# Chapter 105: Walking on the Blade's Edge
In Dong A's small courtyard.
The third Dao Spiral was nearly formed, and Jiang Wang did not worry at all about whether he could complete his first Minor Zhou Heavenly Circulation. That was a mere matter of course—he now had such confidence.
But the instantaneous Dao art he would engrave upon entering the Zhou Heavenly Circulation Realm still troubled him.
Instantaneous Dao arts were near-decisive in combat. No matter how polished, a regular technique took several breaths to cast—and in a fatal struggle, the gap of a single breath meant death.
Jiang Wang's treasure-sword was precious precisely because it had engraved within it a Golden Light Arrow. The arrow was not powerful, but the sword's formation runes let it take effect almost instantly. Its fatal flaw, however, was a cooldown far too long to ignore.
Once he completed the Minor Zhou Heavenly Circulation, his Heaven-Piercing Palace would support engraving a single instantaneous Dao art.
But among the low-grade Dao arts he had learned so far, none was truly satisfactory. They lacked the applicability of something like the triple surge taught at Wangjiang City Dao Academy.
Dong A could not devote his energy to low-grade Dao art research. Such things were the accumulated harvest of an academy's depth, and Maple Forest City Dao Academy had not been rising long—its foundations were not yet rich enough.
"Between the fire-element and wood-element Dao arts, which do you favor?" asked Dong A.
As his teacher, he naturally knew the direction in which Jiang Wang studied both. Wood-element Dao arts tended to have stronger binding power, while fire-element Dao arts were more violently offensive.
Jiang Wang had long had an idea in mind: "For my first instantaneous Dao art, I want it to be fire-element. A more violent offense will blend better into my current battle system."
Dong A nodded. "As it happens, the National Dao Academy recently cracked a Grade C upper-class Dao art."
He extended a finger, and a single ember leapt up. The ember was nimble and lively. With a slight twist, it took shape as a flower of flame, blossoming at his fingertip.
Though Dong A himself was most skilled in wood-element Dao arts, a low-grade fire-element Dao art posed him no difficulty at all.
Jiang Wang could sense the scorching heat of that flame-flower, though it looked so serene and docile.
"The Flame Flower." Dong A explained. "Ever since Zuo Guanglie created the 'Flame-Flower City Burner', people in every nation have tried to crack it, and the National Dao Academy only produced results not long ago. This flower comes from it. It is the finest of all Grade C Dao arts."
Jiang Wang was deeply satisfied. In a sense, a Grade C Dao art was the upper limit for an eighth-grade Zhou Heavenly Circulation cultivator. This was Grade C upper-class, and above all it was a Flame Flower—the foundation of the Flame-Flower City Burner.
"Master Dong, this is the one." Jiang Wang said at once.
Dong A took out a small pamphlet and tossed it to Jiang Wang. "Inside are the seal-formulas and some of my own reflections on this art. Take it back and study it yourself. It will cost you the last of your Dao Merit."
The National Dao Academy had just cracked it, and it circulated only among strong figures on Dong A's level. Jiang Wang's Dao Merit had been nearly spent since Sanshan City—this was quite a bargain, and ample proof of Dong A's regard, despite his cold, upright mien.
Jiang Wang took the pamphlet with the deepest respect and tucked it into his robes.
By rights, his purpose in coming had been achieved, and he ought now to take his leave.
But, as if guided by spirits, he sat down again cross-legged. "Master Dong..."
"If you have something to say, say it plainly."
"Master, do you know... about people of the human-clan capturing water-clan and drawing out their Dao meridians?" Jiang Wang watched Dong A's expression with great care.
With his prudence, he would not ordinarily have asked such a question. But over this stretch, Dong A had built up trust within his heart.
"And then?" Dong A did not even raise his eyes.
"Does this sort of thing not strike you as hateful?"
"Who is hateful?" Dong A looked at him. "The water-clan, too, have devoured the human-clan. Did you know that? Would you like me to show you the case files of the Office of Inquiry?"
Pressed by Dong A's gaze, Jiang Wang grew nervous and stumbled over his words.
"Ahh." Noticing his agitation, Dong A softened his gaze. "We all know these are only isolated cases. Just as the human-clan themselves have man-eating demons—does that prove the entire human-clan eats its own kind?"
His tone turned mild. "But the moment anything involves two clans, the problem is never so simple. However close the human-clan and water-clan may be as one family, in the end they are not one family."
Jiang Wang forced himself onward. "The problem is that now this is no longer an isolated case. I have discovered that the people of the Office of Inquiry..."
"Impudent!" Dong A barked sternly. "Are these words for you to speak?"
His expression grew severe. "Jiang Wang, remember this. The most pressing thing for you now is to cultivate diligently and build your Minor Zhou Heavenly Circulation to perfection. Then take the Prefecture Dao Academy examination, and then the National. I care not where you learned this news—these matters are not for a city academy disciple to trouble yourself over!"
"Yes." Jiang Wang lowered his head. "This disciple understands."
...
Still that cave whose floor was paved with white bone. The appointed time had long since passed, yet the skeleton on the bone throne had still not appeared.
"How much longer must we wait?" Miaoyu still wore her red robes, but her expression betrayed impatience.
"Let's disperse." said the White Bone Envoy. "The Great Elder must be held up by something; he will not be coming today."
"Hehehehe..." Today the cave held an additional withered old man, of no lower standing than the Envoy and the Saintess. Facing the bone throne, hands folded, he said, "He carries the projection of the Gate of Ghosts. What could possibly hold him up?"
"Isn't the Great Elder supposed to be making a great move in the Cloud Kingdom?" There was amusement in the Envoy's voice. "The kingdom above the clouds has something, wouldn't you say, Second Elder?"
One Saintess, one Envoy, three Great Elders, twelve Bone Masks—the White Bone Path's high echelon. In rank, the Saintess was most exalted. But in strength, the Great Elder currently called the shots.
The Third Elder had sacrificed himself to bring the Gate of Ghosts projection into being. If anyone could still contend with the Great Elder, it was the Second Elder.
"Hehehehe..." The Second Elder laughed coldly. "Don't tell me Ye Lingxiao has come out of seclusion? I have not seen him fight in years, and know not whether his bones have grown rusty."
"Then the Second Elder might as well go and see." Miaoyu parried with a smile, then brushed her long sleeve. "Since the Great Elder cannot come, I will be on my way first."
"What's the hurry, Saintess?" The Second Elder turned his head, a smile at the corner of his lips. His eyes held only the whites.
Miaoyu smiled like a blooming flower. "I am eager to return and interrogate the traitor in our midst."
"Oh?" The Second Elder waved a hand and cackled eerily. "Go on, then."
...
The White Bone Envoy hurried to catch up with Miaoyu and said, with great familiarity: "Still asking whether Ye Lingxiao's bones are rusty—Ye Lingxiao is far younger than him! This old corpse, acting as though they had fought! Who doesn't know that when Ye Lingxiao walked the world, his master and senior brothers were beaten to death, and he only survived by playing dead?"
He changed tack. "Though you too—let him boast. An old bag of bones; why trouble yourself."
Miaoyu cast him a sidelong glance. "Why are you so gossipy, like those tattling old women? And don't come so close; we're not that familiar."
"Oh my, Miaoyu. You have changed. Chasing the new and forgetting the old..." The Envoy pressed closer and whispered, "Have you, perhaps, found the Path Heir?"
Miaoyu whirled her head around! The Envoy jumped far away at once, striking a stance of guard.
But then Miaoyu burst into a smile of a thousand charms.
"I would dearly like to be nicer to you—as nice as you please. But do you dare accept it?"
Seductive eyes drew souls; soft words melted bones.
"Hey!" The Envoy clapped his hands. "Now that's the flavor I remember!"
"Hide your little sweetheart well, and don't let anyone discover her..."
He finished with a laugh, then fell backward with the flow, and vanished into the cave.