Chapter 8: A New World, Old Grudges, and a Fateful Favor

The sparsely furnished room contained only a weathered, low wooden table, a few small, uncomfortable wooden stools, and a single, aged plank bed.

Despite its humble decor, the room was remarkably tidy, devoid of any clutter or grime, suggesting its occupant possessed a diligent habit of maintaining cleanliness.

Bai Zhi, Rena, Xia Ranxin, and the enigmatic woman who had launched a sudden assault in the alley earlier, now found themselves gathered around the humble wooden table.

With their presence, the already modest room, which could hardly be called spacious, felt even more confined and crowded. A profound silence enveloped the four individuals.

The mysterious woman, eyes closed, appeared to be merely resting, yet her body remained coiled and alert like a taut bowstring, conveying an imminent readiness to spring up and strike her perceived foe at any second.

Rena, too, fixed the woman before her with an adversarial gaze, evidently still smarting from her recent, careless defeat.

Bai Zhi, however, appeared utterly at ease, leisurely sipping the plain boiled water Xia Ranxin had served, all the while surveying her surroundings with an expression of curious astonishment.

Trapped amidst these three, the student council president, Xia Ranxin, was visibly stifled by the oppressive atmosphere.

She squirmed uncomfortably for a moment, yet ultimately mustered her courage to shatter the suffocating silence.

“Um, Bai Zhi, I truly apologize… I was the one who invited you, only for such an incident to occur, and then to only be able to offer such humble refreshments afterwards. I am so sorry…”

“Oh, no, no need to worry! I’m quite accustomed to such occurrences,” Bai Zhi said, waving a dismissive hand. “More often than not, I’m the one doing the attacking, so being suddenly assaulted is actually a rather novel experience.”

With a relaxed demeanor, Bai Zhi reassured them there was no cause for concern, before her gaze swiftly swept across the room.

“Still, Xia, your living situation is quite… unexpectedly modest. I had imagined someone like you would be far more… well… doted upon, if you understand what I mean?”

Indeed, Xia Ranxin possessed a refined and delicate appearance, her hands soft and tender, embodying the image of a sheltered young lady. Anyone seeing such a refined girl would naturally assume she had grown up cherished by her parents.

“I know,”

Xia Ranxin affirmed with a nod, elaborating,

“When the school teachers made their first home visit, they reacted much like you, Bai Zhi. They all confessed they had presumed my family’s circumstances would be quite comfortable, at least above average, and were astonished to find them so… challenging.”

As Xia Ranxin continued speaking, her voice gradually descended into a somber tone.

“In truth, when I was very young, my family’s situation was quite comfortable. Yet, at some point, my mother vanished, and from then on, our family’s circumstances steadily deteriorated. Two years ago, even my father, who had been solely shouldering the family’s burdens, disappeared. It was at that time that I moved here to live by myself.”

These were old wounds she rarely spoke of, yet now, she found herself recounting them.

“The rent here is quite affordable; even living alone, I can manage it.”

“Two years ago…”

Bai Zhi repeated the phrase softly, then turned her gaze to Xia Ranxin, inquiring with a touch of concern.

“How did you manage school then? I recall our high school tuition being rather steep.”

“Oh, well, regarding that…” Xia Ranxin’s face flushed with a sudden shyness. “Actually, I usually work part-time jobs, and the school also offered assistance once they became aware of my circumstances, so I’m just barely managing to get by…”

“That assistance wouldn’t happen to be related to your role as student council president, would it?” Bai Zhi asked, a look of sudden realization dawning on her face. “Like you helping those teachers with odd jobs, and they pay you to cover your tuition. I always wondered why you’d willingly take on such a demanding and thankless position…”

“Huh? Ah, ah… No, no, Bai Zhi, you’ve completely misunderstood!”

For a fleeting moment, Xia Ranxin’s expression was one of utter bewilderment, before she rapidly waved her hands, refuting Bai Zhi’s conjecture.

“The school’s aid to me comes in the form of scholarships and grants… As for the student council president position, it’s simply that I find it difficult to decline requests for help, and before I knew it, that’s just how things ended up.”

Bai Zhi nearly forgot that Xia Ranxin was an inveterate people-pleaser, utterly incapable of uttering the word “no.”

“While it can certainly be exhausting at times, I actually find a great deal of joy in it… I feel a sense of being acknowledged.”

“Xia…” Bai Zhi began, a thoughtful expression on her face. “How to put it? You truly are an extraordinary person.”

“Indeed,” the mysterious woman, who had been resting with closed eyes, suddenly interjected, affirming Bai Zhi’s words. “Though Ranxin-sama may appear outwardly delicate, her inner strength is truly exceptional.”

“Ranxin-sama…?”

Bai Zhi tilted her head, directing a curious gaze at Xia Ranxin, intrigued by the peculiar honorific. The latter, however, instantly became flustered.

“Um, th-that’s… well, should I call it a misunderstanding or a misconception…?”

“Aren’t those two essentially the same thing?”

“A-anyway! Lin, are the injuries you sustained earlier alright now?”

Following Xia Ranxin’s rather clumsy attempt to change the subject, the woman, whom Xia Ranxin had addressed as “Lin,” offered a slight nod.

“I thank you for your concern; my body is now free of any serious ailment.”

Lin cast a wary glance at Bai Zhi, who sat not far from her, and spoke with a noticeable hint of apprehension.

“Lady Bai Zhi, over there, did not exert her full might, thus I merely sustained superficial wounds that will mend with a brief period of recuperation.”

“I see,” Xia Ranxin breathed a sigh of relief. “And last night’s injuries…?”

“Those have also healed completely,” Lin declared, her gaze suddenly sharpening. “Should I ever again cross paths with that wicked beast, I shall assuredly slay it with my blade!”

“Hmm… it appears quite a bit has transpired between the two of you,” Bai Zhi remarked, observing the interaction between Lin and Xia Ranxin with keen interest. “I have several questions I wish to ask you now. Is that acceptable, Lin?”

“Of course. Since Lady Bai Zhi is a friend of Ranxin-sama, there shall be no issue.”

“Then, my first question is this: Lin, you are not of this world, are you?”

Lin remained silent for a brief moment before finally offering her reply:

“…Initially, I was not entirely certain, but it now appears that this place is, in truth, another world.”

“What exactly does that imply?” Bai Zhi countered.

Lin lowered her gaze, her eyes fixed on the cup of plain water cradled in her hands. After two seconds of contemplation, she slowly began to narrate her experiences.

“In pursuit of martial mastery, I had, for a time, secluded myself deep within the mountains. Then, one day, I perceived an exceptionally potent aura. Driven by the desire to confront such a rare and formidable adversary, I pursued that very aura, unwittingly venturing out of the mountains. By the time I regained my awareness, I found myself amidst a ‘grey jungle’.”

“A ‘grey jungle’?” Rena interjected, crossing her arms. “Are you, in fact, referring to San葉 City?”

“Indeed, that is correct.”

Lin nodded, a sigh escaping her lips.

“I had always believed that my prolonged seclusion in the mountains had simply caused me to misinterpret the vast changes that had transpired in the outside world. Yet, as matters stand now, it appears I have, without realizing it, arrived in an entirely different world.”

Bai Zhi propped her elbows on the table, her gaze generous as she regarded the young girl named Lin. “Hmm… do you recall the precise moment you arrived here?”

“This…” Lin mused, recalling intently, then lowered her head with a hint of shame. “My sole focus was to pursue the aura of that powerful individual, and by the time I became aware, I was already here. The precise moment of my arrival, I regrettably cannot recall.”

“W-well, regarding this, I might be able to offer a small clue,” Xia Ranxin interjected, timidly raising her hand from where she had been listening.

“Lin and I first met on the evening of last Monday. Calculating from that, Lin’s arrival here could only have been sometime before then.”

Lin pondered for a moment, then hummed in affirmation, confirming Xia Ranxin’s statement.

“Indeed. At that time, I collapsed by the roadside, overcome by hunger. It is thanks to Ranxin-sama’s timely assistance that I have been able to survive until this day. To repay this profound kindness, I have sworn an oath: this blade shall henceforth be wielded solely in service to Ranxin-sama.”

Upon hearing this, Xia Ranxin hastily waved her hands. “Th-that was merely a spontaneous act; after all, I couldn’t possibly abandon Lin in such a state. Lin, your reaction is truly far too exaggerated…”

“A kindness that saves one’s life can only be repaid with one’s own,” Lin stated, her eyes gleaming and her tone utterly resolute. “This is the Way of Loyalty and Righteousness, and it must never be forsaken.”

“Lin…”

“Ranxin-sama…”

While Lin and Xia Ranxin had, without realizing it, retreated into their own world, Bai Zhi, seated opposite them, had long since adopted an expression of utter exasperation.

“The best-case scenario is that she arrived last Monday, meaning at least seven days ago… Damn it, I have absolutely no recollection of anything pertinent!”

Bai Zhi pushed off with her toes, causing her chair to tilt precariously backward.

“Normally, such an event would surely cause a significant disturbance… Could I have simply overlooked it due to being too preoccupied at the time?”

“Perhaps this individual is simply fabricating a tale?”

Rena, having remained silent for a while, finally spoke, her gaze still fixed intently on Lin, brimming with undisguised hostility.

‘Lying?’

Seeing Bai Zhi’s puzzled expression, Rena made no attempt to conceal her thoughts, speaking her mind plainly.

“For instance, she might have employed some sinister incantation to obscure her passage between worlds, then used force to coerce Miss Xia Ranxin, compelling her to provide false testimony to mislead you.”

“Re-Rena! Please don’t say that, Lin, she wouldn’t be that kind of person…”

Rena slammed her hand onto the table, abruptly cutting off Xia Ranxin.

“They feign loyalty on the surface, only to stab you in the back once they’ve gained your trust! Isn’t that precisely what your Crimson Moon Clan excels at?”

Rena’s fierce demeanor startled Xia Ranxin, and left Bai Zhi, observing from the side, with a sense of surprise and confusion. After all, the usually gentle Rena rarely displayed such an expression. Lin, however, the target of the accusation, merely offered a scornful smile.

“So that is it. No wonder the sensation just now felt so familiar. It seems you are a follower of a false god.”

“A vassal’s careless words can also tarnish the lord’s honor. Therefore, one must speak and act with caution, never uttering falsehoods, even in dire straits. However, it seems a follower of a false god, one who excels at deceiving the world with lies, will never comprehend such profound wisdom.”

Rena merely scoffed at her provocation.

“Oh? It seems you wish to experience the judgment of the Sacred Light?”

Lin smoothed her sleeve, meeting Rena’s gaze without a trace of panic. “Though you are a friend of Ranxin-sama, it is also a vassal’s duty to eliminate treacherous individuals from the lord’s side. So, let us indeed test it. Let us see if your false ‘Sacred Light’ can continue to shield you from my longblade.”

The atmosphere between the two instantly became charged with tension. Xia Ranxin sprang to her feet in alarm, intending to mediate the burgeoning conflict, but the oppressive tension rendered her momentarily speechless.

“Alright, alright, both of you, please cease this,” a sudden, unseen force forcefully dispelled the tense atmosphere between the two women. Both Rena and Lin simultaneously felt an immense pressure descend upon them, pinning their bodies firmly in place, rendering them utterly immobile.

“While it appears you two had many grievances in your original world, since you’ve both arrived in a new environment, would you not, for my sake, consider temporarily setting aside your past animosities?”

Bai Zhi spoke calmly, sipping her tea, yet her words carried an undeniable authority that brooked no defiance.

After a moment of tense standoff, both Lin and Rena finally regained their composure.

“To have been so swayed by personal feelings and act in such an unseemly manner, I am truly ashamed.”

Lin closed her eyes in thought for a moment, then bowed her head solemnly, offering an apology to Xia Ranxin.

Rena also sat back down beside Bai Zhi, apologizing softly, “My apologies, Bai Zhi. I lost my composure a bit…”

“Since that’s the case, then you can repay me with your body tonight…”

Bai Zhi lowered her voice, teasing Rena with a mischievous grin.

“Huh!?”

Having teased Rena, Bai Zhi turned her attention back to the duo of Lin and Xia Ranxin.

“Let’s put aside the matter of Lin and Rena for now, and discuss what’s going on between you two.”

Bai Zhi shed her earlier flippant demeanor, interlacing her fingers and resting her chin on the back of her hands, her eyes now unreadable. “Xia, what exactly was this… ‘favor’ you wanted to ask of us?”