On a rooftop not far from the inn where Yuki and the others were staying.
A figure stood alone, like a silent watcher in the night. They were draped in a wide, heavy cloak, obscuring any details that might reveal their identity. Yet, from the subtle tilt of the hood, one could infer their gaze was fixed intently on the inn. The posture radiated an unsettling aura of surveillance.
After a brief observation, the mysterious cloaked visitor shifted slightly, as if preparing to melt away into the night.
At that moment, a warm, magnetic male voice permeated the air beside them.
"Since you're here, why not come in and sit for a while?"
The cloaked figure froze mid-motion, then spun around sharply toward the voice.
There stood Yuki, having appeared on the rooftop without a single sound, a faint, easy smile on his lips.
From his angle, he could see the face beneath the hood. Delicate and striking features. Pale blue-gray bangs brushed her forehead. Below them, her eyes were covered by a black blindfold bearing a silver moon motif, adding a profound mystique to her presence.
"When did you arrive?! I didn't sense a thing!" The visitor's voice was a woman's—melodious yet cold, tinged with sharp surprise and deep vigilance.
"About a minute after you dealt with those two." Yuki smiled, glancing to the side.
Near the rooftop's edge lay two men dressed in the local style—white uniforms bearing the distinctive tree motif. Now they were encased in thick, unforgiving ice, frozen statues left discarded to one side.
"You were here that long?! Why didn't I notice?"
The woman's voice shifted to genuine shock, her guard immediately shooting up. Beneath the heavy cloak, a chilling power stirred quietly, ready to counter any sudden move from this unfathomable man.
"Is it really that strange?"
"You're wearing a blindfold even at night. I just concealed my presence, and you couldn't perceive me. Without your eyes, and unable to rely on aura or spiritual perception, not seeing me seems perfectly normal," Yuki chuckled softly, explaining the situation in a warm, unhurried tone.
"I see... so my training is still lacking," the woman replied matter-of-factly.
"Heh." Yuki chuckled and let the topic drop.
He walked over to the two frozen Abundance followers and gently placed a hand on the ice.
"Nice control. Freezing them this solid isn't easy for most. And killing these Abundance-blessed followers so easily?"
"With power like that, you're easily among the absolute strongest below the level of an Emanator."
"Am I right, Sword Champion of the Luofu?" Yuki turned back to her with a slight, knowing smile.
At those final words, the woman visibly trembled.
"Who are you?!"
"How do you know me?! Your aura is foreign—I don't recognize you!"
Her icy composure shattered. Something dark and long-suppressed surged forth.
The cloak shredded as if cut from the inside by invisible blades, revealing her full appearance.
Pale blue-gray hair, the exact same shade as her bangs, was tied in a circular bun with a dark-silk ribbon—exuding an aura of both grace and deadly valor. Her outfit featured cerulean and smoke-gray panels with elegant cutouts at the sides and back, adorned with traditional cloud and fretwork patterns. Beneath it, she wore a light, petal-shaped layered skirt. Silver shoulder guards with delicate floral trim rested above a layered cape and ribbons that trailed behind her in the cold wind. Her arms bore sleek martial attire, while her torso was clad in darker, contrasting tones. Long, smooth legs were encased in thigh-high boots.
She stood tall and poised, every single movement radiating quiet, lethal confidence. But beneath that seemingly delicate exterior lurked a razor-sharp edge—ready to unsheathe like a blade at any moment.
The woman's name was Jingliu—formerly the Sword Champion of the Luofu, one of the Xianzhou Alliance's great flagships.
Once the Luofu's greatest swordswoman, she had amassed countless astonishing victories in past campaigns. She had charged into the Thousand-Foot Warships with her blade and comrades, hewing the wolf-head of the Borisin War Chief. She had scaled the soaring Sky-Clad Nest, shearing the pinions of the Wingweaver guards. Wherever her sword pointed, abominations of the Abundance fell—dead or defeated, none escaped.
She was also one of Yuki's absolute favorite female characters from the game. His main damage dealer, back when he played on Earth.
After all, Jingliu possessed two aesthetic traits that resonated deeply with players: white hair and red eyes.
Meeting her here was a massive, pleasant surprise for Yuki.
In the game's original storyline, the Express crew only briefly encountered Jingliu upon arriving at the Xianzhou Luofu much later. Before that? Absolutely no contact. The Denizens of Abundance, too, weren't encountered until further down the line.
So the Express's early departure had undeniably created some timeline deviations. But to Yuki? None of that mattered in the slightest.
"I'm not someone from your past," Yuki shook his head calmly.
"Then how do you know me?! Speak! Who sent you!"
Snowflakes suddenly drifted silently through the night air, dropping the temperature to freezing. As they swirled, a gleaming blue greatsword materialized in Jingliu's hands.
A blade forged of pure ice—the ultimate culmination of her understanding of the "formless weapon," honed through centuries of brutal combat experience.
She raised the sword toward Yuki. Invisible flying swords sang violently through the air, their sharp hum vibrating all around the rooftop. Swords everywhere—striking from every conceivable direction.
Facing this lethal, overwhelming onslaught, Yuki merely smiled.
A single, casual wave of his hand, and Jingliu's attack dissolved instantly into nothingness.
The invisible 'swords' shattered. The eerie, gleaming ice blade in Jingliu's hand? Yuki closed the distance in a blinding flash and simply took it from her grasp.
Jingliu felt her hand suddenly lighten—her weapon was completely gone.
Shock rippled violently through her chest. She hadn't expected him to disarm her so effortlessly. But as a master warrior, she steadied herself. With a rapid flick of her wrist, formless swords coalesced once again from the freezing air, surging toward Yuki.
Yuki just sighed, sounding slightly exasperated.
"You're not having a mara-struck episode right now, are you?"
"I already disarmed you, and you still want to keep fighting?"
Yuki casually swung the heavy ice sword he'd taken from Jingliu, effortlessly deflecting her new wave of formless blades.
At his words, Jingliu completely froze.
Then, her legs suddenly gave out. She collapsed to her knees, wrapping her arms tightly around herself, biting her lower lip until it almost bled. Her entire frame began to tremble violently.