"Why do you always try to save them?" Xun'er asked, her voice carrying clearly over the gap between them as they vaulted over a narrow alleyway. "In the spring, you could have crippled Jia Lie Ao and his mates, but you instead started teaching them. Tonight, you risked facing that cloaked expert's wrath just to pull Liu Xi back from death. In this world, mercy is usually a fatal weakness."
Yoriichi was surprised that she knows his earlier businesses but he did not break his stride. He kept his eyes focused on the distant, looming silhouette of the Xiao Clan estate's outer walls.
"I do not view mercy as a weakness. I view it as a profound responsibility," Yoriichi replied smoothly, his breath perfectly measured despite their high-speed sprint. "I simply see possibilities, and I act ahead. If a man is entirely consumed by his demonic nature and poses an absolute threat to the innocent, my blade will not hesitate. But if there is a crack in their armor—a possibility for redemption—then ending their life is a waste of a soul. That is all."
He turned his head slightly, offering her a calm, respectful glance. "Speaking of acting ahead... you are incredibly impressive, Cousin Xun'er. To completely overwhelm a 6-Star Dou Zhe and blow that man away so thoroughly in the blink of an eye. Your power is staggering."
Xun'er's heart skipped a beat. She quickly averted her gaze, looking forward. She couldn't reveal the truth of her ancient, god-tier bloodline or the Heavenly Flame residing within her.
"Ah... yes," Xun'er half-truth smoothly, adopting a humble, slightly embarrassed tone. "It is just a secret technique that my family taught me. It allows me to temporarily level up my Dou Qi and forcefully project the power of a Da Dou Shi for a very brief moment."
Yoriichi's eyes widened slightly, a flicker of genuine surprise crossing his stoic face.
"Oh? Like A secret technique?" Yoriichi asked, his tone shifting from philosophical to intensely analytical.
Using his knowledge of human biology and the Transparent World, Yoriichi knew that violently forcing a mortal body to project power two entire cultivation realms above its actual capacity was practically suicidal. It was like trying to force a raging river through a fragile bamboo pipe.
"I have never seen such a powerful, instantaneous amplification technique," Yoriichi continued, his voice laced with genuine concern. He closed the distance between them slightly as they landed on a wide, flat rooftop. "But surely, a technique that forces your meridians to cross such massive boundaries cannot be without a heavy toll. Is there no severe side effect on your body when you do this?"
Xun'er stumbled—a literal, physical misstep on the clay tiles.
She quickly caught her balance, but she was little shocked by his reaction.
In her entire life, surrounded by the power-hungry elites of the Central Plains and the ambitious elders of her ancient clan, people only ever looked at her power with two emotions: absolute terror, or boundless, greedy envy. They cared about the golden flame. They cared about the destruction it could cause.
No one, outside of her own father, Ling Ying, or Xiao Yan, had ever stopped to ask if wielding that apocalyptic power actually hurt her.
She looked at Yoriichi. His crimson eyes weren't looking at her with fear or greed. They were looking at her with the pure, unadulterated empathy of an older brother worried about a sibling burning their hands on a hot stove.
A sudden warmth blossomed in Xun'er's chest, completely melting away the last remnants of her cold, ruthless assassin persona.
A genuine, breathtakingly beautiful smile broke across her face, lighting up her delicate features brighter than the moon above.
"Hmm... there is a little," Xun'er admitted softly, her voice carrying a sweet, melodic honesty. "Very little. A slight burning sensation in the meridians, and deep exhaustion. But it doesn't bother me much because I only use it very rarely."
She let out a soft, melodic laugh, the sound ringing like silver bells in the night air. "So you can rest assured, Xiao Ning. I am perfectly fine. If not for today's extreme events, and the fact that he dared to touch Xiao Yan ge-ge, I wouldn't have used it at all."
Seeing the genuine, happy smile on her face, and realizing she was not in any immediate physical danger from her own powers, the heavy, stoic mask that Yoriichi constantly wore finally cracked.
The corners of his lips twitched, and then, slowly, they curled upward into a brilliant, handsome smile. It was a smile completely devoid of the old Xiao Ning's arrogance; it was the warm, radiant smile of the Sun.
"Oh, yes... I will definitely remember that," Yoriichi joked humbly, a rare tease slipping past his disciplined lips. "I must remember to never insult your Xiao Yan in front of you. Considering what you did to that alchemist, I highly doubt my physical body would be able to tackle your golden fury if I crossed that line."
Xun'er's golden eyes widened drastically.
She stared at the youth started smiling and running beside her made her little mesmerized.
Xun'er couldn't help it. A bright, playful laugh escaped her lips, echoing into the night sky.
"Yes..." Xun'er joked back, her eyes dancing with amusement as she matched his stride. "We will definitely see about that, Xiao Ning. You had better stay on your best behavior."
The rest of the journey across the rooftops was filled with light, easy conversation. The heavy, geopolitical burdens and the scent of blood were left far behind them in the Jia Lie estate. For a few brief, peaceful minutes, they were just two exceptionally talented youths enjoying the thrill of a midnight run beneath the stars.
Eventually, the towering, familiar silhouette of the Xiao Clan's inner compound rose before them.
They descended from the rooftops, landing silently in a secluded, manicured garden near the center of the estate, where their respective paths would diverge.
The adrenaline of the night had completely faded, leaving a comfortable, companionable silence between them.
"Thank you for the company," Yoriichi said, offering a polite, shallow bow. The smile still lingered faintly in his eyes. "Have a good rest, Xun'er. The sun will rise soon."
"You too, Xiao Ning," Xun'er replied, offering a graceful nod. Her golden eyes were soft, reflecting a newfound, deep respect for the red-haired youth. "Take care of yourself."
They turned their separate ways. Xun'er melted into the shadows, heading toward her heavily guarded, luxurious private quarters, her heart significantly lighter than when she had left.
Yoriichi walked silently down the winding stone paths toward his courtyard. As he walked, his mind naturally shifted back from the chaotic events of the night to the complex, elemental theories waiting for him on his wooden floor. The political storm had been averted, Liu Xi was gone, and the clan was safe.
Now, the supreme swordsman had only one task left before the dawn broke: to continue carving his own, heaven-defying path through the impossible depths of the Battle Through the Heavens scroll.