She was being subtle about it— probably far too subtle, for someone who thought they were stalking a mere mortal— but mere subtlety wasn’t enough to fool the senses of a domain at the very pinnacle of achievement. Maybe if she’d been above Core Formation, she could have used some sort of reality-defying technique to avoid his notice… if they even had that in this realm. Did they? He honestly wasn’t sure…

  Either way, enough pretending was enough. Stopping abruptly on a frozen path between a bed of winter flowers, peeking out above the snow, and a barren tree’s gnarled branches, he folded his hands behind his back and looked up at the azure sky above. “You can come out now. I know you’re there.”

  “Remarkable.” One moment she was absent, and the next moment she was there, the snow not even so much as deforming beneath her as she observed him. Her gaze was piercing. “I suspected that you might be able to see through my technique, but to have it confirmed… you’re truly a conundrum, you know?” She started walking— all but gliding along the snow— and Mingtian hurried to follow her, lest he provide insult. He didn’t know exactly how these sorts of matters were taken in East Saffron’s strange society, but he’d seen greater men than his persona slain for less. “At first, I didn’t pay you much attention. Mortal seal masters are rare, especially in impoverished precincts like this one, but not so rare as to draw my attention. Except you’re no mere mortal formations master—” his heart raced— “you may be mortal, but your skills reflect a far more noble background.”

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  He settled back to calm, merely giving her a warm smile and letting the breath of his sigh turn to mist, to billowing silence on the cold air between them. “I merely try my best with these sorts of things. My skills are no greater or less than any other mortal who has dedicated themselves to their task.”

  “Really?”

  He gave her a sad, almost knowing smile. “I find that it is far too easy to underestimate the intelligence of those we view as lesser.” A smile borne not out of what she probably thought— it was a lesson he’d had to learn harshly, time and again. Cultivation power meant a lot in the heavenly spheres, where hundreds of steps could separate mere immortals and those with the temerity to call themselves divine— but even divinities could sometimes be surprised.

  He would know.

  The outer disciple paused, eyes narrowed as she studied him for a long moment… before she matched his smile with one of her own, so warmly. “Of course. One should never forget the ingenuity of mortals… see, what have they created!” She flung an arm out wide, encompassing the high-bricked walls, the stonework and carefully cultivated garden beds, the electric lights and in the distance, the sounds and sight of the city. “You surpassed my expectations, Mingtian. Not many people manage to do that.” Then she unsheathed her blade, the pressure of it her qi as it cycled all but pushing him back a step. “I wonder what you’ll do next.”

  Then— without saying anything further, she stepped onto the blade and shot up into the sky. Gone this time in truth… and leaving Mingtian alone beneath the very first hints of coming spring, confused.

  Confused, and suspicious.

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