Chapter 42: The Stars in Disarray

When the sword of the Azure Wolf thrust toward me, time seemed to freeze, as if the very flow of existence had halted, reminiscent of that first sensation upon arriving in this strange world. I could not explain this phenomenon, but it granted me a fleeting chance at survival.

I swiftly fell back, one foot kicking toward the Azure Wolf’s chest, the other striking at his elbow. With a single hand pressed to the ground, I used the momentum to spring up. His sword, struck by my foot, spun into the air—I seized the hilt firmly as it descended. The moment I landed, the Azure Wolf moved. I gave him no opportunity; I brought the blade down in a decisive arc, and in the next instant, his head was cleaved from his shoulders. I landed steadily, watching as his body slowly toppled to the ground.

Gazing at the crystalline sword in my hand, a cold smile curled on my lips. At last, I had dealt with this troublesome foe. Yet, I felt a pang of regret that Yu Jing had not been able to take his revenge personally. Still, vengeance for Elder Xiaoxiang had been served. Yu Jing dragged himself to the Azure Wolf’s corpse, his eyes vacant as he stared into the void. I patted him on the shoulder. “Brother Yu, Elder Xiaoxiang’s death has been avenged. Don’t dwell on it.”

Yu Jing nodded silently. The members of the Azure Dragon Society stood rooted in shock, no doubt still reeling from the display of power they had just witnessed. Qin Tian approached, offering me a cigarette. I accepted without hesitation—who could say when I’d get another smoke in this world? If only I’d thought to bring more with me.

“May I ask your name, brother?” Qin Tian extended his hand. I took it in a token handshake. “Li Yunfei, Interpol, 21st century. I crossed over by accident. If you have questions, ask away—I’ve been here for over a year.”

Qin Tian nodded noncommittally. “Actually, I too have been here before.”

His words shook me. So Qin Tian had also crossed into this world? I’d thought only Chen Yu and I had stumbled into this unknown realm. Now Qin Tian claimed he’d been here too—how could I not be surprised? Qin Tian took a drag from his cigarette and continued, “A year ago, I was shot twice while saving a brother. I thought I was dead, but then a flash of white light appeared, and I found myself in this world.”

“How can you be sure it’s the same world as this one?” I voiced my doubts.

Qin Tian gazed at me for a long moment before revealing the truth.

Back then, Qin Tian had stormed into the White Tiger Hall alone to save a brother. Though skilled in martial arts, one man cannot prevail against many. The White Tiger Hall was as numerous as the Azure Dragon Society and, by all accounts, better established. Though both societies had formed at the same time—and their leaders had once been sworn brothers—a woman had driven them apart, pitting brother against brother. Thereafter, the two groups drew a hard line between them. During a smuggling operation, an Azure Dragon member impersonated someone from White Tiger Hall and was caught and killed on the spot.

Thus, to clear their own name, White Tiger Hall needed a scapegoat from the Azure Dragon Society. I had been in the wrong place at the wrong time—Qin Tian, unable to sacrifice any of his own loyal men, had chosen me, an outsider. He was a man of honor, unwilling to betray his brothers.

Truly, beauty brings disaster. I flicked away my cigarette and patted Qin Tian’s shoulder. “Since it was all a misunderstanding, I won’t pursue it further. You’re a leader of rare loyalty and principle. I respect that.”

Qin Tian offered a sheepish smile. “My words nearly cost you your life. Don’t you blame me?”

To be honest, I had once thought of killing him to settle the grudge in my heart. But after hearing his story, I changed my mind. In these times, a leader with such loyalty is a rare find. Qin Tian’s next words struck me deeply.

“I came here a year ago. By sheer accident, I traveled through time and space. Out of curiosity, I tried a divination and discovered that a great calamity would soon befall humanity.”

He could divine the future! He had foreseen a catastrophe in this world? Why did he return, then? Wasn’t the Dragon Mark a one-time use? How had he made it back? Qin Tian explained: “I foresaw that this calamity would not only affect this world, but the entire universe, even our own twenty-first century. You must already know about the Dragon Mark. You’re probably wondering how I used it twice. It’s because I possess both magical and martial abilities.”

What? This man never ceases to shock. I had known of my own dual abilities, but so did he? That meant his power must be formidable. Such a constitution is one in a million. I remembered Elder Xiaoxiang’s words—was he too fated to bear the burden of saving all beings?

“When I performed the divination, I saw that within a year, disaster would strike—both this world and ours might face annihilation.”

As soon as Qin Tian finished, the stars above began to swirl chaotically, as if a massive vortex had opened in the cosmos, drawing all the stars into a rapid spiral. Moments later, the stars fell from the sky, explosions sounded in the distance, and our position was inevitably affected. Stones rained down on us; I quickly summoned a defensive system, shielding everyone inside its protective barrier.

“What’s happening?” Yu Jing looked to me, clearly expecting an answer. I could only shrug helplessly.

The members of the Azure Dragon Society drew their pistols, their eyes fixed warily on the distance. The forest was deathly still, nothing amiss at first glance. For now, it was best to find shelter—there were too many brothers to care for, we needed a large enough place to accommodate them all.

I thought of the Sword Demon Sect. If we were to form a society, bloodshed was inevitable—why not wipe out the Sword Demon Sect and absorb its members? The decision to form a society had already been made; whether in this world or the twenty-first century, only by gathering true strength could we hope to stand against the coming catastrophe.

“Brother Qin, would you join us in stopping this disaster?” I asked solemnly.

Qin Tian looked at me, then at the others. “Brother Li, there’s no need to ask—since we are of one mind, it is our shared responsibility.”

I nodded in satisfaction; Qin Tian, it seemed, was a man who put the greater good first. With the Azure Dragon Society’s support, conquering the Sword Demon Sect would be only a matter of time. Once I unified the major sects, I would finally have the power to challenge the Celestial Realm. According to Qin Tian, when he divined the future, he saw that the Celestial Realm intended to annihilate all living things in the universe, believing mortals to be unenlightened flesh. Only by destroying the universe could a new beginning be forged.

Qin Tian had long seen through the Celestial Realm’s scheme, but had no way to counter it—until he accidentally returned to the twenty-first century. That was his first injury. As a dual practitioner of magic and martial arts, his strength was impressive, but when he met a mysterious man in silver armor, he thought he would die—only to find himself back in his own world.

Granted a second chance, Qin Tian decided to build his own power base as a bargaining chip against the Celestial Realm, thus founding the Azure Dragon Society. When Qin Tian finished speaking, both Yu Jing and I were left confused—he seemed to be withholding much, glossing over the details. Perhaps there would be time to learn more in the future.

Suddenly, under Qin Tian’s lead, everyone knelt before me, insisting that I become the leader of the Azure Dragon Society. I was at a loss, for I had planned to absorb them, but after hearing Qin Tian’s story, I felt perhaps he was better suited to lead. As I hesitated, a fierce wind swept through the forest, whipping the fallen leaves into the air and making it impossible for us to see. When the wind died down, a rustling came from the ground as withered arms burst forth from the earth.