Tang San's Twin Sister-Chapter 223

Yin was shouldering her duffel and mentally checked her list. Everything in order, she had all she needed. She stared at the door connecting her and Sans's room. Her brother was sleeping at the other door; she had made sure of that. He did, on occasion, forget she had learned all of Tang Arts from him. Even the poison arts, and while it was true she did not use them often or was anywhere near his level, she did know how to make a solid sleeping powder without side effects that could take down a dragon.

A dragon she had put to sleep, because the easiest way to make sure Jiang did not die was to make sure he was not present at the fight. If he were not there, he would not die.

Wrapping herself in a coat and tying her hair back more severely than she usually would, she stared into the mirror.

Let's go, Yin.

She opened the window, then used her spirit power to soar out of it, unfold her wings, beat them, and break through the sky. She had made her choice. If it took her to leave them, to protect her loved ones, she would do it; if it took her to kill, then she would do it.

These gods could trample on her principles, on her will, but they would not put a finger on her loved ones, and she would not be abandoning her honor or see Jiang dead.

Her small body shot through the sky like a silver arrow as she sped up more and more, her wings beating stronger and faster than ever before when traveling. After all, she was going for a spirit hall elder. She was going for the Ninth Spirit Hall Elder, a figure shrouded in mystery, going by the title of Vermillion Douluo.

She rattled down the information she had on the man.

Beast Spirit Master, Spirit Vermillion Bird, defense spirit master, Level 97.

Not the best match-up, but she'd take it if half of the things she had gathered about him, he had helped kill her mother and contributed to her death. She arched her path to the left, the roads beneath her becoming more visible to take more wind beneath her wings. She was no longer navigating by the stars, as the sun rose, and she knew now was the time for Tang San and Jiang to wake up.

She just hoped that San would be tied down too much by his responsibilities to pursue her, and she had gotten enough distance between herself and Jiang to make it. She knew where the elders were located; that was no secret. Right at the heart of Spirit Hall.

Her heart quivered again at the thought as she pushed her wings even harder. Poured more spirit power into her body and wings to go faster, and her shoulders hurt from the strain, but she needed to keep going, tears running down her cheeks.

But she would not watch Jiang die. No way in hell.

Behind her she noted a faint presence, a strangely familiar one. She stopped and turned behind her in feathered wings was her father.

Tang Hao. She turned and then flew on.

"I have no intention of any kind of recoliation with you." She said her voice cold.

"I do not ask for you to speak with me...your mother, it is about her." He said and she stopped turning again.

"My mother is dead." She said her voice brittle.

"Yin!" She did not want to listenm pouring more spirit power into her wings and fly faster.

Beneath her, the borders of Spirit Hall became visible. Eventually her fathers presence waned but she knew he had merely retreated for now, they were not done. But there were more important things to focus on right now.

She continued the entire day with no rest, and through half the night before she dared to rest. She knew it would not be much, and she would be losing time, but rest was more important if she wanted to face down an elder. Yin landed close to a traveler's Camp. She had grown to know them during her time with Chen Xin and the Caravan. Spirit Masters used them, albeit rarely; they were usually frequented only by trading caravans and were found only on caravan maps, not on spirit master maps, so it would not be the first place where someone would search for her.

Raising her shawl over her nose, she walked into the camp. Curious gazes directed her way as she walked up. Three Caravans, she counted, all with guards. Lower-ranking spirit masters, or free mercenary spirit masters, and some normal warriors mixed in between, sitting around the fires. They must have had the same destination; it was not unusual for several caravans to pool resources if they shared a destination for a while, but still curious to know.

Now, who was the leader?

Her gaze flashed to a middle-aged man with a well-bellied and keenly shining eyes, surrounded by laugh wrinkles that said he liked smiling and did it a lot. Since no one objected as she approached him, but as soon as they stepped aside to make way, she knew. He had the say.

"Hello." She greeted him, drawing even more curious gazes as they heard she was a woman.

"Hello." The man said, and she knew it would be terribly impolite to conceal her features much further, and then lowered her shawl and took off her coat's hood to be visible. The man's eyes widened at her youthful appearance and at taking in who and what was standing in front of him. She knew exactly what he would see. A young teenage girl, alone, in sturdy traveling clothes. A spirit master.

"I am Lio." He introduced himself and got up, bowing, might I know whom I am dealing with?"

"I am..." She hesitated a moment. "...you can just call me San."

"San."

"San." She nodded, using her brother's first name, not wanting to use her real name, but neither could she choose something she was not familiar with; she needed ot react well to it after all.

"Well, San. It is always an honor to meet a spirit master on the road, although I am surprised they let out a girl that young. Where is your teacher?" He accepted, not knowing her true name; it was common enough on the road to use monikers after all. San was not so exotic, just a tad unusual; people usually preferred not to be called a number.

"I am strong enough for my teacher to let me roam alone most of the time. I am heading to Wuhun, Spirit Hall, to register my rank up." She explained with a smile. There is a completely sensible reason for a spirit master to go to Spirit Hall and to be on the road.

"Well, color me surprised, this is a caravan spot, not a lot of spirit masters high up enough to have their advancements registered use these spots much less know about them." He said, "especially when they come your age."

It was unavoidable; he probably wondered how she even knew about these spots. She shrugged. "Not my first time on the road. I just want a full belly and a good night's sleep before I turn up for these tests. Kinda nervous, you know." She grinned, and the smile lightened up the atmosphere when a guard patted her back.

"Now that I get." He said. "Seriously, girl, you must be good if they let you out at your age. Which Clan are you?"

"Small one, it's called Tang Sect." She explained.

"Level?" One of the spirit masters whispled, and she shook her head.

"Take a guess?" She said with a smile. "As I said, not my first time on the road."

"Ahh. Damn, I thought I had you. San, huh? Now that's not very creative. Around level thirty, maybe forty?"

"I like it though." She answered the man. "Keep on guessing."

"Mhh." He narrowed his eyes.

"How much would food and a place for my tent go?" She asked the caravan leader. "For a calm night of sleep?"

"Expensive," he said, "Cheaper if you go on night rotation. Young or not, an additional spirit master would do well."

"I want actual sleep. So I am paying for the extra protection." She clarified, and she could afford the surely exorbitant price the man would name. "How much?"

"Ahhh, you can afford it, I see. Three gold. Including the food."

"Deal." She took out three gold coins from her storage, pretending to take them from her coat pocket, and threw them to the caravan leader.

"Lead the way, where does my tent go?"

"Follow Tami there." He said, nodding at one of the few female guards. A non-spirit master but built like an Ox, she would put Feng to Shame, Yin noted as she followed the woman.

"Seriously, not often do we meet little girls on the road like this." The woman said, then went slightly outside the core, smack between the outer and inner tendons, to a small, more secluded section. "That's where we girls have our spot. Not so many of us on the road, so we always get a bit more space."

"Sounds marvelous." Yin grinned, then took up a position where the woman pointed, took out her one-man tent from storage, and spent a few minutes putting it up. Tang San had spurlged on it a few years ago, and she had taken good care of it, so while the wear was visible, it was a good enough tend still to make Tami whistle.

"You really are not a poor girl."

"Clan." She pointed at herself. "It does come with perks."