she was able to recognise it even though it was just a nk space. The way it moved, its body size, its shape, etc. everything was details that she was well-versed with.

    It was the sole Sha she had been fighting ever since she became a Harmoniser. So, Re''Kha knew everything there was to know about it. And, she was the sole Harmoniser that had fought against it the number of times she did.

    So, even though she was blind, and even though it just appeared as a nk space in her Wind Qi perception, the Blinded Ghost couldn''t look any clearer in her eyes. Moreover, just by concentrating on her eyes, she was clearly able to perceive every action of the Blinded Ghost.

    Moreover, the moment she opened her eyes, she realised a shocking fact. She was able to see through her eyes, the ones that were lodged in the face of the Blinded Ghost. This shared perspective allowed her to look at everyone and see how they looked to the eyes of a normal person.

    This also allowed her to see the actions of the Kite Sha better as the Blinded Ghost attacked it immediately. The Blinded Ghost just started with the usual punching and kicking, but each of its attacks was thunderous, sending the Kite Sha flying.

    Though, as for the damage inflicted, it wasn''t much. After all, both of them used Ghost Qi and had considerable resistance to the Ghost Qi of others. Moreover, they were constantly recovering the Ghost Qi they were expending thanks to the sheer volume of fear they were spreading out.

    Just a single Sha was enough to cause widespread fear. And now, there were three fully matured Sha prowling about in the scene. And adding onto a fourth, rather powerful Sha, thebined fear they induced caused most of the guards to be incapacitated.

    They were unable to even move, serving as reserves of Fear Qi that were free for grabs to the four Sha. The moment they had arrived outside the auction house, the situation took a turn for the worse.

    Even though the attackers were the same, the people experiencing fear had increased. So, the four Sha were able to recover faster. But right at this time, the auctioneerdy summoned arge metallic drum and a metallic hammer, both condensed using her Metal Qi.

    She then began mming the hammer on the drum, causing a ringing sound that was deafening to the ears of everyone, for a moment preventing all the Harmonisers from attacking their foes. But, no one scolded her, rather wore grateful expressions on their faces for her swift action.

    As for those part of the Burfuna City''s Elemental ns, they too took out the whistles they had prepared. Though, only the n Heads possessed this whistle, one that was regarded with as much value as their own lives. Moreover, it was a Magic Artifact of their respective element, one that was passed down from n Head to n Head, a symbol of their authority.

    Burfuna Vi n, Burfuna Ka n, Burfuna Re n, and Burfuna Ju n, the n Heads of all four ns took out their respective whistles simultaneously and blew into it with all their might. For a moment, silence reigned in the surroundings as the four Sha knew something was up.

    But, as if it didn''t seem to care, the Blinded Ghost continued to attack the Kite Sha while approaching closer and closer to the mural. And right at this time, the Serpentine Sha exited the ground, mming it away while using one of its arms to grab hold of the mural.

    But, it screamed in pain immediately, noticing the dense Earth Qi condensed on its surface. Its hands burned from the touch, as if it had touched a Magic Artifact, causing it to retract its hands immediately.

    But as if it was triggered by this action, it opened its mouth and mmed a breath attack onto the mural, smirking when the mural began to shine with a dense brown radiance. But, there was a major crack on it, as if something heavy had mmed into it.

    It seemed it only needed a couple more attacks before the Earth Qiyer would copse. And, the Serpentine Sha nned to do exactly that. The moment the mural''s defensiveyer broke down, it would be able to grab hold of it easily and escape from the ce.

    If it gave its all while forgoing all defence, it would be able to escape from the ce, irrespective of who it faced against. Moreover, it wasn''t alone at the scene but was apanied by two other partners with the same goal.

    And, even though the group of Harmonisers standing near the mural, Re''Kha included mmed attacks on it, it just tanked them while mming another breath attack onto the mural, causing the cracks on the brown radiance to spreadpletely over its surface.

    One more attack and it would copse. Without theyer of Earth Qi, it would be able to escape with the mural easily. None present in the scene were idiots, able to judge its target. So, without saving up any Elemental Qi, they erupted with their strongest attacks, severely wounding it, melting off most of its hundred arms.

    And, just when they thought they would be able to stop it, the Mirror Sha appeared before them and mmed almost forty Pranic Arts, sending everyone in the ce flying, causing arge section of the auction house to copse.

    Re''Kha shielded Ki''Nua as she activated her armour, emitting dense Water Qi as she defended against the Fire Qi tongue thatshed out at her. The force from the impact mmed her onto the walls, causing her to spit out blood. Ki''Nua too was injured, fainting in the process as her head had hit the wall.

    As if they had timed it ordingly, the Kite Sha unleashed a breath attack onto the mural, shattering its finalyer of defence. But at the next moment, the entire surroundings chilled as if the worst of winter had arrived.

 Chapter 232 - The Swap

    "W-What the hell is that?" Even though she was blind, Re''Kha hallucinated a vivid image of a blood-red mist emerging from the mural. And from within, tens of thousands of faces, a mixture of many races formed, screaming simultaneously.

    It was like a scene from hell, causing everyone in the area to shudder in fear. As for the younger and weaker-willed ones, they directly fainted as a dense stream of Fear Qi wafted out from their bodies. The amount they emitted was to the extent the Serpentine Sha began to heal rapidly.

    The area influenced by the Mural wasn''t just the vicinity of the auction house alone. But, it continued to span the streets nearby, looking like it wouldn''t stop until the entire city was wrapped under its influence.

    If that happened, Burfuna City would be one massive generator of Fear Qi, turning into a natural habitat where the Sha could be birthed and nurture more frequently. Normally, at least this was in a ce where there were a lot of powerful Harmonisers.

    So, they were still able to do something about it. But if it had been unleashed in one of the Settlements where there were at most 10-20 Harmonisers, the oue would have been disastrous. And, it seemed the mural would have be one of the most powerful tools under the disposal of the mysterious organisation.

    This was the thought that echoed in her mind as Re''Kha stood rooted to the spot in fear. She wasn''t exempt from the feeling of fear that had grown to an extent beyond what she was capable of handling. All she could do was stare nkly as the Wind Qi flowing in her meridians retreated into her Pranic Heart automatically.

    And, Water Qi exited it and began to flow through her meridians. Despite her fears, this action of hers had be simr to the autonomous thumping of her heart. So, it happened without her voluntary input.

    But now, Re''Kha was unable to see. And overwhelmed with fear, she was unable to even sense her surroundings like she was barely used to be able to during recent times. She became like an unresponsive doll.

    Only the older Harmonisers at the scene were able to move in this situation. But, even they weren''t at optimal conditions, struggling to move like usual with their trembling bodies.

    And, the moment the mural''s defensive barrier was destroyed, the Serpentine Sha was just about to grab hold of it when the Blinded Ghost attacked it, sending it flying away. Rather, it seemed to have used a Palm Projection to achieve this, but one made from Ghost Qi. And considering its size, the Ghost Qi Palm Projection packed a punch.

    And, the moment it had attacked, one of its eyes shattered into a pool of ck liquid, dripping onto the ground. It seemed such a powerful attack did have its price. But, for the Blinded Ghost, it didn''t matter, thanks to the pair of eyes it had refined.

    Because of this, it didn''t need to worry about going blind ever again. It was the eyes of Re''Kha. And it was through the connection they shared was Re''Kha able to see through those stolen eyes of her. Rather than it being beneficial to her, it seemed to be another of its abilities.

    The Serpentine Sha crashed into the walls of the rooms positioned right behind the auction house, causing them to copse. The Harmonisers within had already exited their rooms. And, it was unknown of the condition of their treasures.

    The impact did seem to have damaged it severely as a couple of its newly grown arms were smashed into pulp. They dissolved into a ck fluid and dripped onto the floor.

    But, there was a dense stream of Fear Qi in the ce circting around.

    With a tug, it diverted part of the Fear Qi into it, converting it into Ghost Qi as it began to regenerate itself. Having consumed a Fear Qi Essence fragment at the start, they had directly reached a state of maturity.

    But, this wasn''t done naturally. So, their maturity wasn''t permanent. After the Ghost Qi, they had obtained from the Fear Qi Essence fragment was fully expended, they would return to their normal forms, unable to use their primary abilities as they had done now.

    After all, when the Kite Sha appeared before, all it was able to do was steal the sense of sweetness of its victims. It wasn''t able to steal their tongues directly to grow a ribbon. Moreover, as it had artificially boosted itself, it wasn''t as powerful as a Sha that had reached maturity naturally.

    Now, that was an incredibly scary existence. This was the reason, despite only treading past half its journey to maturity, the Blinded Ghost was still able to injure it without suffering much disadvantage.

    Since it had been developing naturally until now, it had an array of abilities other than its primary ability. Moreover, it was well-versed in using all those abilities, having developed through actions. So, the current situation had yed out.

    But, before the Blinded Ghost could grab the mural, the Kite Sha speared before it, using its ribbons tosh onto the Blinded Ghost while also unleashing a breath attack. Amplified by the environment filled with Fear Qi, its breath attack was a lot stronger than before.

    The Blinded Ghost defended with all its might while unleashing a couple of Ghost Qi Palm Projections of its own to defend. The resultant of the collision caused enough Ghost Qi to be emitted into the surroundings that the surrounding Harmonisers were unable to see anything.

    And, as everyone was struggling to move and defend their nsmen that were fear-stricken, Ki''Nua shot her eyes open, darting a nce at Re''Kha. Upon seeing that the other party was not using her Wind Qi perception, she swapped ces with her Pranic Avatar, seeping into the ground immediately.

    Using the Ghost Qi as a cover, she appeared behind the Mural, away from the view of everyone. Then, she ced her hand on the Mural, unleashing all her Ghost Qi as she infused her will into it, "Please work."

    Making it seem as if the mural was a part of her clothes, or rather the armour she had obtained from the mural, she formed a connection with it. And then, treating it as a part of her after infusing her Ghost Qi into it, she swapped ces with her original self.

 Chapter 233 - Martial Master

    The mural was treated as part of her Pranic Avatar''s clothing. And, when she swapped ces with her original self, the mural vanished from the scene. It didn''t seem like a storage space like the one Re''Kha possessed.

    But, only clothing or a substance full of Ghost Qi that was treated as part of the clothing or essory work over the body. It ought to have been small objects. But, Ki''Nua had wrapped her Ghost Qi over the mural while infusing her will into it. And, since it too was an object full of Ghost Qi, she somehow made use of the advantages of her abilities to take it into her.

    Moreover, Ki''Nua realised a certain fact at this point: Her ability to swap ces with her Pranic Avatar and vice versa while also taking in the clothes or essories she wore was her primary ability as a Sha. It was using this was she able to achieve it.

    But, an instantter, her skin turned pale as her meridians shuddered. A dense stream of Ghost Qi coursed through them before exiting from the pores. It was the Ghost Qi within the mural. The content was too much to reside in her Pranic Heart. After all, her capacity was only 10 units of Ghost Qi now.

    So, the excess present in the mural flowed through her before exiting through her pores like a torrent, flooding the ce with a dense quantity of Fear Qi. From the start, she had been waiting until theyer of Earth Qi on the mural was annihted. Only then wouldn''t she take damage.

    Otherwise, if she had tried to take it into her Pranic Heart as is, her Pranic Heart would have ruptured. And now, Ki''Nua gasped for breath as she copsed on the ground. Ghost Qi continued to exit her body at a tremendous pace, swirling around her as it began to cote.

    She quickly activated her cultivation technique, trying her best to circte as much Ghost Qi as she could. The arrangements of the First Celestial Emperor in her activated as part of the Ghost Qi was absorbed into her Pranic Heart and meridians, reinforcing them, improving their quality.

    As it was a process that was being done from her childhood, her meridians had grown suitable to wield Ghost Qi. But even then, thanks to her initiation into a Harmoniser, her body was full of Kalki Qi while her meridians had circted Elemental Qi of all the four elements.

    So now, his arrangements made use of the torrent of Ghost Qi to remove all traces of the four elements in her body, meridians, and Pranic Heart, turning thempletely into a product of Ghost Qi. She had skipped another long process again.

    After that, her Pranic Avatar began to drink up some of the Ghost Qi, trying to grow a bit using this chance. Ki''Nua trembled on the ground as she finished ejecting all the Ghost Qi in her body. She looked up and paled, "Oh no, what have I done?"

    The quantity of Ghost Qi she had ejected was tremendous, at least 2000 units worth. And now, all the Ghost Qi was circting in the area, trying to condense into a Sha by absorbing every negativity generated in Burfuna City.

    All she could do was swap ces with her Pranic Avatar while ensuring to not take out the mural; she seeped through the ground, returning to her original location. She wasn''t affected as much by the fear subjected in the area, able to move calmly.

    But, she couldn''t behave like that, for that would be suspicious. That was why she only took action the moment the Ghost Qi nketed the ce. And now, the region waspletely covered by Ghost Qi.

    The four Sha that were fighting about just stopped in ces as they began to absorb the sheer quantity of Ghost Qi in the area, developing themselves. After all, in their perspective, the mural was in the centre of the violent cluster of Ghost Qi.

    So, they had to do something about this before they could head inside. After all, even they were unable to sense the mural through all this Ghost Qi. But, just when it seemed like the situation took a turn for the worst, followed by a whistling sound, a figurended on the roof of the auction house.

    He took out five violet gems, each the size of his fist, and threw it around. But a momentter, all five stones began to radiate Lightning Qi. And, when the Lightning Qi came into contact with the Ghost Qi, they tore into each other, causing mutual annihtion.

    The figure was rather tall, possessing a wide frame. He was wearing the usual gown that covered him from head to toe. He was one of the Burfuna Ki n''s Elder.

    Martial Master!

    He gently removed his gown and set it aside, revealing his appearance for the first time in decades. He was rather young, seemingly in his twenties. Moreover, the shocking fact was the gem on his Tikka jewellery. It was white, almost transparent.

    His figure shed as he appeared above the Mirror Sha, punching it directly as his body radiated with white light. For a moment, it was as if two massive objects had collided into each other as the Mirror Sha was sent flying to the ground. More than ten of its mirrors had cracked from the attack.

    But, by the time it mmed into the ground, it had already recovered from the damage. After all, there was just too much Ghost Qi in the area. It was able to easily recover. The Elder that attacked it frowned as he looked at the sea of ck below him, "Just what happened here?"

    Then, followed by a sigh, he ced his hand on his forehead, gently removing his Tikka jewellery. He set it on his gown as he cracked his knuckles, revealing the third eye on his forehead. Slowly, the air around him trembled while the third eye flinched, shivering for a moment before shooting open.

 Chapter 234 - Explosive Usage Of Elemental Qi

    The moment his third eye opened, a fluctuation pulsed out from his body, causing all the Elemental Qi in his surroundings to tremble once. Then, he looked around, now able to see the Elemental Qi makeup of everything.

    He looked at the Blinded Ghost first, gazing onto the pair of eyes onto its front, noticing a tough cord trail from them to the figure of Re''Kha that was still paralysed in one of the rooms. "¡­"

    He then looked at the other three Sha, noticing a tiny condensed fragment in the centre of their forms, "Artificially nurtured¡­Sha. Such audacity to do this on mynd."

    Followed by a sh, four other figuresnded beside him. They were the remaining Elders of the Burfuna Royal n. And, upon seeing his stance and the fact that he had opened his third eye, they immediately understood the gist of the situation, sighing as they too removed their gowns and Tikka jewellery.

    And at the same time, three individuals arrived from each direction. They were the respective Elders of each Elemental n. And, each had arrived carrying a couple of Elemental Qi Essences respectively.

    The moment they arrived, they activated it and scattered them in the surroundings. All sorts of Elemental Qi radiated and shed with the Ghost Qi in the centre. Moreover, within its interior, Lightning Qi began to form bit by bit, slowly increasing its area by destroying the Ghost Qi little by little.

    The Elder from the Burfuna Royal n, the one that had arrived first seemed the head of the group as he gave hismands to the Elders from the Elemental ns, "Two from each, scatter and search our surroundings for their shells. As for the final one, form a perimeter. Prevent the Sha from escaping. And, be ready the moment they try to retreat into their shells."

    He then looked at the four Elders standing beside him, "We''ll take on the four Sha. Don''t go all out. Prolong it as much as possible so that they don''t try to run away."

    "Got it," Followed by her word, one of the Elders jumped and headed right into the sea of Ghost Qi. She took out a fan-shaped Magic Artifact and activated it, emitting dense Lightning Qi. She just continued to wave it, forming mild gales while her body continued to fall.

    But, followed by a spark, a pair of wings condensed around her hands, made from Fire Qi. She pped her hands and flew as swiftly as a bird, approaching the Serpentine Sha. Then, she condensed a massive sword from Metal Qi and swung it into the Serpentine Sha, wounding it.

    The Serpentine Sha defended with its arms, trying to retaliate by destroying her wings. The Elder continued to fly away while her wings were continuously eaten up by the Ghost Qi in the surroundings.

    They immediately exchanged numerous attacks, with neither ending up as the victor. In the meantime, the other Elders too began to take action, attacking the four Sha. As for the Elders from the Elemental ns, only one from each stayed behind to form a perimeter around the scene while the rest hopped from one building to another in search of the Sha''s shells.

    When they were active, there was a greater chance to detect their shells. So, they didn''t wish to miss this opportunity. Besides, this was the reason the Elders hadn''t gone all out in their fight yet. It was to prolong the battle for as long as possible.

    After all, the moment they were threatened, the Sha would swiftly retreat into its shell. And by retreating, it was akin to teleportation as it would disappear without any traces.

    The n Heads too had recovered by now as they intended to take part in the fight. But, the moment they tried to attack, they were warned by the Elders to stay put and act afraid. And upon seeing how the Elders had a n in motion, they didn''t say otherwise.

    "How long has it been since Ist saw them fight?" The n Head of Burfuna Vi n looked at the ongoing fight, watching the Elders from the Burfuna Royal n wield three elements at the same time, as if the collisions of Elemental Qi didn''t apply to them. "That''s the realm of Martial Masters."

    They just watched the fight as the Elders attacked the Sha relentlessly. One of them condensed a massive pike using Metal Qi and threw it, impaling the Serpentine Sha to the ground. It wasn''t able to move as the part of its body surrounding the Metal Qi pike began to melt.

    But it swiftly absorbed the surrounding Ghost Qi and healed itself, flying towards the Elder with rage as it punched in a flurry. Each of its attacks was strong, making the Elder retreat haphazardly. But every time he was close to suffering damage, the Elder condensed a pair of Fire Qi wings around his hands and flew away, swerving through the air before counterattacking.

    And at the time, the moment they spotted any weak points, they used Lightning Qi attacks. This way, the Sha too had to be on guard. And most of the time, to conserve their Elemental Qi, they just resorted to using their Magic Artifacts.

    And unlike the ns, as an Elder, they had their personal Magic Artifacts to use, each of which was one of the best in terms of quality among Magic Artifacts. They were putting up a considerable fight, considering they were facing a Sha on the same level as themselves.

    The one fighting the Kite Sha was just about to m a couple of Fire Qi Palm Projections on a ribbon flying his way when he turned around in shock, noticing the figure of an Elder be sent flying past him.

    The Elder crashed into the auction walls and slid towards the ground, heavily injured. Shocked, he looked around to see the source was the Blinded Ghost. It had consumed another eye to unleash a powerful Palm Projection, sending the Elder it was fighting against flying.

 Chapter 235 - Shell Of The Blinded Ghost

    In a secluded house that wasn''t far from the ongoing battle was a girl, barely in her teens. She was all alone in her house, surrounded by messenger birds used by the people of the city to transmit messages.

    Her father was a person in charge of taking care of the messenger birds. As for her, she was a rather unfortunate soul. For, a couple of months earlier, she had lost her eyes to the Blinded Ghost. But, despite bing blind, she hadn''t lost her vigour, still chirpy as she had adapted to her new life.

    Even though she faced a lot of difficulties, she neverined. She was a strong individual. But at present, she just sat like a doll, clutching a Tikka jewellery in her hands. It was hers, or rather seemed like that, but was in actuality the shell of the Blinded Ghost.

    The reason it was special was that, unlike the other Sha, its shell was the Tikka jewellery, the very same instrument that no Sha was able to ever touch. But, considering the fact that it was released into the open from the Withered Courtyard, the master of which was the one who had created the Tikka jewellery in the first ce, something like this wasn''t all too strange.

    And now, the girl wore the Tikka jewellery on her forehead, experiencing no rejection from it. Moreover, instead of shining with the four colours representing their race''s elements, the Tikka jewellery''s gem was a ck swirl.

    But, as there wasn''t anyone else in the room, no one was able to notice this oddity. Slowly, the girl got up and arrived beside the room''s window, peeking outside to see the shes of light in the air. It was a result of the massive battle that was being waged between the Elders and the four Sha.

    She didn''t say anything, picking up her walking stick as she strode out of her room, covering her forehead with a hood. She exited the building and seemed to be walking towards somewhere, as prompted by her Tikka jewellery.

    Ever since she had lost her eyes, she always had sudden urges that she couldn''t resist. So, now that she got another urge to walk, she couldn''t stay put and had to walk around. It seemed to be something the Blinded Ghost was making her subconsciously perform.

    Having obtained the eyes of people, both normal and Harmonisers, the Blinded Ghost had indeed umted a lot of abilities. As it had grown naturally by umting a variety of fear, the abilities consummated in it too varied.

    This was the reason a Sha that reached maturity naturally was an unstoppable force. Usually, in such cases, the Elders of the respective city would take action personally and would also be apanied by a troop of their strongest Harmonisers. And, every one among them would be wielding Magic Artifacts.

    Sometimes, they might even mobilise one of their Art of the Elements. That was how powerful a Sha that had developed to the peak was. If there had been four Sha at the peak in the battle, Burfuna City would have been almost destroyed.

    Even then, there wasn''t a guarantee they would be killed. After all, the moment they were significantly injured, they could just escape, find some regr people, induce fear in them and absorb the produced Fear Qi to recover to their peak condition easily.

    To a Sha, the more the number of people in a ce, the greater its advantage.

    The girl didn''t seem to mind the sounds of explosions and metal shing into each other. Rather, all that seemed to be on her mind was to walk on the road and traverse away from the ce. But in actuality, all she was doing was walking in circles, eventually returning to the room with the birds.

    It seemed to be an action taken to counter the detective means of the Elders on the prowl. As no one would think a Sha''s shell could be a Tikka jewellery, she wasn''t even suspected. Moreover, the moment an Elder passed above her, the gem on her Tikka jewellery turned normal.

    And, the moment he looked around and turned away, the Blinded Ghost materialised in the battlefield once again, attacking its opponents. This way, it prevented the Elders from identifying its shell easily.

    Just this action alone disyed its sheer cunning and intelligence.

    The Elder that just passed by her felt something amiss, turning around to look at the figure of the girl walking alone on the road. Having heard the sounds of the noises, everyone in the ce had retreated into their homes.

    So, she did look incredibly odd.

    But, the moment hended beside her, silent in his action, unnoticed by the girl, he could hear her mutters. "Dad¡­told me he wille. Why isn''t he here yet?"

    Through his third eye, he didn''t notice anything amiss on her, looking at her face to see that she was blind, observing the dense Ghost Qi circting through her eyes, almost covering her head in it, ''Another victim of the Blinded Ghost.''

    He quickly moved away from the ce, heading westward in search of the shells of the other three Sha. As for the Blinded Ghost, even though it was strong, it was a naturally birthed Sha. So, one way or another, they could deal with itter. After all, it didn''t have any other agenda other than to grow.

    But, the other three Sha were artificially bred by people that clearly wished to target their city, or rather their race itself. So, his priority, and the priority of all the Elders were to find the shells of the three Sha first.

    Once they dealt with it, they could figure out the rest. Hoping for that to be the case, he hopped from one building to another, disying superhuman agility. All along, his third eye saw the traces of all Elemental Qi in the area, allowing him to notice the traces of Ghost Qi a fair distance away.

    Followed by a smirk, he sped along, ''Found you!''

 Chapter 236 - Bound To Be A Problem

    As the Elder found a trace of Ghost Qi, he smirked. He was the Elder of the Burfuna Ju n. As in charge of the city''s western district, he was well-versed with the ce. So, he could immediately glean the way the people behind the attack traversed under the watchful eyes of the guards that constantly patrolled their city.

    ''I should investigate the waterways next.'' Thinking as such, hended on a building, focusing on the water tank before him. The water in it contained a thin density of Water Qi. But shrouded within was Ghost Qi, three sources at that.

    It was like smoke, spewing as it formed a thin line, heading towards the centre of the city. The line was too thin, and only when a Harmoniser came in contact with it while activating his/her Elemental Qi perception, they would notice the thin nk space.

    Only after that would they be able to determine its existence. To the eyes of the regr popce or even the Harmonisers, it wasn''t visible, neither were the other Elemental Qi. But to him, he was able to see all Elemental Qi.

    It was thanks to his third eye, a superior advantage exclusive to their race. This was the reason the Tikka jewellery was created to be worn by everyone. It was to ensure their third eye was safe, giving higher priority than their own lives.

    This was why, the moment someone from their race died, their Tikka jewellery would first destroy their third eye, instantaneously. This way, foreign races could never make use of it. Even in the cases of captured soldiers, their Tikka jewellery could never be removed, even though force.

    Only the owner would be able to remove his/her Tikka jewellery. But even that wouldn''t be possible in the presence of foreign races. It was almost a foolproof item.

    From far away, the other Elder that was scouring the western district noticed his paused figure, realising the crux of the issue as he arrived immediately. And, the moment he arrived, he didn''t even need to ask for a reason, noticing the three sources of Ghost Qi within the water tank.

    Moreover, they could also see the three people hiding within, or rather the gloved bracelets¡ªMagic Artifacts¡ªthey wore on their hands. The two nced at each other, deciding on what they had to do. Until now, they had been eerily silent in their approach. So, no one would even be able to sense their presence.

    One of them nned to wait in the ce while the other went to rally forth all the Elders that had gone in a search. Since a Sha would know the moment its shell was threatened, it would appear to defend it instantaneously.

    And, that would mean they had to fight against all the three Sha. The two Elders couldn''t do that without endangering the lives of the people in the area. So, they first nned to rally the others and swiftly end the three Sha by targeting their shells relentlessly.

    Though, when their n was still in motion, the entrance to the terrace opened as from within the house walked the eighty-year-olddy, intending to check on the situation. And she just so happened to see the figure of the Elder who was had remained behind to observe the three people within the water tank.

    She was startled for a moment before reflexively grabbing the whistle on her neck; she blew into it with all her might. A momentter, her head burst into pulp as the Elder rxed his outstretched arm that faintly radiated with a ck lustre.

    ''Dammit,'' He scowled, noticing the three people within the water tank stir up. But, no matter what, they had to exit the water tank. And, as long as he didn''t attack their shells, the three Sha wouldn''t sense the danger. Until the other Elders arrived, he nned to wait in patience.

    But, his patience wore thin the moment he noticed a cloud on the horizon that was approaching Burfuna City from the west. There wasn''t any other city to their west; it was a vast field dominated by the beasts and was too dangerous to venture into.

    And now, a cloud had formed in such a ce and was quickly approaching them. The Elder strained his eyes, zooming towards the cloud as he noticed that it was full of a variety of beasts and birds. It wasn''t a cloud.

    And, the mixture of beasts and birds seemed headed towards them. Rather, right to his position. The Elder scowled as he realised the foundation of their enemy was way beyond what he had expected. Unwilling to see waste any time, he took action immediately.

    He jumped to the air and pulled his hand backwards, making it radiate with a ck lustre. Then, followed by a bang, he unleashed a metal te, mming it atop the water tank. He then created numerous metal pikes and jailed the water tank, erecting ayer of defence.

    This way, it wasn''t easy for the shells within to escape. And upon thinking that they might do something with the water pipes that were connected to the water tank, he destroyed them and sealed the entrances with metal pikes that he lodged into the ground.

    Water leaked and covered the terrace as the Elder frowned, watching the cloud in the distance arrive closer and closer. Soon, even without squinting, he was able to look at their figures, mentally counting the number of beasts mixed amongst the swarm.

    "Dammit, just who the hell are these people?" He arrived before the eighty-year-olddy, searching her body to see she only possessed one whistle and the gloved bracelet that she wore on her left. Just in case they would prove to be useful, he pocketed them, noticing the other Elder from before return, "They''ll be here soon."

    "This is bound to be a problem," He looked at the mass of flying creatures in the distance, summoning a metal te and a metal hammer. He thrummed the hammer on the metal te, using the same sound as the soldiers, alerting everyone in the city of the possible war.

 Chapter 237 - Target The Source

    "Guh," Re''Kha gasped for breath as the shivering in her body reduced. It was because some Lightning Qi touched her. Rather the air filled with Lightning Qi encroached the ce she was at, destroying all the Ghost Qi around her.

    Thanks to this, the sheer quantity of fear induced in her abated like the tide, allowing her to rx and recover her bearings. Four Sha; it was beyond what a fledgling Harmoniser like her could face. Even the n Heads were barely able to fight in such a situation.

    So, it would be a wonder if she was fine. After all, it wasn''t as if she had experienced anything drastic than what a Harmoniser usually faced. There were a lot of problems that cropped up from time to time on theirnds. And Harmonisers were usually dispatched to solve those.

    So, the longer a Harmoniser lived, the greater his/her experience and the stronger their willpower was in the face of a fearsome Sha.

    At present, the fight between the four Sha and the five Burfuna Royal n Elders heated up further as they started attacking with stronger attacks. Both the Sha and the Elders no longer held back, using all the means at their disposal.

    From time to time, the Blinded Ghost flickered through the surroundings, evading most attacks as if it was teleporting.

    ''It''s even capable of this now. Its growth is too fast and exaggerated.'' Re''Kha frowned, watching the Blinded Ghost''s fight.

    A Sha had a shell it resided within. And if it was a ghost, it could condense its spiritual form anywhere within the radius of its operations. But normally, the Sha would only materialise right above the shell and would be able to travel everywhere within the range of operation.

    But, as it developed, it would obtain another troublesome ability. And, that was to materialise anywhere and everywhere within the range of its operations. Moreover, due to its growth, the range of its operations would increase to epass entire districts within a city.

    That would make catching one almost impossible. No matter how much it was wounded, it would pop up in the other end of its range and recover easily.

    Now that the Blinded Ghost exhibited the same property, everyone present in the scene realised a certain fact: Its development had already reached close to maturity. It seemed the Blinded Ghost had been developing itself greatly all along, and using the abundant Ghost Qi present in the scene, it grew at staggering speeds.

    After all, whenever it consumed one of its eyes to unleash a powerful Palm Projection, it vanished from the scene, appeared at an inconspicuous area, and stole the eyes of a group of people, intending to use their eyes to attackter.

    This way, its development continued at a staggering pace. For any Sha, they umted some item on their bodies that was an indication of their development. As for the Kite Sha, by stealing the tongues of people, it created ribbons on its body that it used.

    And, the limit was 100 ribbons. The Serpentine Sha simrly had 100 arms while the Mirror Sha had one hundred mirrors. Simrly, the Blinded Ghost had 100 eyes. And, two of those belonged to Re''Kha, the ones that it had been using all along without any issues thanks to its refinement session.

    A normal eye would bleed the moment it used them to see and would dissolve into a ck fluid soon after.

    Even though the Elemental Qi¡ªunleashed by the numerous Elemental Qi Essences¡ªscattered throughout the ce was eradicating all the Ghost Qi, the speed wasn''t enough. After all, all the four Sha were developing at a considerable speed.

    And as they developed, it resulted in the loss of body parts of theirmon popce. Thankfully, the three Sha hadn''t developed to the extent they could disappear and appear anywhere in their range of operation yet.

    So, they could be guarded against by the Elders and prevent them from harming the regr popce.

    Even then, the Blinded Ghost did enough damage on its own.

    As time passed, more Harmonisers from the Elemental ns arrived. But this time, they had dispatched Harmoniser with their Magic Artifacts. And upon arrival, they used the Magic Artifacts and joined the fight.

    After all, the Elders were beginning to tire out a little. Even if they were Martial Masters, they only had one hundred units of Elemental Qi. So, their situation wasn''t all that different from a Harmoniser.

    Re''Kha vacated the ce, dragging Ki''Nua along with her. She then left her in the custody of someone from the Burfuna Royal n, "Stay here."

    "Please be safe, sister." Ki''Nua expressed her worries.

    "Alright," Re''Kha nodded and ran back, unleashing her Hand Projection to scale up the walls of the auction house, arriving on its terrace. She then took out a Water Qi Essence and activated it, cing it in her pocket, expanding the range while breathing in the Water Qi, recovering her expended reserves.

    Her Hand Projection cost 6 units of Water Qi to use andsted for three breaths. As she had used it in both her hands, she had expended all her Elemental Qi reserves. As she awaited while recovering her Water Qi, Re''Kha increased the range of her Water Qi Essence, epassing the entire auction house''s terrace in it.

    This way, she could at least spot if someone arrived in her proximity through her Water Qi perception. Moreover, having her eyes closed, Re''Kha tried to see through the eyes on the Blinded Ghost, noticing that the image wasn''t clear this time, thanks to the interference brought about by the Water Qi around her.

    But that didn''t matter. She watched through its eyes with patience, suddenly noticing her field of vision change. From an open scenery where there were the figures of the Elders unleashing attacks to the scene of moving through a road, causing her to be alert.

    In the short instant the scene panned, Re''Kha tried to look at the details of the road, the buildings, and anyndmark she could see. Finally, after seeing simr scenes quite a few times, Re''Kha smiled, having located the shell of the Blinded Ghost, "It''s time I targeted your source."

 Chapter 238 - Attacking The Blinded Ghostâ€™s Shell

    Once she finished recovering, Re''Kha descended the auction house using her Hand Projections. Even though she wasted all her recovered Water Qi in this one action, it saved her a lot of time.

    She then began to sprint on the road, keeping track of her surroundings through her Water Qi perception. The good thing with an Elemental Qi Essence was that as the user moved, the domain within which it emitted Elemental Qi too moved ordingly, moving forth like an enclosed bubble.

    Thanks to this, she could recover while being able to perceive her surroundings. The fight had be too chaotic as Harmonisers came and went, bringing forth weapons to use while fleeing once their Elemental Qi was expended.

    Because of this, she could escape easily. As she ran through the streets, her Water Qi was slowly getting replenished. Even though she was wasting her Water Qi Essence a lot, Re''Kha wasn''t concerned. After all, she had enough tost her a lifetime.

    Once she had recoveredpletely, Re''Kha deactivated the Water Qi Essence and ced it within her storage ring, exiting the ce where the Water Qi Essence had left quite a lot of Water Qi. As she continued to run past that, she activated her Wind Qi perception, expanding her range as she scoured through the streets.

    For the moment, she stopped in ce, focusing on the ces reflected in her mind as the grey sand world. Soon, she noticed an empty street where a girl was walking through, immersed in her own world.

    As Re''Kha opened her eyes, she saw what the Blinded Ghost saw. The moment the Blinded Ghost returned to its shell for a couple of moments to evade a powerful attack, its vision changed to a perspective from within its shell, looking in the same direction the gem on the Tikka jewellery¡ªits shell¡ªfaced.

    And, as it had been using her eyes all along, Re''Kha was also able to see everything it saw. And through this, she confirmed the identity of the girl that was carrying the Blinded Ghost''s shell.

    She was in disbelief, rechecking numerous times byparing the line of sight of the girl to what she perceived from within the shell whenever the Blinded Ghost retreated into it. And all to her shock, she realised to her dismay that the Blinded Ghost''s shell was in fact a Tikka jewellery.

    "Just what in the world¡­" Her head spun as her breathing grew ragged. It took some time before Re''Kha could break out of her stupor and concentrate on what she set out to achieve. "It doesn''t matter. I still have to destroy it in the end."

    Thinking as such, she determined the distance to traverse, noticing that she was only a couple of streets away. Thinking of the ways she could use to damage the Tikka jewellery, Re''Kha picked up two things from her storage ring, a Water Qi Essence, and the needle-shaped Magic Artifact.

    This needle was the same thing she had used in the Burkurel Ju n''s Western Settlement. It was slightly longer than her hand. Moreover, the quantity of Water Qi it could emit was fairly decent. It wasn''t the level of Harpen Waves, but at present, Re''Kha needed a mode to attack precisely.

    And, this was her best bet in that regard. Having activated the Water Qi Essence, Re''Kha ced it in her pocket. This way, she was roaming around with an advantageous field. Holding the needle-shaped Magic Artifact, she walked on the road, making a turn as she noticed the back of the girl she was targeting.

    Re''Kha reduced the range of the Water Qi Essence to only epass the length of her outstretched arm. This way, as long as the Water Qi from it didn''tnd on the Blinded Ghost''s shell, it wouldn''t suffer any damage. And due to it, the Blinded Ghost wouldn''t be alerted to arrive at the ce to confront her.

    Slowly, Re''Kha crept forth, soon arriving behind the girl as she tapped on her shoulder, activating her needle-shaped Magic Artifact. When the girl turned in reflex, Re''Kha thrust forth the needle-shaped Magic Artifact with all her might, mming it dead centre on the Tikka jewellery''s gem.

    The abundance of Water Qi the Magic Artifact emitted caused a crack to form on the gem as an rmed Blinded Ghost appeared next to the girl instantly. Upon seeing the figure of Re''Kha, the Blinded Ghost attacked her with hatred.

    There was existing hatred between the two, having injured the other party on equal amounts in many locations. But after stealing her eyes, the Blinded Ghost had lost all interest in Re''Kha, having obtained the highest-quality pair of eyes it had ever witnessed.

    That was why when they met the previous time, it didn''t attack Re''Kha. After all, there was no longer any use in doing so.

    But now, after she had damaged its shell, it became enraged, consuming an eye as it sent a Ghost Qi Palm Projection forth, intending to kill her in one attack.

    Upon seeing that her attack only caused a tiny crack, even though she wished to follow up on it, she couldn''t do so, left with no other option but to defend against the enraged attacks of the Blinded Ghost. So, she immediately summoned her Pranic Avatar, the Balou, using it to tank the attack while activating her armour.

    The moment it took the Ghost Qi Palm Projection, her Pranic Avatar exploded into dust as all the Water Qi forming it was destroyed. The resultant from the attack mmed into her, causing her to move back by an arm''s length. The Water Qi on her armour defended against the remainder of the attack, preventing her from suffering an injury.

    Though, she had basically used most of her reserves just to defend against that one attack. And, upon seeing that she survived its strongest attack, the Blinded Ghost prepared another Ghost Qi Palm Projection, intending to attack her again.

    Left with no other choice, Re''Kha was just about to take out the cloth banner to tank the second attack when a lightning bolt mmed into the Blinded Ghost. The head Elder¡ªthe one whomanded everyone at the start¡ªof the Burfuna Ki nnded beside her, speaking with a tone of praise, "Good job on locating its shell."

 Chapter 239 - Hurting An Innocent?

    "It was hard," Re''Kha said, panting. Now, she felt a bit safer with the presence of the Elder. Thankfully, she hadn''t used the storage ring in front of him. Though, she didn''t know if he could already determine the truth of the ring.

    "Stand back now, Burkurel Re''Kha. I''ll take care of it from this point." The Elder said and immediately mmed another lightning bolt on the Blinded Ghost, causing it to focus on defending first. After all, he was aiming right onto its shell.

    Moreover, his attacks were precise to the extent not even a hair on the girl was damaged. But, the moment he attacked once, the girl began to run away in fear. But, she didn''t run towards Re''Kha to hide behind but was rather running away.

    Upon seeing her actions, at the fact that she was blind, but had her head covered by Ghost Qi, the Elder looked at Re''Kha, "Chase after her!"

    When he tried to chase her, the Blinded Ghost blocked his path, attacking him nonstop. He immediately knew that it was able to influence and control the girl somehow.

    "Those eyes in its centre are mine. Don''t damage it," Re''Kha said and gave chase, dodging a couple of attacks flying her way as the Elder covered for her. Upon realising that the Elder was privy to her identity, she wasn''t shocked.

    After all, to a Martial Master, the clues were enough to figure out her identity. Moreover, even if they seemed secluded, they were updated about everything that happened in theirnds. So, with a couple of clues, such as her stature, age, and the brightness of her Tikka jewellery''s gem, he could easily narrow in on her identity. After all, she was pretty famous in Burkurel City.

    There weren''t that many individuals like here in their state. So, it was pretty easy. That was why she just told him to be careful about her eyes as she chased after the girl, all the while replenishing her reserves by inhaling the Water Qi¡ªthat her Water Qi Essence continuously emitted.

    As they were bound to fight, she had to remain in an optimal condition. And, as she chased after the girl, Re''Kha could hear intermittent screeches on her west, immediately feeling that the mysterious organisation still had some cards up their sleeves.

    ''They are just supposed to be a branch. But just they alone possess such a frightening foundation. Then, what about the remaining branches. Where are they located? What is the strength of their entire organisation?'' Such thoughts gued her mind as she caught up to the girl, shouting, "Stop, I''m here to save you."

    "No, you tried to kill me just now!" The girl screamed as she ran. But, Re''Kha was faster, arriving before her as she cursed, intending to y the bad guy, not having the patience to prove herself to the girl, "If you don''t wish to die, hand over your Tikka jewellery."

    "No, I won''t!" The girl screamed as she tumbled down to the road, crying as a result. Even though she didn''t wish to hurt the other party who was in a simr situation as her, Re''Kha had no other choice. After all, the longer she dyed, the harder it would be to destroy the Blinded Ghost that was close to maturity now.

    Followed by a sh, the Blinded Ghost appeared, mming her with its fist, sending her flying. Even though Re''Kha had negated most of the Elemental Qi in the attack using her armour, she was still sent flying from the force.

    And, no sooner was she sent flying did the girl run away, behaving as if her earlier cries were just an act. She sprinted with all her speed, making a couple of turns as she tried to throw off her chasers. Moreover, she was returning to the ce with the messenger birds, intending to do something.

    The Elder burst with an almost transparent white glow as he sprinted through the road with tremendous speeds, covering thrice the height of a person with each leap, soon colliding into the Blinded Ghost that was about to attack Re''Kha once again.

    He mmed repeatedly with his hammer Magic Artifact, wounding the Blinded Ghost, forcing it on the defensive thanks to his flurry of attacks at speeds beyond what it was capable of reacting timely.

    Re''Kha quickly got up and sprinted, chasing after the girl after activating her Wind Qi perception. Upon figuring out her destination, she returned to using her Water Qi perception while recovering her expended Water Qi.

    The girl arrived at her destination and mmed on the door, screaming at the top of her lungs, "Dad, open the door!"

    The door flung open as her father exited with a flustered look, worried about her safety as he pulled her in immediately, shouting, "Where were you? It is dangerous to go outside."

    "Someone''s trying to kill me!" She screamed, breaking into tears immediately, "I ran away because of her. Dad, save me!"

    "Prepare our weapons," One of her father''s colleagues shouted as everyone in the ce armed themselves immediately. The girl only had her father to rely on, so she spent most of the day in their office.

    So, almost everyone working in the ce knew her. Moreover, thanks to her chirpy personality that didn''t vanish even after she had lost her eyes, her willpower spurred them to work harder for a brighter future. So, without any suspicion, they armed themselves by grabbing hold of any weapons they came across.

    Even though she was panting from all the running, Re''Kha couldn''t stop. Her legs hurt because of the couple of hits she had endured. But even then, she was raring to go, unwilling to relent on this opportunity to kill the Blinded Ghost and reim her eyes.

    Soon, she arrived before the postal office and kicked open the doors in her hurry, immediately noticing the girl scream at the top of her lungs while pointing at her, "It was her!"

    "How dare you try to harm my daughter?" The girl''s father bellowed in rage and charged at her, wielding a metal bar he had picked up.

 Chapter 240 - Attacking People

    ''Is this girl for real? No, it seems she has been influenced to behave this way by the Blinded Ghost. Otherwise, the consistency in her behaviour looks odd as she seems to be protecting her Tikka jewellery more than her own life.'' Re''Kha frowned, increasing the range of her Water Qi Essence with a touch, standing still for a breath as the Water Qi spread throughout the ce.

    It wasn''tpletely clear beyond an arm''s length from her, since the Fire Qi¡ªdue to the season¡ªcondensed into the objects blocked the Water Qi. But, with every passing breath, the range she could perceive clearly in the area increased as the Water Qi Essence continued to emit Water Qi.

    When the girl''s father rushed at her with a metal rod, Re''Kha ducked, lightly kicking his leg to tumble him to the ground. She then evaded the lunge of another man, grabbing hold of his weapon to hit the weapon of another, sending it flying away.

    She ducked, avoiding the grasp of a rather bulky man before leaping forth, sliding on the ground as she arrived before the girl, punching her in the stomach, knocking her out. She tried to remove the girl''s Tikka jewellery but it didn''t budge.

    Just when she was about to damage its gem, the girl''s father kicked her from behind, sending her skidding on the ground when a couple of people ganged up on her,shing out with punches and kicks.

    "Idiots!" She screamed,shing out with a Palm Projection, sending two people flying away while they coughed out blood. She then punched the chin of another, knocking him out while kicking the face of the final man.

    Grunting, she stabilised herself, picking up her needle-shaped Magic Artifact as she closed in on the girl, noticing the girl''s father shout while protecting her, "Why are you trying to harm my daughter? Why? What did she ever do to you?"

    "Her Tikka jewellery is a Sha''s shell. That''s my target. I''m not aiming for her." Re''Kha replied; her tone turned colder as she said, "If you dy it any longer, people will continue to lose their eyesight. And, you''ll be held responsible."

    "D-Dad¡­she''s lying," The girl weakly grabbed the hems of his dress, speaking in a weary tone, "She''s trying to kill us all."

    "W-What?" In his shock, the man didn''t notice the inconsistencies, rather believing his daughter as he turned around to face Re''Kha, intending to defend his ce to the final breath when a palm projection mmed into him, sending him flying.

    Re''Kha appeared before the girl and plunged the needle-shaped Magic Artifact, cursing when a jet-ck hand stopped her from hitting the Tikka jewellery''s gem. The Blinded Ghost had appeared, blocking her attack.

    Using her free hand, she condensed a Hand Projection, curling it into a fish before punching the Blinded Ghost repeatedly, disying all her strength that was amplified through the Hand Projection.

    The Blinded Ghost used its other hand to meet her Hand Projection, causing damage to both sides until all the Water Qi in her Hand Projection was expended within a single breath. And, when the Blinded Ghost punched her again, she defended herself by shooting forth two Palm Projections, negating the impact as she skid on the floor.

    The girl had run off into the nearby room by now, the one where all the messenger birds were caged. She removed her Tikka jewellery, revealing a rotting third eye, a consequence of not wearing her own Tikka jewellery. She tightened it around the neck of one of the messenger birds, releasing everyone from the cage.

    The messenger bird wearing the Blinded Ghost''s shell acted strangely for a moment before flying out with the rest of the messenger birds, quickly escaping the ce as they took off to the skies. The girl, on the other hand, was like a puppet that had lost its strings.

    She plopped to the ground in exhaustion, fainting immediately. And, spilling out from her dress was her original Tikka jewellery.

    Re''Kha unleashed a couple more Palm Projections, emptying her Water Qi reserves as she jumped out of the postal office, hurriedly escaping as the Blinded Ghost chased after her. Whenever she was attacked, she relied on her needle-shaped Magic Artifact to fend them off.

    But, when the total focus was on her, the Magic Artifact was proving to be insufficient. Thankfully for her, the Elder arrived on time and attacked it, shouting, "Have you been able to damage it?"

    "Not yet!" Re''Kha shouted as she dodged another attack that flew her way, pointing at the messenger birds that scattered through the sky in every direction, "One of them has its shell."

    "Dammit!" The Elder lost patience, watching his surroundings turn a shade darker as thousands of birds and bird-type beasts arrived above Burfuna City.

    "Fine!" Without any hesitation, he used forty units of Elemental Qi to summon his Pranic Avatar, a Yali with three foundations. Immediately, it pped its wings and took off to the skies while the Elder kept the Blinded Ghost at bay.

    But, having consumed a significant quantity of Elemental Qi, he too was running short. Hence, all he could use were Palm Projections, getting pushed back by the Blinded Ghost. Upon seeing that its shell was no longer threatened, the Blinded Ghost nced at Re''Kha once before disappearing from the ce.

    It then appeared at the scene of battle in the auction house, noticing there was only a tiny sphere of Ghost Qi in the centre. Thinking that it was the mural, it appeared in its centre, absorbing all the Ghost Qi. But, when all the Ghost Qi vanished, it saw that the mural wasn''t there, unleashing a scream like a banshee as other Elemental Qi in the surroundings began to damage it.

    It swiftly appeared at a different ce, stealing the eyes of all the unsuspecting people that were in hiding, finally umting all one hundred eyes, reaching the peak as a Sha. Followed by a scream, it passed through the buildings and appeared in the sky, intending to search for the culprit that stole the mural when it noticed a Firebird flying in the air.

    And, upon seeing the target of the Firebird, it vanished from the scene in a hurry.

 Chapter 241 - Grade 2 Firebird

    The Blinded Ghost was already enraged at the fact that its shell was damaged a little by Re''Kha. Followed by it, the mural it was seeking to obtain had vanished mysteriously, making it seethe further with rage.

    And now, a massive Firebird took off to the skies and headed straight towards the messenger bird carrying its shell. Considering the density of Fire Qi carried by it, the messenger bird would be vaporised while its shell would be almost destroyed.

    And, the Firebird seemed sentient, able to p its wings and move ordingly in the air to dodge any obstacles and chase right after the messenger. Moreover, it was faster than the messenger bird, about to pounce on it soon enough.

    So, the Blinded Ghost had no other choice but to vanish from the ce, just when it nned to deal with Re''Kha and the Elder. It reappeared along the path of the Firebird, consuming two eyes to unleash two powerful Ghost Qi Palm Projections.

    The two elements collided in the air, causing a massive explosion. And, they were evenly matched, causing the Blinded Ghost to be rmed. After all, that was two of its most powerful attacks. It looked around, noticing a group of Harmonisers on the terrace of the auction house, forming a boxed formation.

    And, situated in their centre was a scroll, and ced on it were two Fire Qi Essences. And at present, both the Fire Qi Essences were emitting blinding red radiance, umting it through the circuit in the Art of the Element, gathering power. Slowly, the silhouette of a firebird was condensing above the Art of the Element.

    It was the Grade 2 Art of the Element that was recently auctioned. And, every Firebird produced by it contained 20 units of Fire Qi. A Grade 1 Art of the Element firebird only contained 10 units of Fire Qi within it.

    And at the same time, a smaller Firebird took off to the air and headed straight to the messenger bird that was carrying the Blinded Ghost''s shell. As for the couple of messenger birds that came in its way, they were torched down.

    This was unleashed by the Burfuna (Fire)Ka n. Upon seeing the severity of the situation, they had mobilised their entire strength, bringing out all the Magic Artifacts and even their Art of the Element.

    Usually, an Art of the Element was meant for attack or strategic purposes. As for those involving the element of fire, they were solely used for attacking. And hence, the design typically followed was the Firebird. There were other forms too, but the Firebird was the most popr considering the degree of control it gave the user and its range.

    And now, the Burfuna Ka n had taken action, targeting the most threatening one first. As for the other three Sha, the Elders were going over to deal with them.

    The three Sha noticed how the Blinded Ghost had appeared at the centre of the Ghost Qi vortex and screamed when the mural had disappeared. Now that their objective had vanished, they didn''t know what to do.

    But, they didn''t have time to think upon realising that their shells were in danger. They disappeared from the ce, appearing within their respective shells. Then, they materialised above the water tank, getting sted with Elemental Qi attacks one after another by the congregating Harmonisers.

    And right at this time, the swarm of flying birds and beasts had reached Burfuna City, heading straight towards the ce with the three Sha. With a single nce, it was apparent that they wished to free the shells of the three Sha and help them escape.

    The Elders didn''t wish to see it happen, immediately attacking the three Sha. Moreover, the other Harmonisers took to the terraces of all the houses, getting ready to attack the iing swarm.

    As for the Blinded Ghost, it had unleashed another Ghost Qi Palm Projection to destroy the Grade 1 Firebird. But, it didn''t have time to rest or recover the lost eyes as another Grade 2 firebird had finished forming. Moreover, even though the messenger bird was flying all along, considering the directions from which it was attacked, all it could do was move in circles to avoid the attacks.

    So, it wasn''t making a proper escape. And, just when the Blinded Ghost was nning to do something, the Pranic Avatar¡ªYali with three foundations¡ªunleashed by the head Elder arrived at the scene, shooting a breath attack onto the messenger bird.

    Considering the speed it was shot out, and as the Blinded Ghost had been nning to attack the Grade 2 firebird, it didn''t have enough time to react ordingly. So, all it could do was vanish from its ce and appear behind the messenger bird, tanking the breath attack with its body, screaming at the injury.

    At present, it didn''t even have Ghost Qi to recover from its surroundings, as it was too high up in the air. Moreover, even if it wished to head somewhere else to siphon Ghost Qi and take a couple of eyes, it didn''t have the time.

    For, the moment it left the ce, its shell would be bombarded until it was destroyed. The moment the location of its shell was exposed, it lost the initiative. Now, it had no other choice but to passively defend against the attacks.

    The Yali flew towards the Blinded Ghost, attacking it. Unlike the other Pranic Avatars, Elemental Qi condensed throughout its body. So, even if it only did physical attacks, the Elemental Qi suffused in them made its attacks equivalent to attacks from Magic Artifacts.

    There was a reason it was called the Divine Beast. Even though the Elder didn''t have enough Elemental Qi and Kalki Qi to summon it in its strongest state, and had only managed to condense it with three foundations, it was still quite strong.

    As they had shared thoughts, the head Elder didn''t have to move. Moreover, he took out an Elemental Qi Essence, activated it to epass himself, and began to recover his Elemental Qi reserves.

    The Yali mmed into the Blinded Ghost, sending it flying away, hindering it from defending itself. And as it was troubled, the Grade 2 firebird arrived at the scene, making a beeline towards the messenger bird, emitting scorching heat.

 Chapter 242 - The Carriage

    The Blinded Ghost unleashed a Ghost Qi Palm Projection, sending the Yali flying away as it unleashed another attack onto the Grade 2 Firebird. It was already closely defending the messenger bird, no longer having any space to move.

    That was why it couldn''t simply disappear to evade the attacks of the Yali. But now, it only had enough time to unleash one Ghost Qi Palm Projection, watching its attack m into the Grade 2 Firebird and get swallowed.

    Left with no other time, it could only show its back to the Firebird in an effort to defend its shell. After all, most of its higher quality eyes were on its front, while those on its back were throw-away eyes that it had stolen just to unleash the Ghost Qi Palm Projections.

    Screee!

    The Blinded Ghost screeched in pain as the Fire Qi burned its body, melting most of the eyes on its back, causing its size to shrink up immediately. Despite its strength, the maximum amount of Ghost Qi it could contain was 100 units.

    Though its advantage was amplified through the eyes it possessed, able to use them as the fuel for its attacks, now that the Fire Qi began to melt its eyes, it suffered significant losses. After all, it had expended a lot of Ghost Qi to obtain those eyes and lodge them in its body.

    Only by using the tremendous quantity of Ghost Qi that was circting in the auction house was it able to achieve this. And now, the loss of every eye was something that might take it days to months to recover from.

    But left with no other choice, all it could do was scream while the messenger bird pped its wings and increased its altitude. And, while it was suffering from the attack, the Yali appeared, opening its mouth to unleash a Fire Qi breath attack.

    At three foundations, a Pranic Avatar was able to unleash one breath attack per element. And, because everyone from the Royal n was able to wield all four elements, even at three foundations, their Pranic Avatars were able to unleash four breath attacks.

    The first attack it had unleashed was using Water Qi. And now that the Blinded Ghost was being damaged by Fire Qi, it too unleashed using the same, increasing the extent of its damage.

    And at the same time, the Grade 1 Firebird had finished forming, joining the picture as it headed straight towards the Blinded Ghost.

    If it wasn''t for the fact that a Sha couldn''t touch its shell, the Blinded Ghost would have taken its shell and escaped from the ce easily. And now, upon seeing that it had lost more than 60 eyes in this short duration, the Blinded Ghost hurriedly used two more eyes and mmed two Ghost Qi Palm Projections, smashing the Yali''s head into a pulp.

    After having its head smashed, its body dissipated. Now that it was slightly freer, the Blinded Ghost proactively defended the messenger bird, tanking the Grade 1 Firebird. Even though it was damaged, it saw that the Grade 2 Firebird was still in the process of taking form.

    Moreover, the beasts and birds from the swarm were beginning to fly through the ce, giving it more room to hide behind.

    But, upon seeing that they couldn''t use their Art of the Element that freely, the Harmonisers from the Royal n immediately expended all their Elemental Qi to summon their Pranic Avatars, making them chase after the Blinded Ghost.

    The messenger bird was tiny and hence was able to fly away through the gaps between the other birds, flying away faster now. The Blinded Ghost retreated into its shell, only appearing from time to time to defend against the attacks of the nearby beasts.

    It became a dog fight now. But, the moment the numerous Yalis summoned by the Royal n Harmonisers joined the picture, the Blinded Ghost was ced in a pensive situation once again. If it was careless, a couple of breath attacks would immediately fly its way.

    And, every time this happened, it had to unleash a Ghost Qi Palm Projection to block them or tank all the attacks using its body. No Harmoniser was near it, so it couldn''t even make use of its other abilities that were effective against Pranic Arts.

    And as time passed, the messenger bird did manage to leave Burfuna City as the swarm of the birds and beasts began to attack the city frantically. Through the chaos, only a couple of Yali managed to fly across and still give chase. After all, they were getting killed off one by one by the Blinded Ghost through the chaos.

    As a Yali was flying in the air, chasing after the messenger bird, the Blinded Ghost materialised on its back, mming a Ghost Qi Palm Projection on it, smashing its head into a pulp. It did suffer from a breath attack at the same time from the other Yali, vanishing from the ce.

    And when it reappeared above the final Yali, its opponent, the Yali exploded automatically, sending all the Elemental Qi forming it into the Blinded Ghost, damaging it severely. At present, the Blinded Ghost barely had eight eyes left on its body. And, two of them were the eyes of Re''Kha.

    So, it was only left with six uses of the Ghost Qi Palm Projections, rendering it at an all-time low power. Thankfully for it, it had managed to survive that encounter and escape. As it returned into its shell, the messenger bird, though immensely tired, continued to p its wings, heading north before spotting a carriage moving on the road.

    It was a worn-down carriage, and the horses pulling it weren''t in their optimal states, looking like they had to retire within a year. The messenger birdnded on the carriage and squeaked a couple of times.

    Faint ck mist pulsed from the Blinded Ghost''s shell once when the carriage stopped. A blind girl from within opened the door and stepped out, moving as if she could still see, patting the messenger bird''s head a couple of times, whispering, "You did well in bringing it here."

    Then, she removed her Tikka jewellery, pocketed it, and ced her hand on the Blinded Ghost''s shell. She removed it from the messenger bird''s neck and wore it on her forehead, making it seem as if it was her Tikka jewellery.

    "Are you okay?" Her grandfather''s tired voice resounded as the girl didn''t reply immediately, returning to her usual nk look as she entered the cramped carriage that began to move soon after. The sound of the grandfather''s voice resounded, "I hope our life in the Settlement would be good."

    As for the messenger bird, it remained perched on the carriage for some time before its demeanour changed, resembling other messenger birds as it took off to the air. The carriage continued to proceed further.

 Chapter 243 - Track It Down

    "Are you still able to track it?" The head Elder sighed as he gazed at Re''Kha. His earlier n was unable to be executed the moment the swarm of birds began to attack Burfuna City. At present, the soldiers ran through the streets, climbing up the terrace of any house they came across to attack the birds.

    The birds weren''t too much of a threat. They could still be fended off by the soldiers using their collective weapons. Most of them were equipped with bows and arrows and were able to shoot into the sky easily.

    But, the beasts were the most troublesome. All along, the beasts were solely focusing on the particr house, in the water tank of which were three people, guarding the shells of the three Sha with all their lives.

    A tough battle was being waged. Even though there were a lot of powerful figures in the ce, like usual, with the crowd came a disadvantage of facing the Sha, that is the increase in the Fear Qi being generated.

    To fight the birds and prevent them from harming themon popce, the soldiers were busy fighting everywhere across the city, including the area surrounding the street where the Elders were fighting the three Sha.

    So, the soldiers, and themon people that were still hiding with their respective houses in the ce became batteries of Fear Qi for the three Sha, replenishing their reserves constantly. Because of this, the three Sha were able to put up a fight.

    Moreover, despite the Elders using Elemental Qi Essences, the quantity of Fear Qi being generated didn''t allow their Elemental Qi to form in the area. Rather, as time passed, the Ghost Qi was actually gaining dominance.

    After all, the ce they were situated at was a residential area, situated right next to a chain of restaurants. So, the number of people in the ce was rather high. The perpetrators had selected the ce after careful consideration.

    "I can," Re''Kha nodded, pointing at her eyes. As the head Elder knew her identity, he must have realised that Re''Kha was currently blind. Though, upon seeing her roam around all along while using a Water Qi Essence, he judged it was through her Water Qi perception was Re''Kha still able to see and run around.

    "Then, can I trust you to track it down?" The head Elder looked right at her, entering the domain of her Water Qi Essence so that she would be able to perceive him clearly.

    "Yes, please leave it to me, Elder." Re''Kha thumped her chest, stating in a solemn tone. The figure before her had been the City Lord of Burfuna City long ago. So, he was someone even the current City Lord had to be subservient against.

    The head Elder sighed, "For reasons I cannot tell you, none of us Elders can leave Burfuna City. So, you''ll have to move on your own. I''ll send the City Lord and some of his trusted subordinates to chase after you."

    He then extended his hand forward, condensing a red sphere over which some transparent white radiance swirled around. It formed a vortex and also began to suck in the Fire Qi abundant in the surroundings, causing Re''Kha to stare at it agape.

    Based on her knowledge, controlling the Elemental Qi in nature wasn''t possible for a Harmoniser. Otherwise, the concept of them always having to make note of their Elemental Qi expenditure wouldn''t have been an issue.

    Seeing her expression, the head Elder smiled, cing his left hand''s index finger over his lips, motioning to her that this shouldn''t ever be leaked, "I''ve reached the peak of the Martial Master Realm long ago and have obtained this bit of insight. If you manage to reach this point one day, maybe you can replicate this feat too."

    Followed by a massive swirl, the head Elder condensed his Pranic Avatar, speaking, "Unfortunately, I have used a significant amount of my Kalki Qi, so I cannot summon my Yali at full power. At least, it now possesses four foundations. It will carry you."

    "Thank you," Re''Kha bowed and mounted the Yali, feeling pressured all of a sudden, riding their race''s Divine Beast, that too summoned by the head Elder.

    The moment she seated herself on its back, the Yali pped its wings and took off to the air, speeding forth through the swarm of attacking birds and beasts. As it had four foundations, it began to exude a formless presence of sorts that made the birds part way.

    As for the beasts, even though they wished to attack it, their bodies failed toply. And, by the time they broke out of their stupor, the Yali had quickly shed past them, having used its ws to tear their wings.

    Quite a few beasts rained down to the ground, dying from the force of the impact. Once it flew away, the head Elder continued to recover his Elemental Qi through the Fire Qi Essence in his hands, quickly moving through the streets as he tried to find the City Lord.

    Suddenly, he stopped, cing his ears on the road as he listened in silence. As for any bird that closed in on him, he used a Fire Qi Palm Projection to kill it, remaining still as his expression crumbled, "The water, why isn''t it flowing now?"

    He frowned, "We have never stopped the water flow this month. So, this shouldn''t happen,"

    His brows furrowed as he thought through a couple of things, recalling the scenes he had witnessed from the start, scowling in the end, "Whoever they are, they have infiltrated pretty deep on mynds. Controlling my water?"

    His face seethed with anger before turning cid as his figure disappeared, shing from one building to another as he soon appeared within a building that worked on the waterwork, remaining hidden as his third eye looked through the people hiding inside, soon spotting a couple of people whose behaviour rubbed him the wrong way, even though they didn''t do anything weird or odd in the eyes of others.

 Chapter 244 - What Are You Planning?

    Currently, Burfuna City was in a state of chaos. Most of themon popce hid in their houses and ensured the doors and windows remained shut.

    Soldiers had been dispatched to various areas, hurrying from their stations while the guards manned the entire area, attacking the birds, felling them one after another using their bow and arrows. As for the Harmonisers, they poured out from the Elemental ns and began to solely target the beasts, leaving the rest to the guards.

    It seemed like Burfuna City was shrouded by a disaster. And, witnessing this scene from a room situated on the topmost floor of a hotel building, one of the tallest in the city was Burmat Re''Shi, forming a strange contrast to the scene of chaos outside, his expression was tranquil.

    But, a dense stench of blood wafted around him as blood formed a thickyer over the floor. Numerous bodiesy scattered throughout it, in each of the rooms on the topmost floor. And, held in his hand was a de, dripping blood. The dense Metal Qi in it was making the blood quickly coagte into tiny blood-red crystals.

    The ones he had killed were those meant to keep an eye on him, sent by Burmat Re''Kya. Using this invasion by the birds as a chance, he decided to get rid of them all. After all, he wasn''t even supposed to know their identities. So, it was easy for him to remain silent.

    Moreover, to not leave behind any traces, Re''Shi opened the window, causing the thick stench of blood to waft out, grabbing the attention of a couple of beasts. They swiftly entered the room, noticing his presence as they chirped in rm.

    "They''re all yours. Have a wonderful feast." Saying his piece, Re''Shi jumped out of the window and climbed to the roof of the building, looking around at the scene of battles sparking everywhere. Most of the attackers were birds, so, despite their threat, they were warded off without much loss.

    After all, the guards took up battle positions, using shields to defend themselves while archers shot arrows from the gaps. And as themon popce remained within their houses, the death toll wasn''t anything much toment about.

    Re''Shi noticed some more birds enter the room after they were lured by the scent of blood, shaking his head, "That should be enough to remove all evidence. They would probably swallow everything."

    He then observed the ongoing fight, noticing a couple of Firebirds head towards the Blinded Ghost. He also noticed the scene of three Sha being besieged in another location far away. And finally, after the Blinded Ghost had made its sessful escape, he noticed the figure of Re''Kha chasing after it, riding a Yali.

    Upon seeing her figure, Re''Shi sighed, "Of course."

    He then looked at a certain item on him, muttering, "I was saving this up for emergencies once I return to my n. But anyway, helping Re''Kha regain her sight takes priority."

    He condensed a massive sphere of Water Qi before him, using all the eighty units he had been saving up in his item over the past few months, condensing his Pranic Avatar, the Pakou.

    The Pakou took flight, pping its wings as it flew, slowly elerating as it passed straight through the sea of birds, unaffected due to the formless pressure it exuded on other creatures. After all, his Pakou too had four foundations, different from the rest of his Burmat Re n.

    Once it raised its altitude, it was able to keep an eye on the Yali carrying Re''Kha. It then followed them, ensuring to fly far behind so that it wouldn''t be spotted. After all, even though it was capable of flight, the Pakou wasn''t capable of expert manoeuvres in the air. All it was capable of was straight flight.

    Moreover, it needed time to elerate slowly. The only advantage was that it could maintain flight for considerable durations, even spanning a day. It was suited for stable flight to travel over long distances.

    After releasing the Pakou, Re''Shi sighed, "The Blinded Ghost isn''t a normal opponent. Unfortunately, I''m already out of Elemental Qi. So, I will just be a deadweight in the fight."

    He massaged his forehead, thinking, ''I should try to obtain a Magic Artifact for my exclusive use. It''s hard since Re''Kya is restricting the amount of money in my hands.''

    He just thought about returning to his room when cold sweat dripped from his forehead as he could feel a cold glint on his neck. Without his notice, a figure had crept behind him as a raspy voice resounded, "What are you nning?"

    ''Are they from that organisation Re''Kha had mentioned?'' He thought, deciding to be careful just in case, "What do you mean? Can''t a person protect himself?"

    "I''m asking what you are nning to do by summoning that massive Pakou? No one from the Burmat Re n should possess one that huge." The raspy voice resounded as the tip of the de lightly touched Re''Shi, making him bleed a drop of blood.

    "Then, why don''t you guess it yourself?" Re''Shi slowly distanced himself from the knife, turned around, and looked at the figure before him, one that resembled a teenage boy, having a in appearance that was hard to stand out in a crowd.

    It was like the other party was staring right at Re''Shi but was unable to differentiate him from the surroundings for a moment. It was odd considering the boy was still maintaining his re, remaining in the pose with a de pointed before him. For a moment, it seemed he was distracted, for his eyes were out of focus.

    Suddenly, his expression changed as a de shed, severing his head.

    Re''Shi just finished swinging his de when he frowned, noticing that all the Metal Qi in his sword had been expended. Moreover, there wasn''t any blood that had sttered from his sh.

    He looked at the figure of the boy just pass through the ground, including the severed head, making Re''Shi mutter in shock, "What a frightening bastard."

    He sprinted towards the flight of stairs, intending to catch up with the person, thinking that he was a Sha, a rather developed one at that to be able to speak. The moment he returned to the topmost floor, he ran through a couple of corridors, passing by the figure of a girl that was trembling, as if she had seen something frightening.

    Linking it to something the boy might have done, Re''Shi looked at the girl while running, "Where is it?"

    "T-There¡­" The girl pointed with trembling hands. Re''Shi passed by her and was just about to turn right into the pointed corridor when he paused, shuddering as he turned around, noticing the corridor was empty.

 Chapter 245 - Planning A Trap

    "Haah¡­haah¡­hah!" Ki''Nua gasped for air as she arrived behind a house, plopping on the road as she held her neck, still feeling the sh that severed her head from her body, "Who the heck was that?"

    Upon seeing that he was targeting Re''Kha, she took action immediately, thinking that he might be someone from that mysterious organisation. Since she didn''t have any methods to differentiate them from the normal popce, all she could do was judge them based on their actions.

    But, the moment she tried to interrogate him, she was tranced for a moment before her vision spun. Shockingly, the opponent managed to unsheathe his sword and sh her with it. All the while, she didn''t even see the attacking.

    Thankfully, she was in her Pranic Avatar form. So, even though her head was severed, she wasn''t dead, only needing to expend some Ghost Qi to heal. But, as his sword contained Metal Qi, she was damaged, almost exhausted.

    She then passed through the floors and barely managed to dissolve her severed head into Ghost Qi and rebuild her head when she could see him descending the stairs. Using her Ghost Mask, she changed her appearance and behaved like a trembling girl that had witnessed something scary.

    And, the moment she managed to fool him, she passed through the floors,nding on the ground before bolting off towards the nearby street, passing through the walls along her way to throw off her pursuer.

    Leaning on a wall, she panted, having expended most of her Ghost Qi reserves. But thankfully for her, the fear the people experienced thanks to the attack from the birds and beasts was generating enough Fear Qi that she could absorb and recover.

    ''I''ll remember you,'' She gritted her teeth, clenching her fists upon the setback, sighing as she thought of the thing she set out to do, ''Sister Re''Kha will be in danger as she faces the Blinded Ghost. I have to help her first. I''ll investigate the rest tonight when I can move more easily.''

    She began to sprint through the streets, having changed her appearance to resemble a man in his thirties, acting like a Harmoniser from the Burfuna Re n. She asionally attacked a couple of birds in her way, passing through the rest when she sensed there were no eyes on her.

    Soon, she reached the walls of the city, stopping before it as she inhaled a deep breath, touching it once, noticing that there were rods full of Metal Qi inside. If she tried to pass through it, she would be significantly wounded.

    Instead, she ran and arrived at a secluded street, bereft of soldiers. Her form crumbled as she returned to the actual form of her Pranic Avatar¡ªthe Yali. pping her wings, she took off to the air, passing over the walls as she flew north, quickly vanishing from the scene as she sped in the direction Re''Kha was carried by the head Elder''s Yali.

    ¡­

    Re''Kha kept her eyes closed all along, using their connection to see from the perspective of the Blinded Ghost that was within its shell. All she saw was the wooden wall before her that was old and rickety. Moreover, it was positioned quite close, giving her a cramped feeling.

    From time to time, the wearer of the Tikka jewellery¡ªthe Blinded Ghost''s shell¡ªwould turn to look out, allowing Re''Kha to perceive the ce travelled by the carriage. And upon noticing the route they were taking, one that passed through a forest, Re''Kha ryed the information to the Yali carrying her.

    She ryed her n, watching the Yali snort in acknowledgement. They took a wider turn in the air as they flew in another direction, intending to meet the carriage farther down the road it took. Beyond the forest was the Burfuna Ka n''s Southern Settlement, the destination of the carriage.

    So, they nned the ce they were going to intercept the carriage. As they flew over the forest, Re''Kha noticed a stretch of the road that curved a lot, surrounded by trees on both sides. It was a narrow road, only enough for two carriages to pass through side by side.

    Upon arriving at the ce, the Yalinded on the ground as Re''Kha alighted it, hurrying over to a nearby tree as she pointed at it, "Please destroy its stem so that when the timees, we can topple the tree with a push."

    The Yali nodded and swiped with its ws, ripping apart most of a thick tree''s trunk. Cracking sounds resounded from it, as if it would fall any moment. Moreover, the cracking sounds continued to increase, signalling that even if left alone, the tree was bound to fall sooner orter.

    Simrly, Re''Kha pointed at another massive tree that was on the other side of the curve, watching the Yali destroy its stem in the same manner. Upon seeing that she would be able to topple it with a palm projection when needed, Re''Kha scurried over to another ce, taking out a Water Qi Essence from her storage ring as she activated it, burying it under a tree''s roots.

    This way, it would remain out of sight but continued to produce Water Qi. She increased its range to the maximum, noticing that it epassed most of the curved section of the road. Simrly, she nted another Water Qi Essence on the other side, this way ensuring the ce would be entirely filled with Water Qi.

    With enough Water Qi, she would be able to see clearly through her Water Qi perception and also fight. Creating an environment suitable to her was her best bet in fighting against the Blinded Ghost.

    As the Water Qi continued to spread through the surroundings, Re''Kha patted her armour, feeling the Water Qi Essence in it. This way, anywhere she went, she would be able to see properly. Moreover, it would continuously replenish her reserves, allowing her to fight for longer durations.

    The Yali was standing behind the tree on the end that it was supposed to tumble down. As for Re''Kha, she was behind the tree at the front, ready to take action as she ced the needle-shaped Magic Artifact on her hip, keeping it to use for emergencies as she took out her Harpen Waves, hearing the sounds of hooves making contact with the road.

 Chapter 246 - Logically Vicious

    Re''Kha hid behind a tree as she looked at the carriage moving towards her. She intended to first trap the carriage, preventing it from escaping the ce. Second, she nned to quickly knock out the three people on it so that the Blinded Ghost wouldn''t be able to control them to hold its shell and flee.

    If one of them managed to do that, then her trap would be useless. After all, her trap was the field full of Water Qi that gave her home ground advantage. While, every moment the Blinded Ghost was in this ce, it would take damage.

    Moreover, its shell too would be taking damage. So, as long as she ensured its shell was trapped in this ce, it would eventually be destroyed. That was her n. And, as the carriage approached her, she hid behind the tree, tracking the carriage through her Water Qi perception.

    And, once it passed by, she began to push the tree, seeing that it wasn''t budging easily. Craning her hand backward, she concentrated Water Qi to her palm,shing out as she unleashed a Palm Projection, hitting the tree, causing it to tumble on the road, blocking itpletely.

    At the same time, the Yali too did the same, causing the carriage driver to pull the reins hurriedly, barely managing to stop the carriage. The horses neighed, alerting the two people within. For a moment, all three individuals in the carriage were afraid that they had been targeted by a bandit group.

    "What happened?" The girl''s grandfather peeked out in rm, unable to see anyone in his surroundings as he looked at the carriage driver.

    "Our front and back are blocked by trees. We cannot escape," The carriage driver trembled with fear as he said, afraid that he would lose his life.

    "Grandpa, what happened?" The girl woke up and rubbed her head, asking groggily.

    "It''s nothing, return to your sleep." Her grandfather patted her head, looking determined to protect her even if he lost his life.

    ''Nice!'' Re''Kha punched the air as she held Harpen Waves in her hands, sprinting towards the carriage immediately, unwilling to give them time to escape.

    But, no sooner did she begin to sprint did her eyes widen in shock, disbelieved at what she was witnessing. The Yali was hovering in the air as it condensed a massive sphere of water in its mouth and shot it towards the carriage, destroying it with one hit.

    The Water Qi breath attack killed everyone, including the horses, not giving them any moment to escape or plead for their lives. It was a decisive attack, rending their lives instantly.

    Upon seeing that, Re''Kha stumbled to a pause, shocked as she was unable to react. She hadn''t expected the head Elder to take such a vicious action. They were innocent people who were only trying their best to survive in this harsh world.

    Killing them just like that wasn''t something a respected person like the head Elder should do. Though, a momentter, even if she didn''t like it, the reason for his action resounded in her mind. She too was a member of an Elemental n. Therefore, she was also taught the ideology and thought process used by the head Elder.

    As he had seen the girl in Burfuna City carry the Blinded Ghost''s shell and tried her best to protect it, he knew that it was able to influence their minds to a certain extent. And, she had lost her eyes to the Blinded Ghost, one of the prerequisites to be controlled by it.

    He wasn''t sure yet if the Blinded Ghost was able to control Re''Kha, a Harmoniser. And, upon seeing the difference in wavelength of the Ghost Qi in the eyes of the two, he judged that Re''Kha wouldn''t be controlled.

    Besides, the one controlled was a young girl, not a grown-up like Re''Kha. And now, the girl within the carriage was the same as the one in Burfuna City. And, as the Blinded Ghost''s shellnded in her hands, it meant she too was under its control.

    So, if they fought in the same manner as before, the girl might escape with its shell. And, that would make their preparations useless. All along, Re''Kha had been informing him about all the details through the Yali.

    So, the head Elder knew precisely what he had to do. Even in the case, Re''Kha managed to knock the three people unconscious, there was still a risk that they would wake up during the battle. Or, the Blinded Ghost might be able to forcefully wake them up.

    After all, the girl in the postal office had done exactly that, even though she got knocked unconscious by Re''Kha. Having observed it, the head Elder judged it was too risky.

    After all, if they manage to wake up, they will serve as a source of Fear Qi for the Blinded Ghost, causing it to recover. Moreover, in times of necessity, it can steal the eyes of the grandfather and the carriage driver, giving it enough ammunition tounch four more Ghost Qi Palm Projections.

    And, if it did manage to escape from this ce and hid, the consequences would be disastrous. After all, the Blinded Ghost had already reached maturity. So, it was a walking disaster. Tens of thousands of lives would be lost to it in the future.

    To ensure there wouldn''t be any unnecessary risks, the head Elder had taken such drastic action. Re''Kha gritted her teeth, unable to refute his action, having no other choice but to activate her Harpen Waves and charge towards the carriage wreckage.

    Followed by a flicker, the figure of the Blinded Ghost manifested, looking angry. The series of damage it suffered, and the damage inflicted on its shell by Re''Kha prevented it from sensing the area with Water Qi immediately, causing it to suffer a major setback now.

    And, the moment it appeared, the Yali shot another Water Qi breath attack towards it. Thanks to the Water Qi-rich environment, the breath attack was amplified, heading straight towards the Blinded Ghost''s shell.

 Chapter 247 - Ghost Qi Hand Projection

    As the Water Qi breath attack headed straight towards the Blinded Ghost''s shell, it couldn''t evade, having no other choice but to unleash a Ghost Qi Palm Projection. The Palm Projection sted through the breath attack, losing most of its power as it headed towards the Yali.

    The Yali barely managed to dodge it as it began to gather strength for another breath attack. To prevent it from attacking, the Blinded Ghost flickered above it, about to attack its head when Re''Kha arrived at the scene, throwing one end of Harpen Waves towards the Blinded Ghost''s shell.

    Left with no other choice, it had to reappear above its shell and swat the end of Harpen Waves, grunting as just a simple contact caused it to lose Ghost Qi. Unlike the other Magic Artifacts, Harpen Waves was one of the best in the Burkurel Re n. So, the sheer density of Water Qi it could emit every movement was the highest, equivalent to three units of Water Qi.

    It was like every swing of it held as much power as three Palm Projections. So, it was hard to defend against.

    Re''Kha pulled the chain of Harpen Waves, rotated once and sent the ded end flying towards the Blinded Ghost again. She did maintain her distance while attacking, intending to just keep whittling it down.

    After all, time was on her side. And, the longer it fought, the weaker the Blinded Ghost got. So, Re''Kha didn''t wish to collide head-on and lose her life in the process.

    Her attack distracted the Blinded Ghost enough and bought time for the Yali to finish condensing another sphere of Water Qi in its mouth. Aiming at the Blinded Ghost''s shell once again, it shot forth the breath attack.

    With four foundations, it was able to shoot forth ten breath attacks in total, which was precisely its n. Moreover, in the present environment, it too was able to recover the expended Elemental Qi in the form of Water Qi.

    So, the Yali too nned to just spam breath attacks. After all, they had the initiative while the Blinded Ghost was caught in a passive situation. And, upon seeing the breath attack, the Blinded Ghost actually evaded it. It seemed to have taken something from the wreckage of the carriage, going to the extent of suffering damage to its shell to do so.

    The Yali was surprised for a moment, for the damage to the shell was rather significant. The edges of the Tikka jewellery¡ªthe Blinded Ghost''s shell¡ªhad even begun to melt due to the Water Qi eating up the Ghost Qi within.

    And, it seemed strange that the Blinded Ghost actually evaded an attack and allowed its shell to be damaged further. And, right at this time, followed by a roar, the Punou summoned by Re''Shi arrived at the scene, condensing a Water Qi sphere in its mouth before shooting it towards the Blinded Ghost''s shell.

    The Yali did frown for a moment on seeing such a massive Punou. But upon noticing that it too was attacking the Blinded Ghost, it didn''t interfere, beginning to charge up another breath attack.

    And like before, the Blinded Ghost didn''t defend its shell, rather appearing behind the Punou as it mmed using its hands, sending the Punou crashing into the ground. It then flickered behind the Yali, punching it nonstop to disrupt its actions.

    And right at this time, Re''Kha held the centre of the Harpen Waves'' chain, sending both the de edges flying towards the Blinded Ghost''s back, piercing through it. The Water Qi it emitted caused the Blinded Ghost to scream as it disappeared from the ce, appearing behind Re''Kha as it wished to kill her first.

    But, the moment it tried to attack her, Re''Kha unleashed her Balou, using it to defend herself. She used it as a shield, swerving from one side to another as all of the Blinded Ghost''s attacks only hit it.

    In the meantime, the Punou gathered its bearings and unleashed a breath attack onto the Blinded Ghost''s shell, hitting it with a massive impact, forming arge crater in the ground. The remnants of Water Qi continued to damage the Tikka jewellery that now sported numerous cracks. Tiny pieces of the gem on it had fallen off, crumbling into dust.

    Re''Kha scurried off the moment her Balou got killed. She couldn''t use her Pranic Arts against the Blinded Ghost; for, using her eyes as a medium, it would be able to take control of them. So, the Harpen Waves was her best bet at the scene.

    As the Punou was attacking the Blinded Ghost''s shell, the Yali pounced on it, shing with its ws that radiated with Water Qi. The Blinded Ghost evaded it and sent its fist flying into the Yali''s face, knocking a couple of its teeth out. The impact toppled it, causing it to crash with force.

    Without relenting from the attack, it continued to rain down punches, condensing most of its Ghost Qi to the pair of eyes on its front¡ªthose that belonged to Re''Kha. It seemed to be charging up for a big attack, as Re''Kha realised that it had eight eyes now.

    ''Did it get an eye from the carriage?'' She thought, understanding that there might have been an undamaged eye in the wreckage that the Blinded Ghost had taken.

    The Yali opened its mouth to unleash a breath attack and send the Blinded Ghost flying. And right at this time, the Punou unleashed another breath attack, causing the Blinded Ghost''s shell to crack before shattering into pieces, causing some Ghost Qi within it to waft out.

    It was finally destroyed.

    But, the expected situation didn''t happen as the Blinded Ghost hadn''t dissipated. Rather, the two pairs of eyes on its front shone with a swirling mass of Ghost Qi, signalling that the Blinded Ghost, albeit after suffering from some disadvantages, had managed to turn her eyes into its shell.

    And, the moment it did this, Re''Kha could feel the connection between them intensify as something within her was sucked out. The Blinded Ghost let out parlousughter, the voice of which was simr to Re''Kha before expending the other six eyes on its body, condensing a massive hand before it.

    Ghost Qi Hand Projection!

 Chapter 248 - Using The Cloth Banner

    Ghost Qi Hand Projection!

    The moment she saw it form, Re''Kha understood from where the Blinded Ghost had managed to create its Ghost Qi Palm Projection. It was through her.

    Using the connection between them, Re''Kha was able to spy on its position. And on the other hand, the Blinded Ghost was able to learn her Pranic Arts and master it.

    And in its hands, unleashed after it consumed an eye, the power behind the Pranic Art was staggering. Until now, just its Ghost Qi Palm Projections alone were terrifying enough. It wasn''t easy to defend against.

    And now, it had condensed a Ghost Qi Hand Projection. And, if it did possess the same traits as her Hand Projection, then the Blinded Ghost was able to use it continuously.

    At the same time this thought emerged in her mind, the Yali and the Punou too thought the same, immediately shooting forth their breath attacks onto the Blinded Ghost. After losing its shell¡ªthe Tikka jewellery¡ªand making the eyes embedded on it its shell, the Blinded Ghost lost the ability to teleport instantaneously.

    And now, the only pair of eyes on it were those belonging to Re''Kha, ones that it made into its shell.

    Re''Kha opened her storage space and pulled out the cloth banner, intending to use it as the two Pranic Avatars sprinted towards the Blinded Ghost, intending to dodge its attacks while charging their breath attacks.

    The Blinded Ghost punched once, smashing through the first volley of breath attacks. The Ghost Qi Hand Projection curled into a fist and punched the Punou first, sending it flying back like a pebble kicked by a person.

    It retracted its hand, pulling back its Ghost Qi Hand Projection just like a Harmoniser. As it watched the Yali arrive near it, it entered the ground while punching forth with its hand. The Ghost Qi Hand Projection mmed right into the Yali, sending it flying away. Blood sshed out in torrents that eventually dissolved into Water Qi¡ªsince its body was condensed using Water Qi.

    The Yali''s breath attack only fell on the ground and formed a massive crater. The Blinded Ghost seeped out from the ground when a breath attack flew towards it. It was unleashed by the Punou that just managed to get up.

    Even though arge section of its stomach had caved in, it was still able to attack. Using the Ghost Qi Hand Projection, the Blinded Ghost rxed its hold, using the palm of its Hand Projection to p the breath attack away.

    Even though its speed of action was normal, but as the Ghost Qi Hand Projection covered the same angle of attack at the same time while amplified by the distance of its reach, it was almost ten times faster.

    So, the force with which it hit the breath attack had multiplied. Though, the Ghost Qi Hand Projection too seemed unstable, as if it would dissipate any moment. Upon seeing that, the Blinded Ghost morphed its body, taking on the appearance of Re''Kha. The only difference was the fact that it was slightly taller than her.

    The moment its appearance changed, its Ghost Qi Hand Projection condensed even more, bing stronger than before. The Blinded Ghost flew towards the Punou, evading its attacks before using the Hand Projection to grasp its head, clenching with all its strength, shattering it.

    The Punou''s body broke down into Water Qi, dying from the attack. Another breath attack mmed into it from behind, sending it crashing into the ground. The Yali limped as it got up, barely managing to move when the Blinded Ghost flew to the sky and zoomed towards it, smashing its body with the Hand Projection.

    It continued to pummel the Yali in rage, sshing blood while the crunching sounds of something shattering continued to echo through the surroundings. Finally, it unleashed an attack with all its strength, killing the Yali, causing its body to dissipate into Water Qi.

    But, only now did it notice a certain cloth wrapped around its body. Something flew, shing around, almost undiscoverable as the Water Qi in the surroundings was close to approaching the saturation point.

    The ends of the cloth were wrapped around its Ghost Qi Hand Projection as the blue radiance vanished. But, before the Blinded Ghost could free itself, it looked with shock as the Ghost Qi in its body was being siphoned into the cloth at a rapid pace, causing it to be weak immediately.

    And, as the Ghost Qi in its body was being absorbed, the spiritual form of the cloth condensed into a headless body with a pair of hands. Immediately, it began to attack the Blinded Ghost, allured by all the Ghost Qi in it.

    It was the Cloth Banner that Re''Kha had taken from the Withered Courtyard. Upon every interval when it umted some Ghost Qi, Re''Kha destroyed that using Water Qi. And, this happened continuously, so much so that the cloth banner was getting desperate to umte Ghost Qi.

    After that, it was sealed in the storage space, surrounded by Elemental Qi Essence. Even the tinge of Fear Qi it could siphon from the five vials in the storage space would be eradicated at regr intervals by Re''Kha every time she checked its development.

    So, now that it obtained a chance, it didn''t wish to relent and attacked the Blinded Ghost with a frenzied rush. It didn''t even leave the Ghost Qi Hand Projection behind.

    Angered, the Blinded Ghost punched with its hand, making the Hand Projection move forward, tearing off the piece of cloth banner constricting it. But, despite suffering damage to its shell, the cloth banner''s spiritual form didn''t relent, rather attacking the Blinded Ghost with increased fervour.

    And, as time passed, it was getting stronger. It seemed its property was to absorb Ghost Qi from all sources, including fellow Sha. Unwilling to lose to it, the Blinded Ghost used its methods, cutting and tearing off the cloth banner bit by bit, watching its spiritual form take critical damage every time this happened.

    Finally, as its Hand Projection dissipated, it tore the cloth banner through its centre, turning it into two strips before cutting it horizontally into numerous sections, further dicing it up into bits. Followed by a sorrowful howl akin to a child''s, the cloth banner''s spiritual projection dissipated.

 Chapter 249 - Checkmate

    In order to dissipate its Ghost Qi, Re''Kha didn''t hesitate to make use of the cloth banner. After all, if she failed here, she would lose her life. And, the moment the Blinded Ghost used the Hand Projection, she knew it would be able to kill both the Yali and the Pakou.

    So, she expended 10 units of Water Qi and summoned her second Pranic Avatar, the Rupak. And this time, it condensed as a being of water, almost assimting within the Water Qi-rich surroundings. And, as the Water Qi levels were about to reach the saturation point, its figure was harder and harder to discern.

    The Rupak carried the cloth banner, using its speed and dynamic air stability to wrap it around the Blinded Ghost when it was in the process of killing the Yali. Once it was done, it flew away, hiding in a ce saturated with Water Qi to attack when necessary.

    Since it could remain materialised for 120 breaths, there was enough time. Re''Kha took in slow but deep breaths as she recovered her Water Qi reserves while keeping the Rupak stationed to attack.

    Now, she had three means of perception. One, using her Water Qi perception. Two, through the eyes of Rupak that was transmitted to her mind instantaneously through their shared thoughts. And three, through her eyes on the Blinded Ghost.

    Through all these points of view, Re''Kha had an absolutely clear understanding of the battle scene, waiting patiently for the two ghosts to damage each other as she made herself obscure. After all, even though it seemed like the cloth banner was siphoning Ghost Qi from the Blinded Ghost, itsrger surface area ensured it was expending a significant sum of Ghost Qi every moment tobat the Water Qi in the surroundings.

    This wasted their Ghost Qi a lot. Moreover, with every attack they aimed at each other, some Ghost Qi was emitted from their bodies. And, this emitted Ghost Qi was destroyed by the abundant Water Qi.

    This way, even though it seemed like the two were eating up the other party, the end result was that they were wasting most of their Ghost Qi reserves. It was a good thing for Re''Kha, so all she did was wait while recovering her Water Qi.

    And finally, the moment the Blinded Ghost finished destroying the cloth banner, the Rupak pped its wings and sped forth, piercing the Blinded Ghost''s back using its beak, damaging it even further.

    It pped its wings, using its ability to hover still in the air without moving its body. This way, it swerved from one ce to another, attacking the Blinded Ghost, expending its Ghost Qi continuously. As for it, it was absorbing the Water Qi from the surroundings, able to continue with its attacks.

    On seeing that it was significantly weakened, the Blinded Ghost tried to fly up when Re''Kha threw one side of Harpen Waves, coiling it around its hips. With a tug, she pulled it down, damaging it simultaneously.

    As the Harpen Waves was emitting Water Qi, the Blinded Ghost was unable to phase through it, getting dragged around as something started to peck its back again, pulling off bits and pieces of its body.

    The Blinded Ghost decisively severed its body into two, acting on the ce the chains of Harpen Waves had coiled around. Its lower half was still bound by the chains while its upper half shot towards the sky, intending to escape from the ce.

    As long as it left the area filled with Water Qi, it would stop taking damage continuously. And, as long as it managed to escape now, it would be able to recover in the future. Even though it lost some of the benefits of having a shell separately, at least, it was free to move as it pleased now.

    And, as long as it targeted ces without Harmonisers, it would eventually be able to recover to its peak. Thinking as such, the Blinded Ghost had reached the edge of the Water Qi-filled region when the Rupak perched on its back, lodging its ws deep into its body.

    With a tug, it pped its wings in a flurry, pulling the Blinded Ghost back little by little. The Blinded Ghost iled its hands, intending to hit the Rupak. But in response, it shrunk its size, pping its wings in a discontinuous flurry as it wobbled the body of the Blinded Ghost up and down.

    Even then, every attack from the Blinded Ghost continued to damage it. Finally, the Blinded Ghost managed to orient itself a little bit as it grabbed hold of the Rupak and tore off its wings into two, throwing the pieces towards the ground.

    Seeing the scene, Re''Kha smirked, feeling relieved as the severed pieces of Rupak vanished. She then condensed it once again, making it catch up to the escaping Blinded Ghost and perch onto its back once again.

    The Rupak was attacking slowly, buying time for Re''Kha to recover her Water Qi reserves. And, it began to attack without care only when she umted enough to summon it once again. This way, she wouldn''t allow the Blinded Ghost to escape.

    After repeating the same three times, the Rupak that was summoned once again perched on the back of the Blinded Ghost, pping its wings as it dragged it down easily. After all, after having attacked for so long and having suffered damage in return, the Blinded Ghost''s arms hadpletely melted off.

    Moreover, its body was also shrinking now, only left with the head, neck, and part of the upper body. This made it easy for the Rupak to control it, digging with its ws as it continued to destroy the Blinded Ghost''s body little by little.

    Upon seeing the state of the once formidable foe that made the entire Burfuna City shudder in fear, Re''Kha sighed, looking at her pair of eyes through the eyes of the Rupak. And, through her eyes, she looked at her face.

    Finally, Re''Kha stretched her hand, cing them on her eyes.

 Chapter 250 - The Weight Of These Eyes

    The Rupak used its wings as a shield around the Blinded Ghost, preventing it from trying anything funny as Re''Kha stretched her hand and grabbed her right eye first. She removed her hood and the ribbon covering her eyes, bringing the right eye closer to her eyes socket on the right, noticing something within stir up.

    Then, as if there existed a living creature within, an arm of Ghost Qi exited her right eye socket and grabbed hold of the eye, retreating into the socket. Instantly, followed by the pping of her eyelids, Re''Kha was able to see through her right, ted at the fact as she teared up.

    She then took her left eye from the Blinded Ghost, watching it scream in sadness upon losing its most prized possession. And simrly, another arm of Ghost Qi exited her left eye socket, grabbed hold of her left eye, and retreated into the socket.

    Now, as she pped her eyes, Re''Kha was able to see. But, she hadn''t even taken a moment to appreciate the fact of regaining her sight as crippling headache induced in her, causing her to clutch her head and scream.

    "Uwaaayk!" She hadn''t foreseen this development, unable to determine the reason. Though, upon hearing the chuckling sounds of the Blinded Ghost, she knew that she had fallen into a trap.

    "I''ll be able to possess you now." The Blinded Ghost began tough boisterously as its spiritual form continued to crumble.

    But right at this time, its expression hardened as Ghost Qi exited her eyes, condensing into a Hand Projection, looking different from the one it had condensed before. This Ghost Qi Hand Projection grabbed hold of the left hand of Re''Kha and touched her ring finger, the one with the storage ring Magic Artifact¡ªBudding Dew.

    The Ghost Qi Hand Projection seemed to suffuse with a regal aura that upon sensing it, the Blinded Ghost calmed down, sighing as it wore a helpless expression on its face, looking at Re''Kha as it spoke, "So, you''re the fated one. It''s fine then."

    Upon touch, the ring activated as the Ghost Qi Hand Projection entered it and exited with a couple of vials. Each vial stored a Kalha. Re''Kha only managed to obtain five such vials from the Burkurel Ju n''s Western Settlement after painstaking efforts.

    And now, the Ghost Qi Hand Projection applied a bit of pressure on the two vials, cracking them instantly, shattering them perfectly without injuring the two Kalhas within.

    Upon seeing that, the Blinded Ghost sighed, making the two Ghost Qi arms in the eyes of Re''Kha exit automatically and grab one Kalha each. Then, they crunched the wriggling Kalhas, absorbing their essence within their forms, leaving nothing behind.

    There wasn''t any trace of the Kalhas, having entirely been swallowed by the two Ghost Qi arms. Then, as if they had served their use, the two Ghost Qi arms exited her eyes, bringing out with them all the Ghost Qi present in her eyes.

    Then, they voluntarily moved, attacking the surrounding Water Qi before they were eventually destroyed as a result.

    "Huff¡­puff¡­" Covered with sweat, Re''Kha panted as the pain in her disappeared. Now, recing it was a gentle coolness as her mind was refreshed. Her sight had startling rity; for a moment she felt weird, having gotten ustomed to herck of sight over the past few months.

    She then looked at the face of the Blinded Ghost before her, one that resembled her, now sporting an expression of peace, one that was weing its end. Upon seeing her confusion, the Blinded Ghost smiled, "Good luck, Re''Kha. It''s a pity I couldn''t have your eyes for long, but indeed, they were the prettiest I have evere across."

    "Are you¡­" Re''Kha frowned, unable to form a sentence as she didn''t know what to speak or where to start. She hadn''t ever conversed with a Sha before. After all, only developed Sha were able to do that. And usually, encountering one meant death.

    "I had obtained a lot of abilities during my journey," Now that its face too began to melt due to the Water Qi, the Blinded Ghost spoke, "Now that you have be the owner of my shell, a couple of those abilities have been transferred to you. There is one more in them, an arrangement by the one who imbued you with such a twisted fate."

    As its face melted off, it left a sentence before vanishingpletely, "Your master is one frightening bastard."

    Once its body had fully dissipated, the Rupak pped its wings for some time before vanishing. Its time was up too.

    Re''Kha looked around the ce, gazing at the numerous craters as she sighed, wondering just how she had managed to survive a battle of such a scale. Now that she thought about it, she felt tired, feeling like her mind had been on overdrive all along.

    She was thankful for the fact that she had reimed her sight. But, upon seeing the carriage, she became sad, "The weight of these eyes is lurching."

    She paid her respects to the fallen, "I hope you are reborn in a peaceful household."

    She walked through the damaged terrain filled with craters, retracting the two Water Qi Essences she had nted. She ced the two Water Qi Essences, the needle-shaped Magic Artifact, and Harpen Waves in her storage ring, sighing as she looked around, wondering what she had to do with the ce.

    As time passed, she recovered her Elemental Qi reserves to the peak, sighing as she sat on the ground, next to a crater, leaning her back on a tree, now able to hear some sounds in the air. It was the sign that reinforcements from Burfuna City had arrived.

    Standing a fair distance away, hidden behind a rock was Ki''Nua, having watched the entire sequence of events. If the situation turned dire, she had nned to help Re''Kha. But now that Re''Kha solved everything herself, Ki''Nua was relieved, nodding, "So, that was the gift the First Celestial Emperor told me to give Re''Kha. He gave her a power rted to the Kalhas and also made the Blinded Ghost stop struggling in the end. Otherwise, it would have possessed her."

    "So, it''s true that he released the Blinded Ghost because of the deal with her master." She nodded, gazing at the leaning back of Re''Kha once before vanishing from the scene, "I am curious of the level you''ll reach in the future, sister Re''Kha."

    Volume 2: Withered Courtyard¡ªThe End!

 Chapter 251 - Banquet Invitation

    Re''Kha patted her armour pocket, feeling the Water Qi Essence in it. While she was waiting, she had recovered her Water Qi to the limit. After that, she deactivated the Water Qi Essence, seeing as there was no purpose in maintaining it any longer.

    As she was still in a dangerous territory, she didn''t ce it within her storage ring, intending to use it the moment the situation necessitated. She gazed at the fragments of the vial on the ground, watching it continue to crumble until it turned into powder, ''That hand in the end, just whose was it? It''s definitely not master''s.''

    She felt confused, feeling that a lot of things had happened in the back that she was perfectly ignorant about. All she knew was that she was the centre of those arrangements, whether she liked it or not.

    For a moment, she trembled in fear, knowing that the will of her master or something along those lines existed in her, able to consciously speak in times of necessity. He had done that a couple of times in the past. Though, the most obvious one was when she was talking to Mu''Tua about her eyes.

    ''Is he living through me?'' As time passed, the amount of respect and sense of worship she had to her master continued to wane as numerous questions continued to crop up. Moreover, she also felt fear, fear at the unknown, and fear at her master that wielded said unknown familiarly.

    Re''Kha slowly got up and dusted herself, watching the Burfuna City Lordnd on the ground, followed by around 10 Harmonisers. All of them were from the Burfuna Royal n, having used their Pranic Avatars as mounts to travel.

    Upon seeing the surroundings, the City Lord looked at Re''Kha with a wary gaze, suspicious if she had been possessed, "What happened here?"

    "The Blinded Ghost has been killed. The Elder should know the entire sequence of events." Re''Kha replied promptly, followed by a short bow. There was a good chance they wouldn''t believe her, she directed the exnation to the head Elder. His words held credibility.

    If it was before, they would have believed her words automatically. But, thanks to the research made by Mu''Tua, they discovered that a Sha could in fact possess a person, bypassing the natural defences erected by the Tikka jewellery.

    So, they weren''t sure whether she was possessed or not. And, only an Elder could verify it by using their third eye. So, the City Lord motioned at the Harmoniser behind him, "The five of you stay here and search for clues."

    He then looked at Re''Kha, "Come with me, let''s return to Burfuna City."

    "Thank you," Re''Kha made a formal bow once again as she looked around, watching the City Lord motion for her to sit behind him. It seemed as if he wasn''t afraid that she would stab him in the back if she were a Sha.

    Re''Kha did as told, taking her seat as the City Lord''s Yali took flight, increasing its altitude rather quickly as Re''Kha gazed downward, noticing the extent of damage their battle had caused. The path was filled with craters whereas some of the trees alongside it had fallen.

    Whenever the Blinded Ghost sent the Yali or the Pakou flying, they crashed into the trees, felling a lot of them each time. So, the destruction to nature was pretty severe. Thankfully, they had been using Water Qi all the time, which already existed in nature in the ce.

    So, the excess Water Qi they had unleashed would eventually assimte into the Water Qi streams flowing through the forest area. If they had used the other three elements, the damage would have been even more severe, and the area wouldn''t be able to recover naturally in a short time.

    Soon, they reached Burfuna City. Re''Kha watched with surprise that most of the attacking birds had retreated. The only ones remaining were those that had injured their wings and were no longer able to fly.

    They were just easy targets for the soldiers. As for the beasts, all the active ones had been killed while the rest fled.

    The Yalinded on the terrace of a building, situated a couple of streets away from the water tank where an intense battle had taken ce before between the three Sha and the city''s Harmonisers.

    The moment theynded, Re''Kha noticed the figure of the head Elder sh into appearance. Without saying anything, he first red at her using his third eye. The moment she looked at his third eye, her head spun as Re''Kha automatically prostrated on the ground.

    It seemed to be an instinctive behaviour of hers that was generated by the Kalki Qi generating through his third eye.

    After he finished his observation, the head Elder smiled, "Congrattions on reiming your eye from the Blinded Ghost."

    "Everything is thanks to you, Elder. I will be eternally grateful for your help." Re''Kha bowed respectfully after getting up from her prostrated posture.

    "Alright, continue as you see fit. I still need to solve a couple of things." Saying his piece, the head Elder nodded at the City Lord once before vanishing from the ce, jumping from one building to another.

    The City Lord looked at Re''Kha, "I''ll be holding a banquet tomorrow to celebrate our victory. Do attend it."

    "It would be my honour, City Lord," Re''Kha replied, watching the Coty Lord leave. He approached a team of Harmonisers and seemed to be rying some instructions to them, also taking a detailed look into a piece of stone that had been kicked up during the fight. On it was a piece of marking that even he hadn''t seen before. After all, the markings they engraved in their building material was different from it.

    Re''Kha then shifted her gaze to the water tank, noticing that the entire ce was in shambles, fully covered with blood. She was no longer able to spot any traces of the three Sha.

    After looking around, Re''Kha began to return, intending to meet up with Ki''Nua first.

    As long as she followed those from the Burfuna Royal n, she was bound to run into Ki''Nua. Even otherwise, Re''Kha nned to visit her house now.

 Chapter 252 - Itâ€™s Our Mess

    As she walked through the streets, Re''Kha was able to see the extent of damage the three Sha had done. As for the damage done by the swarm of birds, it was almost minimal and could be easily repaired.

    The most damage they did was litter the streets with their corpses. As for the beasts, they did cause some damage, but as all the houses were made from thick stone, even their breath attacks failed to destroy a house.

    Rather, only if they concentrated around three to four breath attacks on one ce would they be able to crack the sturdy houses. To break it, they would need another couple of breath attacks. By the time they couldunch that many, they would be pounced by the Harmonisers and killed off.

    She also came across wounded soldiers, listening to their chatter.

    "Isn''t it wonderful that all the injuries we sustained during this battle would be treated free of cost?"

    "Yeah, that''s great. I voluntarily injured the stump of my severed index finger using this as a chance, haha. Now, I''ll use this chance to get my finger back."

    "Be careful, you''ll be punished if they catch you."

    "It''s fine, I got this injury naturally anyway. So, there''s no evidence pointing to otherwise. Besides, even as a normal soldier, I killed two beasts. They sure have to reward me for this achievement."

    "I guess you''ll be a Harmoniser after this. Man, you''re one lucky guy."

    "Haha!"

    As she continued to walk forth, she could feel a strange sensation. Her heart thumped as she sprinted forth through the streets, hurriedly making a turn as she entered a rtively narrow road, noticing the erect figure of someone she cherished, "Re''Shi!"

    Without a moment''s wastage, Re''Kha jumped into his arms, hugging him tightly as she teared up. Burmat Re''Shi patted her head, embracing her as his body shuddered, "I felt like dying when my Pakou died. I was afraid something might have happened to you."

    "Thankfully¡­" He tightened his hug, feeling the warmth in his embrace, kissing her head, "I can feel your presence from anywhere. So, I knew that you managed to tide through that ordeal."

    "I was unsure all this time¡­" Re''Kha muttered, not budging from her spot, unwilling to leave him so soon, "I was afraid my ns wouldpletely backfire on me."

    ''Even though in the end, it did backfire on me. If not for that Ghost Qi hand at the end, the Blinded Ghost would have been in my body in ce of me.'' Re''Kha shuddered, turning silent as she heard the thumping heart of Re''Shi, rxing as time passed, thanks to its vigorous thumps.

    "Everything''s fine now," Re''Shi gently rubbed her back, "You regained your sight now. You no longer have to struggle in the dark."

    "Yeah," Re''Kha nodded. Time passed as the two remained standing as is, hearing the sounds of the passer-by. Finally, after some more time had passed, they parted unwillingly.

    Re''Kha looked at Re''Shi with a saddened expression, "Do you have to leave again?"

    "Tomorrow, that was the schedule. Even though I have killed most of the eyes on me, I cannot get rid of those directly working for her. She''ll not spare us if I did that," Re''Shi said, muttering helplessly, "Though, it''s not like she hasn''t done that yet."

    After a moment, he apologised, "Sorry, you were dragged into my mess."

    "It''s our mess, we''ll face it together," Re''Kha said, shing him a gentle smile.

    "You¡­" Re''Shi sighed, tears formed in his eyes as his heart thumped. He enveloped Re''Kha in a hug once again, "I don''t want to be away from you."

    "Me too, I miss you already." Her hands trembled as she held him, longing for the day when she could hug him once again.

    "Soon, I''ll put an end to all our troubles." Re''Shi patted her and separated, lightly wiping his eyes as he sighed, making eye contact with Re''Kha, entranced by her beauty for a moment, "Can you wait for me until then?"

    "Definitely," Re''Kha controlled her tears from forming as she turned around and walked away, pulling her hood to obscure her appearance, activating her Wind Qi perception to see that a couple of familiar figures were a couple of streets away, in search of Re''Shi.

    She recognised them from the group that was in the restaurant she had met Re''Shi previously. Upon seeing that they had begun to search for Re''Shi already, Re''Kha clenched her hand into a fist, "Re''Kya, I won''t spare you."

    Calming herself down by taking in deep breaths, Re''Kha began to walk towards the auction house, unable to spot Ki''Nua along the way. Thinking that she might have returned to her home, Re''Kha was just about to head to the Royal n residence when she noticed a worried figure of Ki''Nha.

    The moment she noticed her, Ki''Nha was able to identify her based on her armour, grabbing her shoulder immediately, "Lady Re''Luk, did you see Ki''Nua?"

    "I left her in charge of a Royal n Harmoniser though. She must be somewhere around here." Re''Kha replied.

    "No, I just contacted that person. She said Ki''Nua had disappeared from her ce during the chaos when the birds attacked." Ki''Nha expressed her worry.

    Immediately, Re''Kha activated her Wind Qi perception, intending to search for Ki''Nua when she noticed her presence pretty near, right beside the auction house.

    As Re''Kha turned in the direction, Ki''Nha too did the same, watching Ki''Nua carry a bow in her hands as her hands were drenched with blood. She was apanied by a couple of Guards that wereplimenting her skills.

    "She''s safe," Re''Kha sighed in relief, watching Ki''Nha pounce on Ki''Nua and wrap her in a hug first before beginning to chide her actions, scolding her mercilessly, at the end of which, Ki''Nua was all teary-eyed.

    "Sorry, mother." Ki''Nua apologised, rubbing her head as she was smacked by Ki''Nha.

    "Don''t do something this dangerous, alright? You''re just a hatchling Harmoniser. You shouldn''t risk your life unnecessarily like this." Once she noticed that Ki''Nua had learned her lesson, Ki''Nha stopped scolding, massaging her forehead as said, "Let''s go home now. In all this chaos, we failed to dispose of the items we collected yesterday."

 Chapter 253 - Gradual Consumption

    Having parted ways from Re''Kha, Burmat Re''Shi walked through the streets, having hidden his appearance. He wore a couple of pads on his body, appearing bulkier than usual, also wearing a wig to seem like a different person.

    As he walked on the road, Re''Shi watched a couple of people sprint past him. They were one of the men under his stepmother, in charge of watching over him. In order to make her children the rightful sessors of the Burmat Re n, Re''Kya was doing everything in her power to weaken Re''Shi, both physically and mentally.

    Moreover, to prevent anything from being used against her in the future, she was careful right from the start. So, not once did she go overboard, at least against him. But since she knew he loved Re''Kha, Re''Kya had nned to use her death to give him an emotional blow.

    If not for the fact that he had a special item with him that allowed him to sense the condition and position of Re''Kha all the time, Re''Kya would have already seeded. And, he had to constantly act as if her ns were weakening him continuously.

    His previous injuries paralysed his legs, making it seem as if they could no longer be treated even by the Mu n. Though, it was all a sham since Re''Kya had bribed all the doctors that visited to check him.

    Moreover, in the name of his injury and mental state, Re''Shi wasn''t allowed to leave his n. All in all, even in the case when Re''Kha faced a life-threatening situation, all he could do was send his Pranic Avatar to help her.

    Thinking of that, he felt vexed, ''I want to kill them all!''

    He immediately controlled his urges, sneaking back to his room before changing his clothes that had traces of blood. The blood was from when he had ughtered most of the people keeping tabs on him.

    After that, he exited his room, carrying his wheelchair as he moved to a discrete corner of his hotel, and sat on his wheelchair in silence, sporting a disinterested view. He chose a position that was rather safe, away from the line of sight of people, sitting for a lot of time before he heard some footsteps, turning around to see a couple of people arrive.

    They were those that had been searching for him on the streets. Currently, their faces were pale, having witnessed something they hadn''t fathomed¡ªthe disappearance of their crew that kept tabs on Re''Shi. And upon seeing the seated figure of Re''Shi, they heaved a sigh of relief.

    After all, their instruction was to prevent any harm from befalling on Re''Shi. After all, it was Re''Kya herself that had dispatched him. So, if something happened to him, she would be the one to take the me. So, they had been worried all along.

    This was the reason Re''Shi wasn''t bothered that they would try to harm him using this trip as a reason. After all, using the chaos of the birds, beasts, and the attack of the four Sha, they had more than enough excuses to use to dispose of him.

    It was in preparation for this that Re''Shi ensured it was Re''Kya that dispatched him to Burfuna City once he said he needed to go to a different city for a change of pace. Though, he hadn''t fathomed that they would be first attacked by four Sha and thenter by a horse of birds and beasts.

    ''Was the organisation Re''Kha specified before the cause of all this?'' He frowned, thinking, ''And, that¡­boy earlier, just who was he? He was almost like a Sha. And that girl I saw after that¡­''

    He sighed, ''It seems I have to get stronger if I wish to protect Re''Kha. She has been involved in one danger after another ever since she met with that master of hers.''

    As the two people pushed his wheelchair, he closed his eyes, focusing on the tiny metal te, half the size of his thumb embedded on the underside of his left hand. It was the item he used to sense the condition of Re''Kha and locate her position all the time.

    And based on what he felt, she had been in constant danger a couple of days before she met her master. It made him feel like her master had been the reason for her involvement in danger one after another.

    As he couldn''t understand the reason behind that, Re''Shi was feeling vexed, ''Dammit!''

    "Lord, if you need anything, please summon us. We''ll be waiting at the entrance." The two people returned him to his room, bowed, and closed the door. After closing the door, theymunicated with each other through signnguage.

    "Howe we didn''t see him before?"

    "We hadn''t checked there. It was our oversight this time."

    "I hope he doesn''t say about this to master."

    "Master wishes to kill him. And he never had a good rtionship with her since young. So, he won''t say anything to her."

    "I hope so."

    As for Re''Shi, even though there were no eyes on him, he moved the wheelchair towards the bed, made a lot of grunting sounds as he lifted his legs, ced them on the bed, and barely managed to climb on it.

    Followed by a knock on the door, a voice resounded, "Lord, shall we help you?"

    "I can manage myself," An emotionless voice of Re''Shi resounded as he sighed internally. ''If not for the treasure I obtained by chance, I would have had to remain a cripple for all my life.''

    He then massaged his forehead, ''Still, once I return home, I would have to consume food with a mild poison daily. Damn her, she ns to weaken me over time. If I turn weaker in the span of two to three years, even if I were to die one day, the suspicions won''t fall on her.''

    He then thought long and hard, sighing as he clenched his fist, ''I seriously need to find an antidote for it before my body turns even weaker. I already lost a quarter of the strength I had a year ago. This poison is gradually eating me up.''

 Chapter 254 - Keeping Watch

    Re''Kha adjusted the ribbon covering her eyes as she followed Ki''Nha and her daughter. Once she walked away from the City Lord, Re''Kha tied the ribbon around her forehead, keeping it close to her eyes, intending to pull it down soon after.

    After all, that was how she had been behaving all along. Besides, she didn''t know if her eyes had changed colour yet. All along, even when she spoke to the City Lord and the head Elder, she had kept her eyes closed.

    Only when no one was looking at her did she use her eyes to see. But, all she did was nce at the water tank and a couple other ces before she left the area. And, once she spotted Ki''Nha, she pulled the ribbon down, covering her eyes.

    It was best to be careful than to be sorryter. Thankfully for her, the head Elder hadn''t said anything after taking a look at her. As she just had her eyes closed, it was apparent that she had regained them. After all, without the eyeballs, her eyelids would just seem t, without substance to cover.

    And as he knew she was blind, he realised that she had obtained her eyes. Moreover, even when she had looked at the head Elder''s third eye, she only did so by barely opening her eye, the minimum most she needed to look.

    She hoped that would prevent him from seeing the colour of her eye in detail. After all, the shadow cast by the eyelid would make it harder to discern the colour of her eye. As Emerald too was a shade of blue, it wouldn''t look odd.

    Moreover, her eyelidscked any hair. After all, she did turn into a Bisheen at least once every two days, ensuring all the hair on her body fell off. She then collected them, ced them in a cover, and stored them in her storage space.

    This way, there wouldn''t be any evidence. Even though she had been careful all along, Re''Kha was a bit nervous after meeting the head Elder. That was one of the reasons she had nned to visit Ki''Nua.

    By staying in her house, Re''Kha would be able to spy on the Elders and listen to their conversation, knowing whether the head Elder noticed anything amiss or not. If in the chance they nned to do something to her, she nned on escaping immediately.

    By summoning the Rupak using Wind Qi, she would be able to ride it without producing any sound. And under the cover of the night, she would be able to escape somehow. Moreover, she had enough Water Qi Essences to recover her Elemental Qi reserves while on the flight, ensuring she maintained constant flight.

    If something happened, she nned to continue flying. Even if the Elders chased after her, considering the flying speed of Rupak, she was confident in escaping as long as she was able to maintain its flight.

    After all, when riding the Yali with the head Elder, she had noticed its maximum flying speed. The Yali was an all-rounded beast. But as for the Rupak, it was a bird, specialised in high-speed flight and dynamic manoeuvrability. So, it was twice as fast as the Yali.

    This was where she gained her confidence from. After all, escaping was easy, since she could just jump through the window of their house and take flight. Moreover, if necessary, the Rupak was able to perch on her back while increasing the size of its ws and wings alone, holding her better while producing more lift using its wings.

    This way, she would be able to defend against any attacks using her Pranic Arts while the Rupak would be able to move without fear that she would be thrown off.

    Only after thinking it through did Re''Kha follow Ki''Nha and Ki''Nua to their house. After all, arge battle had just transpired. So, there didn''t exist any cycle rickshaws that were ready to travel now.

    After Ki''Nha met with Ki''Nua, she invited Re''Kha to stay with them for the day, telling her about theck of transportation services for the day. Moreover, she said she would inform Mu''Tua of her well-being using a messenger bird, so Re''Khaplied.

    It waste into the night when they reached their home. After they had dinner, Re''Kha took a bath, changed into a pair of clothes Ki''Nha had lent her and returned to the room she was provided, exhausted. She immediately slipped into the bed, covering her forehead with her right hand as she activated her Wind Qi perception, immediately expanding the range to epass the entire Royal n residence.

    Immediately, she could see a couple of figures surrounding the house, stationed a fair distance away, hidden among the tree branches. The figures were still to the extent no one would be able to sense them even if they stood under the tree.

    And as it was nighttime, theck of light source in the surroundings meant their figures were well hidden. After all, the tree canopy blocked out all the light emitted from thenterns hung all over the ce.

    And in two such spots, situated on the opposite sides of the house were the Elders, shocking her. For a moment, she almost sprang out from her ce to escape, thinking they were there to interrogate her.

    But soon after, she calmed down, noticing the figure of Ki''Nha exit the house stealthily before arriving under a tree, stopping naturally as she whispered, "I''m here, Elder."

    "How is Ki''Nua?" The Elder''s voice resounded as a whisper. Though, Re''Kha was able to hear it clearly thanks to her Wind Qi perception, causing her to heave a sigh in relief.

    "She has been behaving normally all along." Ki''Nha said after a moment of thought, "Though, she did leave the protection of one of our n''s Harmoniser during the chaos to hunt some birds. I already interrogated the Guards she had apanied. She was with them all along."

    "Fine, keep an eye on her." The Elder said after a pause, "As for that child named Re''Luk, keep an eye on her too. She too has a connection to the Withered Courtyard. We can''t leave such a threat unattended. And what happened today has been pretty shocking."

    Saying his piece, the Elder motioned for Ki''Nha to return, remaining behind to keep watch on their house.

 Chapter 255 - Recount In Detail

    ''So, it''s because of our connection to the Withered Courtyard.'' Re''Kha frowned mentally, heaving a sigh in relief once she found out the cause wasn''t her. Feeling doubtful about something, she got up and approached antern, using its light to nce at the mirror.

    She focused on her eyes in the reflection, noticing that it was a shade of blue, slightly darker than her memories. Moreover, as she continued to stare at it, Re''Kha noticed that its shade was subtly changing, tinged with a mild green.

    ''It''s changing into emerald colour too.'' As she thought of it, Re''Kha felt relieved, ''So, if it is like this, the head Elder only saw a normal pair of eyes. So, as long as I am careful about not seeing others tomorrow, I should be fine.''

    She then thought of something, feeling that she would be able to use that as a reason, ''Besides, I can me the Blinded Ghost by saying that it did something to my eyes. So, once I snatched it back, the side effect changed its colour, also affecting my hair.''

    ''It might be risky, but in unavoidable situations, I can say that''s the reason.'' She thought, also getting an idea, ''Right, since the head Elder already saw my eyes looking normal today, I can meet up with him tomorrow and show that something had happened overnight. That way, I can get the vouch of an Elder that it''s nothing to worry about. Also, I can ask his opinion on it. Whether it changed colour due to the Wood Qi I gained or if there is another reason altogether, I''ll know about it once I ask.''

    "That should do," Muttering, she returned to the bed, falling asleep immediately. The next morning, she was woken up by Ki''Nha, "Lady Re''Luk, you are being summoned by the Elders."

    The moment she woke up, Re''Kha nodded as if she had expected it, but in reality, her heart was thumping in suspense. She didn''t know if they just called her to inquire about the fight with the Blinded Ghost or wished to know more about her experience in the Withered Courtyard or something else.

    If it were the former two, she was fine with it, for she didn''t have anything much to hide in them. But if it was something else, she didn''t know what to do. After all, the chances of her escaping in the presence of five Elders was zero.

    Moreover, Re''Kha knew that the Kalki Qi wielded by the Elders gave them boosted physical powers. She had seen the head Elder sprint at speeds beyond anyone she had ever witnessed. Besides, he was able to leap to a length of thrice her height with a normal jump, as if it was easy to do so.

    And when he was serious, the distance only increased. So, Re''Kha knew that any Elder had abilities beyond what she could fathom. In retrospect, despite her possessing three elements, she only had 12 units of Elemental Qi.

    Besides, in a direct sh between the elements, her three elements didn''t give her any special advantage. After all, it was Early Fire Month now. And, she didn''t wield Fire Qi. So, she was at an elemental disadvantage already.

    As for the Elders, no matter the season, they always had the home advantage. It was the advantage of possessing all the elements of their race. So, Re''Kha mentally calmed herself, repeating in her mind numerous times to not show any intentions of escaping.

    Even if a situation took a turn for the worst, she nned to talk her way out. After all, that seemed to be the only viable option to her. Thinking as such, she refreshed herself and got ready, soon apanying Ki''Nha to the main hall where everyone important among the Royal n was usually seated.

    She was still covering her eyes with the ribbon, as usual, relying on her basic senses to probe her surroundings. The range hadn''t increased much, but all she had to do was apany Ki''Nha, which proved rather easy.

    At present, the main hall was almost empty, save for the seats of the five Elders, lodged in the wall and obscured by curtains. The moment the two arrived at the entrance, a voice resounded, telling Ki''Nha to remain outside while sending Re''Kha in alone.

    Upon seeing that they had used her alias, Re''Kha heaved a sigh in relief, entering as she could determine they most probably didn''t possess any animosity towards her.

    Upon entering the main hall, Re''Kha pulled up the ribbon, showcasing the colour of her eyes that had now turned emerald. Her eyes remained transfixed on the obscured seats of the Elders as she bowed, "I greet the Royal Elders."

    "You can stand now," The head Elder''s voice resounded after some time had passed. Re''Kha immediately stood straight, looking at the source of the sound, acting a bit flustered, "Head Elder, my eyes¡­"

    "Nothing to worry about. At least, I don''t sense any danger in them." The head Elder''s voice resounded, calming her down immediately. The head Elder then spoke, "The Blinded Ghost had reached maturity before its death. And, based on what I witnessed while fighting it, it seemed to have done something to your eyes. This might be a result of that."

    "At least, you aren''t being possessed by it. That''s one thing I could confirm. All the Ghost Qi that had been in your eyes before had now vanished. And there is no longer any connection between you and anything rted to the Sha." Upon hearing his voice, Re''Kha was stunned for a moment.

    She inquired, "What about the Withered Courtyard? I had physically entered that ce."

    "That''s the reason we had summoned you here today," The head Elder said, "When you arrived at this ce the day before yesterday, I was able to sense two connections on you. One of them was the Blinded Ghost, and the other was the Withered Courtyard. But now, neither of them exists on you."

    "So," His voice resounded, pressuring her momentarily, "Tell me everything that happened in detail."

 Chapter 256 - A Vow Made Upon The Celestial Emperor

    "Yes," Even though she felt pressured, Re''Kha didn''t reel under the pressure, taking a deep breath before she talked everything about her experience in the Withered Courtyard, making mild changes to omit the scenes where she had used her Wind Qi perception.

    She said how she noticed that the walls were made of wood, getting suspicious immediately as she had thought it was a settlement based on the design of the stone walls of the ce. So, the moment she sensed something was amiss, she had shattered the ceiling using a Hand Projection, causing the rain to fall on her.

    Using the rain, and the abundant Water Qi present in it, she protected herself, relying on her Water Qi perception to move. She then recounted her experiences in fighting the numerous figures that tried to attack her.

    She used a cloth she had found to absorb the rain that sheshed out like a whip, using it as an elemental weapon. She then talked about the ensuing fight until she reached the gates and her eventual escape.

    Once she finished talking, there was silence in the main hall, unnerving her. Finally, after some time had passed, the head Elder said, "Then, how did you arrive at the Burfuna City after that?"

    After a moment of thought, Re''Kha replied, "You''ve seen it, Elder."

    Her reply confused him for a moment before the head Elder understood that she was talking about the Pakou he had seen, speaking, "Alright, you may leave. Unless the Elders of your n question you, don''t talk about your encounter with the Blinded Ghost or the Withered Courtyard to anyone else. That''s an order."

    After a pause, he continued, "If anyone tries to force you to speak, say you''re following my orders. And if someone forces you to hand over the information despite everything¡­"

    His voice became chill-inducing, "You are free to kill them. You have my permission. As for the aftermath, the Burfuna Ki n will handle everything."

    Re''Kha immediately bowed, prostrating herself as her forehead touched the ground, "I''ll take this information to my grave. This, I vow on the Celestial Emperor."

    "Good," The head Elder''s voice turned a notch softer. After all, if anyone from their race vowed on their Celestial Emperor, they were bound to follow it to their deaths. It wasn''t just followed because of their devotion to the Celestial Emperor, the pir of their race.

    Rather, their Celestial Emperor was the pir, the peak, the source, and the end of their race. So, any vow directed towards him ced a shackle on those that had vowed. It was a formless shackle that couldn''t be avoided once the vow wasplete.

    That was why, the moment someone vowed on the Celestial Emperor, their statement held absolute weight.

    As Re''Kha left the ce, her heart felt heavy. Even if she didn''t wish to do so, she had no other choice but to make the vow. Otherwise, she could instinctively sense that she wouldn''t be allowed to walk free after that.

    There was a good chance they would limit or chain her down to the Burfuna Ki n to prevent the information from leaking out. Now, Re''Kha knew that she wouldn''t be able to convey the sequence of events she had experienced to anyone else.

    Even if she opened her mouth to speak about it, her voice would fail to form. If she tried to write the information, her hands would stop moving. If she tried to convey it through signnguage, her body would be paralysed.

    And despite everything, if she still tried to convey the vowed information, her body might even dpose on the spot. At least, that was what she had been taught.

    And, Re''Kha had zero intentions to test that. After a moment of thought, she smiled, ''This is better. Now, no one will be able to interrogate me about that. And, if my n members try to force anything out of me¡­''

    Her eyes glinted with a dangerous hue, anticipating the ones who schemed against her to ask her about it so that she would have a legitimate reason to hack them to death. She had indeed suffered through a lot, so Re''Kha had no intentions of leaving them happy.

    Once she exited, she noticed Ki''Nha sh her a worried look. Re''Kha smiled in return, "It wasn''t much. They were just asking about that."

    By that, she meant the Withered Courtyard. And, as Ki''Nha had expected it, she nodded in response, apanying Re''Kha as the two returned to her home. After spending some time, Re''Kha hailed a cycle rickshaw and returned to her home.

    It seemed a day was enough to repair all the damage, as workers had worked throughout the night to clean out all the mess made by the horde of birds and beasts alike. As for the carcasses of the beasts, those were swiftly preserved to be used in the making of elemental weapons.

    If they chanced upon any body parts with high conductivity to Elemental Qi, they would be preserved to be used in the making of Magic Artifacts. Though, the chances of that happening were very less.

    After all, to be used in a Magic Artifact, the quality of the beast''s body part should be equivalent to an Elemental Qi Essence. And usually, only the body parts of a Beast King had the necessary quality. And, obtaining one of those was almost impossible.

    Usually, a Magic Artifact was made using an Elemental Qi essence alone. But, those made by including the parts from a Beast King would be superior. Re''Kha didn''t possess a Magic Artifact like that.

    After all, even the Harpen Waves was only made using Water Qi Essence. Though, almost 10 Water Qi Essences had been consumed to create it. And just that alone made it the peak of the Magic Artifacts. So, she didn''t know just how powerful a Magic Artifact made using a Beast King''s body parts was like.

    ''Maybe it''s guarded the most and would only be used within the n''s boundaries when absolutely necessary?'' She thought as such and returned to her home, watching Mu''Tua waiting at the entrance with an anxious expression.

 Chapter 257 - Eye Disguise

    "What happened, grandma?" Re''Kha looked around, failing to notice anyone else as she addressed the anxious individual waiting at the entrance of her house.

    Upon seeing that she was fine, Mu''Tua sighed, "That time hase in the end. Your mother visited me in the morning."??

    "¡­What did she say?" All her emotions burst as for a moment; her voice turned emotionless.

    "She''ll arrive to talk in the evening. She didn''t say anything other than to remind you to be here by then." Mu''Tua sighed, motioning for Re''Kha to enter the house.

    Activating her Wind Qi perception, Re''Kha observed her surroundings, noticing the two servants, Suu and Sii work at the back of the house, drying the clothes. There wasn''t anyone else in the vicinity as Re''Kha heaved a sigh in relief, finally speaking once they sat in the living room, "Grandma, I seeded in regaining my sight."

    The moment she said that, Mu''Tua grabbed her shoulder in reflex and pulled out the ribbon covering her eyes, noticing the closed eyelids were round, tearing up immediately, "Thank god¡­"

    Feeling her wrinkled hands tremble as she held her shoulder, Re''Kha realised just how worried she had been. Upon seeing Mu''Tua shed tears, Re''Kha too teared up.

    After some time passed, she wiped her tears, opening her eyes, watching the expression on Mu''Tua freeze up immediately.

    "Your¡­eyes¡­" She muttered in shock, feeling pained at the change.

    "The Elders from the Ki n already checked it. They said there''s no problem with me, grandma. It seems to be a side effect because the Blinded Ghost had been using it for so long. So, you don''t need to be worried. It''s just a colour change." Re''Kha said, motioning for Mu''Tua to not worry too much.

    "If only it were that simple," Mu''Tua grunted, "Colour means everything. Anything other than our four colours means trouble for you. There is a good chance you might be mistaken for someone not from our race."

    "I can still hide it¡­" Re''Kha was just about to exin when Mu''Tua red at her.

    Mu''Tua spoke with a stern voice, using her hands to remove the hood on Re''Kha, looking at her bald self, "Are there any other side effects?"

    "Yes," Re''Kha nodded, "My hair would probably turn emerald too. But it''s okay, since¡­"

    "This won''t do," Mu''Tua shook her head, "I never asked the reason you have been removing the hair on your body for the past few months. But now, you have no other option but to do it every single day."

    She red at Re''Kha, "And, that''s bound to damage your body sooner orter. Part of our lifeforce resides in our hair, so removing it like that will only shave your life away. Only when it falls off naturally would you remain unaffected."

    ''Is that why I felt ufortable removing it every couple of days by transforming into a Bisheen?'' Re''Kha thought, wondering if that had been the case. She wasn''t sure, but since Mu''Tua, a doctor said it, then there must be truth in it.

    "There''s just one way then," Mu''Tua said, dragging Re''Kha with her towards one of the rooms on the ground floor, locking the door behind her. She forced Re''Kha to sit on the bed as she opened the cupboard nearby, pushing all the clothes away before pressing on the shelf.

    Soon, she pulled out the shelf, watching a faint wind be stirred up in the process, revealing a safe. And, ced within it was a box, looking inconspicuous, made from wood. Mu''Tua took it out with care, brushed its surface longingly once as she spoke, "I had used this when I was younger."

    Seeing Re''Kha, she spoke, "Under orders, I had to infiltrate thend of the Treka. So, to do my mission, I was gifted some necessary tools."

    The box seemed to contain quite a few materials, out of which, Mu''Tua picked up two. She gave them to Re''Kha, "I had to use these to remove my disguise the moment I returned home. I no longer have any use for it, but they woulde in handy for you now."

    The first one was a tiny box, spanning the length of her thumb. Upon opening it, Mu''Tua revealed a convex surface, shaped like a disk, the size of her eye, "This is a Magic Artifact made using Water Qi Essence and the eyes of a special beast that''s grown in the capital."

    "I don''t know the name of the beast, but its effect is great," She touched the convex surface with her index finger, gently picking it up before motioning for Re''Kha to keep her left eye wide open.

    When Re''Kha did so, she had to endure a lot to keep it open, fighting against her impulse to close it as Mu''Tua ced the item on her eye.

    "I can''t see from my left eye now," Re''Kha said as she blinked, feeling weird as the object was somewhat thick, preventing her left eyelid from closingpletely. The sense of discrepancy unnerved her, for her right eyelid opened and closed the same as usual.

    "Now, will it to activate, just like controlling a Magic Artifact. Don''t open your left eye." Mu''Tua said, watching Re''Kha do the same as her left eye shone with a gentle blue radiance. Mu''Tua observed it, waiting for ten breaths before the radiance deactivated automatically.

    "Open your eyes now." Seeing Re''Kha follow it obediently, Mu''Tua gently removed the object from her eye, watching Re''Kha open and close her eyes continuously to rid the unnerving feeling from before.

    Mu''Tua looked at her left eye once, smiling as she brought a mirror, motioning for Re''Kha to take a look at herself, "What do you see now?"

    Re''Kha looked into the mirror, shocked when she noticed her left eye was now blue in colour, just like what she had before losing her eyes to the Blinded Ghost, "H-How?"

    "This is one of the items we use for our disguises. We have one for all eye colours." Mu''Tua said, "Though, it''s only temporary. It onlysts for a day. After that, your eye colour would return to normal. You''ll have to use it again after that."

    Saying so, she ced the item on her right eye, making Re''Kha activate it, waiting for ten breaths before it deactivated on its own. After removing it, she smiled, noticing that the eye colour of Re''Kha had returned to normal, looking no different from other water-based Harmonisers.

    -----------------------

    From the 18th of August, the voting system will change. Power Stones would be reced by Golden Tickets. And, every GT has an immense value that would directly support the novel''s serialisation.

    You can obtain it in the following way: 1 GT for spending 300 coins (Stacks up for every 300 coins)

    1 GT by gifting worth 300 coins

    1 GT for buying a membership

    It expires every month, so cast it on Murim Recurve (You''ll get a GT even if you spend on other novels, but you must put it here.)

    If you have spent more than 300 coinsst month, you''ll be awarded one GT this month on the 18th. Don''t forget to vote for Murim Recurve with that. I promise to release an extra chapter for every 20 GT. (PS. I have a 20 chapter stockpile~)

    ------------------------

 Chapter 258 - Sect Entrances

    "My eyes¡­look normal now!" Re''Kha eximed in shock, looking at her appearance in the mirror, gazing at Mu''Tua excitedly, "Wow, you have an amazing item in your hands, grandma."

    "Of course," Mu''Tua smiled, sighing internally with a forlorn expression, "I had to act as a spy during my younger days. Since we are able to heal ourselves from any injury, we Harmonisers from the Mu n are also trained and sent to other countries as spies."??

    "And, each race lookspletely different from one another, whether it be the eye colour, body size, shape, the number of limbs, etc. So, to disguise ourselves ordingly, just ayer of covering isn''t enough. Rather, it just raises suspicion among the foreign races. So, we have created Magic Artifacts that help us in achieving it." Mu''Tua patted Re''Kha, rubbing her bald head.

    She then sighed, telling Re''Kha, "Every day, use this item to turn your eyes blue. This way, you can avoid most of the suspicion and troubles."

    She then gave Re''Kha the second item, a long tube with thin bristles at the end, blue in colour, "This too is a Magic Artifact created in the capital. This helps dye your hair. It is unlike the normal dye that normal spies have ess to. As I had to infiltrate their equivalent of a Harmoniser n, I was given this item."

    Saying so, she patted the item once, "This Magic Artifact works simr to the eye Magic Artifact. Itpletely changes the inherent colour of your hair. So, whether your haires into contact with water, acid, poison, fire, etc. its colour will never change for a month. You have to apply the colour every month, since the moment its duration of effect ends, your hair will revert to its natural colour within ten breaths."

    "And, for both the Magic Artifacts, you can only use them once your hair and eye colour revert back to normal. So, you have to keep track of the time you applied and apply it immediately after its effect vanishes. Keep that in mind, alright." Mu''Tua looked at Re''Kha, telling her the ways to use the tube-shaped Magic Artifact, also informing her of the other know-how of the two items.

    "Thank you, grandma. You made my life easier," Re''Kha teared up, gazing at the reflection, realising that she no longer had to keep on hiding herself and lie at every turn of her life. She was never a fan of lies and having to lie made her feel horrible.

    At least, she would no longer have to worry about her appearance and be able to roam around normally without looking suspicious. She had enough of the gazes she received while in Burfuna city.

    In Burkurel City, it would be even more difficult since a lot of people were able to recognise her appearance there.

    "Anything for you, my child." Mu''Tua patted her head, "Be safe, don''t antagonise your mother too much. She is an ambitious individual, so as long as you don''t hinder her or look like a threat to her enemies, you will be able to avoid most of the conflicts."

    She then made eye contact with Re''Kha, "Besides, you have 12 units of Water Qi now. So, it''s time you are prepared to enter the Water Sect. You''ll have the best environment to improve yourself there."

    "Besides," Mu''Tua said with a derisive sneer, "Just like most of the Elemental ns, your Burkurel Re n only has two Pranic Arts. And, a Hand Projection is not versatile enough for your use in future battles. But in the Water Sect, you''ll be able to learn many Pranic Arts."

    Her voice turned serious, "And, only in the Water Sect would you be able to develop into a bonafide Harmoniser. Despite her inferior talent, your mother used the opportunities in the Water Sect to grow leaps and bounds in strength. That''s how she was able to push aside all opposition and reach her current position."

    "Also," She took a parchment, writing down some instructions on it, "Thepetition to enter the Water Sect is tough, since all the water-based Harmonisers or normal people trying to be one from all over the country attempt it. So, even if you fail to enter it, don''t be hard on yourself."

    She finished inscribing details on the parchment, giving it to Re''Kha, "The Water Sect only epts the water-based Harmonisers and trains them to the limit and develops them in many fields other than fighting too. But, you should also remember that four other sects ept all Harmonisers."

    "There''s the Southern Sect in the state of Gasha, Western Sect in the state of Warle, Eastern Sect in the state of Pilthki, and the Northern Sect in the state of Dishe. There, you''ll primarily be trained in the way of fighting as everything you learn there will be rted to that. And, chances of entering there is rtively higher aspared to entering the Water Sect since there are four of them. And, if you have exemry performance, you''ll even obtain the opportunity to enter the Central Sect that''s directly under the eye of the Fourth Celestial Emperor." Mu''Tua took in a deep breath, feeling exhausted after speaking without break.

    She then exhaled, "So, one way or another, enter a Sect, and don''t return to your n until its vtile atmosphere has settled down."

    "I''ll do that then," Re''Kha nodded, looking at the scroll, opening it to see that a lot of dates and locations were specified on it.

    Mu''Tua informed her of the details, "They show the ces the entrance exams to the four Directional Sects would be conducted and the time of the year they ur. I have also included the exam location to the Water Sect just in case your n''s politics hinder you. One way or another, escape from that chaos before you are swallowed up by it."

    "I''ll do as you say, grandma." Re''Kha bowed in gratitude. For, Mu''Tua had helped her a lot over the past few months, not expecting anything in return. Moreover, she also understood that Mu''Tua was shouldering a lot of risk by lending Re''Kha the two disguise items.

    If it was discovered, she would be killed immediately by the Royal n, no questions asked. Just the fact that she was willing to risk her life to help her made Re''Kha grateful to her, vowing that she wouldn''t ever do anything that would trouble her.

    Evening approached as a cycle rickshaw stopped before the house. And exiting it was ady with a regal aura, her every step suffusing with dominance.

    -----------------------

    From the 18th of August, the voting system will change. Power Stones would be reced by Golden Tickets. And, every GT has an immense value that would directly support the novel''s serialisation.

    You can obtain it in the following way: 1 GT for spending 300 coins (Stacks up for every 300 coins)

    1 GT by gifting worth 300 coins

    1 GT for buying a membership

    It expires every month, so cast it on Murim Recurve (You''ll get a GT even if you spend on other novels, but you must put it here.)

    If you have spent more than 300 coinsst month, you''ll be awarded one GT this month on the 18th. Don''t forget to vote for Murim Recurve with that. I promise to release an extra chapter for every 20 GT. (PS. I have a 20 chapter stockpile~)

    ------------------------

 Chapter 259 - Nice Tea

    Once she had received the two disguise-rted Magic Artifacts and the parchment with details of the Sect entrance exams, Re''Kha returned to her room, informing Mu''Tua that she will pack her belongings and hide the three items safely.

    Though, the moment she entered her room, she directly ced the three items in her storage ring, the safest ce to keep them. Now, without the cloth banner, there wasn''t anything to worry about in it.??

    As for the vials with the Kalhas, there were only three remaining now that she nned to reserve them as her trump cards. She grabbed a bag that she had bought recently, stuffing some clothes in it. She also had all the arrows, darts, the bow, a sword elemental weapon, and the Harpen Waves imitation to pack.

    After some thought, she ced all of them in her storage ring, only packing the Harpen Waves imitation in the bag. This way, even if someone were to see it, it would only serve as evidence for her to sneakily use the actual Magic Artifact without suspicion in the future.

    One day, even if she were to use the Harpen Waves, most would just assume it to be the imitation, a normal elemental weapon. As for her Armour, Rigid Water, she had to ce it within the storage ring too.

    After all, she shouldn''t have enough money to buy something like that. Mu''Tua didn''t question her, thinking she had some money on her when she left her n. As Re''Kha hadn''t even activated it in front of her, Mu''Tua only assumed it was an expensive piece of cloth Re''Kha had purchased.

    After all, design-wise, it still conformed to the Re n''s style of wear by using the Ju n''s as a base. So, Mu''Tua thought Re''Kha needed a cloth that was less revealing than the Re n''s dress.

    But if either her mother or anyone from her n noticed it, they wouldn''t hesitate to question her. After all, when she left the Burkurel Re n while pursuing the Blinded Ghost, she had less than 20 RuQi on her.

    She was only wielding the sword-shaped Magic Artifact lent to her by the Burkurel Re n to y the Blinded Ghost. So, it would be suspicious if she suddenly came to possess the money to buy something as expensive as the armour, Rigid Water.

    ''After all, I lost the n''s Magic Artifact. If I were to show them that I have a lot of money on me, they would assume I obtained it from selling the Magic Artifact through some secret channels in Burfuna City.'' Re''Kha sighed, cing everything in her storage ring, adjusting their positions carefully so that she would be able to take out any item she wished immediately.

    Once she was finished with all preparations, she sighed, feeling that her tension-free life with Mu''Tua would end soon. Wearing the Re n''s dress, Re''Kha covered her bald head with a hood, sitting in the living room as she chatted with Mu''Tua, telling her about some of the things that had transpired in the auction house.

    Even though Mu''Tua might have already been informed of everything, she still wished to recount her experience from a first-person point of view. Evening approached as they could hear the sound of a cycle rickshaw stopping at the entrance of their house.

    "Re''Kha," Mu''Tua said with a serious tone, "If you ever feel living in the Burkurel Re n is suffocating,e here anytime. I''ll leave your room vacant."

    Hearing her words, Re''Kha almost teared up, hugging Mu''Tua, "Thank you, grandma. You''re the best!"

    "Haha, it''s fine, child." Mu''Tua patted her back, controlling her emotions as the two exited the house and saw the carriage door open right at this time, as if the person within didn''t wish to get down before anyone waited for her.

    Just the subtle actions from the other party made Mu''Tua frown, sighing, ''To think Re''Rak had to marry such a woman. What a pity for such a respectable man.''

    Once the carriage door opened, Re''Bah, the mother of Re''Kha exited, sporting an appearance almost simr to Re''Kha. The only difference was her slightly longer face, being a head taller, and possessing a voluptuous chest that threatened to rip apart her dress with every twist and turn.

    Wearing the same Re n''s dress as Re''Kha, Re''Bah cupped her fists, making a polite bow the moment she looked at Mu''Tua, "Junior greets Lady Mu''Tua. I hope my daughter didn''t overstay her wee."

    "She didn''t," Mu''Tua replied curtly, turning around as she spoke, "Come in and have some tea."

    "Yes," Re''Bah cupped her fist, straightening her back as she shot a nce at Re''Kha, observing her figure immediately, not even possessing a hint of care in her eyes or gaze. Upon seeing that Re''Kha didn''t even greet her, she showed no change in expression, silently following the two into the house.

    "Take a seat here," Mu''Tua showed her to the dining table, ncing at the servant Sii. Having served Mu''Tua for all her life, the servant Sii knew what to do, immediatelypleting the tea that her granddaughter had been preparing all along.

    Even though Mu''Tua didn''t like Re''Bah, she still maintained a cordial level of courtesy. But, other than that, she didn''t give her any hospitality. After all, she had zero reasons to do so to a junior she didn''t have a good opinion of. She was a generation older in age, senior to Re''Bah in the Water Sect, and was close to bing a Martial Master.

    So, even if she was rude, the other party couldn''t do anything to her. Even if the head of the Burkurel Re n were before Mu''Tua, he had to show respect too.

    The servant Sii soon served them tea and brought some snacks to eat. Her manners were impable, unable to be pointed fault at. Though, it seemed Re''Bah had no intentions to do so either. Rather, she had been calm all along, as if she had just visited a restaurant to order some tea.

    She wasn''t even flustered, disying her mental fortitude that wouldn''t waver or ripple for something as small as this. Having a sip of the tea, Re''Bah smiled, looking at Mu''Tua, "Nice tea."

 Chapter 260 - Departing To Burkurel Re Clan

    There was silence in the dining room as Re''Bah continued to sip her tea, finally shooting a nce at Re''Kha, "We''ll depart to our n first thing in the morning tomorrow."

    "Alright," Re''Kha nodded, showing no change in her expression. Until now, she was unable to determine her n''s stance on the matter of her losing their Magic Artifact. And, her mother''s expression gave her absolutely no information regarding that.??

    Even though she felt vexed, she couldn''t show that. Rather, Re''Kha had zero intentions to take the me for that matter. The reason she had lost it in the first ce was because her n members had betrayed her. And, the cause was most probably due to something the Central Lake Head had devised. She was the direct supervisor under the n Head.

    In the absence of the n Head or cases of his demise, the Central Lake Head would be the controlling authority of the n. Moreover, she was the one who had the deciding authority in selecting the next n Head.

    That was why Re''Bah was in conflict with the Central Lake Head in the first ce. If she won and became the Central Lake Head herself, then she would be able to ce her son as the n Head. After all, she had five children. And among them, Re''Kha was the fourth born, twins even.

    Even though the affinity of Re''Kha to the water element was the highest among her siblings, she never had a good rtionship with Re''Bah. After all, for some reason, Re''Bah had been busy ever since she gave birth to Re''Kha.

    And all the time, Re''Kha was taken care of by her father. So, neither had any attachments to one another. As for her twin brother, he was a depressing individual and was hardly ever cared about by anyone in their n, Re''Kha included.

    The person Re''Kha had the highest attachment towards was her father. Followed by it were her siblings who she grew up with. As for her twin brother, he had always lived in her shadow, having barely any presence, growing up while minding his own business. So, even she hadn''t had much of a rtionship with him.

    All in all, they were a typical family in power.

    As such, Re''Kha didn''t even look forward to returning to her n all that much. Rather, the number of stormy situations she would have to face once she was there made her less inclined to visit there.

    ''I should just follow grandma''s advice and vacate that ce sooner orter. Otherwise, I might be like her.'' Re''Kha thought as she nced at her mother, noticing the other party eat some snacks in silence.

    Finishing her tea, Re''Bah stood up and cupped her fists, "The tea was tasty. Now, we''ll take our leave."

    Re''Bah implied through her choice of words that she would like to return with Re''Kha. Even though Mu''Tua didn''t like that, she didn''t say anything, cupping her fists in response, "Alright, hope you have a safe journey."

    As they walked away, Mu''Tua made eye contact with Re''Kha, signalling her to stay strong as she bade them farewell. Carrying her bag, Re''Kha mentally sighed, watching her mother get into the carriage first as she followed suit.

    The carriage exited the Mu n''s residence and spend along the roads, soon reaching one of the main roads of Burfuna City, plying through it for quite the time before stopping at a hotel. The hotel''s ground floor was a restaurant meant for the customers living in it to dine.

    And, just a single nce at it was enough to prove that the hotel might have been the most luxurious among all the hotels in Burfuna City. Upon seeing it, the eyelids of Re''Kha twitched. But, she didn''t say anything, silently following Re''Bah as she entered the hotel.

    Re''Bah made eye contact with a servant, motioning towards Re''Kha with the corner of her eye, "Give her a room."

    Saying her piece, she didn''t even bother looking back, heading towards the nearby elevator as she headed to the upper floors.

    Re''Kha could clearly see the servant heave a sign in relief the moment Re''Bah had left the ce. A couple of other servants too had stopped in their tasks, looking nervous until she had passed by.

    ''This always happens.'' Re''Kha sighed, showing through her demeanour that she wasn''t like her mother, "Please show me to my room."

    But, even though Re''Kha put on a gentle expression, the servant looked terrified of her, trembling from time to time as he guided her through the elevator, showing her to her room on the third floor, "If you need anything, please ring the bell inside. We''ll service you immediately."

    "Then, get me something to eat now," Re''Kha said before opening the door to enter her room. The servant nodded and hurried along, intending to bring her food. Even though she had the option to dine in the restaurant below, seeing as how the servants assumed she was simr to her mother, she didn''t wish to terrify them further, deciding to eat in her room. After all, they had simr appearances.

    Once she had her dinner, Re''Kha activated her Wind Qi perception, expanding her senses to spy on her mother, noticing that she was looking at some documents, seemingly in a frown. Stationed at the entrance were a couple of servants that she had brought over.

    But in reality, they were the Harmoniser Guards that she had personally nurtured for her protection. Since their families were under her control, their loyalty towards her was assured. Rather, they were ready to give up their lives when necessary.

    There were five such servants in total, all women. The first two were stationed at the room''s entrance. Two others were resting at one corner, intending to change shifts in the middle of the night. The final servant was standing a fair distance away from Re''Bah, ready to pick up any items upon instruction.

    Unfortunately for Re''Kha, she was unable to see the contents of the scrolls through her Wind Qi perception. After some time, she didn''t wish to observe any longer, deactivating her perception, closing her eyes as she fell asleep, "Burkurel Re n¡­"

 Chapter 261 - Bandits

    The next morning, Re''Kha got ready. There was no change in her appearance. After all, a typical water-based Harmoniser in their state only wore the Re n''s style of dress. So, most of them only possessed a greater number of simr-looking dresses.

    At most, there might be minor differences in them. After all, to a water-based Harmoniser, wearing the Re n''s dress made themfortable, both physically and mentally. It was also because of their affinity to the element, and hence their preference went ordingly.??

    After dressing up, she carried her bag and exited the room, noticing one of the servants under her mother waiting at the entrance. Upon seeing her, the servant heaved a sigh in relief, "Young Lady, Master told you to wait at the entrance once you''re ready."

    "Let''s go then," Re''Kha nodded, apanying the servant as they moved. The servant quickly took hold of her bag, carrying it for her. They reached the hotel''s entrance, noticing a carriage was already waiting for them. The servant ced her bag inside when Re''Kha removed the Harpen Waves imitation from it, attaching it to her hip as she made herselffortable inside.

    As she waited, Re''Bah sauntered out of the hotel at a rxed pace, climbing into the carriage as the servants boarded right after, taking up seats on the front and back. There were two seats in the open, positioned at the front and the back of the carriage. It was where they sat.

    As for the fifth servant, she wasn''t at the scene, having headed to a different ce to prepare the carriage for their subsequent journey.

    The two cycle rickshaw drivers began to pedal, plying the carriage through the road as they continued to drive it for a considerable duration, eventually reaching the end of the road when it was almost noon.

    They were close to the city walls now as the carriage stopped. And, stationed beside it was another carriage, a tadrger as it was pulled by a couple of healthy horses. And, acting as the driver was the fifth servant.

    It was her personal horse-driven carriage, so the servants took up the job of moving it. Unlike the cycle rickshaw carriage, this one had a smallpartment on the front and back, able to seat two people each with a roof above them. This was meant for the servants.

    As for the main portion of the carriage, it was luxurious, spanning the length twice the height of Re''Kha, and a breath equal to her height. It was pretty big, having a wide berth that allowed them to sleep while travelling.

    After they shifted their luggage to the horse-driven carriage, Re''Bah took out a book and began to read it. As for Re''Kha, she nced at the book, noticing that it didn''t have a title. She didn''t try to pry further, closing her eyes as she rested.

    As she had nothing else to do, Re''Kha began to think about what she had to do once she returned to her n. ''I need to actively search for members from that mysterious organisation.''

    She had hoped to interrogate the family of four that had been nurturing the three Sha. But, it seemed they were either killed or captured by the Burfuna Ki n. Moreover, she could no longer find any traces of the three Sha.

    Either they were destroyed or the Burfuna Ki n used some method to seal them for further research. Either way, she no longer had any opportunities to find them.

    Now, she was back to square one, having lost her leads in Burfuna City. ''But, there''s still those that had been living in the Burkurel Ju n''s Western Settlement. They are a viable clue indeed.''

    She then frowned, ''Since news about the Rhipa has already circted among the Harmonisers, then would something happen to the Burkurel Ju n for attempting a forbidden experiment?''

    Re''Kha was unsure, but she had no other choice but to wait. The journey to Burkurel City would take around two days on the carriage. It was because even though roads had been built from one city to another, the terrain wasn''t in. So, the horses had to rest from time to time. Otherwise, they would copse mid-journey.

    After they showed their Entry Permit to Burkurel City, the guards at the gates inspected the carriage once before allowing them to exit the city. Their carriage then sped past, heading south.

    As it passed by, the guards muttered to one another, "Did you see that?"

    "Of course, I had to control myself in fear I might be executed. But still¡­"

    "They were gorgeous, the both of them."

    "Man, what I wouldn''t do to spend the night with¡­"

    "Alright, stop dreaming and get to work. If any Harmoniser hears our passing remarks, we might beshed."

    "Fine¡­"

    "Still¡­weren''t they stunning beauties?"

    "Right!"

    "Haha!"

    The roads weren''t wide, only wide enough for two carriages to pass side by side. And at times, it became narrow, only enough for one carriage to slowly pass through. From time to time, they went up and down the slopes, causing the horses to quickly be tired.

    There were thick forests in most of the ces, with the asionalkes and waterfalls that appeared from time to time. The path was mountainous, the roads thin, and bereft of any traffic once they passed the Southern Settlement of the Burfuna Re n.

    Beyond that, only those who intended to visit Burkurel City passed by. And, there weren''t many who did that, so most of the time, there wasn''t any other carriage moving front or back in their visible range.

    And, all along, the servants had been alert, weapons ready against anything that might threaten them. After all, there was a significant poption of their race that lived beyond the cities and settlements.

    It was because they failed to shoulder the taxes necessary to live in either a city or a settlement and were exiled. So, they led harsh lives in numerous viges, living alongside danger every day, developing vicious personalities as a result.

    And, just as the servants had feared, they spotted a group of people to their front, holding bizarre weapons, sporting weird decorations and impalements on their bodies.

    Bandits!

 Chapter 262 - Fear!

    "Master, there are bandits before us, 30 of them!" One of the servants shouted as the remaining four grabbed their weapons and shields, intending to protect the horses first. As long as they retained their mobility, they wouldn''t be surrounded and be ced in a dangerous situation.

    The bandits hadn''t arrived at their front alone. But, they were also on their back, preventing them from escaping. And, they had timely arrived at a far-off ce, revealing their location first.??

    This was in an effort to scare the passengers by making them feel their front and back were blocked. Typically, the passengers might try to run off into the forest. And, this was exactly what they preferred. After all, they knew the forests quite well and would track the people, capturing them once they had tired themselves by running through the forest terrain.

    Typically, this worked. In other cases, the carriage would stop as the people within would try to negotiate or retaliate. Either way, it was their win.

    Standing at the front of the group of thirty was a middle-aged bandit, the leader of the group. He was the one who came up with such an borate n, always managing to obtain his prey. Moreover, he didn''t always strike in fear the cities wouldunch a punitive force against them, only taking action asionally when needed.

    This was the reason his bandit group had reached three digits by now, a sizeable force in the wilds.

    Upon hearing the shouts from her servants, Re''Bah put down her book, peeking out through the carriage window as she noticed the group of bandits positioned far away to their front. Their carriage hadn''t stopped yet, proceeding at the usual speed.

    She then turned around, noticing another group converge far away to their back, realising the n of the bandits, "Fairly smart."

    She then replied to the servants, "Continue, don''t stop."

    Upon hearing her words, the servant that was controlling the horses gulped in fear as she continued to ensure the horses didn''t stop. They were all women and had an innate fear towards bandits.

    If it were just a small group of bandits, they would be able to kill them easily. But, considering the size of the bandit group, they didn''t have the confidence in surviving while protecting the horses from harm, not to mention safeguarding their master.

    But, after hearing the words of Re''Bah, the servant made eye contact with the two servants seated behind her, nodding once. They got ready for whatever that might happen next.

    The distance between them continued to reduce as they could hear the raucous noises from the bandits to their front.

    "Boss, they are all women. All are pretty!"

    Hearing the sounds of their discussion, the servants shuddered for a moment, intending to kill themselves in the unlikely case they were defeated. But, considering the casualmand from their master, they knew that today wasn''t the day they were supposed to die.

    And, just as they had expected, a hand stretched out from either side of the carriage window, condensing a sphere of blue radiance, summoning a Balou, the Burkurel Re n''s Pranic Avatar. Summoned on the left was the Balou of Re''Bah, and summoned on the right was the Balou of Re''Kha.

    They had timed it right, only summoning the Pranic Avatar when the carriage had approached close to the group of bandits. On seeing that the carriage intended to just ram them, the bandits snickered, readying ropes tied to stones, intending to throw it and hook the legs of the horses.

    This way, the horses will tumble, bringing the carriage down with them. It would make picking off the passengers on it easy after that.

    But right at this time, the servant controlling the horsesshed out with a whip, making the horses sprint faster, elerating the carriage. The sudden change rmed the bandits for a moment before they noticed the Balou be summoned on either side of the carriage.

    Upon seeing that, the bandit boss shouted, "There are Harmonisers within. Scatter through the area, don''t let them target you! Attack with projectiles!"

    Upon his shout, the bandits no longer stayed as a group and escaped towards the sides, hiding behind the trees. Some of them took up positions, aiming at the carriage with their bows. But, before they couldunch them, the Balou on either side sprang into the forest, ttening numerous trees in the process, disrupting the aim of the bandits.

    Both simultaneously used theirrge jaws to mp upon the stems of a tree each, crushing to sever it before carrying the severed parts. Then, they continued to run using their massive bodies, apanying the carriage as the canopy of the trees held in their mouths shielded the sides of the horses.

    With just one action, they blocked their sides.

    And, as the bandits had scattered into the surrounding forests to target their sides, their ns fell. The front was free now, and no matter how many arrows fell, they lost all power by hitting the branches of the trees.

    The horses were uninjured, continuing to run as the servants ensured they didn''t be flustered. Each Balou reached the nose of Re''Kha in height. And considering their bulky bodies, their every step caused thundering sounds.

    Moreover, they were defensive units, barely injured when the arrowsnded on them. And, the trees they held protected the entire carriage, from start to end, making the attacks of the bandits useless.

    "Dammit, what do we do now, boss?"

    "They will escape at this rate."

    Hearing the shouts of the bandits, the bandit boss motioned with his hand, telling them to stop attacking as he gazed at the window of the carriage, noticing a pair of eyes within stare right at him, causing him to shiver in fear.

    Fear!

    It was like a prey gazing at a predator; the bandit boss''s tremendous experience outlined this fact clearly. If he attacked any further, they would be annihted, down to thest men.

    "Let''s retreat." The bandit boss said to the shock of the bandits. They had thought it would be easy prey since their superior numbers would be able to annihte even well-guarded caravans.

    But, they knew that their boss was wise, a reason they managed to survive for so long as bandits. So, without any questioning, they turned around and fled.

    ''Who the heck was that? What a monster!'' The bandit boss fled as he nced at his hands, noticing that they were trembling crazily like he was buried in snow.

 Chapter 263 - Hack You Down

    "That went well," Once their carriage passed through the area manned by the bandits, Re''Bah smiled as shemented.

    "Master is wise," One of the servants said with respect while the others looked at her in admiration.??

    All Re''Bah needed was but a nce to gather the details of the entire situation and make a single move to tide through it. From start to the end, she hadn''t even moved, deciding everything by using her Pranic Avatar.

    She then looked at Re''Kha,menting after a nod, "You did well to match mymand."

    "It was easy to execute." Re''Kha looked at her Balou that was continuing to run beside the carriage on the right, remaining vignt all along. As for the Balou summoned by Re''Kya, it too was running along the left of the carriage.

    As there was still enough time for it to remain materialised, they decided to keep it running alongside the carriage as escorts. Besides, if the bandits tried any sneak attacks, they woulde in handy.

    It would also deter any other bandit groups that had decided to enact a wait-and-see approach. So, there was no harm in keeping them materialised.

    Their journey continued uneventfully after that as the carriage stopped during the night. Re''Bah and Re''Kha slept within the carriage itself while the five servants set up a tent nearby. Of them, three went to sleep while two kept watch, seated at the top of the carriage where there was a seat to keep watch.

    In the morning, they set off once again. All along, Re''Kha gazed outside the window, looking at the passage of the day to keep track of the time when she had to colour her eyes once again. She was supposed to colour them in the evening of the previous day.

    But, as Re''Bah was beside her all along, Re''Kha was unable to do it. Thankfully, she never looked at Re''Bah even once, gazing out the window all along. And, Re''Bah seemed busy reading her book.

    Even then, she never once looked at Re''Kha, so it worked fine for her.

    And in the end, using the nighttime as an excuse to pee, she used a thick enough tree to hide while colouring her eyes. Even without using her Wind Qi perception, her basic sense allowed her to perceive the positions of others in her immediate surroundings.

    And thanks to her training with the Wind Qi perception, the range of her basic sense had improved to a radius of thrice her height. It wasn''t much but was enough for her to stay vignt. Moreover, once she turned her back against them, Re''Kha used her Wind Qi perception to perceive the entire surroundings, only acting after that.

    So, she had dyed her eyes during the night. And now, she would have to do the same. Only in that way would she be safe. That was why she was gazing at her surroundings, looking at the change in the ambient light.

    No matter the season, she had never seen the sun, as opposed to what she had witnessed on Earth. There was ayer of clouds that nketed the sky permanently. At times, there would be patches of it that would open up, revealing the sky above.

    But other than that, there was never once when a clear sky existed in her world. After some thought, she looked at her mother, "Why is our sky always covered by the clouds?"

    "¡­" Re''Bah gazed at Re''Kha with a meaningful smile, "Who knows?"

    On seeing that she wouldn''t be able to get any information out of her, Re''Kha continued to gaze outside the carriage, eventually noticing the roads turn wider as they passed over a t in. Soon, they were able to spot a settlement far away.

    It was the Burkurel Ka n''s Northern Settlement, a sign that they were approaching Burkurel City.

    All cities had the same arrangement. The Ka n was in the north, the Re n was in the south, the Ju n and the Vi n were in the west and east respectively. Simrly, all five Settlements under an Elemental n were situated in their respective direction, further away from the city.

    It was evening by the time they passed the Ka n''s Southern Settlement, treading on the wide road towards Burkurel City. But, the moment they entered this stretch of the road, Re''Kha could see numerous potholes in the road.

    They seemed to have been dug up by beasts or something, for they were erratic. There were the carcasses of numerous animals strewn on the side of the road haphazardly. Re''Kha noticed some teams of workers¡ªwearing masks¡ªgo about the meadow and pile up the carcasses in arge ditch they had dug, piling up a lot of mmable stuff on it.

    It seemed they nned to incinerate the carcasses, having zero intentions to store the meat that had begun to rot.

    Further down the road, the scene of carnage increased as Re''Kha saw more and more carcasses piled up along the meadow. Soon, she was able to see the walls of Burkurel City, the ce she grew up at.

    But now, the moment she looked at its appearance, she was stunned, getting up from her seat in shock, "How is that possible?"

    "War makes this possible. What else did you expect?" Re''Bah said as a matter of fact, "We were attacked by a horde of animals and beasts while in the presence of the Kalhas. By the time the Kalhas returned to the Kuhera Forest, we had suffered significant damage already. If your dad was a dayter, the number of lives we would have lost would have been even higher."

    "Anyway," Her tone fluctuated for a moment as Re''Bah looked at Re''Kha in all seriousness, "Once you enter the city, no matter what you see, don''t react. No matter what, act like everything''s normal."

    "Beyond that, if you still try anything and cause problems for me¡­" Her voice turned chill-inducing, "I won''t even consider you as my daughter and personally¡­"

    "Hack you down."

 Chapter 264 - Burkurel Ju Clanâ€¦No More?

    Burkurel City; one of the three cities of the state of Burlong, housing a staggering poption of around 600,000 people. The city walls were huge, equivalent to the height of 10 grown men. The walls were thick, equal to the height of three grown men, boasting tremendous toughness that couldn''t be destroyed that easily.

    Usually, the fortress walls would deter any wandering beast from even approaching the ce. But now,rge parts of the wall had caved in, strewn on the ground like rubble. The moat surrounding the city was polluted, filled to the brim with the carcasses of numerous animals and beasts alike.??

    Workers went about, harvesting the beast carcasses from the moat while not bothering to care about the rest for the time being. Another batch of workers worked on removing the animal carcasses, dumping them in a massive hole they had dug in a different ce, intending to burn thempletely.

    After all, leaving them buried would cause the negative emotions they had harboured before death to linger and seep into the soil for long durations, churning in the ce. And if a Kalki were to die on the piece ofnd, he/she would be the catalyst that triggers all the negative emotions, birthing a Sha.

    So, the best way to dispose of them was to burn thempletely and wash the ashes in a river so that no trace of it remains. So, work was proceeding in full swing.

    But, as the carriage went past them, Re''Kha noticed their fearful expressions and jittery bodynguage. It seemed something even more horrifying had happened. And after hearing the statement by Re''Bah, she was even more confused, feeling her heart thump in anxiety.

    "Sit tight now," Re''Bah said all of a sudden as their carriage passed over the north-eastern bridge and entered the city. The city was shrouded in a gloom all over as sounds of cries resounded from time to time.

    And, the passer-by held their heads low as they walked past in hurry, unwilling to stay out for long. Upon seeing the atmosphere, Re''Kha was perplexed, wondering just what caused them to be this way.

    After all, even when their city had been attacked by the Treka once, the atmosphere wasn''t this bad. The carriage soon arrived on the northern main road, heading towards the centre of the city. After all, their destination was the Burkurel Re n that was situated in the south of the city.

    And, as the carriage approached closer and closer to the centre of the city, Re''Kha could feel fear in the air. Normally, she wouldn''t have been able to sense something like this. After all, it wasn''t a power Harmonisers possessed.

    But for whatever reasons, most probably attributed to her eyes that had been refined by the Blinded Ghost, Re''Kha could feel the fear circting in the air. As there wasn''t any Sha in the ce, the fear hadn''t been turned into Fear Qi yet.

    Though, considering the sheer scale of fear in the ce, it was only time before a Sha was birthed. It was nighttime when the carriage arrived at the central za, situated in the city centre, positioned near the Ki n''s residence.

    The moment the carriage arrived at the ce, Re''Kha could hear the horses neigh in fear, trembling as they moved slower than before. As for her, she finally understood the reason why, looking at the scene outside as her body trembled.

    Lodged on the ground were metal spikes, each spanning twice a man''s length. They were forcibly lodged into the ground with a lot of strength, evident by the cracks surrounding the ce of insertion.

    But, the gruesome scene was the corpses hung in them. They weren''t hung but rather had been forcibly made to stand while the metal pike was inserted through their mouths and pulled out from their anus.

    The tips of the metal spikes were then lodged into the ground, causing the corpse of the person to remain in ce, bereft of any clothing. Rather, they didn''t even have an ounce of skin on their bodies.

    The scene was too much for her to handle, causing Re''Kha to turn away when Re''Bah held her neck, whispering, "Don''t turn away. I warned you before. Do as I tell you, for now."

    Even though she didn''t wish to do so, considering the emotions she noticed in her mother''s eyes that were trembling, Re''Kha barely managed to nod and looked out through the window. Pale-faced, she noticed the metal spikes numbered in the hundreds.

    And, when she looked at their Tikka jewellery, she barely managed to rein in her scream. For, even though it was nighttime, plenty ofnterns were hung in the central za, enough to keep the ce fairly bright.

    And, this light allowed her to see the colour on their gem. ck, a shiny ck, the symbol of Harmonisers wielding Metal Qi.

    Burkurel Ju n!

    As she looked at them, even if she didn''t wish to believe it, her mother''s whisper echoed in her ears, "The Burkurel Ju n had already gone overboard by experimenting on the Rhipa. And, after inspecting their settlements and even their n, it came to light that they had been conducting numerous experiments, most of which went against Imperial Regtions."

    "And finally, during the war with the Kalhas, they had revolted and sneak attacked the Royal n, causing them severe casualties. And among the deaths were the City Lord and three Elders, severely crippling Burkurel Ki n." Re''Bah said, barely managing to prevent her voice from trembling.

    "But, no one knows what happened after that. Burkurel City was shrouded by a fog soon after. The Kalhas retreated in fear while all of us remained paralysed. And, when the fog cleared, this scene happened. Even now, we cannot even get near the metal spikes." Re''Bah closed her eyes, "If you approach them, you''ll feel like your body will get impaled. So, they haven''t been removed yet. And for some reason, the impaled bodies haven''t rotted, even though it''s been almost a month since that incident happened."

    The carriage passed through the central za that was littered with bodies impaled by the metal spikes. Eventually, they reached Burkurel Re n.

 Chapter 265 - West Lake

    A walled region within a walled city, that was the Burkurel Re n. The walls weren''t as tall as the city walls though, only spanning a height of eight grown men. There were numerous stations across it, acting as guard towers as the Guards nurtured by the n were stationed in the ce.

    Most of them were basic Harmonisers, only having one unit of Water Qi to use. And the only Pranic Art they knew was the Water Qi Palm Projection. It was easy to make normal people into Harmonisers. After all, the cost of it was very little.??

    As long as the instrument inducing them into Harmonisers had enough Kalki Qi, they could create more Harmonisers. But for most of these Guards, they would remain in the same position for almost all their lives.

    Only if they did a significant contribution would they be given a couple of Prana Stones to increase the level of their Water Qi. Simrly to the Guards, the Burkurel Re n also raised an army of soldiers, stationing them at the Burkurel Re n''s Central Settlement.

    Quite a few among them, the significantly talented soldiers had be Harmonisers, possessing one unit of Water Qi. As for those that led them, they were Harmonisers from the Re n, possessingmanding positions.

    This was the basic setup followed by all the ns, the Royal n included. After all, in any given Elemental n, there were less than 400 active Harmonisers. And considering their vast property, resources, and estates, they needed arge group to handle everything.

    And here came the Harmonisers with one unit of Water Qi, those emerging from themon popce. They acted as team leaders, each leading a team of five or ten, depending on the situation to get the job done.

    And if they proved their worth, they were promoted. And, in cases where talented individuals emerged among them, possessing significant affinity to the water element, they would even be married into the Burkurel Re n. And that would be a permanent elevation of their status.

    Currently, the carriage with Re''Kha arrived at the northern entrance of the Burkurel Re n. The Guards stationed at the gates immediately recognised the carriage, opening the gates to allow entry, not even making an inspection.

    As the carriage passed by, they saw the face of Re''Bah through the window, immediately performing a collective salute as they watched the carriage move past.

    On seeing the familiar surroundings, Re''Kha sighed. ''There doesn''t seem to be any changes to this ce.''

    As the Burkurel Re n was situated in the south, it hadn''t faced much damage. After all, the horde of beasts, animals, and the Kalhas had attacked from the west. So, most of the damage was concentrated in the Ju n''s territory and the western district.

    There were some levels of damage in the southern district, but nothing in the Re n.

    From the entrance spanned an arching bridge, traversing a significantly long distance. And underneath it was a river, divided into numerous streams.

    And, every stream moved in the opposite direction to one another. And, swimming with the stream was a certain type of fish. And, settled at the bottom were what seemed to be gems.

    The gems radiated a gentle blue light, keeping the entire stream lit. And, the water in the streams was pristine, transparent. The cause was the fish that kept it clean. And, even though the streams were moving, there wasn''t any inlet or outlet. They were just circting throughout the Re n''s boundary.

    There existed branching streams that coiled around pieces ofnd, making them inds in the ce. And on every ind lived a family, having enough houses ording to their needs. And even here, there were differences in the size of thend and the building on it.

    Therger thend, the greater the family''s wealth. And the closer they were to the n''s centre, the greater the authority they possessed. Numerous bridges connected one ind to another. And throughout the ce passed a central bridge, like a tap root, connecting the n''s northern entrance to its southern entrance.

    Though, this central bridge wasn''t a straight line but rather winded around certain areas. And, even though it was nighttime, Re''Kha was able to notice the hill that was situated in the centre of their n. It was the residence of their n Elders.

    As for what existed on the hill, she didn''t know, for she hadn''t ever obtained permission to scale its top. Rather, only the n Head was permitted to reach it.

    The hill was pretty tall, a scendmark of Burkurel City that was the exclusive property of the Burkurel Re n. From its peak, one would be able to see the entirety of Burkurel City and beyond.

    One could say the Burkurel Re n had the most significant territory in Burkurel City. And just the scenic advantage they possessed caused the weight their name had in the hearts of the regr popce to be greater than the other Elemental ns.

    After travelling for some more time, the carriage eventually reached one of thergest inds in the n, positioned west among the fourrgest inds. Situated in the centre of the ind was a ratherrge pond, symbolising the ce.

    After all, at the entrance to the ind wererge words inscribed on a massive stone pir, ''West Lake''.

    It was their residence. The entire ind was her family property. After all, among the five heads that governed the Re n, Re''Bah was one of them, the West Lake Head.

    More than twenty servants stood at the entrance. And, carried alternatively among them werenterns to light up the ce.

    The moment the carriage stopped, all twenty servants bowed simultaneously, "We greet the West Lake Head!"

    Re''Bah descended the carriage, gazing at Re''Kha as she spoke, "We''ll talk in the morning. Now, return to your house."

    "Alright," Re''Kha nodded, alighting after her mother, feeling rxed the moment she stepped foot on the ce. No matter how much she disliked the chaos of the ce, at the end of the day, she was fish in the water here. After all, she had grown up on this very ind.

    -----------------------

    From the 18th of August, the voting system will change. Power Stones would be reced by Golden Tickets. And, every GT has an immense value that would directly support the novel''s serialisation.

    You can obtain it in the following way: 1 GT for spending 300 coins (Stacks up for every 300 coins)

    1 GT by gifting worth 300 coins

    1 GT for buying a membership

    It expires every month, so cast it on Murim Recurve (You''ll get a GT even if you spend on other novels, but you must put it here.)

    If you have spent more than 300 coinsst month, you''ll be awarded one GT this month on the 18th. Don''t forget to vote for Murim Recurve with that. I promise to release an extra chapter for every 20 GT. (PS. I have a 20 chapter stockpile~)

    ------------------------

 Chapter 266 - Her Residence

    Facing the pond on the ind was a double-storeyed house with borate balconies. There wererge open spaces, enough for a variety of activities that were hosted regrly. And, their housing setup was made to encircle the pond, shielding it from the eyes of others on the outside.

    This kept the scenery exclusive to the members of the house. At the front was the main house where Re''Bah and her husband lived. It contained numerous rooms, a spacious living room, and arge balcony that faced the pond in the centre.??

    There were training rooms, training fields, meditation rooms, storage rooms, etc. There were even forging rooms, medicine brewery, library, etc. Anything one needed in their life existed in the ce.

    And trailing from the two sides of the main house, circling the pond were houses meant for their children. They had a shared corridor that circled the pond and was also the path used to travel from one house to another the quickest.

    There were seven houses in total in the ce. Of them, one was for each sibling, the sixth was meant for guests to stay, while the final was meant for the parents of Re''Bah. At present, their house was empty and maintained by servants as they had gone to live in the Western Settlement for a couple of years for training.

    Moreover, they also needed someone to manage the business in the Burkurel Re n''s Western Settlement. After all, the entire Western Settlement was their property to manage. Any profit earned from the ce went directly into the pockets of Re''Bah after the necessary taxes were paid to the Burkurel Royal n.

    It was the perks of being one of the five heads. Though, as she didn''t have control over the Central Settlement, Re''Bah didn''t have the authority to raise an army. This was one of the reasons she was trying to wrestle control and be the Central Lake Head.

    That way, she would truly obtain control over the Burkurel Re n. And, it wasn''t as if the ambition was fuelled by her alone. It was something she had inherited from her parents. And, to help her, her parents had retreated to the Western Settlement in hopes of obtaining that final push to be a Martial Master.

    Re''Kha wasn''t aware of most of the inner workings that happened behind the scenes. Apanied by a couple of servants, she arrived at her house, one that was positioned right next to the guest house, situated almost opposite to the main house.

    It was because she was the fourth born among her siblings. As she was escorted to her house, Re''Kha looked at the servant, "Where''s Rim?"

    "She''s preparing your house, Young Lady." The servant replied with a bow.

    "Alright," Re''Kha nodded, arriving before her house to see that it was the same as she had left it. Thest time she was here was before her trip to chase after the Blinded Ghost. And now, she returned after four months had passed, losing her n''s Magic Artifact in the process.

    She entered her house, arriving at the living room as she noticed a servant rush out from a nearby room and bow towards her immediately, "Wee home, Lady Re''Kha. I apologise for noting out to greet you early."

    "It''s fine," Re''Kha waved her hand, looking at the other servant, "Leave the bag with Rim."

    "Yes, Young Lady." The servant nodded and left the ce, busying herself with other matters now that the master of the ce had returned.

    Rim took her bag immediately, taking it with her as she intended to segregate the items within ordingly, wash the older clothes, and ce the remaining in their designated ces. Re''Kha had just intended to wash herself when another servant arrived at her house''s entrance, "Young Lady, the Master has informed you to arrive for breakfast in the morning. The General will also be there."

    "Alright," Re''Kha nodded, watching the servant leave. Typically, women took up administrative positions within the city while the men took upmanding positions in the army. So, in any Harmoniser n, they were addressed ordingly.

    Re''Bah was called the West Lake Head while Re''Rak was addressed as a General. As for their children, if they took up any official positions, they would be addressed as such, or otherwise would be simply referred to as Young Master or Young Lady.

    "Rim, bring me dinnerter. I haven''t eaten yet." Re''Kha said as she headed to take a bath.

    "It''ll be ready, Lady Re''Kha." The servant Rim said. She was her personal servant, in charge of all her needs. The other servants were in charge of more grunt work like washing the clothes, cleaning up the courtyard, the pond, etc.

    Rim was in charge of maintaining everything in the house of Re''Kha. Everyone had servants ording to their needs and necessities. As for Re''Kha, since she didn''t take up a governing position yet, she had no workload. So, she didn''t have any need for servants other than Rim.

    Later in the night, Re''Kha coloured her eyes, feeling that it would be safer to do it every night. This way, she wouldn''t risk anyone seeing the colour of her eyes. Moreover, when she went to sleep, Re''Kha used the brush Magic Artifact to apply a coat over her entire body, remembering the date she applied.

    Using the light from antern, she looked at the mirror, unable to notice any changes. But, as Mu''Tua had already exined to her, Re''Kha wasn''t worried. After all, the brush Magic Artifact''s effect ensured her hair would be blue even as it grew. She didn''t need to reapply the colour as and when her hair grew.

    That was what set it apart from a normal dye. And that level of detail was necessary to infiltrate into an enemy race''s territory.

    After she was done with everything, Re''Kha stored the Magic Artifact in her storage ring, sleeping as she thought, ''The entire Burkurel Ju n had been wiped out. Now, I no longer have any clues. Just what happened?''

    -----------------------

    From the 18th of August, the voting system will change. Power Stones would be reced by Golden Tickets. And, every GT has an immense value that would directly support the novel''s serialisation.

    You can obtain it in the following way: 1 GT for spending 300 coins (Stacks up for every 300 coins)

    1 GT by gifting worth 300 coins

    1 GT for buying a membership

    It expires every month, so cast it on Murim Recurve (You''ll get a GT even if you spend on other novels, but you must put it here.)

    If you have spent more than 300 coinsst month, you''ll be awarded one GT this month on the 18th. Don''t forget to vote for Murim Recurve with that. I promise to release an extra chapter for every 20 GT. (PS. I have a 20 chapter stockpile~)

    ------------------------

 Chapter 267 - Yawou

    It was morning the next day as Re''Kha got ready. The servant Rim apanied her as they walked through the connected corridor, heading towards the main building where Re''Kha was supposed to assemble for a family breakfast.

    And, there were certain procedures they had to follow before they entered the main house. And, the information for that would be transmitted through the servants. So, only after a servant informed Re''Kha did she leave her house.??

    It was a custom they followed. And based on the order, Re''Kha knew that her twin brother would only be called after she entered the main house. If it had been before, she wouldn''t have bothered with him much, leaving him to his devices.

    But considering everything she had experienced now in the past few months, Re''Kha wished to at least talk with him. But, she couldn''t do so now, intending to wait until the breakfast session waspleted before striking up a conversation with him.

    While walking through the corridor, Re''Kha was able to feel something moving in the water beside her, even though she didn''t see in that direction. It was through her basic sense that was being developed thanks to the changes in her body brought about by using Wind Qi perception all the time.

    Re''Kha turned her head and noticed a couple of fishes swim past her, aligning their bodies to her side, moving in sync with her. And, as she continued to walk, even more fishes behaved the same, forming a school as they moved parallel to her.

    ''It''s been some time since Ist saw this.'' Re''Kha smiled, stretching her left hand over the fence and above the pond as a couple of fishes jumped from the water and smacked her palm with their tails.

    Yawou!

    The mostmon beast grown in all water ns. This beast was a type of fish that spanned the length of a hand and was a docile species that never attacked anyone. They had simr traits to the Rhipa but were attuned to the element of Water.

    They weren''t as incredible as the Rhipa but were still able to purify the water they lived in, also enriching the Water Qi in it. And every day, they would absorb the dirt and other substance in the water, digesting them while excreting them as pure water.

    Moreover, every day, they would umte a faint bit of fat in their bodies. And, this fat would be fullyposed of the Water Qi they had generated by eating their food. After umting it for a year, they wouldy down tiny gems of fat.

    And, this fat would be rich in Water Qi, containing beneficial properties when consumed by a water-based Harmoniser. And, they would ally down the gems right before the start of the Water Season. So, water-based Harmonisers would consume those gems and then meditate in the beneficial Water Season to further increase the speed of their Water Qiprehension.

    Oftentimes, they just excrete inedible gems that emit a gentle blue radiance, making the water glow during the night. Also, as they continue to generate Water Qi, as the pond water evaporates, the moister content in the air too would possess a certain level of Water Qi, automatically calming down all water-based Harmonisers in the ce.

    As the Yawou was a species attuned to Water Qi, they were known to gather around in ces with a greater wavelength to the water element. And usually, this was evident in Harmonisers. So, simply based on the phenomenon they exhibit, a water-based Harmoniser''s affinity to Water Qi would be obvious.

    As for Re''Kha, whenever she moved close to them, all the Yawou would converge around her and apany her. And at times, they would even y with her. After all, considering her Water Qi affinity, she appeared friendly and peaceful to them, and hence their yful actions towards her.

    A Yawou leaped out of the water, danced on her outstretched left palm before jumping back into the pond. Smiling, Re''Kha reached the main house as Rim announced her arrival to the head servant.

    After that, Rim waited at the entrance as Re''Kha entered the building, habitually proceeding towards the dining room, noticing the erect back of a familiar figure. She immediately turned silent, tiptoed forward before leaping with all her might, "Dad!"

    "Haha, caught you!" Re''Rakughed as he caught Re''Kha, spun her a couple of rounds before enveloping her in a bear hug, "You''ve been away for too long. I was worried."

    "I was¡­fine," Re''Kha smiled, whispering, "I need to talk a lot with you father."

    "Alright," Re''Rak whispered before saying with his usual tone, "I arrived just now, haha. It''s good that everyone''s here."

    Re''Kha turned around to see that her other three siblings were already seated at the dining table. On one side was her mother; seated to her right was Re''Rel, her pride, and joy, also the candidate that she wished to make the n Head next.

    Re''Rel was 28 years old now, possessing affinity to the water element only inferior to Re''Kha. But considering the support he obtained, his development was staggering. He was a serious individual and a man of little words. But just like his mother, he was a brilliant schemer, the main reason they were able to give the Central Lake Head immense headache.

    Seated to her left was Re''Fua, her second child. Aged 24, she was talented in the art of fighting, managing to be selected into the Southern sect. She had a rtively warmer personality but was equally vicious towards her enemies and had been making a name for herself in the Southern Sect.

    Finally, the man seated to the right of Re''Rel was Re''Gra, aged 23 without any noteworthy achievements to his name. He wasn''t the first son and had been in the shadows of his older brother from the start. Moreover, as he was only considered as a stand-in for his older brother, he never had any pressure from childhood.

    And because of it, his skills weren''t much. But instead, he began to develop himself in the field of forging, showing skills in the field to the extent he was almost trained by their n''s weaponsmith. But, if that happened, their n''s Hammer Magic Artifact would fall in his hands, which would mean under the control of Re''Bah. So, he wasn''t given the opportunity to create any Magic Artifacts yet.

    But other than that, he seemed like azy person, having zero intentions to even leave the safety of his n. Even the very air he exuded was filled withziness.

    The next was Re''Kha, seated opposite to Re''Gra and the left of Re''Fua. As their dining table was a circle, she wasn''t exactly opposite to Re''Gra. Finally, her father took a seat to her left as he frowned, "Where''s Re''Dha?"

 Chapter 268 - Mokshu Peâ€™Cha

    Re''Rak frowned as he looked at the head servant, "Where''s Re''Dha?"

    "Let me confirm, General." The head servant said and exited the dining room, soon inquiring a servant that arrived. She was the one who had gone to summon Re''Dha, the twin of Re''Kha. After talking with her, the head servant began to sweat immediately, wiping her forehead as she returned to the dining room.??

    She looked at Re''Rak, cupping her fists as she bowed, "Young Master Re''Dha said he''s busy with something now and didn''t wish to be disturbed."

    "Hmm," Re''Rak frowned, "Bring him here even if you have to drag him."

    "Yes, General." The head servant bowed and exited the dining room, apanied by a couple of servants as they walked towards the house where Re''Dha lived. Soon, stopping at the entrance, the head servant knocked on the door, "Young Master, the General wants you to be present at the dining room immediately."

    "Tell him I can''t. I''m busy," A voice resounded from within,cking any energy.

    The head servant looked at the faces of the other servants, nodding once as they began to converse with each other, rather aloud to ensure Re''Dha heard it.

    "Oh my, what should we do now?"

    "The General said he''ll no longer supply any funds to Young Master if he doesn''te now."

    "Then, how will Young Master buy the things he needs?"

    "And, he also said the Young Master has to work to make a living from today onwards¡­"

    "Wait!" A weak voice resounded from within as the doors opened. A man with a weak stature exited, sporting eye bags as he flinched at the light, shielding his eyes using his hand, "Is it morning already?"

    "Yes, please hurry, Young Master. The General has been waiting for quite some time already." The head servant said with a bow. Even though Re''Rak told her to drag Re''Dha if necessary, she couldn''t actually do that. There was a good chance she would lose her position if she raised her hand on Re''Dha.

    Moreover, none of the servants wished to talk with Re''Dha if possible since he wasn''t just a gloomy individual but they always felt jittery in his presence. Even now, even though Re''Dha hadn''t done anything, they still maintained at least an arm''s distance behind him, afraid as if he would attack them out of nowhere.

    Soon, they reached the dining room as all eyes fell on him, noticing his shabby appearance. But, even though he was shabby, sporting messy hair and wrinkled clothes, he had a charm to him, having been born with the looks to make any form of clothing look good on him.

    "You''rete," Re''Rel said with a frown, gazing at Re''Dha while observing his shabby appearance, "At least wear something good when you leave your house."

    "I''m still in my house though," Re''Dha said as he seated himself to the left of Re''Rak, looking at his father, "Dad, I need to buy something today. Give me some money."

    "How much?" Re''Rak asked, frowning at the first question his son had directed at him. He had to return to the Bura Fort the moment the fight with the horde of Kalhas had ended. And, he was only able to return today, so it had been some time since he talked with his son, Re''Dha. But, to see the first question shared between them was about money, he was disappointed.

    He never had much of an expectation towards his fifth child, but he was still disappointed.

    "Around 30¡­no 28 RuQi. I had used up the stuff fromst year and I can only buy them in this season." Re''Dha said.

    "Fine, a servant will bring you the moneyter today." Re''Rak nodded, motioning for everyone to begin eating.

    Until now, Re''Bah had been silent, watching her husband take the lead in everything. The breakfast was mostly in silence as they ate their food. Once it was done, the servants cleared the table and set up tableware for tea.

    Sipping his tea, Re''Rak looked at his first son, Re''Rel, "What are your thoughts on that girl from Burfuna Re n? Wasn''t she of mature character?"

    "That she was," Re''Rel nodded, ncing at his mother as he spoke, "But, she''s not leader material. When I talked with her, she didn''t seem like a bright individual. She''s talented in martial arts, but that alone isn''t enough if I were to marry her."

    "That does seem like a problem," Re''Rak nodded, "Tell me if you find someone you like. As long as she''s talented enough, her background doesn''t matter."

    "Indeed, I am of the same opinion." Re''Rel smiled, "I am interested in someone from the Water Sect. She''s not from any prominent families but had been amoner. She worked hard to be selected into the Water Sect and has the wit and talent to survive in any situation. At present, her performance is even better than those with natural talents superior to her."

    "Hoh," Re''Rak looked with curiosity, "It''s rare of you to talk about someone this much. Let''s arrange a meeting with her family and see their opinion on this matter."

    "I am just interested in her. There''s nothing between us." Re''Rel said with an awkward tone.

    "Big brother has never talked positively about any woman, Re''Fua included," Re''Gra spoke slowly with azy tone, flinching as Re''Fua kicked his legs. He looked at her, noticing no change in her expression as he wiped the tea on his lips, gazing at his father, "If he has said so much, he probably likes her enough."

    "Hmm" Re''Rak smiled as he looked at his eldest son, "Alright, who''s she? Now, I am curious of her abilities."

    "This is a happy asion indeed," Re''Bah took the chance to speak, smiling as she looked at Re''Rel, "We''ll talk with her family after this."

    Re''Relughed awkwardly, "You don''t have to bother with it. As I said, there''s nothing between us yet."

    He then smiled, feeling a tad embarrassed under their collective gazes, sighing as he spoke, "Her name''s Cha, Mokshu Cha. After bing a Harmoniser, she took up the name of Mokshu Pe''Cha."

 Chapter 269 - Maiden Of The Kite

    "Mokshu Pe''Cha¡­Pe''Cha¡­" Re''Fua frowned, "I seem to have heard her name before."

    "Mokshu Pe''Cha¡­right, I remember now," Re''Gra became slightly excited as his eyes widened, gazing at Re''Rel, "Brother''s standards are too high."??

    "What do you mean by that?" Re''Rak was confused for a moment, frowning when he noticed the gazes of his children. Re''Kha and Re''Dha didn''t seem aware of it, but Re''Fua and Re''Gra seemed to know the person of discussion.

    Re''Gra looked at Re''Bah, "Mom, she''s titled Maiden of the Kite. She was awarded that title after creating her own Pranic Art. She''s young, but through some fortuitous encounter, she gained enlightenment to create her Pranic Art. She''s the record holder for the fastest creation of a Pranic Art in the water element now and was awarded the title only a month ago. You haven''t been to the Water Sect for quite some time, so you might not have heard about it. After the Kalhas retreated, I got a letter from my friend in the Water Sect. He talked about her in passing."

    "Yeah," Re''Fua too nodded, "I too heard of her name when I was departing from the Southern Sect. It seems the information is only being circted through the Sects for now. But soon, it would be leaked into the public."

    She then looked at Re''Rak, "Dad, if you want big brother to marry someone like her, you have to move fast. Even the Royal ns might be thinking of roping someone like her through marriage."

    "So, it''s like that, huh." Re''Rak nodded, deep in thought.

    In the meantime, Re''Bah made eye contact with Re''Rel, noticing his slightly anxious expression, "Don''t worry. Your mother will take care of it."

    Re''Rel looked into her eyes, watching at her confident expression as he beamed with a smile, nodding in response. His mother wasn''t one to beat about the bush or state anything without a certain level of confidence. If she gave her word, it was as good as a done deal.

    Re''Bah looked at her husband, "I''m sure our son is a great match for her."

    "Then," She looked at Re''Gra, waving her hand as the head servant brought her a box. She pushed it towards him, saying, "I got you a gift to hone your abilities."

    "A Gift for me?" Re''Gra was confused for a moment, looking around as he failed to understand why. He had no noteworthy achievements to speak about. If anyone were to receive a gift from Re''Bah, it ought to be Re''Rel, who has aplished a lot, Re''Fua, who was making a name for herself, or Re''Kha, who had been making a lot of contributions from the start.

    But thinking of the recent blunder by Re''Kha, he knew she wouldn''t receive anything from Re''Bah. But no matter what, he hadn''t done anything. Curious, he looked at the box, opening it in anticipation as the contents within were revealed.

    For a moment, he was stupefied, lost for words. Rather, he wasn''t even able to believe his eyes, feeling as if he was in a dream. The other siblings, except Re''Kha, were stupefied too, looking at their mother in bewilderment.

    Even though she knew of it beforehand, Re''Kha acted like she too was shocked. After all, in the box was a hammer, a Magic Artifact. Moreover, the reason for their expression was because this Hammer Magic Artifact was enough to cause a family''s rise to power.

    After all, it was the tool used in the creation of Magic Artifacts. Even the elemental weapons produced by it would be top-notch.

    "Without a hammer, your talents would be wasted. This is my gift for you to achieve your dreams." Re''Bah smiled casually.

    As for Re''Gra, he was still in his reverie, touching the tip of the Hammer Magic Artifact as he felt its coldness, the solidity, and the abundant Water Qi within it, "It''s real!"

    He held the hammer in his hands, forgetting everything else as he seemed entranced by it, forcing his Will on it as he unleashed his Water Qi, soon creating a bond with it. And, the moment he activated it, the hammer produced a hum and radiated blinding blue radiance, for a moment making everyone feel as if they were within the ocean.

    He then deactivated it as tears formed in his eyes, overjoyed, breaking out of hiszy character as he became hyper, intending to wield it immediately. "Dad, where is our stash of Water Qi rich items?"

    "I''ll show them to you in the evening. You can start working on them after that." Re''Rakughed, clearly pleased with his son''s enthusiasm. He knew that with enough spirit, his son would excel in the field.

    As long as they had a path to develop themselves, he would be content with them.

    Re''Bah then announced, "I have bought a Water Qi Essence. We have enough for the next decade to use in our personal meditation room. We no longer need to waste our resources to use the n''smon meditation room. When you wish to meditate, use that."

    Finally, she faced Re''Kha, "Now, the Elders have summoned everyone to gather in the main hall during noon. They''ll be discussing about the Magic Artifact you have lost. What do you n to do? And," Only now did she looked at Re''Kha seriously, "Why haven''t you returned home until now if you were fine."

    "She wasn''t fine," Re''Rak said, "And, she isn''t responsible for losing that damn Magic Artifact. If anything, the Central Lake Head has to take the me."

    "If it was just due to her plotting, it would have been easy," Re''Bah countered, gazing at Re''Kha as she spoke, "Well, I didn''t train you to be silent. So, what do you think?"

    "Burmat Re''Kya too was involved," Re''Kha sighed, feeling stifled at the atmosphere, "Whatever might have been the case, since I was the one wielding the Magic Artifact, the me would only fall on me, since the n lent it to me in the first ce."

    Upon hearing her answer, Re''Bah smiled a little, "As long as you understand that. Then, how do you n to manoeuvre through it in the presence of the Elders?"

 Chapter 270 - What Do You Plan To Do, Reâ€™Kha?

    "How do you n to manoeuvre through that in the presence of the Elders?" Hearing her mother''s question, Re''Kha fell deep into thought. She knew for a fact her mother didn''t just ask the question to test her.

    Rather, if Re''Kha was unable to extricate herself from a situation she had caused due to herpse in judgement, then Re''Bah would simply give up supporting her. She was as cold-hearted as that. After all, to her, Re''Kha was just a tool that would amplify her position and solidify their family into bing the Central pir of the Burkurel Re n.??

    Every n wasposed of numerous blood-rted families. But, due to the long years of separation, and mixing of foreign blood, it could be said that they almost had no rtions with one another.

    The only proof of their blood rtion was their Pranic Avatar, since it was something that could only be inherited through blood. So, every family in a n wished to better their standing. In the Burkurel Re n, the family of Re''Bah wished to gain more power and be the n''s central pir.

    They were addressed as the family of Re''Bah. After all, Re''Rak hailed from Burfuna Re n and wasn''t part of the Burkurel Re n. So, the name of the family was under Re''Bah. In terms of the family head, she was the one in charge.

    Even though Re''Kha had exemry talent in the water element, able toprehend three units of Water Qi every year, a Harmoniser wasn''t based on that alone. Even if they had one unit of Elemental Qi, their ability to wield it was what mattered.

    After all, no Harmoniser had surplus Elemental Qi. And, it wasn''t as if having more Elemental Qi gave anyone any edge over the other. After all, they were only able to wield as many Pranic Arts as they could focus and control.

    And in most fights, it was usually concluded within three to four exchanges. And, it wasn''t as if Harmonisers were invincible. Any weapon that was able to wound a normal person was able to wound a Harmoniser all the same.

    So, when choosing a sessor, all their qualities were judged. In terms of that, Re''Rel had no match in their n. In terms of abilities, he was rather perfect, able to wield almost a dozen Pranic Arts.

    He could forge elemental weapons, Magic Artifacts, create paintings, inscriptions, make pills, and was even proficient in the Art of the Elements. He wasn''t just a jack of all trades but was also an expert of all trades.

    As for his fighting abilities, he had been able to defeat a dozen Harmonisers without using a Pranic Art or relying on a weapon. As for logistics, he led a couple of businesses in the city, raking in the highest profit among his peers, at times surpassing what Re''Bah had been able to achieve at his age.

    As for leadership, he had a loyal following of guards that he had trained personally, a team of Harmonisers in charge of his crafting, and a panel of experts under his beck and call.

    As for his talent in Water Qi, he was able toprehend a bit more than two units of Water Qi per year. If speaking urately, he was able toprehend seven units of Water Qi in three years. But, this wasn''t a defect that made him inferior to Re''Kha.

    Rather, it didn''t even matter. After all, even if Re''Kha had twice the Water Qi as him, she had no confidence in defeating him. And, this was considering she had been focused in the field of fighting, tracking, and investigation since young.

    So, it showed the reason he was chosen as a candidate to contest for the next n Head. Among his peers, the one from the central family was inferior to him on all fronts. The only obstacle blocking Re''Rel from bing the next n Head was the fact that he didn''t hail from the central family.

    And considering her ambitions and the fact that she had the perfect son to achieve it, Re''Bah had zero intentions to stop before making her family be the central pir of the Burkurel Re n.

    And, n politics wereplex. Even a single w in the opponent could be used to magnify things enormously. And even though they formed the West Lake, one of the fivekes managing Burkurel Re n, and the one holding the highest power after Central Lake, they could be punished or even removed from power.

    After all, the one calling shots in their n was the Central Lake. And now, Re''Kha had lost their n''s Magic Artifact. This wasn''t just a w, but rather a major error. A Magic Artifact was a n''s foundation.

    And the loss of every Magic Artifact weakened the n significantly. So, the weight of the issue wasn''t small. If it wasn''t handled well, their family would have to pay the price of that. In the worst-case scenario, they would lose everything they had built up till now.

    So, the decision Re''Kha would take will decide the future of their family. Upon hearing the statement from Re''Bah, the mood of the ce dropped rapidly as all eyes looked at Re''Kha in all seriousness.

    Followed by the question from her mother, Re''Kha thought about it deeply, finally realising that she must ept the punishment and should repay the Magic Artifact no matter what. Finally, after thinking it through, she looked at her mother, Re''Bah, "Mother, if we arepensating with a Magic Artifact, will disclosing the Hammer disadvantage us?"

    "What do you think?" Re''Bah looked at her, replying with a question of her own.

    Re''Kha mentally clicked her tongue as she thought for some more time, finally saying, "We aren''t nning to overthrow Central Lake but arepeting against them. So, disclosing the detail of the Hammer is more beneficial in the long term since the other Lakes would try to secretlymission us to create personal Magic Artifacts that they could mobilise without needing orders from the Central Lake."

    "So, yes," Re''Kha nodded, "There''s no harm in it then."

 Chapter 271 - Reâ€™Kha Can Take Care Of Herself

    Upon hearing the answer from Re''Kha, Re''Bah nodded, "There you have your answer."

    Nodding in response, Re''Kha looked at her brother, Re''Gra, "Brother, if I were to give you a Water Qi Essence, will you be able to make a Magic Artifact?"??

    "As long as I have two Water Qi Essences and a couple of supplementary materials, I''ll be able to create the same sword you have lost. I''ve studied its elemental weapon version many times while bored. But," Re''Gra frowned, "Where will you get a Water Qi Essence from? It''s expensive, and we can''t even purchase them from the market. Only when the Royal n sells them through an auction can we obtain one. Even then, do you have that kind of money?"

    "I can arrange for it¡­" Re''Kha trailed off, watching the expression of her family members be shocked.

    Re''Rak held her hand, concerned for her, unwilling to see her in hardship. But Re''Kha met his gaze, reassuring him. If it had been before, she couldn''t have arranged for something like that. But at present, she had quite a few lying in her storage ring.

    So, Re''Kha could easily give two Water Qi Essences to her brother. Besides, if she was ever running short of them in the future, she could always exchange one of the other Elemental Qi Essences for a Water Qi Essence from the Royal n.

    Ki''Nha owed her considerably. So, if Re''Kha asked for such a favour, she would definitely see through it. After all, it was just an exchange.

    Upon seeing her confidence, Re''Bah subtly frowned as there was a glint in her eyes, recalling the scene in Burfuna City when she visited Mu''Tua. She didn''t say anything though, observing in silence to see the extent of what Re''Kha coulde up with.

    "If you can arrange for it, then I''m fine by it," Re''Gra said, "But, I need to experiment and practice first. I''ll need a few months before I can begin working on it."

    "Alright," Re''Kha nodded, facing her mother next, "Then, I''ll take up a punishment and eventually deal with it."

    "Alright, that''s what we''ll go with then," Re''Bah looked at Re''Rak, "What do you say, dear?"

    Re''Rak looked at Re''Kha in concern, finally sighing as he could see that Re''Kha was confident. Since she said she would deal with it, he wished to respect her decisions. After all, the act of growing up was learning how to deal with one''s mistakes. So, even though she had lost their n''s Magic Artifact, he wasn''t angry at her. Rather, he was proud of her decisions.

    Moreover, he knew that she hadn''t run away to Burfuna City to hide. Rather, she had gone there to first protect herself before setting off to find clues about the Blinded Ghost, eventually managing to kill it and reimed her eyes.

    The fact that she managed to reim her eyes from a Sha, that too of a calibre like the Blinded Ghost was a resounding feat. Moreover, he was informed that the Blinded Ghost had actually matured in the end, turning into a fearsome foe.

    And the fact that she had faced such a foe, survived the battle, reimed what was originally hers, and even managed to kill it in the end, if he said he wasn''t grinning from one end to other in pride, he would be lying.

    So, if the Central Lake tried to make it difficult for Re''Kha, he was nning to forego all pleasantries and actively give them a taste of hell. Followed by a nod, Re''Rak said, "I''m fine with it. Re''Kha is my child, she can manage herself."

    Saying so, he tightened his grip on her hand. Just his hold was enough for Re''Kha to know that she had the full support of her father.

    "Fine then," Saying so, Re''Bah waved her hand, making the servant bring in a scroll. Taking it from her hand, Re''Bah dismissed the servant, cing the scroll on the table. All along, the servants acted like the pirs or decorations of the room, only moving when they were ordered by her.

    And, they were trained to not hear anything the family conversed. This was to prevent any information from leaking. And, it wasn''t a simple training, but something Re''Bah had ingrained in their minds since birth.

    It was a form of brainwashing but was done from birth. So, without their realisation, the servants working in their household never leaked any information. After all, that was how they were trained. And, this training was done in the settlement under their control.

    The Burkurel Re n''s Western Settlement had been under the control of their family from the time the Burkurel Re n had been established. And all the servants hailed from a family line of servants who were born just to serve their family.

    Having done that for generations, it had be part of their blood instinct. Putting everything else aside, the dining room was just vast and the servants were ced at the far ends. And, the design of the ce was made in such a way sound couldn''t travel far. All the objects absorbed the sound.

    So, when they spoke normally, the sound wouldn''t even cross half the dining room, not to mention reach the servants that stood at the end. And, it was easy to test, so they knew of its effectiveness. As they always conversed about important affairs, it was always better to have at least two to threeyers of safety and precaution.

    "This is a Pill Coupon I got from the auction," Re''Bah said, opening the scroll to reveal its contents, "We can use this in the Water Sect to exchange for 10 Pills of our choice."

    "10?" Re''Rel gazed at the scroll as his eyes widened, "That''s outrageous. Normal Sect members don''t have ess to knowledge of a lot of Pills that could be created. But as one of the select few, I know of certain incredible pills. The value of this scroll is at least five times its worth in my hands."

    "Indeed," Re''Bah nodded, pushing it towards him, "It''s yours. Exchange for good pills for all of us. As for the remainder, they are yours to use."

 Chapter 272 - Sequence Of Events

    "Alright, I''ll exchange it with the best pills suitable for each of us." Re''Rel nodded, rather happy at seeing the Pill Coupon. He knew of its true value as an inner Disciple of the Water Sect. So, after exchanging for them, he could invite his family to the Water Sect and have them consume the Pills there.

    The effects would be tremendous. The abilities of his family members would be boosted as a whole. The Pill Coupon to improve their individual abilities and the Hammer Magic Artifact to create Magic Artifacts, Re''Rel understood their significance. The two were enough to topple the bnce and increase their authority in the n, furthering their chances of bing the Central Lake.??

    After this, Re''Fua began to speak about some of the things she had witnessed in the Southern Sect. As she had only arrived at Burkurel City a couple of days ago, she too was unaware of a lot of things.

    So, they conversed about many other topics,menting about the steps the Central Lake was taking against them. Even though the only people that were activelypeting against the Central Lake were Re''Bah and Re''Rel, as they were one family, even if they didn''t wish for it, they were involved in the conflict.

    After they talked for some more time, Re''Bah spoke, "Everyone has to be present at the entrance to the main hall during noon. The Elders have summoned everyone from the n to assemble."

    She then red at Re''Dha, "You have to be there, got it? Also, dress properly when youe there."

    "Yes, mom." Re''Dha nodded, expressing his distaste and annoyance. Though, it seemed like that was his usual self, so no onemented anything, leaving the dining ce as they proceeded with their other tasks.

    Among the children, only Re''Rel and Re''Fua had taken up official positions in the n. So, the two of them left first. As for Re''Gra, he was waiting with puppy eyes so that his parents would give him some materials to work on.

    Re''Bah noticed that Re''Kha and her husband wanted to speak in private. So, she took charge of bringing Re''Gra to their treasury so that he could begin to hone his forging skills. As for Re''Dha, he slipped out soon after their breakfast session ended, holing up in his house as he seemed to be doing something.

    Finally, there were only Re''Kha and Re''Rak in the dining room. And, observing Re''Kha gaze at the servants, Re''Rak dismissed them. Finally, the entire dining room was empty.

    Re''Kha took in deep breaths, wondering where to start. She had already revealed a lot of details to Re''Shi. So, revealing the same to her father wasn''t an issue. After all, considering his experience, he would be able to guide her ordingly.

    And in the case she triggered someone from the mysterious organisation, her father would be able to react promptly and get his family to safety. Besides, knowing that such an undercurrent was hidden amongst them might save his life in the future, since he was always in the Bura Fort.

    And unlike Mu''Tua, who had only been active as a Harmoniser during her youth, her father was always on the battlefield. Moreover, he shed with the Treka numerous times. So, he wasn''t someone that could be defeated easily.

    After all, the feat Re''Rel had be famous for, he did something like that on a daily basis when the Bura Fort was attacked constantly.

    Finally, Re''Kha decided to just go out with it as she looked at her father, taking in a deep breath as the Water Qi circting in her meridians retreated into her Pranic Heart. Then, followed by a change, Wind Qi began to circte through her as the change was immediately shown on her Tikka jewellery''s gem.

    "What?" Re''Rak was shocked as he noticed the blue gem on Re''Kha change into grey. His hands shivered as his face convulsed, for a moment thinking a foreign race spy had reced his daughter. As a General stationed in Bura Fort, he was well aware of the level of disguises spies were capable of.

    "This is Wind Qi, dad," Re''Kha said, noticing Re''Rak calm down automatically upon hearing her voice. Upon seeing her expression wasn''t any different from normal, he judged that the one before her was his own daughter.

    "Using the Wind Qi perception, I can see everything around me and also hear the conversation between people from far away, the same as a Bisheen." Re''Kha then took in a deep breath, changing her element to Wood Qi as her gem turned green.

    And this time, Re''Rak was almost mortified. After all, Wind Qi was essible to a couple of other races too, and not just limited to the Bisheen. It was just like how the race of Gaiko could wield Metal Qi and Water Qi while the race of Treka could wield Fire Qi.

    That wasmon. But, being able to wield an element apart from one''s race was already shocking enough, since Wind Qi was inessible to their race of Kalki. But being able to wield Wood Qi, the element exclusive to the Bisheen was too much of a shock for him.

    It would be the same as saying another race was able to wield Lightning Qi, an element exclusive to the Kalki. So, Re''Rak wasn''t able to digest the fact that Re''Kha could wield Wood Qi.

    His reaction waspletely justified. And Re''Kha spoke after some time had passed, "Everything started when I chased after the Blinded Ghost. On one side, there were the traitors from our West Lake that had sided with the Central Lake. They betrayed me at the right time when we were hunting the Blinded Ghost."

    She sighed, "The other side was a group of people dispatched by the Re''Kya to kill me so that Re''Shi wouldmit suicide when the news of my death reaches his ear. And in that scuffle, the Blinded Ghost stole my eyes and killed everyone else. I lost the Magic Artifact at that time. But, the Pranic Avatar of my master saved me right then."

    "He''s the cause for many of the following events."

    ------------------------------

    Author Notes: Hello everyone, I have a small piece of news to share with you all. With the recent update about the Golden Tickets, a lot of changes have been made. And, unlike Powerstones, all Golden Tickets would be able to immensely support the series. So, if you love Murim Recurve, please cast all your Golden Tickets here. That would give it more promotional activities and support me more.

    Also, for every 40 Golden Tickets, I''ll mass release 10 Chapters. So, there you go, an incentive to show your support. Shower this ce with more GTs.

 Chapter 273 - Itâ€™s A Kalha

    Re''Rak frowned as he couldn''t help but express his shock, "So, the reason the Kalhas exited the Kuhera Forest is due to your master''s death. And there is a secret organisation that is trying to destroy our country and the neighbouring countries."

    He massaged his forehead, sighing, "And, that settlement granary you hid within was the branch of that organisation. And the same branch or another branch had a method to grow Sha and were also able to summon a horde of birds to attack Burfuna City."??

    His head hurt as he thought about it but before long, his expression calmed down as he began to link up the incidents that happened recently to what Re''Kha had informed him, finally able to obtain a clear picture.

    ''So, when a chance presented, they killed our City Lord and three Elders from the Royal n. And, even the Elders were unable to differentiate them from normal Harmonisers from the Burkurel Ju n. They had been hidden amongst us all along.'' Re''Rak felt a chill, "So, they are an organisationprised of people from all races and operate in different countries. But, just what are they plotting? What''s their goal?"

    "I don''t know about that," Re''Kha shook her head, "Master never said anything about it. Only moments before his death did he say his enemies had transcended mortal limits. As for the rest, they are only the bits and pieces I''ve managed to link up based on what I experienced. But, I can say this with assurance¡­"

    Re''Kha said with confidence, "If I were to face any danger, there is a good chance it is because of my master."

    "If only I never allowed you to hunt the Blinded Ghost," Re''Rak sighed in regret when Re''Kha interrupted him.

    She spoke as her gem turned blue, "Dad, it''s not like that. One way or another, I would have reached him. After all, the cultivation technique he taught me, Mist Banyan is a simple derivation of our n''s cultivation technique, Grappling Water. And, he has been trapped in that ce for 20 years. So, it seemed he had been waiting for me all along."

    Upon hearing her exnation, Re''Rak felt a chill as he rubbed his head, sighing, "So, to defeat that mysterious organisation, he gave you these extra abilities?"

    "Yes," Re''Kha nodded, "Even the Blinded Ghost''s actions are rted to that. In the end, it was to give me another edge. I haven''t fully understood the abilities I got from it, but I''ll eventuallyprehend it once I meditate for some time."

    "Fine" After some time, Re''Rak sighed, "Even considering your advantages, you are toocking to face them. Knowing the elements alone isn''t enough. You have to learn the respective Pranic Avatars and possess one for a variety of situations. Just the Hand Projection is insufficient. And in our country, there are no Pranic Arts rted to wood and wind elements."

    Right as he said that, Re''Kha took out the Spirit Artifact, Bodhi, showing it to her father, "Only I can use this. But it contains some Pranic Arts for the other two elements. So, I have that covered."

    Re''Rak could feel the suffocating presence hidden within the book, muttering, "A Spirit Artifact?"

    He quickly looked around, motioning for Re''Kha to ce it back in her storage ring, sighing, "Our entire n only possesses one Storage Ring. And that too is in the hands of the Head Elder. Your master is one frightening man indeed, to have obtained this. So, make sure you don''t wear it in his presence."

    "It won''t be an issue, father." Re''Kha smiled as she spoke, "This storage ring is called Budding Dew and was created by the Third Celestial Emperor as a present for the 7th princess from the Country of Bisheen back then. It was lost when she died in a warter on and was then discovered by my master. So, unless I activate it, no one would be able to know that it is a storage ring."

    "Then it''s alright." Re''Rak nodded, "As for the rest, it would be for the best if you enter the Water Sect. You''ll be able to learn numerous Pranic Arts that would help you further in your quest. And no matter what, you''ll have myplete support."

    "Thank you, dad." Re''Kha nodded, cing the book back in her storage ring as she took out a Fire Qi Essence, a Metal Qi Essence, a Lightning Qi Essence, and two Water Qi Essences, saying, "No matter what, I did put our family''s standing in jeopardy. So, please use these to help ourselves. And, the two Water Qi Essences are for Re''Gra¡­"

    As she continued to speak, Re''Rak patted her head, sighing, "You don''t need to worry about that. Our situation isn''t that vtile for a single Magic Artifact to doom us."

    "Still, these don''t have a use for me, father. So¡­" Re''Kha spoke, tearing up a little at the unconditional support from her father. He was the exact opposite of her mother.

    "Fine, I''ll find a way to exchange the other three Elemental Qi Essences for Water Qi Essences. As for the two Water Qi Essences, I''ll take care of them and give them to Re''Gra." Re''Rak patted her head, finally rxing when he noticed that his daughter had grown up a lot in the short time he hadn''t seen her.

    He then thought about everything she had experienced, feeling sad at her struggles, soon beginning to think of ways to fish out her enemies. Finally, he spoke, "I''ll look into this organisation and try to find the extent they have infiltrated into our society."

    "There is a certain degree of risk involved, father. They have mysterious means at their disposal. So," Re''Kha took in a deep breath, taking out a pouch from her storage ring before she fished out a certain item from the space, instantly cing it within the pouch while blocking it from her father''s line of sight. She then gave it to her father, "Take this, father. This will be your trump card in your times of need."

    "Trump card?" For a moment, he was surprised at her statement. Though, when Re''Kha uttered its name, he shuddered, almost dropping the pouch.

    "It''s a Kalha."

 Chapter 274 - The Power In Her Eyes

    "It''s a Kalha."

    The statement caused Re''Rak fright as his body trembled, feeling an instinctive fear towards the creature within. Seeing his reaction, Re''Kha chuckled, "Dad, I sealed it inside a vial. As long as you don''t look into it, you will be fine. Face the t surface towards yourself and the curved surface at your opponents. That would be enough to harm any foe you might encounter because of digging up on that mysterious organisation."??

    Re''Rak felt around the vial through the pouch, inspecting its shape as he carefully ced it in his pocket, "Alright, this will always save my life. But, if you sealed it within a vial, wouldn''t it die from starvation?"

    "I ground up an expended Water Qi Essence and poured the powder in it. So, it should be alive for at least a decade. And as long as you roam around in ces rich with fear while carrying it, it should generate enough Fear Qi to sustain itself." Re''Kha replied.

    "Smart. But, how were you able to trap a Kalha within this vial?" Hearing his question, Re''Kha began to exin the process she had used to trap the Kalhas in the vial. When she was done, Re''Rak looked at her for a moment before hugging her, "You''ve suffered through a lot."

    ''To think she is capable of such a feat even when she was blind.'' Re''Rak shook his head, feeling proud but afraid at the same time. After all, judging by what his daughter had said, her fate would eventually cause her to sh with the mysterious organisation.

    And seeing the extent of what they were capable of, Re''Rak couldn''t fathom the horrors she would eventually have to face. Thinking of that, he felt sad. ''I guess I can only protect her. It seems I would need to prepare an army to mobilise when necessary, ording to her needs.''

    He then sighed, patting Re''Kha as he took a seat, ''I didn''t approve of what Re''Bah had been scheming. But it seems to ensure the safety of Re''Kha, bing the Central Lake seems like the best option.''

    "Return to your house now. In the evening, I''ll give you an elemental weapon that you can use publicly without fear. It has a Water Qi Essence fragment embedded in it and can emit Water Qi for thirty breaths. It''s not much, but it will help you in situations with many eyes on you." Re''Rak said, dismissing Re''Kha.

    On seeing her exiting figure, he felt sad for a moment at the chaos she would be subjected to next. His gaze became vicious as Re''Rak firmed himself, gazing at the Elemental Qi Essences before him, "Against such an opponent, I have to prepare ordingly."

    "It seems I can no longer take a passive approach."

    ¡­

    Re''Kha returned to her room, telling her servant Rim to inform her when it was time to assemble at the main hall. In the meantime, she nned to meditate first. Her priority now was to determine the abilities in her eyes.

    After all, based on the Blinded Ghost''s descriptions, she possessed three abilities. Seating herself on her bed, Re''Kha entered a meditative pose, focusing on her Pranic Heart first. She then slowly focused on her eyes, taking in deep breaths, remaining in such a state.

    Time passed in such a manner before she felt a prickling feeling in her forehead, originating from her third eye. The eyelid fluttered for a moment before stopping. But just that single action caused the essence of her body, the essence of her race that existed in her naturally to affect her eyes, allowing her to feel the same sensation as when she learned a Pranic Art.

    Kalki Qi!

    Everyone from her race possessed a fair degree of Kalki Qi in their bodies. But, it wasn''t detectable to a normal person. Only a Martial Master was capable of sensing it. A Harmoniser wasn''t capable of sensing it, not to mention handling it.

    But as long as it existed, it was able to disy the effect of transmitting the existing information into the mind, allowing the mind and body to form a harmony. This was why they were called Harmonisers.

    A Harmoniser didn''t just form a harmony with nature or the element they wielded but also formed a harmony with their body. When a Harmoniser reached peak harmony with their body, they became a Martial Master.

    But this was easier said than done, requiring decades'' worth of effort. As for Re''Kha, all she managed to do was stir it up faintly by focusing on it for a long time. Because of it, the information existing in her eyes flowed into her mind.

    If it was the usual her, something of this calibre wouldn''t have been possible. But after her master''s Pranic Heart fused into her, the Kalki Qi he wielded still remained in her Pranic Heart, allowing her to take shortcuts at times.

    Because of this, she obtained such a response. After all, when a Harmoniser''s third eye fluttered even once, it was a cause for celebration. It meant one was reaching peakprehension of the Harmoniser Realm.

    The process of information flow was slow since she was in a passive state, only able to concentrate on her eyes. The information streaming into her didn''t make any sense. For it was full of disjointed instincts, habits, and knowledge.

    It was like a broken puzzle. Only when shepleted it would Re''Kha be able to understand the three abilities. Taking in a deep breath, Re''Kha exhaled, able to sense the same feeling she experienced while facing the Blinded Ghost.

    For a moment, it did shock her. But upon seeing that it was generated from her eyes, she rxed. She then recalled that at the end, the Blinded Ghost managed to refine her eyes into its shell. As for the implications rted to that, she was unsure.

    Whether or not the Blinded Ghost would be able to form in her through the eyes, she was unsure. As time passed in such a manner, the information flow finished flowing in her mind, causing her figure to emanate the same pressure as a Sha for a moment.

    Her eyelids shot open, revealing jet ck eyes that swirled.

 Chapter 275 - Ghost Eyes: Three Abilities

    The moment her eyes shot open, Re''Kha released a subtle fluctuation, causing the cover of her bed to ripple, like the sea waves. She looked at her reflection in the mirror, for a moment flinching in fear.

    Even though the gem on her Tikka jewellery was still the same blue, her eyes had turned jet ck. Once all the information flowed into her mind, Re''Kha was able to understand the three abilities she had obtained.??

    The first was being able to spot a Sha, even if it hid within its shell. Normally, as a Sha developed, it was able to mask its presencepletely, even making its shell look no different from a regr object.

    Only when a Sha was actively roaming in the world would one be able to notice the Ghost Qi emanating from its shell. But, that was only possible if they had wrapped the area with the Elemental Qi from an Elemental Qi Essence. Otherwise, only an Elder would be able to notice it using his third eye.

    Other than that, there was no other method to detect a Sha. If a Sha decided to hole up within its shell, no matter what, no one would be able to detect its presence even if its shell was right in front of their eyes, Martial Masters included.

    And now, her first ability allowed her to see a Sha even if it hid within its shell. Though, she had to keep the ability active to do that. And when it was active, her eyes turned jet ck. So, she had to be careful about it.

    Her second power consisted of the ability she had felt when the Blinded Ghost had her eyes. It was being able to see what her eyes saw. And now, she was able to do the same in the eyes of others.

    The second ability took effect the moment she made eye contact with someone. And for a short duration after that, she would be able to see everything the other person saw. Though, she could only do that with one person at a time.

    And she would be able to see what the other person saw only when she kept her eyes closed. And, the advantageous factor of this ability is that the target of the ability wouldn''t be able to notice her eyes turning ck.

    Though, any outsider would be able to notice it. But as long as she was careful, using this ability was without risks.

    Both the abilities were investigation-based. And judging based on her needs, they were of immense use to her.

    As for the final ability, Re''Kha felt both afraid and excited about it. For, it was a simple ability, but one that would cause fear in anyone. It was the power of a Kalha. That was what she had obtained when the jet-ck Ghost Qi arm had swallowed two of her vials¡ªwith the Kalhas.

    When she activated this ability and made eye contact with her foe, he/she would feel exactly the same as when they gazed at a Kalha. They would gouge their eyes out. It was a frightening power considering anyone could not avoid making eye contact.

    And considering the effectiveness of a Kalha''s ability, even if someone were only to stare at the reflection of her eye, they would be affected the same. It was a trump card that would allow her to dominate in the Harmoniser Realm irrespective of their strength.

    But, she was only able to use it twice, one per each eye before needing to replenish the expended Fear Qi. The Fear Qi had be one with her eyes, impossible to detect. And, she had to be present in a ce with fear for her eyes to absorb it and convert it into Fear Qi.

    Though, as long as she ate food, the Fear Qi in her eyes would eventually replenish itself. Though, based on the information, Re''Kha determined that she needed a month to replenish the reserves in each eye.

    Moreover, her ability of a Kalha was only visual-based. It didn''t have the aspect of smell and sound a Kalha had. Even then, since the potency of sight was the highest, it was a tremendous power.

    Re''Kha took out a vial from her storage ring, taking in a deep breath as she kept her eyes activated, gazing into the vial. She saw the appearance of the Kalha but wasn''t affected by it the least. After all, by obtaining the ability, she developed immunity towards it.

    And now, she was able to look at the Kalha in closeup, something no other person in her race had been able to do to date. An appearance simr to their eye but with optic nerves that dangled out from the back. They acted as the Kalha''s feelers, also their sole mode ofmunication between their brethren.

    In the ce of the eye lens was a gaping hole with jagged teeth outlining it. And peeking out from it was a reddish tongue. It was the Kalha.

    "You look gross," Re''Kha muttered, noticing the Kalha in the vial was almost like a statue, unmoving as itcked space to do so. From time to time, its tongue flinched a bit, touching a tinge of the dust in the vial, absorbing into its tongue.

    It was consuming the Water Qi Essence powder¡ªobtained after expending all the Water Qi in it¡ªto satiate itself and survive.

    Smiling, Re''Kha ced it back in her storage space, deactivating her ability as she looked at her appearance in the mirror, noticing that her eyes had turned blue, "So, the dye doesn''t vanish even after activating the ability."

    She then iterated the names of her abilities, "Sha Vision, the ability to see the Sha anywhere; Connected Sight, the ability to see using the eyes of someone; Kalha, the ability to make the opponent gouge his eyes out. With all these abilities, am I ready to face your foes, master?"

    She then let out a helplessugh, "I don''t even know the extent of their abilities."

    And right at this time, Rim knocked on the door, saying, "Lady Re''Kha, it''s time to head to the main hall."

 Chapter 276 - Burkurel Re Clanâ€”Main Hall

    Burkurel Re n; it was situated in the south of Burkurel City. And, in its centre existed a hill, addressed as thendmark of their n¡ªBurkurel Re Hill. The hill was situated on arge ind and consisted of everything of value in their n.

    The entire ind was called the Central Lake, evident by the pond situated before the hill. It was thergest ind in their n. Surrounding it on four sides were four inds, represented as North Lake, South Lake, East Lake, and West Lake.??

    Central Lake was where everything of importance in the n was stored. And situated quarter on the pond and the remainder on thend until it touched the foot of the hill was a massive building. A brook streamed forth from the hill and flowed over this building''s terrace, descending like a waterfall on its entrance, blocking out the view.

    And, the waterfall was streamlined, creating a picturesque scene as it cascaded into the pond. There existed arge gap between the waterfall and the building''s entrance as the Burkurel Re n Harmonisers entered from the side. There was a bridge over the pond leading to it, semi-circr in shape.

    Even though it possessed the height of a three-storey building, there was only one floor inside. From the entrance spanned two rows of pirs. And situated before each pir was a seat, possessing a roof of sorts.

    Water exited each pir and cascaded over the roof, creating a curtain of water before every seat. And, the flow was perfectly streamlined, enough to fool people to assume that it was just a stationary ss. But a single touch would determine otherwise. Simr to the entrance, Harmonisers could slide into their seats from the side.

    The water would then flow through a channel positioned right before the footrest of each seat and flow out of the building and into the pond. The reason for this setup consisted of two reasons. First, based on their affinity to Water Qi, the curtain of water would disy their mental state the moment they spoke or had a change in their thoughts.

    After all, it was rich in Water Qi and had been installed in ce so that conflicts would take ce less as people wouldn''t be able to lie easily. The second was to allow them to use their Water Qi perception any time and sense the entire situation of their n.

    After all, all water streams in their n were interconnected. So, just by immersing their legs in the water channel near their feet would allow them to perceive the entire n.

    This was to prevent anyone from attempting any nefarious schemes while others were in the main hall.

    At the end of the two rows of pirs was a small raised tform. There were two seats on each side, situated before a pir each. They were seats designated for the respective four Lake Heads.

    Finally at the end was a tform that was raised another step higher. It was where the n Head and the Central Lake Head sat. And, situated on the wall behind them, positioned at a height around the second storey were three seats,pletely obscured by a film of water, furtheryered by a cloth that covered the person seated within. Among the three, the seat in the centre was positioned a tad higher than the rest, the ce for the Head Elder.

    Burkurel Re n¡ªMain Hall!

    This was the ce where everything of importance in their n was discussed and conducted. And thanks to the summons, Harmonisers from the n streamed in.

    Among them were Re''Bah and Re''Rak, leading at the front while their children arrived as another batch behind them. The moment they entered, Re''Bah gazed at her five children, nodding once before she and her husband walked forward, seating themselves on the seat to the right of the n Head''s seat.

    As the strongest Lake among the four directions, they formed the right hand of the n. There was just one seat meant for them. But as it was wide enough, they were seatedfortably. It was how the seating arrangement was made. After all, only women had official positions in the city while the men took up ranks in the army, stationed at the fort.

    So, to ensure their collective voice was heard, they were symbolically made to share a single seat. Usually, when discussing domestic matters, only the women would be present in the main hall. Simrly, when discussing external matters, only the men would be present.

    As this was an important meeting, all of them had to be present and seated in their respective seats. The other three Lakes too seated themselves. Once they were seated, the h Head and Central Lake head arrived and upied the first seat, one that faced everyone else.

    Among the siblings, Re''Rel and Re''Fua had a seat they could seat themselves in. Only those who have significant influence¡ªbusiness, power, etc¡ªin their n had a seat. And as there were limited seats, their seating arrangement symbolised their ranks.

    Re''Fua was seated on thest seat, showing that she barely managed to umte enough authority to warrant one. As for Re''Rel, he was already seated before the centre of the row of seats, showing his sheer speed in growth.

    There was a total of thirty seats on each side and he was seated on the 14th seat along the right, disying his stance. As for his peer from the Central Lake, he was only on the 16th seat on the right, three ranks away from Re''Rel.

    Those without seats would stand near the entrance until all the seats were filled up before they would file in and seat themselves on the floor. And among them, they were seated on the floor in the order of their rank.

    Among them, ady gritted her teeth as she red at Re''Fua. After all, Re''Fua had snatched her seat. Having been seated on the seat for the past few years, suddenly being sent to the floor humiliated her, especially since she had been feeling a sense of superiority for having a seat in every meeting.

    But meeting her re, Re''Fua was unfaded, smiling in return with a provocative look.

    As for Re''Gra, Re''Kha, and Re''Dha, they were seated on the ground at the very back in the unranked zone since they hadn''t taken up any official positions yet. Once everyone had entered the main hall, the doors closed as the atmosphere turned solemn immediately.

    ----------------------------

    Summoning Pens: A new system WN has released where readers can request authors for extra chapters. Once you read thetest chapter, scroll further (only avable on App) and you''ll see a screen where you can send one Summoning Pen by consuming 200 Points (You will get points by reading on App). There is no limit to the number of Summoning Pens a reader can send. As long as you have enough points, you can spam Summoning Pens.

    And, for every 250 Summoning Pens I receive, I''ll publish one extra chapter.

    (PS. WN has released a lot of changes that my head hurts. I just want to write uwu)

 Chapter 277 - Celestial King Bura

    As the main hall doors were closed, the ce turned a tad darker before the sunlight streamed in, reflected by the water stream. This caused the ce an ambient solemn atmosphere, perfect for discussions.

    Re''Kha was seated in thest row on the floor. To her right was Re''Dha and to her left was Re''Gra. Since they all didn''t have any official positions, they were seated in the unranked zone. And as it didn''t matter, they took up seats as a group.??

    And, the moment she sat, Re''Kha could notice numerous stares directed at her from the people before her. The stares were full of suspicion, confusion, etc.

    Though, when she thought about it, their stares weren''t without reason. After all, she had gone missing for more than three months with their n''s Magic Artifact. She hadpletely vanished, there were no traces of her anywhere.

    And all of a sudden, she had mysteriously returned.

    But considering everything she had experienced, Re''Kha wasn''t afraid or nervous in the least. She calmly gazed forward, facing the stares with a confident smile.

    Re''Gra nced at her from the side, sighing, ''She''s resembling mother more and more. Well, it''s not a bad thing considering her talents.''

    "Alright," Finally, the n Head spoke. His voice resounded loud and clear in the main hall, "Now that everyone is here, we''ll address something important. Our n received a warning from the capital."

    He was a man with arge stature, thergest among their n. Before he became a Harmoniser, his affinity towards Metal Qi was rather high while his affinity towards Lightning Qi was almost nil. So, he grew up to be a man with a ratherrge stature which helped him throughout his life.

    His words shocked the crowd as the n Head stood up and turned around, facing the wall behind his seat as he gazed at the seats of the three Elders, "Elders, please."

    "Alright," The head Elder spoke as his voice boomed, causing the hearts of everyone to palpitate. "The Burkurel Ju n''s betrayal was shocking indeed. Except for the Elders of the n, everyone else has been ughtered by a mysterious entity and propped in the central za for everyone to witness."

    "Even we cannot touch those metal spikes. The Metal Qi in them is way too powerful." The head Elder''s words further caused them fear. After all, they had been in a submissive behaviour for the past month because they had no confidence in going around with the same pomp as usual.

    After all, the Burkurel Ju n, one of the four Elemental ns of Burkurel City, possessing the same influence as them had been ughtered overnight and put on disy. So, it was nerve-wracking to see. If there was an option to remove the corpses of the Burkurel Ju n members, they would have eventually been able to stomach it and hope they would forget it over time.

    But that wasn''t the case here. They weren''t even able to get close to the Burkurel Ju n''s corpses, not to mention burning them to destroy all traces. So, every time they approached the central za, they were reminded of one fact: Their positions weren''t as unshakable as they had thought. If they went overboard, they would be wiped out.

    As everyone shuddered, the head Elder spoke further, "And today, we received word of the cause behind the Burkurel Ju n''s eradication."

    For a moment, even the head Elder''s voice trembled as he spoke after taking in a deep breath, "The one who had taken action was Celestial King Bura!"

    "What?" Re''Rak stood up in fright. But, he wasn''t alone. All the men from the four Lakes stood up simrly in fright as their bodies trembled. Everyone who had been posted at the Bura Fort was the same as their expression was one of fright.

    "I thought he was just a legend." Re''Rak frowned as he barely managed to gather his bearings and seat himself. Though, his body continued to tremble.

    Celestial King Bura!

    A figure that was stationed at the Bura Fort for more than a century. An entity surpassing a Martial Master, serving as a protector of thend to prevent the Treka from invading their territory. And, as someone stationed at the fort, they had taken the name of the ce as their title.

    A figure of legend from their history. Though, everything about them was a mystery. And to think such a figure had taken action, the fact startled them.

    The head Elder gave everyone enough time to allow the thought to sink in. After some more time had passed, he spoke, "In response to the Burkurel Ju n''s betrayal, they were eradicated. And, all the remaining Elemental ns were given a warning. If we don''t contribute to our city''s development and sustenance, we too would face the same fate."

    "And, the current situation is the Celestial King Bura''s test for us. If we don''t prove ourselves worthy, we would lose our position as the Burkurel Re n." The head Elder finished with a sigh, "And what we need to do is spread out along our state and eradicate all the problems that are cropping up in the numerous unmanned viges."

    "And," the head Elder motioned for the n Head to continue with the rest. The n Head cupped his fist towards the Elders before he continued to speak towards the rest, "One of the prime factors that we have to deal with next are the Sha that would be birthed all over thend due to the fear spreading throughout our city. If we don''t find a way to neutralise this issue, Burkurel City would no longer have the four Elemental ns in its managing positions. We would just be a reserve military force to be used by the Bura Fort."

    "So," He looked at everyone, trailing his gaze over the four Lakes for a moment, "We''ll next be discussing about the locations where each of you will be dispatched towards. If you have any objections to it, you may speak up now."

 Chapter 278 - Targeting Reâ€™Kha

    None of the n members voiced any opposition. After all, even if they were to voice it, nothing would happen. Moreover, the decision wasn''t made by their n Head. Even their n Head had no other choice but to follow orders.

    So, if they were to voice their opposition, it would turn the entire n against them. After all, whether they liked it or not, they had to do it. Otherwise, they would be stripped of their authority and sent to the battlefield until the day of their deaths.??

    On seeing that no one opposed, the n Head spoke next, "Before we discuss about the dispatch orders, we need to head to the city gates and wee the Harmoniser group that would be the new Burkurel Ju n."

    "The new Burkurel Ju n?"

    The crowd moured as the n Head nodded, "Indeed. They have been dispatched by the Sects to fill in the void. As for the group, they are weak for the time being, since most of them are Hatchling Harmonisers led by some veterans. They will be arriving today evening. So, we have to wee them first."

    "And after that," He spoke, expressing his distaste, "We have to gift them some resources so that they could stabilise themselves first. We have to then support them and guide them through everything in the ce so that they could take up authority on everything the previous Burkurel Ju n had been managing."

    "And, the warning we received was rted to that." He muttered, "We mustn''t ever try to im anything that belongs to the Burkurel Ju n while taking advantage of this situation. If we were to do that, we would lose our authority."

    "And, I''ll say this now," The n Head''s voice boomed, "If anyone were to exceed my orders, I''ll exercise my authority to behead you then and there."

    Most of those seated on the seats began to sweat at his bold im. After all, if he had explicably stated that, then he was bound to do it, no questions asked.

    As for Re''Bah, she subtly frowned, noticing a glint in the eyes of the Central Lake Head. It seemed she was nning to use this chance to frame the West Lake and ughter them legally. Though, Re''Bah had no intentions to see it happen.

    After the n Head finished his addressal, his wife, the Central Lake Head took the turn to speak, stating in her usual cold tone, "Now, we''ll first address the contributions and punishments of our members and dispatch them to vige locations ordingly. First¡­"

    She controlled her smile, calling out, "Burkurel Re''Kha,"

    "Yes," Re''Kha stood up from her seat and cupped her fists, performing a bow.

    On seeing that she was the first one that had been called, Re''Rak frowned, ring at the Central Lake Head. He knew for a fact that she had done ordingly to maximise the me on their West Lake.

    But suddenly, Re''Bah mildly tapped on his hand, causing him to cool down as he noticed his wife''s collected expression. Even though he knew for a fact that his wife was a calctive individual, if Re''Kha was plotted against, it was without a fact that their West Lake would be dragged down. So technically speaking, she wouldn''t allow anything to happen to Re''Kha, even if it meant suffering a setback.

    And considering that she was calm, it meant the situation wouldn''t be damaging to their West Lake. And this meant Re''Kha would be safe. So, thinking along those lines, Re''Rak calmed down a little. Just a single action from his wife sparked numerous thoughts in his mind, disying hisplex nature.

    As a General, he wasn''t new to schemes. Rather, his schemes were significantly vicious than what Re''Bah would concoct. After all, his enemies were the Treka, a foreign race. So, they never had to pull any punches and were as vicious as the word vicious could describe.

    Therefore, even if it didn''t seem like it, he could directly determine what went through the mind of the Central Lake Head. And upon noticing his stare, the n Head began to sweat internally. For, even he was a bit afraid of Re''Rak.

    But, it seemed the Central Lake Head didn''t care as she looked at Re''Kha, speaking, "Burkurel Re''Kha, you were lent Humming Waves to deal with the Blinded Ghost. But, not only did you fail the task, you caused the death of 6 Harmonisers, went missing for three months, and even lost the Magic Artifact. You caused our n tremendous losses. What do you have to say against this?"

    "Let me recount what happened back then," Re''Kha stated calmly, looking at the Central Lake Head to see that she allowed her to speak. But judging by her posture, it was apparent that she had no intentions to let her off. The only reason she allowed Re''Kha to speak was to appear magnanimous.

    But the moment the Central Lake Head had mentioned the death of 6 Harmonisers, Re''Kha could feel numerous res directed on her, full of hatred. It was from the families of the dead Harmonisers. They too were part of the West Lake, but after the incident, they were in awkward positions.

    The ones that died had betrayed the West Lake while their families were still part of the West Lake. Even though their betrayal hadn''t been proved yet, as everyone from that incident had died except for Re''Kha, and she had vanished for three months and had only returned the day before, nothing could be proven yet.

    So, a lot of undercurrents were brewing underneath as a result. And now that she had returned, she had be the target of their emotions.

    Re''Kha cupped her fists and spoke, "We had been chasing the Blinded Ghost and had almost arrived at the Harara Forest when we were ambushed by another group of Harmonisers. Their identities were unknown while we fell victim to their attacks. We were outnumbered¡­"

    "And coincidently, everyone died while you were the only one to survive," The Central Lake Head said with a mocking tone, gazing at Re''Kha from top to bottom, "And not to mention, you don''t even have a scratch on you."

 Chapter 279 - One Line To Change The Tide

    "Did you steal the n''s Magic Artifact?"

    "You escaped from the ce to save your skin."??

    "You aren''t trustworthy."

    "You have caused the death of our kin."

    "Why did you return?"

    "Howe only you are safe?"

    "With what face did you return?"

    Even if they weren''t explicitly stated, the one statement from the Central n Head made all these intentions appear in the gazes of everyone that were directed at Re''Kha. And, it seemed those who were in favour of the Central Lake had decided to oppose Re''Kha openly, deciding to find out the contradictory points.

    Even if she wished to prove otherwise, Re''Kha didn''t have enough proof. Moreover, the incident was veiled with too many issues that she couldn''t reveal to them. Rather, revealing the information would further endanger her life and her family. And just to save herself, she couldn''t lead to the death of her family.

    If it was her mother alone, she wouldn''t have been troubled. Considering her abilities, her mother would be absolutely safe. But, she cared about the rest of her family and didn''t wish to cause them harm.

    Even though she could just pay up for the Magic Artifact, Humming Waves, she couldn''t reimburse the lives lost. And among them, only two were traitors. The rest were loyal followers of her family.

    The West Lake consisted of many families that served under their family. And among them, only two had betrayed them. The rest were still as loyal as before. So, Re''Kha couldn''t just make up stuff that would further worsen their situation.

    And, she couldn''t speak anything that would put down the lives of those lost to the Blinded Ghost. If she did that, she wouldn''t ever be supported by her n members. So, she had to keep her wits about her and manoeuvre through the situation to the optimal solution.

    Re''Kha bowed, "I won''t offer any excuses. The lives of the six Harmonisers, I''ll bear them. The tasks they would have done if they were alive, I''ll shoulder them. The amount of money they earned for their families, I will earn that andpensate them every month."

    She looked at those that were ring at her, the families of the Harmonisers that had lost their lives to the Blinded Ghost, "I never ran away, nor did I abandon them. As for the reason for my disappearance¡­"

    She bowed further, gazing at the Elders, "Elders, please."

    "Yes, we know of it already. You aren''t at fault for that." The head Elder spoke, having already been notified of her exploits by the Burfuna Ki n''s head Elder. "You did well in killing the Blinded Ghost, even after it had matured."

    His statement caused the atmosphere to turn sombre, as if a boulder had been smashed on the minds of everyone. The gazes directed to Re''Kha were instantly reced with shock and wonder.

    The Blinded Ghost had been prowling Burkurel City for almost three years. And during the time, it had terrorised them a lot, iming numerous lives. And all along, it was never found. It struck people without warning and disappeared as quickly.

    No matter how many Harmonisers fought against it, they were unable to kill it, only managing to injure it. And, no matter of injuries would ever threaten a Sha, as it could easily recover by absorbing fear from the people.

    Among all the Harmonisers, only Re''Kha had been able to track it numerous times using the clues she had discovered, showing exceptional talent in the field. Only because of that was she allowed to use their n''s Magic Artifact to attack it.

    After that, she had used Humming Waves for almost a year before it was eventually lost. And during that one year, the damage inflicted by the Blinded Ghost on Burkurel City was the minimum most. It showed that whatever she did was effective.

    But despite everything, the Blinded Ghost was only a fledgling Sha. It hadn''t even developed enough to possess any strong abilities. At the start, it was only able to cause people to be blind temporarily.

    After some days, they recovered their sights. And over time, its ability developed. Only during thetter half of its third year since its first appearance did the Blinded Ghost rob its first pair of eyes. And the moment this happened, its danger was elevated to a higher level.

    So, a team had been formed, with Re''Kha and another Harmoniser¡ªa subordinate of Re''Bah¡ªtaking the lead. They were solely maintained to be dispatched the moment the Blinded Ghost made an appearance. And they had shed with it on numerous asions, getting severely injured every time this happened.

    But due to the injuries they inflicted on it, the Blinded Ghost''s frequency of appearance was toned down to a minimum since it needed a lot of time to recover.

    All in all, despite trying everything, the Blinded Ghost proved to be a terrifying Sha. And having faced it at least once, all the Harmonisers knew of its fearsomeness. And hearing the fact that it managed to mature, that too within three months, they felt fear, wondering the extent of lives it had harvested in that short time.

    And the fact that Re''Kha had managed to kill such an entity shocked them further. If Re''Kha had been a Martial Master, it would have been believable. But, she was just a fledgling Harmoniser, having been one for only 4 years and only possessed 12 units of Water Qi.

    So, it was hard to believe. But, the fact that their n''s head Elder had spoken about it meant that it was the truth. Just the fact that she had killed the Blinded Ghost meant that she had contributed immensely to their city, not just to their n.

    The Central Lake Head''s face paled in anger as she was desperately holding in her emotions, trying to appear ording to her role externally without any personal bias. But, when she noticed Re''Bah subtly smirk, she lost her cool.

    Her eyes emitted killing intent as she looked at the calm posture of Re''Kha, for a moment hallucinating that the one she was facing wasn''t the young Re''Kha, but Re''Bah instead.

 Chapter 280 - Pressing Forth

    Upon noticing that the atmosphere of the situation had changed, the Central Lake Head was fuming with anger.

    The families of the 6 Harmonisers that had been part of the team led by Re''Kha no longer showed as much animosity as before. If Re''Kha had just promised to pay them somepensation money, they wouldn''t have been satisfied.??

    After all, no matter what, their lost family members wouldn''t return. Besides, as part of the family owning the West Lake, money was never an issue for Re''Kha. So, if she had said just that, then it would seem like she was insincere and just wished to shut up others with money.

    But, Re''Kha hadn''t done that. She promised that she would work and pay them the same money their lost family members had earned, every month. Moreover, she would also take up their share of tasks. This was the same as living their lives.

    And for a Harmoniser, their lives were full of risks. So, it showed her sincerity in the matter. Moreover, it showed that Re''Kha was someone who didn''t stint from her responsibilities. Moreover, the fact that she had killed the Blinded Ghost showed that she hadn''t relented on her task either.

    Only after she finished her task did she return home. And, when she had killed it, the Blinded Ghost had matured. So, the weight of her disappearance caused her words to have significant value now. Everything had changed with just a single statement from the head Elder.

    Unlike the Harmonisers, the Elders never took any sides. No matter the n, an Elder was always impartial. It was brought about by the fact that they wielded Kalki Qi. So, whether consciously or unconsciously, they treated everyone from their race equally.

    That was why an Elder''s words were always taken at face value. Because they didn''t have any bias in their words. Moreover, there was a generation gap between the Elders and the Harmonisers. They would at most seem like the grandparents to the current generation of Harmonisers that included the Central Lake Head, Re''Bah, etc. And at times, they were even older. So, without that sense of attachment, the Elders were always strict and unbiased.

    Moreover, they were privy to things a Harmoniser never knew. There were a lot of reasons, but the moment the head Elder spoke, Re''Kha sighed in relief. Thankfully, the head Elder of Burfuna Royal n had informed her n''s Elders.

    Otherwise, she wouldn''t have been able to make a point.

    The Central Lake Head snorted mentally as she spoke, "Let''s consider for a fact that you would honour everything you have said. There is still the part of you losing our n''s Magic Artifact. And, I can''t understand how you managed to kill the Blinded Ghost without it."

    Her statement caused the atmosphere to turn vtile once again. What she had pointed was a rather logical fact. If Re''Kha said she only relied on her Harmoniser abilities to kill the Blinded Ghost, no one would believe it. After all, she only possessed 12 units of Water Qi.

    And, that wouldn''t even make a dent on the previous Blinded Ghost, not to mention something that had matured. So, her only choice in killing it was if she had used the Magic Artifact, Humming Waves.

    So, it came back to the question once again. How did she kill the Blinded Ghost without any Magic Artifact? Unless Re''Kha were to give a reasonable exnation, she wouldn''t be able to tide through this issue.

    "Are you implying you wish to know every single detail that happened until its death?" Re''Kha gazed at the Central Lake Head and spoke. If she said she didn''t hold any animosity towards her, then she would be lying.

    After all, even if her mother had beenpeting against her, at the end of the day, the Central Lake Head was part of the reason she lost her eyes. But that wasn''t all. She intended to kill Re''Kha.

    Suppose her master hadn''t saved her, then Re''Kha would have died then and there. So, she could very well say that the Central Lake Head had almost caused her death. So, whether she liked to scheme or not, Re''Kha would return the favour.

    "Yes, if you don''t exin yourself in detail, it would mean you have stolen Humming Waves and would be punished ordingly." The Central Lake Head had just spoken when she flinched, feeling her body turn colder all of a sudden as a feeling of death enveloped her.

    The moment she gazed at Re''Kha, she felt fear all of a sudden, baffling her. After all, she was someone that had almost reached the peak of the Harmoniser Realm. So, someone like Re''Kha shouldn''t have even been capable of threatening her.

    She then noticed Re''Kha gaze towards the top once again, looking at the seat of the Elders. Immediately, the voice of the head Elder resounded, "Burkurel Re''Tul, by the orders of Burfuna Ki n, if you were to press forth on details about the Blinded Ghost, you will face death."

    Re''Tul, the Central Lake Head shuddered as she turned around and cupped towards the Elders, "I apologise for overstepping my authority, Elders. Re''Tul will be careful from now onwards."

    "That would be for the best." The head Elder spoke and turned silent.

    ''This bitch!'' Re''Tul screamed in her mind as she looked at Re''Kha, barely managing to control her temper as she spoke, "Fine, since the Elders have spoken about that. But, there is still the issue of the Magic Artifact. You have lost it. Do you have anything to say against that?"

    "No, I have lost Humming Waves." Re''Kha cupped her fist, performing a mild bow.

    For a moment, Re''Tul paused, observing her back to notice that the Elders hadn''t said anything, mentally heaving a sigh of relief as she spoke, "Through our investigation, we haven''t been able to find Humming Waves anywhere near the Harara Forest. So, before we determine whether you have lost the Magic Artifact or stolen it, Central Lake will conduct aplete search on all the properties belonging to West Lake."

 Chapter 281 - Layered Schemes

    "Central Lake will be conducting a thorough search on all the properties belonging to West Lake," Re''Tul spoke.

    ''So, this was her aim.'' Re''Kha thought, understating the reason the Central Lake Head had done that. This way, she would be able to cote the entire asset of West Lake, being able to figure out all their cards.??

    This way, no matter what Re''Bah plotted, Re''Tul would be able to figure it out. After all, by knowing the liquated assets, properties, Elemental Qi Essences, elemental weapons, guards, etc. of the West Lake, she would be able to derive the range of ns that Re''Bah would be able to make.

    This way, she would always be prepared. Besides, if she were able to find Humming Waves in the possession of West Lake, she would be able to me them as thieves, traitors to the n that only wished to profit themselves.

    This way, she would be able to strip them down from power before banishing them to a Fort where they would have to serve their sentences until death. But most of the time, they would be killed by the foreign races eventually.

    Or, with the prospect of allowing them to return to their ns, they might even be sent out on Raids into foreign territory. In such cases, even if they were to survive, most of their family would have been wiped out by then. After that, even if they were to return, they would have the lowest of the low position in the n and would hardly be a threat. She could simply plot against them once again and easily deal with them.

    Besides, this could be easily achieved. After all, Humming Waves was in her possession. After Re''Kha was injured, even though she hadn''t received any messages, she had secretly sent a scout to the ce of battle, retrieving the Magic Artifact and other items of value from the two groups that had been killed.

    The other group was sent by Re''Kya to kill Re''Kha. So, even if the team of Harmonisers weren''t strong or had anything significant of value on them, the scout still looted them dry, leaving the bodies behind for the beasts to wipe out all traces.

    Re''Tul was secretly nurturing a team of Scouts. There were only four of them though, as it was hard to raise any more in her constrained situation. But even then, she had been growing a secret group in the Burkurel Re n''s Central Settlement,prised of 4 scouts, 4 healers, 3 messengers, and 2 transporters.

    They were all those that had hailed from the Four Great ns serving under Burkurel Ki n. It was incredibly hard to capture them and nurture them. And, the one who had plotted that and had seeded was her mother, the previous Central Lake Head.

    And, it was her who was nurturing the next line of sessors for the four, in the Burkurel Re n''s Central Settlement. It was too risky bringing them into Burkurel City. Not only was it hard to hide it from the Burkurel Ki n, but the moment her n Elders were to learn of this, they would unhesitantly wipe out her family.

    So, everything she had plotted was situated in the Burkurel Re n''s Central Settlement, the ce under her absolute rule. And by secretly dispatching a scout¡ªpossessing a Nerou, the Pranic Avatar of the Great Ul n¡ªfrom there, she managed to retrieve Humming Waves.

    And, she stored it in the Burkurel Re n''s Central Settlement, under the safety of her mother. This way, they had something to protect themselves while living there, in preparation to be a Martial Master.

    This was a win-win situation for her. On one side, she could use it against the West Lake. Secondly, her family possessed a Magic Artifact for their personal use. After all, even if they called themselves the Central Lake, all Magic Artifacts were actually under the Elders'' control.

    Even if the Central Lake were those that issued the Magic Artifacts in times of need, the h Head had to ask permission from the Elders first. That was why she had used a multi-fared scheme to obtain it.

    But, she wasn''t nning to keep it in the Burkurel Re n''s Central Settlement for long. After all, she could remember what her mother had said to her.

    "The closer I approach the Martial Master Realm, the more I am averse to the notion of keeping Humming Waves here. I am afraid the moment I be a Martial Master, I wouldn''t be able to control myself from punishing you and myself for this. As for those scouts, healers, etc. that we are secretly raising, I would kill them off too. I''m afraid scheming against our own, against the rules set by our Celestial Emperor would be impossible the moment I be a Martial Master."

    And, as her mother was approaching closer to the point with each passing day, she knew that she couldn''t keep Humming Waves with her for long. So instead, using it against the West Lake would be better. With the downfall of West Lake, there wouldn''t be anyone that would dare plot against them for the next three to four decades.

    And using that time, they would stabilise themselves even further. So, everything Re''Tul was ming Re''Kha was but a simple ruse. When they would be searching the West Lake, she nned to slip in Humming Waves and make it seem like the West Lake had deliberately hidden it. And with that, her n would fruition.

    ''No matter what, the oue was decided from the start.'' Re''Tul mentally smirked, watching Re''Kha, just about to order a search to be conducted immediately. With everyone present in the main hall, West Lake would be helpless.

    So, it was the best time for her to scheme.

    But right at this time, Re''Kha cupped her fists once again and spoke, "Central Lake Head, I haven''t finished my case yet."

    On seeing Re''Tul frown, Re''Kha continued, expressing her feeling of loss and struggle, disying that she had decided after long sessions of thought, "West Lake is willing to create a Magic Artifact that is a replica of Humming Waves and present it to the n within two years."

 Chapter 282 - Forgoing Rights To Visit Earth

    "Create a Magic Artifact?" Upon hearing the choice of terms used, Re''Tul was shocked as numerous thoughts shed in her mind.

    "Yes," Re''Kha replied as she nced at her mother.??

    Re''Bah nodded as she stood up and cupped her fists, facing the n Elders, "Elders, in the recent auction in Burfuna City, Re''Bah managed to get a Hammer Magic Artifact. From now onwards, West Lake can also forge Magic Artifacts."

    "Impressive, Re''Bah." The head Elder didn''t stint his praise, "This way, the n can create more Magic Artifacts. Considering the fact that the world is bing more and more dangerous these days, doubling our forging rate would help our n in the long run."

    He then spoke with a tone of caution, "But, you should remember that all Magic Artifacts should be under our supervision, even if they are those created personally for you."

    "Yes, Elders, Re''Bah remembers it very well." Re''Bah nodded and sat in her seat, making a gentle smile as she gazed at Re''Tul.

    The n rule was to keep all Magic Artifacts under the supervision of the Elders. Even if Re''Bah created a Magic Artifact for her personal use or had purchased one using her own money, the Magic Artifact would still be under the supervision of the Elders.

    Though, only she would be able to use the Magic Artifacts. After all, she was its owner. It was just a precautionary measure taken to ensure the Magic Artifacts wouldn''t fall into the hands of outsiders.

    Moreover, to take out her personal Magic Artifact, Re''Bah didn''t need the n Head''s permission. She could approach the Elders directly and use them. Moreover, under their supervision, no one else could scheme to take the Magic Artifacts.

    In the unlikely chance she died, her Magic Artifacts would still belong to her family and could be legally imed by her children. The Elders would give her justice regarding that. So in any case, keeping the Magic Artifacts with the Elders was the safest bet.

    Moreover, in the case the Magic Artifacts produced by her family were superior to those created by Central Lake, the Elders would judge that her family was superior. And once the umtions changed to a qualitative extent, they would assign her family as the Central Lake.

    After all, the true power in any Elemental n was in the hands of the Elders. Only they decided which family became the n''s central pir. That was why Re''Bah daredpete against Central Lake in the first ce.

    With the addition of the Hammer Magic Artifact, her family was now in no way inferior to Central Lake. Thinking as such, Re''Bah smiled, ''The rest depends on the children.''

    Now that the West Lake decided topensate a Magic Artifact, Re''Tul had lost the reason to conduct a search. After all, West Lake waspensating with a Magic Artifact. Uponpletion, it would only be the n''s property. The West Lake will have no right over it and could only file for it legally to use in times of necessity.

    "Despite thepensation, it would take time to create the Magic Artifact. And until then, our n is a Magic Artifact short. Just as the Elders have said, in these dangerous times, the loss of a Magic Artifact is damaging to our situation." Re''Tul said, "And, since there is no proof from your side, we will conduct a search on West Lake. Moreover, for creating such a situation, you will have to face punishment, Burkurel Re''Kha."

    "Finding the lost Magic Artifact will be my mission." Re''Kha cupped her fists, expressing with a solemn tone as her voice slightly shivered, showing that she was pained, or at least the way she acted depicted that, "And, as punishment, Re''Kha here will forgo her right to visit Earth for five years."

    "What?" Most of the seated Harmonisers were unable to control their shock. After all, Re''Kha was basically crippling herself with this decision. No matter how much one emphasised on their abilities, their basic talent was still valued highly.

    After all, as long as they were trained in other factors, Harmonisers with greater talents were able to be stronger and reach the peak of the Harmoniser Realm faster. For a normal Harmoniser that was only able toprehend a unit worth of Elemental Qi per year, he/she had to be alive for 115 years before possessing 100 units of Elemental Qi.

    That was too long a duration. And by that time, they would be so weak they would hardly be able to move. So, it was useless for them to possess 100 units of Elemental Qi in the first ce. It was rather a waste of the Prana Stones that would have better use when given to a young Harmoniser.

    As for Re''Bah and Re''Rak, they were close to hitting the peak already and only needed 3-4 years before doing so. It was because their talents allowed them toprehend at least two units of Water Qi per year. On a longer scale, it was actually higher than that. Adding onto the boost whenprehending using a Water Qi Essence, their progression was even faster.

    And for someone like Re''Kha, by the time she was 48 years old, she would have naturally reached the peak of the Harmoniser Realm. And, that meant she had more time in her life to attempt bing a Martial Master, raising her chance of sess.

    Her sheer talent allowed her a clear shot at the Martial Master Realm. And, that meant their n would obtain another Elder. So, the fact that she let go of five years meant she was losing 15 units of Water Qi.

    And, that would be too much of a waste. Even if she wished to catch up, she would need to obtain more than 4 Prana Stones during her every visit to Earth. And, getting that much was almost impossible. At most, obtaining such an amount in a couple of tries was possible.

    So, no matter what, she was suffering a loss that would cripple her future. After all, since she already hailed from an Elemental n, she wouldn''t be allotted any slots¡ªto visit Earth¡ªin the Sects, if she managed to enter one.

    And as one of the only two people in her n with such affinity towards Water Qi, her action was detrimental to their n itself.

    But to her proposal, the head Elder gave his nod of approval, "Granted."

 Chapter 283 - Uno Reverse

    Once the head Elder gave his nod of approval, Re''Kha bowed and seated herself. As for Re''Rak and Re''Bah, they were rtively calm, as if they had expected it. But, the reason Re''Rak was calm was that he knew that Re''Kha now had three elements.

    And, she needed five years before both her Wind Qi and Wood Qi reached 12 units. Only after that would she be able to increase her reserves of Elemental Qi. And considering her pace, the five-year loss wouldn''t matter much.??

    As for Re''Bah, the reason she was calm was because she knew Re''Kha had six Prana Stones to her name in the Burfuna Vi n. So, that meant she would only suffer a loss of three years'' worth. It wasn''t much in the grand scale of things, considering that she had trained Re''Kha like a shadow to her. She was assured Re''Kha would be able to recover from this setback soon after.

    And, as long as she obtained enough Prana Stones from Earth, this setback would turn out to be meaningless. And that, she was confident Re''Kha would be able to achieve. She gazed at Re''Tul with a look of pity, ''Re''Kha is more simr to me than you would think. You just made yourself another enemy.''

    As for her, the oue turned out better. Until now, even if she had said something, Re''Kha only did it unwillingly, as she didn''t wish to involve herself in the n politics. She had been content with dealing out justice and helping people when necessary.

    But from now onwards, knowingly or unknowingly, she would behave in certain manners that would cause losses or disadvantages to Central Lake. And, she noticed a subtle change in her husband''s behaviour, feeling giddy internally.

    ''Now, there are four of us in this fight. This is actually a boon.'' Re''Bah smiled internally. Until now, the only ones who activelypeted with the Central Lake were her and her son, Re''Rel. Her husband only observed from the sidelines, unwilling to step in unless the lives of his family were threatened.

    But now, having understood the fate Re''Kha would be subjected to, Re''Rak had decided to fight the Central Lake in earnest so that he would gain control of their n''s army. As for Re''Kha, since Re''Tul was one of those involved in the attempt to kill her, she wouldn''t sit still any longer.

    So, without her needing to do anything, Re''Bah obtained greater family support. After all, until now, she was just using them, like chess pieces. Now, they had be yers themselves, changing the tides greatly.

    Smiling, Re''Bah stood up from her seat and bowed towards the Elders, "Elders, West Lake and Central Lake arepeting against one another now. So, Re''Bah doesn''t like them searching our property. Instead, Re''Bah wishes to trouble the Elders to keep things fair."

    "Suit yourself," One of the Elders replied, "I was about to head to the Settlements for an inspection anyway. I''ll judge your Western Settlement once I return."

    The Elder seated on the right spoke next, gazing at Re''Bah, "And, I''ll look through the West Lake''s properties in Burkurel City. That should do it, right?"

    "Re''Bah bows in gratitude," Re''Bah bowed as she spoke, sporting a smile. She didn''t have anything suspicious in her estate that would warrant her trouble. And, she knew for a fact that Re''Tul wasn''t like that.

    And, since the Burkurel Ju n had been wiped out, her n Elders might have been working on something on their end to prevent the same situation from befalling on their n. So, everything would work in her favour.

    Even though she didn''t have proof, based on her probing and the response she received from Re''Tul during their shes, Re''Bah had a faint inkling that Re''Tul had a rather troublesome secret. There was a good chance she had been secretly nurturing at least one healer and a scout.

    She didn''t know about the rest, as it wasn''t easy to determine something like that through probing alone. But, considering the fact that the team led by Re''Kha had been ambushed once, she came to conclude that Re''Tul had at least one scout under her control.

    And, she hadn''t hired the services of the Ul n that was stationed in Burkurel City but had used her personal force. And, only the Royal n had the authority to control the Four Great ns. Anyone who went against it would face beheading, no matter who.

    Even though she was a calctive, scheming individual, Re''Bah always stayed within limits. And, as she sat, she could see the figure of Re''Tul shudder in fear. After all, the moment they said their statement, the two Elders seated on the sides vanished from the main hall.

    The head Elder was still seated in ce and was observing their reactions. Upon seeing the backs of the n Head and Central Lake Head be drenched with cold sweat, he shook his head. But, his action wasn''t visible to others since his figure waspletely veiled by a curtain that was further shielded from view by the curtain of water that cascaded over his seat.

    "Continue," The head Elder urged when Re''Tul and her husband were silent. And, despite his urging, they remained silent, making eye contact with each other.

    The n Head mentally sighed as he stood up and bowed towards the Elder, expressing his apology for remaining silent. He then talked about the performances of the other n members, allotting them rewards and punishments ordingly.

    And finally, once it waspleted, he then began to assign the ces everyone would be dispatched towards. He had already prepared scrolls for every ce that had been ounted for. When facing a nsmen, all he did was hand over a scroll to each.

    But, when it was the turn of Re''Kha, he gave her seven scrolls, stating, "I hope you uphold your promise."

    Receiving the seven scrolls, even if she felt pressured for a moment, Re''Kha replied with a confident tone, "That I n to uphold."

 Chapter 284 - Outbreak Of Sha

    "Since you have seven, I allotted you ces near to one another." The n Head said and continued to hand out scrolls to the others. And, even Re''Dha was allotted one. Upon receiving a scroll, Re''Dha was startled. He then stealthily looked around, slowly slipping his scroll into the pile of scrolls in the hands of Re''Kha. He then noticed that Re''Gra too was of the same mind.

    At the same time, they felt two gazes on them, turning around to see Re''Fua and Re''Rel gaze at them with smiles. Among them, the gaze from Re''Rel was still fine, as it seemed he wouldn''t punish them too much. But Re''Fua looked like she would tie them up into a bundle and abandon them under some random bush in the wilds if they dared to do so.??

    Upon receiving the stares from their older siblings, the two retracted their scrolls. But, what they didn''t know was the fact that Re''Kha had swapped their scrolls with one her hers while acting like she was looking through the first scroll.

    She had done so when her two brothers were looking at Re''Rel and Re''Fua, using the chance when their attention was away from her. This way, she could drag them with her while heading towards the mission objective.

    At least, that was many times better than apanying some other Harmoniser who may or may not stab her in the back. She could at least trust her brothers. And despite their nature, they were trained by her parents. So, when it was required, both Re''Gra and Re''Dha were capable of handling the situation.

    Unaware of her minor stunt, Re''Gra and Re''Dha looked into their scrolls, frowning immediately. Then, they conversed behind the back of Re''Kha, noticing that they had nearby locations, heaving a sigh of relief, nning toplete the mission as a team.

    As for Re''Bah and Re''Rel, they too have noticed the minor stunt Re''Kha had pulled. But upon thinking that Re''Gra and Re''Dha would be safer with her, they didn''t say anything.

    Re''Kha looked into the first scroll, reading it mentally, ''Kill the newly birthed Sha in Gro Mining Vige. First sighted three days ago.''

    That was the only information written on the scroll. Thankfully, there was a rough map drawn on the scroll that pointed the way from Burkurel City to the location. Re''Kha then looked through the other scrolls, frowning when she noticed three of her seven scrolls were rted to a Sha.

    ''The number of Sha is too much.'' She couldn''t determine the reason for their spike in number. At most three to four Sha would be birthed in Burkurel City per month. And in their early stages, they wouldn''t even be able to move far from their shells and wouldn''t have any ability to teleport.

    So, once their sighting is reported, they would be swiftly located. After all, a newly birthed Sha wouldn''t even be able to hide its shell from basic Elemental Qi perception. A Harmoniser only had to touch its shell to feel the Ghost Qi in it.

    So, all the Sha were usually killed. There were rare cases like the Blinded Ghost that managed to develop until it obtained the ability to hide itself. And considering its ability, it was easy to do so. All it did was steal the sight of people when they slept. And, the duration was less than the victim''s sleep, so when they woke up, they were still able to see.

    So, they never knew their sight had temporarily been robbed by the Blinded Ghost. In this way, the Blinded Ghost passed through its initial vulnerable state and turned into an active Sha. Only Sha with tricky abilities like itself slipped through the guards and Harmonisers.

    And, this was in a big city like Burkurel City with a staggering poption of around 600,000 people. With more people, the culmination of negative emotions and feelings happened faster and moreplex Sha were birthed.

    But in settlements, the birthed Sha had simple abilities and were rarely birthed, at most one per season. So, in smaller viges where the poption was only in the hundreds, it would be a wonder if a Sha was birthed even once in a decade.

    But, the fact that there were three such viges where a Sha had been sighted confused Re''Kha. And this was just among the scrolls she had been given. She didn''t know how many scrolls were rted to a Sha. And, this was just in her n.

    There might be more such cases among the ones taken charge by the other two Elemental ns. So, by a sheer estimate, the cases rted to the Sha alone surpassed a hundred. And, this was a staggering number they hadn''t witnessed before.

    Though, Re''Kha attributed quite a few cases among them to be present within the city. After all, the invasion by the Kalhas, the horde of beasts that had breached through the city walls multiple times, the betrayal of the Burkurel Ju n, the death of the City Lord and three Royal n Elders, and finally, the eradication of Burkurel Ju n.

    And as the Burkurel Ju n members'' corpses were fixed in the city''s central za, the most traversed through part of their city, the citizens were harbouring a lot of worry and fear. And as a month had passed since then, it wouldn''t be a wonder if tens of Sha started to pop up within the city daily.

    ''But, even if most of the cases of the Sha are within the city, it still makes no sense for there to be this much in the wilds.'' Re''Kha frowned, knowing that something was happening to theirnd that she was unaware of.

    Once everyone was given their respective scrolls, the n Head took his seat. And right at this time, the head Elder spoke, "Rest and prepare for today. At dawn tomorrow, head to your designated locations immediately. As for those assigned tasks within the city,plete them with a couple of days so that you will be assigned new tasks. There are more tasks than the number of Harmonisers in our n. So, we have to be fast andplete every task without fail. In the evening, we''ll head out to wee the new Burkurel Ju n."

    "Yes, Elder!" Everyone bowed collectively, expressing their acknowledgement.

 Chapter 285 - A Grave Mistake

    Burkurel Re n Central Settlement; situated in the centre of the settlement were a variety of double-storeyed houses constructed almost in a circle. And, situated in the centre was a pond, also acting as the settlement''s reservoir of water in times of need.

    And among the double-storeyed houses surrounding it, there was one that was the tallest, also sporting thergest floorspace. Just the way it was built dictated that the person living here wasn''t just a regr Harmoniser dispatched to take care of the Settlement.??

    At present, two figures were seated on the ground, feeling the grass that bristled with the wind. They had immersed their feet in the pond waters, watching the fish swimming within. upon sensing their presence, the fishes began to swim closer towards them, at times tapping their feet using their tails.

    One of the two was an old woman in her eighties, possessing a strong figure despite her age. Appearance-wise, she seemed like she was only in her sixties. Wearing the Re n''s dress, she sported a hat on the top, rxing in the atmosphere while deep in thought.

    Seated next to her was her husband, wearing the Re n''s dress while holding a fishing rod. But, there was no hook in it. But even then, the fishes jumped out from the water and bit on the fishing rod from time to time before retreating into the water.

    The effect they exhibited was due to their affinity to Water Qi. So, to the fishes, the couple seemed no different from the water they lived within.

    "How close are you?" The Lady spoke after some time, her tone slow due to the slow life she led.

    "A decade if I don''t obtain any inspiration. Three to four years if I get some inspiration. What about you?" The man replied in a tone slower than her.

    "It feels even farther for me," She sighed, "It isn''t easy bing a Martial Master. I hoped mastering a Pranic Art should allow us to meet the Celestial Emperor and be induced into a Martial Master. But even that seems hard. At least, I need a few more years before I can even figure out if I would be able to attain it in this lifetime."

    "The head Elder may not show it, but he''s growing in on age. He has at most a decade to live. He''s been an Elder for four generations already. I won''t be surprised if he suddenly died this year." The man sighed, "Once he disappears, our n might face a lot of difficulties. The other Elders are rtively younger. And the Elders dispatched to Bura Fort cannot return to our n until their deaths."

    "Hopefully, you achieve it." Thedy said as the eyelid of her third eye trembled once, "You were a splendid n Head once. I''m sure you''ll be even greater as an Elder."

    The couple was the previous Burkurel Re n Head and Central Lake Head, having retired once their sessors took up the spots. They had retired to focus on meditation and hopefully be Martial Masters and rece their Elders that were growing in on age.

    "Hopefully," The man said when his eye parted open a little, sending him in a trance. Upon seeing the scene, thedy was overjoyed, looking at him with tears in her eyes.

    Sometimeter, his third eye''s eyelid closed-back fully. It was a sign that he was close to fully opening it. The moment his third eye opens, he would be a Martial Master. And his current state proved that he was closer to attaining the Realm than what he had assumed first.

    But, the man wasn''t happy at all, sighing with a forlorn expression as he expressed his sadness, "We havemitted a grave mistake, dear."

    "W-What mistake?" Thedy was stunned for a moment as she stammered, expressing her worry.

    The man sighed as he got up, motioning for her to follow him as they returned to their house. Telling her to remain waiting in the living room, he exited the house, approaching some of the houses in the Settlement as he beckoned for some people.

    Soon, he brought all the people to his house. The moment she saw the people, thedy was shocked, "Dear, why have you brought in everyone?"

    By everyone, she meant those from the Four Great ns they had secretly nurtured to help them during times of necessities. The Four Great ns were of prime importance, especially their Pranic Avatars. Each one had unique abilities, being able to sense anything and anywhere, being able to heal all injuries, being able to carry messages at the fastest speeds no matter the weather, and finally, being able to carry people over incredible distances.

    So, the importance of their Pranic Avatars was definite. At present, the scouts were a family of four, parents and two children that had recently be Harmonisers. The healers were a family of four, but the fourth hadn''t matured yet. So, they only had three Harmonisers.

    The transporters were a father and daughter duo, and finally, the messengers were a family of a mother and two daughters. Overall, they were 13 people that the couple had been secretly nurturing from the time they had been in power.

    And this way, as long as the nurtured group gave birth, their bloodline would continue and the future generation Harmonisers would have the respective Pranic Avatars too.

    Thedy sighed for a moment, recalling the amount of trouble they had gone through to steal a child from each of the Four Great ns and eventually force them into obedience and eventually pin them to the Burkurel Re n''s Central Settlement.

    Upon hearing thedy''s question, her husband sighed, also taking out the Magic Artifact, Humming Waves, "This is our mistake. The Magic Artifact is still not that grave of an offence, since it is still a materialistic product. But¡­"

    He looked at the group of people, sighing as he closed his eyes, "I have put you all through misery."

    He then sighed before speaking aloud, having heard the footstepsing his way, "Come in, father."

 Chapter 286 - Pitiful Royal Clan, Pitiful Four Great Clans

    "Come in, father." The man said as his wife was surprised. Soon, their door was pushed aside as an Elder entered, expressing anger on his face. The moment he saw the thirteen people, his third eye opened before it began to bleed a little as he clutched it in pain. His expression was bloodshot, in disbelief and unbelievable fury.

    He looked at his son, "What have you done? How long has this been going along?"??

    The man pointed at a Harmoniser, "For around three decades. When I captured them, they were barely 5-6 years old."

    He then sighed, "It hasn''t been long since I sensed something, father. I just realised now that what I had done is wrong and had rounded them up to apologise."

    "You sensed¡­it?" The Elder looked at the man through his third eye before tearing up, "Why¡­why did you have to do this? You were close, really close to bing a Martial Master. Dammit, why?"

    "You should know the reason very well, father." The man looked at the Elder, "After all, you were a n Head once too."

    "Right, the abilities of the Four Great ns are incredibly helpful in protecting our n. I too had the same thought when I was the n Head." The Elder sighed, "But, I never went with that n."

    "By the time you became a n Head, you could already sense some things through your third eye, since your talent has been the highest in our n to date. So, you knew what to do. And¡­" The man sighed, "You became a Martial Master too soon, leaving a younger me in charge. I never had an idea back then, so when a chance presented itself, I jumped at it. Heck, I only realised my fault today."

    The Elder sighed as he wiped his tears, "Then, you must be prepared for what is toe next."

    "I am," The man nodded. Just basing on their conversation, thedy already understood the context of the situation. She sighed once, resigning herself to her fate.

    Finally, the man let out a helpless sigh as he looked at the Elder, "Father, since I''m about to die, can you tell me theplete reason? I haven''t enlightened myself to that extent yet. At least, consider this myst wish."

    "Fine, this information won''t be leaving these walls anyway," The Elder sighed, "The four Great ns are honoured with the title ''Great'', but in reality, they are the most pitiful ns following the Royal n."

    "Pitiful?" The eyes of everyone in the ce widened.

    "Yes, pitiful is the right term." The Elder nodded, "In the Harmoniser Realm, once you awaken your third eye, you''ll obtain ess to Kalki Qi and would be called a Martial Master. But in essence, you are still a Harmoniser. A Martial Master is just apleted version of a Harmoniser. After all, being in harmony is rted to both the nature and oneself. A Harmoniser develops harmony with nature while a Martial Master develops harmony with oneself and fellow people of our race. So in essence, they are just a Harmoniser."

    "And beyond the Harmoniser Realm exists two Realms, called the Celestial King and the Celestial Emperor." The Elder said, "There are dozens of Celestial Kings in our country, and standing at the absolute peak is our Fourth Celestial Emperor. But, just like how we have to be initiated into a Harmoniser, the same is required for a Celestial King and even a Celestial Emperor. But the conditions are stricter, and the requirements are harsher."

    "Forget about the conditions, since only Elders know about them." The Elder said, "But, the reason I called the Royal n and the Four Great ns pitiful is because of the restrictions that apany these Realms."

    "You need a certain item to be a Celestial King. The case is the same to be a Celestial Emperor. Only by consuming it would one break past the shackles of a mortal and be a Celestial. But," The Elder shed tears once again, "This item absorbs the Racial Qi of the race that had absorbed it and would continue to absorb it from thend it takes effect upon. The item of a Celestial King is called a Bhumic Crystal, and the one for the Celestial Emperor is called the Akashic Crystal."

    "These crystals have been created by the world during its inception and have been imed one after another by the sentient races of the world. This is where the restriction arrives," He spoke with bated breath, "Remember that eight centuries ago, our race was ruled by the Treka. So to speak, we never had any Celestial Kings, not to mention a Celestial Emperor."

    Even though he knew they were ruled by the Treka long ago, hearing the Elder''s exnation, the man realised that there was more to it than before.

    Nodding, the Elder continued, "The Treka had a tremendous history, having dominated arge part of our world for many millennia. And, by overthrowing their rule in this part of thend, we gained our independence and started our development. But, the Bhumic Crystals and the Akashic Crystal in our Celestials had once been the Treka''s. So, they are filled to the brim with Treka Qi. And, considering their history, the quantity of Treka Qi in each crystal is as vast."

    "By absorbing them into their bodies, our Celestial Kings and Celestial Emperors have to resist erosion by the Treka Qi every day. And, this causes them enough pain that they regret every moment of their life to have be a Celestial." The Elder''s voice trembled, "Moreover, the verynd itself changes ording to the governing race. Once you be a Celestial King, you are fixed to thend for life. And, thisnd is divided into territories that we call the states. As for the Celestial Emperor, he''s fixed to our country and can never leave it."

    "They are bound by it and have to deal with the erosion thend transmits to them. After all, thisnd too was once under the Treka." He sighed, speaking with a solemn tone, suffused with grief, "And, this erosion caused so much pain that the First Celestial Emperor suffered his death within two years of bing one."

 Chapter 287 - Clean Beheading

    "So, that''s the reason for his quick death." The man nodded as his emotions were affected.

    "Yes, but despite his short rule, he''s the greatest of all the Celestial Emperors." The Elder spoke with unshakable pride, "Despite being only a Celestial King, he managed to kill a Celestial Emperor from the Treka, grabbed its Akashic Crystal, and absorbed it to be a Celestial Emperor himself. And during his time, there were only four other Celestial Kings in our race. That was how the concept of the Four Great ns came to exist."

    "And during his two years of rule, the First Celestial Emperor and the four Celestial Kings shouldered the erosion of the entire history of the Treka. It was a volume beyond anyone could imagine, enough to flood our country with Treka Qi and still spill out in excess. And before their deaths, they still negated as much Treka Qi as possible and created a certain spell before their deaths." He sighed, "And that''s the great curse guing the Royal n and the Four Great ns."

    "And the curse¡­" As thedy spoke, the Elder motioned for her to stop as he took in a deep breath.

    He then spoke, "The Kalki wields the four elements of Lightning, Fire, Metal, and Water. So, in ournds, these four elements dominate nature. As for the other elements like Earth, Wood, and Wind that still exist in ournds, they are only a tenth of our four Elements that exist during the Day of Equity."

    "Before thisnd came to be ours, it was a very hot and bright ce that was abundant with Light Qi, Fire Qi, and Earth Qi, the elements wielded by the Treka. Only after the arrival of the First Celestial Emperor did thend change to what it is now. But even then, the region influenced by the First Celestial Emperor was only the current state of Mokshu."

    "And, every time a Celestial King was born, they took root around the state of Mokshu and expanded our range, also increasing the range under the Celestial Emperor''s control. So, both a Celestial King and a Celestial Emperor have to fight against thend''s erosion. And, since the range of his influence spans our country, the Celestial Emperor has to resist the entire country''s erosion."

    "And, this erosion stems from the Treka that have lived on thisnd for many millennia. If suppose a Celestial King dies, thend under his rule immediately begins to revert back to thend of the Treka. After all, we have yet to eradicate all the Treka Qi in ournd. Only after eradicating itpletely and once we behind to fill in thend with Kalki Qi would thisnd truly be ours. And until then, and until all the Treka Qi in their Bhumic and Akashic Crystals are eradicated, our Celestials would continue to suffer. And because of it, they wouldn''t even be able to fight properly, which would mean they would be killed by our enemies. And, it was here the curse of the First Celestial Emperor appears."

    The Elder sighed as he spoke, "Once a Harmoniser from the Royal n and the four Great ns approaches the final stage of their lives, they would enter what is called the suffering stage. Thissts for the final decade of their life. And during this time, using their Kalki Qi as a connection, the erosion suffered by their blood-rted Celestials flow into them, causing them immense suffering."

    "Moreover," The Elder expressed his dread, "When summoned using 100 units of Elemental Qi and 100 units of Kalki Qi, the Royal n''s Pranic Avatar, the Yali would be summoned as a Divine Beast. It would be in reality for as long as its lifespan. And, its lifespan is double the amount the Harmoniser¡ªMartial Master¡ªhad lived. And for the entire duration, it would stay alive while enduring the erosion. And this is a sacrifice every Royal n Elder takes voluntarily to protect ournd and better our lives, all for our race''s survival."

    "And, the Pranic Avatars of the Four Great ns could be considered to have been birthed by animating a part of the Yali. So, they are mysteriously connected." The Elder said, causing the mood of ce to resemble a hell, "And, the pain experienced by the Yali is further transmitted to the Elders of the Four Great ns. And only in such a manner are the Celestial Kings barely able to endure their erosion."

    "That''s why, the life of every single Harmoniser from the Royal n and the four Great ns is valuable. Without them, ournd is doomed. And, measures are ced in their ns by the Celestial Kings to ensure this curse doesn''t strike them early, as long as they grew up within their ns. But, if their bloodline is leaked into the popce, imagine the consequences that would arise when the curse is triggered because ofcking protection. There is a chance the curse would use the Kalki as a channel to spread into the popce. Because of this, our entire race would be annihted overnight."

    With anger, the Elder said, "Even the Martial Masters and Celestial Kings are barely able to endure this. A Harmoniser or a regr citizen would die instantly. So, anyone that tries to kidnap someone from the Four Great ns is a traitor that attempts to destroy our race. And, if they are grown outside their ns, their defence against the curse vanishes, causing them prone to trigger it anytime. It would then spread like a disease everywhere and eventually cause our country to copse."

    Upon hearing it, the man and the woman kneeled on the floor, not begging for forgiveness, but to reap for the mistake they had caused.

    Finally, the Elder asked them, "Who else had a hand in this?"

    "Only the two of us," The man spoke, "The rest are innocent. A stern warning and a punishment would be enough for them."

    "Alright, I won''t kill them," The Elder gave his word and then faced the group of thirteen, bowing until his head mmed into the ground, "Lords, please forgive the sin my children have caused."

    Even though they wished to live, upon hearing his words, they had resigned themselves to their fate. And among them, one of the oldest stepped forward, "Please, do it. I have been feeling something amiss in my body for the past few days. I now know the cause. Please don''t dy any further."

    "I failed as a parent and as an Elder. This sin, I''ll bear it until my death." The Elder stood up as his hand condensed a Metal Qi sword, twice his height. Then, everyone stood before him in a straight file¡ªthe thirteen from the group and the man and the woman. The Elder swung the sword, cleanly beheading everyone.

    He then used a couple of Fire Qi Hand Projections to burn their corpses into a crisp and erased all traces using a couple of Water Qi Hand Projections. After mourning for some time, he inspected the Settlement for anything amiss before heading towards the other Settlements.

    His footsteps were heavy.

    --------------------------

    Author Notes: There are 50 chapters to read on Privilege. The higher the Tier you get, the more chapter discounts you obtain. You''ll also get rebates, WN rewards, some event gifts, etc. Don''t forget to check them out~

    --------------------------

 Chapter 288 - Capture And Interrogation

    The Elder stood at the rooftop of his son''s house, making a sweep around the entire Burkurel Re n''s Central Settlement using his third eye. His third eye was capable of seeing all Elemental Qi.

    As it was the Early Fire Month, all the buildings wereyered by Fire Qi. It was the characteristic of Fire Qi, it would stick itself onto any objects and settle within its topmostyer. So, all objects would look like they have an affinity to Fire Qi.

    This was the month where even regr weapons proved useful due to the thinyer of Fire Qi on them. And due to the characteristics of Fire Qi, the Fire Season was one where even themon folk were able to defend themselves against supernatural phenomenon to a bare minimum.

    And in the Peak Fire Month, the density of Fire Qi in every object''s surface would make them seem like Fire Qi elemental weapons. There was a distinct characteristic of every Elemental Qi, and their effect varied ording to the Season.

    At present, the Elder made a sweep, pausing at times as his gaze bored through the Fire Qiyer, noticing if any other Elemental Qi was hiding behind. It was difficult for him to look past the Fire Qi easily. After all, if the Elemental Qi didn''t face the exterior, it was hard for him to spot it.

    As for normal objects, it was still possible for his vision to bore through the surface. But, he hit his limit when trying to see past ayer of Elemental Qi. He sighed, uttering, "I still have a long way to go."

    "It should be easy for you once you reach the peak as a Martial Master. Considering your talent, it wouldn''t take long." Another voice resounded as ady that seemed to be in her teensnded beside him. Even though she looked like a young girl, she was older than him.

    The only reason she had be as young was due to the fact she hadprehended the levels of Kalki Qi too fast that her age regressed. Upon seeing her, noticing her age, the Burkurel Re Elder sighed, "Lord, your talent is unmatched in our city. You have be even younger."

    "I gained enlightenment recently and managed toprehend 10 units of Kalki Qi overnight. So, I regressed by another 10 years in age and became a girl." The girlughed. She had once been the City Lord of Burkurel City and hadter retired.

    But now that her son had been killed by the Burkurel Ju n, and had lost three of her n''s Elders, even if she looked like she was fine outside, she was fuming within. And, the loss caused her toprehend the final stages of her Realm, and reach the peak as a Martial Master.

    "Lord, will I really be able to see through a Layer of Elemental Qi using my third eye?" The Elder inquired.

    "When you reach the peak, you will definitely be able to do that. Though, for those in the Royal n, they can do that from the start." She spoke, circting Fire Qi in her meridians. This caused her to easily ignore all the Fire Qi in the ce, even mask it out in her vision as she observed beyond.

    She then frowned, "Just as I had expected. The intel provided by Burfuna City''s Ki n head Elder is correct."

    Saying so, her figure flickered. The Burkurel Re Elder too followed after as they soonnded on the roof of a house and looked at the figure of a man walking through the streets. Appearance-wise, he seemed like a healthy individual that was struggling to feed his family.

    But, through their third eye, they looked at the Kalki Qi in his body. Unlike Elemental Qi, the Kalki Qi flowed through their blood, as it was their essence. A Martial Master was able to increase the quantity of this essence and wield it to their limit.

    And having looked into the Kalki Qi flow in numerous people to date, they immediately noticed that something was amiss in the man. The Kalki Qi flowed through his blood but stopped at his neck, refusing to enter his head.

    Only his blood flowed past that point normally and reached his brain. There was something in his neck that prevented his Kalki Qi from heading towards his head. This waspletely odd, so the two Elders observed him.

    And, once the man walked through a narrow section of the road and when no other eyes were on him, the two Elders appeared behind him and knocked him out. They then carried him and headed towards thergest house in the settlement.

    And, the moment they entered the house, the Burkurel Re Elder sighed in sadness once. The Burkurel Ki n Elder observed the house, able to sense that something had happened in the ce.

    Once she looked at him, he exined everything that had transpired in the ce, finally sighing as he spoke, "Wouldn''t it be for the best to warn the n Heads so that something like this doesn''t happen in the future? We are harbouring too much risk as it is. If the curse actually breaks free¡­"

    "I have asked about that to the Capital. And, all they replied with was a single line," She sighed, speaking, "The Celestial Emperor''s Orders."

    "There''s nothing we can do about that then." The Burkurel Re n Elder sighed as he inspected the captured man''s body, soon picking up a tiny vial that had reced one of his mrs. Upon inspecting it, he frowned, "This poison is incredibly potent."

    After searching his body thoroughly, they woke him up, nning to interrogate him. But, the moment he got up, the man unhesitatingly clenched his teeth, intending to crush the vial he had hid in his dental cavity as one of the mrs.

    He stared nkly when he noticed that the vial had been removed. So, he had lost his chance to suicide.

    "Now, tell us about yourself." The Burkurel Ki n Elder smiled, emitting bloodlust as she spoke.

 Chapter 289 - The Mysterious Worm

    "Now, tell us about yourself." The Burkurel Ki n Elder had just said when she noticed through her third eye. The membrane that seemed to have been blocking the man''s Kalki Qi from flowing into his head morphed into a worm.

    The worm looked at her andughed once before dissipating. She noticed the man''s expression turn nk immediately. Then, followed by a breath in time, his expression returned to normal. He then looked at the people before him in confusion, looking around to see the expensive furniture of the ce, sweating in response.

    He then gazed at their Tikka jewellery, noticing that it was a transparent white, paling in response, assuming he was captured by someone from a foreign race.

    "I''m the Burkurel City''s City Lord." Thedy spoke, making eye contact with the other Elder that shed to the man''s back, maintaining sight in his third eye.

    The Burkurel Ki n Elder closed her third eye as her Tikka jewellery''s gem turned red, symbolising Fire Qi, noticing the man visibly rx. But all along, she felt something was strange. After all, the man''s expression before and after the worm''s disappearance waspletely different.

    At present, he behaved no different to a person living in the Settlements. Upon seeing that, she frowned. Besides, that mysterious worm caused her to feel confused, thinking, ''Is that how my people were influenced tomit those series of crimes?''

    She then did a basic interrogation on him and set him free. Once he left the ce, the two Elders tailed after him, noticing that he behaved no different from usual. It seemed there was just one such person in the settlement.

    The two nodded and finished scouring through the settlement before heading towards the Burkurel Re n''s Southern Settlement. This was a nned move by the Elders, wishing to keep everything in check.

    Whatever happened in Burfuna City served as a reminder to them. So, they took action. Besides, she wasn''t the Burkurel City''s City Lord. She had only been the acting City Lord at one point in time. So, she wasn''t grounded to Burkurel City.

    It was why she was able to leave the city and scour through the Settlements. Soon, they arrived at Burkurel Re n''s Southern Settlement, scouring through it before they spotted another person where the Kalki Qi didn''t flow through their head.

    After making a round through the Settlement, they discovered that there was only one person in the ce. Making eye contact with one another, the two Elders took action immediately. They knocked out the person in question and took her out of the Settlement.

    Obscured behind a patch of trees, they ced the woman, barely in her early twenties on the ground. Then, the Burkurel Re n Elder ced a hand on the girl''s forehead while the Burkurel Ki n Elder ced a hand over her neck, right above the membrane blocking out the Kalki Qi.

    They timed themselves, injecting Kalki Qi simultaneously. Using the Kalki Qi, the Royal n Elder wrapped around the membrane, noticing that it had begun to morph its shape. She quickly condensed the Kalki Qi into a sphere, trapping the formed worm within itpletely.

    But, just like before, the worm looked at her and snickered derisively before vanishing. And this time, the Elder noticed the worm dissolve into a form of energy. But, this energy seemed unstable, breaking down before turning into a substance without form.

    She carefully extracted it, seeing it above her palms, sealed within the sphere of Kalki Qi. The two Elders frowned, making eye contact as they noticed that the Kalki Qi began to flow into the girl''s head like normal.

    They left her in the same ce they picked up from and headed towards the other Settlements. Soon, they had scoured through all the settlements, arriving at the Western Settlement as they carried the person with the worm in his body.

    This time, they didn''t try to do anything to him, only ensuring he was knocked unconscious. In the hands of the Elder were three spheres that she had taken from the southern, western, and northern Settlements.

    There was some difficulty in maintaining them while preventing the unstable energy within from escaping. She then expended 80 units of her Elemental Qi and summoned her Yali with four foundations. With four foundations, it would remain materialised for a day.

    The two Elders immediately boarded it as the Burkurel Re n Elder safely held the man they had captured. Immediately, they set off towards the Bura Fort, since that was the nearest ce where they could meet with a Celestial King.

    Heading towards the Water Sect would take more than half a day, and they didn''t have that much time on their hands, as they weren''t sure if the worm within the captured man would vanish by then. Moreover, the Burkurel Royal n Elder couldn''t maintain the Kalki Qi sphere for that long.

    It was nighttime when they arrived before a sprawling fortress wall that resembled a mountain range. There were two fortresses in the ce, one belonging to their race while the other belonged to the Treka.

    And, they were situated a mountain''s distance away. So, at any time, they had to be prepared for war. And, a war did erupt numerous times a month.

    There existed a mystical phenomenon in the ce. It formed a border through the battlefield''s centre, forming ayer that spanned from the ground and touched the permanentyer of clouds at the top. And on one side was the environment rich in Fire Qi, causing the ce to teem with a faint red colour.

    And the other side was a ce rich with Earth Qi, teeming with a mild brown colour. The ambient light itself was different in the two ces. And at the ce they touched, there were two curtains, one red, and one brown, thick, visible to the naked eye due to their sheer density.

    It was the country border, of both the Kalki and the Treka. And on the side of the Kalki, the entire fortress was created using Metal Qi, a mammoth structure since it didn''t seem to end on both sides, traversing the entire range.

    The fortress of the Treka resembled an actual mountain range in that it was created using Earth Qi. And, its height too was equivalent to a mountain. There were around three such mountain ranges, showing that the Treka had erected threeyers of defence against the Kalki.

    And the side of the Kalki was no way inferior, a clear indication by the border that was at the perfect centre of the battlefield.

 Chapter 290 - The Country Border

    The border was a clear indication of the war between the two races. If the influence of the Kalki over thend increased, the border will move closer to the Treka Fort. And simrly, if their influence reduced, the border would move closer to their fort.

    And at present, since the border was in the centre of the battlefield, it meant both sides were equally matched. Though, the two Elders knew that wasn''t the case. Theirnd wasn''t evenpletely theirs yet.

    So, they had to first cote it andpletely convert it into theirnd. Until then, staying put in a defensive war was in their best interests. And besides, theirnd was already massive and their poption hadn''t grown to the extent they felt thend was insufficient.

    So, throughout history, the Kalki had never invaded. Though, the recent Raid into thend of the Treka was a first, showing that they too were capable of it when needed.

    The two Elders stopped automatically, taking in the grandeur of their fort. Spanning a height of 1000 metres, the walls alone were massive. And, situated atop it were buildings, each equally massive.

    Among the threeyers of the walls, the secondyer was the thickest, having a breadth of 200 metres. And, built atop it were rows of buildings within which everyone who stayed in the Bura Fort lived.

    The Bura Fort spanned a massive distance, havingmanding structures at equal intervals, manned by a Martial Master each. After all, two Elders from every Elemental n were sent to the Bura Fort, permanentlymanded to serve until their deaths.

    And, every Elemental n governed a portion of the fort, defending against all the attacks in their particr area. And considering the sheer length of the fortress, it was too huge to bemented upon.

    Just the poption of the people living in it crossed a million. After all, it formed the southern border of their entire state. Moreover, they had all needs within the ce to remain self-sufficient. And when necessary, orders would be passed to the three cities of the state to supply them with the necessities.

    The Yali carrying the two Elders didn''t stop as it continued to fly over the fort walls, eliciting numerous stares from the soldiers below. But, as they had recognised the Yali, they didn''tment anything about it, silently watching the Yali fly above their heads.

    After flying for some time, the Yali arrived before a massive pce. The height of the pce didn''t surpass the other buildings, looking any different. But, its base was situated deeper than the other buildings, creating an overall bigger structure.

    After all, in the ce it stood, the height of the walls only reached 800 metres.

    The Yali swiftly flew through the pce in a hurry as the Burkurel Royal n Elder was sweating, unable to maintain the three spheres of Kalki Qi any longer. The soldiers stationed at the ce were all people at the peak of the Harmoniser Realm, having Elemental Qi between 90-100 units.

    When they noticed the Yali approaching the pce, they had intended to stop them and conduct the formalities. But, upon receiving orders from their higher-ups, they allowed entry. As the Yali flew further, the Harmonisers were eventually reced by Martial Masters. There were hundreds at the ce.

    It seemed they had assembled for an important meeting. Otherwise, most of them would be present in their respective stations. But, the two Elders currently didn''t have time to think as the Yali carrying them flew forth, soon entering a hall where it began to tremble upon entry, almost suffocated. The Elders were no different.

    Upon noticing their condition, the presence that caused them to tremble vanished as they were able to breathe freely once again. The Burkurel Ki n Elder jumped forth andnded on the floor, gazing at the figure before her that was veiled by a curtain of water.

    But, unlike the Re n''s arrangement where the water would fall from top to bottom, the water here was moving in the reverse. And, once it touched the ceiling, it branched out into numerous channels, flowing into the water reserves of the fort.

    The entity in charge of the ce was using its affinity towards Water Qi to pull up the water through the tremendous height of 1000 metres like a water pump and supply it to the rest of the fort.

    The Burkurel Ki n Elder immediately bowed a little before showcasing the three Kalki Qi spheres on her hands, "Celestial King Bura, in light of recent incidents, we searched through the Settlements of Burkurel City and discovered some unusual people in whom their Kalki Qi didn''t flow into their heads. It was blocked¡­"

    "Understood," A dignified voice resounded from behind the curtain as the three Kalki Qi spheres flew towards it. The water curtain morphed as it branched, forming a hand of water that grabbed the man the Burkurel Re n Elder carried.

    The moment the curtain of water morphed into a hand, the two Elders were able to witness the figure seated behind.

    Spanning a height of twenty metres, it was a massive figure. Sporting long blue hair that resembled a waterfall, she was like the personification of a river. Her entire figure seemed like it had been sculpted by metal, seeming stronger than the fortress walls.

    Her eyes glistened like gems of fire as she gazed at the man carried by her water hand. She hadn''t even moved to use it, relying on her affinity to the element alone to achieve this. The moment her eyelids pped, arcs of lightning sparked.

    Before her, the man seemed like an ant, tiny, only a little bigger than her eyes. It seemed just the pping of her eyelids would send him flying away.

    The three Kalki Qi spheres flew before her as she looked into them once before directing her gaze at the man. She frowned, focusing on his neck. But suddenly, the ce began to tremble mildly as the eyelids of her third eye fluttered.

    Unanimously, all the soldiers on the fort walls, Harmonisers and Martial Masters included, kneeled on the ground instantly the moment her third eye opened. She was a figure from the legend, someone who had once made her mark in their race''s history and had maintained it to date.

    Celestial King Bura!

 Chapter 291 - Reâ€™Bah And Her Unceasing Depth

    It was evening as Re''Kha and everyone exited the main hall. As for the n Head and the Central Lake Head, they had downcast expressions that they hid well. But to the experienced eyes of the other Lake Heads, it was apparent.

    They gazed at one another, realising that something was up to make the two behave that way. Then, they nced at the back of Re''Bah, shuddering for a moment.

    Everyone had been ordered to wee the new Burkurel Ju n whose members would be arriving soon. It was just a formality for the day, as they would have to visit another day to gift the neers as a show of hospitality.

    And, during theter stages of the meeting, they had been assigned the respective people they would have to meet and gift. The gifting session would only ur during the Peak Fire Month, once all the n members return from their missions and their city was deemed safe.

    With the threat of them losing their positions, no one would be inclined to spend the time gifting the neers of an annihted Elemental n. And as it was a time where all the other Elemental ns too had to participate, they had collectively decided to postpone the date.

    Moreover, they also wished to give some time to the new Burkurel Ju n to adjust to the atmosphere. So, it worked ordingly. And, they couldn''t stint on their gifts, so it would take them time to prepare ordingly and present something suitable to the metal n Harmonisers.

    And now, they were nning to head to the western gate of the city. As the western gate was the entrance to the Burkurel Ju n, it was only managed by them, used for their personal use. It was simr to how the southern gate was exclusively used by the Burkurel Re n.

    And as the group would be arriving at the western gate, they nned to head there too. So, numerous carriages had arrived at their n''s entrance. Just for this asion, they had ordered most of the carriages from the nearby cycle rickshaw stops to arrive.

    It caused a bustling scene in the Re n''s entrance. The same situation was happening in the entrances to the other three Elemental ns too. As for the Burkurel Ki n, there was hardly anymotion there as only four carriages departed from there.

    Considering the recent state of things, they had been strained and weren''t able to divert enough people to the event. They had faced significant losses and hadn''t managed to recover from that yet, both emotionally and economically. After all, they had lost three Elders and the City Lord. It was damage they couldn''t recover from even after a couple of decades.

    So, no one would hold it against them for sending fewer people. This was another reason they had ordered all the members from the remaining three Elemental ns to assemble. And from their side, they had sent the newly elected City Lord and some of the significantly influential Harmonisers.

    From the Burkurel Re n, carriages streamed forth one after another. In the first carriage were the n Head and the Central Lake Head. Trailing in the carriage right behind them were Re''Bah and Re''Rak. They were followed by the other three Lake Heads and their respective spouses.

    They had departed in order of their standing within the n. As for the head Elder, he remained behind to guard the n''s secrets. As the other two Elders had left the n, it ced their n defenceless. After all, every other Harmoniser, except for those injured or resting from old age had left to wee the new Burkurel Ju n.

    Among the carriages, since Re''Rel hadn''t married yet, his carriage was empty. So, Re''Fua and others boarded it to keep himpany. Besides, no one seemed to care about a tiny detail like that, since it was only formality at this point and pride.

    The only carriages that mattered were those in the front, belonging to the Five Lakes.

    Once they had left the n and had travelled a fair distance, Re''Bah looked at her husband, smiling, "That went fairly well."

    "It wouldn''t have if Re''Kha said even a single statement differently." Re''Rak frowned, "You shouldn''t have ced that much pressure on her."

    "Still, she fared wonderfully, right?" Re''Bah smiled, "The only difference between Re''Kha and Re''Rel is that she dislikes to scheme or plot against others. Otherwise, with enough drive and motivation, she would perform as well as Re''Rel or even better."

    "This is the first time you praised her this much." Re''Rak snorted, "She''s still just a child. Don''t burden her too much."

    "This is nothing muchpared to what we had to face when we were around her age." Re''Bah looked outside the window as she let out a gentle sigh.

    "The situation was different back then," Re''Rak sighed, slowly holding her hand, "Besides, we vowed to lead a peaceful life. Why are you getting into so many murky situations and endangering the lives of both you and our kids? Re''Rel is facing an assassination attempt at least once every month. And the attempt on Re''Kha almost caused her life. She still lived as a blind girl for three months."

    "The assassination attempts on Re''Rel are dangerous, but every time, he grows stronger. And," Re''Bah grinned as her eyes glinted with intense cunning, "I know of every method Re''Tul can use against our son. If she uses any method beyond what Re''Rel can handle, then I simply take care of them. He needs to mature faster if he has to lead our n."

    "If you know of her every action," Re''Rak red at her, tightening his hold on her hand, almost crushing it under his hold, "Then why didn''t you do anything back then? Re''Kha almost died. And the reason she managed to live was through sheer luck."

    "Luck is a frightening factor, dear." Re''Bah changed her gaze, slowly making eye contact with Re''Rak, "And, calcted luck is even more frightening."

    "What¡­do you mean?" Re''Rak frowned, looking at his wife in confusion.

    "Re''Kha must have told you everything by now," Seeing the minute fluctuation in his emotion, Re''Bah smiled, "But, even she doesn''t know of this. How can a person trapped in a cave for 20 years obtain the information about our n''s cultivation technique and derive Mist Banyan?"

 Chapter 292 - Reâ€™Rel And His Painting

    "So¡­big brother," Re''Dha stared at Re''Rel with droopy eyes, "Is your girlfriend cute?"

    Hearing the abrupt question, Re''Rel stared nkly, watching Re''Fua smack Re''Dha on his head. But, despite being smacked, he pointed at Re''Fua and Re''Kha, "Cuter than these two?"

    "Oh, is she?" Re''Fua stared at Re''Rel, causing the other party to stare out of the window and count the number of people passing by.

    "Draw her on a painting, brother. I''m curious about how she looks." Re''Kha expressed her interest. She was curious because the other party had received a title even though she was young. Creating a Pranic Art wasn''t easy. Even if one spent their entire lifetime on it, they might still fail in the end.

    And the person of interest, Mokshu Pe''Cha had created a Pranic the fastest one had even done in the water element in their entire country. Moreover, she had even received a title for that. And, since she was from the Water Sect, Re''Kha might run into her if she managed to get in.

    Setting everything aside, she was just curious.

    "I''m d you asked," Re''Rel smiled as he readily pulled out a brush and scroll from his sleeve.

    "This guy just wants an excuse to paint," Re''Fua sighed, almost fed up by this point. Among the siblings, she and Re''Rel were close to one another. Re''Rel was the oldest and the age difference between him and Re''Kha was too much, spanning 9 years.

    So, they interacted very little. As for Re''Gra, he had been azy individual since childhood. So, even when they yed as children, he usually sat on the shore of their house''s pond and drew circles in the mud.

    Therefore, it was Re''Fua that yed with Re''Rel the most and had to put up with his antics. And among them, her brother liked to paint, a lot. In fact, during the immature stages of his life, he had once painted their entire house.

    It was mostly doodles, and he had done that when Re''Bah had been busy managing some important internal affairs of the West Lake. And, when she found it in the end, he was beaten up pretty badly. But, that was the only time in his life when heughed despite receiving beatings.

    After that, he never went overboard with his paintings. But he still maintained an entire room full of paintings that he had done. Even the posters that Re''Bah and Re''Rak had posted in Burkurel City that talked about the immense talent Re''Kha posted, all ten of them were personally painted by Re''Rel.

    He used that opportunity to paint. The reason all those posters were stolen overnight had two reasons. One was, of course, the peerless beauty of Re''Kha. And the second was thanks to his incredible painting skills that made the figure of Re''Kha appear realistic in the paintings.

    That was the reason it circted through the ck-market channels for a rather high value. And now that she had asked for a painting, Re''Rel wouldn''t refuse. Rather, he was happy that she had asked him for one.

    The moment he took out a scroll and a brush, Re''Gra looked at them with a smug expression.

    "And, why are you so smug?" Re''Fua looked at him curiously, itching to beat him up. For some reason, his expression irked her.

    "Well, I made that brush." Re''Gra looked at the ceiling, speaking proudly, "The brush contains ink within its handle and flows out only after you press its back. And once you finish painting, you only need to flick it in reverse for the ink to recede into it. This way, you don''t need to carry any ink bottle with you while travelling."

    "This is impressive, to be honest," Re''Rel nodded, watching Re''Gra look at the ceiling even further in pride until he was smacked back by Re''Fua, "I have been using this brush for almost a year now. And, not once it leaked. And, its ink capacity is enough for me to finish three portraits."

    He then looked at Re''Gra, "If we were to mise it, we would earn a tremendous sum every year."

    "I don''t like others using my products," Re''Gra snorted, "Besides, it is too much work. I don''t want to do that."

    "Then, make me an elemental brush of the same. I''ll provide you with quality Water Qi-rich items." Re''Rel smiled.

    "Consider it done," Re''Graughed, "I need some practice items to use my Hammer."

    Re''Rel tooughed along before pointing at the floor before him, "Make a table for a little time."

    Re''Gra reflexively pointed at Re''Dha, "Shouldn''t the youngest take this role? I''m the third oldest now."

    Re''Rel shed the brush, "I can always inform mother that you are willing to open a business selling brushes. She would definitely grant permission. You can set up shop in¡­"

    Before he managed to finish, Re''Gra acted as a table before him, grunting from time to time as Re''Rel used his back to draw the portrait of ady. And, he didn''t just stop at a portrait but also drew another picture of thedy fighting against a beast, and continue further.

    By the time he was done, he had reached the end of the scroll, dejected at that point. And if Re''Fua hadn''t stopped him, he would have pulled out a second scroll and continued further. He had already painted thedy in three different poses.

    His strokes were minimalistic as he only used a single brush and only had the ck ink to use. But even then, he was able to portray all the features of Mokshu Pe''Cha clearly. He then pulled open the entire scroll, finally showing the image he had finished drawing.

    The moment she looked at the image of Mokshu Pe''Cha, Re''Fua frowned, thinking, ''She looks too in. Even if big brother likes her for her talent, her appearance iscking.''

    It seemed Re''Gra too had the same thought when Re''Dhamented without holding back, "Brother, she''s too in. Anymoner you can randomly find on the street would turn out to be prettier than her. Why do you even like her?"

 Chapter 293 - Peâ€™Cha Is Wild

    Re''Rel was just about to reply to Re''Dha when he noticed Re''Kha continue to stare at the painting with a frown. Smiling, he asked her, "Well, what do you think about her?"

    "She''s¡­" Re''Kha didn''t focus on her face, attracted by the poses thedy had done, as depicted by Re''Rel. And, the poses reminded her of a Punou for some reason, making her feel like Mokshu Pe''Cha was someone that grew up with the beasts and had learned the art of fighting from them, "¡­Wild."

    "Wild¡­?" Re''Rel smirked, "Now, that''s a different description. Everyone onlymented that she was in-looking. I think she''s charming though. But, why do you think she''s wild?"

    "Big brother," Re''Kha pointed at a pose thedy in the painting had done where she posed as a feral beast, "Why is she posing in this way?"

    "Her Pranic Art creates a Kite that she can rotate around her body. And, this pose allows her to bnce her body better." Re''Rel said when he noticed the frown on her sister deepen.

    Re''Kha looked at the figure of Re''Dha, motioning for him to sit next to his sister for a moment. In the carriage, Re''Rel and Re''Fua were sitting on one side while the remaining three sat on the other side.

    Re''Dha sat next to Re''Fua when Re''Kha stood up and climbed above the seat.

    She spread her right hand forward, crouching her legs a bit forward, cing her left hand before her legs. She remained in the pose for some time, taking in a deep breath as she circted her Water Qi, opening her mouth once as it gently shone with a blue radiance before vanishing.

    Re''Kha returned to her seat as she heaved an exhausted sigh, "Was it something like this?"

    Re''Rel stared at her in shock, "She had done an almost simr pose. How did you know this?"

    "Mother made me do it as punishment every time I mess up something. Though, I have no idea why, but it is severely painful. Every time I do this, my body hurts and my throat feels like it would be ripped off." Re''Kha said as she shuddered, recalling some of her training experiences.

    When she had been punished, she had cried in pain a lot. And most of the time, she was punished only after her father left to go to the Bura Fort. It was one of the reasons she never liked her mother. In her memory, all she had ever received from her mother were schemes and punishments.

    ''A punishment?'' Re''Rel thought of something, not intending to ry his thoughts as he rolled up his scroll, cing it within his sleeve as he looked at Re''Dha, "She''s the prettiest when she''s fighting or busy in work. In the future, if you find a woman, don''t judge her by appearance alone, judge her talent and character. Only they are important."

    "Why do I feel like she is better suited to Fire Qi and Metal Qi?" Re''Fua spoke, "Her demeanour wise, she would look perfectly normal while using fire or metal."

    "I thought of that before too, but when I asked her, she said she didn''t have much affinity to Metal Qi. It seemed her affinity towards Fire Qi had been the highest. But she failed to get into the Fire Sect or the other Sects. And herst attempt was the Water Sect and she managed to get through. After that, she obtained a fortuitous encounter and even received a title as the Maiden of the Kite. In the end, she is content with wielding Water Qi." Re''Rel seemed like he had a lot to say when speaking about her.

    Even though he had made it obvious, judging based on how he spoke, it was apparent to everyone that Re''Rel indeed had fallen for Mokshu Pe''Cha.

    As it had been a long time since all of them had met up, they continued to speak, sharing some of their experiences.

    After some time, Re''Fua looked at Re''Kha, "Did you receive any reward for killing the matured Blinded Ghost?"

    "Reward¡­?" Re''Kha muttered when her eyes widened in shock, facepalming, "Oh my, Ipletely forgot about that. Burfuna City Lord had invited me to attend a party. But once mother visited, Ipletely forgot about that. Her visit time was almost at the same time as the party, and she brought me with her. I forgot about that. Dammit!"

    ''If they had nned to give me any rewards, I missed my chance.'' She smacked her head forpletely forgetting about it. And, she was invited by the Burfuna City Lord personally. Failing toply might even offend him.

    Though, she couldn''t help it. The moment Mu''Tua informed her about her mother, she was all Re''Kha could think about. Because of that, she hadpletely forgotten about it. And, her mother''s visit was timed perfectly to prevent her from visiting the party, as if she had aimed for that.

    After mulling over it, she shook her head. Re''Fua and Re''Gra grumbled about the wasted opportunity while Re''Dha mocked her carelessness for some reason. As for Re''Rel, he was deep in thought.

    His eyes glinted as he had thought of something, "Tell me in advance if you can reveal information rted to it. But, did you use an alias while you were there?"

    "Yes," Re''Kha nodded, inquiring, "Why?"

    "Nothing, just curious." Re''Rel smiled as he took out his scroll and looked at the painting of Mokshu Pe''Cha, admiring her as he chuckled from time to time. And, just when he nned to make another painting, their carriage stopped as they had reached their destination.

    They got down one after another, assembling as a group. The n Head and Central Lake Head stood at the front, followed by the other Four Lakes. Following behind them were the rest of the Re n.

    They were currently standing outside Burkurel City, facing their backs towards the western gate. The Ka n too arrived at the same time as the Re n, since they were positioned at the north and south of the city respectively.

    The Ki (Royal) n arrived with the Vi n and everyone awaited in five respective groups. The new City Lord stood at the front and patiently waited as he could see a group approach them from the northwest.

 Chapter 294 - From Soldier/Guard To Aristocrat

    The group wasn''t arriving on horse-driven carriages but was through flight. They rode massive beasts, carrying heavy luggage as they almost nketed the sky. There were almost 400 people, with 10 per each beast.

    The beast was a mix between a tiger and an elephant, possessing arge concave back where a group of people could be seatedfortably. Every beast could seat around 20 people. But since they had a lot of luggage, only 10 were seated per beast.

    The massive wings of the beasts pped continuously and produced violent gales. As there were forty of them doing so, the created gales were fierce. The beasts were called Erki and were the transporter employed throughout the country.

    The Erki was the Pranic Avatar of the Er n, one of the Four Great ns that worked in the transporter business. Since it was the Sects that had dispatched the current Harmoniser group, they were sent using the Erki.

    Otherwise, if they were to travel on horseback or horse-driven carriages, they would take months to gather from each Sect and travel to Burkurel City. Thanks to the Erki, they arrived within a month since dispatch.

    And, that was only because they had to wait in the capital city for some time before the Southern Sect dispatched enough Erki to carry them to Burkurel City. After all, all the Sects first dispatched the Harmonisers to the capital before the people were selected, personally awarded a Pranic Avatar to be called a proper Elemental n, and were then dispatched to Burkurel City.

    So, it did take considerable time. As for the actual travel duration, it took a day from the sects to the capital and another day to reach Burkurel City from the capital. After all, despite their size, the Erki were famed for their speed and long-distance stable flight. They weren''t part of the Four Great ns for no reason.

    Soon, all the Erkinded on the ground as the City Lord stepped forth, watching a man from the Erki at the front jump down. He quickly condensed his Pranic Avatar and used it tond on the ground. And, the sight of his Pranic Avatar did startle everyone, for it was the same as the previous Burkurel Ju n.

    And right at this time, an Elder of the previous Burkurel Ju n exited the city, slightly saddened as he noticed the familiar Pranic Avatar, muttering, "If only I had been more active, I could have destroyed those traitors first hand. But now, the entire n had to pay the price."

    Even though he was sad, he didn''t harbour any hatred. Rather, when his n betrayed and sneak attacked the Royal n, he had personally beheaded quite a few of his nsmen. And, only when they had betrayed did he notice that there was something off about his nsmen, including his great-grandson, who had been the n Head at the time.

    He noticed how the Kalki Qi in everyone had been cut off at their necks, preventing it from reaching their heads. And, unlike the others, when the Celestial King Bura had made an appearance, he had seen her in action, pointing to her the root cause of the situation first.

    And, unlike the ones seen in the settlement, the energy worms in the Ju n Harmonisers had grown in size until it enveloped their entire heads. The head Elder had tried his best methods to eradicate them but had failed. At that point, the life of the worm had be tied to the individual. And with its death died the respective Harmoniser too.

    The Celestial King Bura inspected them first before she figured out something and stared northwest with intense hatred before doing what she had done in the city''s central za. The head Elder was unable to find out what the Celestial King Bura had discovered, but it hardened his resolve to be even stronger and approach the root cause of his issue.

    Unfortunately for him, he was the head Elder and wasn''t able to leave Burkurel City. He was grounded to it for all life, bounded by the Kalki Qi he wielded. And, the only reason he would be able to leave it and pursue the source of the truth was to be a higher existence, a Celestial King.

    But first, his orders were to amodate the new Burkurel Ju n and settle them and guide them through everything they had to do. Only after he hadpleted his responsibilities was he allowed to find out what had happened.

    Thinking as such, he cupped his fists. All along, like the other Elders, he wore a circr hat over which a curtain was hung that reached the ground, shielding his entire appearance from view. And, the moment he appeared, everyone else showed him his respects, including the newly arrived Harmonisers.

    "It seems our Celestial Emperor has already given everyone the Burkurel Ju n''s Pranic Avatar." He spoke, transmitting his voice to everyone that descended from their Erki, "Now, as the Burkurel Ju n''s Elder, I wee you to be the blood of Burkurel Ju n."

    The moment he said his piece, all the newly arrived metal Harmonisers kneeled as they spoke in unison, "We would strive to be the lifeblood of the Burkurel Ju n and Burkurel City!"

    The City Lord then stopped forth, "As Burkurel City''s City Lord, I wee you to Burkurel City. Even though we have faced a lot of hardships recently and would continue to face more in the future, I hope we can join hands and stay strong through all adversities."

    "That would be our honour." The man at the front replied in response, already being at the peak of the Harmoniser Realm. The ones that had been selected and dispatched by the Sects were those guards/soldiers that had shown exemry talent. As they had beenprehending their respective element for decades, they were quickly given the necessary Prana Stones and were dispatched ordingly.

    At present, even though they obtained the Burkurel Ju n''s Pranic Avatar, they had yet to learn the n''s Pranic Art. All of them only knew the Metal Qi Palm Projection. To others, the Burkurel Ju n''s destruction was a cmity. But to them, it was a blessing. After all, they had been promoted from mere guards to a prominent Elemental Family, achieving wealth and status beyond what they had hoped for.

    As guards and soldiers, they had faced danger throughout their life, so they weren''t shy of facing the responsibilities that came with being part of the Elemental ns.

 Chapter 295 - Reâ€™Gra Begs

    Eventually, all the Elemental n Heads weed the group, leading them into the Burkurel Ju n as they showed them to the various ces, introducing them to one another. Immediately, before the Erki vanished, five groups of Harmonisers, eight per each were split and sent off to the five Settlements under the Burkurel Ju n.

    At present, a team of two Harmonisers from the Royal n were managing each Settlement, keeping things in order while the ruling party of the Settlements was absent. Once the group arrived there, they would be taught everything of necessity by the Royal n Harmonisers for a month before they would leave.

    After that, they would visit once every month and teach them things.

    In the Burkurel Ju n, the City Lord exined to the man who took up the mantle of being the Burkurel Ju n''s Head, exining how an Elemental n was structured, the things they have to keep note of, the taxes they have to collect, the things to take notice in the n, the tax they have to pay to the city, etc.

    Finally, he spoke, "We have been using the Ju n''s slot of the Portal to Earth for the past month. Once you have stabilised yourselves, we will hand it over to you."

    "Thank you," The Ju n Head cupped his fist in response, apanying the n Head as they roamed through the entire Ju n''s estate. It was already morning by the time they were done, showing the sheer scale of the ce.

    Almost all the Harmonisers were dead tired by this point. As for the Ju n Head, his head spun as he felt difficulty in wrapping his head around the vast property he had to manage. All he had worried about in his life was staying alive and managing his finances enough to keep his family alive.

    And now, his responsibility was expanded beyond proportions. At the start, he was happy that all his family members had been initiated into Harmonisers and was overjoyed when his children turned out to have significant talents. But now, he started to worry.

    Noticing his worry, the City Lord patted his shoulder, "I know it must be difficult for you to suddenly obtain so much wealth and power. But, just hang in there, and don''t let it get to your head. As long as you don''t do anything beyond what the Imperial Laws state, you will do well."

    "City Lord, I''ll be honest with you." He sighed and scratched his head, "I have no idea if I would be able to protect this wealth."

    He didn''t state it explicitly but the City Lord understood. Smiling, he said, "You don''t have to worry about that. At present, we treat this as an initial period where you all will adjust to your new livelihoods and gather your bearings. And, only after you have settled will the Elemental ns start their politics against your Ju n. And when they do, they will inform you with a letter first. I have ordered them to stay put until them."

    He smiled, "So, until then, for any problem you face, you can approach us and understand your situation better. After all, from today onwards, the Burkurel Ju n is yours to manage. The actual ones in power are still the Elders of your n, and they would guide you through everything. Just be open to any suggestions they give and you''ll fare well enough."

    "My Burkurel Ju n¡­" The Burkurel Ju n head muttered before he remembered something, sighing as he spoke, "Right, from today onwards, my name is Burkurel Ju''Rhi."

    "Indeed, as you say." The City Lord cupped his fists and turned around, "Till next time."

    "Thank you for your help," Ju''Rhi bowed. Seeing him, the rest of his nsmen bowed as he spoke, "We were confused and afraid. But no matter what, we express our gratitude for extending a weing hand. I, Burkurel Ju''Rhi would do my absolute best to protect Burkurel City as the Burkurel Ju n."

    "Once you have settled, we''ll pay a visit sometime around next month." All the Elemental n Heads spoke in unison before everyone began to leave, boarding their carriages to head back to their respective ns.

    As Ju''Rhi looked at their figures, he couldn''t help but mutter, "All of them are really¡­cool and dignified."

    "You too will be like them one day," The Burkurel Ju n''s head Elder appeared beside him, startling him for a moment.

    Ju''Rhi made a deep bow, "I hope I can live up to your expectations."

    "Just don''t do anything that can get yourself killed." The head Elder sighed, "That''s my only expectation. As for the rest, I''ll train you plenty enough that you can call yourself the Burkurel Ju n Head without feeling ashamed in front of others."

    ¡­

    Seated in the carriage, Re''Kha felt tired, wishing to sleep. Her siblings were no better either. During the entire night, they were bugged by a lot of the Ju nsmen. It was because each of them had peerless appearances, attracting the attention of a lot.

    As they had to keep up appearances without causing the other party to feel insulted, it exhausted them greatly. Normally, it wouldn''t have been too troubling as they could still sleepter. But now, it was already time for them to head to their missions.

    "I want to sleep." Re''Gra fanned himself, behaving like he was about to die from overworking. He was an inherentlyzy person, so having stayed awake overnight already taxed him too much. And now that he had to head out toplete a mission, he was burdened and exhausted by the work pressure.

    "We have nearby locations. So, we can take turns to rest once we get there." Re''Kha said.

    "Why can''t we rest during our journey¡­" Re''Gra had just begun to speak when he remembered their destination, frowning, "There are no roads, so the carriage cannot even head there. We would even have to leave the horses after a certain part of the journey. Argh, dammit, I don''t want to leave."

    He then hugged the thigh of Re''Kha dramatically, "Oh my gracious mother lord, you already have seven, please take one more and save this pitiful soul."

 Chapter 296 - Water Wave

    "Oh, my gracious mother lord, you already have seven, please take one more and save this pitiful soul." Re''Gra acted pitiful as he put on his best puppy eyes while looking at Re''Kha, noticing her stare of disgust in response to his actions.

    He then red at Re''Dha, signalling him through eye contact. Re''Dha too hugged her thigh and tried to put on an act, but his gloomy self gave up halfway, speaking, "Mother might kick us out if we do that. We can apany Re''Kha and ck off in the mission area. That would be a better alternative."

    The moment he said that, Re''Gra sat up and acted like his previous act hadn''t ever happened, coughing once as he spoke, "I need to prepare then. It''s a dangerous mission, so we need afy tent¡­I mean, a soft bed¡­I mean, an Aeki¡­"

    Ignoring him, Re''Fua looked at Re''Kha with worry, "Will you be alright? You have toplete seven missions. Why don''t you wait until your brother and Iplete our respective missions and head there immediately after?"

    Having gone through all the nine missions the three of them have toplete, Re''Kha had determined which ones would be the easiest and which would be the toughest, speaking, "After seeing the scrolls given to Re''Gra and Re''Dha, we have five missions rted to beasts and three rted to the Sha. But, it is the final mission that is making me feel jittery."

    "Which one?" Re''Fua frowned. Re''Rel too inched forward, intending to take part in the conversation.

    "Since I felt that way, I had brought the scroll with me and was nning to consult with dad after we weed the Ju n." Re''Kha said as she took out a scroll from her pocket and gave it to Re''Fua, "This mission feels oddly structured."

    Re''Fua looked at the scroll, reading it aloud while Re''Rel gazed at it from the side, "Head to the peak of Whitika Mountain and find a solution to the troubles faced by the nameless vige at the top."

    She looked at the map, frowning when she noticed it was closer to their state border on the east, "Shouldn''t the Vi n get a mission this far to the east?"

    "That is just one part of the oddity," Re''Kha nodded, "But, it is just written as trouble without any clue. And, the nameless vige might turn out to be a bandit nest. Moreover, it could only be traversed by foot and would take considerable time to scale to the top. It could very well be a scheme of Re''Tul."

    "Let''s do it in this way," Re''Rel spoke after a moment of thought, "Don''t mention it to anyone. Make it seem like you alone are going to head there. Complete two missions while you are at it. Let Re''Gra and Re''Dha finish their respective missions in the meantime. Join hands during the third mission and continue finishing each."

    He then pointed at a part of the map, "There is a tiny pond at this point. The location is discreet but is incredibly rich in Water Qi. Exactly after fifteen days, we''ll meet at this point, rest, recover, and prepare ourselves. After that, we''ll tackle this mission."

    He then pointed at himself and Re''Fua, "We''ll bring extra supplies with us. I have a trusted subordinate who''s living in a nearby vige. In exchange for making his family live in our southern settlement, he''ll send me information about the ce at regr intervals. I''ll send a man to stock up some supplies in his ce."

    Saying so, he pointed at another part of the map, disying the ce where the vige was situated, motioning for them to head there when their supplies ran short or something unexpected happened, "Even though he only has one unit of Water Qi, he''s still a Harmoniser and has an elemental weapon. He will prove useful."

    Re''Rel then pointed at Re''Gra, "Bring some of your regr tools with you. Just in case you need to set up traps, your abilities would prove useful."

    He then pointed at Re''Dha, "I''ll lend you my crossbow. Don''t drag them down."

    "I won''t," Re''Dha snorted.

    "Follow the schedule as and when possible. If there are any changes, keep me posted using a messenger bird. I''ll make mine remember all of you so that it would be able to find you." Re''Rel looked at Re''Fua, "It would be for the best if we move as a team. None of my guards have a Pranic Avatar and they have very little Elemental Qi. So, they won''t prove that useful in missions with steep terrain like ours."

    "That should be for the best. I have my Quasi-Magic Artifact, and as long as I recharge it ordingly, we would be fine." Re''Fua nodded.

    They continued to discuss about their ns as they reached their n. Re''Rel then said, "With the five of us, even an elite team of Harmonisers wouldn''t be able to harm us. Even if Re''Tul had nned something, we should be able to deal with it. Just in case, I''ll talk with mother once."

    Once they returned to their home, Re''Rel went ahead to talk with his mother while Re''Rak called Re''Kha, bringing her to his room as he took out a trunk from a cupboard, opening it to reveal a set of elemental weapons.

    As they were all embedded with Elemental Qi Essence Fragments, they were Quasi-Magic Artifacts¡ªbetter than elemental weapons but not on the level of Magic Artifacts yet.

    From among the pile, he pulled out a sword and presented it to Re''Kha, "It is named Water Wave. It is created using the bones of a Punou that was only inferior to a Punou Beast King. The Water Qi Essence fragment embedded on it allows it to unleash Water Qi for thirty breaths. And due to the material''s superiority, you only need to recharge it for 120 breaths."

    "That''s incredible," Re''Kha eximed in praise.

    "Yeah, this is the limit to what we can store without having to inform the Elders. But, most of what you mighte across can be dealt by this." He then gave her a normal sword, a bow, a quiver of arrows, and a light handguard "With these, you would be prepared against most dangers."

 Chapter 297 - Clan Dispatch

    "Thank you, dad." Re''Kha smiled, wielding the weapons to see that they were of superior quality. They seemed to have been custom ordered to retain the level of quality.

    "Take this!" Finally, Re''Rak pulled out a bracelet from the trunk and slipped it on her left hand, "A must need for a Harmoniser since your previous one was destroyed."

    Upon seeing the bracelet, Re''Kha smiled in nostalgia. It wasn''t anything special, made from a material possessing great affinity to Water Qi and Harmonisers from their n, a Balou''s horn. And, embedded on it was a tiny Water Qi Essence fragment, a fragment big enough to continuously emit Water Qi for a couple of days before it waspletely expended.

    She had been carrying a simr one before when she went to hunt the Blinded Ghost. It was what allowed her to replenish her expended Water Qi reserves. And at times, she used it to set up a domain around her that would continue to damage the Blinded Ghost.

    Adding onto the Magic Artifact, Humming Waves she wielded, she managed to injure the Blinded Ghost on numerous asions. Even though she had some Water Qi Essences in her storage ring, she couldn''t use them carelessly.

    And in such cases, this bracelet would prove useful for her. Moreover, while keeping it activated, she could wield her Quasi-Magic Artifact, Water Wave almost like a Magic Artifact. So, it had incredible benefits.

    "Call Re''Gra and Re''Dha, I haven''t given them anything to protect themselves." Re''Rak sighed as he rummaged through the trunk, "They haven''t left the n much, so they are inexperienced. Take care of them out there."

    "No worries, dad." Re''Kha smiled as she left the room, calling her two brothers and informed them to head to their father''s room. She returned to her house and instructed the servant Rim to prepare all her needs and necessities for the journey.

    As the weight of her luggage couldn''t be too much, she had to bnce it ordingly. After all, thetter half of her journey had to be done on foot and was uphill. So, the weight of the bag had to be as minimum as possible.

    ''The water and food might prove to be a bit of a problem. As for hygiene, the Water Qi emitted by my armour will keep my body clean to a certain extent. So, that should be enough for the most part.'' She thought, preparing some extra goods that she ced in her storage ring. She only nned to take them out when absolutely necessary, considering the entire mission as another training of sorts.

    Only then would she be able to manage her resources andplete the journey without her and her brothers falling sick. She then emptied her bowels and took a rxing bath, donning on her armour, Rigid Water. It too was a Quasi-Magic Artifact. After eating a simple breakfast, she exited her house, noticing her siblings too exit their houses one after another.

    Led by Re''Rak and Re''Bah, they left the house as a family and boarded two carriages. Once they reached the southern city gate, they boarded the horses already arranged by the n and sped off in their respective directions.

    Re''Tul looked at their figures as she snorted and went in her respective direction, riding her horse alone. The others from the n too made their way. Soon after, the Burkurel Re n looked almost deserted.

    There were still the servants though that went about their respective tasks. So, it wasn''tpletely deserted yet. The head Elder stood on the city walls facing the south, watching the figures of his nsmen leave the n, sighing, "I hope all of them return in one piece. With thend bing the home of Kalki more and more, the number of supernatural incidents would continue to increase."

    "I''m afraid of the number of supernatural phenomena that might ur once thisnd bes filled with Kalki Qi," He shuddered for a moment, "After all, we are the sole race that can wield four elements and can use Lightning Qi, the bane of all supernatural entities. The world would definitely try to constrict us, not just using the Sha alone."

    ¡­

    Re''Kha rode her horse and proceeded south, having memorised the route already. She already had the location that she would visit first, "Gro Mining Vige. They have been facing trouble due to a mysterious beast that had recently taken up residence there."

    The direction she had to proceed towards was southeast, and head into a cluster of mountains where numerous mining viges were located. It wasn''t far, but the terrain was steep. So, she would only reach there during the evening.

    Almost all the viges did a certain work that allowed them to transact goods with a Settlement or a City and obtain supplies in return. As the cities needed all sorts of minerals, arge number of mining viges were set up in ces rich with mineral resources.

    And usually, in such ces, there would be ack of food and drinkable water. So, the city would provide them the necessary resources. Usually, an Erki would be dispatched once a month or two depending on the mining vige''s efficiency.

    A Harmoniser would apany the Erki and would deal with everything in the ce, reimbursing them with resources based on the amount they have mined. Moreover, the vige chief would be given a couple of messenger birds that allowed him tomunicate with the city or settlement he had ties with.

    Their country only had the setup of Cities and Settlements that were officially recognised. After all, anyone that was capable of paying the taxes could live there. As for those unwilling to do so, they wouldn''t be protected by the country.

    It was such people that lived in viges. But at the end of the day, they were part of the same race. So, the capital had given them a way out to survive. So, even though the viges wouldn''t have any active force stationed in the region to protect them, whenever they faced a threat, the nearby cities would send them support. To aid in that, the vige heads of the recognised viges were given a messenger bird to helpmunicate and send distress signals when necessary.

    And among all the viges, only a select few were recognised. As for the rest, they weren''t recognised and wouldn''t be provided any aid. But now, the Harmonisers had been dispatched to the unrecognised viges too for some reason, unwilling to see the problems in the ces from developing any further.

    Among them, Re''Kha was assigned to some of the unrecognised viges. Only her first location was recognised.

 Chapter 298 - Gro Mining Village

    Gro Mining Vige; it was evening by the time Re''Kha reached the ce. It was located halfway up a hill that was situated in steep terrain. So, it was hard for her to traverse, especially when the path was very narrow.

    Thankfully, she could still travel through it with her horse. Otherwise, she wouldn''t have reached the ce even after nightfall if she were to traverse on foot. The mining vige wasn''t anything special. It was situated in front of a cave, the entrance into the hill''s mineral deposits.

    And, the cave seemed to tread downward like a long shaft, swallowed up by darkness. It was hard to mine under such conditions. But, there were numerous mirrors embedded into the walls to reflect the sunlight deep into the cave.

    And, there were fourrge mirrors outside the cave to direct as much of the sunlight into the cave as possible. From the cave was a protrusion of the hill, acting as a t in on which around twenty houses were constructed.

    It was followed by a steep cliff that touched the ground. So, if anyone were to slip, they would fall to their doom. And, just a nce proved that the edges of the cliff weren''t sturdy, evidenced by the cracked pieces of thend that looked on the verge of falling.

    As there weren''t any trees in the ce, the erosion of the ce was steep. There wasn''t even a speck of soil in the ce as the floor was rocky. It was a wonder why the vige folks lived in such a location in the first ce.

    There was a small path along the side of the hall that traversed from the foothill to the vige and stopped there. There wasn''t any path that headed towards the peak of the hill. It hadn''t been constructed yet.

    ''Even if they wished to live away from the cities, they could have picked better locations to settle.'' Re''Kha thought at first before looking around, noticing the barren rocky surroundings, nodding as she realised why they had picked the ce, ''As this ce doesn''t have any vegetation, no animals would prefer to live here. And, there would be no predatory animals in the ce. So virtually, they don''t have to live in fear of the beasts and animals.''

    "But," She frowned, "Living in this ce is even more difficult."

    Even though she had other thoughts, she knew why the vige existed. One way or another, the cities needed mineral resources for a variety of things. And, someone had to take charge and mine them.

    And, this was the chance for those who were kicked out of the settlements to make a living. In this manner, both parties obtained what they sought. Even though it was difficult, as long as they mined enough resources, they were able to exchange them for food and water.

    And in a ce where they didn''t have to live in fear of beasts or animals attacking, it was almost the best option the vigers could ask. Thinking as such, Re''Kha patted her horse, treading over the final stretch of the narrow path as she appeared before the vige.

    Hearing the sounds from the horse''s hooves, the people in the vige exited their houses, gazing at Re''Kha. Having lived in the mining vige, mining daily, and without enough water, the appearance of everyone was quite dirty.

    And in such a situation, Re''Kha appeared like an imperial envoy. Moreover, they habitually gazed at her Tikka jewellery, noticing the bright blue glow of the gem, kneeling on the ground immediately as they showed their respects.

    To them, a Harmoniser was something they couldn''t even fathom, living in a different world from theirs. Re''Kha stopped at the entrance, speaking, "Who''s the vige head?"

    "It''s me, mydy." A middle-aged man that was gaining in on years walked out from the crowd and bowed.

    "Alright, tell me in detail about the problem you face." Re''Kha didn''t beat about the bush, directly stating her task. As it was already evening, she didn''t wish to dy. If she wasted a day here, it would hinder her in the subsequent missions.

    After all, the missions with a Sha would take considerably longer due to the trickiness of the situation involved. As for the problem in the mining vige, they had reported that a creature of some sort was hiding in their mines, terrorising them. They had already lost two people to it.

    "We don''t know what that creature is, but it suddenly appeared ten days ago. At first, we chased it away deeper into the mines as it was only the length of our arms." The vige head said, "But, a dayter, it had already grown to our height. And the same day, it had dragged one of us deeper into the mines. Four dayster, we lost another person."

    "Did it disy any special abilities?" Re''Kha then pointed at the ground, motioning for the vige head to make a rough sketch of its figure.

    The vige head nodded as he began to draw on the ground using a sharp rock, speaking, "It has tough teeth that allow it to drill into the earth like it is no big deal. And, when attacking us, it spits out a sludge of earth. The one who was attacked by it screamed that it burned before his death."

    As he drew, the vige head shuddered in fear. And once he was done, Re''Kha looked at the image, frowning to see its sheer size. It was a head taller than her, but its body length was thrice her height. It sported tworge stumps at the front for legs while the rest of its body was serpentine.

    And, the shocking thing was its mouth that was capable of expanding as big as its height. It would easily be able to swallow Re''Kha if it so desired.

    Its size made it a difficult foe to face, even for her. Moreover, there wasn''t any light in the cave as it was alreadyte in the evening. The night was fast approaching.

    "Was it the only beast you saw?" Re''Kha inquired, noticing the vige head nod in response. She noticed that everyone else was bowing, facing their line of sight to the ground. After a moment of thought, Re''Kha looked at the vige head as her eyes swirled with jet-ck radiance.

 Chapter 299 - A Massive Beast

    Connected Sight!

    Re''Kha used one of the abilities of her eye immediately, making a connection with the vige head. This was just in case they had plotted something, she would be aware of it immediately. All she needed was a moment of eye contact for the ability to take effect.

    The vige head hadn''t sensed anything amiss.

    Re''Kha closed her eyes for a moment as she was able to see through the perspective of the vige head, seeing her appearance. She then opened her eyes, noticing that she was back to her own perspective.

    She alighted from her horse and tied it at the vige''s entrance, looking at the vige head as shemanded, "Take care of the horse."

    "Yes, mydy!" The vige head bowed, showing his utmost respect.

    Holding her Quasi-Magic Artifact, the sword named Water Wave, Re''Kha walked through the vige, soon reaching the end as she looked at the cave''s entrance, smelling a thick stench of earth. She touched the cave walls and frowned immediately, ''The Earth Qi here is too dense. How is this possible? This vige is well within our territory.''

    Frowning, she entered the cave, walking for a short distance before she closed her eyes, seeing everything the vige head saw. She noticed that his line of sight trailed to the bag of supplies she had ced on the horse.

    He then seemed to shake his head before conversing something with the vigers. Based on their lip movement, Re''Kha was able to make out what they were speaking.

    "Is this really okay? She seems young. What if she fails to kill it and causes it to grow even further?"

    "Prepare the messenger bird to inform the city. The moment we hear any strange sounds, send a message immediately. Just in case, we must be ready to block the cave''s entrance."

    "¡­" Upon making out the context of their conversation, Re''Kha shook her head. Their worries were normal. And, in the case she died, blocking out the cave was a barely wise decision. But, even then, as the beast was able to drill through the earth, blocking the entrance wouldn''t hinder it even the slightest.

    Though, if they blocked the entrance while she was still alive, that would be an entirely different issue. They might be punished severely. In the worst case, the cities would wash their hands off the vige, forcing it to starve to death.

    Re''Kha took out a Water Qi Essence from her storage ring and ced it within her armour, activating it as she expanded its range to six times her height. This was the limit of a Pranic Art. Though, the range of her Hand Projection was only four times her height. The extra range was to give her enough time to react.

    If she wished, she could increase the range further. But, it would serve no use. After all, the Water Qi would only collide into the dense Earth Qi in the walls and annihte each other. So, it was better to not waste it, even if she had a tremendous reserve to bank upon.

    The mine only had a couple of routes. And, even though it was considerably long, it didn''t matter to her. After all, she had already scouted its entirety using her Wind Qi perception. And, she noticed the beast at the end of one of the routes.

    Only after that did she switch to using her Water Qi Essence. In the Wind Element, she only knew the Wind de. But, she wasn''t able to replenish her Wind Qi reserves easily. After all, she only had one Wind Qi Essence. She nned to use it to increase her speed ofprehending Wind Qi.

    So, using it to replenish her Wind Qi reserves would waste it and would expend it faster. After all, upon continuous use, an Elemental Qi Essence onlysted for a decade. And, Re''Kha needed that until she reached the peak as a Harmoniser.

    So, using Water Qi was a better option. As she already knew where the enemy was, Re''Kha quickly paced through the cave, proceeding about it as she skipped past the dugout soil at many ces.

    There weren''t any tracks at the ce as it seemed all the mined-out materials were transported manually, judging by the carts situated at every nook and cranny. Even though she was travelling at a considerable speed through the ce, Re''Kha was alert, maintaining her Water Qi perception against any sneak attacks.

    Her hands were poised, ready to unleash a Palm Projection immediately. But, it seemed the beast had no intentions to ambush her, judging by the way it remained at the same ce from the start. At times, Re''Kha stopped, deactivated her Water Qi Essence, and switched to using her Wind Qi perception just to see where the beast was.

    And, she frowned upon noticing that it hadn''t moved from the ce since the start. And, even if she wished to perceive what it did, she was unable to do so. The ce around the beast was too rich in Earth Qi that there was no Wind Qi in the ce to allow her to see.

    Even the image of the beast was only blurry. This was another reason she was using Water Qi. Without enough Wind Qi in the air, her Wind de would have the least effect, only as strong as the amount of Wind Qi she had used in it¡ªone unit.

    It wouldn''t receive any environmental amplification. Moreover, the Earth Qi of the ce would further weaken it, turning it into a weak attack. At least, with the Water Qi Essence, her water-based attacks would retain enough power to pack a punch. After all, she was moving around with a domain that would amplify her abilities.

    Soon, she stopped before a corner, pausing as she took in a deep breath before condensing a spherical blue radiance before her. By expending 10 units of Water Qi, she summoned her Balou, intending to probe using it first.

    Moreover, since her Balou was a defensive type, it was the perfect solution to use in the ce. Thinking so, she smiled as the Balou turned around the corner and instantly elerated towards the beast, building up significant momentum.

 Chapter 300 - Charge The Beast

    As her Pranic Avatar, Re''Kha and the Balou had shared thoughts. So, whatever it experienced, she was able to know them instantly. This way, it was as if she was actively controlling the Balou like it was her own body.

    Though, more or less, it was the same since the Balou was just an extension of herself. It was a curved path as the Balou charged forth, startling the beast that noticed its approach.

    The beast was a head taller than Re''Kha while the Balou only reached her neck. So, they had considerable height differences. But for some reason, the beast didn''t move from its spot, growling as it watched the charging Balou.

    Its body ballooned up a little before it opened its mouth and spat out a green coloured fluid. The fluid seemed to have an acidic property as it headed straight towards the Balou. As the cave wasn''t wide enough for it topletely dodge, the Balou took it head-on.

    Moreover, if it stopped, it would lose all the momentum that it had built up. The moment the fluid approached it, the Balou crouched its body ordingly, ensuring the fluid didn''tnd on its face.

    The cave walls trembled due to the weight of its charge as the Balou screamed. The armour on its back had begun to melt as the effect of the acid seemed potent.

    As it closed in on the beast, the beast roared in response, using its right arm to swipe on the Balou. The impact almost caused it to copse to the side as the Balou leaped in the air, using the momentum of its charge to crash into the beast.

    It immediately opened its mouth to mp on the beast''s shoulder, grunting before lodging its teeth deep, intending to rip its left arm off. The beast roared in pain as its mouth expanded further before mping on the Balou, sinking its sharp teeth into its body.

    It easily went past the Balou''s defences, boring into its body, drawing out blood in torrent. The Balou screamed as it bit harder, eventually managing to tear the beast''s arm off when its body was crushed into pulp. The beast spat it out, grunting as it looked around, noticing that there were no other enemies in the vicinity.

    It then rxed, gently lifting its serpentine body to see the two eggs beneath was fine. This was the reason it wasn''t moving all along.

    ''W-What was that?'' Re''Kha was shocked as she covered her mouth, stopping herself from screaming. It wasn''t the Balou''s loss that caused her body to tremble. But, it was because of the beast.

    When the Balou was charging towards it, its eyes had adjusted to the weak light in the ce, able to see the features of the beast. And, there were some differences in it aspared to the drawing. Instead of having an almost spherical head with an exaggerated mouth, its head currently sported angr features.

    And, they resembled a pair of eyes, ears, and a nose. The features partly managed the description of the two people the beast had killed. And just that alone meant one thing: the beast was able to change its face, albeit a little.

    Though, Re''Kha wasn''t yet sure of itsplete capabilities. Once she recovered her Water Qipletely, she took in a deep breath, about to summon her Balou when she could hear intense crunching sounds.

    Before the figure of her Balou vanished, the beast had begun to eat its corpse. And, it was strange since it should have dissolved into Water Qi the moment it was killed. The fact that it still remained behind as a corpse confused her.

    Re''Kha summoned the Balou once again, causing it to charge through the cave tunnel and head straight at the beast. And, this time, she noticed that the face of the beast now also sported some features of the Balou.

    And, it wasn''t just its face alone. Its entire body began to exhibit some of the changes rted to the Balou while a couple of changes resembled a Kalki. Moreover, the stump on its left, in the ce where its left arm had been hadn''t bled even a little.

    Only now did Re''Kha notice that the beast hadn''t bled from the start. Moreover, as it ate the carcass of the Balou, the stump on its left began to wriggle, slowly beginning to grow. It seemed like it would be able to regrow its severed arm within a day at this rate. It was a fearsome ability.

    If Re''Kha lost an arm, it would take around ten people on the level of Mu''Tua to regenerate itpletely. And even then, it would take more than a couple of days.

    But here, the beast made it look simple. When the beast noticed another Balou charge towards it, even though it expressed some reservations, apprehensive against the attacker, it also drooled, expressing desire.

    The moment she felt such a gaze through the Balou, Re''Kha shivered. The hand holding her sword trembled as her opponent seemed different from a Sha. But invariably, it was able to strike fear in its opponent through its actions.

    Rather, just the fact that it could morph its body slowly, like an evolution was a fearsome situation. Re''Kha opened and closed her mouth in a hurry, hoping to absorb as much Water Qi as possible so that she could replenish her reserves sooner.

    She didn''t know how long her Balou couldst. The Balou was only good at charging in a straight line. It exhibited the highest use in battlefields where armies charged at one another. In situations like the cave with its curved paths didn''t allow it enough straight line to build up momentum to the limit.

    Moreover, it was only meant for defence and charging. So, its limbs didn''t even possess any ws to shred opponents. Its only mode of attack was the charging attack and biting through its teeth. Thankfully, the Balou evaded the beast''s attack and rammed straight into it, crashing into the cave walls at the back.

    It then opened its mouth, intending to mp on the beast''s right shoulder when the beast opened its mouth. Re''Kha hurriedly sprinted through the cave walls, speeding towards the beast while brandishing her sword, activating it as it radiated a blue hue.

 Chapter 301 - Fierce Attacks

    The Balou kicked with its legs and continued to charge the beast into the walls, pressing its body while pressuring it, causing it to scream in response. The beast''s right arm tried to swipe the Balou but as the Balou held the beast''s arm joint, it was unable to hit it.

    Even then, its mouth opened, trying to mp on the Balou constantly. The Balou adjusted its position and barely evaded the attacks, at times receiving numerous inch-deep scratches on its armoured body. But, it couldn''t evade for long, losing footing as it wasn''t able to charge into the wall continuously.

    The beast was beginning to overpower it in a contest of strength. Right at this time, Re''Kha leaped and swung her sword, making a cut on its arm. She frowned, for the cut was shallower than she had expected. The muscles of the beast were significantly tough.

    It was like trying to hack on her Balou. The beast''s serpentine body coiled around the Balou as its hand dug into the cave walls, using it as a lever as it threw the Balou towards Re''Kha.

    Re''Kha slid through the gap between the flying Balou and the ground as it crashed into the ce she stood before. She hadn''t even finished the sliding evasion when the hand of the beast mmed into her.

    Re''Kha unleashed a Palm Projection with all her strength, negating the beast''s attack as she shed with her sword before backing out. She noticed that the Beast didn''t try to attack once she had gone beyond its reach.

    It seemed it didn''t wish to leave the two eggs unguarded. After rolling on the ground a couple of times, Re''Kha got up and panted, observing the Beast''s actions as she took in deep breaths, recovering her Water Qi.

    The Balou managed to get up by now as it shook its head, gathering its bearings as it charged towards the Beast. But this time, it aimed for the eggs, since the Beast seemed intent to protect them.

    As for Re''Kha, she frowned, noticing that Water Qi barely did much damage to the Beast. ''Just what is this beast?''

    But upon seeing the traits exhibited by the Beast, she frowned, ''Just where have I heard about such a Beast before?''

    She then rushed forth the moment the Balou mmed into the Beast that tried to defend its charge. She leaped into the air, dodging the tail swipe from the beast as she plunged her sword into it, causing it to scream.

    Through her Water Qi perception, she noticed that the Water Qi seemed to be fighting against something within its tail. And, the moment she sensed it, her heart thumped intensely as she felt fear build up in her heart.

    For a moment, it caused the pumping of Water Qi by her Pranic Heart to slow down. Re''Kha pulled out the sword and mmed a Palm Projection at the hand that tried to swat her. She barely managed to stop it as her Palm Projection sshed everywhere like water.

    But this time, the Beast exerted even more strength into its attack, moving its hand once again. Quickly dropping her sword, Re''Kha mmed another Palm Projection, sending the Beast''s arm flying back a little.

    In the meantime, the Balou dented part of the Beast''s body through its charging attack, beginning to push it back little by little.

    ''If only it had eyes that it relied on.'' Re''Kha grunted, deactivating her Water Qi Essence as she took in a deep breath, changing her element to wind as she jumped straight at the Beast.

    Coordinating through their shared thoughts, the Balou charged straight into the Beast''s mouth and bit on its teeth in the upper jaw, using its legs to stomp on the Beast''s lower jaw.

    Having leapt into the air, Re''Kha raised both her arms, bellowing as she brought them both shing down, emitting grey radiance before unleashing two Wind des. The Wind des hacked into the Beast''s arm joint, one over another, severing most of it.

    The attack caused the speed of its arm''s movement to slow down as Re''Kha evaded an attack and mmed another Wind de into the arm joint, almost severing it. She then jumped andnded on the Beast''s head, unleashing another Wind de to finally sever its armpletely.

    The Beast jerked its head, throwing off Re''Kha as she leaped back at the same time, shing with both her hands as she unleashed two Wind des. They made long gashes on its head as she had expended all her Elemental Qi reserves, hurriedly changing to the water element as she activated the Water Qi Essence and dodged ash from the Beast''s tail.

    She then rolled on the floor, continuing to roll as the tail mmed into the ces right after she moved past. From rolling, she changed into a four-legged posture, leaping like a wild animal before continuing to roll. Upon seeing that she had escaped its range of attack, the Beast decided to finish off the Balou first.

    It used its tail to coil around the Balou''s lower body, trying to pull it out as it rolled on the ground, hitting the cave walls as dust dropped from every impact. The Balou desperately held on despite the damage it sustained, keeping the Beast struggling to kill it.

    In the meantime, Re''Kha grabbed the sword and activated it, leaping forth as she attacked the Beast''s body whenever a chance presented itself. Even though she had wounded it a lot of times, the Beast hadn''t bled even a single drop of blood.

    And, the moment she looked into its wounds, intense fear enveloped her body as even her Water Qi flow slowed down. Thankfully for her, her eyes absorbed the Fear Qi generated in her body, allowing her to move immediately after.

    That was how she managed to dodge the Beast''s attacks on time. But soon, the Balou was no longer able to hold out as the Beast finally managed to mp its mouth shut, piercing its teeth deep into the Balou''s body, drawing out copious amounts of blood.

    Re''Kha used the chance to hack with all her might, plunging the sword through its head until only its hilt remained out. She pulled it out immediately, took her Water Qi Essence, and stuffed it through the wound, plunging her sword right back in to lodge the Water Qi Essence deep into its head.

 Chapter 302 - Different And Scary

    The Beast roared with a tremble, expressing pain for the first time. Even when its arms had been cut off, it only roared in anger. But now, it expressed pain as its body began to bulge little by little.

    Re''Kha hurriedly ran backwards, increasing the distance between her and the Beast. She activated her bracelet and enveloped her with Water Qi, using the chance to take out another Water Qi Essence from her storage ring.

    She was out of Elemental Qi and needed to recover before she could fight. And, during this time, she didn''t wish to fight against the Beast. After all, until now, even when she was attacking, when the Beast''s hand was about to smack her body into a paste, she used a Palm Projection to defend herself.

    The amount of force she could output from it was enough to stall it and dodge the attack. But without a single unit of Water Qi in her body, she didn''t have that guarantee of surviving. Even though her armour would provide her defence, it was only against Elemental Qi.

    Against pure physical attacks, it didn''t offer much in the name of defence. And, the Beast was only using physical attacks, even though its body seemed to be made with something that caused her to feel fear.

    Even though Re''Kha stepped back for quite the extent, she could still perceive the Beast clearly. After all, the domain of Water Qi emitted by her Water Qi Essence and the one embedded inside the Beast touched one another, allowing her to see the Beast thrash in pain as its insides began to burst one by one.

    Bubbles started to form on its body and frothed over, exploding as they sshed weird goo all over. The Beast thrashed in pain before slumping down on the ground, ring at Re''Kha with a deadly stare, causing her to shudder.

    Even though it seemed to have died, Re''Kha wasn''t sure yet, deciding that it was better to wait for some more time and find it out. And just as she had expected, it hadn''t diedpletely yet. For, its severed arms were still twitching.

    The fingers of its right hand scratched the ground, pulling the arm along as it headed towards the Beast. But through the severed wound on the arm, Water Qi entered, causing it to froth as its skin began to formrge bubbles all over before bursting.

    Re''Kha waited patiently for a long time before she took a step forward, thinking of something as she summoned her Balou once again. As she would be able to check through her Balou, she didn''t risk her life.

    The Balou walked forward as it touched the severed arm, flinching when it copsed into a puddle of goo. Simrly, when it touched the other arm, another puddle was created. Finally, the Balou gazed at the Beast, gently touching one part of its body when the Beast eyes shot open, expressing fury.

    Through their shared thoughts, Re''Kha witnessed what the Balou witnessed. The Beast had almost formed the face of a creature that was half Kalki and half Balou. And, growing from its now serpentine body were four limbs, resembling a pair of hands and legs.

    They seemed to be a mix between a Kalki and a Balou. That wasn''t all. There was even a tiny marking on the Beast''s forehead. It was just a line, but the moment she noticed it, Re''Kha was afraid. After all, it signified that as long as the Beast developed, it would have eventually condensed the third eye, the most mystical aspect of a Kalki, their race''s most important trait.

    Followed by its re, the Beast''s body copsed into a pool of sticky goo. And, it didn''t seem to end at this point as the Balou''s body began to froth a little around its joints. It seemed to have been triggered by the sticky goo that sshed on its body.

    But, it wasn''t harmed beyond that point as the Water Qi coursed through the ce, soon annihting every trace of the sticky goo. Soon, the cave walls returned to being normal. As for the Balou, it had absorbed some Water Qi and recoveredpletely.

    Re''Kha observed everything, noting down all the details mentally, intending to consult with her father about this. The enemy was strong, just too strong. And, the reason Re''Kha had won was that she used its weakness¡ªthe eggs¡ªagainst it, thereby managing to kill it.

    Had it been a in where it was free to move around as it wished, it would have been hard to kill it even if a team of Harmonisers ganged up on it. After all, it was capable of digging through the ground.

    "Still, it feels like I have heard about such a Beast before though?" Re''Kha wondered as she picked up her sword, noticing that it had subtly changed. The Water Qi Essence fragment embedded in it had be a tad darker, but the quantity and quality of Water Qi in it had increased.

    Moreover, the material itself seemed to have been subtly affected, as it felt different to the touch. Re''Kha thought for a moment and activated it, noticing that it emitted a blue hue. But this time, the radiance was dimmer but more condensed, like a stream of water was flowing over it.

    Moreover, the way in which it flowed seemed to be invoking something strange as Re''Kha could feel her heart thump all of a sudden. Shaking her head, she looked at the eggs, noticing that one of them had begun to crack.

    "If two more of such creatures are birthed, and were to grow, the damage to the ce would be catastrophic." She frowned, intending to destroy them when she thought of something, deciding to be safe.

    She made the Balou stand before the pair of eggs as Re''Kha stood above it, activating the sword as she plunged it from behind the safety of the Balou. No blood sshed out as the eggshell shattered into pieces.

    And, writhing within was a baby Beast, unable to retaliate as it struggled to move. It had tiny arms at the front, a spherical head with an exaggerated mouth, and a serpentine body. And even as a pre-hatchling, it had a row full of sharp teeth in its mouth, ready to ughter after birth.

 Chapter 303 - Towards The Peak

    The hatchling Beast struggled to leave as the intense Water Qi emitted by the sword caused its body to dpose into a pool of fluid little by little. Whether it was because it was just a hatchling or due to the subtle change in the sword, Re''Kha noticed that the Water Qi proved more effective now.

    Within a couple of breaths, the Beast fully dissolved into a pool of liquid that was further eradicated until nothing remained behind. But, just when she nned to retract her sword, the Water Qi in the region swerved into the sword like a vortex as the eggshellstched onto it.

    The Water Qi dissolved the shells and seeped into the sword, circting through it before settling within the Water Qi Essence fragment embedded in its hilt. Within a couple of breaths, the eggshells had vanished as the subtle presence exuded by the sword changed further.

    She was unsure of the change but hoped it was for the better as she plunged it into the final egg, stabbing into the hatchling growing within. The Hatchling struggled like its brethren, trying all its methods before failing as its body melted.

    The Water Qi soon eradicated all traces of it before seeping into its eggshells, causing them totch onto the sword. The Water Qi dissolved the shells and seeped into the sword as it began to glow with a subtle blue radiance.

    In real-time, the blue radiance changed intensities, forming a pattern that almost resembled an Art of the Element. Re''Kha wasn''t exactly sure of what it entailed, but based on what she witnessed, she judged that whatever had happened to the sword had caused it to be better in killing the Beast.

    After all, the time taken to kill the final hatchling was a tad shorter than the hatchling before it. Once the ce waspletely wiped of all traces, Re''Kha swung the sword a couple of times, sheathing it as she walked around the ce, probing around to see if any eggs were hidden in the area.

    She then spent the night in the tunnels, scouring through its entirety, unable to spot anything as she heaved a sigh in relief, thinking, "How did such a Beast appear in these tunnels in the first ce? There doesn''t seem to be any routes here that would connect somewhere else."

    She closed her eyes, taking in the perspective of the vige head to see that he was waiting at the cave''s entrance with a group of able-bodied vigers, holding torches in their hands. Re''Kha could see that the faces of the others were pale, afraid.

    They were jittery. After all, if something indeed were to happen to Re''Kha, there was a good chance they would be implicated. There was even a chance the city would cut all ties with them, leaving them to starve to their deaths. So, they were waiting for her return.

    Having finished with her inspection, Re''Kha slowly walked towards the exit, noticing their visibly rxed expressions upon knowing that she was fine.

    "How did it enter this cave?" Re''Kha asked upon exiting, mentally making a note to ask of all such details beforehand in the future. She had entered the cave with barely enough information under the confidence that her Wind Qi perception would reveal everything she needed.

    ''That''s the worst choice of action. If I have a mind, I have to use it properly. Otherwise, if I face simr situations as today, I might definitely die.'' She thought, amounting her oversight to the fact the Wind Qi at the end of the cave had beenpletely eradicated by the abundant Earth Qi.

    So, she wasn''t able to sense the two eggs in the ce, positioned right underneath the Beast''s tail, hidden from view. Re''Kha frowned, ''Still, it is odd that the concentration of Earth Qi is to such an extent here. It is almost half of the Fire Qi during the first day of Early Fire Month. In ournds, it should have only been a tenth of that. Strange.''

    She could feel that something major was urring in theirnds, something they mighte to fear and dread in the future.

    "During a night after we had returned from the mines, we heard a sound," The vige head said, pointing above the cave, "The sound seemed like something from the top of the hill had fallen here. When we rushed out from our houses, all we saw were pieces of rocks. Even though it was strange, we decided to investigate it the next morning. A dayter, we lost our first man."

    "Is there a route to the top?" Re''Kha asked.

    The vige head and the others looked at the faces of each other, showing clear hesitation. The vige head then asked Re''Kha, "H-Have you killed the Beast?"

    "Answer me first," Re''Kha spoke with a sharper tone now, disying her authority as the people immediately kneeled on the ground.

    The vige head then spoke, "We have managed to tie up a rope at the top and had hung it on one side. But, we had done itst year and hadn''t used it during the Water Season in fear it might snap. There is a risk to your life if you use that rope, mydy."

    "Fine, leave it be. I''ll be staying at the vige''s entrance. If there''s nothing else, don''t disturb me." Re''Kha said while passing by, "As for the Beast, it''s been taken care of."

    "We are eternally grateful for saving our vige, mydy. It would be our honour to know your name." The vige head spoke as he mmed his head on the ground, expressing utmost gratitude.

    "¡­" Re''Kha didn''t reply as she arrived before her horse, patting its neck to notice that it had been terrified, "There there, it''s alright now."

    Re''Kha then walked further along the narrow path until she was away from the line of sight of the people in the vige. She switched to Wind Qi and summoned her second Pranic Avatar, the Rupak. In the Wind Qi form, it was invisible to the naked eye.

    Once it expanded in size, Re''Kha boarded it and flew away, heading straight towards the peak of the hill.

 Chapter 304 - The Gem Shatters

    Once she took off to the sky, Re''Kha sighed, speaking, "Why did I even take flight in the first ce? It''s too dark to see anything. And, I can just observe the peak of the hill using my Wind Qi perception."

    Re''Kha pped her forehead, almost screaming in shock when she noticed her Tikka jewellery was hot, almost burning up. Only now did she feel that her hands had been shivering all along, as if she had subconsciously been under the influence of fear.

    And now that she had begun to notice the strange points, she felt it was strange the horse was trembling in fear when it had only been at the vige''s entrance. She hurriedly expanded her Wind Qi perception, outlining the entire area in her range.

    She noticed that the vigers were already in their homes, having finished dinner and had gone to sleep. There were no signs of activity in the vige after that, like it was a ghost town. Every single individual was already fast asleep.

    There were no sounds that might arise in ces with people. Re''Kha felt unnerved, after all, even the Settlements weren''t this quiet in the night. There were at least a couple of shops that operated throughout the night too, a resting ce for the guards that worked the night shifts in the Settlements and patrolled the streets.

    They usually took a quick break in such shops, ate some snacks or food before resuming their patrol. So, whether it was a City or one of the Settlements under it, no ce waspletely silent during the night.

    And now, seeing the absolute silence of the ce caused an eerie feeling to creep up her spine. Even though Re''Kha assumed it was her hallucination due to the silence, the sense of fear she felt was real. After all, her horse had been trembling like crazy.

    Re''Kha closed her eye once to see that she was unable to see anything. It meant the vige head was asleep. She judged that in such proximity, as long as she wished, she could maintain her eye ability on the vige head. It was because he wasn''t a Harmoniser.

    But against a Harmoniser, at most, she would be able to maintain the connection for a day. And that might drain quite a lot of the Fear Qi reserves in her eyes.

    ''Right, my eyes contain Fear Qi. So, why haven''t they absorbed the fear in my body yet?'' She thought, frowning as she closed her eyes and meditated, all while the Rupak was stably maintaining bnce in the air.

    She then noticed that her eyes were indeed functioning as usual. They were absorbing the fear in her body and converting them into Fear Qi to be stored in her eyes. But, the reason she wasn''t feeling anything different was due to the fact fear was being induced in her constantly, from external sources.

    Immediately through her Wind Qi perception, Re''Kha focused on something that she hadn''t done before. There was indeed something at the top of the hill. Moreover, there was a secret path that trailed from the back of the vige towards the hill''s peak.

    And, this path had been hidden behind an extended crevice that was blocked from view when seen from the vige''s entrance or the cave''s entrance. And currently, two people were heading up the narrow path, both able-bodied men.

    They seemed in a trance, or drenched with fear, evidenced by their sluggish steps. But, when Re''Kha focused on their faces, she noticed that their eyes were closed. Moreover, it was nerve-wracking when she was able to barely make out the silhouette of the gems on their Tikka jewellery.

    It shouldn''t have been possible because even formoners, the gem was a mixture of all four elements. So, while sensing with her Wind Qi perception, the gems of everyone would look like sharp nk spaces to her.

    But now, she could see their outlines. It shouldn''t have been possible, ''Unless¡­they have lost all power.''

    She immediately focused on her Tikka jewellery''s gem, noticing that it was the usual grey. But, it seemed there was something that was trying to eat into it. But, it was being blocked off by the waves of Wind Qi she was emitting.

    Startled, Re''Kha finally focused on the ce that she had been subconsciously glossing over for some reason¡ªthe peak of the hill. On the peak of the hill was a piece of rock twice her height, ted into the hill like a vertical b.

    And, there was an inscription on the rock. It outlined two figures, almost indistinguishable due to theck of features. But, the clearest depiction was the third eye that was on their foreheads. And, something seemed to be dripping from them.

    And, the two figures seemed to be engaging in a session of carnal desires, of wrestling each other even though they were part of the same gender. But, the odd thing was that the receiver of the two in the ceremony of sorts, as depicted in the stone seemed to have a slit on his mouth, evidenced by the wide-opened jaw that had mped over the head of the other party.

    His third eye almost seemed to have been hollowed out. The stone pir seemed to be a mural of sorts, erected for reasons unknown. But, it definitely wasn''t done by someone from their race. And, it was evidenced by the strange creature that was standing before the mural.

    Whether it was standing or not couldn''t be said as it was just a cluster of arms attached to one another. There were approximately around thirty to forty of them forming the cluster. And, the hands seemed to be in joy as the two men walked towards it in a daze.

    And, as if affected by something, they sat before the mural. Upon seeing their postures, Re''Kha could feel something as her entire being was filled with dread. She could feel her Tikka jewellery turn unbearably hot while something changed in the two people below, causing her to mentally scream, ''No, noo, noooo!''

    Followed by a pause, on the Tikka jewellery of the two men, their gems trembled before shattering into dust.

 Chapter 305 - Rua: The Disaster Of The Treka

    The moment the gems shattered, something seemed to have happened to their Tikka jewellery as they snapped, sliding down from their foreheads. As they fell on the ground, the third eye of the two people corroded before turning into mush.

    Immediately after, with blood-soaked faces, they howled like wolves before jumping onto one another, mating like wild beasts. The cluster of hands used its many hands to help in the activity, widening the ces that had to be widened, etc.

    Upon seeing the scene, Re''Kha almost puked before realising something. Hurriedly, she pulled out an Art of the Element from her storage ring. It was a water-attributed Art of the Element. And, it was a defensive one, able to erect a dome of water around the caster.

    As she could only use Water Qi among the four elements of her race, she was only able to activate a water-based Art of the Element. Though, she was only keeping it ready for defensive purposes as the Rupak began to fly away.

    Re''Kha quicklynded on the vige''s entrance, noticing through her Wind Qi perception that she was barely able to see the nk spaces on the gems of others in the vige. ''Whatever it is, it can eventually destroy the Tikka jewellery.''

    Her horse seemed even more frightened as its animal instincts picked up the scary phenomenon happening in the ce. There was still some time for the Rupak to remain materialised as Re''Kha jumped on her horse and drove it away.

    The sounds of the trembling horse''s footsteps were loud and heavy but it wasn''t audible at the peak of the hill. And for some reason, despite it resounding loud and clear in the vige, not one came out to check.

    All of them seemed rather deep in sleep. Re''Kha was fleeing from the scene. A single nce was sufficient for her to realise that she wasn''t the creature''s opponent, whatever it might have been. Moreover, as she ran away, she looked through her Wind Qi perception, noticing that one of the people had bitten off the other''s head.

    Something seemed to stir from within the mural and flowed into his body, affecting him as he howled once again. Followed by it, he devoured the other man and fell unconscious. But slowly, his body was changing as his legs joined together into one while the bones melted into something streamlined.

    His head bulged until it turned spherical while his arms elongated until they turned longer and sturdier. He was turning into the same Beast Re''Kha had killed just some time ago.

    Holding her breath, she sped along with her horse, using a Water Qi Essence to replenish her expended Elemental Qi. Soon, her Rupak vanished as its time was up. Without that extra sense of protection, Re''Kha was turning jittery.

    The feeling was the same as when she had encountered a Sha for the first time. But this time, even though she had obtained considerable methods, she was helpless. The moment she looked at the cluster of hands, she knew that it was beyond what she could handle.

    She needed at least a team to fell a creature of that level. Through the instinct imbued in her by her master, she could feel that. And, the reason she had hurried out from the area was because of a certain discrepancy.

    Based on what was depicted in the mural, two people were required to perform a cannibalistic ceremony. And whenpleted, a Beast was created. So in theory, two people from the vige had died on that day.

    But, the vige head had reported that they had lost their first man a day after the Beast had made its appearance and the second man another four dayster. This discrepancy, coupled with the barely maintained nk space of their Tikka jewellery''s gem made her realise that the ce was dangerous.

    Moreover, when she was in the air, she realised that her Wind Qi was getting expended at a continuous rate. It showed that something was trying to gnaw away at her. But the Wind Qi was defending against it.

    Once it was expended, she too would probably fall prey to that creature.

    "Wait," Re''Kha suddenly screamed as she realised something, "It has a cluster of hands, created a rock pir, and inscribed a mural on it. And, the same action as depicted on the mural was taken by those two. Moreover, it caused something to change in this verynd itself. Even the air seemed to be different than normal. All of them are the traits of¡­"

    "A Rua!" Her expression shuddered in a state of disbelief as she screamed, "But it''s impossible. A Rua can only materialise in thend of the Treka."

    Rua!

    It was an entity that was simr to a Sha that appeared in thend of the Treka. It was what the Treka broke their heads upon to solve, just like how the Kalki did to eradicate the Sha.

    A Sha took body parts from its prey¡ªthe Kalki. But, a Rua gave something to its prey¡ªthe Treka. And, it did that by subtly affecting the terrain first. It was capable of altering the bnce in the elements of Earth, Water, and Air.

    And by doing this, it was able to affect all life in the region and cause them to do whatever it desired. And usually, whenever a Rua matured, disaster befell thend.

    When the First Celestial Emperor came into power, all the Rua stopped being birthed in theirnd. Moreover, it was a time without the Sha too. After all, a Sha needed enough Kalki to be birthed. And at that time, there was just too much Treka Qi oozing out of thend that even if any were birthed, they swiftly died.

    Besides, at that time, the emotions of every single Kalki had only been directed towards one thing, the death of their First Celestial Emperor. And, that emotion continued to remain singlehandedly for almost a century before their race expanded beyond the state of Mokshu.

    And over time, as the Kalki developed, the number of Sha popping up increased in number. But, it only meant the Kalki were getting more control over thend. So, the chances of a Rua forming in thend was an absolute zero, unless their Celestial Kings died one after another for some reason.

 Chapter 306 - The Fourth Disaster: Ras

    "Then¡­cannibalism¡­" Re''Kha frowned, wondering how it was possible to produce a Beast as a result when she remembered about a certain something she had heard about when young. It was apletely rare phenomenon that had seldom happened in the entire course of their history.

    She could recall her father''s voice as he spoke about it, as if telling her a story.

    "In this world, thend itself supports us sentient, bipedal races. But at the same time, it also rejects us. The greater the boon it gives us, the greater the harshness it puts us through." Re''Rak spoke as he read from a scroll.

    "Why does that happen, father?" Barely eight years old, a tiny Re''Kha was seated on hisp, listening to his story.

    "Well, let''s put you to the test, shall we?" Heughed, watching Re''Kha pout in response, "Alright, it is a simple question. In our world, which number has the highest value?"

    Re''Kha began to count with her fingers, starting from the single digits, going through the double digits, and was about to reach the triple digits when Re''Rak stopped her, "That''s not what I was asking. It''s not the number with the highest value, but the number with the highest value in our world."

    "What does that mean, father?" Re''Kha felt confused, abruptly turning up as her head smacked his chin. She held her head as tears were on the verge of breaking out.

    Re''Rak rubbed her head as he spoke, "There is a certain number associated with the principle our world follows."

    On seeing that she was getting more and more confused, heughed, "Alright, you''ll learn more when you grow up. In our world, the number with the highest value is the number four. It rtes to the maximum amount someone canprehend an Element Qi within a year."

    He then patted her, "How many elements can our race wield?"

    Re''Kha replied immediately, "Four!"

    "How many does the Treka Wield?"

    "Three!"

    "What about the Gaiko?"

    "Three!"

    "What about the Bisheen?"

    "Three!"

    "Pitruha?"

    "Three again!"

    "Then," Re''Rak chuckled, "Have you wondered why our race alone is an exception?"

    "Because¡­" Re''Kha spoke after some thought, "We are kinder?"

    "Of course¡­not." Re''Rak patted her, "Well, the reason isn''t exactly sure. There are other races in the world that can only wield one or two elements. From the old records of the Treka that I read before, it is stated that the world won''t allow a race to prosper beyond control. It will always keep them in check through some manner."

    "And, this check is dependent on the number of elements a race controls," He smiled, "And, there are four levels to this check, from one to four depending on the elements."

    "For races wielding only one element, theirnds only have animals. These animals harm the race''s popce from time to time, keeping them in check. And because of their single element, they cannotpete against the stronger races." Re''Rak noticed that Re''Kha was acting like she was paying attention, but was in actuality already beginning to lose interest since she wasn''t able topletely follow along.

    Re''Rak sighed, but continued to speak anyway, "If the race wields two elements, beasts will also begin to appear on theirnd. And, these beasts can wield the same elements as them. Beasts are more powerful than animals and are harder to kill due to them possessing Elemental Qi breath attacks."

    "But, when the element increases by one more is when things start to get really gruesome." Re''Rak controlled his solemn voice and lightened his tone to not make Re''Kha too afraid but still instil in her the seriousness of the situation, "A new species would be birthed from thend that canpletely negate the race''s society. They are weak to the race''s exclusive element and are affected by other elements rtively less. And per each race, they are different and have a different set of powers."

    "In our race, we have to fight against something called a Sha. The Treka face something that they call the Rua." He spoke slowly, making Re''Kha remember the details, "The Sha can steal things from us while the Rua affects thend around the Treka."

    "And," His expression turned a tad serious, "When a race possesses a fourth element is when things turn bizarre and dangerous. This was only recorded in the scrolls as it had only happened a few times. But, there was this strange Beast that appeared that was able to gain the traits of the creatures it killed. It was called a Ras. Legends say that if a Ras ate enough Kalki¡­"

    "Dad¡­enough!" Re''Kha closed her ears, unwilling to hear about killings and eating people. When Re''Rak tried to teach her further, she made noises while shaking her head, "Ll, I cannot hear anything. Ahahaha,l, papapa, kekeke, can''t hear!"

    "Fine," He let out a helpless sigh, "Get some sleep then. Father still has some work to do."

    "No! You stay here!" Re''Kha clung to his back like a ko bear, not leaving him alone.

    "Haha, alright. I''ll bring my documents here and work on them." Re''Rakughed helplessly and got up to get his documents, all the while Re''Kha clung to his back without letting go.

    Now that she was rushing on horseback, Re''Kha recalled the incident, "So, using its ability to affect the ce, the Rua managed to erode their Tikka jewelleries, destroyed their natural defences, and made them consume one another, producing a Ras. And now, it is trying to make more of them."

    "But, how did a Rua arrive on ournds¡­?" She immediately thought about the dense Earth Qi in the ce, wondering if there was a reason for that. "Earth Qi is supposed to be dense only in the Land of the Treka and not here."

    "No matter what, I cannot leave the Rua and the Ras as is. But, eradicating them on my own is impossible since Water Qi isn''t that effective against the Rua." Re''Kha thought something as she eventually reached the foot of the hill, immediately proceeding northeast, intending to meet up with some Vi n Harmonisers, "Lightning and Fire elements should be the best in this situation."

 Chapter 307 - The Rupakâ€™s Death

    As Re''Kha continued to travel on horseback, she touched her Tikka jewellery, noticing that it had cooled down and was recovering its lost power. She quickly changed to the wind element and unleashed her Rupak.

    As it was created using Wind Qi, it was invisible, and made no sounds while flying, perfect for reconnaissance. The Rupak pped its wings and headed towards the hill, soon reaching its top as Re''Kha frowned.

    The Beast, the Ras had finished forming now, turning into a hatchling Beast that was only a tenth of her arm. It matched with the description the vige head said at the start about its size. If left alone, it would grow to a massive size within a day.

    As for the Rua, it seemed to be searching for something across the hill as the Rupak followed it. it then slid over the cliff andnded before the cave''s entrance, rolling into it like a ball. Soon, it arrived at the ce the Beast¡ªRas¡ªhad been before.

    Upon noticing that not only had it beenpletely eradicated, but its two eggs had also followed suit, the Rua was furious. But, it was a cluster of hands, unable to produce any sounds. It expressed its anger by a series of pping and ticking sounds the hands produced.

    It then exited the cave and magically climbed over the hill as if its hands had glue to grip the rocky surface and travel vertically. It then arrived before the mural and ced a hand on it, causing something to change in the ce as something was sucked into it.

    The Rupak almost lost bnce as the Wind Qi in its body was getting expended at a massive rate. It seemed to be resisting against something just to remain in the ce. Within a couple of breaths in time, the Ruapleted its process as the entire area no longer had an eerie feeling.

    It then clenched a hand into a fist as the mural flew up from the rocky ground and shrunk until it could be grabbed by one of the hands. If anyone told the palm-sized stone was once a rock that was twice her height, Re''Kha wouldn''t have believed them.

    Even after witnessing the scene, she was still unable to believe it. After holding the mural, the Rua carried both the mural and the Beast¡ªRas¡ªin its hands and began to run away. Two of its hands acted like legs to allow its movement.

    The Rupak immediately gave chase when suddenly, one of the Rua''s hands pointed at it, emitting the same feeling as before, but in a condensed form now.

    The Rupak''s wings turned stiff as it lost bnce in the air and began to fall. Though, thanks to its trait of being a body of wind, even after it fell on the hill, no sounds were produced.

    The Rua seemed to be looking around in confusion as one of its hands scratched another before it turned around and sprinted away, heading east.

    Unfortunately for the Rupak, it wasn''t able to get up, slowly losing consciousness. The moment this happened, Re''Kha sighed, ''It got away.''

    She stopped her horse, waiting in the ce as she recovered her Water Qi reserves, soon switching to the wind element the moment she had 10 units, summoning the Rupak once again. It took off to the skies and soon arrived atop the hill,nding on the spot it fell unconscious previously.

    It probed around in a couple of ces while using its Wind Qi perception, soon touching a ce where there was a body of wind, barely retaining any Wind Qi now. It was the Rupak she had summoned before.

    Now, ity as a corpse, not disappearing.

    ''Based on how it felt, that was definitely Fear Qi. Even the Rua only uses Fear Qi to attack and affect the terrain.'' Re''Kha thought, using the Rupak to probe the carcass of the dead Rupak.

    She noticed that it hadn''t suffered too worse an attack that its body had been infused with Fear Qi. The ability to keep the Pranic Avatar materialised as corpses were only possible for the Ras. And, all the Rua did was umte all the Fear Qi the Ras in its arms produced and unleashed it onto the Rupak.

    And, it also seemed to have unleashed the fear that it had been umting in the ce. The moment it mmed into the Rupak, it was killed. If Re''Kha had been there, she too would have died immediately.

    If it was a Harmoniser stronger than her, maybe they might have survived by expending all their Elemental Qi reserves. This was the reason a Pranic Avatar was heavily valued by Harmonisers. They could be used to probe around in numerous situations without consequences.

    The Rupak scoured through the entire ce, unable to detect the Rua anymore. Eventually, after failing to find any traces of it, the Rupaknded on the hilltop, grabbed hold of the dead Rupak, and flew away, returning to Re''Kha.

    It dropped the dead Rupak on the ground and vanished. Its time was up. Through her probing, Re''Kha had already determined that there wasn''t anything disastrous in the dead Rupak that might harm her. After all, there was still Wind Qi circting in its body, despite its death.

    If it didn''t have any Wind Qi, Re''Kha might have been afraid it would cause her harm and would have decided to burn the corpse by using a Fire Qi Essence. But as the Wind Qi circted, it meant there wasn''t any Fear Qi in it to harm her.

    Moreover, it wasn''t as if she was vulnerable to Fear Qi. For weak concentrations, her eyes would absorb them. Only in cases where the fear was vast like in Gro Mining Vige would she be overwhelmed.

    Thinking as such, Re''Kha carefully folded the Rupak''s wings and covered it with a piece of cloth before she tried to stuff it in her storage ring, only to find that there wasn''t enough space. She then thought for a moment before deciding to carry it on horseback, for the time being, intending to ce it within the storage ring once she had consumed enough supplies.

    She then thought, changing the course of her travel while relying on the Wind Qi perception to navigate. After all, it was almost pitch ck, due to ack of light. Their world didn''t have a moon after all.

 Chapter 308 - Double Extremities In Threat

    Once the Rua had left, the Rupak was unable to feel any feeling of fear in Gro Mining Vige. Re''Kha had sent it the third time now, intending to keep watch over the ce. It then silently flew into one of the houses,nding on the floor before extending its beak to touch the Tikka jewellery of a man.

    While using its Wind Qi perception, it was able to perceive a nk space, almost murky. But as it continued to observe, the sharpness of the nk space continued to increase, albeit slowly.

    Through the findings, Re''Kha concluded that now that the Rua had left the ce, the vige was no longer affected by whatever it had put in ce. And now, all their Tikka jewellery was beginning to recover, albeit slowly.

    Soon, it would have enough power to operate to defend against all supernatural phenomenon to a certain extent. If it wasn''t for them, the Rua would have easily been able to ce them all under its control overnight.

    Only the Tikka jewellery shielded them and caused them to survive for as long as they did under the effects.

    ''Once a Kalki''s Tikka jewellery is destroyed, and their third eye poked out, if they were to consume the flesh of another Kalki, alive, they would turn into a Ras. Are these the only factors needed to birth a Ras?'' Re''Kha thought, shuddering once.

    Not everyone in their race had a Tikka jewellery. Only those in the Cities and the Settlements had one as they were handed out for free by the Royal n. Shortly after a baby is born, someone from the Royal n would visit them and ce the Tikka jewellery on their foreheads. Its gem would perfectly cover the baby''s third eye.

    And, the Tikka jewellery would grow in size along with the baby. So, for a member of their race, they wore a Tikka jewellery until their deaths. And, it wasn''t possible to remove it in the presence of others or when there was anything in the surroundings that might harm the user.

    So, the possibility of a Rua being birthed in the Cities and the Settlements was zero. But in the viges, it wasn''t the case. There were only some viges that were recognised. It was because they transacted with either a City or a Settlement.

    But there also existed viges or just individual families that lived in the wilds for a myriad of reasons. As for them, when they birthed a baby, the baby wouldn''t have a Tikka jewellery. So, it would be susceptible to the supernatural dangers that gued theirnds.

    Influenced by external powers, it would eventuallymit the taboo and fulfil the conditions one day to be a Rua. And, Re''Kha had personally witnessed that a Rua hadid down two eggs.

    So, it meant the Rua were a kind of species that were able to give birth individually. So, even if only one Rua was in the wilds, it would eventually increase their poption to be terrifying enough to swallow a city whole.

    At least for a Sha, it would only be birthed in ces with high poption densities. A Sha birthed in a vige would hardly have any growth potential. First of all, it would only possess simple abilities. Secondly, there wouldn''t be enough people around it to satisfy its needs for growth.

    And third, even if it matured, there would be a good chance not even a single Kalki lived within its range. Without anything to sustain itself with, it would just retreat into its shell and live out the rest of its life like that.

    And, over time, its shell would experience wear and tear and gradually be destroyed. After all, a Sha''s shell didn''t possess any extra strengths. It was only as strong as the original material. So, over time, a Sha present in the wilds would eventually die.

    As for those in the cities, the Harmonisers would eventually deal with the ones birthed there.

    But in the case of the Ras, they wouldn''t be birthed in the Cities or Settlements. Even in the bigger viges, they won''t be produced, since the vigers would transact enough with the City/Settlement that they too would automatically receive a Tikka jewellery when there was a newborn in their viges.

    But for those discrete groups without any external contact, they all proved to be a threat now. Eventually, they could birth a Ras. And, that would cause their numbers to snowball out of control soon after.

    "What to do now¡­?" Re''Kha frowned. Now that the Rua had vanished, she didn''t know what else to do. Upon checking the conditions of the vigers in Gro Mining Vige, she realised that the conditions of their Tikka jewelleries were beginning to recover. By daybreak, they would have recoveredpletely.

    "It''s for the best if I meet with my brothers now." Re''Kha continued to travel on horseback, soon arriving before a vige situated next to a forest. The forest was on the foothills of a couple of hills and was a rtively small forest. The vigers survived on the forest produce to live.

    They transacted with a Settlement, selling some of the rare fruits they picked from the forest, some insects and herbs that had medicinal value, etc. The mission of Re''Dha was rted to this vige. And, if her brothers hadpleted their first mission, the mission of Re''Gra, they would arrive at this vige next.

    Upon seeing that there weren''t any horses at the vige''s entrance, it seemed her brothers hadn''t arrived yet. So, she decided to wait in the area. Re''Kha surveyed her surroundings using her wind Qi perception, noticing that the vigers were fast asleep.

    And, unlike Gro Mining Vige, this was a ratherrge vige, with around 80 houses. And as there was plenty of food and water, they didn''t have any worries about their growing poption. Though, it seemed their poption attracted the attention of a couple of beasts as Re''Kha spotted them prowling about in the darkness.

 Chapter 309 - Golpa

    Re''Kha observed their shape, determining what type of beast they were. Most of the beasts were local to an area. So, it was easy to determine them based on the area Re''Kha ventured into. And, Re''Kha knew the names of all the beast groups that lived in her state. As for the other states, she waspletely clueless about, only knowing the names of the famous beast groups.

    Golpa!

    A bipedal-wed beast that was of the metal attribute. It was among one of the weakest beast groups that lived in the area. After all, it possessed sprint-type legs. Even though they allowed the Golpa to jump to a maximum height of thrice its height and a maximum length of 12 times its height, it prevented the Golpa from walking.

    The only way a Golpa moved was through jumping. And, it took a breath of time between each jump, causing it to be an easy target during that interval. Moreover, it had an unbnced body. So, it was easy to trip a Golpa.

    Possessing a head that was one-third its body, the entirety of its body bnce relied on its long tail and its arms. The arms did possess sharp ws though, sharp and strong enough to dent metals with a single hit.

    But as long as the one fighting against them has some experience, they can be fended off. After all, a Golpa was incapable of taking even a single step forward. And as long as one attacked from beyond its reach, it was easy to kill one.

    Despite being a metal attributed beast, its defence was abysmal.

    Upon seeing that the two Golpa were only eyeing the vige from afar, Re''Kha didn''t take any action. She left them for her brothers to kill. At the end of the day, they too needed the experience to hone all the skills they had learned.

    And, the Golpa was one of those easy experiences that would help them further. Besides, she had more things to worry about, so Re''Kha alighted from her horse and sat on the ground, holding her sword so that she may strike the moment something approached close.

    She didn''t wish to disturb the vigers during the night. After all, it was alreadyte into the night. Soon after, it would be daybreak.

    Upon seeing that the Golpa had retreated into the forest, she closed her eyes, intending to rest for some time. She didn''t set up a tent, for that might hinder her senses. Out in the open, her basic senses would alert her the moment something came close.

    So, it was better to remain in such a state through the night. Besides, even when she closed her eyes, Re''Kha was unable to fall asleep. She was reminded of the Beast¡ªRas¡ªthat the Rua had taken with it, wondering just where it would be ced.

    Before it matured, she had to kill the Ras. As for the Rua, she nned to ry the message to her brother once he sends in the messenger bird. The night was uneventful after that as the sun rose. Only then did Re''Kha rx, for both a Rua and a Ras couldn''t move during daytime.

    Considering the immense powers they possessed, this was their only crutch.

    Only when she noticed her surroundings brighten up did Re''Kha heave a sigh of relief, intending to sleep when a couple of vigers exited their homes, noticing her presence as they hurriedly exited the vige and arrived before her, bowing in response as they invited her into the vige.

    And right at this time, she could hear the sounds of hooves galloping on the ground. Turning around, she noticed Re''Gra and Re''Dha, riding their respective horses with an experienced gait.

    Upon noticing her, they were stunned for a moment, wondering why she had decided to meet up with them early. Though, looking at her exhausted state, and at her eyebags, they realised that something was up.

    Upon noticing two other Harmonisers arrive, the vigers were stunned, wondering if something serious had happened in their ce that three Harmonisers had toe. Upon seeing that they had begun to tense up, Re''Kha waved her hand, "The trouble you have reported here are two beasts, right?"

    "Yes," One of the vigers replied.

    "Anything else out of the norm?" Re''Kha inquired.

    "Nothing unusual, mydy." They bowed and replied. One of them then described the appearance of the beast. And upon judging that it was just the Golpa, Re''Kha dismissed them.

    She then looked at her brothers, "There''s trouble, a really big one."

    "What do you mean?" For a moment, Re''Gra almost turned tail and ran away at the mention of the word ''big trouble''. Considering the fact that Re''Kha had faced a Sha like the Blinded Ghost, if she meant big trouble, it was definitely something beyond what they could handle.

    Though, the only reason he stopped himself from running away was because he realised that he couldn''t escape on foot. Burkurel City was too far that he would probably die by the time he reached it. So, he calmed himself down, holding the reins of his horse to sprint the moment it necessitated.

    "I fought with a Ras," Re''Kha said when her brothers looked at her in confusion, wondering just what a Ras was. Upon noticing their confusion, she uttered, "¡­the Fourth Disaster. That Ras."

    Realisation slowly struck them as the eyes of Re''Dha and Re''Gra widened in shock. Their hands trembled while their bodies shuddered. They looked at the eyes of each other, slowly making their horses turn around, intending to act like they hadn''t heard her and wished to just return home.

    "I killed it¡­" Re''Kha said with a tinge of anger, watching her two brothers turn around immediately, as if their previous notion of running away was just an act.

    "You should have said it sooner," Re''Gra patted his chest, heaving a sigh of relief when he fell into thought, noticing the appearance of Re''Kha, "Wait, if she killed it, then why is Re''Kha like this?"

    And just as he feared, Re''Kha spoke, "But, the cause seemed to be a Rua that is going around, creating more Ras. I lost track of it¡­but in truth, it is too strong, at least equivalent to a Sha that has stolen thirty body parts."

 Chapter 310 - More Traces

    Re''Kha ryed the information about the two Golpa to her brothers as she entered the vige to rest. She knew that she had to rest appropriately if she wished to battleter. And, now that her brothers were there, she could rx a little.

    Even though they acted cowardly, they were capable enough to pull through when necessary. Though, she hadn''t seen them fight personally, as both of them weren''t the type to mingle around. Re''Gra was an inherentlyzy individual while Re''Dha was antisocial.

    So, she never got a chance to see them fight.

    The vige head''s house had an extra room within which she stayed. It wasn''t much but was enough for the time being. She quickly fell asleep as her body trembled from time to time. She wasn''t inflicted by anything dangerous through Fear Qi but was just experiencing confusion and a chaotic mental state after encountering two disasters¡ªthe Rua and the Ras.

    She woke upter during the day and noticed that her brothers were conversing with the vigers. They had already killed the two Golpas, causing the vigers to thank them profusely. When Re''Kha exited the house, they waved at her, showing to her with pride the two Golpa corpses near them.

    Upon seeing the corpses, Re''Kha verified that they were the same Golpas she had seen before. She then looked at the vige head, "Were there any causalities?"

    "There were three, mydy." The vige head replied with a bow.

    "When were they killed? Did anyone witness their deaths?"

    "Five days ago, the two Golpas attacked our vige. And among our fighters, one was killed and taken away by the Golpas. We couldn''t give chase since they were able to leap on trees and escape." Upon hearing Re''Kha use the term, the vige head used the same to refer to the Golpas. He then spoke, "But, three days ago, we lost two of our members during the night when most of us were asleep. The two had been on night watch and had disappeared without a trace."

    ''Two people, disappearing without a trace.'' Re''Kha frowned, extending her hand to touch the gem on the vige head''s Tikka jewellery, noticing that it was normal. The Water Qi in it was considerable while the other three nk spaces were sharp. ''Even if it had been damaged, three days is more than enough time for the Tikka jewelleries to recover.''

    "Were there no signs of battle? Not even a single sound?" Re''Kha inquired, only to see the vige head shake his head, saying none of them heard anything.

    ''There is a definite possibility the two were lured by the Rua and made to eat each other.'' She thought as she spoke, "Is there any cave near here?"

    "There is one on the other side of the forest." The vige head said, "We never go that far since there are a lot of Golpas on the hills on the other side of the forest."

    "Alright, we''ll return by evening." Re''Kha looked at her brothers, motioning for them to apany her. The two didn''t say anything as they silently followed Re''Kha. They didn''t wish to make a scene before the vigers.

    Hugging the thigh of Re''Kha during normal times was something they would have done without any hesitation. But, that was only in the case they were within their house. But out in the open like this, surrounded bymoners, their pride wouldn''t allow them to do so. That was, until they left the line of sight of the vigers.

    Leaving their horses in the vige, the three of them carried their weapons and some tools with them and proceeded into the forest. While travelling, Re''Kha asked them, "How much are your Water Qi reserves?"

    "I have all 22 filled up," Re''Gra replied, shing his bracelet, "Though, I had used this a bit already."

    "I have all 10 filled up too," Re''Dha said, "I hadn''t used any Pranic Arts in the previous mission. So, I haven''t wasted any Water Qi from my bracelet."

    "It''s for the best that we maintain full reserves all the time." Re''Kha said as she spoke, "Based on what I observed in the Gro Mining Vige, the Ras lived within the cave. As for the Rua, I am not sure, but it would indeed need a ce to hide within during the day. And, there is a good chance it would lure people to its ce. So¡­"

    She spoke, "The clues we need to see are if there is any rectangr hole in the ground. And, it should be a ce rich with Earth Qi and¡­Treka Qi."

    Upon hearing her, Re''Gra and Re''Dha wore solemn expressions. Then, they heard Re''Kha continue further, "And, in the case we encounter the Rua, send your Pranic Avatars towards it while we''ll use mine to escape. Don''t bother fighting against it until big brother Re''Rel arrives."

    "I have contacted him," Re''Gra nodded as he spoke, "He said he would return within four days and urged us to be careful."

    Eventually, during noon, they arrived before the directed cave as Re''Kha faced her back towards her brothers, using her Wind Qi perception to scour the ce. All she noticed within were a couple of eggshells at the very end, "Screw them!"

    It was enough for her to verify that the two people that went missing in the vige had been caused by a Rua. And, one of them had eaten the other and sessfully managed to birth a Ras. And, the Ras had evenid a couple of eggs that had hatched.

    And, all three of them had escaped, possibly with the Rua that created them. Re''Kha sprinted into the cave as Re''Gra and Re''Dha followed suit. Soon, she reached the end of the cave, scowling the moment she smelled an intense stench of blood.

    Looking around, she found some traces of w marks and deep footprints in the ground. It was easy to judge that they were from the Golpa. It seemed the Ras had primarily fed on the Golpa to develop.

    "Dammit!"

 Chapter 311 - Natural Refinement

    After inspecting the cave for some time, Re''Kha concluded, "They had been killed at least four days ago."

    "What shall we do now?" Re''Gra frowned, disliking the development. If given the choice, he would love to stay idle in a peaceful environment. But, even he realised that if the problem wasn''t nipped in the bud now, he could say farewell to his peaceful life of idling.

    Re''Kha unsheathed her sword as she activated her bracelet, unleashing Water Qi into the surroundings. She then activated her sword, causing Re''Gra to jump in rm upon noticing the intricatework the Water Qi had created on it.

    As he looked at the sword in a trance, Re''Kha plunged it into the eggshells, watching the Water Qi swerve into the eggshells, dissolve them, and seep into the sword, further enriching it.

    Once it was done, Re''Kha deactivated the bracelet and the sword, sheathing it.

    "Give me the sword once." Re''Gra extended his hand as Re''Kha handed him the sword. Having witnessed what Re''Kha had done, he inquired, "How did this happen in the first ce?"

    "When I was fighting the Ras, I realised that my attacks were barely doing it any damage. So," Re''Kha took out her Water Qi Essence, showing it, "I cut open a gash on its head, stuffed this Water Qi Essence into the wound, and plunged the sword back in so that the Water Qi Essence would be lodged deep into it."

    "After that, the body of the Ras bulged and burst eventually. When it copsed into a murky pool, the Water Qi further eradicated them. And when I saw this sword, it had already changed. I then plunged the sword into its eggs to kill the hatchlings within when I noticed this process for the first time." Re''Kha said as she noticed Re''Gra nod in response all along.

    He then asked, "Where did you get a Water Qi Essence from? Did father gift it to you?"

    "No," She shook her head, "I can''t tell you the source. But, this was why I said I would be able to provide you enough to create a Magic Artifact. Just think of it like I stole them from a group of insurgents."

    "Alright," Re''Gra nodded, inspecting the sword as he spoke, noticing the subtle changes to the Water Qi Essence fragment embedded in its hilt, "The sword is still the same as before, but it has evolved to be better at damaging a Rua, based on what it shows. And, based on the carvings on the de that are forming, it is a form of natural refinement."

    "A natural refinement?" Re''Kha was confused.

    "Yes," Re''Gra asked after a moment of thought, "If I remember correctly, even after getting killed, our Pranic Avatar wouldn''t disappear in the presence of a Ras, right?"

    "Yes," Re''Kha nodded.

    "Then," He looked at her, "Did the Ras devour your Balou?"

    "Yes, two times." Re''Kha nodded.

    "That makes more sense now," Re''Gra nodded, watching the expression of confusion on the faces of his siblings.

    He then focused, making a connection with the sword as he activated it, noticing that the radiance it produced was a tad dimmer aspared to when Re''Kha wielded it. He then gave it back to Re''Kha for her to reform her connection with it.

    He spoke as he watched Re''Kha form a connection with the sword, "This sword is created using the horns of a Balou. And, this Balou had grown to an extent it was only inferior to a Beast King. And, since a Balou''s horns contain the highest affinity and concentration of Water Qi, the resulting elemental weapon is one of the best. Since a Water Qi Essence fragment is embedded into it, it has be one of the best Quasi-Magic Artifacts. If it was even a tad powerful, we would have to hand it over to the Elders for safekeeping in the n''s treasury."

    "So," He pointed at the sword, "This sword is the best to use for our nsmen, since our Pranic Avatar is the Balou. Moreover, it was forged in our n toplement our cultivation technique. So, it is the most suitable to our nsmen."

    "And, if my memory serves right," Re''Gra spoke, "A Ras can take up the traits of the creature it kills and devours."

    He looked at Re''Kha, "Since it devoured two of your Balou, its body had changed ordingly. So, when you plunged your sword into its body, a small affinity between the two was created. And, this caused it to absorb some of the traits of the Ras due to the excess Water Qi in the ce that was generated by the Water Qi Essence. When the Ras died, the sword absorbed some of its properties using its traits of a Balou, your Balou, as a connection, forming into this."

    "And now," He spoke, "Your sword isn''t that effective as before against other Elemental Qi attacks, but it works with greater effect against a Ras. As long as you keep repeating the same, your sword would eventually be a weapon perfect to use against the Ras. If in the case we encounter more Ras in the future, it woulde in handy."

    "Then," Re''Dha took the opportunity to speak, disying his curved sword, "If I do the same as her, will I be able to refine my weapon too?"

    "Theoretically, it should be possible." Re''Gra nodded.

    "Then, let''s try the same when we encounter a Ras." Re''Dha said, looking at his sister, "Sister, protect us while we do that."

    "I can''t guarantee, it''s too risky." Re''Kha shook her head, "It is hard enough to injure a Ras, not to mention killing it. Let''s hope we get into a simr situation that we can use to refine more of our Quasi-Magic Artifacts."

    "Yeah, that''s a sound n." Re''Gra nodded, "And if my hunch is right, we will run into them soon enough."

    "Bro, don''t jinx it. I don''t want to face more than one at a time." Re''Dha red at his brother.

    Afterpleting their investigation, Re''Kha turned around and switched to Wind Qi, summoning her Rupak as she quickly switched back. She then exited with her brothers while the Rupak scoured through the ce, soon spotting a ce with a rectangr hole, the location where the Rua might have ced its mural.

 Chapter 312 - The Valley Village

    The Rupak flew above a certain rock protrusion along the side of a hill. It was where a rectangr hole was in the ground. Recalling the shape and size of the hole atop the hill in the Gro Mining Vige, Re''Kha determined that the two were simr.

    And, there was a rugged path the two people from the forest vige could have used to follow. After all, the slope of the hill in the ce wasn''t steep. It could be traversed on foot, though it might take time. But, it was a task that could be achieved overnight.

    The three then returned to the forest vige and packed their belongings. As for the corpses of the two Golpas, they left them to the vigers for safekeeping. They neither had the strength nor the time to dissect it.

    They informed the vigers that if they had the time during their return, they would pick up the corpses of the two Golpas. Otherwise, the vigers could send them through the next Erki that might arrive during month-end. The Burkurel Re n would reimburse them for the cost.

    Even though a Golpa wasn''t valuable whenpared to other beasts, it still had a couple of body parts that might be useful for creating elemental weapons, especially its ws and spring-like legs.

    Upon exiting the forest vige, Re''Kha pulled open a scroll, "Let''s deal with all the missions rted to the beasts first. There are only two more left. We''ll finish them tonight itself and focus on the missions rted to the Sha tomorrow."

    Re''Gra looked through her scrolls, saying his piece, "The mission location of a Sha is quite near to the vige with the final beast problem. So, let''s deal with it in the morning."

    "Alright," Re''Kha nodded, feeling that Re''Gra did make a point. Even though a Sha could move freely during both the day and the night without getting affected by anything, it was better to fight it during the day since they wouldn''t have trouble seeing.

    Moreover, as they would be able to see the Sha clearly, the fear they experience would be lower than when they fought the same Sha during the night. So objectively speaking, it was better to deal with a Sha during the day.

    "The first vige is situated within a valley while the second is situated at a cliff. It would be hard to reach their locations even on foot." Re''Dha frowned when he peeked into the scrolls.

    The three then travelled through the uneven in. There was a cluster of hills and mountains in the region. And, due to the rocky terrain, no cities had been constructed nearby. And, it consisted of a wide stretch ofnd that wasn''t within the range of any City, both in their state and the nearby state on their east.

    So, it created a vast stretch of unmannednds where numerous viges lived in hiding, having lived in the ce for generations. Some were small while quite a few were big. But not all of them transacted with a City or a Settlement.

    After all, most of them turned self-sufficient.

    As they approached an area where they could see a cluster of hills situated close to one another, as if they were split into pieces from a unified whole, Re''Gra spoke, "This ce probably has the highest number of viges. Just the official number alone is in the three digits."

    Re''Kha took in a sharp breath of shock, "Then, why hasn''t a city been built her yet? Wouldn''t it be better for us and the Bura Fort if a city appeared here?"

    "It is because some of the viges here have been around for more than two centuries. So, they have be ustomed to this way of lifestyle. And besides," Re''Gra spoke, "The numerous viges have formed their own organisation to sustain themselves. They have adapted to the ce and are able to deal with the threats that appear in the area ordingly."

    "Then, why have they asked for our help?" Re''Dha frowned, unable to understand. "If they are so self-servient, can''t they take care of their problems themselves?"

    "The losses might have been severe so they had no other choice but to do so. We can''t say for sure until we talk with them," Re''Gra said as they arrived at the foothill of one of the first hills among the cluster.

    And, situated a bit farther was a vige. It was located in a valley that seemed to have been made by splitting a hill into two with a de. Soon, the trio made their way towards it, noticing that the vige was surrounded by stone walls.

    Rather than stone walls, they were just a series of boulders that have been lined up ordingly and chiselled around the outer edges to create a wall. Surrounding the boulders was a wall of wood that acted as the first line of defence.

    And, the entrance to the vige was a wooden tform attached to a pulley. When someone stood on it, the people of the vige would pull the tform up. And when it reached the top of the wall, the people could enter the vige.

    As the trio arrived, the vigers noticed their approach, lowering the wooden tform in advance. After all, their getup¡ªthe Re n''s dress¡ªand the bright blue gems on their Tikka jewellery were enough proof.

    The group stood on the tform with their horses, watching the tform be pulled up at a slow pace. Eventually, once they reached the top, they were able to see a vast ce that could almost not be called a vige anymore.

    "There are¡­at least two to three thousand people here," Re''Dha said, gazing at the vast valley whose entrance was upied by rows of houses. And, quite a few of them had been lodged into the hill walls, peeking out a little.

    It was a bustling ce, judging by the plethora of activities. Moreover, from time to time, people arrived at the vige from the other side. They seemed to be from the numerous other viges located in the ce.

    As Re''Kha looked father away, she was able to notice a couple of other viges that were entirely lodged into the walls, living ordingly in a vertical world.

 Chapter 313 - Dangerous Golpa

    Just a simple nce allowed Re''Kha to spot three different viges. And all of them were either lodged within the walls of the valley or were situated at the top of the hills. And, the vige at the valley acted as a line of defence that prevented any beast from entering the valley.

    And, many viges thrived using thisyer of safety. Re''Kha nced around, noticing the people of the vige were able-bodied, carryingrge weapons that seemed to have been a mixture of animal bones and metal.

    The moment the trio arrived on the walls, a group of people arrived to wee them immediately. Standing at their front was a man seemingly in his thirties, cupping his fists as he spoke, "My name''s Duh. I''m the head of this vige."

    ''He''s young for a vige head.'' Re''Gra thought as he cupped his fists in response, "We havee here to eradicate the problem with the beasts."

    "Please follow me," The vige head motioned towards his home, "We''ll talk more there."

    As the trio followed the group, they arrived before the vige head''s home, a stone house with arge open space where the people of the vige could assemble to hear any important announcements.

    They entered the house, noticing it had a living room, a bedroom, a storage room where all the food of their vige was stored, and an open kitchen that was ced next to a well. The well was wide enough and had enough depth to facilitate all of the vige''s water needs.

    The arrangements of the ce were crude and simple but showed that they were getting by fairly well, a lot better whenpared to the other viges.

    There was a wooden table in the living room that was able to seat eight people. Re''Kha, Re''Gra, and Re''Dha sat on one side while the vige head sat on the other. His wife quickly prepared some tea to serve them. It was something they had transacted with Burkurel City and had been saving up for asions such as this.

    Re''Kha noticed a couple of curious stares from the bedroom. They seemed to be the vige head''s children. Judging by their statures, they seemed around 5-6 years in age. Re''Kha winked at them once, chuckling when they shied away and hid behind the walls.

    "Usually, we won''t face more than a beast per month. And, most of the time, they would onlye here to steal some of the prey we have caught or one of the animals we have reared. So, even though we faced losses, we were able to chase them away. And, if we were lucky, we had even been able to kill a couple of beasts." The vige head spoke after the trio finished drinking the tea.

    He then sighed, "But recently, the number of beasts approaching our ce has increased. After inquiring about them with Burkurel City, we were told they were called the Golpa. The Golpa are easily able to cross our walls and steal our prey. Recently, they even stole a couple of our children."

    He then shuddered, "But, there was something different about the Golpa that arrived a couple of days ago. Even though there were only two of them, we were unable to injure them in the least. Before, our arrows would pierce their bodies. But now, the arrows failed to pierce them. And, when we hacked their bodies with our axes, all we managed to do was inflict tiny wounds that didn''t bleed and healed immediately."

    Re''Kha made eye contact with her brothers, asking, "Have you see it after that?"

    "One of our guards faced it yesterday and somehow managed to repel it. But we don''t know why, he fell unconscious after that and hasn''t woken up yet." The vige head shook his head, "We haven''t seen such a situation before."

    "Show me that guard?" Re''Kha said as she stood up.

    The vige head nodded as he guided them to a nearby house, one that was lodged in the side of the hill. It seemed they had dug into the hill, carved it out nicely, and filled the ce with wood to create their homes.

    There were many such houses. And, they created arge wooden tform that protruded from their caves, acting as the living room for every house. And, a trail of steps connected all the houses in argework, from bottom to the top.

    The house of the guard had been positioned rtively closer to the ground as they arrived in its living room, feeling like the ce was cramped when four people entered at the same time.

    As the trio of Harmonisers looked into the cave, they noticed that the cave was smaller than they had thought. It seemed to be meant only to sleep, as the cave was less than the height of Re''Kha. And, beds were arranged alongside. And finally ced at the very end seemed to be a storage of sorts.

    The living room was the only ce with enough height to stand. It was mostly an open house, with a door blocking the cave within. There seemed to be a cloth line beyond the living room, maintained at the height of its open walls, meant for the clothes to be hung.

    They were meant for both the wet and dry clothes as the people of the ce seemed to have a custom of not folding their clothes to be stored inside.

    Currently, upon entry, the vige head opened the door to head inside the cave portion, pointing at the guard thaty conscious on the bed. His wife seemed to be taking care of him. Judging by her sullen expression, she seemed to have been crying. As for their children, they were currently ying around the vige, unaware of what happened to their father.

    Re''Kha looked at the guard''s condition, noticing that he seemed to be healthy. Though, the moment she touched his hand, she noticed that his hand was faintly trembling. Frowning, she touched his Tikka jewellery, retracting it immediately upon noticing that it was burning.

    Through her Water Qi perception, she noticed that she was hardly able to sense any Water Qi in his Tikka jewellery. And the nk space created by the other three elements seemed to have almost vanished.

    Re''Kha frowned and touched her Tikka jewellery, noticing that it was slightly warmer.

 Chapter 314 - Golpa Ras

    Re''Kha immediately touched the Tikka jewellery of Re''Gra, noticing that it was slightly warm too. The case was the same for Re''Dha too.

    Having been recounted of her experience, the two brothers knew what was up. Having noticed their actions, the vige head too touched his Tikka jewellery, screaming in shock immediately, "What the heck? Why is it burning up?"

    "Stay calm!" Re''Kha berated him immediately, speaking as she noticed that the night had set already, "Round up all the vigers to your house. Keep everyone in the same ce and form a circle with all your guards. That would be your safest bet."

    Upon seeing the three Harmonisers had begun to descend through the trail of stairs, the vige head seemed slightly flustered, "My lord, will everything be fine?"

    "As long as you ensure no one else is left behind," Re''Kha said and turned around, soon reaching the ground as she used the cover of the night to block her Tikka jewellery''s gem and switched to her wind element, activating her Wind Qi perception immediately.

    She swiftly expanded her range, quickly looking through the ce as she looked at the vige head with a frown, "Has anyone died here recently?"

    "None in thest couple of months." The vige head replied.

    After being prompted by Re''Kha, he hurried along and informed the vigers to bring everyone to his house. As there was enough space there for everyone to assemble, it was an easier situation. They could form a perimeter around everyone.

    Re''Kha expanded the range to her limit, outlining the first hill under her perception. She then focused on a certain location where a creature that seemed like a Golpa was hopping down the slope like it was a cakewalk.

    But, unlike a Golpa, it didn''t take a breath in time between every jump. The jumps were immediate and sessive, without any breaks in between. Even though there was just one Golpa, Re''Kha could feel her Tikka jewellery burn up slightly faster.

    She immediately activated her Water Qi Essence, increasing its range to the maximum limit, one that epassed an area with a radius thirty times her height. Beyond that, it wouldn''t be able to maintain a sphere of Water Qi.

    Re''Kha muttered to her brothers, "It''s a Ras. And, it seems to have devoured enough Golpa to turn into one. There is more than enough Water Qi in my Water Qi Essence. Save the ones in your bracelets forter."

    The moment they felt Water Qi, Re''Gra and Re''Dha immediately activated their Water Qi perception, noticing the range of her Water Qi Essence.

    Slowly, they pulled out their respective weapons as Re''Gra muttered, "A Ras seldom appeared in our history. We won''t know the abilities it has after turning into a Golpa. Don''t try to take it on alone and keep your Palm Projections ready to defend against its attacks."

    All the vigers had begun to evacuate, heading towards the vige head''s house. Two of them carried the unconscious guard and ran with fearful expressions. All of them soon cleared the ce when the Ras¡ªin the form of a Golpanded inside the vige, creating a faint gale in the process.

    Though, it hardly created any sounds, absorbing most of the impact using its spring-like legs. At the moment ofnding, it noticed the three Harmonisers standing a fair distance away, gazing at their bright blue gems and their faintly radiating Tikka jewelleries.

    Roar!

    It unleashed a guttural roar that was suffused with Fear Qi, causing the people of the vige to fall to their knees immediately as they shouted in pain while clutching their heads.

    "Keuk!" Re''Gra trembled as his hands shivered, almost causing him to drop his weapon. He was carrying a war hammer that had an axe on one side and a hammer on the other. And, its handle was the length of his arm. It was the weapon he was mostfortable in wielding.

    Re''Kha managed to resist the shout as her eyes readily absorbed the Fear Qi, powering up in response as she was umting strength. As for Re''Dha, he seemed to be affected the most at first. But, something changed in his demeanour as his eyes gazed at the Golpa Ras with a deep-seated gaze.

    The Golpa Ras smacked the ground, unleashing all the strength stored in its legs, shooting towards the trio in a straight line. Unlike a Golpa that could only jump in a high arc even if it aimed forward, the arc made by a Golpa Ras was so low, it seemed like it was travelling in a straight line above ground.

    "Hah!" Re''Kha shouted as her left hand shone with a blue radiance; she unleashed a Palm Projection. Her two brothers did the same, intending to negate its momentum first. The three Palm Projections headed straight towards the Golpa Ras that defended against them by crossing its hands.

    The first Palm Projection only negated some of its momentum while the second Palm Projection stopped it. The third Palm Projectionnded on its head, sending it flying back a little.

    Though, upon attacking, none of the siblings were happy. For, they noticed the Golpa Ras didn''t even suffer a single scratch from the exchange. It just patted its face, swatting away the water rich in Water Qi.

    Re''Gra activated his war hammer, causing it to emit concentrated Water Qi as he mmed it into the Golpas Ras, targeting its legs. But, he cursed immediately as his hands shuddered, feeling like he had hit a tough rock.

    The Golpa Ras shifted its legs, causing the war hammer to fly back as it swiped its ws. Re''Gra quickly ducked, barely evading the attack as he mmed a Palm Projection at its leg, targeting the same spot, causing it to tumble this time.

    Re''Kha timely summoned her Balou, causing it to ram into the Golpa Ras the moment it got up, sending it flying away. The Golpa Ras mmed into the ground, skidding a bit before it crashed into a house.

    Unwilling to give it time to recover, the Balou charged towards it straight, intending to ram into it a second time when a shadow shed past, sending it flying. And, in its ce was a Golpa Ras, a second one.

 Chapter 315 - Eye Power: Kalha

    "Dammit, there''s a second one now." Re''Kha cursed as she sensed that her Balou was fine for the most part. By absorbing the surrounding Water Qi, it quickly recovered and got up, charging towards the second Golpa Ras.

    "Brother, I''ll handle the second one, you handle the first. As for Re''Dha, support us ordingly." Re''Kha shouted as she activated her sword and charged towards the second Golpa Ras. Her right hand held the sword while her left was poised ready, intending to unleash a Palm Projection.

    The second Golpa Ras hopped in its ce a couple of times before exerting strength in its legs, springing towards Re''Kha. Re''Kha timed herself ordingly, mming a Palm Projection using her left hand immediately, negating most of the Golpa Ras''s momentum.

    She followed it up with a sh of her sword, causing the Golpa Ras to defend using its arms. Her sword glinted with a dangerous blue radiance that cut halfway into the opponent''s arms, causing it to look at her in shock when her Balou used the timing to ram into it, sending it flying away.

    Re''Kha used the chance to take in a deep breath, recovering some Water Qi as the Golpa Ras got up once again. She didn''t pursue it, after all, doing that would result in her getting too far away from her brothers, causing them prone to danger the moment they exit the range of her Water Qi Essence''s emission.

    Moreover, she was trying her best to umte as much Water Qi as possible before her Balou disappeared. After all, as a Pranic Avatar with a single foundation, her Balou could stay materialised for 120 breaths. And, these 120 breaths were her breathing in and out 120 times.

    So, the longer she could hold her breath, the longer her Balou could stay materialised. But, she also replenished her Water Qi in the same manner. And, it took her ten breaths to recover one unit of Water Qi.

    Therefore, the only way she could recover faster was somehow inhaling more Water Qi upon every breath and absorb most of it into her body that wouldter flow into her meridians. This was easier to achieve once the Water Qi in her surroundings reached saturation.

    And, as the Water Qi Essence had been active for some time, the Water Qi had spread through its range considerably, rising in density as time passed. It made it easier for her to replenish her reserves. Soon, she would have at least 10 breaths in time to summon her second Pranic Avatar before her Balou disappeared.

    Natural Water Qi wouldn''t harm the Ras or any other beast for the matter. Only if the Water Qi possessed a will, like a Harmoniser''s actions would it affect any other creatures. The concept was true for all natural Elemental Qi, except Fear and Ghost Qi, which weren''t naturally urring elements.

    The Golpa Ras was fast and tremendously strong, stronger than what she could handle. Even though she was constantly replenishing her Water Qi reserves, she was failing to keep up with her opponent.

    Though, she hadn''t been injured till now, focusing on evasion primarily as she attacked the opponent from time to time. Eventually, her Balou''s time was up as it vanished.

    It seemed the Golpa Ras had been waiting for right this time as it stomped on the ground, causing a crater as it shed before her, swimming with its ws, intending to shred Re''Kha apart. But, before it couldnd its attack, it noticed Re''Kha smiling as she made eye contact.

    The next moment, the Golpa Ras noticed her eyes forming a jet-ck swirl. Her gaze riled up all the Fear Qi in its body, taking control of its hands that headed towards its eyes like it was normal. And, without any hesitation, it ripped out its eyes.

    Eye Power¡ªKalha!

    Unlike the Ras before, the Golpa Ras had a pair of eyes. And, as she had unleashed the power of Kalha from both her eyes at the same time, the potency was ster. The Golpa Ras was incapable of defending.

    Moreover, even though it was physically superior to Re''Kha, it was unable to kill her. The reason was its monotonic attacks. The Golpa was a weak beast race due to only being able to attack in one direction.

    Even though the Golpa Ras had gone past most of the race''s inherent weaknesses, it was still gued by their limitations to a certain extent. Moreover, its fighting style was the same as a Golpa. So, despite being overwhelmed in speed, strength, etc. Re''Kha still managed to react ordingly.

    And, once she saw the Golpa Ras gouge its eyes out, her hand emitting blinding blue radiance, causing the Water Qi in the region to swirl. She expended six units of Water Qi, summoning a Hand Projection on her right.

    It currently formed an outline on her right hand. Re''Kha used it to grab hold of her sword and thrust it forward, using the power boost a Pranic Art carried by the concept of rtive motion. Her Hand Projection followed her hand''s actions, thrusting the sword in the Golpa Ras''s left eye socket, piercing it deep.

    The Golpa Ras screamed in pain for the first time as the Water Qi emitted by the sword destroyed its insides; it was pushed back. And right at this time, the Balou summoned by Re''Dha appeared behind it, opening its mouth wide to mp on the Golpa Ras''s hip, beginning to crush it.

    The Golpa Ras iled its hands, intending to hit Re''Kha. But, she was standing beyond its reach, using her Hand Projection to continue stabbing into its eye socket as the sword soon pierced through its head, peeking out on the other side.

    Re''Kha hurriedly took out her Water Qi Essence and threw it towards the Golpa Ras, mming it urately using her Palm Projection, plunging it into its other eye socket.

    The Golpa Ras attacked the Balou, hitting it nonstop, inciting deep injuries. But by absorbing the surrounding Water Qi, it was barely able to remain alive and held the hip of the Golpa Ras.

    Roar!

    The Golpa Ras roared in pain as its body ballooned before bursting into a murky fluid.

 Chapter 316 - Killing The Two Foes

    The Water Qi in the surroundings quickly eradicated the murky fluid as Re''Kha heaved a sigh in relief, panting as she gasped for breath. She then noticed Re''Dha shoot an arrow towards the first Golpa Ras from time to time as he ran around.

    After Re''Kha killed her foe, his Balou was still barely alive. So, it sprinted towards the first Golpa Ras, ramming into it, tumbling together to the ground.

    "Hold it in ce!" Re''Gra shouted as Re''Dha threw his crossbow to the side and sprinted forward, unleashing his Hand Projection as he grabbed one of the Golpa Ras''s legs. Simrly, Re''Kha too arrived beside him, using the remainder of her Water Qi to condense a Hand Projection, using it to grab hold of the other leg.

    Then, the two of them grunted, using their Hand Projections to lift the Golpa Ras by its legs.

    "Catch it!" Re''Kha threw her sword towards Re''Gra who jumped in the air and caught hold of it. His hands shone with a dense blue radiance as he condensed a Hand Projection in both his hands, pushing his hand upward as the Hand Projections held the sword and proceeded to move to a distance four times his height.

    Then, Re''Gra shed forth with all his might. Taking the same time, his Hand Projections made the same angle of action as his hands. But, as they were at a distance four times his height, and as his arms were almost half his height, the power of his attack was amplified by eight times.

    The Golpa Ras was being hung upside down by the two Hand Projections unleashed by Re''Kha and Re''Dha respectively. Even though the Golpa Ras was trying to destroy the Hand Projections with its ws, the dense Water Qi in the surroundings that had almost reached saturation continued to replenish the two Hand Projection''s damage.

    This way, the Golpa Ras was unable to break free when the sword shed down on the gap between its legs, cutting through it; the sword stopped halfway into its body. Re''Gra swiftly lifted the sword using his two Hand Projections and brought it shing down once again, cleaving the Golpa Ras into two halves.

    All the four Hand Projections vanished at the same time as their time¡ªthree breaths¡ªwas up. The sword fell on the severed halves of the Golpa Ras that was still alive.

    Re''Gra summoned another Hand Projection and used his war hammer to repeatedly pummel it, causing the surrounding Water Qi to be influenced by his will as it gushed into the Golpa Ras''s body, causing it to expand before it burst into a murky fluid. Soon, the Water Qi in the surroundings dropped by a level as a significant sum was expended to eradicate all the murky fluid.

    Once the final enemy was in, Re''Gra plopped on the ground, groaning, "I will never fight another one of them ever again."

    Re''Kha slowly walked forward and grabbed her sword, noticing that it had been upgraded once again. It seemed that as long as she continued to kill the Ras using her sword, it would eventually develop to the extent of a Magic Artifact.

    "It became even more powerful." Re''Kha showed it to Re''Gra who enthusiastically examined it, showing no trace of his earlier exhaustion.

    He finished observing it, saying, "If you manage to kill around 20 more Ras, it would attain the status as a Magic Artifact, a Ras-ying Magic Artifact. Or, an easier way would be to feed the Ras our Balou while fighting and kill itter. That way, we would be able to upgrade it into a Magic Artifact just by killing 5-6 Ras."

    "That''s too much risk," Re''Dha said, immediately sitting cross-legged as he took in deep breaths, replenishing his expended Water Qi reserves.

    Re''Kha then looked at the carcasses of three Balou on the ground. Each of them had been summoned by one of them respectively. She looked at Re''Gra, "Can we do something about them?"

    "Hmm," Re''Gra thought for some time as he grabbed her sword and plunged it into the corpse of a Balou, noticing a faint amount of Water Qi enter it. After observing, he concluded, "Alright, the ability of the Ras is faintly umted within the Balou. Even though it isn''tparable to killing a Ras, this might improve the weapon slightly."

    "Then, we can upgrade your weapon¡­" Re''Kha said when Re''Gra shook his head.

    He then used her sword to stab into the Balou at numerous ces until it turned into a withered husk, dissolving into a murky pool that was eradicated by the Water Qi soon after, "It seems leaving the corpses here would keep their residual effect in ce. So, even after we leave this ce, these three corpses would continue to damage the Tikka jewellery of everyone here."

    "And," He looked at Re''Kha, "It might seem like upgrading the weapon of everyone is the best choice. But, we have to first upgrade yours into a Magic Artifact. That way, if wee across a stronger Ras, we can use it to damage it."

    "That makes sense," Re''Kha nodded, "And, this Golpa Ras wasn''t as strong as the Ras I faced in the Gro Mining Vige. The amount of fear it induced was more than the amount these twobined could unleash."

    "So, they were just hatchlings then, dammit." Re''Gra cursed as stabbed the sword into the second Balou, stabbing it multiple times as the sword absorbed all its essence, causing its body to copse into a murky fluid that was eradicated by the Water Qi.

    He did the same to the final Balou, heaving a sigh of relief before beginning to recover his Water Qi reserves. Re''Kha picked up her Water Qi Essence, deactivating it as she calcted there was more than enough Water Qi around them to recoverpletely.

    After recovering ten units, she exited the range of the Water Qi and summoned her Rupak using Wind Qi, sending it to scout through the surroundings. She then returned to the Water Qi rich area, slowly recovering her Water Qi reserves, saying, "Just in case, remain here for some more time. In the off chance we are affected by the fear it emitted, the Water Qi would eradicate them all."

 Chapter 317 - Sha Vision

    The trio remained within the zone filled with Water Qi, continuing to meditate as they breathed in the Water Qi, constantly maintain their Water Qi perception to see if they were affected or not.

    Re''Kha sensed the reserve of Fear Qi in her eyes, noticing that it was almost empty. ''I need to replenish them sooner orter. Though, as long as I venture into an area with a Ras, I''ll recover soon enough.''

    She then got up and headed towards the vige head''s house, beckoning for all the vigers to follow her. She nned to take them all into the zone with Water Qi so that the recovery of their Tikka jewellery would be faster.

    As the vigers entered the zone one by one, even though they couldn''t sense the Water Qi, they could feel rxed automatically. They imagined walking towards a pond that was bordered by stone, and a gentle stream of water cascaded into it as a waterfall.

    "Aargh!"

    Suddenly, the moment he was brought into the zone, the guard that had repelled the Golpa Ras before started to scream in pain, writhing around.

    "Pin him down. Don''t let him leave!" Re''Kha bellowed as the vigers quickly followed her orders.

    Re''Gra hurriedly appeared before him, ready to m a Palm Projection into him the moment the guard tried anything. Though, it seemed his worries were unfounded as the guard only continued to writhe in pain and tried to thrash around but was rigidly pinned down by the vigers.

    Even though they were all huddled before the vige head''s house, thanks to the vige''syout, they were able to see the fight from time to time. They watched the intense sh between the two Golpa Ras and the three Harmonisers, trembling in fear to see the sheer power both the parties possessed.

    And when Re''Kha killed the first Golpa Ras, they cheered in relief. And when the second one was killed, they were unable to control their joy. Upon witnessing the might of a Harmoniser first-hand, their eyes were glistening as they looked at the trio.

    Even the vige head was no different. After all, he had only heard about Harmonisers from his father. None of them had seen a Harmoniser in action. But now that they did, their sense of awe and respect for the trio was magnified by countless times.

    Before, they only disyed respect out of fear. But now, they expressed their adoration, disying respect from the bottom of their hearts.

    The thrashing of the guard soon died down when Re''Gra touched the gem on his Tikka jewellery, uttering with a hint of calm, "It''s cooling down. He should be fine soon."

    When the vigers entered the Water Qi rich zone as directed by the three, some of them indeed fell to the ground while clutching their heads. But soon after, they woke up, feeling perfectly fine.

    "I feel like my mind''s clear now."

    "I feel healthy again."

    Numerous discussions were going around as Re''Kha heard them all, soon pping her hand as she spoke aloud, "Everyone, the Golpa you are able to injure is different from the one we faced. When you encounter this, don''t attack it. Vacate the area and contact Burkurel City immediately. Harmonisers would be dispatched to take care of it. Understood?"

    "Yes, mydy!" Everyone bowed instantly, etching her words to their hearts.

    After the vigers stayed in the ce for some time, Re''Kha noticed that most of the Water Qi her Water Qi Essence produced had been consumed. She then apanied her brothers and headed to the vige head''s house.

    After being assured by the fact that three Harmonisers were living the night with them, the vigers returned to their respective homes. As for the guard that had been writhing in pain all along, he soon opened his eyes and got up like it was normal.

    It seemed the Fear Qi punched him into a state of unconsciousness. If left alone, there was a chance he would be defenceless and would be susceptible to the abilities of the Ras. There was a solid chance he would attack the vigers the moment the Golpa Ras arrived at the vige.

    But now, there was nothing to worry about. Once everyone had returned to their homes, Re''Kha excused herself and patrolled the vige once. Even though Re''Gra was willing to apany her, she told him to stay put, saying it wasn''t too dangerous since she nned to roam around with her Water Qi Essence active.

    He nodded, just being ready to arrive at her rescue the moment it necessitated. But Re''Kha had other ns. She didn''t activate her Water Qi Essence but just roamed around, noticing how bleak the vige looked when everyone returned to their homes.

    They didn''t have anynterns to brighten their homes. Their only source of light during the night was a single bonfire in the centre of the vige. And, it was just a thick tree branch that was propped into the ground.

    The vige head exined to her that this particr tree was rich in oil and Fire Qi. So, when it was lit, it would continue to burn throughout the night. And, even though it wasn''t much, the light it emitted was enough to calm the hearts of everyone.

    And, one branch couldst them for at least 3-4 days normally. And in the Fire Season, it would burn for at least 8-10 days. During the Peak Fire Month, one branch was enough tost them a month.

    He also said it was one of their prime exports to Burkurel City. it was how they sustained themselves and obtained medicine and other necessities their region didn''t have.

    While roaming around, her eyes swirled with a jet-ck radiance as she activated another of her eye power.

    Sha Vision!

    She looked around using it, trying to see if there were any Sha in the ce. There wasn''t anything significant. But when she approached the vige''s entrance, she noticed that the tform that was used to enter and exit the vige seemed to be umting a lot of negative emotions.

 Chapter 318 - The Metal Village Embedded Into The Valley Wall

    ''Why is their vige''s entrance the target of negative emotions?'' Re''Kha frowned, seeing that there were murky swirls around the tform. They seemed to be swirling around it for now. It would take them time before they condensed within it and nurtured a Sha, eventually birthing it.

    ''Maybe the source of the negative emotions is from the other viges since this vige has a lot of say due to controlling the only entrance into the valley.'' Re''Kha shrugged, "Well, their internal affairs are of no concern to me. Better to eradicate it now than to let it grow and develop into a Sha."

    She gently touched her sword on the tform, activating it to produce blue radiance. The blue radiance attracted the negative emotions before eradicating them to a certain extent. If it was just negative emotions, the Water Qi was useless against it. Any other Elemental Qi would be no different.

    But, as they had condensed into a bit of Ghost Qi within the tform, she able to eradicate it using the sword''s Water Qi. Once she was done, she returned to the vige head''s house. At present, the vige head vacated from the ce, leaving it all to them while he and his family stayed in the nearby house.

    So, they had the house all to themselves. But to remain alert, they refrained from sleeping separately. Once Re''Kha returned, she looked at the Quasi-Magic Artifacts of her brothers, "Are they fully recharged?"

    "Yes," Re''Gra nodded, "We were in the Water Qi zone for quite a long enough time. So, their Water Qi reserves are full now."

    "That''s great." Re''Kha nodded as she said, "I''ll take a bath now. It''ll be hard to sleep otherwise."

    "Alright, we''ll take a bath after you then." Re''Gra nodded when Re''Dha stared at the back of his sister, speaking when she was about to enter the bathroom, "There might be insects, so don''t scream and make a scene."

    "¡­When did I ever cause a scene for insects?" Re''Kha shot him a weird look before entering the nearby room. The vige head''s house was the only ce where she could have a peaceful bath. The men of the vige used the well water at the back of the house to bathe.

    As for the women, there was a private bathhouse located a bit farther away. It too had a well of its own that they could use to draw the water for their needs.

    Their state was typically addressed as the water state, so the wells never ran dry. Rather, it would always be filled to the brim. So, none of the vigers ever experienced a water crisis.

    Once Re''Kha entered the nearby room, Re''Gra frowned as he looked at Re''Dha, "What the heck are you saying? When was Re''Kha ever afraid of insects?"

    "Aren''t women always afraid of insects?" Re''Dha said spontaneously when he realised the absurdity of his statement, staring nkly for a moment as he said, "Sorry, I misspoke."

    "No, in the first ce, why do you even think about something that stupid? None of our nsmen have been afraid of insects or the like even since young." Re''Gra frowned, ring at Re''Dha.

    "Sorry, sorry, my bad." Re''Dha waved his hand as he seemed back to usual.

    ''This is why I don''t like him. He says the stupidest things about stuff that never urs. His mouth would be the death of him one day.'' Re''Gra snorted as he picked up the sword of Re''Kha and began to study it, noticing the minute increase in inscriptions on the de.

    Soon, Re''Kha was refreshed, finally rxing a bit as she washed her armour with water once and wore it. Its property prevented water from staying on it, so it never got wet. Patting her armour, she felt safe, heading to sleep.

    Re''Gra red at Re''Dha once before heading off to take a bath. Once he returned, Re''Dha headed in next. Finally, all three slept in a room, getting a good night''s rest.

    The next morning, they headed towards the second vige, leaving from the vige''s back exit. They walked through the valley since the path was filled with too many rocks. Their horses would sumb soon after if they rode them through such terrain.

    Instead, they left them in the care of Duh, the vige head.

    Later in the morning, Re''Gra pointed at a vige that was embedded into the walls of the valley, "On either side is a different vige. For some reason, even though they are close neighbours, they are always at odds. The vige on the rightined about a problem rting to beasts while the vige on the leftined about a Sha."

    "Let''s start with the vige on the right," Re''Kha said as they took a path that traversed along the valley walls at an inclined slope. It was a straight slope that led into the vige''s entrance. In the morning, when Re''Kha tended to the horses, Re''Gra had inquired a lot of details about the ce from Duh, the valley vige''s vige head. So, he ryed the information to the others like a travel guide.

    The vige didn''t have any walls or blockages. The moment they reached the end of the inclined path, they noticed they were on a tform. And to their right was a cave, as if a massive beast had taken a bite into thend.

    And, it was filled to the brim with metal. The cave was where the vige was built around. And, it was big enough to fit around 800 people inside. They formed winding bridges and ropes throughout the entire ce, creating a messy atmosphere where children recklessly jumped from one to another in a feat of parkour.

    It seemed the vige was involved in metal works, judging by the sounds of metal grinding from time to time. Those located at the entrance seemed to be the forges. The smoke they emitted billowed out of the valley.

    Re''Kha gazed at the floor, noticing numerous metalponents lying strewn around haphazardly. They seemed to have either been abandoned or had fallen off from somewhere.

    Suddenly, there was a loud thud as a boynded on what seemed to be a protruding roof, causing it to cave in.

 Chapter 319 - Metal Spring Village

    "Are you okay?" Re''Kha shouted upon noticing the height from which the boy began to fall. Her right hand shone with a blue radiance as she was about to unleash her Hand Projection, intending to grab hold of him before he fell when Re''Gra stopped her, shaking his head.

    "He won''t be injured."

    Her eyes widened as Re''Kha noticed a thin thread that had been coiled around the boy''s hips, propping him up as his fall was broken. The boy then spun the lever that was on his hip, slowlynding on the ground.

    The moment hended, an old man rushed forth and smacked him on the back of his head, "Ner, I had forbidden you from running on my roof. Do you really want to trip to your death?"

    "It''s fine, uncle." The boy named Nerughed, pointing at the thin thread that had saved his life, "I was testing its strength. And, it''s enough to bear my weight."

    "As for your roof¡­I had kicked it purposely." Saying his piece, he ran away, tugging his string as his body was lifted up.

    "Dammit,e back here, you rascal!" The old man shouted, grumbling as he was unable to catch Ner. He then muttered some angry gibberish, intending to return to his shop when he noticed Re''Kha and her brothers.

    Upon looking at their bright blue gem, he turned respectful, bowing a little whileining about his back as he spoke, "Wee to Metal Spring Vige."

    Just when Re''Gra was about to greet the old man and inquire him about the details of the beats troubling their vige, he noticed his sister gazing at the top with a frown. He followed her gaze, noticing a clump of scarp metal ced in a. Currently, they seemed to have been taken out from some of the houses located at the top of the cave and were being lowered by a mechanical crane.

    "What¡­are those?" Re''Gra asked the old man, "Why is there so much metal in them?"

    "My Lord, we have recently created better parts. And, since it has more durability than the older roofing, we have been swapping them out." The old man said.

    "But, why are you throwing out ss?" Re''Gra frowned. For, ss was expensive and was only produced by the Ka (Fire) n. So, even if the vige was able to afford them, they were expensive enough for the household to treat them with care and not throw them off as scrap material.

    "ss? Our vige has never bought any ss¡­" The old man looked in the direction Re''Gra had been facing, gazing at the filled with scrap materials that were being lowered with a crane. He then noticed two shiny spherical-lookalikes among the pile that reflected the sunlight.

    Upon seeing it, the old man shouted at the top of his lungs, "There are here!"

    Re''Gra was startled at the sheer sound of his voice, wondering just how an old man was able to have such a powerful voice like a general. All the three Harmonisers flinched at his shout when the vigers were startled before they grabbed anything near them that could be used as a weapon.

    Since their vige was littered with metal items, it wasn''t hard to find strong enough items to wield as weapons. As the vigers picked up weapons one after another, numerous creatures sprang out of the numerous heaps of metal scattered across the vige.

    They quickly began to run over the wires, holding metal pieces in their mouths that they chewed up a bit before spitting out. They were incredibly agile and also seemed to be able to bnce their bodies perfectly while sprinting on ropes like it was t terrain.

    Upon seeing them, Re''Kha shouted at her brothers, "Those are the Naipa. We have to hurry or they''ll kill the people."

    The Naipa was a type of beast that loved items with Metal Qi in them. And usually, they dug through the ground to munch up on rocks with a good concentration of Metal Qi. But, that was only in the case they were deep in the wilds.

    But in the presence of people, they always targeted them. After all, any Kalki had an affinity to all the elements. It was evident in the gem of their Tikka jewellery, their eye colour, and their hair colour. The colour that was the most on their hair, eyes, and the gem of their Tikka jewellery signified the element they had the highest affinity towards.

    No matter who, they had an affinity to all four elements. And, if a material had an affinity to an element, it would possess some of the respective Elemental Qi. So, in the hair and eyes of the Kalki, all four Elements existed.

    As for the Naipa, they were lured by the Metal Qi in them. And since it was clearly defined, the hair of everyone was cleanly divided into four segments of blue, red, ck, and violet. So, it was easy to aim for the ck hair.

    And, the greater a person''s affinity to Metal Qi, the more ck hair they had. It was the same for their eyes. And, they were the targets of the Naipa. And usually, it was hard for them to eat the hair of a Kalki, since their opponent would retaliate in the meantime.

    So, they always killed their foes first before eating up their ck hair and parts of their eyes that were ck. Moreover, the Pranic Heart of a Kalki was like a tonic to them that faintly increased their strength.

    So, the Naipa always targeted the people. Moreover, they were patient hunters, able to remain in wait for even days before they jumped out to hunt. And, since their bodies were covered by ayer of metal, they were able to easily blend in such an environment with parts of metal strewn around everywhere.

    Standing at a height equal to a Kalki''s hand and possessing a body length equal to their height, the Naipa was a hunting breed that moved in packs and was hard to target. Among them, a Naipa sprinted over the numerous strings in the ce, leaping once as ittched onto a woman, coiling around her as it bit into her neck.

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    Author Note: There are 50 chapters for you to read in advance in Privilege. Higher Tier Privilege has greater discounts. Tier 5 Privilege has a 99% discount. Grab them at the start of the month for the greatest benefits.

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 Chapter 320 - The Naipa

    "Kyaaa!" The woman screamed as her voice soon lost energy. The Naipa coiled around her body, tightening as a snap resounded. It had snapped her spine, making her lose consciousness. It then bit into her eyes, storing both the eyeballs in its mouth sack like a squirrel.

    It then used its hands to grab hold of thedy''s hair, only grabbing the strands that were ck, ripping it out violently. It swiftly dodged a man''s lunge as it curled the hair into a small ball with expert motion, jumping on a wire as it retreated.

    It also ced the bundled hair into its mouth sack, looking around to spot another woman with a lot of ck hair. Unlike men, women had long hair. So, the amount of Metal Qi in their ck hair was greater in quantity than a man''s. So, they were targeted the most.

    Though, if the Naipa came across men with great affinity to Metal Qi, they too would be targeted. The Naipa prioritised the quality of Metal Qi the most.

    "Damn you!" A man bellowed as he threw a wrench with all his might. The Naipa coiled around a wire, leaping as its body acted like a rubber band, dodging like a string as it evaded the wrench.

    The Naipa had an interesting physique. It had a detachable spine that turned rigid when it tightened up, allowing it to run at great speeds and turned loose when it loosened up, allowing it to act like a snake.

    This caused it to be a troublesome opponent to face off. The wrench the man threw crashed into another home, producing a loud noise. The sound signalled how heavy it was. That was why the Naipa dodged the attack.

    Upon hearing the loud sound, all the Naipas that were running around the vige stopped. Then, their bodies faintly trembled, emitting a sonorous sound that turned louder and louder, causing pain to the people.

    And, whenever a Naipa moved, the sound fluctuated in intensity ordingly. The Naipa on the rope red at the man that tried to attack it, opening its mouth to emit a sonorous scream.

    "Kelellekellekelle!"

    "Ugh!" The man grunted as he shielded his ears, almost fainting from the sound when he noticed the Naipa sprint towards him.

    "Dammit!" He got up, picking up another wrench as he intended to hit it but noticed that the sound made him weak, unable to gather much strength in his limbs. He then saw the Naipa leap towards him, opening its mouth to bite him.

    When it opened its mouth, he was able to see the eyes of his wife, seething in rage as he bellowed, summoning all his strength to m the wrench in its body. But, he noticed it had rxed its body, causing its body to curve in the direction of his attack, moving along as itnded on the tform he stood upon, hardly wounded by the attack.

    Instead, the impact unleashed another loud sonorous sound that thundered in his ears, causing his vision to go blurry as he saw two images of everything, on the verge of losing consciousness.

    The Naipa then tensed up and sprinted towards him, leaping once again as every action of it generated a sonorous sound with varying intensity. And, just when it was about to bite him, the axe head of a war hammer mmed into its belly, lodging into its body.

    It was Re''Gra. mming with all his force, he toppled its body after making an arc with the war hammer, mming its body on the tform as he grunted, pressing the axe head deep into its body, hitting its spine.

    "Heuk!" He bellowed as the war hammer emitted Water Qi, causing the Naipa to scream in pain as the Water Qi ate away at the Metal Qi in its body. It opened its mouth, intending to unleash a breath attack on him when he mmed into its neck with his leg, stomping it hard as he prevented it from breathing.

    He urately targeted its channels to suffocate it immediately and weaken it. When its legs tried to attack him, Re''Gra grunted as he dragged his war hammer, messing up the Naipa''s flesh. He reached its spinal cord, severing it as it was no longer able to move its limbs.

    He then turned his weapon and mmed its head with the hammer, causing a thunderous sound that almost caused him to faint. He then attacked it a couple more times before its head waspletely bashed in.

    "Dammit, this is the problem with facing a Naipa." He cursed, frowning when his voice seemed weaker than usual. But, judging by the intensity in his vocal cord, he knew that the problem wasn''t with his voice, but with his ears.

    The loud sound was damaging his ears.

    Re''Gra then noticed a Naipa running on the ground, being chased by a couple of people whose ears were bleeding. He looked at a rope, jumping as he hooked it using his war hammer, swinging once as he unleashed his Hand Projection, grabbing hold of a rope at the far end of his reach as he swung fast, condensing a sphere of Water Qi before him as he summoned his Balou.

    The Balou angled itself, falling at a rapid speed as he had thrown the sphere of Water Qi he had condensed, using it to give the Balou another boost in falling speed. The Balou made a straight line and headed straight towards the Naipa on the ground.

    Just before it could crash, the Naipa turned around, having sensed something, only to gaze at the face of the Balou in closeup. It noticed the expression of anger on the face of the Balou, thest thing it witnessed before it was crushed into a paste.

    The Balou''s bone''s cracked due to the fall, but it was still fine for the matter. By consuming some of the Water Qi forming its body, it managed to recover from the injuries, getting up as it looked around in search of other Naipa to kill.

    Grabbing the ropes one after another, Re''Gra pulled himself with great speeds, wielding his war hammer the moment his Hand Projection vanished.. Making an arc in the air at great speeds, he arrived at the side of a Naipa that was running on the rope, swinging the axe head right into its face.

 Chapter 321 - Naipa King

    Re''Gra and Re''Dha were fighting against the Naipa in the Metal Spring Vige. As for Re''Kha, she rode her Balou and headed towards the vige on the opposite side of the valley. It was named the Wood Spring Vige.

    It was situated in a cave that was simr in shape and size to the Metal Spring Vige. But, everything in them was made from wood. It seemed this vige relied on wood, and their prime export was wood carpentry.

    They exchanged the wooden furniture they made with the other viges for their necessities. They seldom transacted with Burkurel City. Everything they needed was avable in the numerous viges present in the valley and beyond.

    And now, Re''Kha was headed towards it.

    It was because at the same time the Metal Spring Vige was attacked by the Naipa, the Wood Spring Vige was attacked by a Sha. The Sha was shaped like a wheel with spikes on it. And, wherever it rolled, the people that it came into contact with felt their heads spin as they lost their bnce.

    It only happened for a short time though as they quickly got up after a breath in time. It was because the Sha was still an infant. Once it developed, its ability would also be progressively dangerous.

    Re''Kha wasn''t nning to head to the Wood Spring Vige first. It was only an act. As both the viges were busy, and as she was running through the valley, there were no eyes on her. Using the chance, she activated her Wind Qi perception, expanding her range to take in the entirety of the situation.

    She noticed a group of Naipa standing at the top of the valley, positioned above the Wood Spring Vige. And, standing at the front of the group were two slightlyrger Naipas. And, worn around their necks was a thin metallic thread, so thin it waspletely hidden under the folds of their skin.

    Using her Sha Vision, she noticed that the thin thread around their neck was actually the shell of a Sha. And, it wasn''t one but two. And at present, the Sha from one of the threads had gone to the Wood Spring Vige to attack.

    As for the other one, it was residing within its shell. It too was shaped like a wheel. But then, Re''Kha turned around, looking at a lone figure that was standing at the top of the valley, situated atop the Metal Spring Vige.

    It too was a Naipa but was four times the size of a regr Naipa. And, it exuded a mighty presence due to its massive stature. The moment she noticed it through her Wind Qi perception, Re''Kha learned about its identity.

    Naipa King!

    It was currently looking at the scene of chaos the Sha was creating in the Wood Spring Vige. After all, no matter what they did, the vigers were unable to touch the Sha as its body passed right through them. And, when this happened, their heads spun as they lost their bnce.

    So, all they could do was run helter-skelter and try their best to avoid it; it was chaotic in the vige.

    Re''Kha used her Sha Vision and gazed at the Naipa King, noticing that it too was wearing a threaded cor around its neck. And, sleeping within it was another Sha, also shaped as a wheel. All the three Sha were simrly developed.

    So, it seemed they had been birthed at the same time. And now, the Naipa were using them. Most of the time, a Sha worked alone. It considered all living beings as its prey. Though, it always targeted a Kalki, because only a Kalki can cause it to grow.

    There were some Sha possessing special abilities that allowed them to grow by even attacking the beasts. But such types of Sha were rare. And now, it seemed the three Sha were having a Harmonious rtionship with the Naipa.

    The Naipa would carry their shells to different locations for them to attack. And in return, they would protect the Naipa against any foes that tried to hunt them. This way, both parties would benefit.

    Even though a Naipa was intelligent, it wasn''t capable of achieving such a feat. But, when a Naipa King was involved, everything changed. A Naipa King had intelligence on par with a Harmoniser. Moreover, if given enough time and experience, it would even be able to understand theirnguage.

    Every Beast King was a special existence. Normally, a beast group of 300 wasn''t scary. It could be dealt with. But, a beast group of 300 lead by a Beast King was powerful enough to almost destroy an entire City.

    After all, a Beast King not only led its beast group but at times, it was even able to include numerous animals in the mix. After all, every beast race had an animal counterpart. The Naipas too had an animal variant that was half their size.

    And at times, a Naipa would be birthed in them that acted as their leader. So, there were numerous groups of Naipa animal variants that were led by a Naipa. That''s how their poption was replenished.

    So, even if all the Naipa were annihted, as long as their animal variant existed, they would birth the Naipa sooner orter and replenish the poption of the Naipa eventually. This was true for all beast races.

    And when a Beast King was birthed, all the animal counterparts of their respective race received a boost in strength. From possessing a tenth of the beast''s strength, they would grow to possess half a beast''s strength. They wouldn''t be a beast though, but the explosive growth to their physique would make them dangerous.

    And considering their explosive numbers, they would form a tiderge enough to overwhelm a city. It was all thanks to the intelligence a Beast King possessed. After all, even for a Harmoniser at the peak, killing it would be impossible alone.

    Only a Martial Master would be able to do it. After all, the actual peak of the Harmoniser Realm was a Martial Master. And, a Beast King too stood at the peak of the Harmoniser Realm.

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 Chapter 322 - The Naipa Kingâ€™s Breath Attack

    "The Naipa King¡­" Re''Kha shuddered, unable to decide what to do. Upon seeing the three shells of the Sha, she determined that the three incidents reported by three different viges were done by one of them each.

    So, all her three mission objectives were in one ce. But, she was unable to do anything to them. After all, there was a Naipa King in the ce. She didn''t dare think she was capable of taking on such a powerful foe.

    It was a foe a group of powerful Harmonisers needed to go all out to handle. Considering that there were only three of them, they couldn''t hope to fight against it. As for her, even if she wished to use the power of a Kalha, she couldn''t do so. After all, the Fear Qi reserves in her eyes were empty.

    So, she couldn''t hope to gouge its eyes out and weaken it first. At present, it if targeted her, she had no hope of escaping. Moreover, she didn''t know what it was thinking. If it decided to bring in all the Naipa, the viges in the valley would be wiped out within a few days.

    But, it seemed the Naipa King had ns to develop the three Sha first. Re''Kha knew for a fact that if it seeded, it would make its group too powerful to kill. After all, while fighting against a Beast King, they would also have to defend against a Sha.

    A group of Martial Masters would be required in this case just to fight it alone. Moreover, arge troop of Harmonisers and soldiers would be necessary to handle the remaining Naipa.

    ''And in the case the Sha matures, it would be too much to handle.'' Re''Kha frowned as she rode her Balou, soon reaching the other wall of the valley. She then began to scale up the slope, heading towards Wood Spring Vige.

    The vigers used any and every piece of item around them to hit the Sha. Some types of wood were rich in Fire Qi. They used it to m into the Sha, slightly hitting it. But, they weren''t able to deal much damage.

    None of the items they possessed were on the level of elemental weapons. They only had some items rich in Elemental Qi but weren''t suitable to wield. Among them, the vige head had a sword that was almost an elemental weapon. He was a middle-aged man that was gaining in on his years, wielding his sword as he shed at the Sha.

    But, he stared nkly as the Sha had seeped into the ground, causing him to hit the ground. Then, his vision spun as hended on the ground. Despite it being day, the vigers were beginning to experience mild fear upon seeing their attacks fail to damage the Sha.

    And, every time it caused a person to fall, it grew a tad little. The amount was too little to matter. But it was indeed growing as a result. And if left as is, it would continue growing until it would be able to steal their body parts.

    Re''Kha swiftly appeared in the vige, speeding towards the Sha on her Balou, shouting in the process, "Move away!"

    Upon noticing the Balou, they immediately realised that she was a Harmoniser. Cheering in relief, they moved towards the side, allowing enough space for Re''Kha to sprint towards the Sha. And, unlike the Blinded Ghost, it hadn''t developed enough to return to its shell from anywhere as it pleased.

    That was something only a high-level Sha obtained. Upon seeing the Balou, the Sha quickly seeped into the ground, intending to leave the ce. It didn''t have any confidence of going against a Harmoniser.

    A Sha would terrorise the popce upon appearing. But, the moment it noticed that it was at a disadvantage, it would run away, reappearing only when it judged the situation to be beneficial to it.

    "Everyone, keep moving! Don''t stand in one ce! Don''t allow it to target you!" Upon her shout, the vigers began to move, ensuring they wouldn''t fall and allow the Sha to develop further.

    ''There, ten!'' The moment she recovered 10 units of Water Qi, Re''Kha quickly shielded her Tikka jewellery and switched to the wind element, summoning her Rupak. She then switched back to the water element as the Rupak flew out, soon reaching high up in the air, almost reaching the clouds.

    It then began to glide, elerating further and further by making use of its body of air. Despite its speed, it was invisible. It glided at tremendous speeds, brandishing its ws as it targeted one of the Naipa, the one wearing the cor whose Sha was active in the Wood Spring Vige. This way, it wouldn''t be able to defend against the attack. Otherwise, a Sha would realise the moment its shell was in danger.

    Using the tremendous momentum, the Rupak''s ws urately dug into the Naipa''s neck, grabbing hold of the cor and ripped it out, flying away as it began to attack it using its ws.

    The Sha flew out from the vige in panic, heading towards its shell. Upon seeing the sequence of action, the Naipa King frowned, having witnessed the scenes as it aimed in the direction the Sha was flying, able to faintly make out the cor.

    It condensed Metal Qi into its mouth, for a moment causing thend around it to tremble as it shot out its breath attack. Its breath attack was shaped like a helical spring that swiftly drilled through the air.

    It was small, only the size of her palm, but its speed was tremendous, causing it to emit a whistling sound as it flew. The Rupak quickly evaded, watching the breath attack fly past it, expanding to thirty times its size.

    It turned into arge helical spring that coiled itself out, turning into a thin cylindrical rod due to the sheer number of times it coiled itself. The rod thennded on the ground far away, causing a thunderous rumble as it lodged deep into the ground until it couldn''t even be seen.

    Upon seeing the might of the attack, Re''Kha shuddered, thanking her brain for not trying to face something as scary as that.. If she did, she would die, guaranteed.

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