Cousin MinMin

Few minutes after crossing the dark river...

Xin Minxia frowned as her sword clashed against that of Chun Hua. The impact was enough to make her hand hurt, but the other woman did not even flinch.

"You've grown weaker, cousin MinMin!"

The other Chun Hua had a perverse smirk on her face as she blocked yet another strike. She seemed to be enjoying herself quite a lot. meanwhile Xin Minxia's expression only grew darker.

"Bring back the real Chun Hua, you wretch!"

She had been hurt really deeply by this side of her younger cousin back when they were kids, and the mental scars still remained till today.

"Oh come on, cousin MinMin. So what if I killed aunt and maimed uncle. I spared your life, didn't I? I'm a great cousin."

Back when they were children, Chun Hua, before having her soul split, had thrown a tantrum and tried to overthrow the entire Ashen Flame Clan. Xin Jiefan, Minxia's mother, had died in the process while trying to calm down the rampaging child and Xin Xinjiang lost an eye.

"You are no relative of mine."

Xin Minxia increased her pace, the cacophony of steel ringing aloud in the dark forest, slashing and stabbing and piercing and cutting. The two were locked in a furious swordfight, for reasons unknown even to them. The sound of a sword clashing against another sword was greatly intensified, as the pent up emotions that Minxia had locked up over dozens of regressions, were clashing against the pent up resentment that the other Chun Hua had built up from being sealed for many a few seasons. Finally, the other Chun Hua's sword went flying into the air, and Xin Minxia's longsword was grazing the surface of her throat.

"Bring. Back. Chun Hua."

Xin Minxia despised this side of Chun Hua and was glad that it had been sealed away. That was why she always panicked whenever Chun Hua went wild, and always frowned whenever Chun Hua told her that she let the other side out. With an annoyed 'Tch', and followed by a few curses, Lee Chun Hua's eyes went dim for a second, and a confused Chun Hua raised a brow.

"Senior sister Xin? Why is your sword pointing at my neck?"

Xin Minxia angrily grabbed hold of the younger woman's ear and was about scolding her for letting her other side take control, when Seth let out a very long sigh.

"Can someone tell me what the heck is going on here-"

"Seth!"

Yet another person emerged out of the bushes. A silver haired female with grey unfocused eyes. However, now those unfocused eyes were directed at the black haired youth. Seth looked at the lady with a raised brow. How the hell did this woman know his name.

"Uh, hi... I guess? Who are you?"

Nyakumi frowned slightly and put her hands in her waist.

"Oh right, you wouldn't recognize me in this body. It's me, Nia."

"Nia?"

Seth frowned deeply in thought for a second or two, His eyebrows quivered slightly and then his eyes widened in realization.

"Nia?! What the... Why are... How are you here?!"

The platinum haired lady chuckled lightly and scratched the back of her head.

"Um, Have you ever heard of truck-kun?"

"You were done in by a truck?"

"Something like tha-"

Before she could finish, the red haired youth, Baek Daechul asked the questions that was on everyone's minds.

"Alright can someone explain all this?! Why does hyung know Blind Blade, why is Lady Minxia fighting with Lady Chun Hua, and why the heavens are-"

"Young master Daechul!"

Park Ju-Hui had just emerged from the bushes. Her hair was dishevelled, her breathing was uneven, and her clothes bearing the scratches and tears of pushing through a forest. Apparently, when the other Chun Hua found Xin Minxia's location, she dashed over by herself and abandoned the group, Mu Yan Zu quickly followed behind her, and Nya already had someone whom she was searching for. All her 'comrades' were of a far higher cultivation realm than she was, and the black haired youth could not help but lag behind. But she made it here safely, at least. Lady Lee Chun Hua had met with Lady Xin Minxia, the normally cold Nya was beaming brightly, Mu Yan Zu was glaring daggers at Xin Minxia, and then the handsome fellow who bought the spirit grade sucrose herbs from her almost a month ago was also there. What were the chances that everyone knew everyone already?

"Why is everyone here already?"

***

"Well, that's that."

Xin Minxia shrugged and leaned back on a tree trunk. She had just explained the mystery behind Lee Chun Hua and her other side which NY itself was a really long story.

"So... Chun Hua has D-I-D?"

Seth kind of felt bad for her. It must have been torturous to have a person's soul split into two, and at ten years of age no less. But still, the story served to fill him with awe and strengthen his resolve to grow stronger.

'She almost overthrew an entire sect at ten years of age...'

His thoughts were interrupted by Baek Daechul who pointed to Nyakumi.

"Alright, so we know why Lady Xin Minxia and the other side of Lady Chun Hua battled against each other, but how does Seth hyung know The Blind Blade?"

Blind Blade, the visually impaired daughter of the Nayuta sect, Nyakumi Ren. One of the top fifty strongest cultivators of the continent, and the coldest one at that. She was merciless, cleaved skulls open at a whim, and never ever smiled. Her name was widespread around the Sectdoms and almost every cultivator knew about her. She was even almost as famous as Lee Chun Hua, feared as much as Yu Jiwon, and revered even more than the head of her clan. She had the unique ability to literally see Ki, followed by the power to empty an entire dantian in one strike. No low level cultivator is supposed to even know what she looked like, but she knew Seth by name - and he was merely at the Nascent Body realm!