Murim Recurve

[Your master's death caused that beast tide and forced the Kalhas to vacate the Kuhera Forest? Just who is he?]

"To be honest, I am not sure myself. Master didn't talk much about himself. All he said was that he was betrayed by a group of powerful people who are most probably celestials by now." Re'Kha looked around, sensing the meadow stretch as far as her perception could expand, beyond which were mountains.

Her tone turned sad, "They had poisoned him 20 years ago. He had been enduring it all along; and when he died, the poison was expelled from his body. That is what affected the entire region."

[It's not a Celestial but a group of Celestials. My god, was your master a Celestial himself?]

"I don't think so," Re'Kha shook her head, "He said he was still a Martial Master when he was poisoned. Even until the end, he was still a Martial Master."

Re'Kha then shook her head violently, "Re'Shi, I wanted to talk about that. The people that killed my master created an organisation to destroy our country. The house in the Burkurel Ju Clan's western settlement that I took refuge within was actually a minor base of that organisation."

[How…did you know that?]

"There was actually master's note there." Re'Kha then saw the Pakou looking at her with suspicion. Its gaze made it obvious that it felt Re'Kha had injured her head. Seeing the Pakou's stare, Re'Kha lowered her voice, "They never figured it out because the message was coded using Wood Qi."

[Your master is a Bisheen?]

"He didn't seem like that. After all, he used Water Qi to heal me." Re'Kha muttered, "It is strange, but he's full of mysteries."

[Alright, I'll look into him on my side, same for the organisation that killed him. Don't try to pry into their details for now. If the opponent is a Celestial, our entire Clan's strength is insufficient to fight against them.]

The Pakou then gazed at Re'Kha as it moved its toe in a flurry, writing the letters in bold.

[Your getup is attention-grabbing. Why don't you change into a different set of clothes? That embroidered silk on your face would make anyone take a second glance at you. It would be easy to track down an oddly dressed person. Do you have a change of clothes in your bag?]

"I do," Re'Kha nodded, "Turn around, I'll get changed now."

The Pakou turned around while coiling its tail around her, giving her some room to change within. It protected her against any harm that might arise anytime from anywhere. Seeing the caution it displayed and the concern it showed her, Re'Kha smiled, watching the Pakou drop the bag next to her feet.

Re'Kha undressed, rolling the cloth banner before bundling it within the clothes as she inserted it inside her storage ring, making some adjustments before she was barely able to do so. She had also placed the vials inside and ensured to place some Elemental Qi Essences between them.

This way, the cloth banner wouldn't siphon Fear Qi from the Kalhas within the vials. After risking her life, she barely managed to capture five. They were her trump cards, so she didn't wish to see her efforts fail.

Moreover, the cloth banner had completely lost all the Fear Qi it had accumulated. For, Re'Kha wore it and ran around in the rain. All the Water Qi in the raindrops that slammed on her destroyed all the Fear Qi in the cloth banner.

At the start when she rolled out of the house while within the Aeki, screaming sounds resounded in her mind whenever a raindrop fell on her. But the moment she came into the open, the scream turned shrill for a moment before subsiding, quickly losing strength as it turned silent.

Re'Kha noticed the blank space in it fully disappear after a while, concluding that all its Fear Qi had been destroyed.

So, in such a state, it couldn't move on its own; at least, that was what she hoped. Re'Kha planned to inspect its condition at regular intervals to ensure the cloth banner didn't damage her Kalhas.

She had already kept the whip-shaped Magic Artifact within the storage space. Re'Kha wore the clothes she had packed in the bag, feeling a bit of relief when the rainwater fell on her skin directly. Being covered by the cloth banner felt weird, for she knew it was a Sha.

"I'm done," Re'Kha closed the bag, watching the Pakou turn around to gaze at her, noticing her appearance as it was stunned into silence. It used its toe to frantically write in the water, expressing its shock.

[Your hair! It's no longer blue. It almost looks emerald now.]

"What? It's emerald? Why is it like that?" Re'Kha shouted nervously, for the change in hair colour was bad news. People of her race had four hair colours: blue, black, red, and violet. They were respectively possessed by Harmonisers from the water element, metal element, fire element, and lightning element.

As for the regular populace, they possessed hair that was a mixture of the four colours. The quantity of hair of a particular colour they possessed conformed to their affinity to the respective element. For example, a man could have blue hair while possessing red sideburns. He could also have all four colours on his hair. But, the only colours they had were pertaining to the four colours.

Neither other colours, nor a fusion of the four colours existed in their populace. But, just the fact that Re'Kha possessed emerald-coloured hair signified danger for her. She would be ostracised or even treated as an ill omen of sorts and be killed. Or she might find herself captured and sold in a black market for her rarity.

If the opposing forces in her Clan got wind of this, then they would use it to plot against her. Re'Kha was unsure now, thinking, 'This might be a result of master's Pranic Heart fusing with mine.'

[It must be because of something your master did. Don't be afraid, we'll try to figure out the cause in the future. But first…]

The Pakou paused for a moment, hesitant before beginning to write once again.

[Your Tikka Jewellery has the same resplendent blue as before, so the only problem is your hair. I suggest we…shave it.]