Su Yan, Yuan Qi, and the bell tensed. If Zhu Chanchan's "atonement" was any measure, the Zhou court's mercy was thin.
Jiang Qi wore violet robes and a slender bronze sword at his waist. "I thought you might be the old master's accomplices, hiding her stolen goods."
"Never!" the bell protested. "We would never associate with such a person."
Yuan Qi whispered to Su Yan, "We still have half a flying peak in my stomach."
Su Yan signaled him to stay quiet. "The Primal Dao Essence, you mean this gourd? I found it by accident. Of course I'll return it."
Jiang Qi accepted the gourd. His expression flickered. "You drank quite a bit."
"We were dying. It was medicinal."
Jiang Qi took a sip and composed himself. "I can send you back to Yuan Shou."
"How?"
Jiang Qi produced Heaven's Punishment. "Hold this. You become the dragon-headed god. You can tear open the thunder vortex and walk home."
"Won't it control me?"
"You must resist the Heavenly Dao consciousness within." Jiang Qi smiled — then vomited blood and collapsed. "I wounded Longyuan, but he wounded me worse. During the great terror, you killed me a hundred and four times."
Su Yan checked his pulse. "Still breathing."
"Leave him!" Yuan Qi said. "Let's take the sword and go!"
"He gave it to me freely. We don't abandon people."
Yuan Qi draped the unconscious preceptor across his head. The bell kept watch.
Su Yan studied Heaven's Punishment. The bird-seal script on its blade felt wrong — errors in the Heavenly Dao符文 itself. No wonder the gods were fakes.
He activated the sword. A dragon-headed god rose around him, killing intent flooding the desert. Skeletons clawed from the sand, attacking each other.
The bell and Yuan Qi suddenly turned on each other.
"Today we finish this!" the bell roared.
"I never liked you anyway!" Yuan Qi spat.
Su Yan frowned. The skeletons had stopped, but his companions kept fighting. He coughed. "I've already controlled the sword."
The bell wobbled upright. "When did that happen? Oh, Qi, did I hurt you?"
"I was controlled too, Bell. No hard feelings?"
"Brotherhood stronger than steel!"
Su Yan ignored them. The dragon-headed god lifted the group toward the stars, toward the thunder vortex that had brought them here. He touched the sword to the void. The vortex opened.
Halfway through, a maple-light god lunged from behind. Longyuan's hand reached for the sword.
Jiang Qi sat up, laughing. "I waited a long time for this, Longyuan. You're as predictable as ever."
He seized Heaven's Punishment. The blade's power split the vortex itself, shearing off Longyuan's divine hand. Blood stained the passage crimson.
"A lesson you'll never forget."
Jiang Qi smiled — then collapsed again, truly unconscious this time.