After being chosen by the Ice Queen

Daodaozhai's medicinal powder and antidote pills had amazing effects. The abdominal wound healed and scabbed over at a speed far exceeding normal, the redness and swelling on his left shoulder, which had been injured by the iron chain, subsided, and his muscles and bones recovered completely.

What alarmed Gu Yan even more was that after that strange dream, not only did the Candlelight Breath become more docile and refined, but his entire body seemed to have undergone a subtle tempering from the inside out. His strength, speed, endurance, and even his five senses had all subtly improved to a higher level than before his injury, especially his perception and control of the flow of energy within his body.

On the first day, he paced slowly in the attic, repeatedly practicing the Mind Source Meditation Technique to solidify the thin membrane of sword intent that isolated the Orochi's erosion, and tried to guide the Yin Breath more precisely. He dared not easily touch the Yin Erosion again, but he could feel that the power seemed to have calmed down, becoming less violent and more profoundly controlled.

The next day, he was able to slowly practice basic sword techniques in the courtyard with the cicada-shaped dagger in his hand. This narrow dagger was lighter and faster than the longsword he was used to. At first, he was a little unaccustomed to it, but after swinging it a few times, he found that its lightness and sharpness were exceptionally compatible with his pursuit of precise and swift sword techniques.

The sound of the blade cutting through the air was almost inaudible, only the cold light flowing like a stream under the moon. He tried to attach a trace of the Candlelight's aura, which had passed through a thin membrane of sword intent, to the blade. The blade immediately shimmered with a faint gray light that was barely perceptible to the naked eye. The temperature of the surrounding air quietly dropped, and when the blade sliced ​​through the old wooden stake, the cut edges showed a strange, decaying texture, as if it had been corroded by time.

"Shadow Erosion - Flow Interruption." This thought surfaced in Gu Yan's mind. It was no longer a simple erosion, but a more refined and targeted process. This was undoubtedly a huge improvement.

On the morning of the third day, before dawn, Gu Yan was already running and tumbling in the courtyard, his movements as swift as a leopard, showing no signs of his recent recovery from serious injuries. He held a thin blade, and wherever it passed, the sound of it cutting through the air was sharp and short.

He attempted to gather a wisp of power at the tip of his blade and thrust it out. A withered branch three zhang away snapped in response, the cut smooth and grayish-white, quickly losing all moisture and becoming emaciated.

"Not bad, kid." A hoarse voice came from under the corridor. Daodaozhai had been standing there at some point, arms crossed, his cloudy old eyes watching Gu Yan's movements. "To be able to use the Cicada Thinness to this extent in just three days, and even come up with some new tricks... You're a bit better than that girl next to you back then."

Gu Yan sheathed his sword, slightly out of breath, and looked at Daodaozhai. The old man's face remained expressionless, with only a faint hint of satisfaction deep in his eyes.

"But don't get cocky. The Cicada Thin Iron is ultimately just refined ordinary iron, and it can't withstand the impact of the power within you when it truly erupts. You can use it for practice and killing, but it's far from severing your karmic ties."

"The materials you mentioned..." Gu Yan asked.

Daodaozhai turned and walked towards his forge hut, gesturing for Gu Yan to follow. "Chiba has already told me about the map and key you got from the Smiling Buddha. Onokijiro Island... Hmph, that bastard Guitouhao, his reach is getting longer and longer, daring to touch even things tainted by filth."

The forge hut was even more stifling than the tavern outside, the air thick with the complex smells of coal, metal, and quenching liquid. Daodaosai stopped before a shelf piled high with various ores, metal ingots, and strange fragments, pointing to an unassuming black iron block with faint, dark red veins running across it, seemingly extraordinary. Beside it lay several other dull metal shards, yet subtly shimmering with iridescent light.

"See that piece of blood-patterned iron? Legend has it that it was formed deep within a mass grave on an ancient battlefield, soaked in blood and malevolent energy for a hundred years. It possesses an inherently ferocious aura, and when forged into a sword, it is incomparably sharp and bloodthirsty. Those rainbow fragments beside it are said to have fallen from a destroyed divine fence, retaining extremely faint traces of willpower or... filth. Using them as auxiliary materials can guide and balance the ferocity of the blood-patterned iron, and may even give the sword some unconventional characteristics."

He turned his head, his gaze fixed intently on Gu Yan: "What you're looking for is something similar, but it must be stronger and more 'special' than these. The materials that Kito Gou has hidden in the shrine may very well be of this level, and may even contain substances truly related to the concepts of Yamata no Orochi or Ama no Kusanagi. Only by forging a sword with something like that can it withstand the ever-growing power within you, and even help you to control and purify the impurities within it."

Gu Yan understood. Going to the abandoned shrine was not only to obtain weapons to fight back against Kito Gou, but also a crucial step in resolving his own hidden dangers.

"Where's Chiba Rin?" Gu Yan asked. For the past three days, she had spent most of her time alone in her room, occasionally going out for a short while to check on the surroundings, and she was unusually silent.

"It's over there by the waterfall." Daodaosai waved his hand, signaling him to go ahead. "Before you set off, there are some things you should discuss yourselves. Don't die out there and waste my wine and medicine."

Gu Yan nodded slightly and left the forge room. After a brief hesitation, he walked towards the direction from which the faint sound of water could be heard at the back of the tavern.

Passing through a small bamboo grove, the view suddenly opened up. A waterfall, not wide but with a large volume of water, cascaded down the cliff, carving out a crystal-clear pool below. The sound of the water roared, and mist rose from the water.

Chiba Rin stood on a flat boulder by the pool, her back to the way she had come. She had changed into a simple dark blue yukata, her long hair loose and wet, cascading over her shoulders, the scarlet ends standing out even more in the steam. She seemed to have just washed up, her bare feet gazing silently at the cascading waterfall, her figure appearing somewhat frail in the misty spray, carrying a sense of solitude and isolation.

Gu Yan stopped in her tracks, not immediately approaching. The hem of her bathrobe was slightly damp from the splashes of water, clinging to her calves. Her shoulders, which usually weren't taut, slumped slightly, revealing a rare weariness. But the Black Rain sword she held remained as steady as a rock, its scabbard pressed against the stone.

She stood there for a long time, until Gu Yan thought she wouldn't notice him, before she slowly spoke, her voice not loud, but clearly piercing through the roar of the waterfall:

"Gui Touhou... was once my father's most trusted brother."

Gu Yan's heart stirred slightly. He walked to a short distance away from her, keeping a certain distance, and also looked at the waterfall.

"I was ten years old when my mother had that accident," Chiba Rin continued, her tone as calm as if she were narrating someone else's story. "It was a meticulously planned car accident. My mother died on the spot, and my father was seriously injured and fell into a coma. At that time, Kito Go acted more grief-stricken and angry than anyone else, vowing to find the real culprit, and quickly stabilized the turbulent situation within the team due to the serious injury of the team leader with swift and decisive measures... Looking back now, that was probably the first time he tasted the pinnacle of power, so sweet that it made him completely abandon the last bit of humanity."

"When Father woke up, he wasn't without suspicion. But Kito Go had covered his tracks too cleanly, and by then he was already powerful enough that many in the group owed him favors. Father... compromised. For the sake of the organization's stability, or perhaps, because a sliver of illusion about brotherhood still lingered in his heart." Chiba Rin's lips curled into a cold, mocking smile. "What foolish weakness."

"Later, he sent me to America, ostensibly to gild my resume and keep me away from danger. But I knew he was afraid that if I stayed by his side, he would eventually find out something... and become Gui Touhao's next target." She turned to look at Gu Yan, her dark eyes reflecting a glimmer of water, but there were no tears, only a cold hatred that had been building up for ten years. "During those five years in New York, every single moment I thought about coming back, about becoming stronger, about... how to plunge that knife into that man's heart."

"So, you came to me not only because I need a foothold and you urgently need manpower," Gu Yan calmly continued, "but also because I am clean enough and have no connection with the Chiba Group's past, which is an unexpected variable for Kito Go."