I Shattered My Own Bones and Left Her World Forever

At the Grand Tournament, my master shattered my Soul-Bound Sword in front of the entire sect.

She withdrew her hand. "Without your sword, let's see how you walk the Path of the Unfeeling."

But what I heard was the voice inside her head, sick and frenzied:

With the sword gone, he's nothing. He'll have no choice but to cling to me, day and night. My little caged bird.

Descending from Cloudrise Terrace, her step faltered and she fell.

The voice surged again: Does it hurt him to see this? Hurry, come help me up! Just reach out your hand and I'll forgive everything. I'll even let you touch my face...

She pushed herself up, brushed off her robes twice, and didn't look at me.

Gabriel Fox came over with a wooden sword and pressed it into my hands. "Senior brother, Master is only doing this for your own good. Once you get used to a wooden sword, it's really no worse than a Soul-Bound Sword."

I took the wooden sword and bowed. "Master's correction is just. This disciple acknowledges his fault."

Back on Sovereign Peak, Seraphina Voss had my Spirit Convergence Array dismantled and reassigned the spirit spring to Gabriel.

Cry. Just shed one tear. Beg me once, and I'd give you my life.

I packed my things into a Spatial Pouch and moved to the Servants' Quarters.

Seraphina stood in the doorway. Her hand trembled once.

Why won't you beg me? Are you trying to make me die of heartbreak? Fine. Let's see how long that stubborn pride lasts. When you can't take it anymore, you'll come crawling back, crying for me to hold you.

She didn't know the system had been repaired.

Seven more days, and I'd be free of this lunatic. Home for good.

What I didn't expect was that the moment I truly vanished, that lunatic would appear in my bedroom drenched in blood, her fingers locked around my ankle like a vice, laughing.

...

I set the medicine pot over the charcoal fire.

For a handful of hemostatic herbs, I'd dragged my wounded body through the Hinterlands for four hours, digging in the dirt.

The wooden door exploded inward, kicked off its hinges. Splinters rained down.

A brocade boot came down on the medicine pot.

The clay vessel cracked apart. Brown medicinal broth splashed across the floor.

Scalding dregs hit the back of my hand, raising angry red welts.

Gabriel Fox stood in the doorway, grinning.

"Senior brother, that herbal stench is unbearable. What if it upsets my spirit finch?"

Behind him trailed disciples from the Hall of Judgment, every one of them men I'd once trained.

Now they stood with arms folded over their swords, not sparing me a glance.

Gabriel plucked the half-boiled stalk of seven-leaf purple lingzhi from the floor.

"Perfect. My spirit finch has been off its feed. This herb is common trash, but it'll do as an appetizer for a pet."

That was seven-leaf purple lingzhi.

Five years ago, when Seraphina was gravely wounded in the Hidden Realm, I'd fought my way into the Beast's Lair and bled half my body dry to bring back that single stalk.

She'd glanced at it once and said, "Adequate."

Now I was on my hands and knees in the Hinterlands scrounging for herb scraps, and Gabriel was feeding them to a bird.

Before, I would have drawn my sword and fought him over it. Now I just watched the panel hovering in my vision.

[Time remaining until extraction from this world: 6 days]

I stepped back, making room for Gabriel.

"If it pleases you, junior brother, take it."

Gabriel's smile froze. He hadn't expected compliance.

His eyes darted, and his fingers stroked the fur cloak draped over his shoulders.

That was Snowball.

My spirit fox, raised for ten years, fed on my own spiritual energy since it was a kit.

Yesterday Gabriel had mentioned he was cold. Seraphina skinned her alive.

Gabriel pulled the cloak tighter and nuzzled his face into the fur collar.

"Senior brother, this pelt is so warm. I really must thank Master for spoiling me. Don't blame her, though. An animal getting to keep me warm? That's the best fate a beast could hope for."

A stab of pain in my chest. Then nothing.

I stared at the muddy water on the ground.

A few more days. Then this would be over.

Seraphina appeared at the courtyard gate in her black ceremonial robes.

She stepped into the small yard, a crease forming between her brows. The smell of mildew, probably.

She looked at me.

"It was just a beast."