Jiang Na's knuckles whitened around the hilt of her sword. That last strike had consumed three-fourths of her strength. She had thought that even if she failed to grievously injure her opponent, she would at least force open an opportunity. Yet Shi Jin had evaded it with ridiculous ease, the attack barely grazing the edge of his robes. To follow her without a sound and brush off most of her power so casually—this man's strength was far beyond her estimation.
Cherry blossoms drifted down around them, settling on her shoulders and her sword, but she did not dare relax for an instant. The soft petals felt sharp now, a silent reminder that she could not afford the slightest carelessness. She could sense that Shi Jin held no murderous aura. But that calm, in the face of such an overwhelming gap in power, only unsettled her more. The goodwill of a stronger foe could turn to malice at any moment. She could not risk it. Even if he claimed to mean no harm, following her to this isolated cliff was suspicious by itself.
"You say you only came to return a pendant," Jiang Na said, her voice icy. "Then why follow me here? You have more than enough strength to hurt me whenever you want. That kind of power is a threat on its own. I cannot trust someone with unknown origins and terrifying strength."
Shi Jin looked at her tense expression and sighed helplessly. "I really am only here to return your pendant. What will it take for you to believe me?"
Jiang Na's grip on her sword tightened further. She knew she was no match for him. Continuing to fight would only end in defeat. Rather than lingering, she decided to retreat first and figure out his identity and purpose later. She quickly scanned her surroundings and formed a plan—run toward Sakura Port. There were too many people around, allowing her to lose Shi Jin in the crowd and call on the elders for help at any time.
Having made up her mind, Jiang Na turned without hesitation. Magic flickered beneath her feet, and she darted toward Sakura Port in an instant. As she fled, she glanced back, swinging the Luo Fei Sword to release several small lightning sword qi toward Shi Jin, forcing him to pause and dodge. Fear flashed in Jiang Na's eyes, but there was also unyielding resolve. She had to protect the Luo Fei Sword and never let it fall into unknown hands.
Shi Jin watched her fleeing figure, shooting sword qi behind her, and shook his head helplessly. He did not chase. He only stood there, watching her disappear into the cherry blossom forest, and muttered to himself, "This little girl is quite sharp."
The sea wind wrapped cherry blossoms across the cliff. A few pink petals landed on Shi Jin's shoulder. He looked down at the necklace on his chest; the pendant was calm and still. He then touched the jade pendant in his pocket, his fingers brushing the cherry blossom pattern. The cold jade surface seemed to still carry a trace of Jiang Na's warmth.
"I only wanted to return what belonged to her, but it turned out like this," he sighed softly. There was no frustration in his tone, only helplessness at the misunderstanding. He lifted his gaze toward Sakura Port, where lights had completely swallowed her figure. He knew that chasing her now would only frighten Jiang Na even more.
The wind lifted his clothes, blowing the cherry blossoms from his shoulder, spinning toward the sea. Shi Jin looked away and turned toward the cherry blossom forest behind him, his steps steady but unhurried. His black figure flickered in the pink rain of flowers, eventually melting into the depths of the night. Only the lingering scent of lightning and the rustling cherry blossoms on the ground remained at the cliff.
Chiba Kana stumbled almost wildly into the shrine. Her messy hair stuck to her cheeks, the tips dripping with salty seawater. Her skirt was stained with grass and tiny cuts from the cliffside rocks. The Luo Fei Sword in her hand hummed and trembled, lightning flickering unsteadily across its blade.
"Brother!" She pushed open the door of the council chamber, her voice still breathless.
Chiba Jiang Yu was standing before a sand table, his fingers brushing a blue glass bead representing the waters of Sakura Port. He turned at her voice, his dark eyes sharpening at once. He immediately noticed the strangeness of her sword and the deep panic in her eyes.
"What happened?" Jiang Yu stepped forward quickly, his tone calm but commanding. "Your sword is resonating. Who did you meet?"
Jiang Na grabbed his sleeve, her voice trembling slightly. "There was a man with long black hair at the cliff. He said he wanted to return my pendant, but I felt uneasy as I got closer… The Luo Fei Sword also acted strange, as if warning me about something. I was too nervous to ask more. I couldn't fight him, so I ran back! The council checked and said he's just a registered tourist, but I don't believe them!"
Jiang Yu listened in silence. His fingers gently stroked the blade of the Luo Fei Sword. When he touched the remaining lightning aura, his brow furrowed slightly, but he did not lose his temper. He walked to a hidden compartment in the chamber and pressed a cherry-blossom-patterned brick. A small bronze bird whistle popped out.
"Calm down first," Jiang Yu said. He picked up the whistle and blew softly—its sound was extremely low, almost inaudible, yet instantly pierced the shrine and spread across the island. "I've alerted the Shadow Ravens. They will track the man discreetly and check all his entry records. Even a fake identity will be dug out."
He turned back to the sand table, his finger circling the route Jiang Na had taken from the cliff back to the shrine, then tapping the side roads around the cliff. "You said he didn't chase you. That's interesting. Either he truly only wanted to return your pendant and was scared off by your wariness… or he let you come back on purpose, to gauge the shrine's reaction."
Jiang Yu's finger stopped at the cherry blossom forest on the sand table, his gaze sharp. "I've already ordered the Shadow Ravens to set hidden sentries at all exits near the cliff. If he appears again, we'll know at once. As for the scene—investigating it now is too risky. If he's truly a master, he might have left traps there, waiting for us to walk right in."
He looked at Jiang Na, his tone softening with brotherly comfort. "Rest here first. Drink some warm tea. Once the Shadow Ravens send word that the man's movements are clear, I will take the Bo Bo Sword to the cliff myself and search carefully for any trace he left behind."