The sun has set, the last vestiges of its light setting westward. Ma Feima looked at the sky. [...]

There were only clouds and the afterglow in the sky. There was nothing special about the clouds or the afterglow,

but Ma Feima watched them intently nonetheless.

It didn’t matter what he was looking at, but that he was waiting.

He didn’t like to wait, but he was very good at it.

He’d been a faithful companion to waiting for these past 10 years.

 Creak— A quiet squeaky noise sounded behind him. Ma Feima turned around to see a girl leaning by the door, scowling at him: [Old Sixth. You’ve aged so much.] [Heh, I can always count on Senior Sister’s brutal honesty. It’s been twenty years, that’s bound to happen.] Ma Feima couldn’t help but laugh. All these years, and his Fifth Senior Sister was still just as she was then. How was that not something to be happy about? [Looks like age hasn’t matured you one bit.] Lingshuang glanced inside the room and said coldly:

[You’ve always been a pretty good kid, and now you pick up fights whenever you want.

Who gave you the right to hurt my disciple?]

Ma Feima stood there for a second. Even if he knew that his Fifth Senior Sister had taken in a disciple, he never actually associated the bonds of a master and a disciple with her.

To him, she’d always been cold and emotionless.

 [Who’s… That little girl?] [She’s Seventh Sister’s daughter.] [No wonder she looked familiar, she’s Suyi’s — What’s her name again?] [Sushang.] [Oh, kind of sounds like her mom’s name.] [...] [...] The woman showed no reaction to his statement. [Fine… Let’s cut the pleasantries.] Ma Feima said, smiling. He raised his hand, and a gigantic object appeared. It was a crimson greatsword about five feet in length. It looked kind of like Sushang’s Xuanyuan. The fifth disciple of Taixuan stared coldly at her sixth brother’s greatsword, a complicated look sparkling in her eyes. But all she said in the end was:

[What? Are you trying to show off?]

[Hahaha! No! I could never boast in front of my Fifth Senior Sister! I’d have no chance of winning even if you don’t have your Xuanyuan Sword.]

 Ma Feima laughed heartily, but then adopted a more serious look, bowing down to the woman: [It’s been twenty years, and I wanted to ask you for a duel to see if I’ve grown at all.] [You truly have gotten old. You weren’t like this before.] [...Yes, people change.] [For the worse, it would seem.] Lingshuang entered the courtyard and shook her robe. [I’ll comply, you can strike me now.] [Are you not going to use a weapon, Senior Sister?] [No need.] 「I'll believe you.」 Ma Feima shook his giant greatsword in the air. [But this is a Xuanyuan Sword. The wounds they’d inflict are no joke, are you sure?] [Shut up, you think I don’t know that? It’s not like I have a [Xuanyuan] anyway, so does it matter what I use?]

Ma Feima titled his head. This wasn’t the answer he was expecting.

The duel was one thing, but he also wanted to know where that little girl’s Xuanyuan Sword came from.

 [Is little Sushang’s Xuanyuan Sword not yours?] 「Isn't the original sword from Lingshuang Nee-san?」 Lingshuang looked around and spotted an empty sheath. She picked it up. [Fine fine, whatever you say. Now I have a weapon too.] Ma Feima stood there slightly stunned. [You’re going to use that scrap piece of wood against my 【Redsweord】?] [Again with the 【Redsweord】...] She scoffed.

[Don’t underestimate this piece of wood, it has a name too. It’s called 【Sternsheath】.

How’s that? Is it worthy enough to face your 【Redsweord】?]

 [...] [... Hahahahaha!] Ma Feima couldn’t hold in his laughter. He was extremely overjoyed right now.

There were few worthy of being his opponent in these past twenty years, so he hadn’t had a chance to unsheathe【Redsweord】before.

He’d been teetering at the edge of death many times before, but this battle, one that didn’t necessarily risk his life, was the true battle of skill that he wished for.

 [Let’s see if【Sternsheath】can break my strike!]