(MC POV)

*Present*

"Sophia?" I called out towards her,my senses still tuned to my surroundings just in case there's other things hidden within the mist.

"Divine One…" Shiori whispered.

I patted her on the head to assure her it was alright.

Sophia said nothing but started to walk towards me, closing the distance between us with large strides.

"Sophia?" I repeated again, unsure if she heard me.

"You have no idea how hard it was to get you alone here, Master Lin," She droned, cracking her neck. "Your disciples only start to let down their guard in the weirdest of times."

"What does my disciples have to do with any of this?"

"Acting ignorant, are we?" She sneered uncharacteristically. "No matter, what you should know is that you've been a rather big pain in the neck for us."

I tilted my head at her, "Us?"

"Did you really think I left the Dark Sect for good? This whole servant thing was just me getting close to you so that I can stick a knife between your ribs."

Sophia stretched out her arms, summoning white lightning to gather around her fingers.

I raised an eyebrow at her, not at all concerned about the lightning in her hands, "Really now? So the words you said that day at those ruins were lies too?"

She hesitated, but only for a split second, "Of course. I never thought Master Lin was foolish enough to trust someone like me."

"The oath of fealty was just a bunch of hot air?"

"You should know better than to trust some spoken words."

I grinned, "Even when you proposed to me and asked me to marry you?"

"Even when I pro-- What?! I mean… Ahem, of course that was a lie too. It was all in the name of gaining your trust."

I rolled my eyes, "You couldn't have picked a worse person to frame. Sophia doesn't even talk like that."

The girl in front of me scowled, "Hmph… I suppose this should have been expected of Master Lin. Still, I managed to lock you in this space alone and no matter how strong you are, it will still take you time to break out of this space."

I gestured to the two foxes sitting on my shoulders, "Well, I wouldn't say you actually got me alone."

"What can two of your pet foxes even do?"

Shiori and Akari leapt off my shoulders to stand in front of the fake Sophia, their furs raised threateningly.

"It's ok, I got this," I assured the two foxes before looking back up at her. "You really think you can handle me one on one?"

"Not at all, but could you handle hurting one of your own disciples?" She smirked.

Her face shifted and flowed like the surface of a pool, rearranging her features to transform into Lian Li's face.

Fake Lian Li smiled at me, "Now let's see how you can--"

My Ice spear pierced through her torso before she could even finish her taunt.

"How dare you take my disciple's face in vain? You really have a death wish, huh?" I growled, hefting a Lightning spear above my shoulder.

She barely avoided my spear by ducking under it, quite a feat considering she still had an ice spear stuck in her torso.

"How cruel, Master Lin. Do you not hold any compassion to your own disciples?" She sneered.

I summoned a spear of Fire above me, "As long as I know you are not the real one, I have no such qualms about gutting you for it. In fact, I would happily do that just because you're taking my disciple's face."

This time she wasn't fast enough to escape from my attack and it pierced right through her left eye, burning off the left half of her face.

"Kuh… So it's no good if it isn't the real thing… I'll keep that bit of info in mind next time…"She muttered audibly, not concerned that there's two elemental spears currently stuck in her.

I stretched out my hand and materialised even more elemental spears above me, "You're pretty optimistic huh? Why do you think there will be a next time?"

"You and I both know this isn't my real body, Master Lin, so farewell for now. I guess this space should at least be enough to keep you occupied for the next few days. That'll be enough time for me to come up with something else for you."

Hmph, this thing thinks it'll take me a few days to break out of this? I can just focus my power in one spot and--

There was a sudden loud 'crack' in the air, like the sound you make when you hold a glass object with too much force.

All of us looked up to see a small hole in the sky with the hair line cracks widening with each passing second.

"Im… Impossible? You're breaking it so easily?! How overpowered are you, Master Lin?!" She screeched.

Well, I could have broken it easily as well, but I am honestly not the one doing this right now? Maybe this place collapses by itself if she's distracted? She does have a spear of fire and ice stuck through her head and torso after all.

Before I could deny responsibility for that hole in the air, a big portion of the sky shattered and something rainbow coloured fell through the hole.

"Papa! Papa!!"

I reached out and quickly caught Cai Hong in my arms, softening her landing.

"Cai Hong? What are you doing here?"

"Buuu! Papa disappeared and Cai Hong wanted to see Papa! So Cai Hong hit the weird wall very hard and came to find Papa!"

Weird wall?

Did Cai Hong really manage to breach through the fabric of space all on her own? Then again, considering who she really is, it's well within the realm of her capabilities. But at this young of an age? She's either a genius or I'm just that good of a teacher.

Nah, it's definitely because my cute Cai Hong's a genius. She's such a cute little genius~

"Tch… So it's your focus to your daughter that gives you that strength… I will remember this Master Lin…" The fake Lian Li growled as the space around us broke apart, depositing us back in my courtyard.

The fake Lian Li had disappeared alongside with the space, not a trace of her person to be found in the courtyard.

I'm guessing they had projected a clone into that space to taunt or confuse me, not that it worked though.

The problem was that it still hid their true identity and I still don't know who the real culprit is. At least I know for sure that Sophia is in the clear. Leaving that bad impersonation aside, she had supposedly binded herself to me with a demon oath or so she claims.

At least amongst the new servants, I trusted Sophia the most.

Before I knew it, several figures had jumped on me, hugging me tightly.

"MASTER!!" My disciples screamed, each of them wearing worrying looks on their faces.

I guess before I concern myself with this assassin, I'll need to comfort my cute disciples first.

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