Please, not Qianyue—my heart dropped like a stone into a cold well.

That bastard—she even struck at a child. What kind of soul rots like swamp water?

Rage shook Tangxue like wildfire in dry grass. She dumped every ward she’d set and sprinted after the path Crimson Goose had taken, a storm at her heels.

Around her, the blood shades bared eerie, moon-slick grins, but they didn’t attack, a pack of wolves pacing in fog.

She whispered in her heart, and her thin sword lengthened into a long spear, like ice growing along a river’s edge.

Frostwhisper answers her will, changing shape; she’d learned that truth late, like dawn after snow.

If she was going to pound the woman hard, a long-haft weapon fit like winter’s cudgel.

In a blink, Tangxue caught up to Crimson Goose. The woman kept drifting forward like a patch of fog, seemingly unaware.

Seeing that, Tangxue cooled, frost settling on a pond.

This was her domain; she should have felt me leave, like wind stirring chimes. Then why—

Damn—it’s a phantom.

Tangxue lifted her spear, eyes sweeping. She turned, and every side was a wall of grinning blood masks, a hive of red faces.

“So gross… ugh.”

Her trypophobia crawled like ants; nausea surged like brine.

The shades flipped to fury, whirling around her like gnats in a storm, yet none rushed first.

“So disgusting… how am I supposed to focus with flies in my ears?”

A red streak lanced her right shoulder, clean as an arrow through silk. Blood fountained like a burst cherry.

As the spray fell, the wound sealed; the spatter froze into hard blue ice, winter knitting flesh.

…

Pain bit like winter wolves, cooling her mind. She lowered her head a fraction, breath steady as mist.

Looks like it’s time to get serious.

She drew a long breath and poured most of her magic into the weapon, a river of power into iron. She vaulted high and hurled it down like a frost comet.

Congealed Frost Throw.

Shrouded in terrifying, divine mana, Frostwhisper tore through the shades and struck stone. Rings of blue light rippled out, fast and visible, like waves on a midnight lake.

Tangxue rode the path Frostwhisper carved and dropped to earth, hands on the haft, face calm as still water.

“Explode…”

Centered on Frostwhisper, a brutal blast erupted within the cramped space. The shades swarmed to staunch the blue, like moths to flame, but pure force made their struggle useless.

The shockwave ripped Crimson Goose’s careful barrier, and it took half the imperial palace with it, like a glacier calving.

Cough—cough—

Tangxue staggered out of the smoke, ash-smeared and ragged, a stray cat dragging breath.

Finally got out… I should use big explosions less. They’re murder on the body, drums pounding the bones.

Qianyue and Qianya should be fine… I aimed most of the force at stone and timber, to gut this den. They shouldn’t be caught… probably?

…

For no reason, panic fluttered again—sparrows trapped in her chest.

She was about to move when Qianyue burst from the haze, and Qianya with her, two lanterns relit in ash.

“Qianyue, Qianya—you’re okay! Thank the stars!” She waved and ran to them, relief washing like warm rain.

“Qianyue, are you hurt? Did that Vampire touch you? If she did, I’ll kill her.” Her voice scraped like steel on ice.

“Sis, I’m fine…” Qianyue shook her head. “Right—sis, you were trapped in those blood shades. Did you get hurt?”

“I’m mostly fine… Qianya?” Tangxue glanced at Qianyue, whose face looked tight, then turned, feeling a sour plum note.

Odd—when I spoke to Qianyue first, did Qianya get jealous?

Was that just my imagination?

Her survival instinct tugged like a cold wind. She hurried to ask Qianya.

Qianya blinked, then put on a flat look. “I’m fine…”

“But Crimson Goose is too much. She couldn’t claim the palace, so she let loose forbidden magic to wreck it.” Qianya’s brows drew tight, a line of winter. “Venomous woman. After this war, repairs will take at least half a year. I bet she plans to move to the City of Woe, so she blew the palace on purpose.”

“Uh…” Tangxue rubbed her head, sheepish as a child in snow. “That spell was mine.”

Qianya fell silent, a dropped stone in a well.

…

“Runt! You dared destroy my palace! I’ll kill you!”

Crimson Goose lunged from the smoke, face twisted like a demon mask. Her white hair, once tidy, hung wild like storm-tossed weeds.

She prized this palace more than anyone; she’d commanded its building herself, brick by stubborn brick, and part of her obsession with the throne lived in these walls like a ghost.

When Qingsheng Tangxue unleashed that ice blast, Crimson Goose panicked. She threw her full power to shield the palace, and still half the imperial palace vanished like sand under a wave.

Seeing it, Crimson Goose felt her heart bleed ink.

Even she wouldn’t harm this place, and this little runt dared—

Her eyes bulged at Qingsheng Tangxue, hair bristling like porcupine quills with rage.

“Qianya, didn’t you say you needed the underground palace? Then go!” Tangxue’s urgency rang like a bell. “I’ll stall this madwoman. You head for the underground palace! Qianyue, find a place to hide!”

“Okay!” Qianyue bolted, obedient as a swallow, because she trusted her sister like the moon.

“But…” Qianya looked at Tangxue, joy and worry braided like smoke and silk. The words at her lips wouldn’t jump.

If Tangxue really bought her time, she could finally fulfill a long-held wish; but leaving Tangxue alone before an enraged Crimson Goose was nine deaths, one life, thin ice over deep water.

She hesitated, teetering, mind split—reason said turn and run, feeling rooted her feet like old trees.

If I run, how is it different from two thousand years ago?

Do I watch someone I care about die again, a winter replayed?

Qianya grit her teeth. “Tangxue, I—”

“Go!” Tangxue braced her spear against an incoming blade, the impact ringing like iron on stone. “I don’t know how long I can hold. If you don’t go, we all die here!”

“You said the underground palace could let you break through! If you move fast, we have hope. I can hold a bit longer… don’t waste time!”

Her words poured like a bucket of cold water, shocking Qianya awake.

Right… if I move fast, there’s hope. If I waste time, it’s over.

“Tangxue, wait for me. I’ll be back soon! Please—don’t die!” With a wet, breaking voice, Qianya sprinted into the smoke, a comet vanishing into cloud.

Crimson Goose watched her original target leave and suddenly didn’t care. She only wanted to rip the runt before her into shreds, confetti in blood wind.

Seeing Qianya go, Tangxue’s mouth curled with a strange little smile, a crescent of ice.

“Now… just us two, right?”

“You had your fun hitting me, didn’t you? Now it’s my turn.” Her words clicked like teeth, bright as flint.

Tangxue used a self-mutilating trick to pry them apart, forcing distance like a wedge of steel.

She paid with an arm, carving a wound on her foe with Frostwhisper’s bite, a blue scar on red rage.

Then her arm grew back, willow sprout from winter stump.

Pfft—

Seeing the fallen limb melt into clear water on the floor, Tangxue almost laughed, a bubble in frost.

Never thought I’d fight like a scoundrel one day…

But against someone like this, forget martial virtue; only winter law applies.

She lifted her gaze, cold and level at Crimson Goose, eyes like knives of ice.

“Next, it’s my turn.”