"Jiao, is that the real you?" Xuefeng questioned just to be sure but Jiao only nodded before she dove straight into his arms.
"Xuefeng!!!" Jiao cried out his name while tears dripped on his neck. That was the reaction he expected from the start.
"It's okay… You are safe now," Xuefeng assured as he gently rubbed her back. "We don't have much time so tell me what happened."
Sniff…
Jiao held back her tears as she pulled away to look at him and smiled, "It's nothing, don't worry. If not for her, I would already be dead."
Xuefeng grabbed her by the shoulders. "How can you say it is nothing? You are possessed by another person. What if she hurts you?"
"It's okay, I know what my situation is and I want to cooperate with her. I will be fine," Jiao replied while placing his hand on her cheek. "This is my only chance to finally grow. When It is all over, I will find you again and prove to you I am worthy of you."
"But why? Why are you always running away? Can't you just stay with us? You have always been a part of our group. We can help—"
"No," Jiao cut him off with her hand before pulling away. "I have been thinking about this for years and I can't depend on you like this. I often regret my decision, wishing I stayed and let you help me but that's not me. I wouldn't be able to live normally without proving to myself that I can do it on my own."
Jiao glanced at all of Xuefeng's wives and walked up to Lisa, hugging her tightly.
"You have grown well. I am proud of you," Jiao praised as she glanced back at Xuefeng. "All of your wives are amazing. You could leave them alone and they would still do just fine, becoming one of the top experts. I can't say the same about myself. At least not yet…"
Jiao's eyes suddenly trembled and she stumbled as if she had no strength left.
"Sister! Are you okay?" Lisa called out in worry.
"I am okay… Our time is up and she wants to take back control," Jiao explained while supporting herself on Lisa's shoulder. "I am happy I could see you all again. Hopefully, it won't take long before we can meet—"
Jiao wasn't able to finish as her eyes closed shut and she lost control once again. When she opened her eyes again, Jiao was like a completely different person. Having an instant comparison, it wasn't hard to differentiate the two of them.
"Alright, that's the end of your sweet time with her," Jiao said casually as she pulled away from Lisa and stretched. "It's time for me to leave."
"Wait!" Xuefeng stopped her immediately, receiving another glare from Jiao.
"What? Are you trying to break our agreement?" Jiao argued intensely. "I let you talk to her for even longer than I wanted. If you block me again, I swear I will—"
"That's not it," Xuefeng calmed her down. "I want to propose something. Why don't you stay with us? Once we are done with our task here, we will assist you in your revenge. It will be much easier with our help."
Jiao first looked at him strangely before laughing.
"Haha! Easier? Hell no. You will only slow me down and I'm not planning to babysit you," Jiao denied in a heartbeat. "Even if you are strong, your group is too high-profile. I prefer to work solo anyway. I'm leaving."
Xuefeng wanted to keep her close so he could make sure Jiao would be safe but the woman was too stubborn to listen. Just as she was heading towards the exit, he tried his one last card.
"I know Bard."
Sure enough, Jiao stopped in place. Bard was the only connection Xuefeng had with the Ancient Race and it worked like a charm.
"How do you know that name?" Jiao questioned as she squinted her eyes at him. "Is he still alive?"
Xuefeng smiled and pulled out the compass he received from Bard. "Does it look familiar?"
"You... Where did you get it? Did you meet him?" Jiao asked curiously as she returned back to them. She reached out to grab the compass from Xuefeng's hand but he swiftly kept it.
"What's up with all those questions. I thought you were in such a hurry to leave," Xuefeng teased playfully. "How about you tell me how you know him first?"
"Bard was my best friend many years ago. He was the only one who stood up for me after a certain incident but unfortunately, his influence wasn't big enough to save my ass," Jiao explained before snapping back, "Don't stall. Tell me what you know about him. I need to know if he is still alive."
"I'm not sure if he is alive but I know his current position and how to get to him. Either he is dead or alive, I will find out when I get there," Xuefeng revealed casually.
Jiao's eyes brightened at that piece of news and demanded, "Tell me. I will save him."
Xuefeng only snickered.
"You expect me to tell you everything after you have been rude to us this whole time? I don't think so," Xuefeng denied as he gazed at his group, "Everyone, we are leaving. She doesn't need us as we will only slow her down. Let her do what she wants."
Xuefeng waved from behind as he flew towards the nearby exit and his group followed after him, leaving poor Jiao alone.
"Hey! We are not done yet!" Jiao called out after them but Xuefeng only shrugged.
"We are done. Good luck getting into the Ancient Realm on your own."
"Huh? Ancient Realm?" Jiao questioned confused and suddenly teleported in front of them. "Stop! What is the Ancient Realm?"
Author thoughts: Hey guys! I will be resuming Avatar Online soon while simultaneously writing AHW so for those who didn't read it yet, make sure you check it out! <3