Chapter 288: Jing''s Payback.


    Everythingsing along perfectly babe. TheCommercial Chamber is sniffing us out along with some of the other groups in Cloud Dragon City but theyre just curious. Everyone knows how dogs act towards something it isnt sure about. It either barks and growls threateningly ores closer to sniff its asshole. But dont worry, I''ll let them take a nice long whiff of our ass before mping down on their throats! Hu Tao messaged Jing.


    Send multiple small groups to the neighboring cities. If something goes wrong with Cloud Dragon City, it would be good to have something to fall back on. Jing replied back, ignoring his crude flowery speech.


    Anything specific or it doesnt matter?


    Restaurant, forge, and dojo.


    Got it. Talk to youter babe. Love you.


    Jing didnt bother replying back. Hu Taos love was cute and would be tempting but Jing wasnt the type of woman to betray someones trust without sufficient benefits. At such an early stage in their rtionship, Jing couldnt see herself leaving Shang for Hu Tao. Both were quite cute and amusing in their own ways but Jings sadist side felt shed have a lot of fun teasing Shang even after several hundred years have passed. Hu Tao on the other hand would be a more spontaneous ze of passion and lust. Imagining herself and Hu Tao with children only brought up little uncontroble devils who sought nothing but to spread chaos and mayhem throughout the world. Adorable and definitely fun but even Jing needs some cooldown from chaos every now and then. But with Shang,theirchildren could actually be quite normal in some sense.


    Speaking of children... during Jings refinement, she didnt specify a majority of the changes that happened to her. It was possible that her womb was also changed in some inhuman way. She didnt even know if it was possible for her to conceive nor if raising a child in her body would fundamentally change them in some way. Calling herself a human by this point was frankly a stretch. Giving birth in this body would also produce something monstrous, right?


    Jing shook herhead,she just didnt know. In her previous lives, she was human through and through. The system didnt follow her in those lives and her body wasnt changed as significantly as it is now. Looks like shell just have to wait and see.


    Jing smiled as she thought about this. Knowing Shang, thatll probably be in a few decades, no? The cute little shy young master he was. However, Jing wasnt nning on waiting that long to turn Shang into a man. She was a young woman with needs. If need be, shell devour him herself regardless of how ready he was.


    Whyre you smiling like that, mom? LiLiasked, perched on her shoulder with his head twisted at a90-degreeangle.


    I was just thinking about something fun. Jing replied. How are the others doing? She followed up.


    Theyre getting ready to begin the quarter-finals, Ying just said. Li Li answered after reading the message on the talisman.


    I might be cutting it close. Itll be a little embarrassing if I lose because I waste. Jing chuckled.


    Why are we at the Emerald Grass ying Sect instead of our sect? LiLiasked.


    Mom has an old debt to settle with someone here. Since I had the time, I figured I should pay it back before he croaked on his own.


    Croaked? Is he going to die?


    In one sense. Jing reached into her infinite space storage ring and pulled out an old familiar mask.


    A wooden mask painted white. It looked aged as it was painted centuries ago. When worn, the only aspect of the wearers face was their eyes. There was no opening in the mask for the nose or mouth, just the eyes. Jing ced the mask over her face and couldnt help but giggle as she saw Li Li pull out an identical smaller mask for himself. She didnt forget that she made one for him too but it has been a while since the Treasured ins.


    I wonder how shes doing nowadays. Jing thought to herself.


    The mother and son duo casually walked through the Emerald Grass ying Sects front entrance. Not a soul could take in their presence. Geniuses, prodigies, elders, hall masters, none could even hear the sound of Jings ruffling clothes. They made their way straight to the bedridden sect leader of the Emerald Grass ying Sect.


    Upon first sight of him, Jing was taken aback. This decrepit old husk was the one to nearly kill her? Whatever technique or spirit tool that allowed him to look like a handsome young man that thousands of women would kill to even look at certainly did him favors. Jing couldnt even rte this grandpa to the man that almost killed her that time.


    However, Jing would show him no mercy despite how helpless and pathetic he looked. An Earthly Immortal was dangerous even on their deathbed. The feeble slow ebbing of his life was going toe to an end soon. A painful and miserable end for someone that deserved it in Jings eyes. Even after she gave him what he wanted, he still attempted to kill her.


    Jing sat on the foot of the dying mans bed and crossed her legs as she pulled out several objects from her. Ink, brush, and several nk talismans. LiListayed silent as his mother carefully and slowly began to draw. Her wrist was as slow as a tortoise but firm and steady like an adult tiger. Each stroke, each line, all of it was done with precise and powerful movement.


    It took a few seconds but then LiLiunderstood why his mom wasnt finishing these talismans in an instant. These spells werent your average spells... He didnt recognize them but he could feel the qi radiating off of them even in their iplete state. Around them, the qi from heaven and the earth flowed into his moms talismans. Something that LiLiwasnt capable of doing yet.


    Harnessingthe energy of the world itself in your creation is said to be a feat possible only for those that have reached the peak. LiLiwasnt surprised to see that his mom has reached such a state, he was just surprised that it happened without his knowledge! Hes with her basically every moment of the day and didnt know she was capable of this! Could it be that his mom was even more amazing than he thought? He had a lot more training to do if he didnt want to disgrace their family.


    The spells took multiple hours toplete. Jing smiled in satisfaction as her deep qi reserves were mostly drained. Normally an array of this level takes months tillpletion but because of the abnormality with her body and the knowledge gained over 10,000 lives, it only took several hours. If others tried something like this it would take the sacrifice of over 100,000 men along with numerous invaluable treasures.


    So you''re still alive... A voice that barely amounted to a whisper flowed into the ears of the mother-son pair.


    I told you, you would regret your decision. Jing ced her refined whip on the chest of the ailing man.


    To think... He wheezed. All these years just to be killed by some pup favored by the heavens... Blood slowly trickled down his mouth. The heavens are truly unfair sometimes...


    Dont go ming the heavens for your decision old man. The heavens didnt tell you to kill me. You made that choice on your own. Take responsibility for the young life you nearly ended, old monster. All of this pain and suffering of yours is solely because of your decision to end my life that day. Jing activated the heaven-ranked trapping array, Soul-Tearing Path of Nirvana.


    The sect leader of the Emerald Grass ying Sect was brought into a deep peaceful sleep despite how desperately he resisted. A frightening arrow-shaped qi shot out of the barely raised finger of the old man. Jing only smirked at his final attempts to resist. She didnt flinch at the loud bang from the impact of his attack. Li Li, on the other hand, braced heavily after sensing the terrifying amount of qi leftover from his attack. Earthly Immortals were still definitely out of his league for now!


    Have a good rest, Patriarch Cao. Jing yfully waved at him. Well, as good a rest you can get in an eternal nightmare. This was thest thing Patriarch Cao heard as everything went ck and he could feel no more.


    As the leader of the Emerald Grass ying Sect whisked off into dreand, Jing collected the bacterial agents that were responsible for sucking the life force of the old man. If they were allowed to stay inside his body, he truly would die. Jings purpose here wasnt to kill this guy but to use him to master her cultivation technique, Empress of Pains Tome. The suffering of someone at such a high cultivation stage should allow her to reach the advanced realm. At the advanced realm, JingCausing others pain physical or mental can now increase the soul energy of the user and cause their Qi to have amanding presence. If the users soul energy is stronger, they can force the opponent under their will. If not, simply pressure their opponent.


    Is it time to go now? LiLiasked.


    Yes, we can return now. Hopefully, were not toote. Jing reached into her storage ring and pulled out a puffy white cloud grown from a cloud seed.


    Jing leaped from the window andnded on the cloud before flying back to the sect. As they were flying away, the cloud changed colors to a transparent blue.


    Hyou was an orphan but he had the dream of bing a Heavenly General. He lived in a tiny vige that didnt even have a name but swung his wooden sword every day in hopes of getting stronger. It wasnt an actual wooden sword but more of a sturdy tree branch but a childs imagination was endless. One couldnt enter the military until one turned 15. Hyou was only eight years old yet his sword skills surpassed even the strongest man in his vige.


    He had no teachers, no one to take care of him beside Granny Rei. Sure, the vigers pitied the orphan but living was already hard enough taking care of their families. No one had the money orpassion to feed an extra mouth except Granny Rei. Whose only child recently died in the war.


    Dont worry Granny! When I join the military, I''ll wrack up hundreds and thousands of merits to bring back and improve the vige. Ill also avenge Big Brother Ten for you!Hyoucontinued to swing his sword without rest.


    Ill be waiting,Hyou. Granny Rei smiled lovingly at the innocent child.


    A child that barely knew anything of the world at all. So, kind and pure. Secretly, Rei hated the fact that the boy was skilled with the de. A boy like this with his entire life ahead of him could only think about going to war, bing a hero, and killing other men. War hasnt done anything for Rei besides killing all the men she ever loved. Her husband was forced to conscript, her only son who died without marrying or leaving a child, and soon this bright young man as well.


    Rei wanted nothing more than to argue, fight, and dissuade this boy from joining the military but she knew it would be a futile effort. His big bright blue eyes as he talked about his dream of bing a Heavenly General. Nothing would stop him on his path. Even if she sacrificed her remaining life span in going against him to stop him from joining, he would still find some way to be a part of the military. She knew becauseTenhad the same look in his eyes growing up and when he left their vige.


    Mom! Im going off to be a Heavenly General. I dont know when I''ll be back but when I do, I''ll finally find a wife and be sure to leave a child before heading back to the battlefield. Rei remembered his words.


    Can you not go...? Rei knew how selfish her words sounded but as a mother, she couldnt help herself. He was her only son.


    I promise I''ll be back. Ten hugged her and that would be thest time Rei saw him. His corpse was mutted and used as an art piece for the enemy general to use against our nation. Rei never received her sons body.


    Hyou! Come y with me! A high-pitched loud voice shouted as they arrived at Reis front yard.


    Ughhhits Kou...Hyougroaned. Tell her I''m not here!Hyouwhispered as he went off to hide somewhere.


    Rei smiled as she grabbed her cane and got up to answer the door. A little cute tigress looked up at Rei and peered behind her in search of a stinky boy. Seeing that he wasnt behind her, Kou looked back up at Rei and smiled.


    Goodmorning,Granny Rei. IsHyouat home? Kou kindly asked.


    I think we both know the answer to that sweetie. Rei softly rubbed her cute little head.


    If it was up to Rei, shed forceHyouto stay in the vige until he was 15 to get married to this beautiful young girl and do nothing but make beautiful children until their as old as she is. All this nonsense about glory for ones country, being a hero, and killing other men. What more is there to life than living with the people you love for as long as possible? At this point, Rei didnt know if it was the world that was wrong or she was. She couldnt find anyoneelse that thought like her, so, her feeling was leaning on thetter.


    After receiving permission to enter inside, Kou found the hiddenHyouin a matter of seconds. It turns out the boy had no sense for hiding and had half of his body sticking out from his hiding ce. Kou dragged him by his legs withHyoukicking and screaming. When she decided she wanted to y, it was time to y. That little tigress was the descendent of a Giant. A race of humans known for their great strength and size.Hyoumay have been talented in the ways of the sword but that meant nothing when he was without his stick to defend himself. Kou on the other hand needed nothing but her bare hands. The moreHyoutried to flee, themore determined and clevererKou got in order to get her way.


    Rei wanted to exin how a girl like Kou is what you should want in a woman but she knew that stubborn stinky boy would only reject a girl like Kou further. She could only hope when he growsuphell understand just how lucky he is to be liked by someone with such dedication. Things like this couldnt be forced. Love isnt something that can be controlled by humans but decided by fate.


    Years passed peacefully in the little town. Hyou continued his sword training every day till the age of 15. Kou continued to pester and bother him every day. Granny Rei continued to take care of Hyou for all those years until the day she was dreading came. Although Hyou and Ten looked nothing alike, the look in their eyes and the straightness of their backs werepletely identical. Looking at the raggedy-dressed boy about to leave, Rei couldnt help butpare the two boys. It was just like seeing her little Ten off once again...


    Unknowingly, tears slowly slid down her face. Rei thought she was all dried up after all the crying she did after Ten died but it looked like she still had some left in her...


    Dont cry Granny... Ill be back as soon as possible! After I score a few general heads, I''ll run back home as soon as possible! If youre ever lonely, just call Kou over. She never has anything to do.Hyouwiped the tears from Granny Reis face and gave her a bright smile.


    Hmph! Who has nothing to do!? Kou rappedHyouon the head and knocked him to the ground with her monstrous strength.


    Heheheh... I thought you werent feeling well this morning... Whatre you doing here, Kou...?Hyoupainfully grimaced as he rubbed his sore head.


    Apparently just in time to see you making Granny Rei cry. Kou replied.


    Hey, I didnt!Hyoufelt wronged! Did I? He looked over at Granny Rei.


    No, dear. I was just thinking of old memories... Just promise me youll do anything you can to survive, alright? Even if you have to do something despicable or horrible...GrannyRei asked.


    Old memories?Hyousuddenly realized what she was talking about. I wont let anyone kill me before I be a Heavenly General. I promise.


    Thats not what she asked you to promise, idiot... Kou crossed her arms.


    Huh? Then what did you ask, granny?


    Nothing. Go out there and be the hero you wanted to be. Just make sure you dont forget your old granny back home.


    Youre lucky they dont allow women to join the army in our country. Kou told him.


    Thank the heavens for that...Hyoumuttered to himself. GUHK! Before getting kicked in the ribs by Kou who heard him.


    Tch, like I wanted to spend more time with an idiot like you either! Kou stormed off as Granny Rei justughed.


    Whatd I do wrong...?Hyoufelt like his ribs were cracked.


    Hyousurvived his first campaign and was returning home until the next war or battle started. He managed to take the heads of several captains and was awarded the position of 100-manmander in his first battle along with a goodamountof mary rewards. As he walked down the path to the vige, the surroundings began to get more and more unfamiliar. The luscious grass leading up to the vige, the homely smell of agriculture and hard work, and the sound of the people from the vige talking. An unknown feeling seizedHyousheart as heunconsciouslypicked up speed.


    No... No, no, no. No! No! No!


    Hyourushed forward to the destroyed remains of his only home. There were no signs of corpses, blood, or any battle taking ce here butHyoucould smell the dried blood in the air. Some buildings were burned to a crisp while others were destroyed with brute force. Where was Granny?! Where was Kou?! Where was Uncle Sei!?


    They''re all dead,Hyou... Boku, the vige drunk, answered him posted up against a wooden barrel. I was the only one to survive the bandit attack.


    Tell me what happened!Hyougrabbed Boku by the cor and stared deep into his eyes with unrelenting killing intent.


    I wanted to help... I really did but I couldnt... I wasnt man enough. I was afraid... Tears flowed from his eyes, he reeked of alcohol.


    Answer me or I''ll kill you myself!Hyoureached for his sword.


    Little Kou tried to protect Granny Rei... even with her being a Giant, what can one little girl do against dozens of grown men with swords? They... humiliated her before killing her and Granny Rei. It wasnt right... It wasnt an ending fit for humans... A little babe like her shouldnt have had to go through something like that...


    AND YOU DID NOTHING BUT WATCH!? Hyous rage and sorrow peaked.


    I didnt want to die... I''m sorry,Hyou... I really am... Im a coward... He bawled like a child.


    Hyou released the drunk. He had a feeling that killing Boku right now wouldnt solve anything. It wouldnt abet his fury in the slightest. Killing him might actually be considered mercy if anything. Right now, he had to find out the identity and hiding ce of those bandits. His heart wouldnt forgive him if he let things go like this. No, he couldnt continue living if he let Granny Rei and Kou perish so unjustly without avenging them.


    Tell me everything you found out about them.Hyouturned around to face Boku only to suddenly feel a sharp pain in his chest.


    I really tried my best,Hyou... Why couldnt you just be proud of me for surviving...? Bokus knife stuck intoHyousheart. I already had nothing left to live for after seeing my wife and daughter get passed around and tortured by those fiends... I really didnt need you looking at me like I was the same as those beasts... Boku soon sliced his own throat afterward.


    The two copsed on top of each other withHyouviolently and furiously cursing at the heavens. As everything went ck,Hyoucontinued to swear and threaten the heavens for deciding this as his fate. Until he could no longer think. His body went still and everything was nothing no more.


    Hey, idiot! I want to y, get up already! Kous annoying voice shouted in his ear.


    Huh...?Hyoustruggled to open his eyes. OOF! A hard impactnded on his stomach and swiftly woke him up from his delirium. What the hell!? He angrily cursed as his eyes met with someone who should be dead.


    Oh, youve grown some balls to be cursing at me to my face,Hyou. Kou grinned as she audibly cracked her knuckles.


    Im alive...?


    Not for long, you idiot!