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  Ancient Fragment #15

  Overexertion is the play of a fool. Always guard your strength, for one more enemy may come. Push too far, and the mantis stalking the cicada may lose everything to the oriole lying in wait.

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  "Are you hurt anywhere?" Hua Qingqing shouted across the battlefield to Long Tianyu.

  "I'm fine!" Long Tianyu shouted back. He raised a shaky thumbs up while lying flat on the ground, his chest heaving from exhaustion. Dust and blood from the viper clung to his clothes and hair, and he could barely lift his head.

  "I just need a little bit of time to rest, I think."

  He let out a weak laugh, then turned his head toward Hua Qingqing.

  "Qingqing, what do you think about my sword? We should go back to Moon..."

  His voice stopped abruptly. His eyes flicked toward Bai Qing, who stood several paces away. He suddenly realized he had almost revealed their origin to a complete stranger and he had also said 'Qingqing'.

  The air fell into an awkward silence.

  They are from Moondragon City?

  Bai Qing stared at the two of them. Her legs were still trembling from the battle, and her breathing had not returned to normal. Fear and relief twisted together inside her chest. Only moments ago she had been certain she would die.

  She watched Long Tianyu lying helpless on the ground and Hua Qingqing standing calmly nearby, her posture relaxed but alert. Bai Qing could feel it clearly. Their strength was far beyond her own. Even though Hua Qingqing had barely moved during the fight, Bai Qing was certain she was stronger than Long Tianyu.

  Much stronger.

  Her heart pounded wildly before she finally forced herself to steady her breathing.

  "Thank you so much for saving me," Bai Qing said, her voice breaking. The words came out uneven, and before she could stop herself, tears spilled down her cheeks again.

  Hua Qingqing's expression softened. She stepped closer, her eyes scanning Bai Qing carefully.

  "Are you hurt anywhere?" she asked gently.

  Bai Qing shook her head quickly, wiping her face with her sleeve.

  "No... no, I'm okay. Just shaken." She hesitated, then looked between the two of them. "Why did you save me?"

  A laugh drifted over from the distance.

  "Why not?" Long Tianyu called out from the ground. He shifted slightly and winced, but still managed to grin. "Sometimes we just do what we feel like. That's all there is to it."

  Hua Qingqing glanced back at him, amused, then returned her attention to Bai Qing.

  "Do not mind him," she said. "He speaks before he thinks."

  Long Tianyu raised a hand weakly in protest. "I heard that."

  Hua Qingqing ignored him and continued.

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  "We came looking for something. Crimson Gold Flowers. Have you seen any nearby?"

  Bai Qing blinked, caught off guard by the sudden change in topic. She thought for a moment, trying to recall everything she had seen while fleeing and fighting.

  "Crimson Gold Flowers..." she murmured. "I think I might have. Deeper into the valley I saw something glowing red and gold among the rocks, but we.. me and my junior brother and sisters did not get close. There were beasts guarding that area."

  Long Tianyu suddenly pushed himself halfway up, interest flashing across his tired face.

  "Really? You are sure?"

  "I can't be completely certain," Bai Qing replied, "but it looked exactly like what you described."

  Hua Qingqing nodded slowly, her eyes thoughtful.

  "Then that is likely our destination."

  She turned back to Bai Qing. "Can you still move? It may not be safe for you to remain here alone."

  Bai Qing hesitated, then gave a small nod.

  "I can walk. Slowly."

  Long Tianyu groaned as he tried to sit up fully.

  "Give me a moment and I will walk too. Probably. Maybe."

  Hua Qingqing crossed her arms, a faint smile tugging at her lips.

  "You said you only needed a little rest."

  "I did," Long Tianyu replied defensively. "I just did not say how little."

  Bai Qing let out a quiet laugh. The tension in her chest eased. Deep inside she still felt sad for what had just happened, but at least she was alive and had not brought shame to her sect or abandoned her junior brothers and sisters even though she could have escaped.

  Long Tianyu finally gathered his energy and stood up before Bai Qing.

  "Oh, we completely forgot. What is your name?" Long Tianyu put on a kind smile and extended his hand.

  Bai Qing hesitated for a brief moment, then accepted the handshake. His grip was warm and steady, nothing like the fierce presence he had shown in battle.

  "I'm Bai Qing, of The White Moon Sect. What are your names, Senior Sister and Senior Brother?"

  Long Tianyu answered without missing a beat. "We are rogue cultivators, husband and wife. I'm Xie Tianyu, and my wife is Xie Qingqing."

  He pointed casually toward Hua Qingqing.

  Her cheeks turned red at once.

  Who is your wife? Dammit.

  Hua Qingqing shot him a sharp look, but said nothing. She understood immediately. Long Tianyu was trying to hide their identities. He had most likely exposed their origin earlier, and now he was covering it with the simplest lie possible.

  Bai Qing did not notice the silent exchange. She only nodded politely.

  "I see. Thank you again for saving me, Senior Brother Xie, Senior Sister Xie."

  Long Tianyu scratched the back of his head, suddenly looking a little embarrassed by the formal address.

  "No need to be so polite. Just Brother Tianyu is fine."

  Hua Qingqing finally spoke, her voice calm again. "Sister Qingqing is fine for me as well."

  Bai Qing nodded, though she still looked a little uncertain about being so informal.

  Before guiding them toward the Crimson Gold Flower, she paused and looked back toward the battlefield. The earlier sadness returned to her eyes.

  "I need a moment," she said quietly. "I have to bury my sect members first. It is the last thing I can do for them."

  Long Tianyu's expression softened. Hua Qingqing simply gave a small nod.

  "Of course." Hua Qingqing said softly.

  The three of them worked together in silence.

  The process was simple but heavy. Long Tianyu used his sword to break the ground while Hua Qingqing cleared debris and carried stones aside. Bai Qing moved carefully between the bodies of her fallen companions, her movements steady despite her trembling hands.

  They buried each disciple with care.

  Bai Qing gathered their belongings before closing each grave. Pills, swords, identification tokens, and storage pouches were all placed into her own pouch. These would be returned to the sect. From there, they would be sent back to the families.

  It did not take long with three people working, but to Bai Qing it felt like hours.

  When it was done, Long Tianyu and Hua Qingqing stepped back, giving her space and instead focused on harvesting the treasures from the Twin Red Vipers. Once again the knowledge came naturally to them as they skillfully cut open the beast.

  The fangs, poison sack and beast cores were worth a lot. Sadly, they could not bring the entire vipers back to the Jin family, but they cut up enough precious meat to last the family a long time and stored it in Hua Qingqing's storage pouch. Long Tianyu also picked up the sword he had thrown in the fight and stored it in its scabbard.

  Bai Qing stood alone before the row of newly made graves. The wind stirred her hair and robes, carrying the faint scent of blood and earth. Her chest tightened, but this time she did not cry.

  She brought her hands together and bowed her head.

  She prayed for them, for their souls to find peace and a good afterlife. She thanked them for the years they had trained together, for the laughter, the arguments, and the memories that would now never grow any further.

  Junior Brother Gu..

  Junior Sister Bing..

  Junior Sister Yuexin...

  ...

  Her voice was barely above a whisper.

  "I will bring your belongings home. I promise."

  For a long moment, she did not move.

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  End of chapter 15 - Burial