《Six Seals》


 0-The New Home(Rewritten)

    Crunch


    Crunch


    Stomping the leaves under the straw sandals on his feet, he came in front of a small opening inside the dense trees covering the forest. What laid in front of him was a small hut, made of the same wood around everywhere in this mass of green. It had a single door with no knob, his father didn¡¯t put much effort into it since no other soul lived here other than them. Though he wished he had done that, it would have been one more thing to learn.


    Since he couldn¡¯t learn anything now.


    He trod in front, a tad bit swaying around as the huge and brown wild-boar on his shoulders put another burden to carry. At least that was considered to be if he didn¡¯t count the iron hatchet on the side of his leather robe. Standing right next to the door, he dropped the corpse and knocked on the door twice. He made sure they were loud enough, or his grandmother wouldn¡¯t hear it. She was old, perhaps way too older than she should have lived, yet the only thing the time impaired her from was balance and hearing.


    And he didn¡¯t know if that was a good thing.


    Walking around the entrance, just a few steps away after rounding the hut, a small fence appeared in his sight. Together with plenty of herbs and plants and trees inside, horizontal several water grooves were dug at their sides. They seemed dried up. He guessed at the moment, the stream must have been blocked again. Another small trouble before he got on his journey.


    Strolling around, he tried to locate the other sole iron tool in their house, the shovel. He frowned a bit, confused, as he knew last time he used the shovel he left it along the apple tree at the fence¡¯s foot. Then he heard a pair of steps, slow and steady, approaching from behind. Turning around, his blue eyes glittered. He took a few large strides and hugged the old woman.


    ¡®¡¯Oh dear, I can walk.¡¯¡¯ She set her loose grey hair into a braid, this was the second time he saw her doing this. He didn¡¯t want to remember the first one. ¡®¡¯Were you searching this, Ubel?¡¯¡¯ With that, he realized what she held. Instead of her normal crane, he remembered how he made that solely by himself, she held the iron shovel he had been looking for.


    ¡®¡¯Yes, grandma. Thank you.¡¯¡¯ He gave another hug then took the shovel from her after settling her down near a boulder.


    ¡®¡¯Do you want something to drink?¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯I should be the one asking you, dear.¡¯¡¯ She smiled. ¡®¡¯Do what you have to do, I will just sit down here.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Alright grandma.¡¯¡¯ Stepping up, he went a bit further than the small garden and came in front of a pile of dirt. He grimaced for a bit. The same fox troubled their family for years. His father said it came a bit after he was three, and since then for almost two decades the damned thing stole some crops and messed up their farm.


    I will kill that fox if I find it...but when? He flared a bit.


    Swearing, and knowing he couldn¡¯t do it in a sole day, he shoveled the dirt to the side. After a few minutes, he saw trickles of water seeping through the black soil and grinned. Two more strikes and partly-clean water gushed out of the hole. He didn¡¯t try to clean the dirt, the soil underneath the surface was richer in humus. Also, their drinking water came down from a different stream. So there was no need to worry.


    Burbling water flowed through the grooves and plants seemed more healthy than a few seconds before. Must be my imagination, Ubel thought, then plucked a pair of apples as he neared his grandmother. One he gave to her and settled down right next on the grass.


    ¡®¡¯Mmm-your hands are wondrous as well, this tastes sweet.¡¯¡¯ She said with a smile and continued to bite down.


    ¡®¡¯Not as my father¡¯s.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Your father was a genius, dear. Don¡¯t compare yourself to him.¡¯¡¯


    Well, she was right. Still, Ubel couldn¡¯t help but shake his head. Gobbling down, he finished the apple as the water came to the end of the grooves.


    ¡®¡¯Come on grandma, I need to take care of a few things before I go.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Alright, help me out a bit.¡¯¡¯


    Even without her words, he stood up and coiled his arm around her. He felt the difference between the texture on the skin; one soft and slightly tanned, the other wizened and rough. Thinking about that, he rounded the big boar and he led her inside. The door pushed open with a little force, and it creaked.


    Ubel escorted her through the hall with the small mat, then came into the bedroom. He put her on her favorite, and a classic of old as she told, rocking chair. The instant she slumped down, the snoring started.


    I wonder how she falls asleep like that.


    The few things were preparing his pouch and taking the letter of invitation. He had done the former earlier this morning. The latter, obviously, stood inside the pouch as well. He took it from his own bed, then gazed at the door leading outside.


    He forgot the boar for a moment, then came next to the animal to shoulder it again. Realizing his mistake, Ubel pulled it a bit far away from the door and took out the hatchet. They didn¡¯t have a knife, it broke three months ago and he didn¡¯t have the courage to go mine with his grandma home alone. So he could only try to skin it with the hatchet.


    *********


    He dropped the bulk of meat, cleaned and cut, on the wooden platform. Following that, he put over the blanket covered with salt over it after pouring huge amounts of salt. With this, it should keep from spoiling a few more hours.Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author.


    Most of them will go to waste though.


    There was nothing left to do.


    He came back to the bedroom, saw his grandmother still snoozing, and walked closer. His gaze lingered for a long time after he turned around and left. After pulling the door, he checked the contents of his pouch again.


    Thirty silver, a comb, the chopsticks, letter...and this.


    He took out the necklace. It wasn¡¯t even a necklace, it was just intended to look like that.


    It was a pebblestone, words reading Evil written over with red ink, tied up with a pair of sturdy ropes.


    A lucky charm, huh? Ubel sighed, and with caution tied it around his sunburnt neck.


    He walked off and entered into the forest, kept going. He didn¡¯t stop for a rest, he wasn¡¯t the type to tire in an hour or two. He also knew the forest well, he and his father roamed around the woods most of their empty time. Mostly for food, of course, but sometimes for playing too.


    He once tangled his hair on a high branch after cheering when he hunted his first prey. Or how he fell down while chasing a rabbit and scratched the corner of his eyebrows.


    But after going further, he realized that he didn¡¯t know here. He had never gone too far in the forest, simply because his father told so. He said it was dangerous, mysterious.


    But there was more things he said about it, and he recounted those words in his mind:


    There is no adventure there he told as many times as he could remember. Past the Orabura, there are only two things.


    One is the world, simple and cruel.


    Ubel started to slow down as the light became more piercing. Words became louder inside his mind.


    Your grandfather died in that world, may the Light bless his soul.


    Terrain saw some changes as well, soil and patches of grass turned into something yellow and slippery. It was hot, and his feet started to sink into it. His father''s voice continued.


    It was because of a petty reason, something about a debt of blood. It was as simple as that to be cruel.


    Then his eyes adjusted to the blinding lights, and he stood rooted in his place.


    Other is the ocean, wondrous and colorful. Watching makes you peaceful, and swimming inside gives you joy.


    It might be the only thing worth in the world to love.


    ¡®¡¯Who are you?¡¯¡¯ A voice called out. He didn''t realize the presence, nor did he saw any silhouette beforehis father''s monolouge stopped reharsing. He turned to look at the shoreline. He saw a man with a paddle, behind him a shaking boat. Further than that lay the only thing worth in the world to love.


    And the first time he saw the endless blue in front, he thought of his grandmother.


    A woman like the ocean she was.


    *********


    The boat rocked amidst the tumbling waves.


    This was the first time Ubel saw a body of water this big, and he had to say the biggest one was just a vast pool size of his house when the autumn came. So, he had every right to be shocked.


    And he was.


    Though the shaking and the splattered water did not help much in marveling at the scenery. Sun was high, it seemed like past mid-day, and leaned towards the west as its lights struck his eyes stronger than ever.


    ¡®¡¯Ummm-¡¯¡¯ His words trailed off for a moment as a ripple caught his attention, but Ubel quickly turned to look at the man again.


    ¡®¡¯How may I address you? Sir? Mr. Immortal? Exalted one?¡¯¡¯ Ubel gazed at him, more specifically around his fairly big muscles. His skin was more tanned than his as well, though Ubel¡¯s case resulted from being under the sun. His seemed more natural, and the robe he wore seemed dandy enough to let him know he was someone special.


    ¡®¡¯I like the sound of the last one,¡¯¡¯ He smirked, ¡®¡¯But senior brother is enough.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯It sounds strange.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Well, it is if you don¡¯t say Boris at the end.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯...Senior brother Boris?¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Like that-watch out!¡¯¡¯ A big wave crashed on the boat¡¯s deck and jerked it again. Ubel stumbled on his place and held the sides of the boat to hold himself, then sighed. These waves were too violent, and he had a gut feeling that they didn''t affect the man in front of him at all. Warnings were probably only for him.


    ¡®¡¯It still sounds strange,¡¯¡¯ Ubel commented. Boris turned his head around and stopped rowing for a moment, his big eyes literally told Is it? The immortal seemed quite a strange fellow, Ubel thought. It wasn¡¯t like he knew other people though, this might be a normal attitude.


    ¡®¡¯Well, if you say so junior-brother.¡¯¡¯


    Ubel flinched a bit. It isn¡¯t that strange when said to? Why?


    ¡®¡¯Let me ask you something as well,¡¯¡¯ Boris said as he returned back to rowing. ¡®¡¯How did you get the invitation letter?¡¯¡¯


    Ubel paled for a moment, remembering that devil like smile.


    ¡®¡¯Oh well...¡¯¡¯


    He didn''t want to tell. Not because of a special reason, because he simply couldn''t. He looked back into his memory, then came the vision of the man who had snow like hair.


    ¡®¡¯Hey young man, you seem to have a talent for cultivation.¡¯¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Um? Sir?¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Don¡¯t call me sir, I am your elder now. Take this letter, put it in a safe place. You have a bright future ahead.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Sir? Sir!?¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯I will send a disciple to take you from the shore at the west, be respectful! Or not, that is your choice.¡¯¡®


    ¡®¡¯SIR!?¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Um, a gift?¡¯¡¯ He could only tell this much. He didn''t like the word sir at all from that point. He still didn''t.


    ¡®¡¯Gift you say? Why? Does your family have relations with Elder Snow?¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯I¡¯m not sure, maybe?¡¯¡¯ Ubel didn¡¯t want to keep talking about that lunatic further, his mind spent all energy it had left just from thinking about his smirk and loud voice.


    ¡®¡¯Hmmmm-If you say so. Hold tight, we are going up.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Up? Up where? Up to the stream?¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯I mean above, junior brother. To the skies.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯What-¡¯¡¯ Ubel blurted out as the boat started to float on the water¡¯s surface. ¡®¡¯How?¡¯¡¯ The shaking stopped and soon, it rose ten meters from the ocean where it wouldn¡¯t contact with the waves. It did not stop there, to Ubel¡¯sdisbelief, and rose further and further with more speed.


    From floating, it turned into flying, then rushing. Wind¡¯s were like sharp daggers piercing his face as his hair shriveled and swayed around, and he found it hard to breathe for a moment or two. His pupils¡¯ size changed every so often, from tiny to large, together with his beating heart.


    Then Ubel managed to catch his breath, his pale face started to regain its color.


    ¡®¡¯What is- by the Light, is that a mountain!?¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯No-¡¯¡¯ Boris smiled.


    ¡®¡¯That is our home.¡¯¡¯

 1-Star Library(Rewritten)

    ¡®¡¯Home...? That is a mountain.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Haaah,¡¯¡¯ Boris sighed. Why is this boy so hard to talk?


    ¡®¡¯Of course, of course. It is a mountain, but also your new home.¡¯¡¯ Boris then ceased talking. He saw myriads of emotions passing through Ubel¡¯s eyes under the trembling eyelashes. This wasn¡¯t something strange. It was just an above average reaction to the Cindersnow mountain.


    And indeed, that was a mountain. Boris wanted to smack himself in the face for a moment, then faced the hull of the boat to the flying mass of earth.


    It was easily one of the biggest mountains in the world, if not the one. Although a pair of eyes like Boris¡¯ couldn¡¯t encompass the whole majesty of the light brown body of the mountain, that aura of sovereignty could still embrace their soul just from a small peek. Amidst the huge boulders and rocks looking like glued pieces of paper that constructed the bottom, some pieces of rubble and pebblestones fell down every few instances.


    Above that part, the mountain started to shrink until it transformed into the shape of a high spire, with wide sets of stairs rounding the small huts, tower houses, cottages, and cave dwellings built or dug upon and inside. With his lacking vision, Boris couldn¡¯t see the four or five man wide gaps between the sections of the stairs, which led inside the mountain. Though they were no wonders for him. He lived here for decades after all.


    But for Ubel, for his junior brother, who was just a mortal a few hours ago this all was a spectacular sight. Perhaps a scenery so breathtaking that he would carve every content of it into his memories. Boris had done the same, so he could guess that much.


    ¡®¡¯We are nearing the entrance,¡¯¡¯ He said in a low voice bordering mumble, as to not ruin Ubel¡¯s concentration, then rotated the boat slightly towards the left. The main platform came in sight while he left the boat¡¯s control and landed on one of the numerous stages.


    ¡®¡¯We are here?¡¯¡¯ Ubel faced him at the moment of landing, sparkles in his eyes seemed quite strong.


    ¡®¡¯Yes, give me a moment. I will be back shortly.¡¯¡¯ Then he waited, looking at Ubel.


    ¡®¡¯...what?¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Get out of the boat!¡¯¡¯


    *********


    ¡®¡¯Disciple hall?¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Yes. You will get your disciple robe and token.¡¯¡¯ Ubel hardly heard Boris¡¯ words. His attention laid somewhere else, on the surroundings.


    Looking from below, it wasn¡¯t apparent but there were large patches of herbs planted alongside wide paths. One such path was the one they stepped on, made of half-dirt half-grass. At least four men could walk shoulder to shoulder without cramping the pathway. But he liked one little detail. Whenever he trod upon grass, they wouldn¡¯t stay leaned. They budged, yet recovered the same upright stance.


    This resilience shocked him.


    There were also trees. Lots and lots of trees sat around at random places. Their shadows cast over the road sometimes, and sometimes on the good looking people that laid under their trunks. A few couples, groups of friends, or mentors and all kinds of people. Some stood alone, too, and the relaxing atmosphere affected his mood as well.


    ¡®¡¯Quite lovely,¡¯¡¯ He mumbled to himself.


    ¡®¡¯I know,¡¯¡¯ And Boris replied, despite seemingly understanding his lack of interest in a response. ¡®¡¯After going a bit further than here,¡¯¡¯ At this time he pointed towards front, slightly towards the southern side of the mountain, ¡®¡¯There are wide entrances.that leads into the mountain.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯To the inner-district?¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Yeah. But I didn¡¯t tell you about that before. Where did you heard that?¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Just my ears picked up from here and there.¡¯¡¯ They weren¡¯t the sole people walking down the road, lots of people came and went through. And of course, within that close proximity Ubel also found it easy to hear things he didn¡¯t intend to.


    ¡®¡¯Oh, be careful then. Don¡¯t learn things you don¡¯t need.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Alright...I guess?¡¯¡¯


    They continued. Ubel¡¯s foot didn¡¯t ache from random pieces of rock, nor did random bugs bothered him along the way. He found it more enjoyable to travel this way. Although mutterings, whispers, or even some shouts interrupted him for a moment, the small amount of joy he felt from gazing at the ocean below and going through the swaying patches of grass didn¡¯t lessen. On the contrary, it grew and grew, then brewed like a tornado inside his heart. This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.


    It really is breathtaking.


    *********


    They stood in front of a four-story building. Only thing Ubel could discern as raw materials were stones and wood, most of them colligated around the pillars at the sides. Also, a metal like iron with the color of emerald and gold at the same time coated the outside. On top of that shrouding sheen of metal, some words read as: Disciple Hall. There was something written underneath that huge plaque as well, and whatever they used to write it definitely gave off the spirit the author wanted to release.


    ¡®¡¯Men is worth as much as their relevance to their debt, and their determination to pay back what they owe.¡¯¡¯ Ubel read aloud, then turned to face Boris.


    ¡®¡¯Did something good happen?¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Uh-Oh, was I smiling again?¡¯¡¯ Boris retracted his head a bit back, hiding his enigmatic grin from Ubel¡¯s eyes. ¡®¡¯Nothing, just a habit.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Alright, senior brother. What do I do?¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯I will take care of things for you. Just follow me and listen to what I¡¯m going to say.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Aye aye-¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Stop that.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Welcome back, senior brother!¡¯¡¯ A group of disciples greeted him with smiles and questions, but Boris shrugged them off in a few seconds. He seemed a pretty popular persona at the sect, at least among the disciples. Their faces told joy and happiness, and maybe some other emotions Ubel couldn¡¯t see for now. Yet, this didn¡¯t even affect the Boris as he made them pave the way to the inside.


    Climbing a small flight of stairs, Ubel wondered why every building was built with stairs like this, they came in the hall. Multitude of tables and desks covered the corners of the room. Plaques made of exquisite wood with words like Missions/Resource/Inquiry/Report Section written on hung down from several rods sticking out of the ceiling with ropes. Only a single place had none of them, a small desk with translucent glass situated at the furthest corner of the room right below a pillar.


    An old man sat there, with a blue covered book in his hands that read Pre-Sovereign Era¡¯s Excavations. His long and grey streaked brows and beard touched the tip of his curved shoes. His robe looked enigmatic as well. Disciples wore all kinds of colors; Blue, yellow, green, red, dark, purple, and so on. Yet, he wore a pure white robe with streaks of red over it. At the left chest of his robe, where generally an emblem of a Snow drowned mountain covered in blazing cinders stood out, wrote Combat Master.


    As they came closer, Ubel could hear the man mumble to himself.


    Down the river in the village,


    Washes a mother a little child.


    He cries his heart, shouts his tears,


    Oh a mother washes her little child.


    There comes the stream down the mountains,


    Freezing cold like a frigid night.


    She cries her heart and shouts her tears,


    Oh the mother washes her little child-


    ¡®¡¯Sounds good, eh?¡¯¡¯ He stopped suddenly and looked over both of them. He dropped the book on the desk and stood up. ¡®¡¯Welcome back, Boris. It had been some time since you came here.¡¯¡¯ He clasped his hands.


    ¡®¡¯Your voice is always pleasant to listen, senior master.¡¯¡¯ Boris bowed, followed by Ubel, and stood up. ¡®¡¯I don¡¯t have much time left senior master Illidan. So I¡¯m afraid I can¡¯t accompany you for the moment.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯No need, I prepared everything beforehand.¡¯¡¯ Illidan smiled, then sent a blue token to Ubel. Ubel caught it in the air, then looked down at the inscription on it. The same pattern, mountain covered under cinders, but with a word Disciple underneath it was inscribed on the shining surface.


    ¡®¡¯You can get three manuals from the Star Library¡¯s first level, and since you are invited by Elder Snow, your housing will be at borough seven. If you have anything, give them to the laborers and they will carry them to your house with your disciple robes.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Um, no senior bro-master. I can carry myself.¡¯¡¯ Ubel¡¯s voice stiffened for no reason.


    ¡®¡¯Good, then later.¡¯¡¯ Illidan waved his hand to send them away, then slumped back into his chair like before.


    ¡®¡¯Let¡¯s go, I will escort you back to your house.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Oh, thanks senior brother.¡¯¡¯ Ubel found it hard to get accustomed to such a way of addressing, but it wasn¡¯t like he had other alternatives.


    As they made their way to the path, Ubel heard the Combat master Illidan mumble to himself again.


    And the boy ceased his crying,


    His beady eyes shining like a star.


    And the boy ceased his crying,


    His mother looked down on her child.


    Then she found the courage to tell him,


    ¡®¡¯Your name is my little...¡¯¡¯


    *********


    Standing in front of the Star Library, Boris patted Ubel¡¯s back to get him back to reality.


    ¡®¡¯Then I will be going now. If you need anything, I¡¯m frequently at the training grounds and at the hill of Master Quan.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Alright senior brother, thank you.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Oh-¡¯¡¯ Boris stopped for a moment, ¡®¡¯If you are confused about what to pick, just take advice from the personnel. Their knowledge about manuals surpasses any other.¡¯¡¯


    How many times did I say alright today? Ubel sighed.


    ¡®¡¯Thank you senior brother, I will be careful.¡¯¡¯


    After bidding goodbye to Boris, Ubel turned around to face the huge structure in front of him. Swallowing a dry saliva, he wondered.


    How do they build things like this?

 2-Manuals(Rewritten)

    Even amidst the huge lanterns and oil lamps of the borough six, where Star Library stood, and borough seven, where Ubel¡¯s home was, the blinding lights of the Star Library shone brighter than everything. Like a miniature sun inside the mountain, its lights encompassed almost half of the borough six and once could see the seven-story building from other boroughs as well.


    Yet, under those brilliant golden flares laid a humble building. Its humble appearance was the result of the complete concrete base and pillars reinforced with wood. The modesty was, of course, evident when compared with even the most ordinary of the houses in the sect. Even his residence, a small manor with two floors, seemed luxurious in front of the Star Library.


    All these estimations did not cover its insides, which was even more strange.


    Entrance gates were half the height of an adult men, forcing Ubel to involuntarily bow down while passing through. He didn¡¯t think of it much, he saw too many strange things today and the plain nature of this door was a big, huge contrast to those eccentric sights.


    Then came in view the library, filled with towering bookshelves lining up until the end of the corridor. Slanting at the side, Ubel saw a staircase leading up to the second floor. Turning right, he spotted a table with several disciples, some busy with whispering to other disciples others sitting around.


    He approached them and looked around for a bit. How should I address them? It was a bit awkward, so he just stood there until one of them noticed. A man, slightly taller than him by a centimeter or two, with raven black hair waved at him. He had one of those In-Charge Disciple tags, notifying Ubel that he was also a personnel in here.


    ¡®¡¯Um-¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Do you need something junior brother?¡¯¡¯ Man sized him up a little, his eyes stuck at Ubel¡¯s robes for a moment, then he gazed inside his eyes. ¡®¡¯You must be new here, I suppose?¡¯¡¯ He, also, whispered like the others. It must be some kind of rule, or they are also lunatics.


    ¡®¡¯Yes, senior brother. I just came over from Disciple Hall and quite don¡¯t know what to do.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Oh?¡¯¡¯ He exclaimed, a bit louder than he expected, and garnered some glares from around. He cupped his fists as an apology and turned back to Ubel again.


    ¡®¡¯So you are here to pick some manuals? Let me show you around then.¡¯¡¯ He beckoned him, and Ubel sighed. ¡®¡¯I¡¯m Alim by the way, if you wonder.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯My name is Ubel, senior brother.¡¯¡¯ Ubel replied, lamenting on how he was continuously following people around.


    ¡®¡¯Sounds nice, surname?¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯None, at least as far as I know.¡¯¡¯ Ubel said. Alim looked doubtful of the answer for a moment, with a brow raised. Well, if it wasn¡¯t for the small journal hobby Ubel had since he was little, as he had to introduce himself in the first page, Ubel thought he would, perhaps, not even learn of his own name. Ever. Well, his mother chose quite an intriguing name as well.


    ¡®¡¯None? Then where are you from?¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯From Orabura forest, in the north east of the mountain.¡¯¡¯


    Alim halted his steps for a moment, then continued to walk among the desks and bookshelves. He seemed thoughtful for a moment, then started his questions again.


    ¡®¡¯From what I know, there is no settlement near there.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯There is none indeed, it was just my family that lived there.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Was?¡¯¡¯ He repeated, then became flustered for a moment. ¡®¡¯Sorry sorry, if its a sensitive matter then you don¡¯t need to answer.¡¯¡¯


    Ubel chuckled, feeling a bit gratified. ¡®¡¯Don¡¯t worry, senior brother. I got over things a long time ago.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯That¡¯s good then. Is your family still there?¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Only my grandmother. My mother left us when I was two or three years old, and my father passed away a while ago.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯My condolences, may light bless his soul.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯May light bless him,¡¯¡¯ Ubel closed his eyes for a moment. Then reopened them with a new light inside his eyes. ¡®¡¯Say, senior brother. Do you have a family?¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Oh, I¡¯m an orphan. Actually, most of the disciples here are orphans with no families.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯From birth? Or-¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯From the birth. We didn¡¯t have any families or anything, we grew up on the mountain and some less luckier ones lived in the Cindersnow city.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯It must have been tough.¡¯¡¯ Ubel commented. They reached in front of a strange section of books, tinier in width and smaller in size than other books he saw while coming here.


    ¡®¡¯Not much, we had food and lodging. Laborers of the sect also treated us well, since we were their tickets to getting a better position. It wasn¡¯t fun, but still better than the orphans across the continent.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯I understand.¡¯¡¯ Ubel felt a heaviness perch on his shoulders from the conversation. He sighed and took another peek at the books. ¡®¡¯Is this the place, senior brother?¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Yes. Let me tell you about some of them before you pick them up.¡¯¡¯ With that, Alim started to pick out some manuals from the shelf, piling them up at his side. As he was busy with choosing manuals, Ubel took one from the pile and opened its contents.


    ¡®¡¯Blazing Sun manual? It sounds weird.¡¯¡¯


    Alim flinched at his place and dropped one of the books in his hand.


    ¡®¡¯Ubel, you can read them?¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Um- yeah? Isn¡¯t it normal?¡¯¡¯


    Alim looked deep inside his eyes, then sighed.


    ¡®¡¯Yeah, nothing. Just look at some of them and tell me if one catches your attention.¡¯¡¯Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website.


    Ubel found Alim¡¯s behavior quite amusing, constantly stopping and tripping over things. But he didn¡¯t comment on it. Instead, he looked at the contents of the manual in his hands.


    Blazing Sun manual, created by the sixth patriarch God¡¯s Fury. With this manual, one can achieve a perfect bond with the celestial stars above the skies, and become one with the sun. One¡¯s strikes will melt hills and scorch the earth. Stages are followed as: First, achieving eternal essence of fire. Second...


    Ubel continued to read in amazement, dumbfounded by the descriptions and the history behind it. How cool would it be to kill over a thousand boars with a wave of his hand? He had to camp at least an hour and chase for another hour to hunt down meat for meal.


    Let me take a look at the others.


    He put the Blazing Sun manual at his side and took another manual and started to read.


    Fujin¡¯s Tempest manual. Inspired by the Sovereign of elements¡¯ subordinate, Fujin the Wind God, a creation of utmost effort and immense knowledge by the ninth patriarch of the sect. One can fuse with the wind current and travel with speed surpassing sound. Whirlwinds will bend to one¡¯s rule and tornados will submit to your will. To cultivate, one must create a surge of Qi gathered from a cliff or forest...


    Wasn¡¯t this amazing too? A speed surpassing sound? What kind of concept was that! Ubel felt excitement rush over him as he hurriedly threw aside the manual and started to read the others.


    After reading through a handful of more, his excitement died off. Every manual talked about the same thing. One will be this and could do that bla bla bla. Either they were all amazing works that could make a person something akin to a demi-god, or just the authors had an immense talent at bragging.


    But this was the residing place of immortals, and he saw people flying over beasts or swords and all. Albeit not as fast as Fujins Tempest described, nor as strong looking as Ganesha¡¯s Physique argued about. There was some kind of truth in them, but just some. Sighing, Ubel threw the Ash Canyon manual aside, next to the large pile of manuals he read in the span of an hour.


    ¡®¡¯Did you find anything that fancies you?¡¯¡¯ Alim, at the same time, stood and watched over him. Ubel felt a bit gratified, since the man let him experience this thing by himself. Ubel shook his head, and focused his attention on two manuals Alim held in his hands.


    ¡®¡¯I guessed you would.¡¯¡¯ Alim sighed as well. ¡®¡¯There are just so many paths that you can see, yet only one you can walk upon. So choice is always hard. Well, I have two things that might change your mind though.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯One is Death River manual,¡¯¡¯ He held the violet colored scroll on his right, placing it inside his palms. ¡®¡¯A special kind of manual that relies on pure Qi to cultivate and progress by experience.¡¯¡¯ He crossed his legs and let Ubel read it.


    Death River manual. Created by the third patriarch of the Cindersnow on the brink of death inside the ancient domain, Glorious Portal, the fruit of a lifetime worth experience. One seeks nothing in this manual, and at the end becomes one with death. Ultimately, to cultivate the Death River manual one must create a trace of Qi...


    Ubel read through the whole thing faster and scratched his head. Name is a bit weird again, but the contents are weirder. Becoming one with death? Experience leads to success? He could agree with the latter, experience was the most vital thing a human needed. Especially when one tried to survive, and surviving was the first priority of every being. Yet, turning into death? Now that was some good lie.


    ¡®¡¯Senior brother, the other?¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯It is the Ice Mountain manual, the technique Elder Snow himself cultivates. The foundations are hard to go through, but once you get onto the Qi Destruction its might is exceptional.¡¯¡¯


    Alim put the manual on Ubel¡¯s stretched hand and sat down again. But he didn¡¯t expect Ubel to throw off the manual like he had done to the others in a flash.


    ¡®¡¯Junior brother?¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯It is the same thing like the other manuals. This is this and that will be that thing. It doesn¡¯t seem interesting.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Interesting, huh?¡¯¡¯ Alim smiled. ¡®¡¯Junior brother, I must warn you. Death River manual is not something cultivated by many, its might also varies from person to person. So you might end up with something useless.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Why should I worry about that?¡¯¡¯ Ubel asked as a matter of fact. Looking at the Alim¡¯s stiff face, he smiled again.


    ¡®¡¯Senior brother, I don¡¯t want to be an exceptional immortal or something like that. In the first place, I came here because my grandma wished so.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯She wished so? Not because of your own volition?¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Of course not, why would I?¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Don¡¯t you think power is something amazing? You could rule people, or don¡¯t you want to live comfortably with a sizeable sum of money under your hand? Maybe you could even create a harem for yourself to live in pleasure.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯They all sound alluring.¡¯¡¯ Ubel admitted, but his gaze didn¡¯t change. ¡®¡¯Yet, I¡¯m someone who spent all his life in a forest with only two people to accompany. I never saw things you talked about. The only power I saw was nature and all I have is just a few pieces of silver.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Even women, the only person I saw was my grandmother and the faint silhouette of my mother from my memories. I don¡¯t understand lust, and I never wanted something like that to begin with.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Then?¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Nothing. I would rather live with my grandmother until she passed away, then spend the rest of my life hunting and tending to the garden in the backyard.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Why are you here then? Or should I ask, why did your grandmother sent you to the sect?¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Worry, of course. Even after taking care of her for a year all by myself, she still worried about me. A parent thing.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯...Then junior brother, what are you going to do.¡¯¡¯


    Ubel didn¡¯t quite catch the offended face of Alim, nor did he see his trembling hands he hid behind the chair. Instead, he sat down and thought. What will I do?...Isn¡¯t it simple?


    ¡®¡¯I will cultivate, maybe spend my time on different hobbies. I heard from senior brother Boris that there are lectures of Combat Masters and Elders sometimes. Maybe I could join in to listen their wisdom. Other than that, nothing. After a few years, I could go back to bury my grandmother¡¯s body.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯So you have no goal?¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯If I find one, then I will keep onto it. If not, then I will just return back to my house.¡¯¡¯


    Alim smiled at last. ¡®¡¯Well, sorry to inform you but disciples can¡¯t get out unless they are on a mission or they reached path finding.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯I know, that is why I said after a few years.¡¯¡¯ Ubel smiled as well, then grasped the Death River manual. ¡®¡¯Also senior brother, I saw something called Mind Expansion Technique among auxiliary manuals, may I take that too?¡¯¡¯


    Alim stood up from the chair whilst sighing. ¡®¡¯Of course, it is your choice.¡¯¡¯ He then walked back towards the Star Library¡¯s entrance. ¡®¡¯Are you content with your decision? You won¡¯t be able to refund the manual and get another one, you know?¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯That¡¯s why I leave one choice empty. If I need to, I can get another manual.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Good choice, clever boy.¡¯¡¯ Ubel grinned, then came right beside Alim instead of walking behind. He stuffed his token in his hands. ¡®¡¯You know regulations too?¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯I hear many things in the street.¡¯¡¯ Ubel explained again.


    ¡®¡¯Be careful of not learning something wrong.¡¯¡¯ Alim advised, and Ubel widened his eyes a bit. But soon shook his head as they came in front of the venue. Alim took his token and sent a surge of Qi to verify some things, then took out a pen to write something on a note that he placed among the many thick piles of notes behind the counter.


    ¡®¡¯Alright, that¡¯s it.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Thank you, senior brother.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯No problem, do you need anything else?¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Oh nothing-but I would like to ask. Why are these doors so tiny?¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯It¡¯s a tradition. No matter how you come inside, you have to lower yourself to get inside the library. Some kind of an enforced respect regulation you can say.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Respect for elders, right?¡¯¡¯


    Why do you ask about it then!? Alim sighed again. ¡®¡¯...Well, don¡¯t forget my advice.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Thank you again, senior brother. Then take care.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Take care.¡¯¡¯


    I hope he doesn¡¯t comes here that frequently...

 3-Cultivation(Rewritten)

    Looking through the french window to the borough seven¡¯s bright streets, Ubel let out a sigh and pulled the curtains. Darkness overtook inside his room for a moment, then the cyan lamp above him started to shine the room. It was soft, not detrimental to the eye as candles were, and since the lamp¡¯s fuel was the Qi it wouldn¡¯t put out unless he wished so.


    It¡¯s convenient.


    Ubel stopped marveling at the functions of his new home and laid on his bed. Next to his fair-sized bed stood an end table, upon that the scrolls he had taken from the Star Library. He came to his house the moment he stepped outside, with visible excitement people commented on as he passed through borough six to seven. Luckily, although it took an hour on foot, Ubel wasn¡¯t too tired to postpone his first cultivation session.


    He actually started, a bit over two hours ago when the lamps and lanterns on the crowded streets dimmed a bit, reminding people that the sun set outside the mountain. But when he read the real deal of the Mind Expansion Technique, a terrible headache struck him. With that headache came the knowledge that he had to reach mid-Qi Creation to learn the thing itself.


    He learned about the realms, too. Realms were levels of power or the alignment of the degree one immortal achieved through cultivation. And there were only seven realms. They weren¡¯t much, he thought and agreed that it was better if it was simpler. First realm, Qi Creation, which he was going to attempt to reach in a moment.


    After that came Qi Destruction, a stage where one had to destroy their Qi and rejuvenate the traces of Qi to increase its quality. After that came the three stages of Path; Path Finding, Path Establishing, Path Opening. Ubel didn¡¯t read about them much, he only knew that most high-level guards, like the old men duo at the disciple hall, were barely at the Path Finding.


    Above them were Essence realm and Overseer realm, which he knew nothing of.


    Well, he had no reason to know about them as well. His attention laid elsewhere, inside his sweating palms. He held the violet colored scroll with the smooth texture and opened it wide. It flapped in the air like a flag and stretched until its fabric strained. Then came in view several images, as well as lines of texts right above the images.


    He tried to read, but no words came into his mind. He felt like he didn¡¯t know the language, or as if he had forgotten what he knew for a moment. Shivering for a moment, Ubel averted his eyes from the text and took a deep breath. After the eerie feeling crept off, he sneaked a peek at the text again. This time, he just read the first sentence.


    There are two corpses, dead and alive.


    Further than that, as he read, the disturbing feeling swarmed over him again and Ubel forced himself to stop. Still, figuring out that much still gave him a sense of accomplishment. Slightly chuckling, he pondered over words for a moment. Well, no need to force myself. He said, shamelessly, and looked down at the images.


    To his surprise, whenever he gazed inside an image, a wizened voice appeared inside his head, explaining the purpose of each and every move and breath.


    To become something, understanding comes first. To understand, one needs knowledge. Knowledge of the death, however, comes from living, inspecting, sympathizing, and valuing. Yet before gaining the knowledge, establishing the foundations comes first. First breathing technique expands the lungs, causes searing pain for some time, and prepares the cultivator for the incoming challenges of founding foundations of his future path.


    It spoke with dread, and the might inside the voice trembled at the mention of foundations. Ubel didn¡¯t know why, but he felt a tinge of regret in the voice as well. In one way or another, the speaking man/woman had done something wrong and perhaps, till this day, didn¡¯t manage to amend his/her mistake.


    Why do I feel this way though? Ubel questioned, but the voice continued to describe the technique and how to get past the hurdles. Useful information, but to unattentive Ubel they didn¡¯t seem that important. Brushing off the words, he finally heard the voice he wanted to hear.


    Breathing exercise one, seven seconds of inhaling, two seconds of ha...


    Ubel accompanied the voice and took a deep breath.


    ********


    Thirty minutes.Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    No, it wasn¡¯t even thirty minutes as he fell on the floor, gasping for another slither of breath, holding his chest in searing pain. It spread like wildfire and invaded his throat, traveled through his laryngeal to the nostrils, and a filthy, dark mass of gas spread out of his small bridged nose.


    Ubel¡¯s expression relaxed, a mellow face full of relief appeared on the full-length mirror across the room. Looking at himself, Ubel let out a bitter smile and arched his back to stand up. Although with half-success, he managed to raise his upper body and stood seated on the floor.


    It is painful, tiring. Is it this hurdle the voice spoke about?


    Thinking about the process, Ubel found his assumption feasible.


    At the start, the whole thing seemed easy, smooth-going. With each breath, he felt power arising inside his cells and his mind felt sharper, like a never-ending full-focus state. After, he estimated, the twentieth-minute things had gone astray. A feeling of burning or a heat like in a fever spread out of his body. Then his breath turned erratic and, at last, he fell down in pain.


    Ubel averted his eyes from the text again, and his eyes fell on the first picture. Yet, he didn¡¯t hear any sound. Gone? Is it gone?


    Feeling somewhat panicked, he looked over the second image. The same voice invaded his mind again.


    Second breathing exercise, for Path Establishing level. Thirty-three seconds of inhaling, twenty-seven seconds of...


    Path Establishing level? Ubel doubted he could even inhale more than eight or nine seconds, let alone thirty-three. Then was he supposed to do the same breathing exercise over and over again? It seemed so, and he felt a bit of regret over not listening to the voice properly.


    The pain somewhat wavered him, but even so, he had nothing else to do. This time, he would stop at twenty minutes and see what would happen.


    *********


    After seven times of twenty minutes of breathing sessions, at the eighth right before its ending, Ubel felt something inside him awakened.


    He could feel something, invisible and with no mass, swirling inside his body and in the air. It traveled through a channel, named Meridians, or Qi vessels, or Life Passages, and many other aliases bestowed upon it. It was refreshing, had a chill like a moderate breeze. It reminded him most of the autumn winds, the kind that brushed the hair and dirt alike off the face and made one shiver.


    This was Qi, the foremost power and representation of nature and Heaven¡¯s tool of communication.


    Like a slithering snake, Qi moved from the place it came into existence, from his glabella. It rushed like a burning ox and revolved around all meridians inside his body once. Then a feeling struck him, and fumes of black fog sprouted out of his pores. Unlike the first breath of air he let out, this thing turned out to be denser, and filthier, its smell reminding one of the sewage of a city or a rotten corpse.


    It contacted his old leather robes and tainted the grey leather with a tinge of darkness. The scent spread like a falling air-current on a mountain. Smothered by the bright blue of the lamp above, the changes weren¡¯t much visible to Ubel for the moment. Even if they were, he wasn¡¯t so attentive to recognize them, as excitement bottled up from earlier that day burst off in a flash.


    What is this?


    He stood up, all fatigue and lassitude seemed non-existent now. A new light replaced the dimmed, dull shine in his sparkling eyes.


    The first place to change was his body, a wave of fresh life brushing over his cells and bones and muscles cleansed all exhaustion and tension from it. Then came the mind, the stream of energy kept a steady pace at which it struck his soul, like battering the dust on an old book by flicking it, and never in his life Ubel felt this free.


    Coming back to his senses, faster now with the aid of his newfound ability, he looked down at his attire. Filth, stench, sweat. One understood with a single glance that this was no easy thing to clean, and it gave him a slight headache. One thing he didn¡¯t like the most was laundry, and luckily for him, the sect had given him a new dandy set of robes to wear. But he loved this fabric of his the most. He wondered still if there were any people doing laundry in the sect.


    Then came the evaluation of his power.


    To test that was easy, just a peek at his manual and he could see a new line of texts appear near the first breathing method.


    Depression: Death River Qi¡¯s aura, condensed, as a projectile.


    Isn¡¯t that too short? Compared to the huge lines of texts above and below with images, and with the voice he heard that almost talked an eternity, this small description seemed unbelievable.


    Unbelievable or not, it doesn¡¯t matter though.


    Ubel read what he needed to do, simply condense the Qi inside him on his index finger and let it go. Sounded simple, and was actually simpler to do. He channeled the Qi through his meridians and redirected it towards his finger. It passed through, contrary to the first introduction, more like a whirlwind than a breeze and reached to the tip of the finger.


    He garnered his focus, pointed his finger to a relatively empty wall away from furniture and the window, then released.


    At the exact instant, a dark mass like plasm blew out like wind and started to revolve around his finger. It grew in size and matter, it ate away the nearby natural Qi and shot forward with a flash. With a thrumming, depression struck the wall and blasted it into smithereens. Splinters flew like arrows, deep crevices spread over the remaining walls and pillars and Ubel threw himself on the floor amidst the chaos. He narrowly avoided a flying piece of sharp rock by rolling backward, but couldn¡¯t manage the other side of the wall behind him and head-butted the concrete wall.


    Ouch!-What did I do?


    Looking in front, inspecting the mess and the star-like prickling lights of the inner-mountain, Ubel thought that he was in trouble.

 4-New Neighbor(Rewritten)

    ¡®¡¯Then-¡¯¡¯ the man on the wooden podium stopped for a moment to take a sip from his gourd, then continued. ¡®¡¯-How do we face with such a decision?¡¯¡¯He wore a pure white robe, with the words Combat Master reading under the symbol of Cindersnow. The sleeves were unusually long, each time he moved they would shake and flap in the air.


    ¡®¡¯Salvon Xiao, in the Love Of Baybur, explains it this way: ¡®¡¯To live as an immortal, and to live as a mortal is the same. One loves, one hates, one rejoices, one mourns. Their heart is the same! Past is also the same, and no ties are so light that they can be severed. They can be ignored, yet to ignore the past means to destroy the present, and forsake the future. And Baybur knew, more than all nobles and officials inside this hall, that only people as cruel as Forsakens could do that. Even while he was one of them himself.¡¯¡®.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯So it would be right to say that our essence, in its purest form is mortality. That is why rather than cultivators, we are called Immortals more frequently. To not forget about your mortal side is also a duty of immortal.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Now back to the topic.¡¯¡¯ He stopped stroking his beard at some point, then faced the crowd of disciples listening to him under the scorching sun. ¡®¡¯Next week; Shu, Shi, Zhang, and Wang. Read the whole novel before attending to the lesson. For the others, it is not a necessity for you but I would advise doing so if you want to come and listen again.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Thanks for the guidance, senior master Quan.¡¯¡¯ Four disciples stood up among the crowd and gave a bow, and soon the others followed. As they rose, Quan spoke again with a nod.


    ¡®¡¯Then you are dismissed, be careful on your cultivation.¡¯¡¯ And he propelled himself into the air with his Qi, then disappeared with the flappings of his sleeves towards one of the many masses of earth revolving around the mountain. They were accommodations of Elders, Combat Masters, Masters, and top students like the famed Gaobun from the Department Of Punishment And Military, as well as the personal disciple of Elder Windblade. Not many were like him though, Ubel heard of only six of those people. Boris seemed to be a candidate to those people as well.


    Mentioning Boris, He was now busy with slapping Ubel¡¯s shoulders to wake him up from his stupor. It was as effective as it was painful, and he turned his attention back to the huge bronze man. Why does he keep his hair that dirty? If he had taken care of his hair properly, instead of letting it loose and curly behind, drowned in scalls, then he would look pretty attractive. That was Ubel¡¯s estimation though, and his measure of attractiveness seemed to improve after meeting and feasting his eyes on many men and women inside the sect.


    This meant he also evaluated himself as nothing unique, he was somewhat above average compared to the crowd. Whether this was a good thing or not, Ubel couldn¡¯t decide.


    ¡®¡¯So, how was it? Are you impressed?¡¯¡¯ Boris spoke, flouted with pride, and confused Ubel more on his strange personality.


    ¡®¡¯It was better than the senior master Wuji¡¯s augury class. I didn¡¯t understand anything about feng shui and five elements.¡¯¡¯ Ubel told the truth. He somewhat undermined the value of the lesson, he could accept that much. The road that led from the entrance of the boroughs five, six, seven, and eight were all downwards slopes, with the road ending at a huge square for holding tournaments and greeting guests. And for some kind of reason, all entrances of the houses faced the slope with no exception. Shapes of the houses were also fixed to a design, mostly square or round. Whether this affected anything or not, Ubel wasn¡¯t sure. But it showed that master Wuji¡¯s lessons held some unique and important aspects at the layout of the mountain.


    ¡®¡¯I knew you would say that.¡¯¡¯ No, he definitely didn¡¯t. But Ubel didn¡¯t point out. ¡®¡¯Anyway, elders only give lessons on the fifth day of the week, and there is no more Masters or Combat masters giving lessons today. What would you like to do?¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Hmm, I¡¯m not sure.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Then shall we check up your house? It has been a week at least.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Oh, I asked about it at disciple hall yesterday.¡¯¡¯ Ubel sighed. ¡®¡¯There seems to be more work to do.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯But how? It shouldn¡¯t take more than two or three days to complete the construction.¡¯¡¯ Boris supported his coarse chin with his fist, then a sharp glint passed through his eyes.


    ¡®¡¯Junior brother, did you anger someone? Are there disciples troubling you?¡¯¡¯ His voice resounded colder than ever and even garnered some attention.


    ¡®¡¯No. I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve done something wrong. Borough seven isn¡¯t such a shabby place too.¡¯¡¯A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.


    ¡®¡¯Ooh-¡¯¡¯ Boris exclaimed. ¡®¡¯Junior brother, your house is among the six hundreds, right?¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Six hundred and thirtieth house.¡¯¡¯ Ubel corrected.


    ¡®¡¯Then it is understandable. I heard that a junior sister is coming back from a mission outside. She had done some remarkable work in administration at there.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Mission?¡¯¡¯ This was the first thing that intrigued Ubel. At least he heard about missions, simply duties sect assigned for people to do on their behalf to gain money or merit. He didn¡¯t know further than that.


    ¡®¡¯Hm?¡¯¡¯ Boris smiled a bit as he led Ubel down the hill, towards one of the many dirt roads covered in purple bonsai trees. They were unusually huge, some of their branches were as long as him, and he doubted how they managed to cultivate such a tree.


    ¡®¡¯I thought your ears would pick up about missions as well.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Well senior brother, my ears aren¡¯t as sharp as you make them to be.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Alright, let me explain. But first-¡¯¡¯ he stopped in front of a small stall on the road, not far away from the entrance of the borough six, and took out a soulstone. Strange currency. Ubel had to comment at least. These stones were as big as a pinky finger, hard to carry in pockets or pouches, and only had an attractive dark blue color. He expected them to use silver or gold, which he sometimes saw people exchange them, but mostly soulstones occupied the mainstream currency.


    ¡®¡¯Two bowls of beef and noodles.¡¯¡¯ He ordered and put the soulstone on the counter, then grabbed two small stools for them to settle down. ¡®¡¯Eating while talking seems easier.¡¯¡¯ Boris explained. The man behind the counter started to work immediately. Under the frame he lit two ovens and placed identical pitch black friers with wide bottoms. He poured some kind of liquid and heated the oven more.


    Ubel watched the progress with interest until Boris garnered his attention with a small clap.


    ¡®¡¯Now, where do I begin?¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Missions?¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Yes, missions.¡¯¡¯ He grasped two cups, filled by the food maker with a reddish wine as they started to talk, then placed them on a small end table in front. ¡®¡¯First, they are the pillar most students and elders rely on. You must know that foremost.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Pillar? I can¡¯t really understand why you would put it that way.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Let me explain thoroughly first, then you might get it.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Now, think of the disciples on the mountain. There are at most eighty-thousand people, that is the number while also including the laborers. But the total number is around two hundred thousand, which means the majority of the sect members are out in the continent.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Sect likes disciples to go out and explore, experience new things and improve themselves. This way, we can be more useful to the sect and humanity all together. Most missions outside the sect are important, too. Administration, medicine and health, engineering, military, and other sorts of professions are available for disciples.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯As an example, your new neighbour. Agatha is said to be one of the best administrators of the Han dynasty she is coming from, even Emperor sent a formal request to keep her in the empire for some while to finish their new finance system. But when she left the sect, all she knew about money and currency were as much as we knew. Just some coins that helps you buy things.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯She must be an amazing person. Though when did she leave the mountain?¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯About twenty years ago? It should be around twenty.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Isn¡¯t that...like pretty long?¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Long? Of course not.¡¯¡¯ Boris frowned. ¡®¡¯At Qi Destruction, an immortal can live up to a hundred years. In Path Finding, its one-hundred and fifty. Path establishing, its three hundred, and at the peak of Path Opening, it is near to four hundred years.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Well senior brother, there is a certain person who is just an immortal for one week.¡¯¡¯ Ubel had every right to grumble, of course. He heard and listened to people''s talks and gossips, but only a little fraction of those were useful information. Well, immortals¡¯ love life and who stole from whom could be somewhat of use depending on the situation But for now, they were just useless.


    ¡®¡¯Ah, sorry. Oh look, the meal seems done.¡¯¡¯ and it indeed seemed so. The man behind the counter unbound the bandana on his forehead and wiped the accumulated sweat with a grey towel right beside him. Oh- it seems delicious! He put four clay bowls, two filled with steaming golden noodles and other two stinking of oil and fresh meat. Ubel put one of the beef inside his mouth, then flinched a little from the heat.


    ¡®¡¯It tastes too good.¡¯¡¯ Ubel exclaimed. His comment put a smile on the owner¡¯s face, and the man returned to his counter with a pleasant whistle. ¡®¡¯Then senior brother, you mean to say missions are a pillar because they bind the empires to the sect?¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Oh, yes. When people descending from Cindersnow occupies important positions in vassals of the sect and becomes an important asset to both sides there won¡¯t be a turning back. Essentially, the system is making them dependent on the disciples themselves, and the sect makes disciples dependent on itself. This way, it controls a vaster territory than it is capable of in usual ways.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯But isn¡¯t this wrong? Won¡¯t this close the way of development for the empires?¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯I thought so at first, but when you go outside it is easy to see why it won¡¯t do as you suppose. I...can¡¯t explain why to you for now. It is something you have to experience yourself.¡¯¡¯ Boris stumbled on his words for a moment, then gobbled up the remaining food.


    Ubel finished his own portion and drank the cup of wine in front, then twisted his face. It is too sour! Wine wasn¡¯t his thing, it seemed.


    ¡®¡¯Well then, shall we go back?¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯As you say, senior brother.¡¯¡¯

 5-Return(Rewritten)

    Corpses lay for thousands of meters.


    Blood devoured the earth, earth swallowed the blood. Ponds and lakes of red organs filled the ground, hills and mountains of flesh piled up towards the sky. Like towers and wells they continued until the eye couldn¡¯t see further than that. The stench, too, invaded everything, friend or foe, though one would wonder whether death had an enemy.


    The stench of death, the death, never discriminated.


    So Snow stopped here and there, among the dreadful sight of the huge massacre he brought upon the creatures of beyond. His feet didn¡¯t touch the still-wriggling, fresh blood and flesh. A layer of ice, which he created with no effort beyond winking, spread out from his feet and froze whatever he trod upon. Still, the crunches and swashes of the remnants disturbed his thoughts.


    Aiyah- He sighed- How disgusting.


    His works were always disgusting, fearsome. He himself was aware of that, or so, certain someone hoped. His power, from generations to generations, elevated itself to the position of The Most Beautiful Technique. The praises for the dreadful sight, and gasps at the beauty of its attacks never ceased to impress. But he was different.


    Other than his appearance, nothing aligned with his cultivation. His knee-long snow white hair, ice-blue robe with short sleeves, fastened around the waist with a spatial belt adorning pure white jades and sapphire, and the fancy sword sheathed on his back he never used. This all, other than that of a noble warrior, gave him an air no less than a saint.You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.


    This saint was a machine of slaughter, however. This saint did not care about saintly beliefs, ideologies, people¡¯s thoughts and emotions. To a man, so deprived of humanity that only snow could showcase his magnanimity, other than killing how could he feel like a human again? The answer was promised, but never came to his way.


    Damn Cinder and Patriarch-do this and do that! Snow clenched his pearly teeth, his gums gleamed with a bright silver shine over the red veins as well. Screw-screw what!? He stopped the garnering desire to shout, then sighed again. Empires were in trouble, not for now perhaps, but after half a decade, or sooner than that. Rainbow Phantoms were dreadful things, exterminating one demanded more than great prowess. So for structures addicted to Cindersnow¡¯s goods and system, it would be too hard to stand up on their own.


    Saving civilization...


    That was all that mattered to Cinersnow. That was the main duty of Cinder and Snow. Their only role in his world. Maybe for him, this was the sole other personality he could fit in. Savior of the world. Not a haughty title, a heartfelt and intimate appellation only he deserved.


    But who cares about that? Only he and Cinder, perhaps also Patriarch, then the High King of the south and High Queen of the Southeast. Beast God? No idea. Long missing Yuan Gu? He left that mission to youngsters like him.


    Then what do I have to do?


    He asked, then snapped his pale and slender fingers.


    Clouds gathered above, swirled and churned. Lightning flashed amidst the darkened mist, and snowflakes let themselves float to the ground.


    Then the endless sea of snow and ice took the land. Elder Snow disappeared, so did the clouds. But snow continued to rain, ceaseless and nonstop.


    And the wind picked up the snow, then the corpses disappeared altogether. What Snow left back to the hills and plains was just a sea of white.


    A cold, lonely white.

 6- Night(Rewritten)

    ¡®¡¯Craving for a longer life is most likely a curse of our race as a whole.¡¯¡¯ Quan sat down on a soft cushion he brought over today, it looked rather comfortable compared with their wooden benches. He also had a small table in front of him, a metallic gleam never left its shining surface. Upon that was a cup of wine. Ubel never saw someone look this intoxicated under the moonlight.


    ¡®¡¯When mortals live at most fifty or sixty years, in a place where people can¡¯t even see their grandkids being born, living hundreds of years seems a bit unfair. Don¡¯t you think so too, young ones?¡¯¡¯ He also used different kinds of addresses today. He never called out to them directly, he always used you and nothing else. Yet they heard a handful of words like Younglings, youngsters, young ones, little disciples, little ones.


    ¡®¡¯But I think it is fair. Most immortals agree it is fair. Why? Haha,¡¯¡¯ He smiled and gazed towards a corner of the hill, towards a small gathering of disciples hushing to each other. ¡®¡¯No, it¡¯s not because of our pride, Shu. It is because of our fate.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Every immortal is said to be chosen by the Will Of The Heavens, or by the world. Our fates led us to become immortals, and the mortals¡¯ led them to be mortals. Since we have no choice on that matter, why would it be reasonable to assess whether it was fair or unfair?¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯ Yes, it wouldn¡¯t be reasonable. Then let me say this too, you might think that there are many differences between you and mortals, or other immortals. Yet, other than our strength and lifespan, what do we have different? Can you answer that?¡¯¡¯


    Quan stood silent, his eyes never left the same student. His eyes told of a strange story, a determination. Perhaps he wondered the same question¡¯s answer, or he already knew of its answer but awaited something different. The student kept silent, then stood up and bowed.


    ¡®¡¯No, I can¡¯t answer senior master.¡¯¡¯ He replied at last, his face aghast with either shame of disturbing the class or not knowing of a question¡¯s answer.


    ¡®¡¯Good, then this means you still have things to learn.¡¯¡¯ Quan nodded to him, ¡®¡¯Then sit down-or just stay like that. Everyone, stand up.¡¯¡¯


    He swished his sleeve and both table and the cushion under him disappeared into the spatial belt on his waist. Everyone also stood up at his words, awaiting his last words before the midnight time struck and lights of the inner-mountain eclipsed.


    ¡®¡¯This is enough, I¡¯ve talked way too much and you¡¯ve listened more than necessary.¡¯¡¯ He shook his head, although no one had a clue why. ¡®¡¯You are dismissed, next week we will go back to book reviews. The topic will be about ancient wars and figures of our northern continent.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Take care.¡¯¡¯ He departed with his words behind, the same fluttering of his sleeves echoed inside people¡¯s ears again. As he vanished into the moonlight, Ubel stood up from his seat behind the crowd as well. I¡¯m lucky he didn¡¯t see me. He felt a bit of relief as he dozed off toward the end of the lesson. Although he also didn¡¯t believe Quan wasn¡¯t such a man to punish people. At most, he would just reprimand and tell him to do better next weeks.


    ¡®¡¯Hey, let¡¯s go drinking tonight.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯It is already night-hais!¡¯¡¯ He heard a pretty loud sigh behind. They, the source, were of course the general attendees of the lessons, as well as the only group that drank wine after every lesson. The wine wasn¡¯t Ubel¡¯s thing, he learned that a month ago as well. If they had something to eat along the wine, or snacks to go with it he would most certainly hang out with them.


    Sadly for him, though, they only drank wine. They drank like crazy, their consumption of barrels upon barrels almost dried up the pub they visited every week. Upon that, the first time he went with them, they all were dead drunk and couldn¡¯t even lift their fingers at the dawn. It was then he understood, immortals were freaks when it came to drinking.


    He didn''t have any excuses to make at this point and felt pretty tired as well. Then what could he do? Ubel tiptoed around them without making a noise, then when he was a good few meters away started to sprint down the hill.


    ¡®¡¯Hey Ubel! Where are you going?¡®¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Sorry! I have an emergency!¡®¡¯ He shouted back and increased his speed more.


    ¡®¡¯Why are you doing this again-ugh!¡®¡¯ He heard a loud, frustrated grunt before their voices ceased reaching his ears.


    Now...to where?


    *********


    So he came in front of a cliff.


    Not so spectacular, devoid of the plantation that generally covered every inch of the mountain and lacking the right amount of lightning to do some reading. Though the reading was just him revising the first line of the manual.


    In the horizon, at the place where moonlight, clouds, and the ocean met together a small wind sprang up. A small wind that reached all the way to the mountain, a wind that tickled his nose and brushed his long hair back. It swayed the not so far patches of grass behind him, and further than that the trees with long and wide leaves.


    It smelled salty. How a sea wind could reach so high in the sky was a wonder though. But this was a relief, too. At least it wouldn''t blow the Death River Qi manual to the air. The scroll had some amazing weight, there were at least two or three kilograms under its slender fabric. The reason? He didn''t know.Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more.


    Taking out the violet colored scroll from a long and narrow pocket in his robe, he laid it down in front of the barren earth. If he tilted his head a bit more, Ubel sure could see the crevices and rolling down pieces of rubble under the mountain.


    The first thing that greeted him was the line of text at the top. His true motive of coming here laid in those words, but subconsciously Ubel shied away from them every time he opened the scroll. The feeling of forgetting everything you knew was indeed terrifying.


    Then his eyes gathered the courage and precision to stay focused on the first sentence.


    There are two corpses, dead and alive.


    Now, meditation was a painful process. So painful and boring that in the whole month he was here, the amount of progress he made was just one-tenth of the required to break through into the mid Qi-creation. Well, at least that was what senior brothers said to me. They said his speed was faster than the norm, not too high but something above average as well. Yet, the disappointment of wasting away his time like this overpowered that of his determination to continue.


    From what he learned, as Alim said, Death River manual was a different type of manual. It was also unique, and they said there were four manuals like it. He said they were scriptures, but I don¡¯t really understand why. In the first place, manuals and scriptures differed in use, one was for immortals¡¯ cultivation, the other one was a culmination of religious texts and books. Yet, for a cultivation manual to be called a scripture meant it either had a connection with one of the sovereigns or had some kind of spiritual importance or closeness to a religion.


    Though words of a creator shouldn¡¯t be this cheap.


    These were cheap words, Ubel had no difficulty in saying that. Dead corpses and alive corpses, they seemed like some deep and meaningful words, but in essence, they didn''t make much sense. For instance, whenever he spoke aloud his impressions and interpretations of these words, the manual gave off a subtle light. It changed sometimes, from dim to bright, and from fierce to peaceful. The thoughts he had about the sentence, somehow, led him to a more plausible way of thinking for the manual, like some kind of mental control he understood at some point. The more his thoughts aligned with the desired thought of the manual, the more the light on the text shone.


    This meant that rather than the words, the important thing was the intent behind it. If he could grasp the intent, or way of thinking the manual wanted from him, then it would be easier to respond to these kinds of trials. He assumed them to be so, simply because there had to be more to come after solving one.


    Oh, mentioning solving one. He, at last, after pondering over and over again, found a plausible answer. Of course, not something that would garner the correct response from the manual. At least it was something that could pave the way for a clearer path.


    With a dry cough, Ubel cleared his throat and started to talk.


    ¡®¡¯One corpse is dead since it won¡¯t resurface in the history. One corpse is alive since it will remain throughout the ages.¡¯¡¯


    The text shone with a brilliant light, then dimmed right after. Oh, what does it mean? This kind of response was the first. Maybe it had something to do with his way of presenting it?


    ¡®¡¯If one is remembered, he will be alive even after death. If one is forgotten, his corpse shall remain the same like death.¡®¡¯


    The manual brightened, then the shine disappeared again. The same response. Alright, then what? Am I considering it from a different viewpoint? Perhaps, or perhaps not. Since he evaluated how to think by the brightness of the text in the past, this kind of answer baffled Ubel as well.


    ¡®¡¯What do you want me to say-hais!¡¯¡¯ He sighed, then switched his almost-numb legs and sat down in a more comfortable position.


    ¡®¡¯Alive is remembered, dead is forgotten. At least that much is clear.¡®¡¯ Manual seemed to agree as well since it shone with a bright light again. ¡®¡¯Remaining in history means-¡®¡¯ Light flickered out of existence the same instant.


    Wait, what? It has no relevance with history?


    If it had no relation with history, then what did it have? Remembering and forgetting, what they were most associated with?


    ¡®¡¯Memories...if one can live inside in another¡®s mind, then he/she is as good as alive. And if not, then they are completely dead¡­?¡®¡¯ The light reached an apex, so Ubel had to cover his eyes with his hand. ¡®¡¯Then-memories is the key.¡®¡¯ Ubel found what he was looking for.


    Even as the text¡®s gleam started diminishing again, he opened his mouth and buzzed.


    ¡®¡¯One¡®s worth is determined by whether they are remembered or not. If one can redeem themselves as a memorable person, and can still make people reminiscence about themselves then they are alive. They are never gone from this world. On the contrary, if someone is forgotten, if he/she is a person with no redeeming quality then they are forgotten, hence dead.¡®¡¯


    It was a quite long and meaningless nonsense but this was the train of thought the manual wanted. And as it was just a simple, yet magical, manual it couldn¡®t assess whether he chose to stuck with the belief in trial or not. Still, getting that answer seemingly satisfied the piece of paper as the light exploded and a flash of darkness flew right to his forehead.


    The moment it contacted with his glabella, a surge of Qi washed over his body and ravaged his meridians. Literally, not refurbished or revitalized, ravaged, destroyed. Like how waves erode a boulder, they struck again and again until his meridians tightened and shrunk. His meridians, somehow, shone after and the surge of Qi continued on its way.


    Asit seeped out of his meridians and delved into his flesh, Ubel let out a gasp as his face paled beyond comparison. All blood seemed sucked out of his face, and it was so pale that even moonlight had difficulty shining off his sweaty forehead. With bloodshot eyes, he kept focusing inside his body and continued the process.


    The flood of Qi traveled through his muscles and flesh, and wherever it went his body felt a great amount of pain. Yet, after a time that felt like an eternity, the pain started to lessen and a strange pleasure invaded his nerves.


    The Qi also disappeared and left its place to Ubel¡®s Death River Qi. Then Ubel collapsed to the ground.


    His head touched the tip of the cliff and his quickened breaths sent particles of dust flying under the sunlight.


    Sunlight!?


    He struggled to stand up as pain left his body, and looked over the horizon. Now at the place where ocean, clouds, and moonlight met was a rising celestial being. A star, The Sun. Its first rays of light captivated his eyes, and since he had no more energy left to give his attention to anything, he kept looking at it.


    Though he felt that he broke through the late Qi-Creation realm, instead of mid, so he felt a tinge of happiness. But also, it felt god damn painful!

 7-Peaceful

    As he was walking down the streets of inner-district, Ubel was thinking of the lamps that gave off multi colored lights left and right. Roads were often filled with red colored lights. Usually, he could only guess what the green and blue colored lights he saw was. While there were no shops to be found in blue colored places, green colored places were full of drunkards and tipsy people. It felt pretty frank and strange for immortals to, just like his father, drink and shout and call out and vomit.


    They really are not that different...This was one of the first things he learned since he came. These immortals also drunk and ate, sang songs, acted in cute ways to attract the opposite gender, and sometimes tackled with bravery and fought for stupid reasons. These acts, however sincere they seemed, got him bored. When the image of immortals in his mind, standing high and mighty above the clouds with transcendent wings and insolvable minds, started to burn slowly, this feeling occured. Yet, there was an another emotion he felt. Something he didn''t feel much in his whole life.


    Admiration.


    He admired how these people -with great powers and strength which could enable them to crush every normal person, with a inhuman memory that could shame the scholars who wasted their decades for exams, and with prestiges that could grant them lands with a move of a hand- still acted like a normal community and individual. Was this normal? He didn''t know. He just couldn''t tell how great his respect was towards the creator of the system, which he was sure of its existence, that enabled these people to be loyal towards the personalities they assumed.


    ¡®¡¯Hey! Ubel!¡¯¡¯ A man who was also lost in the crowd like him came closer while parting the way. ¡®¡¯What are you thinking again? Since you sell us out at the end of the classes, these thoughts of yours must be considerably important.¡¯¡¯ While talking, the man¡¯s face froze for a moment, then he bowed slightly while saying ¡®¡¯Sorry, I may have spoke rudely.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Don¡¯t worry,¡¯¡¯ Said Ubel but the man insisted and apologized a second time, ¡®¡¯Please don¡¯t say that. If I am apologizing, then I must have done something wrong to do. Who will say it won¡¯t happen again, if you were to let it off with a ¡®Don¡¯t worry¡¯?¡¯¡¯


    Who can say?...There is so much to think today.


    ¡®¡¯Alright, alright. I forgive you.¡¯¡¯ Said Ubel after scratching his head like he was in a hard situation. Then he continued, ¡®¡¯You look energetic today, did something happen?¡¯¡¯ Slightly smiling after stopping bowing down, the man answered with joy.


    ¡®¡¯My lover got back from her mission at the vassal kingdoms. We have just sat and talked a while ago.¡¯¡¯ Ubel slightly laughed, ¡®¡¯So one can get this red from a small talk?¡¯¡¯ Though he stopped after the man cut his sentence with a dry cough, as he also didn''t want to push much into the topic. ¡®¡¯Well, there seems to be many people coming back nowadays. Are there any particular reasons?¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Oh, yes. There might be more people these two months. People with long mission durations come back around this time.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Long durations? Like a month or two?¡¯¡¯ Personally, the missions he saw in the disciple hall with durations of maximum two months and all sorts of working conditions including manual labor were quite boring. So he wondered about the nature of long duration quests. ¡®¡¯You know about the quests in disciple hall.¡¯¡¯ Man continued while striking the bull¡¯s eye. ¡®¡¯They are the minimum durations for a quest.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Minimum?¡¯¡¯ For a duration of such as two months to be considered as minimum seemed frightening to Ubel, albeit slightly impressive.


    ¡®¡¯Minimum. Long duration quests generally range from nine years to thirty years. Of course, it also depends on what work you are given.¡¯¡¯ The numbers told were, literally, horrifying. These numbers could be considered as short for the life spans of immortals, maybe as important as three or four years of a mortal¡¯s education. Likewise, the main purpose of these questions were the same and were not wasted, as they were for to train and strengthen disciples, to make them both a qualified mortal and immortal person.


    ¡®¡¯Haah,¡¯¡¯ Ubel took a deep breath. ¡®¡¯Not bad. Do you think of taking on a quest?¡¯¡¯ The man seemingly hesitated in front of the question. Of course, who would want to be parted away from their lover. ¡®¡¯Maybe...maybe for the existence of the Sect. How happy I would be to repay to sect, who gave me everything.¡¯¡¯ He didn''t expect this answer. ¡®¡¯Everything? Isn¡¯t this a bit exxag-no. Sorry.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯What happened? Don¡¯t mind me, tell what you want.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Forget it. I also need to speed up a little bit. I was going to speak something with Senior brother Alim, just got out of my head.¡¯¡¯ Although man looked quite surprised, it might be that he also didn''t want to continue anymore, ¡®¡¯Alright then.¡¯¡¯ he said. ¡®¡¯Then see you later Ubel, take care.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯You too, friend.¡¯¡¯ After friendly clasping hands, both continued on their ways. While one¡¯s mind was filled with uncontrolled and exaggerated thoughts about the behaviors of the new disciple, other started to produce strange theories about how a person could feel indebted to a lifeless institution that controlled living.


    After a while, the lamps in the streets turned off and the inner sect drowned in darkness. Ubel found himself looking at the bright light under his floor, while standing right next to his house as the golden lights of the Star Library lowered and released a strange warmth to the place. A long and slender silhouette was displayed to the curtains outside. Must be my new neighbour.


    Ubel decided to go up after looking for some time but the silhouette he gazed must have seen, followed up closely and opened the curtains. ¡®¡¯Greetings.¡¯¡¯ Told the woman whose dark long hairs folded into the night sky. ¡®¡¯Hello,¡¯¡¯ While answering, Ubel thought if he just stared for too long. The idea of his new neighbour branding him as a pervert started to eat him up.If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it.


    ¡®¡¯I assume you are my new neighbour?¡¯¡¯ Actually, the woman in front of him was pretty gracious. It was clear that she took good care of her skin and hair. She was a person that everyone would look twice while walking down the street, or could only be painted with imagination of the mind even if told about, adding on to her dimples and emerald green eyes. ¡®¡¯Well, yes. I think so.¡¯¡¯ As the both felt the situation was awkward to an extent, while Ubel was dealing with the pervert accusation in his mind, woman spoke again.


    ¡®¡¯I¡¯ll withdraw first, good night to you. It would be better to talk in a convenient time, I assume, with a pot of tea and cakes?¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Of course! Good night, miss.¡¯¡¯ After responding to her, the woman closed the windows then curtains. As for Ubel, he quickly climbed the stairs of his house and after entering, threw himself on the bed. I don¡¯t think it was her beauty...I just dreamed like a fool on the street. Well, I might need to stop thinking outside.


    Feeling the sweet drowsiness that fell on him after two hours of questioning himself, Ubel took his little consciousness on a six hour trip to the dreamland.


    *********


    Time passed fast. Really, really fast. Since he had no activities other than participating the Combat Master Quan¡¯s courses, traveling the streets has became his second most favorite thing to do. Although he wasn¡¯t sure if it was because he had a strong memory from before, or it just improved because he turned into an immortal, but he could instantly recognize people he saw before or could remember them after staring for some time. To observe the people whom he met and didn''t meet everyday and to clear the blurry, somewhat apparent immortal profile in his head while understanding how they acted in certain different situations was what made it so enjoyable to travel in the streets.


    The normal people profile in his head was, obviously, derived from his father and grandmother so it was surely hard to understand the authenticity of his knowledge. For sure, there were mortals on the mountain. People working in disciple hall, cleaners, cooks, animal caretakers and so on were all normal people. Though it was another matter altogether why mortals took up these jobs and not immortals, the important point was that these normal people led very different lives from those in the central continent or under the rule of vassal kingdoms.


    Even from the geographical effects, there was a huge canyon between the standard of life. At least, from the handful of books he read and things he heard from people that came outside the sect, led him to such an answer. It was more interesting to see the way these thoughts would lead rather than questioning the integrity of the knowledge he had. It was both easy and hard to find a book in the star library, which he thought of going when he had time but rarely have done so.


    So to think and question with the knowledge he had in hand was the most natural and easiest way.


    Staff of the markets who shouted and screamed while shoving up the goods they held like throwing them off to the pedestrians in front of them, with great enthusiasm and joy, while creating chaos upon chaos was as merry as ever. When the skies darkened and the clocks showed late, this slowly burning fire of excitement left it''s place to the light of tranquility. After feeling bored of the air inside for a bit, instead of going towards his home, Ubel changed his route towards the outer sect. While the inner sect was mostly merry and joyful in daytime, the nights of the outer sect had the same volumes of peace and silence.


    Footsteps, for a reason he couldn¡¯t solve for months and was pretty shy to ask about, couldn¡¯t be heard. It was like sound waves, he learned from Master Quan that sound was formed of waves and had some different properties, were swallowed by a thing underground to never come back again. Whatever that was that swallowed them, it must be pretty extraordinary.


    He wanted to rest today. He thought too much, as much as to have a headache.


    Ubel thought himself addicted to thinking like being addicted to a drug. Day and night, in lessons and in home, in outside and in streets he couldn¡¯t stop himself from thinking. Even if the topics themselves were random or stupid, to think about something, remarking on them, then questioning himself about these thoughts were fun. And the headache was nothing worth compared to the fun he felt. It was a pretty profitable exchange. But everything had an end as well.


    After walking till the time for the moon to hit the sky arrived, he found himself on the cliff he talked with elder Snow. After his exchange with him 2 months ago, which made his face grimaced when he remembered, It was much more easier to meditate in here. The feeling of sudden success and eagerness once he felt, albeit still slightly existent, were not as powerful as in the past. So, it was easier and better to slither away from thoughts and get rid of his headache now.


    The thing that flowed inside him that he could feel with a way he didn''t know how, Qi, was one of the topics he thought about frequently. How was it created? Who found it? How people realized to use it this way? Which genius was it to establish the sect of sects and pass down heritages? Whereas he never looked at a proper resource about these topics. It could be a very pleasant subject to investigate about. But the real question was, how far could he go back on the history about it? He didn''t think it would be sweet to meet with a dead end in his investigations or got himself devoured by the Doubt Dragons*. So he didn''t approached this matter.


    After a few hours passed without any notice, a movement awoke Ubel from his silence. Often, the flowing of Qi would be interpreted as a river. Whether be it fast or not, just a transparent and clear river that flowed in the riverbeds called meridians. It was the second most affected thing by the concept of time after the sentient beings, and the whole growing and evolving process of the Qi river inside a body reminded one of the life. Sometimes, there would be moments where Ubel thought that this flowing energy inside him had a sort of structure parallel to the universe¡¯s beings.


    After patiently sitting down and gathering his attention, Ubel attempted to calm down the roaring river of Qi inside him. From inside, he felt a power that made the every little part of his body dance, which proceeded to invade the parts mentioned while releasing a sweet warmth. Taking a deep breath and releasing it, Ubel saw a piece of dark grey breath of air merge with the starry night sky from the corner of his eyes. While squeezing and releasing his fist and muscles, Ubel felt a newfound level of power from the surging force inside his body. He had reached the peak Qi Creation.


    Yet, this time he breached the obstacle in front of him with the vicious, unstoppable and corroding waters of Time river, rather than the magical words of Death River Qi manual. For he was discovering the worth of this Time being slowly. The one that found answers to the questions that bugged his heads for a few seconds, or some days was once more this time, he guessed. So to whichever god that created time, he didn''t even know if there were any gods, all he could feel was gratefulness for his/her efforts.


    Ubel stood up as the toddler lights of the rising sun brightened the top of Cindersnow. He thought his story was too unimportant compared to the people living in the huge entity right at his back, which made him look more insignificant.


    At least, that was for now.

 8- Empty

    Ubel found himself in the training grounds of the sect after taking his leave from the daily lessons. Area was covered with dozens of different arenas, hundreds of training dummies and rows upon rows of wooden weapons in an orderly manner. There weren¡¯t many disciples at this time of the day. There was only a handful of people left when you excluded people working or studying at Star Library, people who worked alchemy and physiology in seclusion, disciples who were fawnin or getting trained by Senior generation and several elderly men who worked in Disciple Hall.


    Of course, this didn''t mean it was quiet.


    He heard from a physician¡¯s disciple that people could erupt with a greater amount of power while shouting. Of course, Ubel was pretty embarrassed about trying it out in a crowded place, so he only inspected people in here. He also didn''t know whether it was true or not. Every goddamn people in here was screaming! Maybe he shouldn¡¯t be that angry.


    Whatever¡­


    After slipping through loud people and finding a relatively quiet place he started to act. He could use Depression three times already, since he was at the peak of Qi Creation. Yet, this was only considered real when he used it in normal ways.


    Among the many matters he thought, which was also a question that bugged many immortals¡¯ mind for a long time, what he could do in a life-death situation was somewhat an eye-opener for him, when he tried to imagine several scenarios. The wild beasts and devilish Immortals he remembered and uncountable threats he read from the books made him aware that it wouldn¡¯t be safe enough to only study literature and stroll in the sect. So, since his progress was pretty slow, he tried to use the only magical technique he had in hand, Depression, in, which could be said relatively, different ways.


    Result? Splendid.


    The idea of gathering the Death River Qi in different parts of body and shaping them according the visual image in his head was not something he ever thought of. He always assumed that magical techniques had salt restrictions upon how they worked and acted, which could be considered slightly true. But he also learned from Senior-brother Alim that many of them could be flexible. Depression seemed to be one of those nonrigid abilities.


    At first, he tried to widen the darkness from his index finger to the middle finger. The dark shroud that covered his whole index finger only reached to the middle joint of his both fingers when spread out. When released to the whole fingers only to the nails, and when spread to the whole hand, strangely, it turned into a less darker color which invaded all the way to his wrist.


    So, after these, he wanted to try some different things.


    Orthodox way of using Depression, gathering the force in a small point and launching a projectile with a straight or curved trajectory, was somewhat restricted. It seemed like he still had to use it as a ranged attack, so Ubel tried to think.


    The first thing that came to his mind was to gather the Qi in the middle of his palm, rather than the finger. After directing the Qi flow with great difficulty and imagining the shape, a dark spike as long as his thumb appeared, revolving and creating a buzzing sound. Launching the spike towards a training dummy, he awaited the results. As expected¡­ he thought, as no change was there that differentiated it from normal Depression.


    Then he shaped it into a ball as big as his palm and launched again. The results seemed same but he also managed to grasp the fact that it seemed slower than normal. After thinking a little more, he created a cone and threw again. After the third Depression, albeit all failed, the experiment managed to pique his interest.


    After sitting down and recovering his Qi for an hour, spent while thinking and speculating about whatever he could try, Ubel stood up. Even though he tried to look from a different viewpoint this time, the conclusions didn''t differ greatly. Sitting up and down continuously, he spent nine hours. As the blue sky shied away from the starry night sky, Ubel released a sigh, filled with both weariness and a wild curiosity, and took his way to the home. The dummy he used for ten hours, after he was several minutes of walk away, started to recover and got back into it''s perfect state.


    *********


    ¡®¡¯It¡¯s a unbeknown matter,¡¯¡¯ Said combat master Quan, ¡®¡¯It is actually one of the first things we discover while inspecting the ancient murals and texts. There is...or was, actually, nine gods rather than four sovereigns.¡¯¡¯ As he took a swing from the drink in his hand, which disciples called the ¡®Special formula of Quan¡¯ he continued to speak.


    ¡®¡¯But we do not have any knowledge about who these nine gods were, how did they came into being and left and how four sovereigns appeared. The tiny knowledge we have just comes from the songs sang by the son of Brynhildr, Raka, who tried save his mother from the Well Of Hatred And Selfishness. Although there are no formal names of these songs, they are known by the names that were given by language historians and Archaea Immortals. I¡¯m also sure many of you listened to them as little children.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Frustration Of The World and Masters Of The Eternal Skies.¡¯¡¯


    *********


    The air of the shop they were in was pleasant. It was peaceful. Tranquil.


    Boris and Ubel were enjoying the silence inside the place, where they took a nice corner with blue-grey colored and thick enough to be seen incense smokes traveled through the air in a delicate manner. After taking a sigh at the same time, Boris took the scarlet red bottle, available on every tables of this shop, and poured down the contents into small glasses, two finger wide and at a thumb height. It seemed so natural that it was apparent he had came here before. He didn''t create any sound while filling up.Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.


    The doors and the walls of the place, magically, blocked all kinds of noises from the outside, except the ones from inside. Sighing of random people, voices quieter than whispers speaking fervently, glasses getting filled up, and the scarce, healthy laugh of the owner. Boris felt slightly delighted at the sight of Ubel, whom seemed more happy than uncomfortable.


    ¡®¡¯Four months,¡¯¡¯ Boris uttered,¡¯¡¯I think you should be more acquainted with here, with people. By now, I suppose.¡¯¡¯ He took a little sip from the glass. He learned from a Senior-Sister who took him here to not drink all of the liquid in one big gulp, like Ubel.


    After replying to the Ubel who said ¡®¡¯Tasty,¡¯¡¯ with a ¡®¡¯Yeah, it is.¡¯¡¯ they fell silent. Then Ubel continued.


    ¡®¡¯I feel normal...probably.¡¯¡¯ He put his chin on his hand and scratched it a little. ¡®¡¯I thought I was starting to understand the difference between a mortal and immortal, how people acted, and what do I needed to do.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯You thought?¡¯¡¯ Boris asked, ¡®¡¯Did something change?¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯It can be said.¡¯¡¯ He spoke a bit vague this time.¡¯¡¯ In the end, we are not that different. Mortals and Immortals. We are not weak enough to not be called immortals, yet also so different to not be called mortals. We have no other attribute other than our humanity.¡¯¡¯ Tittering, Boris refilled Ubel¡¯s glass.


    ¡®¡¯Then, what do you think now? Can you tell it?¡¯¡¯


    Ubel halted to a stop. It was not the stop of baffling that came with a hard question, nor it was the confusion of a unexpected word. It was more like...a breather to sort his thoughts.


    ¡®¡¯No.¡¯¡¯ Ubel sighed. ¡®¡¯I lack experience. My knowledge is limited. My thoughts are without any foundation. My point on Immortality is still like a crawling baby. So, no. I can¡¯t talk for now.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Haah,¡¯'' Now it was Boris¡¯ turn to sigh. ¡®¡¯I can¡¯t really stand to these types of discussions. I can¡¯t really catch up with these matters.¡¯¡¯


    Slightly grinning, Ubel tried to took a small sip like Boris. At least he is not excited like me Boris thought. He didn''t know whether this was a good or bad characteristic. Ubel looked too calm. Like the change in his environment didn''t affect him that much. The interest and enthusiasm he had for the first time he came slowly, as he lived among the immortals, turned into a different kind of passion, some kind of reason he didn''t know.


    ¡®¡¯Then do you know what do you want to do? Or did someone catch your eye? You know, hehehe, I have some experience in the matter.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Senior brother, I¡¯ve listened to the story of how you met with Senior sister Yen from herself, You know. ¡®¡¯


    ¡®¡¯So you long for another slap?¡¯¡¯ Although Boris tried to look angry while knitting his brows, looking at the snickering Ubel it all disappeared. It also wasn¡¯t like that he didn''t fear the shop owner. He got one of the worst beatings of his life in here, when he was just a simple disciple on Qi Destruction level.


    ¡®¡¯Whatever,¡¯¡¯ after snorting lightly, he raised his voice a little. ¡®¡¯I ask for real. Do you have anything in your mind? Do you have a goal?¡¯¡¯


    Ubel didn''t seem to need to think much.


    ¡®¡¯Being an archaea immortal...sounds nice. I don¡¯t know. I don¡¯t understand. Should I take my choice now? Do I need to have a goal? It seems like a hard decision.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯It''s hard, of course. It was the same for me too.¡¯¡¯ Boris refilled the glasses again after checking whether the scarlet bottle was filled or not while shaking. Taking a deep breath of the exotic smell of incense, he started to speak again.


    ¡®¡¯Should I tell you some about my past?¡¯¡¯ Boris didn''t await an answer. He continued.


    ¡®¡¯My situation was a little different from you. One of the immortals of the sect had a life debt to my parents. At a time, my mother found the wife of this immortal, on the brink of death while pregnant, just outside our village. It took years for woman to recover but with my mom and dad¡¯s help, she didn''t face any difficulty and even gave birth. When her husband came back, they helped my parents to pay off their debts and even gave away a treasure flag to protect the village.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯When I was born, my parents took me under the flag that immortal gave us. Then one of the subordinates of the immortal came to check up on me. ¡®¡¯We can take this boy when he is age of seven. If he wants to go back, our doors are always open. If you want, my master can give a good house on the sect grounds to you.¡¯¡¯ That immortal said.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Of course my parents refused the second offer. They stayed with the rest of the folks on the village, saying that they couldn¡¯t bear to die on the lands other than the one their ancestors spilled blood for. Then they sent me to the sect when I was seven. Years later, when I came back to the village I saw their graves. Right beside the lion embroidered flag, flowered.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Do you know how I felt?¡¯¡¯


    Although Boris felt like he was taking too long and drifting away from the topic, seeing Ubel¡¯s pure attention he was relieved. ¡®¡¯Like a little idiot. I didn''t have any regrets, they would die earlier than me and eventually would become one with the dark earth. But I also understood what a family meant when I loved Yennefer. I felt pained, but chose to burden it on Yen. After all, we are together to carry both our burdens. ¡®¡¯


    ¡®¡¯So, I chose to get more powerful. Not a power like the peak of martial arts nor a power like controlling subjects. Just a strength enough to make me relax and protect myself. So my best shot was being a Combat Master.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯That was pretty long.¡¯¡¯ Grinning, Ubel took the bottle away from his hand. Becoming aware that nothing poured down, he turned the bottle around and looked in amazement towards the bottle and the glass. The astonishment of Ubel while looking was quite amusing or him.


    ¡®¡¯Haah,¡¯¡¯ Boris stood up and whispered. ¡®¡¯I talked a bit too much.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Did I really manage to tell you something?¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Yes, you did senior brother.¡¯¡¯ Said Ubel. They both got a happy laugh. After paying the bill, they bid farewell and left towards their homes.


    A goal...searching my mother would be...then my grandma...No. Ubel entered his house and sat down on one of the wooden chairs that met the open window. Maybe I should take a quest...yeah. It seems sensible. It would be easier to take my decision then.


    Watching the newborn babylights of the sun, Ubel fell asleep under the tight and soft embrace of the breeze.

 9-Converse

    Quan ceased flying once he arrived at the gates of Cinder Mansion. The door, engraved with the old kings of ancient era-Phoenix and The Dragon- lied down the all majesty primal ages had. His sandals started to burn under the heat of swollen dark land as, in seconds, they were nowhere to be seen. He came over, bare-footed, and knocked on the doors lightly for two times. With a grinding sound, the inner section of mansion came into his view with a pair of servers. Quan noticed the change in the outfit design, old ones were fancy robes covered in dark crimson with white lines over the shoulder, while the new design was a white and black one piece dress.


    Servers bowed deeply as he passed through the vicinity and climbed the stairs that led up. To reach the Leopold Tree, he had to pass through the Hall Of Ancestors and climb the small cliff of lava hill. Bright coloured walls were adorned, not simply extravagantly but also skillfully by people whom were praised highly by elders¡¯ circle. They all fawned upon this man whom used his profound skills of art on every design of this sect. Even the portraits, which he would see in a moment, were works of his and his apprentices.


    After walking down the wide corridor, he reached into a grey hall, a great contrast to the luxurious passages behind. Calm and settled, Quan continued. Men with rough faces, broken noses, furious eyes, angered smiles, fearsome expressions and women with sword like eyebrows, piercing gazes, burning cheeks, and striking faces were all looking down at him from the walls. They all had the one same feature: Deep red crimson hair. Like the cracked volcano of the Walui Isles.


    He gave a deep bow to each of them and returned back to his little journey. Rather than another set of stairs, a single narrow ladder led to upwards, a rotten trap door stood at its top. Instead of flying, Quan scrambled up, hurried-perhaps tired- and opened the trap door.


    Getting out of the hall, he stood up to see the almighty roots of the Leopold Tree. Sapphire blue leaves covered the thigh sized branches, wrinkled and cracked roots invading the ground, which was drowned in lava. Beads of sweat fell down like a rainfall from his forehead as he came in front of the tree. He put up his hand on the huge body, and patted. Slow. A small branch, seemingly with ecstacy, moved down to touch Quan¡¯s shoulders. It fluttered and shook.


    ¡®¡¯Welcome...my son.¡¯¡¯ An aged voice came above. Quan took a step back and sat on his knees on the burning ground, raising his head. Although his robe started to kindle like a torch, it didn¡¯t take any apparent damage. Only bright flames danced on its surface.


    ¡®¡¯Elder Cinder.¡¯¡¯ He greeted. ¡®¡¯It hasn¡¯t been long, has it?¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯...¡¯¡¯ Cinder stared at Quan for a while, saddened and disappointed. ¡®¡¯Yes, Quan.¡¯¡¯ He didn¡¯t try to hide those emotions, however, as if he wanted Quan to know what he really felt.


    ¡®¡¯Thirty years is not a long time, certainly, for me. But for this poor child,¡¯¡¯ Cinder raised his hand and patted the trunk of Leopold tree, ¡®¡¯It is quite a while.¡¯¡¯ With a symphony like clinking, branches of the tree lowered and sneaked under Cinder¡¯s crimson hair.


    ¡®¡¯She should get used to it.¡¯¡¯ Quan responded. ¡®¡¯She has a long life ahead of her.¡¯¡¯


    They both fell silent. There was no awkwardness or shyness. It was simply hard to carry a conversation after all those years, after all those arguments and conflicts.


    Then Cinder sighed. ¡®¡¯I don¡¯t...no. You don¡¯t have to blame yourself, Son. My dear had chosen the right guy, I knew it.¡¯¡¯ He took a step closer to the Quan. ¡®¡¯But what heavens say, we can¡¯t resist. If it was-it-it...was meant for her to die,¡¯¡¯ His voice quivered, ¡®¡¯Then we had no say in the matter.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Weren¡¯t it you who said heavens were not absolute?¡¯¡¯ Quan retorted.


    ¡®¡¯It was me. But you also learned it, didn¡¯t you son?¡¯¡¯ Cinder turned back to face the cliff. ¡®¡¯We all get it wrong in the end.¡¯¡¯ Quan quietly nodded. Then he stood up and bowed down to Cinder. ¡®¡¯I shall visit that place again. I want to see whether they remain or not.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Quan...do as you wish.¡¯¡¯ Ciner said after a moment. ¡®¡¯Do you have a company at your side? It will be hard on your mentality.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Ah,¡¯¡¯ Quan involuntarily yelped. It was quite funny for Leopold tree, as she moved her branches back and forth in a cute manner. ¡®¡¯I have a good seedling with me. He is young and quite stranger to war. However, he has some deep quality.¡¯¡¯Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website.


    ¡®¡¯That is fine, then.¡¯¡¯ Cinder smiled. ¡®¡¯All your disciples were qualified people anyway. I shall trust your judgment, then young one¡¯s talent.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯You better,¡¯¡¯ He seemed quite content for a moment. ¡®¡¯He has a good pair of ears and eyes for his age. Never got distracted in my lessons or disrupted. I do really wish all those children were like him.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Isn¡¯t that a high praise, son?¡¯¡¯ Cinder stopped for a moment after Quan¡¯s face stiffened. Am I really this inconsiderate? Stopping him from leaving,¡®¡¯Let¡¯s not part away for now. Sit down,¡¯¡¯ Said Cinder as he beckoned a thick branch of Leopold to reach out to Quan, wide enough for him to sit comfortably. ¡®¡¯I want to listen about your disciples, Master Kryostria.¡¯¡¯


    Frozen for a moment, Quan looked at the Cinder. Then he replied ¡®¡¯Of course!¡¯¡¯ with an unexpected, brilliant smile. He leaped on the root and sat down comfortably. After settling his thoughts, he started to talk about some of his favorites relentlessly. Cinder felt his heart warm up at this long erased expression of his son-in-law quite dotingly and focused his attention.


    For now, both of them just wanted to have a one last good time.


    *********


    ¡®¡¯Ubel, could you wait for a moment?¡¯¡¯


    Quan¡¯s call surprised both Ubel and his disciples who were prepared to leave the grassy hill, the place they conducted lessons and arguments on lessons¡¯ topics. Although some had a small intent of staying behind and listening to the upcoming conversation, Combat Master Quan¡¯s glinting silver eyes was an enough threat to scramble them off the top. Ubel, with the same feelings, except a surge of anxiousness and expectation, walked in front of Master Quan. He gave a junior¡¯s bow and replied.


    ¡®¡¯Yes, senior master. May I know your desire?¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Well well,¡¯¡¯ Quan coughed, ¡®¡¯How come I never heard you speak like this before? Where did this unique etiquette come from?¡¯¡¯


    Ubel¡¯s face reddened a little. He was a bit impulsive whenever he felt excited. Or afraid. Or other things. Whenever he felt a great deal of emotion, his ability to think and speak seemed to be impaired. I¡¯m literally an idiot.


    Though he didn''t force the act. ¡®¡¯Just a tongue slip,¡¯¡¯ He smiled wryly. ¡®¡¯May I know why do you seek for me, senior master?¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯It seems like you intend to take a mission, or so I¡¯ve heard.¡¯¡¯ Quan scratched his newly shaven stubbles. ¡®¡¯Is it set where you shall be employed?¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Oh yes!¡¯¡¯ Ubel exclaimed. ¡®¡¯The place is called Yardatafos. It is quite close to the Continent Line. Lots of magic beasts live there they say. But why does this matter interests you, senior master?¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯A great deal,¡¯¡¯ Quan said, ¡®¡¯You see, I expended my whole credits these last thirty years-¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Credits? The service currency?¡¯¡¯ Quan didn¡¯t mind the boy cutting his sentence. ¡®¡¯Yes, the ones we spend to get holidays.¡¯¡¯ Quan then continued. ¡®¡¯I¡¯ve run out of credits so I need to get back to work to get some back. I thought it would be a good idea to have some company, especially from younger ones.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯I¡¯m really, really happy to work with you, senior!¡¯¡¯ Ubel¡¯s pure joy was not a lie, Quan could see it with his eyes. His happiness seemed genuine, not like those liars and frauds. He felt relieved for a moment. ¡®¡¯So you do agree? You might not have any interest in social services, perhaps?¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯No senior, I¡¯m quite content with any kind of work. Just learning some words from you is worth it.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯I don¡¯t like being flattered,¡¯¡¯ Quan chuckled, ¡®¡¯But alright, I¡¯ll bear with it for the moment. I will also talk with some others, especially with Gaobun, so there is no need for you to tire yourself. I¡¯ll talk to Disciple Hall on you younglings behalf.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯That is completely fine by me,¡¯¡¯ Ubel smiled, ¡®¡¯Then when I should get prepared senior?¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯What is this haste?¡¯¡¯ Quan¡¯s expression turned a bit strange. ¡®¡¯Don¡¯t you have people to bid farewell and eat something over talk? You realize that it will take at least a decade before you get back here, don¡¯t you?¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯I...do have.¡¯¡¯ His expression made it clear, he didn¡¯t really think through this whole affair. Quan wanted to give an advice, to tell him to stay in sect as long as he could, maybe enjoy the comfort for a longer while. But he then realized, wouldn¡¯t it be more cruel? It would be the equivalent of limiting or restricting his freedom. This little guy in front of him was maybe nineteen, at most twenty this year. He should have had his own thoughts by now.


    ¡®¡¯Go, talk with your senior brothers and sisters, or elders and friends, which one you desire. There is still a week or two left to the end of the month. We can talk about this at that time, alright?¡¯¡¯


    Ubel shook himself out of the daze and looked up at Quan. ¡®¡¯Thank you, senior master. I shall talk with them properly. ¡®¡¯ He whispered the first part, and gave a deep bow. ¡®¡¯I will take my leave for now. Have a good day, senior master.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯You too, Ubel.¡¯¡¯ As he watched the small back of the promising seed go from straight to low over and over, Quan let out a sigh. He had been his disciple for a good two years now, so he naturally felt more close to him just like his other disciples. The conversation did not brighten up his mood as he expected.


    ¡®¡¯Nothing goes my way these days,¡¯¡¯ Quan lamented and took his leave from the green top of the hill, flying towards the first borough at the top level of mountain.


    I hope Gaobun and Fang will fare better than him though...

 10-Freedo(o)m

    ¡®¡¯Calm your heart, steady, steady! Just like that!¡¯¡¯ His father¡¯s rough pair of hands tightly gripped onto his fingers. String pulled full, arrow¡¯s tip shining like a uneasy fire, wood base of bow cracking under intense force, Ubel let out a deep breath. ¡®¡¯Like...this?¡¯¡¯ He moved the bow a bit lower and aimed for the small boar down the terrain. Bushes and branches in front of him didn¡¯t stand a chance at intercepting his sight.


    ¡®¡¯Good! Now hold your breath. It is essential to control your trembling before shooting. Just a small breeze or a tiny movement can change its trajectory. These boars have pretty thick skins. So don¡¯t let it suffer. Just take out its heart and it will be done.¡¯¡¯ How could he sound so warm and happy in an instance of murder, Ubel thought. Was this an aspect of being a parent? Were all people fine with killing animals without remorse?


    ¡®¡¯I¡¯ve got this, I¡¯ve got this....alright. Okay.¡¯¡¯ It seemed hard to force his conscience to shut up. Meanwhile, boar down the tree continued to search for a prey, or perhaps a lodging to pass the incoming thunderstorm and flood; evident from the gathering of dark clouds and crackling sounds of faraway lightning. Then it heard a small whistle. A really, really loud yet small whistle. Instantly, boar turned around to face Ubel, who fired a shot that instantly pierced through the eyelids, then into the skull, of the poor creature.


    It howled for an instant, just for a time shorter than a second, and fell down limp. Yet that anguished voice reverberated inside Ubel¡¯s head, constantly, relentless, and continued to as his father jumped down the tree, stumbling along the way because of his bad health and balance, while proceeding to strike down a dagger into the throat of already dead.


    ¡®¡¯Just to be sure,¡¯¡¯ He answered the unspoken question, ¡®¡¯Some have learned to act dead. Even more so after years. Maybe they are getting more intellectual gradually.¡¯¡¯ Then he sighed. Although he swished the sleeve of his cloth to wipe away beads of sweat on his forehead, while successfully getting rid of them, more blood than those drops spread on his tanned skin. Partially grey, short hair of his never seemed this creepy to Ubel.


    ¡®¡¯Shall I-¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯No,¡¯¡¯ his father instantly replied, ¡®¡¯No need dear. You seem to be tired, too. I can carry over it, your dad is not that weak.¡¯¡¯ Then he smiled to Ubel. ¡®¡¯Though you can go ahead first. Maybe ask your grandma to prepare the spices. We can eat a good meat tonight.¡¯¡¯ Mention of spiced meat brightened the eyes of the seven year old boy. Though he put up with the negative emotions, for the sake of not to worry his already sickened father and the taste of a good meal, they were not hidden deep down. In the darkness he called mind, or soul as his grandma said, he kept them together with a painful memory.


    A fatal mistake.


    *********


    ¡®¡¯This soon? I thought you had plenty of time left.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Yeah...sorry.¡¯¡¯ Ubel slightly bowed down to Alim.


    ¡®¡¯Sorry for what?¡¯¡¯ Alim furrowed his brows. ¡®¡¯I said so earlier, didn¡¯t I? Just tell me before you go and its all fine and good.¡¯¡¯ Ubel nodded, his face a bit pale and cheeks red. Veins and slight cracks on his face was eye catching to an amazing extent.


    ¡®¡¯Hey,¡¯¡¯ Alim patted Ubel¡¯s shoulder and beckoned a co-worker to take up his place for a moment. His friend slightly smiled, waving his hand, and pushed Alim a little as to get him out. ¡®¡¯Let¡¯s talk a bit outside.¡¯¡¯


    They left the Star Library and proceeded to climb up the mountain. Near the entrance of first borough, atop a brown and grey stairs they stopped. These stairs were wide enough for five men, shoulder to shoulder, pass together easily, so their presence did not trouble the scarce amount of disciples or servants climbing up to top; either from the lack of flying equipment and mount, or from the plain pleasure of greeting the felicific scenery of the mountain and the sea.


    ¡®¡¯Why do you seem so bad though?¡¯¡¯ Alim said, ¡®¡¯I will admit, these veins and cracks makes you look better. But, that is not why they are there, aren¡¯t they?¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Just a bad nightmare,¡¯¡¯ Ubel replied,¡¯¡¯ That¡¯s all. Family matters, you can say.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Oh, right.¡¯¡¯ Alim rested his chin on his hand. ¡®¡¯About your mother, or father?¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Both.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯If it won¡¯t make you feel worse,¡¯¡¯ Alim offered, ¡®¡¯would you care to mention the details?¡¯¡¯


    Ubel let out a sigh and started to talk. ¡®¡¯I saw myself with my dad in the woods...¡¯¡¯


    They have continued to talk under the intense gaze of the bright sun and above the seemingly safe yet threateningly terrorizing waves of the sea. Time didn¡¯t pass as fast as it was when Ubel was together with Boris, or as slow as the time he interacted with his neighbour. It also reminded him the effect of people on him and the time he had. Which one was more acceptable? He didn¡¯t dare to decide.


    ¡®¡¯Her face was also like...yours?¡¯¡¯ Alim raised his brows. ¡®¡¯You mean like-¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Like a bloody lily. Even her arms and feet, eyes, and ears were like it. I also saw a huge beast, like bigger than Star Library behind her. But her shadow was covering everything. So, I don¡¯t know what it looked like.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Strange enough,¡¯¡¯ Alim smiled,¡¯¡¯ Dreams can be prophecies sometimes. Just pray that that beast isn¡¯t your enemy.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Why so?¡¯¡¯ Ubel asked, a questioning glint in his eye.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯You said it was bigger than the library, right?¡¯¡¯ Ubel nodded. ¡®¡¯Then it should be as powerful as a Path Opening expert.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Huh?¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Don¡¯t be confused but generally, size of a beast indicates its level of power. Didn¡¯t you read the Kaiserri And Osbour in Senior Master Quan¡¯s lessons?¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Oh yes!¡¯¡¯ Ubel exclaimed. ¡®¡¯The Osbour was as big as a mountain and could eat something of equal size in one sweep. But Isn¡¯t that a legend?¡¯¡¯If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.


    ¡®¡¯Well, perhaps.¡¯¡¯ Alim was also not sure. ¡®¡¯That kind of strength is unseen in our civilization. But it is also a evidence to the size is equal to strength thing.¡¯¡¯


    Ubel wondered, how big would Elder Snow be if he turned into a beast? He would definitely be bigger than mother¡¯s beast. ¡®¡¯Well, you still have people to talk, don¡¯t you?¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Actually, I left you to the last...¡¯¡¯ Ubel grinned a bit.


    ¡®¡¯Ugh, I hate you.¡¯¡¯ Alim just slapped Ubel¡¯s back and stood up. ¡®¡¯You are leaving tomorrow then. At least Gaobun is also coming with you. He is just slightly worse than Senior Master Quan so you should be safe. Two star kingdom¡¯s are not that weak anyway.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Yeah...¡¯¡¯ Ubel also stood up and escorted Alim all the way back to Star Library. After bidding farewell to each other, Ubel returned back to his now empty residence. Daylight was still abundant. Clouds were cleared away by the winds that brought fresh air and Qi. And Ubel finally locked up his door after hesitating for a good while.


    He already talked with his neighbour, or senior sister Agatha the first he came out this dawn. She also had some matters to attend to, so their talk was pretty smooth and quick. For Boris, Ubel couldn¡¯t find him anywhere in the sect. Even after he asked senior sister Yen, he couldn¡¯t get an answer. It seemed like he disappeared somewhere else without any notice. Even his master, Elder Windblade, who accepted him just a year ago, didn¡¯t seem to be available.


    So he just had nothing left to do.


    *********


    ¡®¡¯Is this what we are seeking for, master?¡¯¡¯


    Boris followed the deep brown eyes of his master through the dead terrain, the light blue waves of the sea above them still shallow enough to let light pierce through the surface and lighten up their surroundings. They hid behind a huge pillar, made of the spines of the old Deep Sea Kings. Deep red marrow remnants and golden brilliance of the ancient creatures¡¯ bones reminded him of the murals they saw a while back.


    Elder Windblade just made a ¡®¡¯Shush¡¯¡¯ sign and continued to stare in front. Then, something caught his attention and his eyes widened. With a swish of his sleeve, Windblade released a sound barrier to contain sound waves. Yet, he didn¡¯t dare to speak aloud again and sent a transmission.


    ¡®¡¯This is Altar Of Sovereign. This is what we have been searching for. Holiness herself only knows how long it was!¡¯¡¯ Boris couldn¡¯t understand the excitement and wariness in his master¡¯s voice. ¡®¡¯Elder Cinder said it was used to communicate with Four Sovereigns. Even sometimes for sacrifice. With this...we can stop the threat of the forsakens.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Forsakens!? Master don¡¯t tell me you are humoring me right now!¡¯¡¯ Boris felt bolts of lightning striking to his heart. Forsakens they were! God damn forsakens! None could stand in their way in the past, nor in the present. ¡®¡¯But what can we do with the altar? Are we going to use it for sacrifice as the late generation had done?¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯That is not for us to decide,¡¯¡¯ Windblade said and slowly condensed his power, or Path in his palm. ¡®¡¯Our first priority is to get this thing out as soon as possible. Then we can contact the sect.¡¯¡¯ His gaze hardened and with a boom, a huge stream of Qi erupted from his feet. Ground of the Deep Sea Tomb shook like none it experienced for seven thousand years as Windblade struck.


    ¡®¡¯Master what are yo-¡¯¡¯ Even before Boris could intervene, Windblade appeared right above the altar and slashed right at its center, screamings of blades of wind and storms erupted. Then a bloodcurdling scream followed, right after the appearance of a hideous and furious looking creature. Its wide chest was completely chopped into two pieces while its rainbow colored hair strands turned half gray.


    ¡®¡¯Rainbow phantom?¡¯¡¯ Boris looked in amazement and weariness, either from the huge burden of expanding Qi storm, or from the extreme pressure of the augury technique he used to find this place. ¡®¡¯Vile monster!¡¯¡¯ Windblade shouted and dived down like a valkyrie, two shields of wind appearing in his hands.


    ¡®¡¯ISGAL, ISGAL¡¯¡¯ Screamed rainbow phantom, the language none of them understood at the moment seemed to fill its body with a mysterious force. Yet Windblade didn¡¯t let him rejuvenate. ¡®¡¯HAH!¡¯¡¯ He slammed both shields diagonally on top of the phantom¡¯s head. Flood of matters of brain and of blood ensued with the cracking of the Ihlas metal ground. The creature turned into a meat paste in a moment and Windblade let out a huge sigh. Dispersing the wind shields, he sent another surge of violent tempest to clean up the corpse. He well knew how troublesome these corpses would be with environments filled with death and misery, like Deep Sea Tomb and such.


    ¡®¡¯That was a real Rainbow Phantom?¡¯¡¯ Boris finally got a hold of himself. His legs had gone weak from the randy waves of power from the momentous clash. Windblade himself also seemed both troubled and tired as well. Even master is...


    ¡®¡¯Let¡¯s get this thing out first,¡¯¡¯ Windblade urged,¡¯¡¯ Take this meanwhile.¡¯¡¯ Windblade put a small bead in his hand, the mark of a fiery bird embed upon it. A medicinal pill it was, a quite strong one at that. Boris swallowed down the bead without showing gratitude, nor did Windblade wanted to see one; His interests didn¡¯t lay on the well being of his third disciple at this moment as well.


    After getting close up, Windblade stopped and started to inspect the altar. He opened his third eye and tried to dig into the inner structure of the altar but to no avail, even today¡¯s civilization knew how to keep the third eye away from the matters as buildings and equipment. That wasn¡¯t even enough to make him feel bad, however. He walked on top of the altar and started to touch its texture, from ground to the handles at its square corners. Still no clue.


    Enforcing Qi inside it didn¡¯t work nor did force even trembledit. Even though the ground under it sunk after the battle, no effort on his part was enough to move this thing. Yet, Windblade didn¡¯t stop. He continued try new ways to somehow move away the altar, or find a way to activate it perhaps.


    Boris didn¡¯t sit idle either. He sat down cross legged in front of the altar and started to use his augury technique. It was this ability that led him and his master to this place, to the tomb of once greatest race of all four continents that no man have ever stepped upon in thousands of years. So maybe he could do something, even if it was little, to solve the puzzle in front of them.


    They spent days, then weeks in the place. Whatever Windblade have tried, what kind of a solution he thought had no effect. Yet, Boris somehow managed to find something.


    For the past few days he seemed to be stuck on a part of his spell. Whenever he tried to focus on the altar¡¯s top, something automatically, or maybe intentionally, canceled it. Backlash was hard to resist and he got himself wounded a dozen times at least. Yet, with each try he could see, he could feel something resonating with his blood.


    Another week had passed and Boris finally managed to succeed. He stood up immediately and walked on top of the altar, right at its center and raised his hand. His stream of Qi flowed towards the center of his palms, to his glabella, and to his heart. Four different circles of light brightened the dark and mossy surroundings of the Tomb as they floated. Together, they came up to be like a four leaf clover, with a single strand of light above them coming down as a root.


    ¡®¡¯This is...constellation?¡¯¡¯ Windblade curiously looked towards the patterns and ever revolving inner circles of the augury spell. Boris¡¯s face already got flushed with red and his Qi reserves was depleting tremendously fast. So Windblade tried to process everything as fast as possible.


    ¡®¡¯I found it! It is not constellation, it is formation! It is a formation of instructions about how to activate the altar.¡¯¡¯ Windblade exclaimed, ¡®¡¯Good job Boris! You can stop now, I will get this thing to work.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Don¡¯t tire yourself, esteemed sir.¡¯¡¯ A voice creeped behind them. ¡®¡¯I can work on it as you gentlemen rest.¡¯¡¯


    Both master and disciple turned around at the same time and greeted the glinting head of the spear with their throats. Then their blood screamed in ecstasy, ¡®¡¯We are free from this filthy mortal coil!¡¯¡¯

 11- Tomb

    Or his blood, one must say.


    ¡®¡¯Master!¡¯¡¯ Boris cried out in panic, his voice succumbed deep in panic and exhaustion could only manage one word out of his mouth. Yet, he couldn¡¯t say anymore. With his severed arm, Windblade smashed Boris on his chest and sent him flying back, meanwhile raising a small wall of tempest to slow down the other spear stab.


    ¡®¡¯A bit slow indeed,¡¯¡¯ man in the shadows uttered, ¡®¡¯Still shallow!¡¯¡¯ then he sent another stab towards Windblade¡¯s throat. No damn! Windblade cursed in his heart and tried to retreat under the continuous stabs and slashes and smashes of the spear and its pole.


    He managed to put a distance of seven meters, a relatively short distance for veteran warriors and alike soldiers. This did not mean, however, the enemy stopped from advancing. Just that little retreat could enable the Windblade to regain the momentum, which was on the favor of the assassin and did not seem to stop this early; and indeed, it was really enough.


    It took half a second for Windblade to pop a pill in his mouth and another half to swallow, quite a contrast to the speed of incoming spear that took a bit of a longer time. Bending the invisible flow of air and supplementing the form with a enveloping Qi, Windblade created a reverse tornado. The extraordinary revolution speed did manage to stop the spear in its place but not the dagger that spawned behind his head.


    His instincts kicked in and with a momentous and incredible movement Windblade kicked the ground alongside the support of his Qi. The dagger slightly missed the target and stabbed at the lower back of his chest. Pain was bearable for a man of thousand battles like him, but side effects were not. The Qi showdown began on the outer layer of his skin. A brown colored surge of Qi tried to swallow the opposing green, with a tinge of grey, Qi like a snake. The exaggerated amount of wasted power left the already restless and powerless Boris, once more, unable to do any action other than simply sitting down.


    Master...how did we not sense him!? He watched in amazement, and in fear, as the invading surge of Qi was repelled after a short moment with his third eye. Bright colors exploding and clashing like motes of light and firecrackers, whilst admirable, could only give him horror now. Terrified of the outcome of this engagement, which he surely knew would end in an unfavorable outcome or them, Boris grit his teeth and poured down all the pills he had in his storage.


    From first mortal grade to third immortal grade, just one grade lower than the only known peak of medicine in the current realm, all kinds of them were available. Yet most seemed useless in this predicament. He had another way to help, however, to ensure the safety of his master and possibly the relic. Or so he thought, if it worked, and if it didn¡¯t then everything would lead down the same path.


    Meanwhile, Windblade and the unknown warrior continued their blows and blocks with more ferocious and dangerous spells and strikes. Windblade did not fare well, considering the disadvantage he had at first surprise. Yet he felt it in the deep parts of his heart that, even if not surprised, he had no more than a little chance against a man of this level.


    He was a god damn Essence master! A quarter one at that with one of the most affiliated elements, air. Yet this didn¡¯t even seemed important in front of this treacherous person. His path, from what he could detect in the instant showdown of Qi, seemed to be related to earth or land; or more possibly and terrifying, Mountains.


    What was he expected to do against a man like this? All he could do was stall for time, wait for a miracle or something momentous to happen and distract this seemingly inexhaustible machine of fight, as his talent and experience was enough to reward him such a generous compliment.


    He dodged a small bash and slipped down the hard shaft of the spear, tearing away his clothes in the process, and slammed his wizened fist onto the stomach of the man. With a grunt from both parties they seperated, one with a small trickle of blood on his stomach, other bleeding from his arm and back. The pain of wounds were both insignificant, for people that saw more hideous ones at past, and more pleasurable than the scars of mental ones. Like the one Windblade was bearing now, as the peculiar opponent could discern.Stolen novel; please report.


    ¡®¡¯Another one in the well,¡¯¡¯ He mumbled and approached his prey again, ¡®¡¯Why none can deal with hatred and misery!?¡¯¡¯ His spear glowed with a brilliant light and, as all three in the marvelous showdown could see, surges of Qi started to be swallowed by both man and his weapon.


    ¡®¡¯This is dangerous!¡¯¡¯ Both master, who hardly could deal blows, and disciple, who just smashed all pills into powder and swallowed, could discern the huge threat. ¡®¡¯Here goes the sailor of sea!¡¯¡¯ Man muttered, and charged. Like no charge Boris had ever seen till this point, like no leap of mythical tigers or wolves he had taken care of or killed before.


    Windblade took a slight step back and moved his hands in front in a cross shape. ¡®¡¯Righteous ones we are, souls are none like the other!¡¯¡¯ He chanted, clinging to the words of his old master like a beacon of hope. Two different streams of Qi flowed from his meridians and the incense flames atop the bone pillars shivered, like a small canary in the cold winter. The fire was...afraid?


    ¡®¡¯Where hope does lie, so does the victory!¡¯¡¯ He shouted, looking at the tip of the incoming spear, like the once hot blooded young of past, and released the Qi of Amethyst Tempest. Purple and black mix of winds picked up the ground and flew upwards his forearms. Layers upon layers of revolving whirlwinds covered his front as he stood ready. But he prepared for wrong.


    The man, whilst mid air, suddenly increased his momentum by releasing a wave of Qi in a circular manner from above. His body turned into a horizontal line with the spear facing the ground, and stabbed through the hardened ground. His spear and body shook alike like the banners in the storms, so as the ground.


    ¡®¡¯No sailor greets the sea with his body,¡¯¡¯ Man uttered, seemingly confronting the Windblade with his words, ¡®¡¯What loves the sea is heart, so it shall be it who greets the love!¡¯¡¯ He pushed the spear to the ground once more while Windblade instantly leapt off the ground to the man, defenceless for now, to seek a chance to take his life.


    ¡®¡¯HEIST HOO!¡¯¡¯ Man cried and bent over his spear to face the Windblade and rumbled the earth. Boris shook once more, both from the trembling ground and his trembling heart. The ground shattered like a web of flowers under the stomp of giants and a huge boulder, size of a house, flew out of the ground. The spearhead and shaft under it was visibly bearing the brunt of the huge weight quite hardly.


    ¡®¡¯Here comes my-heart!¡¯¡¯ Man grunted for a second from the, ultimately, huge pressure on his now bulging shoulders, and waved his spear in front, right towards where Windblade appeared! ¡®¡¯Curse the spirits!¡¯¡¯ Windblade¡¯s momentum ceased instantly and he retreated back while holding the purple-black whirlwinds of barriers in front.


    Huge Ihlas Steel boulder flew in the air quite monstrous, yet gorgeous, and slammed down onto Windblade¡¯s withered arm. The only arm left immediately bent over in reverse and blood gushed out like waterfall from the joints! Windblade grit his teeth whilst trying to push up the messenger of death above him. My bones aren¡¯t enough! His meridians were still intact to an extent, so was his chance of survival.


    What was he to do in this situation? The choice came up to him in a moment, either from experience or from instinct.


    Windblade retracted his left hand and bursted the Qi flow in the meridian to a overexhausting level. His amputated arm started to get swollen with power and heat whilst he heard the incoming steps of the man, with his, notably, horrifying whispering of some incomprehensible language. Then he released the other arm and let the boulder fall in, at the exact time when he punched with his left.


    The breeze in the split second turned into a cyclone of fire and exploded right at the rock¡¯s surface, shattering it into countless small pieces. The cloud of smoke and the wild release of Qi, which did not allow any sensory organs, including the third eye, to inspect further, forced the anonymous man to charge into the center of explosion.


    He broke through the whirlwind and slashed at the ground. He parted the barrier with little resistance and saw the broken arm of Windblade return back to its shape again in seconds. ¡®¡¯Such a waste.¡¯¡¯ He muttered and picked up speed again with another Qi blast, sending himself and his spear as a whole like a dart towards the Windblade.


    Their fight was getting into its last phase.

 12-Dark

    Five weeks prior...


    Looking back at the past two years, if there was, explicitly considering, something worth of mention and being remembered, then Ubel was most certain that it was the existence of the two men and a woman, whom he grew up to feel gratitude.


    Browsing through the memories like the pages of a book, whilst gazing up at the small rock on the horizon the sect considered a home, he realized how empty his heart was. There was no remorse, nor grief nor longing. He felt nothing, other than the slight annoyance at the inconvenience of the difficult and hazardous way of associating different people of different customs he and his company expected to meet, and this situation deeply troubled him.


    Was he really alone?


    He wondered, why he didn¡¯t feel the same thing when he left his home. His real home, his dad and grandma. Was it because they had the greatest impact? Or was it because of the blood running through his veins? He clutched the small pendant on his neck. After cleaning and good care of continuous two years, which he felt to be the longest years of his twenty two years, it still had the same texture and dirt. The red stain and oak like outer-skin of the pendant had another luster, however, for reasons he didn¡¯t know. And certainly he could have checked upon what this thing held in secret, if there was, but his heart did not give up a memory this valuable to the hands of another.


    Only he could clutch and stroke this, his heart ordered.


    After the Cindersnow mountain was no longer visible, he let out a deep sigh. The sea and the air still had the same air of despondence and brilliance, how did these two extremes meet in here? Now that was a worthy question, or so he thought. What was the source of this exotic, or perhaps eccentric would be more applicable, Ubel thought, scenery anyway? Nothing, he could derive nothing.


    ¡®¡¯Sorry for the little hump¡¯¡¯ Quan¡¯s voice reached his ears at the exact moment Ubel¡¯s eyes shined with a strange light, seemingly piercing through the mystery behind the creation of these opposite poles; but sadly, and with deep regret, was his focus not broken he might had a chance to glimpse upon that.


    These are all my assumptions, aren¡¯t they? He knew what he was dealing with.


    Still, the golden crane¡¯s little shake was enough to awaken him from the dreamy slumber. That was when he realized their altitude. They were high above, higher than the clouds that intercepted his sight, which laid the bare body of the vast sea with all its perks visible to his soul and heart.


    He let out another sigh and looked back. Quan still focused on the road ahead, his new shaven bald head reflected some of the lights that fell. Surprising both to himself and to Gaobun, Quan looked more masculine without any hair. However, he much preferred the elegant and delicate air of a scholar the long hair spread, like a tree sprouting its flowers for all creation to see their beauty.


    For the Gaobun, his eyes still looked as muddy as ever. His gaze reached past the clouds and the sea, they pierced through the membrane of reality and reached into a state of perfect elevation. Or we call it, dreaming...


    At this state of mind, productivity and imagination of a individual, regardless of their identity, race, culture, and fundamental composition of their being, increased all the way to the zenith. It could last a split second, or for a lifetime for immortals. For mortals? Only a few hours that felt like a second.


    So Ubel knew better than anyone else to not to awaken this dreamer. No matter how sweet or torturous it could be, a kind of enlightenment one could gain from this was immense and was, most probably, highly frowned upon to disturb, as this state was anything other than easy to access.


    Back to my business I suppose


    Since his focus was also broken, Ubel had no more desire to pursue some complex thought lines. Instead, the one thing he was most fond of right now was the state of his depression. His small research and the tips he gained from other Senior Masters paid off a little a while back.


    Guiding the Qi through the meridians to the tip of his fingers, he created another depression. Although he couldn¡¯t step into Qi Destruction yet, his Qi capacity and proficiency on controlling it was improving constantly. This, in turn, enabled him to try some new ideas and improve his past assumptions on how to use depression efficiently.


    First thing he realized was, rather than depression, Death River Qi itself was not that flexible. In term of Qi density and amount, it differed from most of the manuals. The high density of Death River Qi did not allow the user to act in high speed or counter with fast attacks, but the exaggerated amount of Qi from it was enough to compare with early Qi Destruction cultivators.


    What did this mean? This meant his dream of a homing depression was no longer possible. Although the ability itself was like a flowing substance and could change trajectories with small difficulties, when changed in nature, like his attempts at changing the shape/size/density of it, these lax laws seemed to bend against his will.


    This is why they said no one attempts to modification.


    Manuals were like divine commands, they possessed strict lines of rules and had the cultivator stick inside those lines without any question. Or else, a situation like his would occur, it seemed. But wasn¡¯t this too inefficient? Of course it was. Without any freedom of choice and use, the variations were quite limited. This was a huge flaw in Ubel¡¯s eyes. But who knows? Maybe elders and other super strong people knew the reason for it.


    This doesn¡¯t concern me, so screw it.


    But none could stop him from trying out. Why would they stop anyway?


    Looking deeply at the depression, which was created by his innate Qi and supported by the outside Qi of the world to be steady, Ubel stretched his hand. Although the decay aura was noticed by the both personas at his back, none paid any special heed to what he was doing.


    He started the work right there. The depression started to get longer by a centimeter each second, and with each length got more slender. Its form also got more unstable and broke apart from time to time. Beads of sweat fell down from his forehead as the length of depression reached to five meters, then disappeared without any trace.


    Releasing a sigh, Ubel thought of what he could do with it. Most certainly, if he could hasten the process of stretching the depression and control its shape without breaking any part, then it could be quite useful against a huge bulk of enemies. But his non-existent military experience told him he was quite far from any real fight.Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author.


    After recovering some mental stamina, since he had nothing to do left and wasting away his time seemed pretty remorseful, Ubel continued on with his training.


    *********


    Since the crane reserved by the Quan had its own share of intelligence and obeyed the orders of the bald man(Ubel didn¡¯t know what to call Quan anymore, so bald man seemed like a good option whilst thinking) there was no real need for him to control it continuously.


    ¡®¡¯Any hunger?¡¯¡¯ Quan asked and turned back. The back of the crane was pretty wide and long, so much that it was enough to sit down six man size of Boris without any cramping. Alas, it wasn¡¯t the perfect place to sleep, as Ubel tried to nauseous effects first hand. As Quan came in front of the duo, one talking about his first impression on his junior¡¯s use of the ability, other listening attentively to the senior, he waved his sleeve and placed a lengthy tray.


    ¡®¡¯Well, yes senior master!¡¯¡¯ Both men¡¯s eyes shone with a fervent light. ¡®¡¯It has been about a day since we left. I didn¡¯t really eat anything meantime.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯I really agree,¡¯¡¯ Ubel added, as the one with the weakest resistance to hunger, ¡®¡¯All I had was a small snack and all.¡¯¡¯ Quan sent a slight smile and took out the fresh meat and wine from his ring. ¡®¡¯I also haven¡¯t, so it seems fit to have a meal together.¡¯¡¯


    Gaobun and Ubel sat around the tray and clasped their palms for a moment. Quan looked at them as they muttered about blessings and fealty to Brynhildr for her generosity, then looked back at him. ¡®¡¯Go on,¡¯¡¯ He said and looked down on his hand, then reached out to a chicken wing.


    Although the meal started awfully quiet, once Gaobun started to talk about Ubel¡¯s attempts on depression Quan¡¯s interest piqued up. Then it turned livelier as Quan took the leading position in the conversation, while the disciples listened to his somewhat reasonable and arguable points together with the food.


    ¡®¡¯Decay, corrosion, or flammable type of abilities tend to last longer than their counterparts,¡¯¡¯ Quan mentioned, taking a swing of the wine in his hand. ¡®¡¯Such as the Ash Canyon¡¯s manual or Death River manual, both have quite an advantage over others in terms of density of Qi and stability of their divine arts.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯But the biggest setback on these two are the limits. The advancement relies on either extreme effort or extreme understanding of the concept manual revolves around. Ash Canyon fares well in this when compared with the latter. Death is just...unknown.¡¯¡¯


    He stopped at that point, then laughed off the awkwardness. ¡®¡¯Well, this means Gaobun¡¯s way is much easier than yours, Ubel. You need to work pretty hard.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯I know senior master,¡¯¡¯ Ubel replied, ¡®¡¯I know.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯By the way, senior master,¡¯¡¯ Ubel abruptly asked, ¡®¡¯What is your path?¡¯¡¯


    Quan looked at the skies, then to the furs of the crane, and answered.


    ¡®¡¯My path is...of voice. My path treads wherever I want it to go.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯I lead my path, and it leads me. This is why I call it this way.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Path Of Voice, root of our every first.¡¯¡¯


    Ubel kept silent. Not for the image of a man, filled with solitude from the lack of love and attention, or, perhaps mostly, from the nonexistent driving force beneath his words. He kept silent for he lacked the same things, both emotions and the drive.


    What was the drive behind following such a path?


    Da-dadya?


    Wha-!? Mother! Ubel spoke! Ubel really spoke!


    Root of the firsts, but which ones? The first call of a name? The first request of a help? Or the first call of death?


    Dad?


    They call me, son.


    What? Who are they?


    Haha, who knows? They call me...just like you.


    Is the voice unknown? Why the death is not known? May a sage tell, please a wise one tell me, Ubel pleaded to himself.


    When hunting, fear as much as your prey does.


    Why is that, dad?


    Who can say you won¡¯t feel the same? No one. Bloods of hunt are the same with us, they flow.


    Dad?


    Can you stop the flow? Can you feel the death? Can you understand!?


    Dad!?


    Why don¡¯t you understand? Why? Why? WHY CAN¡¯T YOU UNDERSTAND DEATH!?


    ¡®¡¯UBEL!¡¯¡¯


    Ubel opened his eyes. There was no meal in front of him, nor there was his father. Gaobun was stiffer than any other person he saw, and Quan was blazing with an aura of rage and fear.


    ¡®¡¯Don¡¯t open your eyes! Don¡¯t look at that thing¡¯s wings!¡¯¡¯ He commanded once more and Ubel, right before closing his, noticed Gaobun¡¯s tight shut pair. Darkness once more fell like a curtain. But this time, it was different.


    ¡®¡¯Don¡¯t look deeply into those memories,¡¯¡¯ Quan said and tried to control the berserk crane. They shook and shook as it became harder to hold on. Ubel glanced at the so called memories in front of him. All lined up like a pond of water, he could see reflections of his past. But danger was immense and his mind trembled enough already. He had no intention to further endanger himself.


    ¡®¡¯Senior master?¡¯¡¯ He inquired, ¡®¡¯What happened?¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Tulpar¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Tulpar?¡¯¡¯ Quan ceased talking. Ubel felt how wrong the situation was at the moment. His own hands started to feel bitter cold. Then the feeling of frostbite spread out to his back. This wasn''t a magic. This was the tingling of his scalp. This was fear.


    ¡®¡¯Almighty Beast God, why is the necessity to cause fear and trauma to my disciples!? Did we do a heinous crime against the honorable?¡¯¡¯,


    Then Uble heard the cause of his irregular dream.


    ¡®¡¯Clouds and sea alike are mine. World is my nest, so why should I ask for permission? What necessity you ask? My will! Is that a reason not enough, pilgrim?¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯For your majesty, every reason is enough of a excuse. Even the lack of a reason! But one shall not forget, some excuses may not be acceptable for the Giant.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Feza, you mean?¡¯¡¯ Beast god fell silent for a moment. ¡®¡¯You stray traveler, consider your pitiful self enough to worth of Feza¡¯s attention?¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Not me, exalted one.¡¯¡¯ Quan said, then a silence ensued. There had to be happening something between, but his blocked vision couldn¡¯t help to understand what it was.


    ¡®¡¯That is indeed...I will mercy for this time.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Then,¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯But that boy shall look at me in the eyes.¡¯¡¯ Quan moved to talk, Ubel heard, but got cut off instantly. ¡®¡¯For my excuse is that boy itself. None can refute if I kill you three right away, even with that handwriting, ambassador.¡¯¡¯


    Quan let out a sigh and turned around. ¡®¡¯Gaobu-¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Ubel it is, look.¡¯¡¯


    All three gasped at the same time. What do I have? He questioned, but alas, couldn¡¯t guess what the answer was. Ubel felt no more fear, for what reason he didn¡¯t know, but this lack of emotion was terrifying enough. Yet he steeled himself like of a brave warrior before war, and let out a breath. ¡®¡¯Ubel, go on.¡¯¡¯ Said Quan at the same time. Then he opened his eyes.


    There stood the gigantic horse. Body painted with the blue of the sea and darkness of the night. Its eyes sparkled, accompanied by the crimson stars of the universe. Wings the same as as moon¡¯s brilliant blood light, scarlet color blazed with the winds behind its back.


    Clouds bowed down under its steps and sea crackled with anguish below his stare.


    There stood the most exalted of the beasts, progenitor of the four legged animals, and the last descendant of Draconic God.


    Onesiphorus, or as she is called, Tulpar The Beast God.

 13-Bright

    Encroaching darkness engulfs the mind.


    Petal of flower, adorning the five colors closes its mouth.


    Seeds sprout, ghosts arise;


    What work do have the livings¡¯ life?


    Can one shut the voices of hell?


    Or will one bear with the mad?


    Weep, long and wide, weep.


    For what you have is anything but tear


    What work do have the livings¡¯ fear?


    None is mercy, the whole is cruel.


    And the truth is one brought together.


    Can the hell shut the mercy,


    Can the cells contain the cruel?


    What does the real hold, what does the false say?


    All in all, one is must; all in one, one is just.


    One in one, all is false; one in all, that is God.


    What does God hold for itself? Is it worthy of He or She, or is it too high to be deserving he and she? To be God, to rule them all, to be the one, and to be the above. That is the purpose of Draconic.


    What does it mean to say what, to ask questions, to tell one the truth? Can the world bear the brunt of our malfunctioned souls and the storms of our wisdom? Can the people understand the words behind words and meanings under meanings? Why are the world and people alike so fragile?


    These are the questions you need to consider upon, young one. Are you worthy to be one in all, or will you be the all in one? Will your path end all in all, or will your path lead to one in one? Will you question the sins of your kind and detest their immorality, or praise it high and make them a god?


    The ability to choose is only yours, and yours. But what will you do with it?


    Death is an answer you are looking for, but death is not looking for you. Death won¡¯t look after you and will find people you don¡¯t want it to find.


    This is the truth and will be false.


    So says the Overlord: Blood and death is the fuel; soul and mind are the vessels, and people are the fire. Which one you will belong, you will choose.


    That will be the time flower blooms, skies weep, earth sunder, people grief, warriors leave, souls lie, and the world dies.


    *********


    ¡®¡¯What in the hell-Your majesty!¡¯¡¯ Quan cried out in alarm. His soul shook from the tears he saw, falling down from Ubel¡¯s eyes in the color of black and red. ¡®¡¯What did you show him, majesty!? Why won¡¯t you show mercy to my pitiful disciple?!¡¯¡¯ Why one needed power, he always asked and questioned. He never stopped asking it, and would not stop even after getting an answer even if it was true.


    For if he stopped, then what was the point of immortality?


    ¡®¡¯It is his fate¡¯¡¯ Tulpar said, her wings fluttered.


    ¡®¡¯TRUTH? GIVE ME BACK THE TRUTH, LET ME KNOW THE TRUTH. TRUTH-TRUTH-TRUTH-TRUTH-TRUTH-TRUTH-TRU¡­¡¯¡¯


    Ubel¡¯s cries intensified. His arms flailed around as he wept tears of death and blood and tore apart his skin with his nails. He left bloody lines and marks along with his head, widened his eyes and continued again. The cycle of screams, pain, self-damage, torture, then another scream that left no more than a huge mental scar on both people.


    ¡®¡¯Brynhildr, oh Brynhildr. Oh, the mother of all and bearer of light...¡¯¡¯ Gaobun¡¯s whispers turned into erratic mutterings. His hands were trembling fiercer than a boat in a storm in the sea, and his closed eyelids couldn¡¯t contain the tears that he shed in alike colors.


    ¡®¡¯Enough, pilgrim, with your pleadings!¡¯¡¯ Tulpar, fed up enough with Quan¡¯s unceasing blabberings of mercy finally reacted. She let out a breath of Qi. Air froze in front of the crystalline power and enveloped Quan¡¯s body amidst his last cry. His upper body froze completely as he slumped down on the Crane that settled itself in fear of a progenitor, yet he could still move his eyes and shake his legs.


    Tulpar got amused by the man, who still pleaded for the lives of two younglings under her gaze with his eyes. They opened and closed harsh and fast, his eyes shook as he half kneeled and put his head down. If she had not cut off the Qi flow from his body, Tulpar was sure that she could hear the frantic screams of the man again.


    ¡®¡¯You may not understand what he feels the most, but I know what you both feel. And I assure you, for the damn sake of Feza. This one will be fine.¡¯¡¯ For what reason, she felt the need to comfort this pitiful master of boys? She knew the reason.


    Her lands lacked the emotions of love and brimmed with hate. Murder and rape, burglary and betrayal, robbery and fraud; among all these crimes and sins, this show of affection by a human left her...nostalgic. When did her people, when did the beasts turn out like this?


    ¡®¡¯TRUTH-TRUTH-TRUth-Truth-truth-truth-tru...truth?¡¯¡¯ Ubel¡¯s calls for the eternal search of human beings, the secret to the creation of all and mystery behind the soul, stopped after a long while. He turned around to look at Quan, covered in ice, and at Gaobun, who spilled tears of fear and blood while still muttering.


    ¡®¡¯Where is the truth?¡¯¡¯ Ubel¡¯s eyes widened as he looked at the Tulpar¡¯s eyes. He looked at his own reflections from the gigantic eyes for a while, then figured out where he was.You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.


    Then the pain rushed over, like his nervous system and Qi flow that returned back to its work. Another scream erupted from his mouth, now from the physical pain, and he fell down in his own blood. His arms and face and chest got covered in blood and his eyes felt weak. But one last time, among the gush of dozens of emotions and feelings, he looked up towards the Tulpar again, but this time not for his reflection, but for her intention.


    ¡®¡¯I will send you off,¡¯¡¯ She said and a mark appeared above her forehead. ¡®¡¯This will both guide and protect you, pilgrim and mortals¡¯¡¯ Gaobun trembled at the word of mortal, so did Quan, while the ice around him disappeared. Both looked crestfallen.


    ¡®¡¯Your wings...¡¯¡¯ Ubel whispered as the Tulpar turned around, ¡®¡¯Look lovely.¡¯¡¯


    Tulpar kept silent as her spiritual mark engraved itself on Ubel, then left as she had come. Clouds rose from their bows and seas recovered their sanity. Crane let out the pitiful cry of freedom and Gaobun ceased his wretched act of self-implore. Quan only looked at the departing Tulpar, his eyes red and body weak, and sighed.


    Then Ubel lost consciousness as his Qi broke apart as a whole, destructed, then returned back to a straight but wider circle, which grew in a moment of seconds.


    Qi destruction he achieved at last, with a price too high for him to shoulder.


    *********


    After mending the wounds of Ubel with herbs and laying him down on the back of Crane, Gaobun turned to look at Quan.


    ¡®¡¯Senior Master...who is my junior?¡¯¡¯


    Quan¡¯s eyes widened in shock, either from the lack of brother or from the traces of breakthrough in Gaobun¡¯s body. Fear was the first weapon of humanity, then came the technology, and last the cultivation. But which idiot said latter was better?


    ¡®¡¯I don¡¯t know, junior,¡¯¡¯ Quan said, ¡®¡¯I also don¡¯t know.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯May I inquire about the thing you used,¡¯¡¯ Gaobun sat down as well, right beside Ubel, then focused on Quan¡¯s face. ¡®¡¯What made the Beast God stop at first?¡¯¡¯


    Quan took out a small piece of paper from his ring, then sent it towards Gaobun who caught it. Looking down at the paper, Gaobun¡¯s first reaction was to throw it away, beads of sweat gathered above his forehead, then ask in amazement. ¡®¡¯What kind of handwriting is this? It can suck souls out of body!?¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯It can,¡¯¡¯ Quan nodded, ¡®¡¯I can hold it easier because of Elder Cinder¡¯s approval. Or else, I would have left the world a long time ago.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Approval?¡¯¡¯ Gaobun repeated,¡¯¡¯ Does this thing, this artifact belong to Elder Cinder?¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Unfortunately, wrong guess junior. This belongs to the second ancestor.¡¯¡¯ Gaobun didn¡¯t know what he could say. For a piece of handwriting to survive several thousand years, it was not impossible. But for the aura on it to last ten thousand years, it was frightening.


    ¡®¡¯Then, is this Feza person...the second ancestor?¡¯¡¯ And why you carry that thing with you? He couldn''t ask.


    ¡®¡¯No, I suppose not. But I also don¡¯t know the language as well. What I know is, whoever can read this is either a monster or an ancestor, as even other elders can¡¯t read what it is.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Haah,¡¯¡¯ Gaobun sighed and looked at his pitiful junior,¡¯¡¯ Senior master, what will we do now?¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯We will continue of course,¡¯¡¯ he said, and hope he won¡¯t get scarred for life.


    Like this, they continued their way towards the continent border, where met the Mountains Of Emperors and the Three Rivers Of Lords. It was such an ironic name, as there stood three huge sects and three different kingdoms. Some said this was to show the power, and some said it was to shame the mortals. But simple mortals, who had nothing better to do than survive to the next day, couldn¡¯t care less about face and ridicule of others. They had this one life, then when reincarnated to others they would forget all about it. So there was no reason to not ignore these power hungry animals, these Immortals.


    *********


    ¡®¡¯Ahoy! Ahoy! I¡¯ve got you the best furs in the east! The freshest meat of the east, I repeat!¡¯¡¯ Amidst the cries of the beast merchant, Ubel followed behind the Gaobun. He led Ubel through a wide patch of farms and mills and shoved two pieces of cheese he bought from a random stall. ¡®¡¯Your welcome, young sir.¡¯¡¯ The merchant laughed and sent them off, maintaining the amiable smile of a trader and the professionalism of an experienced traveler. Even the small gestures and body language itself revealed how much effort he put into this line.


    ¡®¡¯This should make you feel better,¡¯¡¯ Gaobun said and slowed down a bit. They both wanted to measure the beauty and extravagant natural habitat of the Yardatafos, and actually had plenty of free time left before their jobs got assigned to them by the committee, so going around the city¡¯s outskirts once or twice wouldn¡¯t hurt much, Ubel assumed.


    These wagons and merchantiles couldn¡¯t get into the city for some safety concerns, or so he heard from the people around. Gnashing the hard cheese between his teeth, Ubel continued to tread the path towards the city entrance. Quan left them a while back, saying: ¡®¡¯The long road of Yardatafos is famous, exceptional for its long Merchant Route. Well, you should see with your own eyes as I¡¯ll settle some matters. I¡¯m going to meet up with you after getting done.¡¯¡¯


    So, their predicament got quite simple enough.


    ¡®¡¯Ubel?¡¯¡¯ Gaobun called for him again. ¡®¡¯Oh sorry,¡¯¡¯ He responded, ¡®¡¯Senior brother, we don¡¯t need to hurry anyway, right?¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Yes, of course. But...¡¯¡¯ Gaobun let out a deep sigh. ¡®¡¯I know you want to look see the things and people, but trust me, Ubel. Yadratafos is not only known by its Merchant Route.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯There is more?¡¯¡¯ Ubel looked, his mind absent, around. His excitement died off at that moment but got ignited again after looking at the huge carriage at their back. Adorned with a symbol of two golden clouds, pierced by a dagger and a bow, with the heavenly horses named after Creeks¡¯ mounts pulling it up front, Ubel felt deep founded amazement.


    ¡®¡¯Lord has come, clear the way! Lord has come, clear the way!¡¯¡¯ Cried the wagoner and sped off into the distance without stopping at the gates. ¡®¡¯Lord sure loves attention,¡¯¡¯ Gaobun¡¯s comment got approved by the masses. There were no souls on the wide roads and even if there were, the carriage would have no trouble passing through the road wide enough to contain four of them side by side.


    ¡®¡¯I though beasts roamed here, but seems like there are only familiars?¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Isn¡¯t that expected? No beast is retarded, even if they are morons, enough to attack a city. Even the merchants here, most of them are in Qi Creation so small beasts have no chance to fight against them.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Is that so?¡¯¡¯ Ubel¡¯s lack of interest put out the last scraps of patience flame inside Gaobun, who ceased talking. He didn¡¯t know how that sociable Boris and Theology maniac Yennefer could get along with this boy. He asked questions, they answered, and he didn¡¯t listen. The same cycle, again and again, got him fed up already.


    ¡®¡¯I wonder-¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯No you don¡¯t!¡¯¡¯


    After getting in front of the city gates, over ten meters in height and covered with well-fed purple iron, they paid greetings to the state protector with small gifts and got into the city. Some people gave intrigued glances but sought no harm. No one liked the bother that would come from the emblem of Cindersnow.


    Paved roads seemed pretty greasy with eye and one could actually slide down the slope towards the city centre if wanted, while walking with ease was also possible, which was better for people. Many examples were the young local cultivators who sped down the slope but there was something different.


    Ubel¡¯s eyes focused under the feet of these young men and women, whose Qi flows were streaming towards the acupoints in the feet and released as a small circle. The little expenditure was evident as well as the boost of balance that made it easier for youngsters to slide. And they, actually, burst the Qi into a small point to flip and spin on the air, then land to the ground to continue sliding for a good hundred meters. They were, as expected from teens, showing off to their peers their agility and ability, but what mattered the Ubel most was the use of Qi itself.


    They don¡¯t use any breathing technique or flow pattern...is it caused by the normal breathing of the body? Or is it because of something else?


    Looking back at the Ubel, Gaobun didn¡¯t know whether to feel sorrow at getting ignored or joy from the lack of shock and fear from the young man¡¯s horrible experience along the way.


    Anyway, This won¡¯t complicate things then. He thought to himself as well, and for once reached out with his hand towards Ubel.


    ¡®¡¯I¡¯ve changed my mind, junior brother.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯...?¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Let¡¯s look around a bit.¡¯¡¯

 14-Long

    ¡®¡¯So you mean those bulwarks got built recently?¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Yes,¡¯¡¯ The man replied to them both, as he could see Ubel¡¯s interest piqued up. ¡®¡¯We had some troubles with Night Strays. You know, those little spirits with jiggly heads.¡¯¡¯ Ubel found the imitating gesture of man quite intriguing. Is he doing it that often?


    ¡®¡¯They broke through-I mean like they trespass through the walls but you know what I¡¯m talking about. They go through houses and scare of the locals, especially children. An old guy also died from a heart attack from the shock and got his body possessed. So the king had to spare some coins for it.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Why does the king pay for it? The mouth of his sac must be broad.¡¯¡¯ Gaobun¡¯s comment looked most welcomed by the man. ¡®¡¯We open up that mouth, not that he opens that wide.¡¯¡¯ So The king actually cares for people? Or is he forced to do it? These administration and policy things were not his things, Ubel understood from the start.


    Then it was a good choice to pick social service.


    ¡®¡¯That¡¯s it, I suppose.¡¯¡¯ Since they had gone through every corner of the city, excluding those little alleys and prestigious medicine trade sites, there was no need to further go on. ¡®¡¯All in all, its fifty silver.¡¯¡¯


    Gaobun took out a single Soul Stone from his pockets and stuffed it into man¡¯s hand. ¡®¡¯I don¡¯t have any exchange on me, sir.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Let the remaining fifty be your tip, now go back. I¡¯m sure you are itching for some more.¡¯¡¯


    Sending a bashful tittering, the man bowed once and hurried after another group of tourist cultivators, who welcomed the men with pleasing smiles. Gaobun let out a sigh and looked around his pocket again, only to find a handful of soul stones left. ¡®¡¯These guides know their deal...damn.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Um, sorry senior brother.¡¯¡¯ Ubel scratched his head with a bashful expression, ¡®¡¯Once I get my first wage, I¡¯ll pay you back.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Alright then.¡¯¡¯ Gaobun nodded half-hearted and beckoned Ubel. ¡®¡¯It is all done with this. We should go back now, the senior master must have finished his work.¡¯¡¯


    Agreeing, they took the way towards the upper half of the city and passed through the residential area of mortals. A bit far away from the entrance of the area, where stood the giant stele of The Last stand of Claudius, erected, like a set of teeth, a series of wide buildings. Comprised of good sculpted stones and neat designed woods, colored upon light blue with dark green, these houses accommodated near to four hundred sect disciples, almost ninety-nine percent of those from others than Cindersnow.


    After responding to the buzzing Teltal( Or telecommunication talismans, for long,) Gaobun led him towards one of the houses and excused himself after knocking. Followed after by Ubel and Quan¡¯s greetings, they decided upon which of the rooms belonged to whom and proceeded with some small talk, accompanied by a voluptuous meal.


    ¡®¡¯Here are your tokens,¡¯¡¯ Quan gave them both a square-shaped gem, inscribed with the same symbol on the carriage earlier the day. ¡®¡¯It will identify you wherever you go. There is also some information recorded, just in case you are in trouble.¡¯¡¯ After talking about how they worked and where to use a bit, Quan turned towards Ubel, frowning.


    ¡®¡¯We¡¯ll be working at the Claudius State College¡¯s infirmary, Ubel. I actually wanted to get into the State Hospital, but they deemed it unnecessary.¡¯¡¯ He sighed, ¡®¡¯I picked you as an assistant so your wage is a bit lower than expected, I¡¯m ashamed.¡¯¡¯ Ubel found it peculiar about why he felt sorry, as he didn¡¯t have anything worth to spend the wage. Even if it was lower than what it is now, though he didn¡¯t know how much, he didn¡¯t think it would bother him that far.


    ¡®¡¯Senior master, there is no need for concern. I¡¯m also more of a conservative type, I won¡¯t spend money lavish.¡¯¡¯ Of course, this was Ubel who didn¡¯t even gain or spend a single money currency in his life. The allure and worth of money were still unexplored by this young heart.


    ¡®¡¯Although it¡¯s worth a lot more than money to work in the State College,¡¯¡¯ Quan looked relieved, ¡®¡¯I¡¯ll try to compensate for it. For now, Gaobun,¡¯¡¯ then he turned to face Gaobun, ¡®¡¯You are also assigned to State College, but as a-¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Trainee Mentor, right?¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Of course. We will get to work by tomorrow, but it is already past noon. I don¡¯t suggest going out after this time, and two days of travel must be taxing already. If not, I don¡¯t know whether you are stronger or me.¡¯¡¯


    Yawning, Quan took some of the dishes and put them on the sink. Instead of using the traditional way, he flicked his fingerand started to wash them with a surge of blue-ish Qi. ¡®¡¯You both get your rooms tidied up then come down to help me. We¡¯ve got some cleaning to do.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Yes, senior master.¡¯¡¯ After both of them left for the upstairs to get their accommodations done, Quan let out the cough he had been holding for some time.


    ¡®¡¯It is pretty embarrassing to live with other people.¡¯¡¯ For a middle-aged man of above hundred and fifty years old, who lived much of his life alone after mid-twenties, living together with other people again felt not that relaxing. Yet, that fresh feeling of having people close, whether they felt that he mattered them or not, had him in its claws.Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings.


    *********


    ¡®¡¯So, this is the workplace?¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯It seems to be,¡¯¡¯ Quan replied, beholding the majestic building in awe and pain. How much did they put into this? He wondered, whilst going through the aisles and parts of the Claudius State College, experiencing first hand the fine craftsmanship that lasted seven hundred years even after the death of its builder, Claudius Aurel, and getting to know the arrangement of the classes and rooms dedicated to purpose of education felt quite long; a contradiction as all it took for them to arrive in the infirmary, their new workplace, was a measly six minutes


    Rather than an infirmary, it would be wiser to call it a one-story hospital. A dozen beds lined up together; starting from the corner, going all the way to the other one while rows of cupboards, for reachability and most likely for holding treatment equipment and medicine, stood behind a wide desk and a comfortable looking black leather chair.


    All in all, it was pleasing to the eye with a window larger than half of the wall that opened to the outside, with the scenery of hundreds of trees juxtaposed with fresh blooming flowers and plants that lifted their head to face the sun of dawn. ¡®¡¯Magnificent,¡¯¡¯ That was all Ubel could say at this simple, ordinary without a fancy adornment, yet so beautiful enough to captivate the heart scenery.


    Of course, it was unclear whether he would get bored with this or not. A time of two years wasn¡¯t a short time.


    Ubel put down the bag he carried all the way from their house on the table and took out its contents. A set of equipment ranging from scalpel to arrow puller, some special stacks of paper that somehow relaxed Ubel at the first sight, and last but not least a big notebook with the title of Formal Records Of State College¡¯s Treatments And Counts Of Loss. What Ubel derived from that was, while unclear, most likely what average people could guess.


    ¡®¡¯Don¡¯t,¡¯¡¯ Quan answered the unasked, ¡®¡¯Without blood, none of these youngsters can understand their role. Ubel, we don¡¯t treat normal students. We are taking care of people who are getting trained to slaughter humans.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯I understand, senior master.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Then don¡¯t mess yourself up. For now, get these things on the cabinets with alphabetic order.¡¯¡¯ Quan said and sat down on the chair, opening the book with already a pen made of Qi standing still in his palm, and started to fill in the daily formality things like date and attendance.


    Thinking to himself, Ubel got to the work. Some medicines seemed peculiar; some had very little description on the container with near to two or three words, some had pieces of paper stacked alongside with instructions on how to use them. He could also see the colors and states of matter they were in through the transparent glass they were in, for it must be hard for even experienced medicine men to identify and remember a medication from the name itself.


    Going on, Ubel stopped for a moment to look at his own reflection from the glass, with quite a surprise to yelp, then followed by a reply of ¡®¡¯Nothing!¡¯¡¯ to Quan¡¯s inquire of the reason, at the sight of his now more sparkling eyes. His aura didn¡¯t change much and his hair got a lot longer than past, now coming almost to his waist, but his eyes and expression; they were indeed different.


    He did not bear the look of excitement from the first time he came into this outer world at his meeting with Boris, under the gaze and embracement of the wide-hearted sea, nor did he had the...he had what? He couldn¡¯t remember. There was something missing on his face, something important yet so subtle that his gaze and mind wouldn¡¯t notice. Looking down on his hands, now more slender and rougher, he felt the implications of this lack of self-knowledge about himself and his past attributes that differed from his present ones.


    ¡®¡¯Ubel, open the door, we have a visitor.¡¯¡¯ Quan said and stood up. Ubel followed along without any question and put down the medicines on the side, then opened the doors of the infirmary as a group of young men and women greeted his sight, carrying a pretty large man over their shoulders. Their clothes did not differ except the tinge of blue and red and the stars on the emblems on their chest, identifying their gender and years of education in here.


    ¡®¡¯Get in,¡¯¡¯ He beckoned them and opened the door wide to let them in. Although they cramped, they managed to burst into the room, and left the big man on one of the beds. Ubel, at the same time, looked over Quan. He adorned a white long coat over his red Cindersnow¡¯s combat master robe in the instant Ubel averted his gaze and ordered in the other split second.


    ¡®¡¯A witness and the aggressor stays, others go back to your class.¡¯¡¯ Students raised their hands and Quan picked one of them immediately, followed after by the group going outside while greeting Ubel with differing expressions and nods. Inside, and the hallway, got quiet after a few seconds and Quan finally got to his works.


    He controlled his Qi to turn over the young men and put him to face the bed, ripped open his cloth at the back. ¡®¡¯A long slash? It¡¯s pretty deep too.¡¯¡¯ Then he turned to the aggressor, ¡®¡¯Did you sneak up on him?¡¯¡¯ Disgraceful, he muttered loud enough for the young man and woman to hear, and their faces turned red in shame without any refute.


    ¡®¡¯Show me your Qi,¡¯¡¯ he told then turned to the witness,¡¯¡¯ And you tell me how this happened.¡¯¡¯ After nodding, the girl started to talk about the small argument these two had and how the aggressor lost in a fair fight, then kept telling on until the final act where the boy got injured in the class when the aggressor got upset by the ridicule of some students. Meanwhile, Quan inspected the Qi of the student and acknowledged the girl¡¯s story with a nod and got to the work.


    ¡®¡¯Ubel, come over here.¡¯¡¯ He signaled. ¡®¡¯You are not nauseous? Good. Now watch,¡¯¡¯ After expressing his surprise, Quan put his hand on the wide wound and interjected the chaotic Qi fusion of both men. Since the quality and quantity of his Qi surpassed both, it was easier for him to soothe the flow and destroy the invading stream. Although he had done this slow for Ubel to understand, it was still something that required immense experience.


    Calming down the current, he put down his other hand on the wound as well and started to inject his Qi, now turned into a smooth river, and supplemented the cells with an extravagant amount of rich energy to regenerate faster. The bleeding stopped and wound healed for a few seconds, but Quan ceased the support after that and got his needle and threads.


    After a long and arduous process of stitching together the left open muscles and skin, Quan finished with it. ¡®¡¯Now leave your sign and statement and you are free to go back to class,¡¯¡¯ he said and wiped off his sweat. Both students filled up the places shown by Quan and left after bowing down.


    ¡®¡¯It seems stressful,¡¯¡¯ Ubel also cleaned some beads of sweat from his forehead. ¡®¡¯And suffocating.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯You can open the window if you want, I don¡¯t mind the cold.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯But this guy will,¡¯¡¯ Ubel sighed, then proceeded to open the window to take a fresh breath of air. Looking at the city and scenery that lay in front of him, he hoped, for once more, to see whether he could connect with a place so tight enough to call it home.

 15-Help

    ¡®¡¯They don¡¯t seem that hardened, sir. Have you not taken them out on a field?¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯They are the first year students, Trainee. You need to know where and how to assess the capabilities of the students.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯What do you mean by where may I ask?¡¯¡¯


    Man, or the mentor, turned to face and confront, to assert the importance of his words and prove the importance he put into this matter, acknowledged with a nod.


    ¡®¡¯Will you judge a soldier on how he behaves in his home, or will you behave according to how a lord acts in his bed? Assessing People should be in whether they are proficient in what they are doing, not by how they look otherwise.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Sorry, sir,¡¯¡¯ Gaobun¡¯s beard, which he never trimmed or tidied since they grew for all his life created a sense of oppression, a foreboding feeling of catalyzer for a wildfire of discussion, and awoke the mentor; For he felt what had he done as a necessity led to a path of fervent conversation about the nature of youngsters who never would know how their fate could end.


    But not this time, his tempered and shattered and brought back together experiences said, was the most suitable one to hold an intense subject as such for the main dish of their meal. This all, he derived in the split second before Gaobun finished the other half of the sentence that spilled from his mouth.


    ¡®¡¯But I can¡¯t connect the examples and my question together. Can you open it up for me?¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Perhaps another time,¡¯¡¯ Mentor touched his dried wrinkles of time and was, in the most brutal way, reminded of his last point at the end of the road. Only, his road had little way left to go. ¡®¡¯Some will leave in a while for the work in mines and others will attend the military education class. Between that there is a half an hour break, you can do whatever you wish.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯I understand sir, thanks beforehand for your consideration.¡¯¡¯ Gaobun bowed down, then rose up in a flash. ¡®¡¯We are getting paid to tolerate likes of you, but I¡¯ll accept the gracious offer.¡¯¡¯ Another tie was another karma. Mentor never burdened himself with the ties like of his old acquaintances, and without proper justification to prove himself, actually, benefitted in every other way in life. That is, except, cultivation.


    This could be why he never broke into The Essence Realm.


    ¡®¡¯Alright!¡¯¡¯ His voice livelier and stature grander, with a voice as strong as a fierce lion, the mentor Russell Kalthakbreaker shouted, ¡®¡¯It is Noon break, go get your meals now. If I see one of you eating or drinking any sugary product, I¡¯ll hang you from your ears on the gate of the class!¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Yes teacher!¡¯¡¯ The vigor of the youth, ah! How beautiful! His wife would utter, if she hadn¡¯t busied herself with those embroidery lessons and, for once, came to look at his art pieces. Each bead of sweat and tear of blood dripping down from these able and refined bodies gave another sense of pleasure and satisfaction; this was what it meant to be a warrior, he knew.


    ¡®¡¯Then what are you waiting? Get the hell out!¡¯¡¯


    Even their marching speed and coordination, although lacking, had an impact on how his heart beat throughout the day. Imagining himself and these boys and girls in the field, defending and attacking together, cutting through the enemy ranks and severing their tails, ambushing their flanks, crushing their formations, taking down their enemy leader, and at last returning back to their homelands as either heroes or martyrs gave the most unknown and fervent surge of exaltation he could feel in this long rotten body.


    ¡®¡¯Then I will take my leave, too, sir.¡¯¡¯ Gaobun said and left through the gate after. For Russell, who looked up and down at the back of this young man whose ripened body could be a valuable asset in the upcoming season test, yet, what left was the presence of an annoying soul. Maybe aware, maybe not, he could feel this patriotic freak¡¯s contempt of him from a mile away. Heck, even a blind man could see his disgust for Russell.If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.


    Then why was he detested by a new trainee, despite showing his utmost sincerity and intimacy(His use for both these words differed in action and telling.) for gaining the approval of equal rank of a cultivator?  What he could deduce came out to be little and unworthy for the bother, so Russell also wouldn¡¯t take on a job as such.


    Here came, at the exact moment, the most awaited look from the trainee Gaobun, a man of power and zealous for his sect, traits easy to derive from his comments of Cindersnow and Masters of it. A piercing light of unholy hatred, unreserved and without constraint, that burned through the thickest of the mental barriers an introvert maniac could have and settled inside the dark pool of mind.


    I will dig out your eyes and chew on them like gum! He wanted to shout, but held in. Then flashed a gracious smile and left towards his and his colleagues¡¯ private room. When the heavy burden of the sight, a fear-inducing one at that, left with its origin, a tad bit too slow for a person like that, did Russell let the sigh and anxiety out with a breath.


    ¡®¡¯I hate working here,¡¯¡¯ he muttered, took large strides to the spacious chamber¡¯s opened door, cursed thrice inside once outside, and greeted a dozen of teachers gathered in the room with a hearty laugh.


    ¡®¡¯Willy ate Wonka¡¯s chocolate again? Poor bastard!¡¯¡¯


    *********


    ¡®¡¯My master awaits you, m¡¯lord.¡¯¡¯


    Bowed down, with a soft tone, said gatekeeper and let the man pass through the scarce trodden path of Ansuluc Manor. Then it stood up as it had been doing for the past five years, without stop, and continued to guard the gates of his creator¡¯s home.


    Meanwhile, the man at the age of his prime decided to shave his brown beard once he got back home. My wife will be happy, too Adorned on his mortal body stood the handiwork of his own family¡¯s smiths and seamsters, the holder of the city of Yardatafos under the name of Cindersnow. He did not like the purplish tone, but like the always, he wore for the sake of his daughter.


    Thinking of the little cute monster alone made it much easier to climb up the godforsaken mountain. By the time he reached to the top, after an hour of struggling and drowning in sweat, the sun started to settle down like a retired old man and flashed the last smile of light of the day. Sid also smiled, then turned to look at the manor of his old master.


    Broken down gates, rotten wooden tops and pillars, cracked stone walls and the smell of toxic matters and the clogged scum in the dried up well; All showed how unattentive he acted. Acceptable, actually, Sid thought, If he can move his finger on his own, then it is a miracle in itself now.


    He strode towards the inside and peeked at the empty mossy hallways of the two-story building. These are all past memories, huh? He glanced at a certain place in one of the rooms. A still, worn down book stood open wide. He entered and gazed at the contents, flashed a smile, and took the book with him.


    He felt like whistling but feared that the place would get destroyed from the sound, so with great regret he reached in front of the rooms of his master. ¡®¡¯May I come in, master?¡¯¡¯ He said aloud and barged into without any response. He then saw the old man laying down on the small bed, his eyes moved around like an angered ox. Then they locked on him, his pupils shrank, then turned into bright stars.


    He said something, but Sid couldn¡¯t hear. Then his master¡¯s gaze fell onto the book he held. They leaped up in joy and in fury at the same time. ¡®¡¯I¡¯m sorry, master, I shouldn¡¯t have taken it without permission,¡¯¡¯ Sid said and sat down next to him. Then he could hear the voice of his master.


    ¡®¡¯You¡¯ve come with the book. You¡¯ve read the book, haven¡¯t you? What did it read, tell me. What did it read?¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯It said Every path leads the same, and yours is the same.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Time has come, my disciple. Get that rope over there, and hang it on to the ceiling!¡¯¡¯ A weakened voice as such had an ability to pack this much emotion? Sid didn¡¯t know how. He complied with the order and awaited further instruction.


    ¡®¡¯Now take me up and hang there¡¯¡¯ Sid nodded to that as well and carried his master like a princess, put him on a small stool and crossed the rope around his neck. ¡®¡¯Thank you, my child. I will see you later in nether.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Take care master, this is all I could do for you,¡¯¡¯ Sid replied and kicked the stool. The rope tightened and old man¡¯s neck broke, his unconscious body struggled for a little and blood flowed from the orifices. Then it ceased.


    ¡®¡¯See you later then, master.¡¯¡¯

 16-Target

    ¡®¡¯Passive cultivating?¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Yes, senior master,¡¯¡¯ Ubel replied, fribbling with the book in his hands in the meantime. ¡®¡¯I don¡¯t have much patience for meditation. I can only go on for at most three or four hours without getting bored.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Hmm,¡¯¡¯ Quan stood straight on his chair, his tidied beard gave off a silver shine under the setting sun. ¡®¡¯But it will take a long long time for you to progress if you don¡¯t put in more effort. At this rate, it will take you weeks to breakthrough into Peak-Qi Destruction.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Peak? Isn¡¯t there any early, mid, and late stages like Qi Creation?¡¯¡¯ Ubel asked, putting down the book on the table.


    ¡®¡¯Of course not, there are only two stages in Qi destruction. First destruction and peak destruction. As the baptism you received from...Tulpar had quite an effect, you still have abundant reserves left. Or else it would have taken months to get to this point.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯I¡¯m a genius of myself then-¡¯¡¯


    Quan only grinned and closed the notebook. ¡®¡¯Lock tight the cupboard, I don¡¯t want to see any medicine missing tomorrow.¡¯¡¯ He ordered and proceeded to gather his belongings. After a few minutes, they left the building and reached their house in an hour on foot. Lights still shone even though the merciful moon mother put the sun to sleep a long time ago. Senior brother wasn¡¯t a late nighter, was he?


    Getting inside, Ubel confirmed his thoughts. Gaobun laid on the small couch in the living room, his mouth open, snoring. ¡®¡¯They must have exhausted him.¡¯¡¯ Quan said and lifted Gaobun with his Qi, who muttered something then stood still. ¡®¡¯Get back to sleep, it¡¯s us.¡¯¡¯ Quan¡¯s voice soothed the man it seemed, or it could be some deliberate spell Ubel didn¡¯t know about, as he fell back and slumped, or would have if Quan didn¡¯t envelope his body with energy.


    With a flick of his finger, accompanied by the sound of a creaking door, Gaobun¡¯s body floated towards the upper floor and fell on his bed. With some rustling and another creaking, noises ceased. How cool, but why he put on a blanket? Immortals wouldn¡¯t, or couldn¡¯t, catch any disease or cold. That was what he thought as no rash or any kind of sore throat appeared since the time he became a cultivator. Their bodies were more resilient and immune to diseases. But who knew better than Quan? Definitely not himself.


    ¡®¡¯I¡¯m thirsty,¡¯¡¯ Ubel looked around, complaining, and spotted the undrank cup of water beside the couch. Gaobun must have forgotten to drink it. Ubel reached out but after seeing the small bubbles gathered above the water, with a strong feeling of shame, felt that his thirst died. They made the water much...unattractive.


    ¡®¡¯Here you go,¡¯¡¯ Quan gave him another glass of water, fresh from the tap. Although satisfied, being gluttonous about water wouldn¡¯t do any harm indeed. He gulped down it in a swing and, fearing Quan¡¯s anger about how important it was to wash a dish after using, showered the glass with water. He put the cup back to its place and sat down on the same couch Gaobun slept. Looking at the scenery outside the window, he thought, the unliving streets of the Yadratafos had another air than the sect.


    No harmony between nature and Qi, man and earth existed here. This did not mean it was a barren wasteland nor a place ridden of Qi. The attachment and attraction of this place lacked in comparison with the sect. Trees could be lusher or grasses more abundant, flowers could bloom greater or herbs livelier. Yet, the unspoken, unable to describe the mood of the sect made him realize how different world could be. Dim lights of the inner-district and the bright glow stones of the outer-district had both impressed any and every. But the desolate loneliness and dark alleys of Yadratafos had the dangerous air, the smell of blood, and an invisible spark that could flame the curious nature of an adventurer¡¯s soul. Not knowing what was in, what could be, and what could happen to one in a place meant no knowledge, no harmony.


    Hence, when one knew what it was all about land, like the one in the sect, could there be the accompany of Qi and Nature with man and earth.


    ¡®¡¯Are you not going to sleep?¡¯¡¯ Quan inquired, already hung his white collar and awaited Ubel¡¯s response.


    ¡®¡¯No, senior master. You go on. I feel like staying up late tonight.¡¯¡¯ Ubel replied, ¡®¡¯ I might have some enlightenment about cultivation tonight.¡¯¡¯The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    ¡®¡¯Oh? Good then, I will be upstairs.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Good night,¡¯¡¯ Ubel nodded, then turned to look at the outside from the windows again. After a while, he took out the Death River Qi manual as well as Mind Expansion Technique. He kept former in front and opened the latter. This time, all knowledge, contrary to his first and painful experience, flowed into his mind like a surge of breeze. After confirming the facts and the purpose, the technique scroll burned into ashes by itself. This, in turn, also proved the thing told in the information¡¯s last sequence.


    To temper mind, increase perception and observation, and most important aspect of all for Ubel, strengthening willpower. It was a crucial point for Ubel, and many more impatient students all around the globe, that had to end as soon as possible. He hadn¡¯t said them, though, these were the words of Alim. Impatience led mistakes, fatal ones, and regrets. As a person who had no regrets till this point, Ubel wanted to keep it that way.


    Ubel took a breath and circulated his Qi according to the manual. After ten minutes, a small smile appeared on his lips. Opening his eyes, he found a strange change in the surroundings. The air turned into...foul. Dust on the couch, miniscule specks of dirt on the walls and even the undetected brownish color of the puddles on the street. It wasn¡¯t a pleasant sight. Is this good or bad? Ubel couldn¡¯t answer. The world he saw now was uglier. This earth didn¡¯t appeal to him at all.


    Continue...1-2-3 do it.


    Ubel once more circulated his Qi, this time longer than an hour. Moon reached to its peak, signified midnight when Ubel woke from the trance. Is this all there is to the manual? Once he could detect only particles, now he could feel them. Some kind of invisible sheet covered his body. Only ten centimeters out, but still he could feel it. When focused on a point, it could go as long as two meters. But no more than that. This wasn¡¯t about cultivation level or manual¡¯s incompetence. Rather, from what he understood, Mind Expansion Technique, or its design, enabled one to lay the foundation for the Third Eye.


    As for the Third Eye, he had a long way to the Path Opening.


    Looking up and down, touching with his aura, inspecting every corner of the house Ubel felt a small sorrow, as well as longing to his old world. He wondered, was this how all experts saw the world? A place filled with filth, dirt, foul air? Brown smokes rising from the street, blood red color mixed among the clusters of them, showed something Ubel heard before.


    ¡®¡¯Yadratafos isn¡¯t only famed for its...¡¯¡¯ He stood silent. ¡®¡¯Why did I not see these?¡¯¡¯ But Ubel had the answer from the start. He looked down at his robe, on his left chest, at the emblem of Cindersnow. The cinders from a god weapon and a blizzard from northern wyrm¡¯s breath merged together. Just a waste.


    Ubel shook his head. Every one of these little details mattered, but not now. Only after he had grown up, uncovered the truth of this grim sensation he felt after expanding his mind would he think something about it.


    Now, he had to cultivate.


    Ubel held the Death River Qi Manual in his hands, opened it like a verdict of the supreme emperor, with fluster and hurry, yet the result didn¡¯t change. There were no texts to read. No power to restrict his Qi, nor any response from it. Only a small sentence.


    ¡®¡¯You know the truth.¡¯¡¯


    Flipping the scroll, the instructions, levels, or even the divine abilities of the later stages still stood there; but now available to inspect with no difficulty. Yet, the words disappeared. He thought, or knew, this had something to do with his encounter. It was all because of the beast god. The dream he saw, he didn¡¯t remember. What he learned, he didn¡¯t know. But one thing he realized was that his aura changed. Death River¡¯s Despondent aura of decay turned into a brighter one. With that, his disposition also altered. To progress, as Quan said, he had no other way than cultivate. He had to meditate more, but he felt that the real purpose of the manual still existed. He had to understand what death meant, what its shape looked like, as his bright past self perceived it as a river from the start, what it brought about to human and mind, and lastly, what it represented in the great scheme of all things.


    This great scheme, he heard, comprised of the culmination of all natural and self-created laws of the world. So what kind of a responsibility death shouldered in this system?


    These things he had to find, this was his pursuit of knowledge. But knowledge came with power, and his strength had no way of shouldering such power. He had to bid his time, progress as the time passed, learn about all the things he wanted to learn, grow up, mature and responsible like his father, then look into the secrets he now wanted to reach with fervent fanaticism.


    For the first time, other than the aim of archaea immortal that seemed to drill its roots in his heart, he now had anothe aim. He had another purpose to continue cultivation, to be an immortal. And this cause, originated from Tulpar, gave him something precious. He knew nothing about karma and all, but what he knew was debts were there to repay.


    Ubel would compensate for it according to its worth as well.

 17-Monster

    Coming downstairs, Quan saw Ubel asleep like Gaobun, bathed in sunlight of the dawn under a blanket. He patted the boy twice and as soon as he woke up, made his way towards the kitchen. He took some cheese and spirit eggs from the cupboard and started to prepare the breakfast.


    At the same time came Gaobun, donned in his trainee robe colored blue and white. Striking words of Claudius caught the eye immediately. ¡®¡¯I¡¯ll leave right away, Senior Master.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Anything urgent?¡¯¡¯ Quan asked whilst putting down the already boiled eggs on a plate. Some salad and cleansed fruit juice accompanied the food. ¡®¡¯If not so, sit down and eat.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯It could be,¡¯¡¯ Gaobun said and approached the table then took one of the eggs and stuffed into his mouth. ¡®¡¯Mentor Russell ordered other trainees to gather at seven, he said something about a field trip for several classes.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Oh?¡¯¡¯ Ubel sticked his head from the bathroom. ¡®¡¯Field trip? Like a sightseeing or exploration?¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯I don¡¯t think so,¡¯¡¯ Quan shook his head and beckoned the two to sit down. This time, without intending, Gaobun excused himself and sat on the chair. With a look of realization soon after, he smiled and continued.


    ¡®¡¯It will consist of hunting and gathering. Though gathering also needs one to hunt beasts so...you know the deal.¡¯¡¯ He said and put a plate of cheese in front of Ubel.


    ¡®¡¯Gathering?¡¯¡¯ Quan stroked his beard, ¡®¡¯I¡¯ve never heard of anything valuable around these forests.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯I also don¡¯t know about that. It¡¯s either going to be a far place or we will put treasures around for students.¡¯¡¯ These eggs are tasty! Stuffing another one in his mouth Gaobun continued. ¡®¡¯Well, it will be apparent after the meeting.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Alright, then can you give this letter to the principal while you¡¯re on your way?¡¯¡¯ Quan took out a small envelope from his ring and gave it to Gaobun, who accepted it. He snatched two more eggs under the pitiful gaze of hungry Ubel and stood up.


    ¡®¡¯I¡¯ll be on my way, take care senior master. Take care Ubel.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯You too,¡¯¡¯ They said and sent off the man. They had nothing much to discuss in the morning, since it was the energetic Ubel who always struck a conversation. After finishing their meal and taking some belongings, they left towards the college.


    Ubel found it hard to adjust his new vision to the morning light. It took a whole half an hour to see the sky clear. Mentioning the sky, he also missed the smell and sight of the sea. The silent, crashing waves of the enigmatic, boundless body of water definitely made one longing for it. Luckily, it didn¡¯t turn into an addiction like his thoughts and speculations, else he would¡¯ve had another source of headache. Passing through the gates while greeting the guards, they¡¯ve entered the college and left towards the infirmary.


    It was another day of work today.


    *********


    Or...it wasn''t.


    ¡®¡¯Attending the lessons?¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Of course. Sitting here all day won¡¯t help you improve, especially when you don¡¯t even meditate.¡¯¡¯ Hint of anger evident on Quan¡¯s face, his scalp tingling, Ubel nodded. ¡®¡¯Will it be okay, senior master? Won¡¯t the students feel awkward?¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Why should they?¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Well...¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Being from Cindersnow doesn¡¯t mean you are a stranger, Ubel. I understand your worries, but they are not well found. Go like a normal student, take your notes and listen.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Alright then.¡¯¡¯ Ubel surrendered, ¡®¡¯Thank you, senior master.¡¯¡¯ He bowed from the waist, then inquired. ¡®¡¯When should I start then? Or which courses am I going to take?¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯I¡¯ve applied you to medical, of course.¡¯¡¯


    Ubel let out a sigh. Well, that is also fine. ¡®¡¯You should be in class around ten...it¡¯s already nine thirty...¡¯¡¯


    Ubel gasped and looked around. ¡®¡¯What do I do? Do I go now? Where is the class?¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Class 2-3, beside the training grounds.¡¯¡¯ Quan said and watched the young boy sprint at full speed. His worry, this time, was well found. The whole school compartments were so huge that it could take two hours to walk around it. Ubel secured himself on the lucky side though, his class stood only fifteen minutes away.


    Owing the principal a favor won¡¯t change anything much for now. Quan took a deep breath and closed the window. What should I read then? He adjusted the books on his desk and picked up one of them, opened its cover and started to go through the pages.


    At the same time, Ubel rushed through the hallways to spot his class. After a few minutes he saw someone waving their hand and stopped. ¡®¡¯Infirmary boy! Come here.¡¯¡¯ Inf?rmary boy? Ubel stopped and looked at the girl. Their ages matched even, or there stood a little difference but it did not matter.


    ¡®¡¯Um, is this 2-3?¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Of course, get in. You see that empty desk over there? That is yours. I¡¯m class pres by the way, nice to meet you.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Oh, thanks. Nice to meet you too.¡¯¡¯ He said and creeped over his desk. He sat down and sighed in relief, then looked around the class. Only a handful of people looked at him, then turned back to whatever they were busy with. This also lifted a huge burden from his shoulders. Senior master is right it seems. After inspecting some more, with the other few students arrival, the classroom teacher arrived. Everyone sat on their desk and looked at the man, aged somewhere between seventy to eighty with strands of white hair.


    ¡®¡¯Oh, welcome.¡¯¡¯ Ubel heard the man say.


    ¡®¡¯Thank you,¡¯¡¯ He replied with a slight smile. Then the man, without any further ado, laid down his materials on front, picked out a few of them and started his lesson. With a rather big pen teacher wrote down some of his words on a board behind him, continuing with examples and other strange names.


    Some he heard were familiar, some completely strange. His interest piqued, Ubel wanted to write down but forgot he had no paper or pen. At the same moment someone tucked his sleeve from behind. He looked up and saw a frail boy lifting a piece of paper.Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on.


    ¡®¡¯Write on this for now, exams are close so don¡¯t slack off.¡¯¡¯


    Ubel nodded with bright eyes but forgot he also had no pen. Though as he created one with his Qi and started to copy the things on the board, he heard a dull crashing sound behind.


    ¡®¡¯Is there any problem, Kowalski?¡¯¡¯ Teacher asked.


    ¡®¡¯No sir, not at all. I dropped my notebook.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯I don¡¯t want another one.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Definitely sir.¡¯¡¯ After the instructor got back to his work, Ubel felt the boy, Kowalski, tug his sleeve again.


    ¡®¡¯Bruh, how did you do that?¡¯¡¯ He whispered this time. ¡®¡¯How do you write down with Qi?¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Isn¡¯t it easy? Imagine the shape of pen and let the Qi imbue itself on the paper.¡¯¡¯ Ubel found it easy to focus on both lesson and talking, and although surprised, felt quite good as well.


    ¡®¡¯It is also easier to use than normal pen. This one doesn¡¯t hurt or sweat the palms.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯That¡¯s amazing!¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Kowalski!¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Sorry sir!¡¯¡¯ Kowalski bowed and sat down again. ¡®¡¯Can we talk later about that? I want to know about it.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯...Of course.¡¯¡¯ Ubel found himself unable to constrain a smile. ¡®¡¯But let¡¯s focus on the lesson for now, alright?¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Sure!¡¯¡¯


    *********


    ¡®¡¯So my dear father doesn¡¯t wish me to relent?¡¯¡¯


    Sid sat on the greenish throne, an inch above the ground, as the lights of the autumn pierced through the stained glasses. Between his armored fingers he held a dagger and a paper in the other. Wide hall of city lord¡¯s castle stood free of people except the two, including his advisor, and seemed hungry to a proper cleaning. Although the moss and dirt gathered above the chandelier wasn¡¯t that easy to clean.


    ¡®¡¯Rather than him, Cindersnow wishes so M¡¯lord.¡¯¡¯ A great man of his time, a protector of common people, and a spectacular warrior in his youth; This old man finally ended up in a castle as an advisor to the son of a emperor, as to what regrets only he knew. Yet, his voice never had been livelier than this. Sid had no idea what appealed this man to serve under him, but it had to be a good thing, he assumed.


    ¡®¡¯Emperor faces with two choices, either he has to abdicate the Cindersnow representatives in the court, or end the mutual workforce exchange with the sect.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Then what does my father wishes to rely on?¡¯¡¯ Independence? He did not ask that aloud, the thought itself was frivolous enough.


    ¡®¡¯I suppose, nothing for now. Your younger sister has gathered an immense amount of support as well. Her delegation and emissary missions must have affected her, else m¡¯lord we both know how uninterested she was in matters of administration and the rule of empire.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯We don¡¯t even rule, Cole.¡¯¡¯ Sid rebuked, then tapped on his throne ¡®¡¯We only stand on these stones and gems¡¯ compilation of chairs and pedestals, then shout We are your masters! To the masses. Even lineage or succession is irrelevant now, sect has all right to decide on who precedes whom.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯You are right, m¡¯lord but you¡¯re not fair in your judgment.¡¯¡¯ Cole bowed for his impudence, ¡®¡¯ I apologize, yet even the sect has some bottom lines they have to abide. Turmoil and grievances are two tumours for the vassal-kingdom-sect system.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Puppets or dead don¡¯t hold hatred, Cole.¡¯¡¯ Sid sighed, ¡®¡¯Stand up, I don¡¯t want to talk about this anymore.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯What should we do about the matter then?¡¯¡¯ Cole inquired as he straightened his rag like robe.


    ¡®¡¯State College¡¯s and south mines¡¯ workforce only arrived, the diplomatic strain of removing them would be too strong to defend against. As for the court...you can send that bald fool back to his researches. I¡¯m sure he also yearns for that.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Acknowledged, M¡¯lord. Then I will be taking my leave.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Go on,¡¯¡¯ Sid waved his hand and dismissed. After Cole left the hall, Sid looked at the dagger in his hand. It could suck the Qi of a Pathfinder dry, and even a Path establisher would have a hard time controlling it. It was not a fabled weapon, however. Many of its kind existed all around the globe. Yet, for people at the continent border it stood above the legendary.


    ¡®¡¯A gift, huh?¡¯¡¯ Of course my sister is going to gift a dagger. What else would she? She, of course, wasn¡¯t pleased with his previous gift of her twenty-ninth birthday. Looking back into it, Sid couldn¡¯t hold back his laughter. A pot and- and- kettle hahaha!


    I''d got them to make it with blue jade though, such a pity. They had cost a fortune to him, at least two hundred spirit stones alone for materials. This is why she can¡¯t get married. Sid stood up from the throne and snapped his fingers, but stopped right before cracks spread to the dagger¡¯s surface. Laila loves her aunt though...our relationship shouldn¡¯t affect her private life with her aunt.


    I¡¯ll give it as a gift from her aunt then.


    Then he heard a loud booming sound blowing through the air. Like a cry for help, shrill and horrifying. What happened at the city gate? With a stomp, he rose to the air and flew through the open windows at the side of the hall. In a matter of seconds, he passed through hundreds of meters and reached about twenty meters away from the walls. Three more figures appeared at his side.


    He knew one of them, the top-notch warrior and instructor at the State College, Khaltakk?ran. Other two, however, he only remembered from pictures of incoming sect workforce. Two path opener, this is bad.


    ¡®¡¯My lord,¡¯¡¯ the man on the older side of spectrum called, ¡®¡¯What is that storm?¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯I thought you knew about it, mister Quan?¡¯¡¯ Sid said and gazed at the far end of the forests beyond. Natural Qi of the world gathered around a needle sized point and surged like a whirlwind around it. Shockwaves, although they couldn¡¯t see and could only estimate, alone had the power of several path establishers, enough to contend with a path opener. Soon, at most several days later, it would reach here.


    ¡®¡¯Wait, my lord don¡¯t tell me it is the declaration?¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯It is, and it is several times stronger than past years.¡¯¡¯ Sid muttered, then turned to look at the two. ¡®¡¯Gaobun, am I right?¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Yes, My lord.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Can you use the Flashlight to scatter that?¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯I can try, of course.¡¯¡¯ Gaobun stepped forward, although he was in air so it looked like he floated, and put his hands together. His qi revolved in his meridians like a surge of river and the aura of a path opener spread. His palms started to burn with a molten red fire and his eyes flashed.


    He released his grip and a lava seed, size of an olive appeared. Air shattered around the seed of lava from the heat. Gaobun took one more step, raised his hand and tensed his muscles.


    ¡®¡¯HAH!¡¯¡¯


    He released all flesh power inside his mortal body and threw it at the eye of storm. Blinding lights flashed in the air and a red trail of fire followed behind the seed. It flew at an astonishing speed and reached inside the storm, then exploded into a cloud of fire. But then, all four paled.


    A giant face, with an aura stronger than the storm itself, appeared from the cloud of fire and swallowed all the remnant energy! Horrendous sight of the yellowish tongue and the disgusting odor that spread several kilometers gave away the creature¡¯s identity.


    A Munchur.


    ¡®¡¯This year¡¯s defense...will be disastrous.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Agreed,¡¯¡¯ All three said after Sid. ¡®¡¯I thought Munchurs were kings of caves and monsters of mountains, when did one started to descend on the declaration?¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯This year.¡¯¡¯ Sid cut his words short. ¡®¡¯Khalthakk?ran, I hope this years senior students have some brave among them.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯M¡¯lord,¡¯¡¯ Khaltakk?ran complied, ¡®¡¯They all have great hearts but not strength. We should request for a bulk of medicine to push their growths.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Sect won¡¯t approve of it,¡¯¡¯ Quan chimed in, ¡®¡¯I¡¯m sure of it.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Because of others, right?¡¯¡¯


    They all stood silent. ¡®¡¯I will give my consent, but decision still lays in sect¡¯s hand.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯I''m grateful.¡¯¡¯ Sid thanked Quan, then vanished. Russell also gave a slight bow, then returned back to the institute. Gaobun followed him and Quan stood alone on the sky, looking at the scattered storm through Qi vision.


    Do you see, dear? Here I am, against one of those again. He took out a small notebook, gazed at it for a time like eternity then put it back in his ring.


    This time, no one will be like you.

 18-Design

    Garden of the state college had some fascinating places.


    One where stood the monument for the memory of Claudius Aurel, the national hero of the Kingdom Of Bababa and an entitled cultivator of the sect. Stones mixed with gold and jade at the sides of the tall tower, covered with spikes and flags of the state; a bow and a dagger inside a golden cloud looked over to the sea of roses and lotuses.


    Lotuses adorned the color of the mighty sky, an impactful blue, and swarmed the blood-red roses with their roots. As far as two steps from the battlefield of the sky and blood, around the arbours made of fine gopherwood, with a tinge of brown over the yellow nature of the tree, laid the pavement that led inside the institute. When walked away from there, no matter how far one had gone inside the periphery of the environment, the insects and animals crowded the sides. They lived here, not as guests but as the hosts of the garden. They would tend the herbs, water the flowers, mow the grasses, and have done any other thing concerning their life habitat. No disciple had permission to not only disturb their rest but also had to obey or help when they needed assistance.


    Blending with nature stood as an important part of cultivation, particularly for young ones. Caring for it, cherishing its richness, and valuing even the smallest insect gave one a profound level of understanding about how precious the mutual existence of nature and people are. What enlightenment could do for cultivation? Nothing. Other than an understanding, a concept, they could think of at their free time or fret upon its destruction, it gave one no single thing. Nature was nature. It existed from the start. It created, was created, and would create life and existence; then would care and tend to them according to how they tended its roots and cared for its petals. To cultivators, nature was something they had to learn lessons from. So, above everything, Cindersnow¡¯s one and the first course of action on education was to force institutes to create an environment from anew. Natural, with no interference with Qi or growth-boosting medicine.


    And Ubel, standing there, also watched the growth of both his friend and nature. He wanted to pick up a pair of lotuses and roses, but the cute glare of the pecker above the oak tree at his side wavered him enough. But he also felt happy, too.


    There was no filth nor blood here.


    ¡®¡¯This is too hard.¡¯¡¯ Kowalski moaned and fell down on the ground, sweats of effort crystallized on his forehead like pieces of a gem. His black and white robe would definitely get punished, by the means of the wet grass he rolled on. Although the continuous glare made them uncomfortable enough already.


    ¡®¡¯At least your imagination is okay,¡¯¡¯ Ubel tried to sooth Kowalski. ¡®¡¯But-¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯But?¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Your output of Qi, control of Qi, and the revolving speed of your circulation are completely wrong.¡¯¡¯


    Kowalski sighed, Ubel thought. Well, I¡¯m also sure your imagination is poor too.


    ¡®¡¯I thought you had an extra course about forces of nature. Didn¡¯t they talk about how to make use of the Qi and its purposes?¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Well Mr. genius, yes, they talk about it all the time.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Then?¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯I¡¯m dumb, okay? Don¡¯t push me to the corner.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯I didn¡¯t say anything!¡¯¡¯


    Kowalski clicked his tongue, then sighed again. ¡®¡¯Look, I¡¯m not sure if you are aware of it but I¡¯m not as talented as you. It might take me weeks before I can even create something outside of my cultivation techniques, let alone a complex structure like a pen.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Why? Are you in your right mind, Kowalski?¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Why do you insult me now?¡¯¡¯ He glared, but Ubel, at least, could pick up the signals about the false nature of it.


    ¡®¡¯Well, stop breathing according to your manual.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯...huh?¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Don¡¯t you know how?¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯I-I-I mean, like how do you do that? Won¡¯t my Qi dissipate if I stop breathing according to that?¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Of course not, try it.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Okay,¡¯¡¯ Kowalski took a deep breath and patted his white hair. ¡®¡¯Let¡¯s go,¡¯¡¯ He shouted, then stopped his circulation. Ubel focused his Qi on the premature third eye, or his new acquired senses and sat right next to Kowalski. He spread the mysterious sheet over Kowalski¡¯s body, with only a bit piercing through his meridians, and watched the process.


    What is happening?


    Kowalski¡¯s meridians, unknown to him, shivered and started to loosen the pores of his body. Then the Qi, like having a predestined route, rushed out of those openings and spread to the environment. From the speed, it looked like it would take at most two to three minutes for Kowalski¡¯s reserves to deplete.


    ¡®¡¯Kowalski, stop!¡¯¡¯ Ubel shouted. Kowalski shuddered a bit then let out a few dry coughs. His eyes reddened?


    ¡®¡¯I said so...Oho oho...damn it.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯What kind of a manual are you cultivating, Kowalski?¡¯¡¯ Ubel urged him to talk.


    ¡®¡¯What kind of? We don¡¯t have plenty of manuals like you do, Ubel. We only have state manuals, and there are only two of them. There is no such thing as kind of.¡¯¡¯ Kowalski spat and felt his throat turn fine again, then continued. ¡®¡¯It''s name is Freezing Ice Manual. Nothing special, and it leads all the way to the early pathfinding.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯What about after being a pathfinder?¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯We apply to the state for an interview, they screen us through several tests and send to the Sect or a bigger branch of the sect to either cultivate or take some kind of working role.¡¯¡¯


    Ubel stood rooted on the spot, his eyelashes trembled. Isn¡¯t that too inefficient? Why do our manuals differ so much...and they are only capable of being servants?  Ubel felt fear, uneasiness, but for the most part, disgust.Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.


    ¡®¡¯Do you always breathe?¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Yes?¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Even when fighting, or sleeping, or eating?¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Of course, is there anything wrong with that?¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯...nothing.¡¯¡¯ Ubel shook his head, turned around and looked at the oak tree. He did not spot the annoying pecker, nor did he managed to perceive any other life form near him at the moment. Do they know? Ubel didn¡¯t worry about it, but the vague idea he had in his mind already rooted itself, without constraint and excuse.


    Great! Now what kind of shit did I put myself into?


    ¡®¡¯When does the second lesson starts?¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Around one-thirty, and...we still have forty minutes left. Want to taste the foods of the college? They are tastier than anything you¡¯ve ever had, I assure you.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Are you sure about that? If else, you will owe me a favor.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Well...my mom cooks better than them but they are still delicious.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Alright, let¡¯s go then.¡¯¡¯ Ubel followed the whistling Kowalski, looking at his green painted white robe, and thought of the same back tainted with blood and flesh.


    At that kind of time, will he be able to breathe?


    *********


    Quan sent off the spirit beast to its way, brushing off its fur and marking it with his own aura. He intended it to go to sect, to give his opinions about this decade¡¯s declaration as well as to ask about the situations of the other continent border cities. He thought but assumed it to be true, there had to be a flaw or crack at the Life-Exchange Formation. For a munchur to appear, a big one with the aura of a half-step essence cultivation as well, meant there had to be more to come. And anything more than a munchur, although it wouldn¡¯t be an essence level beast, could completely destroy the whole city.


    Of course, destroying that declaration showed off some of the capabilities of the city, and he also knew the other party sensed four of them. What they didn¡¯t know was the extent of the military force of the city itself, and for sure a few goliaths or lightning imps would fare well in scouting in both this matter and testing the waters with the local army. If their forces lacked, or was even with Yadratafos¡¯s, they would either pull off the siege or gather some cannon fodders to sacrifice at the front line.


    And the former has never happened before.


    Quan didn¡¯t know what to feel except betrayal. Was elder Cinder not aware of the situation here? Or did he send him here because he exactly knew what would happen here? If so, Quan had to praise Cinder¡¯s determination to exchange his former son-in-law¡¯s life for a city. About the inner works of the Elder Circle and their deal, however, he had no clue about it. This decision itself might be out of his will as well, but that realm of possibility was something even Quan wouldn¡¯t fall for.


    It won¡¯t matter for now. But I must secure those two¡¯s lives.


    His promise to the Snow and Windblade, he hadn¡¯t forgotten. And for sure, he wouldn¡¯t let two fine men as Ubel and Gaobun waste their lives here. Especially from the forsakens...wait!


    Quan stood up in a fluster.


    If the Life-Exchange Formation''s flaw, the reason of the emergence of a munchur, is this bad then the evil sects of forsakens at the other continent should be prospering. But how long it was? Ten years, or sixty years? At my time of duty formation held fine and strong, so no more than a hundred years. But it is enough to emerge some insane geniuses among them, considering their superior power and Qi. Then the forces behind munchur and its beasts should be...


    Quan felt the beads of sweat trickling from his forehead by instinct. There is no one capable enough to fix the formation, and with time two continents will share the same amount of Will and Qi. At most...thirty years if we take the time from sixty years ago. Will we see the fall of a generation...of sects?


    His mind started to trail off. Quan took out a herb from the cupboard behind, crushed it, then sniffed the powder left behind. His mind felt fresh again and his emotions calmed down. Still, a faint trace of anxiety, like a tide waiting for the sea to push it to death, hid inside Quan¡¯s mind. As long as the light of Brynhildr exists, then immortals won¡¯t fall from power. These were the words of the oracle, and the same oracle died thousands of years ago. Light of the Brynhildr was the sun, and sunlight, if he didn¡¯t turn mad, felt much colder today.


    Did Cinder feel this cold long before?


    He must have felt, Quan determined. If not, he wouldn¡¯t pale like a sickened man at the heart of the Leopold tree.


    *********


    Sid awoke in sweats and dried tears on his cheeks.


    It had been two weeks since he came back to the city from the capital, yet the face of that woman wouldn¡¯t leave his mind, even in his dreams.


    A yellowish skin, unheard of in their continent where only existed white, brown, black, or at some times pale blue. Fingers longer than average, like chopsticks with dirty and bloody nails. Her hair covered the whole of her skinny body and covered her gouged eyes. Blood did not flow, nor did he see the remnant marks of the injury. What he saw was an endless mist. It floated from inside to the outside, then condensed into drops of golden water. After each drop, her eyes would turn back into existence, and his father would crush them again, then again, then again. His eyes held no pity nor pride, only fervent greediness of a lunatic and the ecstasy of a poor man stumbling on a wealth.


    But this wealth had a cost, and Sid knew it well.


    Looking at the left, at his asleep wife, he felt numb. He didn¡¯t dare to show affection now. He feared, for his eyes almost let go of the tears again. Then he felt something squeeze his hand, the hand of his other half. Women¡¯s instincts frightened him, especially when he had something to hide. Yet, all he felt now was graciousness, then it ablazed his love for his wife again.


    ¡®¡¯Go back to sleep, it¡¯s too early,¡¯¡¯ She muttered, then before she could struggle to open her eyes, he closed them. ¡®¡¯I have some matters to do, you can rest.¡¯¡¯ He planted a kiss on her forehead and left the bed.


    ¡®¡¯It¡¯s cold,¡¯¡¯ She whispered again, ¡®¡¯Check on Laila on your way.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Of course, I will.¡¯¡¯ He smiled, then dressed up and left.


    His and Calla¡¯s bedchamber and their daughter¡¯s bedroom stood far away from the hall, protected with a long road of guards at some intersections and narrow halls. He designed them for the whole purpose of protecting them, instead of himself as populace thought. There were small openings at the sides of the stone walls, wide enough for an adult to put their heads and arms to look at the rising sun of the day and gaze at the scenery of the mountains afar. Though it was still night, so he couldn¡¯t see any of those. Of course Sid couldn¡¯t think of detail as such, his first priority always had been the safety of his family. Instead, Laila thought of it and she thought well.


    Cold autumn wind licked the face when looking from the opening, mountains smiled at one like old men, the river that came from the sea surged around the outer wall of the city and reached to the villages far below. For all purposes, Sid thought he liked this place more than his daughter did.


    Or the little devil thought of me when doing it.


    After gazing for a little longer, he strode through the halls and reached into the gates of a different room. He knocked twice, light, then heard a grumble. ¡®¡¯May I come in?¡¯¡¯ He called out.


    With hurried footsteps he heard, the door opened and Laila saluted him.


    ¡®¡¯I welcome the most esteemed strong handsome father!¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Thanks for your welcome the most esteemed strong beautiful daughter!¡¯¡¯


    Laila laughed a little bit then hugged him, as he covered her with his arms as well. ¡®¡¯You are earlier today, dad.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯I had a bad dream,¡¯¡¯ He said and excused himself on a small chair. ¡®¡¯But still not early as you.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯You can¡¯t beat me on that,¡¯¡¯ She giggled and took a seat as well. She took some pens and tools from her wide table and plastered two drawings on it. ¡®¡¯Look at these, dad.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯What are these?¡¯¡¯ He looked over them, ¡®¡¯And take a coat or something, you will catch a cold like this.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Okay,¡¯¡¯ As Laila went over to take a coat, Sid inspected the drawings. First one was a detailed structure, like a praying temple but four stories high and its width, from the notes at the side, covered at least thirty-meter squares. The other one was a weapon, or a new type of artillery, that worked with Qi. ¡®¡¯You managed to replicate the sect¡¯s weapon?!¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Yeah, the last trip to the Cindersnow city benefitted me so much, I can¡¯t tell enough.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯That¡¯s amazing, Laila.¡¯¡¯ He patted her hair as she sat down again, wearing a black coat with red lines over the shoulders. Her blue hair, like her mother¡¯s, didn¡¯t fit dark colors as such but she was still beautiful.


    ¡®¡¯Production will be hard though,¡¯¡¯ She commented, ¡®¡¯We also need to test the materials, as I could only deduce what they made it from.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Then the other building is?¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Yes, it¡¯s for creating them. I¡¯ve grasped some of the work routines and the idea of how they created the mass-production of materials. We will first need to produce dozens of wooden puppets to choose efficient people to work there, then with correct training they could do ten men¡¯s work in minutes.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯With puppets?¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Their bodies are also a bit different. My...grandfather¡¯s¡¯¡¯ She lowered her voice, ¡®¡¯Life puppets are different. We need the likes of the factory has, ones which a person can inject both Qi and a part of their consciousness into.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯But finding a wood that can support that and people who can do that will be hard.¡¯¡¯ He sighed, ¡®¡¯Especially the aspect of consciousness. It is a matter of talent and strength of soul, rather than cultivation level.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Well, all those are things you need to do. I¡¯ve done my part,¡¯¡¯ She smiled, ¡®¡¯Is that alright, dad?¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Of course, of course.¡¯¡¯ He placed them down on the table again and stood up. ¡®¡¯Now take some sleep, you can¡¯t hide those dark circles with simple makeup.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Okay, I¡¯ll sleep after-¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯You¡¯ll sleep now,¡¯¡¯ He said and with a wave of Qi, but without any force, placed Laila in her bed. He pulled the blanket over her and patted her hair once more. ¡®¡¯Good night.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Good night,¡¯¡¯ She pouted a bit as he closed the door. After waiting a few seconds, he knocked on the door again and heard her fake whimper. ¡®¡¯Laila, good night?¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Go-good night!¡¯¡¯ She blurted. After being sure, Sid left towards the main hall of the castle. At the cold night and the moonlight of this day, he felt the resolve to protect his family once more.


    From the declaration, and from his own father.

 19-Poetic

    After returning back to their house, Quan left towards his own room while Ubel stayed downstairs to practice cultivation as always. Climbing the narrow stairs, Quan came in front of his room and stepped in.


    He had a table made of rosewood facing the window, curtains darker than the wood covered the glass, and the crowded papers and notebooks scattered on it showered in the moonlight. A wardrobe, also of the same wood, stood next to his small bed with no content inside its wide interior. Quan looked down at his feet and saw the marks of the cold outside, his toes and heels had a stinging sensation, flashing with red of the frostbite.


    He sat down on the chair, threw over his equipment bag on the bed after taking out some papers and an envelope. Quan ran his hand across the table and swept the materials away, let them fall on the ground then placed the envelope on the now empty desk. With great caution, he injected his Qi to the seal and it broke off, then turned into ashes that floated towards the open window with wind.


    Quan took out the letter inside with the addition of long range communication talisman, a big tad different from the normal Teltal¡¯s that had a range of a few kilometers. He put the talisman aside and opened the letter.


    To the Combat Master, Herb Sage, and Hero Of Kryostria,


    We wish the well being of you and all disciples of our sect in Yadratafos and hope to see you back again in our ranks after this decade¡¯s Frenzy. Most unfortunately the request of the city lord, including you esteemed sir¡¯s consent and approval, had been refused by the council of elders after a week of discussion...


    After reading a bit further, Quan put down the letter and sighed. Of course, they would refuse. Even in a normal age, production of pills and herbs never satisfied the consumer groups. The policy of sect about the distribution and sales of the products also limited the investment of any noble family or a cultivator might intend to do. Workers of the herb plantations and spirit gardeners, including the laborers who processed these raw materials into pills for use, couldn¡¯t apply to work without specific qualifications. So, sect¡¯s dynamic workforce comprised of personas picked with care and, for sure, even for the large population it ruled the sect had a hard time satisfying the number required.


    Quan also knew that many didn¡¯t prefer to work in those areas because of the low wage and hard work. Only people who had no talent in fighting, smithing, forging, architecture, or even embroidery leaned to get into those works. He worked, for instance, about eight years in a hospital at Kryostria long time ago. Sect preferred mortals to act as doctors, which had been a quite confusing point at the start. And as the assistant of a mortal doctor, he also had a duty to bring the specific herbs or pills required to treat a special illness or wound. Inevitable it was, he saw how poor work conditions were and the attitudes of the region level taskmasters that touched the border of atrocity.


    And it was also inevitable that a city as such laid into ruins.


    The conclusion he had was, no help would be coming other than the support department. It could bring about some changes, but the course of this decade¡¯s frenzy wouldn¡¯t differ much. After shaking his head, Quan read the last bit of words, signed by the head of the support department and stamped with elders council¡¯s mark, then burned the letter to the ashes. He also wrapped the talisman with his Qi and sent it towards the city lord¡¯s castle atop the hill. In a moment, he heard the message of the city lord and talked about the result for a bit. He then bid farewell and cut off the communication.


    It is disappointing to wait two weeks for this.


    After standing up, Quan changed his red robe to a more comfortable white tunic in his ring, a kind that covered from his torso to the knees, and took out his sandals. No matter how powerful or resilient his body was, the pleasure and strength of recovery sleeping had still stood unmatched. He made his way to the bed and laid down. He looked up at the ceiling for some time, then closed his eyes. He felt tired and wanted to sleep as soon as possible.


    But it proved to be impossible.


    He felt a strong fluctuation downstairs. It brimmed with power, not enough to deter him but powerful to the point of shaking the house. The power, shrouded behind an aura seeping of death, spread to a hundred meters in no time and surrounding houses also started to tremble.


    In an instant, Quan flew from his bed towards the living room and saw Ubel standing, his eyes closed tight, and his body covered with dark red blood. As he came in front of the young boy, he looked up at him and opened his red eyes.


    ¡®¡¯Senior master, help me.¡¯¡¯


    *********


    Ubel shook hard as his Qi went berserk.


    He did not know what he did wrong tonight. After contemplating about some matters as always, he proceeded to meditate and practice cultivation but he felt something different. He felt some kind of shackles, like sharp blades, placed on his wrists and ankles and throat. He had an instinctive feeling that if he made a wrong move, although not in all seriousness, he could die. He also knew that somehow his body started to store more Qi than it could contain.


    First, his meridians and passageways filled to the brim, then came his organs and blood vessels and bones. At last, his skin also started to consume and internalize Qi from the outside and his body overreacted.


    On his skin, blood vessels vibrant with Qi turned into streaks of lashes and burnt from inside. His meridians trembled then cracked, slow but sure, and intense amounts of pain passed through his nerves. Ubel wanted to cry and shout from the pain, but it was so great that he couldn¡¯t even open his mouth or eye.


    Then he felt something appear in front of him. Someone, and for the first time, he could identify a presence. Something he couldn¡¯t do before, an ability of some sorts. No, this was his premature third eye, but its properties seemed...quite different. But his panicked mind only responded with opening his eyes to the hope of salvation from this destructive moment.


    He saw who it was, and his lips moved on their own.


    ¡®¡¯Senior master, help me.¡¯¡¯


    *********


    Quan nodded and grasped Ubel¡¯s hair with a hand, then vanished altogether.


    A minute later they both arrived outside the city, not far but not close either, and settled down in a patch of trees. Quan released his Qi and created a barrier to contain the fluctuations of the breakthrough. He himself felt horrified by the signs of the breakthrough and had to increase the size of the barrier to close a five hundred meter area.


    Then he came in front of Ubel. This was strange. Second Qi destruction wasn¡¯t that dangerous, and it never costed someone¡¯s life. Both considering the level of power released from Ubel and the secret aura that gave him shivers, Quan knew something terrible had happened.


    He opened his third eye and gazed into Ubel¡¯s body. A wreck of this degree shocked him. Then he saw a small thing on Ubel¡¯s neck. It looked like a talisman, or necklace as he couldn¡¯t pick out its form. Tied to Ubel¡¯s scape, with a rope not so sturdy but still resisted the destructive aura of the breakthrough, written the word Evil with an imposing red color, Quan knew he found the answer.


    The aura that gave him shivers, made him fear for his life, and shook the residences around his own was this very thing. The more he gazed, the more fearful he felt.


    ¡®¡¯Ubel!¡¯¡¯ The most efficient way of communication right now was talking with Qi, not mouth, he decided. ¡®¡¯Direct all your Qi towards that necklace of yours. Hurry up!¡¯¡¯


    Quan continued to examine as the Qi flow shifted from a revolution to a straight stream that ran to the necklace. The object, or the rock that looked like a normal pebblestone, absorbed whatever it received without any stop.


    As time passed, beads of sweat trickling down the foreheads of both, Ubel¡¯s complexion turned from deep pale to a more healthy glow. Still, the pain didn¡¯t seem to go away and Quan finally had a chance to gaze at the necklace. Its color...differed from what he saw a moment ago. Unlike a gray pebblestone, its color was black. More like the black of the darkness rather than of the night.


    At the same time, his eyes opened wide, a small sealing mark appeared on the necklace and flew towards Ubel¡¯s head, then merged with him. A loud, booming sound shook the area and several trees next to them blasted into pieces. Some of them battered Quan¡¯s own Qi barrier, some flew and pierced other trees and boulders. Yet, the most shocking thing was the aura of a pathfinder Ubel had.


    I get it now!


    Quan understood everything at the moment.


    The way that led from Qi destruction to the Path Finding wasn¡¯t a stage that needed Qi nor expertise in something. It marked a stage between an aimless idiot and an aspired immortal. Only people who had a clear image of their future, a power or strength they excelled in that suited to that future and felt their resolve to be strong enough could embark into the path that led to the essence realm. Yet, this wasn¡¯t something one could do by saying I¡¯m going to walk on the path of fire! Then proceed to the pathfinding. Their understanding, likeliness, and fondness towards the said path had to be at an incredible level to set on that path, and no individual other than a few rare ones could step right into it after Qi destruction.If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.


    Such as Ubel¡¯s case. The Qi he gained from stepping onto the Path finding conflicted with the aura that tried to destroy the Qi to advance, and as a result, his body reacted in a strange way to deflect the destruction of the Qi. It gathered insane amounts of it to fight back, and the destruction kept growing till all of his flesh and organs became a battlefield.


    It sounded quite horrible, but the real state wasn¡¯t that bad. At least, Quan could cure Ubel¡¯s wounds with a few herbs in a moment.


    But for now, he had to do something.


    Ubel opened his eyes and faced Quan, then looked down at himself. His body, blood, and dirt mishmashed with sweat seemed fragile but strong. Quan let him have a moment to inspect the changes, then spoke.


    ¡®¡¯Ubel, what path did you choose?¡¯¡¯ He wanted to ask this more than anything, even more than that strange artifact Ubel wore. Quan couldn¡¯t recognize Ubel¡¯s path. He didn¡¯t know what the strange dark aura around him was, nor did he have any speculation to whatever it could be.


    Ubel¡¯s eyes darted around Quan for a moment again, then lifted his hand as he stood up from the ground. Quan heard a crack, then a single point on Ubel¡¯s hand ceased to exist. It...broke the space. A single, needle-sized bit of space. What the hell?


    ¡®¡¯Ubel?!¡¯¡¯ Quan wasn¡¯t aware that his mouth opened wide and his brows furrowed. Ubel scratched his head with the other hand, ¡®¡¯I¡¯m trying, senior master.¡¯¡¯ he said then his eyes shined. ¡®¡¯I found it!¡¯¡¯


    A surge of liquid appeared from the tiny space crack and overflowed. Like a river, a flood of dark water flowed then expanded into meters of size. Ubel¡¯s face paled again, but the excitement didn¡¯t die yet. The flood struck the surrounding plants and trees and stones, and when it disappeared after a few seconds all that left behind from the former things were drops of sticky water.


    Ten meters around Ubel turned into a patch of grey, dark earth.


    Even the brown soil died.


    *********


    ¡®¡¯It is the path of death river,¡¯¡¯ Ubel conscious of the importance of the path he chose, told Quan. His robes dirtied, patches of gray earth and leftover brown soil that survived, a miracle, and his eyes, blue of the sea he longed for, shining like stars, he was well aware Quan could read all emotions he presented.


    On top of that, he couldn¡¯t discern what the other party felt. It didn¡¯t seem like anger, nor happiness, far cry from surprise but not so close to a detriment gaze. He didn¡¯t expect, of course, to understand what a single frown meant by a single glance. It mattered not, and wouldn¡¯t, too, in the short-term he thought, so Ubel gave in.


    ¡®¡¯Shall we head back, senior master?¡¯¡¯ Quan, at last, gave a satisfying reaction. His mouth opened and closed a few times, not like one of the shock nor dumbfounding experience, but an attempt, or like a criminal at a trial, at clarifying something he thought to be false. And at this situation, Ubel could only think that Quan understood he lied.


    Quan also stopped trying. He sighed, ¡®¡¯Let¡¯s get back, I have to report this matter to the sect.¡¯¡¯ and grasped now stiffened Ubel¡¯s hand, while the latter knew former felt the cold shiver passing through his body, then vanished altogether again.


    This time Ubel saw the fast speed motions a path opener could achieve. Boris¡¯ speed he experienced first hand, although as a mortal at that stage(He stopped inspecting for a moment to ponder why he referred his past self as a mortal) differentiating the extents of both didn¡¯t prove to be difficult. And indeed, his nausea started acting again a few seconds in, to which he found strange he managed to resist it at his weakest state but it did not last more than thirty seconds.


    The delicate timespan between the going out and in of Quan made Ubel grateful, far more than he had supposed, to feel, but not worth more than a bow down the waist. As Quan put him down in his room, Ubel found it hard to breathe and laid his back to the comfy bed¡¯s side, but also made sure to face the window to alleviate the queasiness(He learned the word in medical lessons and chose to use it anyway, as no one could judge his thoughts and preference over words...or could)


    In the minute he calmed down and pulled himself together, his face and feet regained their color and his cold shoulders and spine warmed up again, Quan stood rooted at one stop, gazing, making the young man uncomfortable, deep inside Ubel¡¯s body. He knows I lied but doesn¡¯t point it out. Why?


    Once he recuperated enough energy to stumble, it also made him feel a bitter taste in his mouth, that, he used the third ability of the manual to reinforce his lie of the path, Ubel bowed down to Quan.


    ¡®¡¯I¡¯m sorry for all the troubles I caused so far, senior master.¡¯¡¯ Actual remorse echoed out of his words. ¡®¡¯Wherever I went with you, trouble followed,¡¯¡¯ Ubel, through the now(Somehow) improved third eye felt Quan¡¯s gaze on his necklace. ¡®¡¯I don¡¯t have anything to compensate for your efforts, I can only apologize.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯No need to...repay,¡¯¡¯ Quan mumbled, quiet and slow like a hiss of a snake, and Ubel felt gratified, but the next sentence spoken made his scalp tingle. ¡®¡¯But I would love to take...or you to gift me that pendant.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Senior master!¡¯¡¯ Ubel almost shouted and gave a deep bow, ¡®¡¯I don¡¯t have anything to pay you back, I mean it with everything I have.¡¯¡¯ It turned into a helpless whisper, a plea, at the end. He did not want to part with it. He knew, from the moment he left the sect without checking the necklace, there had to be something wrong with his father¡¯s treasured luck charm. And his grandmother, who spoke of his mother as a forsaken, and the Tulpar whom he could associate with the shadow behind his mother at his dream. If this thing had something other than a moral value, or spiritual and memory like worth, then he could only saw the choice of an artifact.


    ¡®¡¯Ubel, you are being selfish.¡¯¡¯ Quan criticized, not as low as a whisper, not louder than a heavy sigh.


    ¡®¡¯Selfish?¡¯¡¯ Stuck at his bow, Ubel raised his head. ¡®¡¯Why am I being selfish, senior master? Only because I want to protect something of no value from my parents, I am selfish?¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯No,¡¯¡¯ Quan muttered and tried to put his hand on Ubel¡¯s hair. Latter avoided, fast, and the trembling hand of Quan paralyzed at the air. Then he grit his teeth, ¡®¡¯You are right,¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Then-¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯You brought trouble wherever you went. Do you know how many people could have died if Tulpar decided to slaughter us? Or if I wasn¡¯t here tonight how much damage you would do to the disciples of the other sects? You are being ungrateful!¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯What are you accusing me with, senior!?¡¯¡¯ Ubel shouted, his eyes red. Why did he feel agitated, even while knowing there was no reason for them to argue? They could have a peaceful talk like they had done for two years before, but why did it not work?


    ¡®¡¯I¡¯m only trying to secure what is all left from my family! I¡¯m being ungrateful? When did I do anything out of your order, anything other than your advice, anything out of your words? I treated you with respect because I knew you were a better person than all those simple, boring people at the goddamn mountain!¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Is this how-¡¯¡¯


    Ubel¡¯s body flew like a doll to the ground, crashed with a dull sound, and his eyes¡¯ red lessened.


    ¡®¡¯You are being ungrateful because you are not honest with me!¡¯¡¯ Ubel stood rooted at the ground, then felt a slight pain at the sight of the shaking eyes of Quan. How pitiful one could be to make an old man, a figure like an older brother, a teacher saddened.


    ¡®¡¯You can lie about your past, or about your path. It all does not matter, but when you lie about your aim, your reason I can¡¯t stand it. Real respect doesn¡¯t come from the words or actions, it comes from the heart. I can see from your eyes, Ubel, young boy. You don¡¯t trust me enough to be honest.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯I had been honest with you all the time, I did not use nor depend on the stupid elder-young system to gain your respect. With virtues and my knowledge, with my heart, I treated you. But you didn¡¯t give me the same answer.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯All I ask for you is to lend me a simple necklace- no. Not a simple necklace. I want you to trust me enough, be open to me enough to lend me something so significant that you can defy whatever I say.¡¯¡¯


    Ubel lowered his head. Out of shame, out of pity, out of anger. None could discern from the long bangs of his hair upon the pair of eyes that Quan used to evaluate the boy.


    ¡®¡¯I won¡¯t report anything to the sect, I know the path you chose and want to walk on. I won¡¯t judge, I will encourage you to walk upon such a path. You don¡¯t need to worry!¡¯¡¯


    At this point, both people didn¡¯t even know what they argued about, nor cared. It all came down to a single point that uneased Quan the whole time they had been together. To a man who had no other family than his disciples, and to a boy who he thought to have no family nor home left, this conflict seemed inevitable, but at the same time, solvable through a simple mean.


    Ubel, slower than a turtle, plucked the necklace from his throat. ¡®¡¯I have a promise to keep you and Gaobun alive,¡¯¡¯ Quan kneeled down in front of Ubel, then clasped his hand that held the pebblestone.


    ¡®¡¯Ubel,¡¯¡¯ He struggled to pick his words, as Ubel understood from the helpless expression, and blurted out at last.


    ¡®¡¯I have a promise to keep you both alive, no matter what. If it will help me keep you alive, then I don¡¯t care if you get hurt or not now.¡¯¡¯


    Ubel gave in at last. He did not utter a word. At this close, Quan saw the desolation and hopelessness. Not from the forceful coercion to give up, nor from the exhausting and pathetic words, he, quite certain, felt irrelevant to the conversation. It stemmed, unlike the emotions rising from the heart, out of losing a part of himself. That part of himself, Quan knew very well.


    It was virtue.


    Ubel¡¯s slender fingers opened, his now paling arms trembled. With three fingers still holding, but the rope sliding down his palm, the tendons and muscles tensed like a leaping tiger¡¯s maw to keep the thing to himself. But heart rules the body, mind rules the heart. The driving force of emotions kept his act unoccured, and the necklace fell.


    The moment it touched Quan¡¯s wrinkled hands, sparks of deathly white flew around. They stroked the walls of the room, flew towards the distant moon and struck Quan¡¯s palm. They burnt and seared everything, and Quan, with a relieved smile, gave back the thing to Ubel.


    Ubel peered at the deep wound of lightning on the now ashen palm, then at the pendant on his hand again.


    ¡®¡¯See? Now, this is trust.¡¯¡¯


    Quan¡¯s face seemed irritable, intolerable, and for the most part, sickening. Ubel stood up and without looking back and left the room, ignoring the ready waiting Gaobun at the side of the door, and got downstairs.


    Gaobun, at the same time, looked inside and felt his heartbeat rise again.


    ¡®¡¯Senior master?¡¯¡¯ He called, and the old man fell down with exhaustion. Gaobun leaped in while conflicting with himself, Quan passed out with a smile of accomplishment, and Ubel spoke to his necklace like a lunatic to empty his mind.


    For the trio, who had an unpredestined time together ahead of them, this exchange marked the start of a new kind of relationship.


    A brotherhood, and a family.

 20-Poor

    That morning, no one uttered a word.


    The morning after that, only the call for breakfast, not as lively as it was, and not that willful as well, sounded through the house.


    That night, they wished only a few simple goodnights , but nothing seemed to improve.


    As the days of the past, two whole weeks passed. Yadratafos officially entered into winter, as well as other continent border cities, and celebrations for Scarecrow¡¯s Trail began. No one in the household had any interest, however festive or joyful the air was, nor the intent to join any activity.


    Infirmary drowned in the cold of ice, students suffered from the deathly silence of the trainee mentor, Kowalski felt distanced from Ubel. And the trio clearly understood this point. Yet, even the least wounded Gaobun knew it: If they rushed to get things back together, like the pieces of a puzzle, all they could manage would be a mess of a picture.


    Mentioning Gaobun and the terror he spread, nowadays people, or children and teens at the college, referred him as Silent Executor. Not because he was some sorts of dutiful individual, but he could be one if sect wished so, and also not due to him executing people. It was because of how ruthless he acted at the sparrings against the disciples.


    He didn¡¯t mind breaking bones or tearing one or two gashes at the chest or arms of the disciples. Half of them already feared to get on the stage to fight against him, even the rare few who were at the cusp of breaking into path finding. The most courageous ones, as one would expect, came from the poorest of the backgrounds. People who caught the eye of some teacher and got an invitation, youngsters who bit and gnashed their teeth and flesh to enter, and people whose families paid astronomical amounts of money to get them registered. Although the lattermost included some rich children, they all almost comprised of under-average citizens.


    To Gaobun, this was a weakness of the sect and the system. If they gave power to individuals, then the next generation of it would always turn out useless or low-quality. Products of harsh backgrounds and paths of thorns always gave refined, excellent graded outputs.


    The whole system of vassal-kingdom-sect depends on that basis, too.


    Stopping his train of thought, without using any Qi, Gaobun flipped a disciple he held from his arm and smashed his back onto the steel stage. Crunching and breaking of the bones resounded among the silent crowd of disciples and Gaobun threw the disciple off the stage. ¡®¡¯Get him to the infirmary.¡¯¡¯ He said and looked among the crowd again. Some shuddered, some puffed their chests out; although it was evident some had done to falsify and hide their fear. As tense as it could be, a sound broke the mood when Gaobun pointed at a random student who raised his hand.


    ¡®¡¯Let¡¯s end it early today,¡¯¡¯ Russell said while clapping twice, ¡®¡¯No one wants to miss the scarecrow¡¯s preparing tonight, am I right?¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Yes sir!¡¯¡¯ Students shouted aloud, fervor and, most easily noticed, gratitude shone from their eyes.


    ¡®¡¯Then you may leave. Tomorrow there might not even be any lessons, I will inform your families if it is a holiday.¡¯¡¯


    With one last announcement, everyone except the trainer duo left. It was then Russell, his eyes blazing for the first time, out of not revere and respect but anger, shouted.


    ¡®¡¯Gaobun!¡¯¡¯


    Gaobun stood rooted on the stage. He did not pay any heed to the words of Khaltakk?ran.


    ¡®¡¯Are you on your right mind?¡¯¡¯ Russell questioned, ¡®¡¯What do you want to do by instilling fear into their hearts? You think it is easier to become a warrior by breaking one¡¯s bones and pouring their blood?¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Yes, I think so.¡¯¡¯ Gaobun then fell silent, contemplated, and turned to face Russell. ¡®¡¯No, I don¡¯t think. It is a fact. Without tasting your own blood in your mouth, without feeling the pain of losing something of value, both material and spiritual, and facing with difficulties you can never overcome without pushing your limits, no one can be a warrior.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯But we aren¡¯t raising warriors, Russell. We are raising pigs, cows, sheeps. Animals of no value- even the money spent on the real animals worth more than the training here.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Is that so?¡¯¡¯ Russell gritted his teeth. ¡®¡¯Is this how all of the Cindersnow thinks of our children? Animals to raise? Tools to use? Shields to block and protect themselves?¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯No, this is my sole own opinion,¡¯¡¯ Gaobun refused, then told in a whisper, ¡®¡¯But I¡¯m sure everyone thinks the same.¡¯¡¯ He then shook his head and leaped down the stage. At the same instant, a brown tree branch appeared out of thin air and stabbed towards Gaobun.A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.


    ¡®¡¯Hm?¡¯¡¯ The Qi barrier of Gaobun deflected the attack without any effort. The green particles of Qi comprising the attack flew back like a harsh wind to Russell and he absorbed them back. ¡®¡¯What do you intend to do?¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Seeing how you react, lest you backstab me at the incoming battle.¡¯¡¯ Russell, in a mocking tone, uttered and left the hall. Gaobun only watched behind his back, feeling a boiling emotion inside his heart that embed itself on his face as well.


    Pleasure.


    ¡®¡¯We shall see, of course.¡¯¡¯


    *********


    Hordes of thousands of beasts ran rampant.


    The mountain of kings, so huge and wide and majestic enough to cover a place in three continents and pierce the clouds, had more than plenty passageways one could pass through. They laid low and high, former paths had steep cliffs and narrow hall-like tunnels, painted by people of old ages with gods and beasts¡¯ illustrations with crude craft, and saw no sunlight other than when the celestial body hit the top of the sky. Latter tracks led into the heart of the mountain and down the molten ground to the habitat of fearful goliaths. No exit existed there, only a shelter of some sorts for the monstrosities led by the munchur duo and their master corrupted Archura.


    And now, at the aforementioned low passages, many sounds overlapped into a chaotic tune. Steps of the goliaths, giggles of the lightning imps, laughter of maddened wood spirits, shrill screams of flying harpies; then came the loud shouts and grunts of the munchur duo, one covered in brisk blood red armor, covered in flesh and skin of hundreds of humans who knew wherever from, and the other equipped with a double-edged axe, longer than its ten meter body. From behind, covered with other wood spirits-snakes, bats, insects, bugs, and so on- Archura came along and listened to this wonderful song of salvation; salvation, in the literal meaning, for their people.


    It had been four weeks since the youngest of the munchurs left to declare the frenzy. Lady of the passage wouldn¡¯t let any soul enter into the pathways from the northern side of the mountain, facing the city of Yadratafos, for what reason other than hate, Archura didn¡¯t know. But, this made it infinitely-no, impossible to get back any information about their enemy. Even so, Archura didn¡¯t feel worried. The exact opposite, she felt the throbbing of her heart with excitement, with fervor, with no other negative emotion than the hatred for the immortals they¡¯ve lost their lands to. Subconsciously, she fastened her steps and walked right between the two giant munchurs. Munchurs didn¡¯t like to be near their master and showed it with a forceful grunt. She knew why. The pitiful creatures, created and bred for war and slaughter, yet who also had hearts as boundless as the Cursed Ocean, only wished peace and a life on the mountains. Contrary to their wishes, however, what they had on hand was nothing but battles and bloody fights. So, her gaze showed the pain and pity she felt for their lives.


    No warrior loved pity.


    Armored munchur let out a long grunt, only then Archura retracted her gaze.


    ¡®¡¯We will reach soon,¡¯¡¯ Her voice was sweet and lovable, yet the chilling killer¡¯s cold voice surpassed that. ¡®¡¯And when we reach, you will feast more than you had the past century.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Do you hear me, little ones!¡¯¡¯ She shouted and the steps of the horde halted. ¡®¡¯When we reach the gates, we will prepare for the banquet! We will prey on the weak and drink the blood as wine! Then we will eat our morning meals at Yadratafos, and the lunch at Karnival!¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯So don¡¯t stop! Be eager and restless!¡¯¡¯


    Then her voice stopped booming and turned into a subtle whisper.


    ¡®¡¯For they forsake us.¡¯¡¯


    *********


    A day later, at the gates of the Yadratafos, a group of guards spotted a dot in the horizon.


    It came fast, faster than a human should run. As it closed on, they could see it held a child, or baby, on her bosom. The woman¡¯s silhouette cleared by the time the crunching of the snow under her feet resounded long and wide. ¡®¡¯Help me, my lord!¡¯¡¯ She cried and reduced the distance between herself and the walls. ¡®¡¯My child bears dire wounds, he needs help!¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Halt your steps!¡¯¡¯ One young guard, clad in a captain armor, shouted. Yet, the woman didn¡¯t stop. Her frantic eyes darted around at the guards, filled with endeavor and fear that instilled pity in the guards¡¯ hearts, and she ran faster than ever.


    ¡®¡¯I said halt your steps! Damn it!¡¯¡¯ Captain cursed and called one of the juniors, ¡®¡¯Shoot her down!¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯But captain-¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Which sane people don¡¯t know north has no village or city? I said shoot her DOWN!¡¯¡¯


    Young guard gulped and took out his crossbow, aimed at the woman and shot. But he was too late. With a leap, the woman dodged the bolt and landed on the walls twenty meters away. Wings of steel feathers sprang from her back and she scraped her golden claws on the young guard¡¯s face. Flesh and skin, alongside with his head, rolled down the ground and fell from the walls out to the snow-ridden gates.


    ¡®¡¯Ala-¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Ring the be-¡¯¡¯


    Shouts ended in a second as the feathers of the harpy flew like daggers and pierced the throats of the present dozens of guards with accuracy. Blood poured down like flood, roses of red painted the white scenery, organs adorned the painting. How beautiful it was!


    Harpy¡¯s admiration lasted a split second as the baby she held burst into flames, thick smokes rose into the air. Several flashes of thunder on the horizon neared in two seconds, then a dozen lightning imps appeared next to her. Without any word, they flew into the city with strange talismans hung on their neck and wrists, only then the city lord appeared.


    ¡®¡¯Damned pet of the forsakens!¡¯¡¯ City lord raised his hand and sent a slap. A Qi destruction level beast like her had no chance of retaliating. Even so, her last shrill laugh instilled a wound no flesh bearer could inflict.


    She gave the man anxiety, stress.


    Then her body turned into a meat paste and flew tens of meters behind, landed on the ground with a splash.


    And City lord felt it, how gazes of thousands gathered on his stature in the moment of her death.


    He did not like the feeling.


    He did not like it at all.

 21-Analysis

    ¡®¡¯ I¡¯ll leave by myself.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯...alright.¡¯¡¯ After hearing Quan¡¯s dry reply, Ubel left the infirmary. He walked through the halls and marveling passages of the college. On the way, he encountered Kowalski. They looked at each other for a moment, then both smiled.


    ¡®¡¯Want me to escort you to your home?¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯My honor, sir Ubel¡¯¡¯ Kowalski sneered as they clasped hands and left the college. They passed through the streets adorned with yellow lamps and color of gold. There were paths with no people in sight. A little disturbing aura filled those places. Uneasiness, however, had not affected the duo. For, when a human stood together with another of its kind, they felt safer than ever. Either from the law or from the creation circumstances of their past.  Courage supplemented courage, joy encouraged joy, sorrow fueled sorrow.


    They were strange creatures, immortals. They differed from the normal humans in ways both perplexing and expected for many. Among those differences, most expected one stood apart from the rest. Which was, of course, the ability to depend on nature rather than their own kind.


    Immortality, at its core, represented merging, obeying, then turning with, to and into nature. The end state, they called it-differing in different languages- was a world. Yet, people also said its main doctrine -purpose, if you would like to call it that way- consisted of rebelling against the heavens. Stealing life from the heavens, then replacing the heavens also. Yet, these two youths, walking in silence and sometimes talking of pleasant and humorous words, didn¡¯t know any of that. They did not care about these schools of thoughts, these ideologies, and these ideas. Ideals that some people depended so reverently upon and huge conflicts like the clash of beasts and immortals, did not appeal to them.


    To the young, no matter how bad or good their nature could be, conflicts over ideals and purposes would always result in no gain. They were empty, meaningless fights. Thoughts were keepsakes, or secrets, for one to hold. They were yours, and others¡¯ were others¡¯. The simple act of trying to change someone¡¯s belief seemed irrational and unworthy.


    Then, how could they place their foot on the road of path finding? If you didn¡¯t hold your ideals and dreams, your primary purpose, on the spotlight and defended it. If, against any kind of accusations and falsified judgments, you did not retaliate. If you were indevisive, how could you walk on that path?


    You couldn¡¯t.


    A simple, two-word answer.


    You couldn¡¯t.


    The repetitiveness of an idea and memorizing your own philosophy were two milestones of achieving the path finding. And the people, like Kowalski, from rural places-or considered as rural by the lofty people of Cindersnow- had none of those. To simple men born of mortals and living among mortals, conflicts over abstract words were, as said before, meaningless. So, the way to path finding never opened its gates for them.


    Ubel, however, did not think the same. But his thoughts, ready to flow like the river of death; unrelenting, ceaseless, strong, and mighty stopped at the sight of the monster in front of them.


    They only caught a glimpse of its brazen yellow skin, and two little horns over its head. Then it disappeared into the sewers of the city down below by a small hole.


    ¡®¡¯Kowalski?¡¯¡¯ Ubel looked at his...friend¡¯s eyes, filled with awe and a sparkling excitement. He felt the same surge of emotion wash over him, but not from knowing, because of the unknown. ¡®¡¯Do you know what was that?¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯It should be...a lightning imp.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Lightning imp?¡¯¡¯ Ubel repeated.


    ¡®¡¯They are a member of the imp family, one of the largest beast families among the twelve other. They have a scrap of thunder inside their veins and can use it to reach extraordinary speeds.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Why are you so excited about it, then?¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Ubel, this is a chance to do meritorious service!¡¯¡¯ Kowalski looked deep inside his eyes. Only then, Ubel, at last, managed to glimpse upon another emotion.


    Hope.


    ¡®¡¯They say lightning imps are personal favorites of the enemy beyond(Ubel knew he meant forsakens, yet did not interrupt.) So if one is here, something big must have happened. If we can catch it and give it to city lord, I might get a chance to enter into a sect.¡¯¡¯


    So it is like that? Without any merit, they can¡¯t enter into any other sect? If he said the sect instead of a sect, Ubel would find it acceptable. Yet, to bar one¡¯s path to enter into any sect with systems and laws and things of the sort that he didn¡¯t understand, how rational was it? It disgusted him more than anything else. Before, he admired the system that protected the mortals and mortality of the immortals. It hindered them from turning into power maniacs. It kept their status not more than that of mortals. And it held them at bay and encouraged to use their powers for good. Yet, he felt wronged, or deceived, by the same system now. It could also be, he thought, he didn¡¯t understand the system¡¯s purpose wrong. It was the system that erred from the righteous path.


    ¡®¡¯I assessed at that moment, it is at the second Qi destruction. We can fight with it, but capturing it...might prove to be difficult.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯We can try it. Also, how did you know its cultivation?¡¯¡¯ Kowalski looked up and down at Ubel. Then his eyes caught the dark circles under his eyes. ¡®¡¯Also, why do you have those bags-¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯I broke through some time ago, but It should suffice.¡¯¡¯ He interrupted Kowalski. Then Ubel turned towards the hole Imp disappeared. It had been almost ten seconds now. ¡®¡¯It shouldn¡¯t be far away, let¡¯s go behind it.¡¯¡¯


    Going without a plan was dangerous, more so for the Kowalski. But Ubel had confidence. He had trust in himself. He, in the free time he had these days, spent the time very well. He wondered about his background and practiced his newfound abilities. As a result, at last, he also found the way to progress in the path finding altogether.This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.


    Those dark circles were results of those overnight sessions and the burden on his, or his and Quan¡¯s and Gaobun¡¯s shoulders. Weight of emotions crushed heavy, heavier than mountains, sometimes.


    With him leading, Kowalski right behind, Ubel leaped down the same hole and looked around. His premature third eye could catch the traces of many things; blood, aura, dirt, earth, Qi. Yet, in a chaotic and filth brimming place like sewers, a fog of brown smirch covered the whole sight.


    He cut off the connection to his premature third eye and glanced at the environment again. They trod upon a not so wide path made of stones, supported with pillars longer than their gablefront house. The splashing and swirling of the stained waters sounded and like leaves in the autumn on a rainy day, stuck whatever filth or garbage they had onto those same pillars. A long time ago, its color must have been a beautiful gray and black. But now the only color was the stomach-churning green.


    Kowalski covered his nose with a hand and looked around as well. ¡®¡¯How are we going to find him? Should we split up?¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯No, It is too dangerous.¡¯¡¯ Ubel refuted the idea, ¡®¡¯Instead, we can try...did you hear that?¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯I was about to ask the same thing,¡¯¡¯ Kowalski replied and both gave their backs to the other. Their eyes darted around the two passages the imp could come. And they pricked their eyes to hear the fear striking giggle among the flowing stream¡¯s melodies. They waited, tense and fearful, their anxiety and excitement reached onto a new peak, then the sharp laughter sounded.


    ¡®¡¯Above?¡¯¡¯ Ubel raised both his hands and heard the crunching sound of his shoulder. It dislocated from a single attack by the flash of lightning, and Ubel, in a hurry, kicked in front. His feet collided with the small body of the imp and sent it flying towards the deep waters. But the monster managed to hold onto the edge and climb up.


    ¡®¡¯The monster had never left the surface, cunning prick.¡¯¡¯ Kowalski cursed and Ubel looked at the lightning imp, this time more careful, while Kowalski placed back his shoulder. When it came to expertise in treatments, Kowalski fared better. Yet, in knowing herbs and medicine, he crushed him with a definite win. Their simple rivalry did not matter here, of course, when the danger of an enemy loomed over their heads.


    Imp¡¯s body actually wasn¡¯t brazen yellow, it was gold. Not pure gold, but dirtied like unrefined gold ore. It struck one¡¯s eye the moment they saw its non-existent tongue. It was rather filled with a strange liquid, flowing with strands of lightning.


    ¡®¡¯Do you know what that is?¡¯¡¯ Ubel asked.


    ¡®¡¯I¡¯m not sure, but we might need to act fast. Imp can escape if it wants.¡¯¡¯ Ubel nodded and attacked. His movements like a whirlwind, creating marks on the stone floor on the way, he shot towards the Imp. Yet, all the monster had done was chuckle and disappear again.


    ¡®¡¯Kowalski!¡¯¡¯ Ubel shouted. Kowalski also turned around at the same time and cast a divine ability from his manual. The temperature fell sharply and a freezing mist surrounded him. Ubel did not wait for the Imp to attack Kowalski and cast his third ability, Waters Of Netherworld. His subconsciousness left the real world for a moment and appeared in a new kind of dimension.


    There were not much to see except a dark, flowing river in front of him. Demons, devils, yamas, beasts, humans, angels swam in it, their eyes blank and deaf to words. Ubel knew, from where he didn¡¯t know, the name of this river wasn¡¯t the Death River. Its name was Water Of Netherworld. He felt that there was a subtle difference between Death River and the Water Of Netherworld, but he did not ponder upon it at the moment.


    He grasped a whole lot of water with Qi and shook the people inside it back to the water. Their eyes glinted for a single moment and turned blank again, then Ubel returned back to his world.


    Only a single second had passed and Imp¡¯s attack struck Kowalski from behind. He flew like a dart towards Ubel¡¯s side and crashed right beside him. A tooth fell out of his mouth as well while he spat a small amount of blood.


    ¡®¡¯That hurts! Aagh!¡¯¡¯ Kowalski could hardly control himself as he struggled to stand up. Ubel reached out with a hand and pointed the other towards the Imp. Its disgusting sneer irritated both youngsters.


    ¡®¡¯What should we do?¡¯¡¯ Kowalski got up and whispered in Ubel¡¯s ear. ¡®¡¯Damn monster is way too fast.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Hmm, I can cover the floor with my spell but the thing can bounce and walk on the walls and ceiling. It might even decide to escape if he senses danger.¡¯¡¯ Ubel gave his opinion.


    ¡®¡¯True,¡¯¡¯ Kowalski nodded and glanced at the smiling Imp, who also plotted something. ¡®¡¯I have an ability called Piercing Needle. It¡¯s like...¡¯¡¯


    After a lengthy discussion and sizing each other up, Kowalski finally found an workable idea.


    ¡®¡¯Let¡¯s escape!¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯What?¡¯¡¯ Ubel didn¡¯t understand the reason, why would they go back at this point? If they lost it, then Kowalski also wouldn¡¯t get any merit or sorts.


    ¡®¡¯No, we will escape, do you understand me? We will report him to the city lord.¡¯¡¯ Kowalski winked twice and pointed at the entrance behind them. Ubel had a face of realization for a moment, then nodded.


    ¡®¡¯I¡¯ll cover you so you can escape,¡¯¡¯ He said but this time loud enough for Imp to hear it, ¡®¡¯Go report it to the city lord! I will keep it in here.¡¯¡¯ Kowalski sidestepped without any wait and ran back towards the entrance. Ubel summoned the Water Of Netherworld he held at bay and let it loose. Like a wild beast in a frenzy, the water surged like a river and destroyed the walls and roads, even the pillars under them. As pillars fell off and Imp understood what was going to happen, it let out an angry shriek and chased behind Kowalski.


    ¡®¡¯You are not leaving!¡¯¡¯ Ubel pressed on with his ability and leaped like a tiger. His movements were crude, more so than even mortal guards, but the power behind them was unquestionable. With a punch, he sent splinters of all kinds flying towards the Imp and forced it to use lightning to bypass.


    The moment Imp came in front of the entrance to the sewers, however, a giant piece of sharp Ice fell down from the surface. Imp had no time to react and hastily moved back, avoided the damage to its head but his lower jaw shattered. An angry shout of defiance shook the sewers as Kowalski fell down with another ice piece and sent it flying towards the Imp.


    Imp clicked its tongue and moved, but felt too strange. It couldn¡¯t move fast? What happened to its lightning? It finally looked down and saw all the liquid in its mouth drooling to the ground, not even a drop of it stood in its place.


    ¡®¡¯Ghuruguhururrl!¡¯¡¯ It screamed again and moved towards Ubel. The only advantage it had, speed, no longer existed; Imp lost it a moment ago. So the Imp had no way of escaping. In a fit of anger, it lunged towards Ubel and bared its teeth to bite down. Kowalski barely missed the Imp and the ice piece flew towards the Ubel¡¯s side.


    ¡®¡¯Ghurgur!!¡¯¡¯ Imp shouted in delight as the Ice piece almost collided with the Ubel, but felt its hopes shatter again. Ubel acted faster than the projectile and caught it with a hand. His body revolved like he was ready from the start, and sent it back towards the Imp with a faster speed. Aura of frost invaded its body as the ice pierced through its shoulders and pinned it to the ground. Another howl erupted from Imp¡¯s mouth but both youngsters did not care.


    They had done pretty well in their opinion in their first fight, so it was a moment worth celebrating. Although it was only for a moment as several different howls erupted from the sewers again. Ubel felt his scalp tingle while Kowalski paled. Ubel picked the wounded imp from the ground and attempted to escape with Kowalski. Unfortunately, another lightning imp appeared from the entrance and closed it with its body.


    Ubel coated the whole of his fist with depression and sent it flying. Imp couldn¡¯t endure the blast  of death river Qi and flew like a ragdoll to the air, but it succeeded in its goal. Kowalski reached to the entrance and managed to leave. But several lightning imps appeared and surrounded Ubel at the same time.


    ¡®¡¯Ubel!¡¯¡¯ Kowalski shouted then leaped down to help his friend. He stood by the side of Ubel and looked around, then his face paled once more. Eight of them would be too difficult to deal with. Ubel looked at the Kowalski and Kowalski looked at Ubel.


    ¡®¡¯Do you have a plan, Ubel?¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯No I don¡¯t, you?¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Well, I don¡¯t too. What will we do then?¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Kowalski, analysis!¡¯

 22-Hide

    ¡®¡¯Analysis what!?¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Nothing...¡¯¡¯


    So they waited. The sewage ran down the dark surface of the pillars, sounding loud and wide, and lightning imps glared at them. The one in his hands stopped moaning, its head dropped low like a tired old man, its body limp. Kowalski¡¯s irregular breathing quickened as the imps opened their mouths and screeched. Ubel closed his eyes for a moment, prepared to cast his second ability any time now, and tried to sense the environment.


    Then they struck.


    The imps let out hollow shrieks one after another, leaping onto Ubel and Kowalski with discharges of lightning above and below their limbs. It took them a split second to arrive in front of the duo and tear at them. Although, they were as fast as ever, this time, both friends prepared beforehand.


    Kowalski cast his divine ability and a snow-white ice mirror appeared in front, as big as a scutum shield, and blocked two of the lightning imps. He fell back two steps from the burden and at the same time a dark shadow towered him. Waves of death bringing violent water spewed out of space and drowned the other imps from sides for a moment.


    As Ubel pushed them back, the other two sprang towards Kowalski again. Kowalski didn¡¯t feel the fear and excitement before. He sensed some other emotions arise inside his heart. Something that forced him to act faster and strike stronger. While he did not know of it, on a global scale, everyone called that thing courage.


    Dodging their attacks seemed impossible, so Kowalski created his ice mirror again. Imps also learned their lessons and eyed the young man. ¡®¡¯F*ck!¡¯¡¯ Kowalski heard Ubel curse but did not lose his focus on the monsters. The creatures in the question, although, did not keep their wits as Kowalski done.


    With a shout, he charged towards the closest one and smashed his mirror onto its head. The imp acted quick in the face of danger and swallowed a mouthful of the liquid. It turned into a flash of lightning but, alas, couldn¡¯t escape the strike. Other imp collided with Kowalski and sent him rolling on the ground with a huge crack at his shoulder and chest. The first struck imp, however, flew higher and fell into the sewage with screams and disappeared inside.


    Seeing their companion die in a horrible way, drowning in filth, made the situation not so amusing for aggressors. Kowalski struggled to get on his feet again, but this wound turned out much worse than the early one. He sure broke a few ribs on the chest. He spewed blood from his tarnished mouth and tried to cast an ability again. Yet the imp came on him the same instant.


    Its fearsome claws tore swift and pierced hard. Kowalski felt his flesh burning and his blood churn like a wave, in pain and anguish. He let out a wail and his eyes reddened. Then a huge bellow shook the sewers. Sewage rumbled and the road they stood upon broke, pillars supporting underground cracked.


    ¡®¡¯Embodiment!¡¯¡¯ Ubel cried and a dark, almost twice his size giant appeared. Featureless, no mouth and eye and nose, equipped with nothing but a small cloth at its waist and two spiked shoulder pads. Like a leaping fish and gliding dragon, it came upon the imp and held it between its robust fingers. With the other hand, the giant, out of thin air, created a stream of dark projectiles and slammed the imp onto them.


    Imp screamed, pained, but more so furious, as blood trickled down from the swollen wounds on its now gaping chest. Then they exploded, leaving the body with a bloody head and scattered limbs. Kowalski gazed, his mind blank from all the gore and viciousness, then vomited right beside. The stench family of sewage now welcomed a new member, blood.


    Then the giant held him from the waist and ran towards the entrance.


    ¡®¡¯Huh?¡¯¡¯


    Another imp tried to stop it, but when its claws collided with the giant they just created sparks and a sharp sound. With a move, giant brushed off the imp and climbed upwards, then flung him towards a random point in the city.


    ¡®¡¯WHAAAAAT!?¡¯¡¯


    Kowalski found it hard to calm down, but a hand then steadied him in the air. Turning back, his jaw dropped.


    ¡®¡¯City lord?¡¯¡¯


    *********


    ¡®¡¯I hate Quan,¡¯¡¯ At this instance, Ubel reaffirmed his belief on the man he admired for a long time, and still did. A man who could detect the waves of the declaration from kilometers away definitely knew he was in dire trouble right now. Especially when, even with his premature third eye, he could sense the powerful fluctuations of their Qi cover the skies. Yet, Quan did not choose to help. Ubel also knew why, but still hated it.


    This was just cruelty.


    He looked around at the imps, baffled and ceasing their action, then gazed at the giant behind him; or more precisely, Embodiment. Its appearance gave him confusion, more so than joy and shivers. He couldn¡¯t understand how imps faced it calm and wary with no fear. Because Ubel felt it.


    The shadow of the giant resembled a god.


    First things first, the Embodiment was, at least it had to be, his understanding of death, and its manifestation, which meant the giant in front of him was the image of death he carried. But Ubel knew more than anyone else that, he did not know the shape nor meaning of death. He didn¡¯t even take the step forward to search for the answer, let alone reaching the ending point of the road.Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more.


    He also needed to consider the fact that, Embodiment would be stronger if his understanding of death increased. So, for the sharp claws of Lightning imps to not even scratch its skin, who attacked with speeds faster than his eyes could keep up, its strength was evident. He did not know whether to feel happy or sad, or confused or enlightened.


    Either way, he had to stop thinking for now as imps acted again.


    Their pattern of attack seemed simple, yet the pace of their offense stood at a way much higher level, enough to render him helpless. Ubel released the waters of netherworld again and laid his back to the giant, who covered from behind. The thing had its own consciousness, it obeyed orders but did not take guidance. It just seemed too ridiculous.


    He pushed back a pair of imps but two more dawned upon him. With a huge momentum behind their small bodies, imps tore away at his shoulders. Ubel swung a fist to strike one but it resulted in two claw marks on his left shoulder. They were light, not too deep to affect movement but fearsome enough to instill fear into his heart.


    Taking a step back to hide in the shadow of his embodiment, Ubel focused his Qi. The revolution inside his body abruptly stopped and surges of Qi escaped from his pores. They weren¡¯t pure, instead, they looked like poison. Or contaminated with death. Like evaporating water, the surges of qi spread into a black fog and blocked the vision of all.


    Ubel released a sigh and held the arm of the embodiment, who turned its head to look at him. Its face showed...amusement? Ubel found it hard to stand calm, but he had to take care of the things here for now. Take me on your shoulder, we are going to escape.


    It gave a slight nod, then put Ubel on its shoulders. Ubel decided that escaping now would be a better idea rather than staying and fighting until exhausting himself. Quan would intervene, no doubt, or the city lord himself. Either way, his life didn¡¯t stand in danger for now. And he did not intend to put it in.


    A burst of lightning, right after he landed on Embodiment, charged out of the fog and crashed to the ceiling. It pierced through as the upper street¡¯s road collapsed onto them, leaving the place in ruins. Then the imps lunged again, crackling lightning covering their limbs once more.


    Embodiment leaped as well, and the place it stood broke into dust and stone particles. The amount of fleshly power, or deathly power, it held gave a surprise to Ubel. If it is this strong at the moment, how powerful will it be if I can progress to the second step? Of course, he did not expect to get on the second and third steps of path finding, then entering into path establishing as he had done with Qi destruction. What he lacked now were experience and knowledge, and they didn¡¯t come as free as Qi or spiritual treasures.


    This could be why sect restricted the distribution of cultivation manuals. It did not, though, satisfy him enough to forgive the act of limiting the expansion of civilization.


    Hearing a huge groan behind, Ubel awoke from his thoughts and looked back. The Embodiment leaped off and on the pillars that supported the sewers, slightly above the sewage, and avoided the thunderbolts called lightning imps. They crushed and crashed the and into the huge green columns, sometimes even breaking them from the foundation.


    With another push, Embodiment avoided another debris of pillar falling on him and continued running. With their speed, they could tour around the sewer system quick enough, although Ubel estimated it compared to the city¡¯s acreage.


    Although the fondling of the wind on his face gave a pleasant sensation, the disgusting stink of the dark green water below and the ear-battering screeches of lightning imps disturbed the enjoyable moment. Ubel returned his attention to his inner revolution and started breathing in Qi.


    Even Qi smells like a dump.


    Withstanding the urge of vomiting, he left all the work of escaping to the Embodiment. He restored the used up Qi and filled up his reserves as much as he could, then turned back to face the imps.


    But something unexpected happened.


    Among the lightning imps, one of them suddenly went wild. Its limbs started to echo sounds of breaking and the liquid in its mouth  evaporated. Like ash scattered in the wind, its body fell apart into dust and disappeared. ¡®¡¯What?¡¯¡¯ Ubel¡¯s eyes stuck at the sight, then turned into one of horror.


    He saw the origin of the disturbance. As another imp fell down and the leftovers started to realize what happened, one of them let out a shrill laugh. Its skin turned crimson red and enlarged. From the initial size of half of Ubel, it turned into a towering ten-meter giant. It pulsed off with a destructive energy Ubel had only seen once, and it horrified him.


    The moment its metamorphosis ended, the red giant fell into the sewage, its head touching the ceiling, and roared. The blasts of air sent the pillars flying like arrows to the surroundings. The whole sewer system shook and the Embodiment almost fell down from the pressure. Ubel himself stood wide-eyed as the imps gathered on the shoulder of the red giant.


    Red giant opened its maws wide open, two huge fangs stuck out of the bony, blood-red mouth, then swallowed the leftover imps. Before they disappeared into the darkness inside, they sent a shrill laugh and mocked Ubel with their eyes.


    They showed disdain.


    Gulping down its meal, Giant faced the Ubel, smirked, and shoved its hands front. Even after running away from it while it ate, they couldn¡¯t escape the area of effect. Ubel felt frantic and horrified. Where the hell is senior master and others!? This thing is at their level!


    Sewage rose like a tsunami and overwhelmed him and Embodiment. Swept down the stream, Ubel held tight on the body of Embodiment and opened his third eye to see. Then he realized, this thing had no aura. Only with the naked eye, one could see its power level, and if space was really sealed off, then Quan and others had no way of knowing the danger.


    ¡®¡¯Fly above!¡¯¡¯ Ubel cried to the embodiment as the last resort, then entered into the strange dimension again. This time, he did not care about whether he took someone with or not. He expended every bit of Qi he had left and gathered every drop of water he could get. Then returned back to the real world. The moment he came back, Embodiment pierced water curtain returned back to the surface, where they saw the giant right next to them.


    ¡®¡¯Abudal!¡¯¡¯ It grinned and sent another punch. The crackling of lightning and the whizzing of the wind accompanied the force. Feeling the impending death, Ubel wanted to cry from fear. But his body did not obey the feelings. Instead, he pushed both hands in front and released the huge body of water onto the strike.


    Waters of netherworld came into being, with it hundreds of bodies, and collided with the strike. The tide turned into a mist in an instant, and the leftover momentum shoved them back. Lightning invaded Ubel¡¯s meridians and seared the passageways, wind scraped his skin and brushed off the flesh underneath. With a shrill scream, Ubel saw the image of the night sky. Embodiment broke through the ceiling and appeared above the surface, then with another step leaped onto the sky.


    Chilling wind froze his body and the moonlight bathed him, together with Embodiment, in a curtain of light. Ubel, then, witnessed two falling stars, seemingly coming to greet him, but he fell unconscious from exhaustion.

 23-Fast

    ¡¯Huh?¡¯¡¯


    Ubel opened his eyes.


    A strange chill broke past his skin, seized his passageways, and revolved inside his meridians. Qi? It seemed so, but the nature of the force itself differed from the Qi he knew. Then the memories came back.


    ¡®¡¯Senior master!¡¯¡¯ He tried to stand up, but a hand from behind pulled him back. Indeed, if the hand didn¡¯t reach to grasp him, he would have fallen down from the air. Without turning back, Ubel heard the voice he knew well.


    ¡®¡¯Sorry.¡¯¡¯


    Ubel wanted to curse, or blame, but the heavy blasts of soundwaves broke apart the mood. Then the red giant, now with a giant mouth filled with a green and red liquid, entered into his sight. ¡®¡¯How long I was unconscious?¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Ten seconds.¡¯¡¯


    !?


    ¡®¡¯Now, watch for a moment.¡¯¡¯ After that, Quan ceased talking, so did Ubel. The red giant pulsed with an aura craving for blood, perfectly aligned with the image of bloody devils he had in his mind for some time. Except, the creature in front of him wasn¡¯t a cultivator. It was a full-fledged monster.


    ¡®¡¯Immortals...¡¯¡¯ The aura intensified, suffocating enough to affect the Ubel far away, then spread out to cover the whole city and the plains beyond. Quan furrowed his brows and Ubel wondered why the giant had done that. Surely, a show of power wasn¡¯t a reason enough to do something unmeaningful like releasing his aura.


    Unless...then Ubel shivered, so did Quan.


    ¡®¡¯Senior master...who is it calling for?¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯His sisters, probably.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Sisters?¡¯¡¯


    Then came two more auras, colliding with the city¡¯s Qi barrier Ubel assumed the city lord used right now. Red giant, without any sign, let out a defiant cry, looking flustered and scared, and gazed at them both with icy eyes.


    ¡®¡¯No need to glare like that, king of the mountain.¡¯¡¯ Quan smiled and exclaimed. ¡®¡¯Your siblings won¡¯t attend us tonight, nor tomorrow.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯You can enjoy your stay as much as you like.¡¯¡¯


    WRYYYYYYYY!


    Shrill scream of the mountain king, Munchur, shook the city. Buildings, comprising of tower houses, bungalows, huts, and mansions etc. flew like arrows and collided with an invisible barrier. The semi-circular Qi barrier covered the one-third of the city at the least.


    ¡®¡¯Senior master, civilians!?¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Where do you think the lord is?¡¯¡¯ Ubel felt a bit relaxed for a moment. Then Kowalski¡¯s mother should be safe. With a sigh, he now focused on the upcoming giant. It turned into a flash of light and slammed onto the huge barrier in an futile attempt to break it.


    The barrier shook like a boat in midst of tides, yet did not give in. It carried the will of the City Lord, as well as several dozens of path establishing cultivators of the city. Even the State Protector Lefthand Guru¡¯s aura seemed insignificant in front of the mighty collaboration.


    Munchur screamed and screamed, crashed its body at the surface of the transparent force over and over again. Then Ubel saw the most peculiar thing among the all.


    Munchur shed a tear.


    It fell from the huge eyes on its forehead and fell down, the teardrop alone could fill a whole wine barrel. Yet, the emotions packed inside seemed more abundant than the size of it. Among the myriad of emotions, what Ubel felt the most and knew the least was betrayal.


    Munchur stopped. The backlash from the barrier was no laughing matter, huge tears size of an adult¡¯s thigh spread all over munchur¡¯s skin and some even cut deep enough to reach the muscles beneath. Though the pain didn¡¯t matter to the munchur. It didn¡¯t care about it at all. It just turned those icy, reddened eyes towards Quan and let out a murmur.


    ¡®¡¯Hm?¡¯¡¯


    Then an explosion shook the surroundings. Quan looked worriedly at the place he moved a moment ago, ridden with cracks and remnants of houses, then looked down at Ubel. The young man almost vomited from the spontaneous movement. His body, as one could see, couldn¡¯t carry the burden of high speeds¡¯ pressure.


    After confirming Ubel¡¯s state, Quan turned back to face the Munchur. Its body emitted blazes of dark red flames, coagulated with lightning in the midst. Quan, for a moment, thought that the same fire burned inside the eyes of the creature. Then his expression hardened.


    Munchur moved, with equal speed as Quan, and came right in front of his nose. No chance. Quan made a seal with his left hand, whilst holding the Ubel with the other, and disappeared from where he stood as the pillar of fire and lightning fell! The Qi in the environment went berserk and collapsed, just like the ground the pillar struck.


    Where are those two? Quan felt a bead of sweat form on his forehead. His magic still didn¡¯t awaken at the point, he needed more time to get ready. But no one here could gain the enough time for him. If they encountered more than one- Quan did not think of it further. He couldn¡¯t, even if he wanted.This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    Munchur let loose a cry and stomped through the air. Its body seemed more agile than that of a wind, as its legs came down like a whirlwind. Quan moved left and right and evaded the attacks while holding Ubel, then tried to open the distance as far as he could. The Qi started to bubble inside him, the furnace of space ablaze like a star. Then he felt the establishment of the connection with the outer space.


    Alright, no more delay.


    With a single thought, Quan disappeared from his place again. Munchur, now in a blind frenzy, looked around. Yet, no trace of Quan remained. Even the scent and the aura disappeared. Growling, Munchur pressed on the ground hard, then jumped towards the air.


    He can still feel it?


    The moment Munchur¡¯s head collided with the tip of the barrier, Quan revealed himself and the almost fainted Ubel. They stood right outside the barrier, with just a few centimeters apart from each other. Although Munchur itself couldn¡¯t get out of the barrier, its eyes seemed to manage so. Ubel shivered like a sheep in front of a wolf, then regained his calm. Still, even as the Munchur fell down to the ground, Ubel couldn¡¯t help but tremble. The impact of a few single punches showed how dead he would be if the thing hadn¡¯t decided to play for a little while.


    Then he looked up at Quan, whose complexion glowed with a bright...darkness? Ubel couldn¡¯t describe it well other than saying a dark color shining with silver. The scholarly and natural aura around Quan now turned into a somber one. Ubel, of course, didn¡¯t comment on it aloud in the now confusing situation.


    ¡®¡¯Senior master...what are we waiting for?¡¯¡¯ Ubel asked. For a short while, no answer came. But then, Quan pointed his left index-finger towards the mountains afar. To the Mountain Of Emperors. ¡®¡¯Open your eye.¡¯¡¯


    Ubel knew what Quan talked about, so he complied without inquiring. He established a connection with his premature third eye and opened it. From the third eye of Quan, it looked like a small hole opened on Ubel¡¯s glabella that glowed red. From Ubel¡¯s perspective, nothing changed other than the scenery.


    At first, his eyes hurt so bad that he let out a small yelp. For a moment, countless particles of Qi prickled his eye and slowly paved the way. These are...how they look? What he could call this scenery was just a single word.


    Magnificent.


    Red represented fire, blue associated with water, yellow indicated earth, light grey showcased wind, green revealed wood, dark grey displayed metal...countless clusters of motes of lights, or as he called particles of Qi, gathered into a mega cluster like a galaxy and revolved around the city. This small celestial body was the remnant Qi of the barrier, at least a thousand times larger than Ubel¡¯s own Qi capacity.


    If he compared, he knew his Qi would look like an ant next to it.


    Further away, even when his sight trailed off the clusters, two gigantic auras rushed towards the city. Ubel was familiar with both, one of them was pretty close to him. Then Ubel¡¯s jaw dropped for a moment. There were two more auras behind them, at least a grade or two higher than the Gaobun and the military trainee of the college. But that was not it.


    There stood a singular existence, way too much width apart from the all auras he had seen. Even now, he could only see the tip of the aura. But If he really dared to measure it, Ubel knew, the galaxy of clusters in front of him couldn¡¯t create one tenth of that violent blood aura.


    A shiver went down his spine and shook him from tip to toe. Ubel, out of pure curiosity and fear turned around to look at the person right beside him, too.


    Then he coughed a mouthful of blood and closed his third eye. If not, his premature third eye would definitely slip out of existence. Although he couldn¡¯t hold himself from beaming. Really now. This is too big of a surprise.


    Of course, Quan did not share the same joy with him it seemed. His smile died off quickly from the same somber expression of the man. Ubel did not dare to open his third eye again. Instead, he awaited the arrival of the Gaobun and the Russell.


    Although before that, city lord appeared right next to Quan and Ubel. His eyes looked sunken and without opening his third eye, Ubel knew the man had lost plenty of Qi. The magnitude of the difficulty of operating a formation including dozens of people indeed could tire down even a great man like Sid Starlight. He looked for a moment at Ubel. ¡®¡¯Your friend is at the college.¡¯¡¯ Ubel tried to bow down but the circumstances did not allow him to do so. Still, the gesture alone seemed to satisfy the man himself.


    ¡®¡¯When should I open the barrier?¡¯¡¯ He asked.


    ¡®¡¯Well, my lord¡¯¡¯ Quan stroke his irritating stubbles for a moment, then replied.


    ¡®¡¯Fifteen seconds I guess?¡¯¡¯ He proposed, and Sid accepted. The man disappeared again and the cries of the Munchur echoed in the city once more. ¡®¡¯Now now, do you know about Gaobun¡¯s background Ubel?¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯I don¡¯t think so, senior master.¡¯¡¯ Ubel told the truth. ¡®¡¯I know he is someone from a prominent family of cultivators, and his talent is at the least equal to Elder Snow.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Other than that?¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Hmm...¡¯¡¯ Ubel stormed his memort for a little more, and his eyes blazed after a while.


    ¡®¡¯He was the ace of...Department Of Punishment And Military?¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯And do you know why?¡¯¡¯ Quan let out an amused smile. Ubel felt that the man¡¯s smile seemed more irritable than his unorganized stubble.


    ¡®¡¯I don¡¯t, can you enlighten me senior master?¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Well well,¡¯¡¯ Quan continued to speak as the temperature visibly increased. ¡®¡¯What they mean by ace is, he is the most prominent fighter in the whole department.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯???¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Which means, he defeated an elder in a fight with nothing but skills.¡¯¡¯


    Ubel froze, and a huge ball of flames appeared right above the barrier at the same time. Barrier opened from above, like it had been waiting this for some time, and the Munchur inside leaped in a hope to leave the place.


    Yet, it lost that chance from the beginning.


    The ball unfurled, like a bird awakening from a sleep, and turned into a gigantic phoenix with a wingspan of tens of meters wide. Munchur roared in anguish and released a torrent of lightning and flames together, shaped like a dragon, and sent it flying with a punch.


    Phoenix also let out a cry of its own, shrill and desponding of the dragon in sight, and dived down. Turbulent waves of Qi pushed back even Quan for a little as the forces collided! An explosion of such measure that Ubel had never seen before spread into the barrier. The flames enveloped everything and anything inside, even the barrier continuously shook from the battering of the escaping Qi streams.


    Then the barrier, abandoned at the moment of impact by the forces involved, broke into tens of thousands of pieces. They flew, more farther and faster than any projectile could hope to achieve, and battered the Qi screen of Quan. Constant hits and strikes gave another fright to the Ubel, yet he faced it more calmer than before.


    At the end, only a half-charred, twitching ten meter body; and a young man with chocolate colored skin, with blue and yellow flames dancing around his body, stood at the center of explosion.

 24-Great

    ¡®¡¯It isn¡¯t dead, right?¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Of course it isn¡¯t.¡¯¡¯ Quan replied, then continued with a mumble. ¡®¡¯Or else, we wouldn¡¯t waste such power.¡¯¡¯


    Ubel didn¡¯t know whom he directed the last words and didn¡¯t think the power they talked about was the Qi. Wasting the Qi itself was an impossible matter, as long as nature and people existed, there would never be a lack of Qi and even if Qi somehow lacked at some point, then it would replenish itself in no time.


    Then the power they talked about, he assumed, was something both exhaustible and strong enough to trap, and possibly, damage the red giant. Oh, and they called it a munchur. And the munchur in the question now let huge amounts of steam out of its pores. Charred skin and burned flesh turned back into normal in no time, and it was also clear from the berserk movement of the Qi that the healing process consumed a monstrous amount of Qi.


    I am a genius!


    Of course, he wasn¡¯t.


    He just wanted to relieve some of the stress.


    ...


    ¡®¡¯Focus, genius.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯What the-¡¯¡¯


    Gaobun did not give Ubel the chance to react and instantly acted, gathering an immense amount of Qi between his palms. Yet, the concentration seemed lacking, not as a size but as a mass. There was no weight, or real power, behind the now revolving fire circle beneath Gaobun¡¯s brown leather boots. For all purposes, the few seconds he used to gather the thing seemed like a waste of time. And the munchur, well aware of that, struck at the same time.


    The dark-colored flames spread around munchur¡¯s stout fingers like a wildfire. Feeling the heat from afar, Ubel felt his scalp tingle as the munchur took two large strides in no time and slammed its hand down. With the hand came down the flames shaped like arrows and fell like...arrows.


    Fires of all colors flashed before his eyes and like a spectacle, ended in the shortest moments possible. The soothing of the beautiful scenery, the fear from getting near that terrible destruction, and most eminent of the feelings, excitement brushed over him. Like how the olds told, Man had and lost everything but admiration to beauty.


    Though the deadly implications hidden behind the graceful sight in front also killed the mood.


    Still, over the regret of losing the grace, Gaobun left unscathed from the strike so it acted as a consolation as well. Then his body exploded like a sun nearing death, the scorching ring of flames underneath blazed with another intensity, impudent enough to compare itself with the Sun, and turned into a long lance in front of him.


    The tip burned with the blue flames of infernal deities, and the shaft of the lance hid under the fires of the sun. Together, their power shook the fabric of space and made the munchur flinch at its place.


    Then Gaobun smirked and stabbed his lance. His legs propelled from the air, and his head raised high, Gaobun reached in front of the monster¡¯s gaping mouth. Munchur put its hands out, right before Gaobun reached, then released surges of lightning in the shapes of wide spider-webs.


    Shouting, Gaobun¡¯s lance clashed with the webs of lightning.


    With near to no resistance, lance pierced through dozens of webs and continued on its way towards munchur¡¯s head. Yet, the lost momentum gave the creature a chance to perform some strange magic. Several runes, shaped like stars in the skies covered the six limbs; two arms, two legs, torso, and the head. Gaobun¡¯s eyes flickered at the scene and sent a flurry of stabs to stop the spell.


    Unfortunately, the magic seemed to be an instant casting type, unlike his Ash Canyon Manual¡¯s abilities. He managed to break down three of the runes before the leftover ones brightened and enlarged into several meters diameter in a split second. ¡®¡¯GRRRRR!¡¯¡¯ With munchur¡¯s cry, amethyst colored beams of light sprang from within and collided with Gaobun¡¯s Qi barrier.


    His left arm trembled, like a leaf in a windy day, and his lance shook from the pressure. I¡¯ll be damned if I can escape from this. Beams seemed unceasing, with no end of them in sight for now. His eyes, subconsciously, gazed over to where Quan and Ubel stood. Maybe from an unwilling need for help, or from a need of a moment of relief, he focused on them. Then he saw Ubel smiling.


    ???


    He beamed, brighter than the flames covering his back. His mood seemed pleasant, and no more than thrice in his life he saw a face happier than that. Is junior alright? He wanted to ask himself. Yet, before he could, a feeling submerged in his heart unleashed. Fierce, unrelenting, more so delighting.


    Why am I proud now...stupid.


    His sight recovered and the beams of light ended, only to restart with the offensive of the munchur again. The thing, for the first time till it came, opened the huge mouth on its belly wide. Gaobun flinched a little at the disgusting scene. Many fangs and tongues swirled inside the mouth, alongside a green substance that looked like vomit. It bubbled, or boiled, and the dark-green mist it released corroded even the air itself.


    Gaobun felt no more excitement or fear now. His heart had only two feelings, pride and contentment. With a smile on his lips, he blurred into action. He relieved the lance altogether and let it disappear. As it faded into nothingness, another shape came into being in his hands. They were a pair of swords, blazing with the same blue flames. The hilt of the swords burned with the yellow fire, but this time another color accompanied them.Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions.


    Ash-color. The flame did not create the blade nor the grip nor the hilt. It existed in another level from the dimension they were in, like a phantom or a ghost or a god. Yet, if it came into the same reality, it would sure extinguish every flame it glanced on. Such was the power of Ash Canyon.


    Eruption Of Rage.


    With the first stance of the three attacks of Ash Canyon, he unleashed a series of slashes. The munchur, also, replied with a huge variety of attacks from the tongues inside the mouth. They swirled, shook, slashed, whipped, stabbed, coiled around, and cleaved down. All kinds of attack struck at the same time, but Gaobun fared much better.


    Half circles of flames shot out of each slash like magma and cut through the tongues, some with ease and some with difficulty. Even so, munchur couldn¡¯t stop the onslaught of the flaming swords. They reached right next to its nose and exploded. Eruption Of Tranquility. Gaobun did not stop at there, as he very well knew those flames at most could burn the outer flesh of the monster.


    And it was spot on, indeed, as munchur came out, although not unscathed, still better than the first strike Gaobun unleashed at his arrival. It felt indignant, and angered, and despaired too. Feelings, at last, started to overwhelm its rationale, and this was something Gaobun awaited with great expectations. He knew the first seven teachings of the Windblade from word to word, and he particularly felt obsessed with the last of them.


    If your enemy fights for money, fame, or for an objective then no one can stop you. But if your foe starts to battle for nothing but itself, then fear from the outcome.


    So he struck. The swords in his hands radiated a scorching wave of heat, their temperature rose to another peak, and a faint cry of a phoenix echoed throughout the city. Hearing the sound, munchur trembled, then shouted. It feared from the incoming strike. And Gaobun felt relieved the thing did so.


    Munchur leaped with extraordinary speed and appeared right in front of him, its mouth in belly wide open. The swirling, wounded tongues went crazy and splattered humongous amounts of the green liquid onto Gaobun. Without waiting, Gaobun retreated in haste.


    The liquid burned through anything on its way without exception. It spread out fast, faster than Gaobun could retreat to a safe distance and clashed against his barrier. Gaobun¡¯s scalp tingled at the sight of his half-destroyed barrier. The moment liquid swarmed over, his impatience overcame and without completely casting the ability he stabbed.


    A phoenix¡¯s head appeared out of the sword and flew over with a searing heat. It flew and as it flew, let out cries of anger. This wasn¡¯t the complete Eruption Of Tranquility, he couldn¡¯t pull off the whole spell in an intense fight as such. Still, the power dominated everything in its way without exception.


    Munchur stepped back in fear and tried to avoid it. The phoenix¡¯s head brushed off its shoulders, yet a huge chunk of burnt meat still fell down. This was the second time munchur took huge damage as such, and this made it angrier than ever. It burned with anger, even the heat on its shoulders felt like a cold breeze when compared with the rage inside its heart.


    And Gaobun completely felt it, too. He didn¡¯t want to stake his chances again and cast the third stance, the magic took twice the time the second stance had taken. So, left with no choice, he let go of his abilities. From now on- he thought as he recreated the lance of fire- It will be freestyle.


    He vanished, then appeared right above the monster. Like a teardrop, he fell down and stabbed with ferocity. Ground sunk and rose from the force, them munchur¡¯s head spun from the intense heat. Yet, the instincts kicked in at the same time. Its body acted agile, so fast that even Gaobun had a hard time comprehending the incoming attack, and bolstered itself to the air. It revolved and sent a ferocious kick covered in lightning.


    Gaobun did not hesitate and increased the potency of the flames. They burned brighter than ever and challenged the brilliance of the sun, then collided with the kick. Flames exploded into a ring of fire and covered the skies of the city. Lightning passed through the lance and entered into his body, then the conflict of Qi forced him to stop.


    Munchur did not let go of the opportunity and, while smirking, grasped Gaobun from the head and pulled down. He felt powerless as the knee of the monster crushed his nose and sent him flying. Munchur knew it couldn¡¯t escape by now. There was an oppressive aura on his body, more fearsome than its master. And that being could kill it with nothing but a simple wave of a hand.


    That kind of beings could only be Essence Masters, but they also knew none of its kind should exist here. Then, where did that scary power come from? A shiver passed through munchur¡¯s scalp, and he leaped towards the flying Gaobun again. At least, even a small casualty would be more helpful to their cause.


    With the momentum behind its back, munchur placed his hands together and smashed them down onto Gaobun¡¯s belly. He coughed blood and his body dug into the black soil. The force was enough to crush his bones to bits and flesh to paste, yet it didn¡¯t. Munchur looked in confusion as the man disappeared right before clashing with the earth, then its eyes widened.


    A cold breeze passed through its body as the scenery in front of it changed without any notice. Now, it stood high- higher than the clouds and the mountains- above the skies and faced a duo. The same duo who inspected him. His eyes darted around in a panic, then he heard the man mutter something.


    Instantly, flashes of light covered its sight.


    What-AAGG


    A pain, overbearing than any he felt in its lifetime crushed on munchur. It screamed and shouted, yet with nothing to direct its anger could only flail its arms and legs around. My eyes! MY EYES!


    ¡®¡¯HUGAH-GUA-HH-HAH¡¯¡¯ It could only utter incomprehensible sounds and words from anguish. Munchur wanted it to end right here and now. It wanted to die quick, to escape from this pain. What willpower and bullshit could help him here? All the forsakens told them about how weak were the immortals turned out to be a lie. A big, fat lie.


    ¡®¡¯Space furnace,¡¯¡¯ Then the man spoke, and a huge weight smashed over. Munchur felt like it carried mountains over its shoulder, and it had no choice in the matter. Slowly, its muscles compressed on their own and its bones crushed into bits. The same fate it imagined for Gaobun, happened to itself.


    ¡®¡¯Then, goodbye king of the mountain.¡¯¡¯


    It heard the last words as millions of strings, smaller than needles covered its body, and squeezed. Darkness took over munchur¡¯s mind and its body turned into a bloody mist.


    How can a man have the power of people on the god¡¯s path?


    It had this one last question left unanswered, and it seemed it would be like this for a long long time.

 25-Eye

    After the pretty eventful night for the city management and the other sect disciples, who couldn¡¯t really do anything besides covering in fear or sending their respective elders alerts of help, city lord ordered the work of refurbishment for the northern section of the city. Seasonal workers like roof-cleaners and road-sweepers turned to works like building houses, transporting cement and stones, or some with experience in architecture to replan the fortifications with real masters of the subject.


    Of course, Sid did not really care about how the city¡¯s layout looked like for decades since he came over to govern it. The work itself was tiresome, more so stressing and exhausted his mental capacity, which he liked to spend more on cultivation and family. Yet, he now cared, or had to care, for the imminent threat above them would surely pose a great challenge.


    The challenge he learned from the so-called Infirmary Nurse was a creature, or a half-forsaken, called Archura. A being beautiful and graceful, with generally black or white hair and long bright robes, that could summon wood and earth spirits and devils, and the amount and strength of these monsters did vary around Qi destruction and Path Finding. When you added that properties to the staggering amount of minions he or she could summon, Sid knew what he faced wasn¡¯t a challenge, but a disaster. And in this disaster, he didn¡¯t want any mishap because of his neglection.


    The thing was, neither he nor the measle architects and planners in his city had a feasible solution to the what would be the best order to make somewhat of use of the now empty field. Sid himself had some ideas, respectively being an area to gather and reorganize the military and train some youths, or a place to establish several factories for the new weapon his daughter tried to imitate and half-successfully managed to accomplish.


    But, before consulting to people who knew nothing about his thoughts, for now, he chose to take the advice of his most brilliant daughter, not that he has any other daughter or children.


    His eyes seemed more sunken than yesterday, dark circles supplemented that exhausted look. He took off the golden chainmail armor back at his bedchamber, the voice it created when walking down the empty hallways did not entertain him much. Rather than that, he wore a simple dress that came down to his knees, with the favorite color of his daughter, purple, and a loose grey pants. Not so fashionable for a lord or noble, even more so for the son of an emperor, but who cared other than him and his family?


    So, alongside the thoughts of what to do and when to talk the wizened Cole, he reached in front of his daughter¡¯s room. From the furious sounds of swishing pen and brushing papers, he knew she was on another full-day work. If he were only half as attentive and smart as her, then he would surely have no problem or whatsoever when managing matters like this.


    He knocked on the wide oak door twice, then waited for the girl to open the gates. Yet, she didn¡¯t seem to hear him. With a devilish grin, he opened the door fast enough to scare her and rushed in with heavy steps.


    ¡®¡¯Laila, do you know how long I¡¯ve been waiting?¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Uhh-¡¯¡¯ Laila dropped her pen on the table from shock, slightly waggled and entered into her instant-process mode. Her eyelashes trembled like his sister¡¯s, not visible unless one inspected at will, and the scattered hair on her shoulders reminded him of her mother, again. He tried hard to suppress the impulse to pat her hair, then sighed as she spoke.


    ¡®¡¯Umm, for a few seconds?¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Then-¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯You knocked twice, or once.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Well, okay you win.¡¯¡¯ Although he didn¡¯t know what she won, he felt like he lost some dignity. Why couldn¡¯t he be a rough, harsh father like Cole or Russell? Well, a certain father reminded him of the consequences of being a ruthless one, and surely getting harsh was the first steps to being one like that father. His mood dampened quite a lot from the reminiscence, yet the cheerful cute girl in front of him also swelled up his happiness quite well.


    ¡®¡¯So dad, what is the matter today?¡¯¡¯ He caught up the fact that Laila probed his face, especially the circles and wrinkles around his eyes and cheeks. She offered him a seat right beside hers, next to the table filled with pens, drawings, notes, and so on. As he sat down, Sid felt proud for a moment, then spoke.


    ¡®¡¯You know about yesterday.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Yep, mom almost died from a heart attack.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Don¡¯t talk so lightly about her health,¡¯¡¯ He sighed, ¡®¡¯Well, since we have a pretty big area leftover from all the chaos, I thought I could implement some of your ideas about those cannons and such.¡¯¡¯


    Her eyes brightened and her limps trembled. It was moments like this that reminded Sid, his Laila was still a child. Although he treated her more like an adult, since most of her works and researches benefited the city more than him, still giving hard responsibilities as such to her seemed harsh. It pained him a little, but just a little though. He could bear with that much.


    ¡®¡¯Did you find the wood? Do we also have the money to request some helping hands from the Cindersnow city or sect?¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯For the first, we can find a substitute.¡¯¡¯ He started to explain. ¡®¡¯Since its declaration time, some woods at the further south, specifically at the foot of the Mountain Of Emperors, saw some changes in nature.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯How did you inspect them?¡¯¡¯ Laila entered into her full-seriousness mode instantly. ¡®¡¯I thought no ordinary man can get near the mountains, even so far as to investigate.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Well, we sent Russell and the newcomer to look them up.¡¯¡¯


    Laila frowned, and he had a premonition she guessed what was up. Although Sid knew it didn¡¯t matter at this point. If she asked, he would answer with the truth. And if she didn¡¯t ask, well...there was nothing he could do then.


    ¡®¡¯Alright, what was the difference?¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯They absorb the Qi like how humans breathe. Rather than a full revolution to reinforce the internal structure of the body, they release the Qi back and reaffirm the natural Qi around them.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Dad, what do you mean by reaffirm? Can you not create random words out of nothing?¡¯¡¯


    Sid flashed a bitter smile and hung his head a bit lower. ¡®¡¯I mean, there is a natural barrier around every living being that''s associated with Qi, right?¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Yep.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯These things don¡¯t. Instead of a barrier, they have a force field of some sort that gives back what they¡¯d taken with more potency and purity. So, the air around them gets reaffirmed, and when they breathe again, the same air purifies more and more.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Then this means they can support a foreign consciousness inside their body?¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Well, yeah. We still need to figure out whether we will need a full tree or how long one piece of wood needs to accommodate one, but yes. They can.¡¯¡¯


    Laila beamed. Sid wanted to laugh a bit as well, but the girl shoved him out of the chair the same instant. ¡®¡¯Well, dad, if it is so then you may go as well.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯But about the second point-¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯You can do whatever you wish on that. I don¡¯t know how those trade and political things work too, so get over it on your own.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Ahem, alright then.¡¯¡¯ Sid stood up and patted her hair to satisfy his wicked desire. ¡®¡¯Also, you need to make those things work in two weeks, if not then all will go to waste.¡¯¡¯You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.


    ¡®¡¯Other than that, dad,¡¯¡¯ Laila did not mind his words and spoke with a whisper, ¡®¡¯Was it intentional?¡¯¡¯


    Sid knew what he feared came. She knew after all. Of course, being the attentive genius she is, there was no way she couldn¡¯t realize his purpose.


    ¡®¡¯Partly, I expected a bigger fish.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯A bigger fish huh? I think you became too greedy, dad.¡¯¡¯ She smirked, ¡®¡¯Well, to use a monster to clear away the burden on supply might not be that bad of an idea.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯But don¡¯t you fear that the Cindersnow¡¯s people won¡¯t report you?¡¯¡¯


    Sid turned to face his daughter, his face grave and somber. He wanted to tell how he felt, how much he was afraid of that possibility, and how much he was ready to give up his right to protect both her and her mother. But, he chose not. He was a fool, and only a fool would say:


    ¡®¡¯When did I fear them?¡¯¡¯


    And she knew he was an idiot, even beyond of some normal people in that regard. Yet she still loved him, and he loved his daughter. That was why she did not judge his decision and didn¡¯t say this wasn''t the best option. She just smiled, then nodded. This, this simple motion, gave him a relief, and lessened the burden on his shoulders.


    ¡®¡¯Though I don¡¯t quite understand, why didn¡¯t you trap the monster in the barrier and scorched it with that guy¡¯s flames?¡¯¡¯ She inquired about the other matter, ¡®¡¯Isn¡¯t it a waste? Surely, he would be better in fine condition rather than wounded.¡¯¡¯


    This time, Sid smirked at her daughter. Laila seemed to realize something, then spoke her mind.


    ¡®¡¯You wanted to see his limits?¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯No,¡¯¡¯ He grinned and left the room after sending a bright smile. ¡®¡¯Not him, but the other¡¯s.¡¯¡¯ With that, he closed the doors and left his daughter alone, in confusion.


    *********


    In consideration of the events of the yesterday, the college declared a two-day holiday to both staff and the disciples of the school. Although Ubel had doubts that the choice wasn¡¯t really out of consideration, he did not mind staying idle for a day or two after the frightening night. What he saw was bound to be something he would remember for a long time, if not for a lifetime. And he wasn¡¯t alone in that aspect. An example was his friend, Kowalski, right beside him. Quite possibly, he bore a mental scar as well. His family¡¯s house was infinitely close to the area of destruction and them faring well was a big relief for him. He wondered how his family reacted to the situation since most people he saw stood either shocked or wailed for the losses.


    Ubel didn¡¯t know what would Kowalski do if his family passed away like many others.


    Well, this did not matter and he was just a moment short of learning his family¡¯s situation he wondered, as Kowalski invited him for lunch. He accepted with pleasure, of course. Homemade meals were something he missed after leaving for the sect, and he felt a subtle longing for the same taste of his grandma¡¯s cooking.


    I shouldn¡¯t expect much Ubel told himself many times on the way, but the feeling remained and so did his expectation. I wonder what grandma is doing now. Maybe she was doing well on her own, the vegetables of the small garden should still suffice for another year or so. Her health was bad, very bad, but he didn¡¯t think she would pass away that quick. Since she was a mother who raised both his son and his son¡¯s child without depending on anyone.


    A strong-willed woman like her would make an excellent immortal.


    Why did I think of that?


    The question remained unanswered as they came in front of their destination. It was a simple Tudor house, the roof comprised of tiles and a pair of chimneys, placed a decent width apart to look symmetric, and the rest of the main structure was either timber and brick. It seemed simple and unassuming the remnants of the other buildings a few meters away, it would look quite lovely with other counterparts that stretched all the way to the Claudius¡¯ last stand.


    Kowalski didn¡¯t even need to knock or call for anyone as the door opened the moment they arrived. A middle-aged woman, who looked like a midwife with still splendid dark hair greeted them. Contrary to her stature, however, the clothes she wore, a long dress with long sleeves and adorned with a jewel embed belt, contrasted with the small pairs of bracelets and rings on her pair of arms and fingers made her a perfect candidate for a wealthy noble.


    Her manners did not indicate as such, though.


    ¡®¡¯Oh is this your friend, dear?¡¯¡¯ She directly inquired and took her son in a warm, death-lock hug. ¡®¡¯Welcome, welcome. I heard you helped him a little bit at this and that, I¡¯m so grateful!¡¯¡¯ She approached him with the same opened arms, and he would have gladly returned the embrace back if it wasn¡¯t for the sight of poor Kowalski, struggling to breathe with a reddened face.


    ¡®¡¯Umm, your welcome...I guess?¡¯¡¯ He evaded her move and hid behind Kowalski. Now now, Ubel didn¡¯t think he would ever run away from a hearty welcome. The woman seemed crestfallen for a moment, and her eyes gave Ubel a fright. Still, she recovered in an instant and led them in.


    Keeping his distance from her, Ubel inspected the inside and felt a strange, pleasant sensation, like a seasoned veteran of furnishing. One couldn¡¯t help but appreciate the fine location of portraits between small windows and the candlesticks. He wondered why Quan didn¡¯t decorate their residence like this. A feast to the eye should be always welcome.


    ¡®¡¯Oh, these are all my children,¡¯¡¯ A mother¡¯s frightening sixth sense was quick to pick up their interests. Her pace slowed down, though they were almost at the end of the road, and started introducing.


    ¡®¡¯This is my daughter Stacy, she passed away at the age of eight,¡¯¡¯ She said with a bitter smile. Her gaze betrayed more than her face and Ubel felt sorry for the woman.


    ¡®¡¯Then this is my other son, Leo. He also died at the age of eight,¡¯¡¯ Her expression didn¡¯t change and she continued. ¡®¡¯This is my second daughter, Ramla. She committed suicide at her eighth birthday.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯This is my third daughter, Elanora. She got struck by lightning right before her 9th birthday...¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯This is my fourth son, John. He died at the hands of the bandits while he was eight...¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯This...¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯He...¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯...and at last, my seventh daughter Mala.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯She is?¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Oh she is fine and well, we celebrated her tenth birthday last month. Quite a rascal, but she is still better than the impish Kowalski.¡¯¡¯ Her expression brightened at the mention of her two alive children, and Ubel didn¡¯t dare to continue such a horrifying conversation. What kind of a disaster fell on their family that thirteen children died at the age of eight? Was there something wrong with eight? Were they cursed? Should he alert Quan?


    ¡®¡¯Well, but this is not important, isn¡¯t it? Since Mala is staying at her friend¡¯s today, there is more for you to eat.¡¯¡¯ After that, she entered into the kitchen. Nothing special, same with their house only there were two more shelves filled with food. Sitting down at the full decorated table, filled with bacon, an interesting choice for lunch, eggs, freshly fried fish, another interesting one, two loaves of bread, white cheese, and olives. There were two more dishes, probably handmade as he didn¡¯t know of them, so he didn¡¯t bother to name them.


    ¡®¡¯Mother, you sit down I¡¯ll take care of it.¡¯¡¯ Kowalski forced her mother to rest and put her on the head-seat. He picked up the steam puffing kettle and three cups for tea and placed them down. While he was busy with preparing the drink, Kowalski¡¯s mother turned to Ubel.


    ¡®¡¯Well dear, how was your day?¡¯¡¯ Ubel felt grateful for a moment since she picked up a non-pressuring and ordinary question to start.


    ¡®¡¯Fine, m¡¯am-¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Miss Frey, My name is Frey Thothater. Kowalski, don¡¯t tell me you didn¡¯t talk about us to him?¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Sorry mother, we were just busy with lessons and work and all.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯At least you could have said my name-oh sorry.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Don¡¯t worry, Mrs. Frey.¡¯¡¯ Ubel felt beads of sweat form on his forehead. Was this how all mothers were like? He couldn¡¯t help but fear a bit, although he didn¡¯t know what was wrong with her words.


    ¡®¡¯Well, if it is fine then that¡¯s fine.¡¯¡¯ She smiled and took the bubbling cup of tea from Kowalski. ¡®¡¯What do you think of my tea?¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Delicious-!!¡¯¡¯ Ubel took a gulp and flinched on his chair. Although the taste was brilliant, the heat almost burned his throat. Calming himself down with the glass of water Kowalski gave, he sat upright again. ¡®¡¯Are there any special leaves or spice in it? I can taste a slight bitterness amidst the mint.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Of course, the leaves are special. They come from the capital Karnival. The plantations for them and farms of vegetables they grow in are pretty high quality.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Oh?¡¯¡¯ After Ubel took a bite from the bacon, he couldn¡¯t help but yelp. How was this so tasty? ¡®¡¯Are these also?¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Yes, don¡¯t you know about it? All vegetables and meat come from the Karnival. Of course, the two-star dynasty is the biggest supplier of the food on the continent.¡¯¡¯ Her words trailed off to some matters about how they traded with Karnival and villages at its vicinity, the production, and growth of something something and something something. Really, the knowledge about the center of the continent and its surroundings was actually pretty valuable, since neither Gaobun nor Quan talked about them. In the sect, only disciples who came back from missions knew the deal but they, too, refrained from talking much.


    Ubel didn¡¯t know the reason for their attitude and the perplexing difficulty of acquiring that knowledge inside the sect didn¡¯t give a good vibe. But Ubel didn¡¯t want to dampen his mood in a pleasant occasion as such. The taste of those two dishes he didn¡¯t know carried the same traces of his grandmother¡¯s meals, and the joy he felt from that alone was enough to disregard that train of thought.


    So their talk continued for a good hour, even after the meal. He helped Kowalski to wash the dishes and tidy up the table, and Miss Frey gave them a plate of dessert as a reward. Their conversation lasted a bit more than fifteen minutes, then all trio in the room almost collapsed on the floor.


    A tremor passed through the city, no- the whole world at the same time. The remnants of the leftover buildings and the newly constructed foundations of the houses collapsed once more. In every home and every street, people fell on their knees and faces, and people weaker in constitution even coughed blood.


    Mortals and immortals alike did the same thing, and a defiant roar echoed out from the blotting sky. Mountain Of Emperors shook, then a burst of maniac laughter resounded in every corner of the three continents.


    ¡®¡¯GOD! YOUR EYE IS MINE NOW!¡¯¡¯

 26-Arm

    So here he was again.


    Standing inside the halls he longed for, for thousands of years if not tens of thousands, he gazed  at the pillars made of golden spiked spines and ribs. They supported the transparent metal at the ceiling, and the royal blue of the ocean painted the blood-red marrows of the leftover Deep Sea Kings like a brush on a canvas. He could hear the waves high above the tomb, crashing and colliding and drowning people and islands alike.


    Or they were the sounds of him kicking the bodies down at his feet.


    The pleasant smell could also be their blood and innards.


    He did not mind them and plucked the half-gnawed corpse of the old man¡¯s disciple. He trod on the small set of stairs of the altar, Altar Of Sovereigns. He couldn¡¯t help but shed a tear at the sight of the so magnificent work of art and effort. The silver red linings at its base that reached like tunnels of an underground city to the four small circles around it and the pure white statues on those four, depicting the deities of the beginning. Oh, great lord! How long was it again?


    He asked the same question over and over again with each step, reminiscing about the suffering and sorrow of not being able to reach this point in his life. Even after killing the children of draken when he was a first essence warrior, or right before challenging the old god of beasts, he never thought this moment could come.


    And he felt the utmost joy of, for the first time, disproving himself.


    He came at the center of the linings and the small circles and stood right before the small empty gouge. Teardrops filled the nothingness before the blood of the corpse could, and he felt a deep engraved satisfaction in this accomplishment. Who wouldn¡¯t? He was about to face the greatest and stupidest existence of all, after all.


    He took out the cloak covering his body, and let his face bathe under the few sneaking sunlight among the ocean. His eyelids hid the light-emerald pupils from the world, and his thick eyebrows almost challenged his nose in size. His long red hair fell down to his waist like a waterfall. It covered the belt he fastened around the dark-brown armor he crafted with the scales of draken¡¯s children. There was also a sparkling white dagger, forged with the blood of the late beast god, and the wave-like curves on its edge reflected the horrified face of the young man beneath him.


    He felt pity for him and his master, not because he would sacrifice them.


    They couldn¡¯t live to see what would come now.


    Unsheathing the dagger on his belt, he turned the bloody mess of a body of the man to face him, then slashed at his throat. The splendid dagger easily cut through the still warm neck and separated the body from the head. As the head rolled down the altar, he let the blood flow freely, and in no time, fresh red painted all over the linings. Then a buzzing sound invaded his mind with the brightening of the four statues. He waited. A second, two seconds, three seconds...


    After fifty-nine seconds, the buzzing stopped and a deathly silence filled the tomb.


    Hehehehe!


    He grinned. He couldn¡¯t help it. It was hesitating. But it didn¡¯t hold much longer. The altar brightened again, and a small flame lit on the altar. It sucked all the blood from the environment, excluding the pond outside the altar, and turned into the face of an old man. Though one couldn¡¯t see it in full size, he knew that the beard on his face was longer than it looked. And he also knew the fake smirk on that face was a facade.


    ¡®¡¯So, you decided to become the sovereign¡¯s servant, Su¡¯en?¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯...¡¯¡¯ Su¡¯en did not heed any word of the man, only continued to grin.


    ¡®¡¯Su¡¯en? Su¡¯en Ravindra?¡¯¡¯


    The flame sizzled, then the old face warped into one of horror.


    ¡®¡¯Su¡¯en! You won¡¯t be able to, I wi-¡¯¡¯


    As if cutting the old man¡¯s words in the middle, Su¡¯en pulled the corpse of Windblade with telekinesis and grasped it from the throat. Then he slammed down the body at the small gouge. The wrinkled, old corpse turned into a pool of blood from the force beneath his muscles. He continued to grin, ¡®¡¯HEHEHEHE!¡¯¡¯ His grin turned into something just short of laughter, and the altar started to shake like a boat in the midst of a storm.


    ¡®¡¯Damned forsaken! Then come as you wish!¡¯¡¯ The face in the flame roared, and the flames enveloped the body of the Su¡¯en, tightly wrapped around his limbs and head, then flew into the sky like a ghost. With that, the altar dimmed in light and color, and four statues cracked.


    In the meantime, Su¡¯en inspected the fire around him for a moment. It passed through everything without any hindrance and reached high above the clouds, then surpassed that height. In a few milliseconds, Su¡¯en left the world and found himself amidst the starry sky, under the gaze of the trillions of celestial beings. And among those celestial beings was a particularly distinct, and close, being, so close that he could see its body.


    It sat upon a throne comprising of thousands of mountain-sized moons, stacked together like a lump of meatballs. Donning a long white robe, with no dirt nor words on its torso, the being¡¯s hollow eyes burned with the same fire around his body. Its beard, the most interesting thing he wanted to know, reached the length of a whole world serpent, and it coiled around both its throne and the world he resided in.


    ¡®¡¯Su¡¯en, what do you want to do?¡¯¡¯ God asked, its gaze blazing with an intense ferocity like the rising sun behind its huge physique. But that wasn¡¯t all there was to the god. There was anxiety, hidden behind those slithering tongues of flames covering its eyelids, hardly kept under control by the proficiency and dignity it had gained over millenniums. Being a god wasn¡¯t that easy after all. Su¡¯en expected his adversary to have at least this amount of tenacity when it came to confronting someone of his caliber.


    And he wasn¡¯t being arrogant by saying that. That was confidence, the pure materialization of his efforts and power accumulated over the time no less than his foe at the front; and Su¡¯en also believed that the thing, god, in front of him knew when and how to differentiate these two things.


    ¡®¡¯I came for something.¡¯¡¯ He did not act polite.


    ¡®¡¯What is the something so important that you had to come over to my feet, then act this presumptuous?¡¯¡¯ It almost shouted, but god¡¯s voice faltered towards the end of its words. ¡®¡¯Now tell me, and I won¡¯t shred your soul into billions of pieces this instant!¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯First, you don¡¯t have that power,¡¯¡¯ Su¡¯en simply revealed the truth, or what he believed to be the truth. Of course, the lack of fear and reverence the god received made it restless, yet more so humiliated. When did its playthings, the puppets it watched from afar since the sovereigns assigned it to this planet, got strong enough to rebel? Su¡¯en also intended to reveal that, but god had no such intention.


    ¡®¡¯Cease-¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Second, I will tell you now.¡¯¡¯ With that, after interrupting god¡¯s speech, Su¡¯en took out one of the seven rings donning his fingers, then sent his consciousness into the folded space inside. Among many treasures, spirits, souls, demons, angels, materials, and so on he instantly found the thing he had been looking for.


    Under god¡¯s gaze, Su¡¯en took out a small scroll, old and dusty and shriveled, with an air that carried ages upon its shoulders. The texture, tattered and covered by many hands from many races; the imprints of those slender, rough, soft, long, and small fingers, carried on their existence on the fabric that read God Decree.


    ¡®¡¯You-How come you have a decree? Where did you get sovereigns¡¯ power!?¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Just picked it up from an old woman,¡¯¡¯ He sneered and completely opened the scroll. With the oscillating of the sheet came four different manifestations of power; Light, dark, life, death. Su¡¯en knew what he had to utter to become the new king of the world or to become an overseer candidate to be something like the man in front of him. But he chose another thing, he chose to be free.


    And that freedom came from a hard and arduous choice that would suffer millions in both continents, with the complete death of the third. Yet, to reach that point of salvation no other person knew, or was aware but chose to ignore, the simple act of sacrificing normal people did not seem that a heavy decision.If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    Especially when the dying people would be neither immortals or forsakens, but the creations of the it who almost collapsed from the fright.


    ¡®¡¯God, your eye is mine now!¡®¡®


    *********


    Leopold tree¡¯s branches slithered around Cinder¡¯s wrinkled wrist like a docile pet. They vibrated every time a small pop sounded out of the huge fissure that now covered the sky.


    ¡®¡¯I understand, but you don¡¯t need to fear.¡¯¡¯ Cinder tried to console the young spirit and patted its trunk. It replied with a soft rustling of leaves and retracted a few of its branches. It didn¡¯t forget leaving behind a small pile of leaves on his head though.


    ¡®¡¯Haha, it¡¯s not the time to act playful.¡¯¡¯ After smiling, his gaze hardened and the Qi inside him erupted into several streaks of lines. In what seemed like an instant, these invisible strands of lights touched upon the borders of the scar upon the sky and transmitted whatever they could absorb to his body.


    Then another popping sound, louder than the past pops, echoed and the strands of lights collapsed.


    Cinder couldn¡¯t help but frown at the aura of the things inside that fissure. They were strong, stronger than any other person or thing he encountered, but not necessarily so than the personas he read about. What mattered was the former situation though. What kind of a conflict two beings at that level faced off for worried him more than knowing the existence of two such beings. Well, after all, he also knew someone as strong as those two. It was the woman who spoke and ordered to him every once in a while.


    ¡®¡¯Hey! Cinder! Old man!?¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Oh?¡¯¡¯ Cinder let out a sigh, then responded back to the Qi transmission. ¡®¡¯What¡¯s it, Snow?¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯What¡¯s it? WHAT¡¯S IT!? Are you dumb Cinder? Mountain almost fell into the ocean because of that thing! Where the hell were you at that time?¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Oh Snow, you know I¡¯m always busy. Also, both you and the girl Light were there to support it. Why do you complain about that?¡¯¡¯


    Snow sounded offended and angrier than ever as he cussed out some words not appropriate for Cinder to recount, then took a deep breath to calm himself.


    ¡®¡¯Huuuuuu-anyway. I saw you send up some traces of Qi.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Oh, how perceptive.¡¯¡¯


    Snow paused for a moment, then asked in a quiet voice: ¡®¡¯...did you find anything?¡¯¡¯ The young Snow¡¯s irresistible fondness of random compliments made him quite easy to please and soothe, and Cinder used this to its fullest every time he upset the boy. Of course, he wasn¡¯t a villain enough to use it much.


    At least not that much.


    ¡®¡¯I felt the essence of a mountain. It was overbearing, even more than you.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Now that is interesting,¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Interesting indeed. But there is something more fearsome than that. Some kind of energy different from Qi and Buyuh.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Hm? Is it like the mana of rainbow phantoms, then? Or can you explain the properties of it? And more fearsome? That is no laughing matter now. Even I would feel threatened by something stronger than a mountain essence.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯...can you stop your rambling?¡¯¡®


    ¡®¡¯Ummm, no?¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Haah-I can¡¯t understand that much from a brief contact, boy Snow. You can try for yourself if you want to know more but-¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯But?¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯It is indeed more like the mana of rainbow phantoms.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Now that is interesting and worrying. Alright old Cinder, Light is calling for me. There is a huge mess of disciples, some brats actually shit themselves on the disciple hall. Oh my god- it is disgusting. This is fu-¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Take care boy.¡¯¡¯


    With that, he severed the connection with the snow and let out another sigh. It would be better if he stopped reminding my old age. He wasn¡¯t old, wasn¡¯t he? I mean, even Leopold tree looks older than me-


    He felt the tugging of a branch on his robe¡¯s neck, and Cinder just laughed it off.


    ¡®¡¯How perceptive indeed, all of you.¡¯¡¯


    It was then Cinder suddenly shook, no the whole mountain shook once more. Waves rose on the ocean below and the seas inland, then the fissure grew in size.


    ¡®¡¯Indeed!¡¯¡¯ His voice bordering a shout, Cinder stood up and stomped on the ground. Instantly, his Qi acted like ghosts and infiltrated the stabilizing formation of the mountain. With several surges of Qi, the formation¡¯s destabilization ceased. He felt the Qi strand of Snow reach out to him once more, but he did not pay it any heed and severed it again.


    Because something else caught his attention.


    ¡®¡¯MY EYE! GIV-¡¯¡¯


    A huge hand appeared from the humongous fissure, covered in a blood-stained white robe, and shot towards a black dot that was falling down from the fissure. Hm? Cinder revolved the Qi inside his meridians in a hurried manner and launched hundreds of Qi surges to home down on the beholder of the mountain essence.


    They couldn¡¯t get close, however, as a domineering force field sprang out of the arm to trap the essence holder. ¡®¡¯-E ME MY EYE BACK!¡¯¡¯ With that, the pure white fingers of the arm clenched around the holder and crushed the space around it to dust.


    The force did not stop there and kept going over to the western continent. Then Cinder watched with his third eye, in amazement and horror, as it struck.


    Land spontaneously turned into a hell of fire and dust as the continent sunk a few hundred meters. The few scarce hills and mountains on it collapsed over the tribal cities and towns of the barbarians and the sea tides and tsunamis washed over the shores.


    Although he could only observe with his third eye, and couldn¡¯t even see the silhouette of the continent clearly, Cinder somehow heard the sorrow and the wails of the people. His heart did not sting at the imaginary sounds, however. He didn¡¯t care about a handful of useless failures dying under such a graceful exemplary of power. And the people in there also did not care for him, they cared only for their futile attempts at survival.


    With that, more and more ocean water seeped inside the land cracks and the land sunk more and more inside the body of water. In a matter of minutes, the entire world witnessed a new level of power.


    A power that could change the geographical structure of a whole world.


    And that strength¡¯s display was one of another shock as well. After the continent disappeared inside the waters, with some land masses left as little islands here and there, the clenched arm also stopped moving. A brilliant light shone inside the arm, then exploded into a bloody moon.


    ¡®¡¯WHAT!?¡¯¡¯


    Cinder¡¯s jaw dropped as the clenched hand seperated from the wrist by the unforeseen attack. The red light of a full moon that darkened the skies struck over and over again until the fingers fell off one by one, then the same streak of light enveloped the holder of the mountain essence.


    ¡®¡¯NO! I WON¡¯T LOSE MY ARM AS WEL-¡¯¡¯


    It lost its arm, though.


    The fissure collapsed into inside in a instant and retracted like a tide after striking the shores. The fissure shrunk around the elbow of the arm and continued to pressure it. Then with a pop sound, the fissure closed and the remnants of the arm fell into the ocean alongside the continent.


    Cinder stood without any reaction, like millions who watched the same scene and awoke from his stupor by a Qi transmission.


    ¡®¡¯Cinder, come to see me inside the Life-Exchange Formation.¡¯¡¯ It was a stoic, soulless voice with no other attribute fitting more than coldness. Cinder shivered, then replied with the utmost respect from his heart.


    ¡®¡¯Yes, Ancestor!¡¯¡¯


    *********


    Tulpar flew across the skies and watched the arm fell down into the ocean, then swooped down to dive into the water. Her wings did not stop moving as she dived down and sent a strand of her consciousness to envelope the god¡¯s arm, then sent it into the folded space inside her belly. She did not collect the remnant blood, as they would help the world renew the Qi source of the mother earth.


    ¡®¡¯Is this enough?¡¯¡¯ She asked as she stormed outside the water and flew towards the southern continent.


    ¡®¡¯Yes, thank you.¡¯¡¯ The man on her back said, then she let out a snort.


    ¡®¡¯No need. With this, my debt is gone.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Still...thank you.¡¯¡¯ Su¡¯en said before falling unconscious on her back.


    Tulpar trembled, then fell silent.


    Her destination was the Garden Of Life.


    And she wasn''t sure whether she could stay calm in this silence.


    *********


    Inside the Hall Of Revenge, amidst the blood-colored pillars adorned with white and golden jewels and dragon inscribed statues, on top of a throne made of highest grade divine metal, A forsaken looked down at his kneeling subjects inside the room numbering in thousands.


    ¡®¡¯High King is coming back!¡¯¡¯ He said as his eyes shined with fervent fanaticism. ¡®¡¯And we need a good tribute to please his broad heart!¡¯¡¯


    His subjects, most elite warriors of his territory cheered alongside and stood upright without the orders of their liege. They knew what he would say, and acted always according to that. Even tiring the vocal cords of their master was an offense when they had a way not to do it.


    ¡®¡¯So we will give him the biggest of the joys!¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯We will give him the biggest of the glory!¡¯¡¯ His warriors chanted back, and he let out a huge smile.


    ¡®¡¯Then go! Go assist those half-breeds and lowly beasts to knock down the mighty pedestals of the mortal immortals!¡¯¡¯ They roared, their voices shook the hall and the people alike, and they left. He knew they would mount the wyverns in a short moment and depart for the countless cities bordering the continent. He felt relieved and slumped back on his throne.


    And when the High King comes back, we all will reach that salvation! We won¡¯t put up with the measly life force and Buyuh. He thought to himself.


    Then we will see, Cindersnow, who triumphs over the other.


    We will see.


    *********

 27-Ripple

    Ubel finally stood up after the earth-shaking tremor passed away. He remained vigilant for a moment, awaiting another wave of vibration or something more, possibly an attack or an alert. But what he awaited did not come. Instead, he heard the yell of Kowalski, who kneeled in front of her collapsed mother.


    Quickly turning around, Ubel crawled to their side as he tried to regain his sense of balance. Kowalski did not try the same, his eyes were stuck on his mother¡¯s now paling skin. Her breathing was erratic, Ubel did not need to inspect long enough to know her heart must have suffered from some kind of trauma to stop beating for a moment.


    ¡®¡¯Ubel!¡¯¡¯ Kowalski cried as some tears condensed at the rear of his eyes. He gripped her shoulders and rested her head on his thighs to support her, then he called out once more. ¡®¡¯You are better in treatment than me. Please help, I don¡¯t know how to get her heart to beat again!¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Then stop talking and be silent.¡¯¡¯ That was the exact opposite of the truth. Ubel had the knowledge, more than he actually guessed too. But Kowalski always fared better than him in practical lessons. Yet, Ubel knew the guy couldn¡¯t think that straight when his mother was in danger.


    Kowalski shut his mouth after seeing a slight irritation on Ubel¡¯s face, yet a flower of hope bloomed inside his heart as well. He doesn¡¯t worry, it seems this is only some small trouble for him. His main relieving point was, Ubel did not seem as concerned as he was.


    But contrary to his expectations, Ubel¡¯s insides were messier than he thought. Ubel found it hard to suppress the anxiety and the passing yet continuous notions of She will die, you can¡¯t treat her, you should seek help! Inside his mind. But he had to. He would be a damn fool if he couldn¡¯t save miss Frey, especially when he identified the problem.


    Yet how? That was the problem. He did not have any herbs that triggered the blood flow, nor did he knew of any techniques that could create a shock or force to reawaken the heart...another shock. Another trauma.


    Aren¡¯t they the same?


    All he had to do was create another trauma that could operate the heart back to its original state, and he knew of such a thing. Qi could act as a vessel for elements, all elements in nature were in the first place pure states of Qi. That was why, although, with some special circumstances and breathing techniques, immortals could control and bend the elements inside nature.


    He couldn¡¯t imitate lightning or thunder, they were extreme oppositions of his main force water. But he could definitely try to create ripples, or soundwaves, not strong enough to burst the heart into a pool yet powerful enough to alert the nervous system. It seemed feasible, but being feasible wasn¡¯t enough.


    Do I have a choice though?


    He swished the sleeves of his purple robe to his elbow and clutched the ribbons around miss Frey¡¯s cloth. With a slow motion, he unveiled the piece of underwear underneath. Ubel gazed into Kowalski¡¯s eyes for approval, and seeing that he did not mind, he pulled down until a part of her left chest was visible. The pinkish tinge on her slightly pale skin seemed more seductive than he supposed it to be.


    Ubel did not care for that though. He put his index and middle fingers together on her left chest, a bit higher than the swaying brown nipple. Then rotating his Qi and leading it to his forehead, his third-eye opened. Looking around the house for a moment to see traces of Qi, he gelt pleased to see no huge obstruction could interrupt him.


    After being sure with that, his Qi flowed into his two fingers. The steady stream of motes of lights gathered until even his polished nails were invisible from the mass of energy.


    Then he released the amassed amount in little amounts from the index finger. Like a drop of rain dripping from a rooftop, they fell down on the frozen heart. Right before they crashed down, another surge of Qi spread from his middle finger and staved the condensed drop, turning it into a ripple.


    The ripple scattered on the surface of the heart, then a loud cough broke his concentration.


    Miss Frey let out another cough, and a few trickles of blood seeped out of her mouth. ¡®¡¯Mother?¡¯¡¯ Kowalski tried to lift her a bit higher to rest her head on his shoulder, but her coughs continued. ¡®¡¯Mother?!¡¯¡¯ Kowalski almost shouted, but miss Frey managed to lift her hand to ensure him, though her arms flailed around like a leave.


    ¡®¡¯I will carry my mother upstairs,¡¯¡¯ Kowalski urged him as he took hold of her mother by the back and legs, carrying her with no strain while resting her still body leaned on his chest. ¡®¡¯Stay down here for a moment, then...we will think something about what happened.¡¯¡¯ Once her mother seemed healthy enough, Kowalski¡¯s worries also vanished the same as well. Surprisingly, for Ubel at least, his demeanor took a horrific change in turn. It wasn¡¯t that he didn¡¯t like it though, it was good.


    At least in the two minutes of Kowalski¡¯s absence, Ubel found the time to calm his heart and sort his thoughts. He did not know what happened, and his eagerness to let himself loose on the now chaotic seeming streets was hard to suppress. He heard some loud noises still. They were the cause of his curiosity, as well as the itch to find out. His heart shook once more as a shrill cry and a series of shouts sounded outside the door, right at the neighbourhood¡¯s bakery at the opposite he guessed.


    Then came down Kowalski, also startled by the vicious voices as well like him, and approached him with a weary expression. The tremor didn¡¯t only affect her mother. Ubel fared much better, just a slight headache and nothing more after a few seconds. Kowalski, in turn, looked a bit pale and tired, hence his I¡¯m done face. Then a thought struck him.


    I¡¯m fine because I¡¯m a path finder, and he is a Qi destructioneer. Then what about other mortals like miss Frey?


    His first thoughts trailed off to his grandma, to the helpless woman who possibly had no thing or person to help her. She was old, and she was weak. Weaker than even normal old, healthy people he saw in here. So she must have suffered. And knowing that she suffered did not help Ubel to stay sedated. Total opposite, even Kowalski saw the distress now painted over his face.


    ¡®¡¯Ubel, are you fine?¡¯¡¯ His voice was the same, low and pushed out of throat with effort more than it took in usual times. ¡®¡¯Ubel?!¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯No, I¡¯m fine- on the contrary, we should go outside immediately.¡¯¡¯ Ubel severed that train of thought before succumbing, even though it came back over and over again.


    ¡®¡¯We should wait here,¡¯¡¯ Kowalski scratched his head, unfazed by the cries now louder than ever.


    ¡®¡¯But we can help them, Kowalski.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Yes! But we might even be a hindrance to rescue teams, it will be better to stay here.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Are you being a coward right now?¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Wha- of course not! I think of our safety, who knows what is happening outside now?¡¯¡¯


    Ubel smiled a bit, ¡®¡¯That¡¯s why we need to go outside.¡¯¡¯ He then took a few steps towards the door, his hand almost at the reach of the brown wooden handle of the gate, and turned to look Kowalski again. ¡®¡¯If you fear for miss Frey, then alright.¡¯¡¯If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    ¡®¡¯I prefer here,¡¯¡¯ Kowalski shrugged at last and let go of his fake fury. ¡®¡¯And yes, for me my mother¡¯s safety is the foremost priority. That baker and his wife can go die.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Oh, calm down.¡¯¡¯ Ubel didn¡¯t know what kind of enmity they had with the bakery, nor did he want to inquire about it. ¡®¡¯I will take a quick look, then come back if I¡¯m really unable to do something.¡¯¡¯ With that, he twirled the handle and slammed the door to the side.


    ¡®¡¯Ubel!¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯I just wanted to do it, and it is not the type to open outside!¡¯¡¯ After retaliating, he took a step outside, then turned back again.


    ¡®¡¯Can you tell what you want in one go, please? Don¡¯t do it in installments.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯You might want to check on your sister, too. Wasn¡¯t she with her friends?¡¯¡¯


    Kowalski¡¯s face warped into horror, then anxiety. ¡®¡¯How did I forget!? And my father!¡¯¡¯ Ubel leaned to the smooth wall and Kowalski sprinted out the door, with eyes telling both gratitude and soothing in anger.


    I can deal with that later...


    Although he tried to lower the tension with that, his own worries did not lessen. Ubel knew Kowalski was right at putting forward her mother¡¯s life over others¡¯. That was the most suitable thing, both emotionally and rationally. Yet his attitude still pissed him off for a moment. Prioritizing something and ignoring were two different matters, and Ubel knew Kowalski¡¯s behavior stemmed from the latter.


    Taking one last glance to the inside, he whispered Embodiment, and a whirlpool of Qi appeared in front of his eyes. The slimy substance revolved on the ground, then rose as high as three meters. A foul odor, like a rotten corpse or a bloodied meat, came to the light with a huge burly body made out of pure darkness. Bulging metal like muscles, two spiked shoulder pads gleaming under the clouded sunlight and a piece of cloth covering waist down below, reaching to the knees. The attire seemed the same, Ubel didn¡¯t expect any kind of change to the Embodiment in this short time. But disappointment was still there.


    Take care of the lady. He ordered from his consciousness and the Embodiment nodded, then vanished. He felt its presence inside a room right above, and he could feel a relaxing feeling from the link between their minds. The image of the three-meter giant laying down and spreading its legs on a table seemed fitting to that feeling, and to a scary degree at that.


    After handling the matter and putting his heart at ease for a moment, he, at last, left the house.


    The first thing he saw was a few men, dressed in white and blue striped robes fitting to their size, a few of them even tight, running down the crowded street with medicines and pill bottles in their hands. Behind them came two different carriages with same attired people leading them, and from the faint shaking and gurgling sounds inside Ubel could assume that they filled them with the same contents in their hands.


    Further below, down towards Claudius¡¯ Last Stand, a myriad of peasants and civilians filled the streets or doorsteps. Some had a hard time standing up alone, some collapsed right there with blood trickling or seeping out of their orifices. A few also had wounds on their head, neck, wrist, arm, ankle, and every possible open skin. Perhaps the result of suddenly falling down from the shock, Ubel thought and trod towards the oncoming group he assumed to be the rescue team.


    Though someone lunged at them before he could come close.


    ¡®¡¯Please help me, sir! My child got wounded, her eyes won¡¯t open!¡¯¡¯ A woman held the forefront man, the guide or leader from the foot while kneeling.


    ¡®¡¯We will help, please get out of the way.¡¯¡¯ The man said and shook his leg, but the woman stuck stubborn. ¡®¡¯Sir! Please, esteemed sir!¡¯¡¯ Tears dripped down her wizened cheeks, then wetted the man¡¯s cloth.


    ¡®¡¯Get out of the way!¡¯¡¯ He snapped pretty quick, then sent a kick. The poor woman squealed and crashed to the fence covering her house, clutching her stomach while begging ¡®¡¯Sir...please sir...¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯What are you doing!?¡¯¡¯ Ubel approached the man, failing to restrict his fury at the event. The man cast a sidelong glance at him, then deemed him unworthy of attention and opened one of the bottles. He took two pills, green colored with auras of wood, and threw them in front of the woman.


    Ubel stopped at there, his gaze still lingering on the feet the man kicked the poor woman, but did not liberate his emotions again. Instead, he followed along with the now departing group and inspected their actions. They seemed irritated from his presence, which mattered nothing to Ubel. He crossed his arms in front, then came right beside the foreleader.


    ¡®¡¯What is your name?¡¯¡¯ The man didn¡¯t respond, then quickened his steps. ¡®¡¯Hey,¡¯¡¯ Ubel called again, keeping up with him. ¡®¡¯If you¡¯re not saying, then where do you belong?¡¯¡¯ Frowning, man wiggled the strands of hair on his forehead, then replied with ¡®¡¯Can you not bother me? I am trying to do my work here.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯So your work is kicking civilians and secreting their medicine?¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Yes, that is my job.¡¯¡¯ Ubel flinched. This man didn¡¯t seem to lie. His eyes didn¡¯t shake nor his voice changed. Of course, Ubel wasn¡¯t an expert of body language and detecting vile or lie inside one¡¯s words. But his third-eye could see the movements of Qi inside a body, and when a person in front of him had lower cultivation than him, an example this man, it would be easier to see through emotion changes.


    ¡®¡¯You...¡¯¡¯ Ubel didn¡¯t have any words to say, his eyes and lips twitched for a moment and he turned around.


    ¡®¡¯Don¡¯t waste your medicine,¡¯¡¯ He decided, ¡®¡¯ I will help you instead.¡¯¡¯


    His frown deepening, the man almost spat a few vicious words Ubel was unable to recount before Ubel straightened his robe. Looking at the Cindersnow emblem, previously hidden by the slender arms of Ubel, a few beads of sweat trickled down the man¡¯s forehead. ¡®¡¯Exalted sir-¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Do you agree?¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯I of course- I wouldn¡¯t dare to refuse!¡¯¡¯ He blurted out and sent a few cursory glances back, the whole entourage stopped together with the man. He whispered a few words to his subordinates, who climbed the carriages and put inside all medicine and pills, then turned to look at Ubel.


    ¡®¡¯Sir, what would you like us to do?¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯A few of you would be enough, I know your attribute is either wood or earth. You can heal better than me.¡¯¡¯ Ubel told and beckoned them to his side. ¡®¡¯Send back the things inside the carriages, then return here with more personnel if there is any.¡¯¡¯ They complied, then in a moment departed to the city hall¡¯s route.


    ¡®¡¯What should we do now, huh?¡¯¡¯ Ubel thought for a moment, ¡®¡¯For first, let¡¯s treat the people in the vicinity. Then we can move on your designated route. You have one, right?¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Oh! Yes, of course, we have.¡¯¡¯ The man said, forcing a smile.


    ¡®¡¯Then let¡¯s get going.¡¯¡¯


    *********


    ¡®¡¯Like this?¡¯¡¯ One of the younger members of the rescue team, a man at best twenty of age, queried. He held the head of an elderly man, his snow-white hair cloaking streaks of grey underneath from both sun and Ubel¡¯s third eye. ¡®¡¯Oh wait-this should be it.¡¯¡¯ The young man corrected himself and slightly moved the elderly man towards up, then rested the still head on his belly.


    ¡®¡¯Good job. Now stay steady.¡¯¡¯ Ubel¡¯s instruction sounded more like a command to the young man. Yet he complied the same. Then Ubel put his index and middle fingers together and placed them on the bare chest of the old man.


    ¡®¡¯Oh, he has a good physique.¡¯¡¯ The young man commented, ¡®¡¯He must have been a soldier or guard.¡¯¡¯ Getting no reply, he felt a bit disappointed but tried not to show on his face. Soon, the old man¡¯s face regained a slight glow of healthy red and he spewed a little amount of blood like the past seven people.


    ¡®¡¯Are you okay?¡¯¡¯ Before Ubel could whisper, the young man said his previous lines. Ubel watched with amusement. ¡®¡¯Do you have any headache or loss of sensation in a limb? If so, blink once. If not, please don¡¯t open your eyes¡¯¡¯


    The old man stopped, struggling to open his eyes, but seemingly decided not to. He slightly tilted his head and muttered something incomprehensible. With that, Ubel nodded at the young man and called over another personnel.


    ¡®¡¯Alright-ho!¡¯¡¯ The young man shouldered the old man from the waist like a sack of potatoes and gazed at the oncoming carriage. It stopped in front, then he climbed the small set of stairs to place the old man inside. With him, there were a total of three people inside the cramped vehicle now. This meant they could send them back to the hospital any time since no more room was left. Still, he chose to take the approval of the Ubel.


    ¡®¡¯Sir?¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Send them back.¡¯¡¯ With his statement, the young man beckoned the driver and it moved on. Watching the carriage go back, he stood silent for a bit then turned to Ubel, who spoke at the same time.


    ¡®¡¯He wasn¡¯t a soldier, nor a guard.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Uh?¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯He was a hunter, a good one at that,¡¯¡¯ Ubel said with a nostalgic smile.


    ¡®¡¯How do you know that, sir?¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Because I know of an excellent one-Wait, I¡¯m coming there!¡¯¡¯ As Ubel finished his sentence, someone from the rescue team called over again for a grievous injury. He hurried over that site immediately, and the young man looked at him in wonder for a moment.

 28-Flesh

    Sid retreated back into his study.


    Day passed pretty rough, citizens¡¯ outburst for a second disaster and the huge losses of medicine he intended to keepsake for the later battle left a bitter taste in his mouth. Now on top of these tasteful events, he didn''t want to add a sour flavor. Yet he had to, for all he had done these past few days were soothe the people like a nanny.


    Although before suffering another bad taste, he awaited. He held the communication talisman of the sect in his hands, caressed its surface. Then a quick knocking awoke him.


    ¡®¡¯M¡¯lord, may I come in?¡¯¡¯ An aged, coarse voice asked.


    ¡®¡¯Enter.¡¯¡¯ He replied and straightened his back on the chair. Wooden door opened and closed at the same time, then the old man made a quick bow in greetings.


    ¡®¡¯Cole-sit down first.¡¯¡¯ He pulled out a chair and extended his hand to gesture.


    ¡®¡¯Yes m¡¯lord,¡¯¡¯ Cole complied then turned to face his lord.


    ¡®¡¯Are there any big problems?¡¯¡¯ Sid asked.


    ¡®¡¯Too many-first of all the foundations. We were lucky since young lady¡¯s factories had good materials to support. Yet other than that, all houses and their materials reduced into rubble. Some even fell on the city walls and cracked the joints.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯We are tight on money, too.¡¯¡¯ Cole sighed.¡¯¡¯M¡¯lord, I suppose it would be easier to relocate the citizens to mud and earth houses for the time being. Their comfort shouldn¡¯t be our first priority.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯I agree. It still pains me to see my people like this.¡¯¡¯ They both shook their head.


    ¡®¡¯M¡¯lord, then what have you called me for?¡¯¡¯ Cole¡¯s eyes fell on the talisman. ¡®¡¯Is it for...contacting someone?¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Not to someone-¡¯¡¯ Sid grumbled. ¡®¡¯To the sect. Their support division didn¡¯t send news since they promised, then there is the current disaster. I can¡¯t contact the emperor, his attendants said the majesty feels weak after witnessing such a scene.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Your father must have some things in his mind already, m¡¯lord.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Those things aren¡¯t about us, Cole.¡¯¡¯ Sid snorted. ¡®¡¯He might as well let me die here with the city so my sister can gain more fame. Heroic death of a royal family member should be a good way of influencing people.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯...then my lord, what do you have on your mind? I need to advise, the sect never had concern for continent border cities. Especially his majesty...have some disturbing history with them.¡¯¡¯ Cole mumbled the last part. ¡®¡¯They won¡¯t be so merciful as to send more reinforcements.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯We have to try at least.¡¯¡¯ Sid was also hopeless. ¡®¡¯Even a strand of herb or dust of medicine will be useful for sure.¡¯¡¯ He took a deep breath, then beckoned Cole to come closer. Pulling the chair next to his lord, Cole looked at the brightening talisman.


    ¡®¡¯M¡¯lord?¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Listen carefully, and transmit your thoughts when necessary.¡¯¡¯ With that, the brightening stopped and the talisman started to float in front. Strands of light escaped from inside and spread over to cover the table, then the entire room. Sid waited, then the voice came.


    ¡®¡¯Lord Sid of Yadratafos, what may I help you with?¡¯¡¯ An indifferent voice greeted.


    ¡®¡¯Inquiry about resources-It has been a long time since the sect¡¯s promised division said a word. Do you have any excuse for this?¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Inquiry rejected. The sect is in an emergency situation to recover the continent to its order so all divisions and officials are called back to the aid.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Recover the order? Does the sect not now that there is also disorder here?¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯I am a spokesperson, Lord Sid. I do have no authority to comment on that.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯You are a spokesperson for a reason, little boy.¡¯¡¯ The man at the other side flinched.


    My lord, let¡¯s not go that way before validating some matters. Cole used Qi transmission to advise. Sid agreed with Cole¡¯s view as well.


    ¡®¡¯Then tell me, spokesperson, how long does the sect expect the turmoil to last? They surely don¡¯t hope for us to last all by ourselves.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯I don¡¯t have any access to that knowledge, Lord sid.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Does the sect plan to send any provisions after order is recovered?¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯My authorization isn¡¯t enough to know of that matter, Lord Sid.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Are we permitted to retreat to the second line of cities at the northwest?¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯All kinds of retreat or deserting was, two hours ago, declared a capital punishment.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Then will they provide a path for the evacuation of the citizens?¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯I¡¯m sorry Lord Sid, but we have no information about that matter.¡¯¡¯This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.


    ¡®¡¯If you don¡¯t know anything, why in the light¡¯s name are you even talking!¡¯¡¯ Sid shouted at last and slammed his fist on the table. ¡®¡¯Sect this, sect that. Can you not give a clear answer? Is this all the sect is capable when it receives a small set-back?¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Lord Sid Starlight, do you have anymore questions?¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯So are you going to answer them?¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯I am nothing but a mouth-piece, I tell what I¡¯m told and nothing else Lord Sid. Now for the last time, do you have any additional questions?¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯I don¡¯t. But I have a message for the sect.¡¯¡¯


    Other side stood silent for a moment, then agreed.


    ¡®¡¯I¡¯m listening.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Spring of our empire shall be the winter of our enemy.¡¯¡¯ With that, he cut off the communication.


    ¡®¡¯M¡¯lord, what was that?¡¯¡¯ Cole¡¯s confusion was, perhaps, well found at this matter. Sid found it alright, since Cole couldn¡¯t assess the cultivation base of the other side.


    ¡®¡¯The middle-man was a youngster, Cole. Nothing but a small Qi Destructioner.¡¯¡¯ Sid sighed. ¡®¡¯The sect¡¯s emergency response is too slow, way too slow. I¡¯m sure they put young children like him on other contacts as well.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯M¡¯lord, you mean the sect didn¡¯t expect this?¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Of course they didn¡¯t. If not, there would have been notices sent a long or a short while ago. Even an hour of time would be enough to prepare for it.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯M¡¯lord...you are right.¡¯¡¯ Cole bowed his head, contemplating about something. ¡®¡¯Then when shall I contact them again?¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Oh, let it rest for a day. If our situation is like this, I can¡¯t think of the chaos in crowded cities like Cindersnow or Karnival. They will establish the communication on their own after everything is resolved.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯I shall obey, M¡¯lord. But there is something on my mind.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Pray tell Cole.¡¯¡¯ Sid leaned back in his chair, no anger or wrath remained on his tired face.


    ¡®¡¯What did you mean by that verse? That was Claudius¡¯ words when the forsakens breached past the third ring of the city, right?¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Indeed you are right.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Then what did you mean by that?¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Fath-Imperial majesty said something before I returned to Yadratafos from Karnival.¡¯¡¯ Sid recounted his father¡¯s words.


    ¡®¡¯A big change is coming in the spring. I heard voices, I saw dreams. Lands were devoured by fire and blood, the sect¡¯s city fell under the hands of people. Then Cinder left Snow and anger devoured reason.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯His Majesty always had accurate dreams, even when I was a child.¡¯¡¯ Sid continued. ¡®¡¯ Those prophecies always come true one way or another. And now... I wish his words doesn¡¯t come true this time.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯I share your sentiments, m¡¯lord.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Yes, you better do.¡¯¡¯ Sid leaned back in his chair and looked out of the window.


    Snowflakes seemed to cover the Mountain Of Emperors.


    If they don¡¯t come true, it is all good and we won¡¯t have any worry.


    And if they come true, then father is prepared.


    At least, no fire will burn our lands.


    ''''Then, m''lord, shall we talk about the production of cannons now?''''


    ''''Of course.''''


    *********


    ¡®¡¯Greet the lords!¡¯¡¯ Archura shouted and half-kneeled altogether with the horde of beasts behind her. In their front, at the entrance passage of the Mountain Of Emperors, seven figures looked towards them. Disdain and ridicule was the most evident of the emotions. Then came satisfaction. The sight of thousands kneeling before them must have fueled their pride.


    ¡®¡¯Rise.¡¯¡¯ One at the front said. Like other six of his comrades, he wore a metallic armor covering torso and lower body. They were painted purple and black, and under the plates of armor their red tunics covered all the way up to their necks. They held spears, the tips made of gold and shafts covered with blue runes. And cloaks, most important of all in this harsh winter, expanded from their back. Insignia of the Hall Of Revenge, Two blazing, crimson eyes with three white dots between them, struck fear into the monsters.


    ¡®¡¯Half-breed, come over.¡¯¡¯ He said and beckoned Archura. She came while lowering her head. She didn¡¯t dare to raise her head. Why would she? She didn¡¯t have a death wish, and she didn¡¯t enjoy humiliation. These were people who enjoyed ridiculing, putting down the others. Especially half-bloods like her.


    ¡®¡¯So, care to tell what is the situation?¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Masters. I don¡¯t have much to tell you- we stopped in our tracks after leaving the mountain and awaited your presence.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Our presence, why so? Aren¡¯t you capable enough to take over a small city by yourself?¡¯¡¯ One spoke from behind. ¡®¡¯You have so many beasts under you. Unless someone of King level from immortals comes you shouldn¡¯t have any trouble.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯It is a half-breed, of course it has troubles.¡¯¡¯ Another one chimed in. ¡®¡¯Or it feared for its life and didn¡¯t dare to go further than that.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Cease your talk-¡¯¡¯ The leader said and sent a glare to the men behind, then turned back to look at Archura.


    ¡®¡¯Tell me, why did you wait for us?¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Master...there was someone we couldn¡¯t deal with.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯A King?¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯No master, not a King. But someone whose light is as bright as-¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯As bright as?¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯-As bright as a Hallmaster. Their power filled the sky and pierced the clouds, it was so bright that our auras seemed like a firefly in front of a star.¡¯¡¯


    They all stopped snickering and their expressions fell. Archura knew this would be troublesome. For all she knew, she used her own power to compare rather than theirs¡¯. If not, then their pride would take a huge wound from her mindful words. But she did not choose, anyway. A firefly and a star-a flame and a star, there was no difference between the two¡¯s utter demise in the end.


    ¡®¡¯This will be troublesome.¡¯¡¯ Their leader commented at last, and it reinforced the already dire worries of the other.


    ¡®¡¯Squad leader, how should we deal with it then?¡¯¡¯ One asked, ¡®¡¯How? We should just corner that one person and quench the flames of his life. The children of the half-breed should suffice in holding back the others.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Masters! My children can¡¯t-¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Your children can, and will do.¡¯¡¯ Leader said after contemplating for a short while. His cold gaze told everything Archura needed to know. She lowered her head, and heard him grumble.


    ¡®¡¯A hallmaster, I can take them on but others are a problem. Someone of that caliber can hide their aura pretty well so I can¡¯t anticipate where or when they will appear.¡¯¡¯ He smiled at this point ¡®¡¯Unfortunately for them, I can do the same too.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Get the cannon fodder ready. In a few days, we shall take out those mortals from that city.¡¯¡¯


    Then all six behind him licked their lips, two even drooled.


    ¡®¡¯A banquet with their flesh...someone of that level should taste better than the six-legged hellions.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Yes...master. It should taste good.¡¯¡¯ Archura only had a bitter taste in her mouth when thinking of their flesh.


    Without her children, that flesh didn¡¯t seem enticing.

 29-Incoming (1)

    ¡®¡¯...¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Senior brother, you look quite fancy today.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Would you like to die?¡¯¡¯ Gaobun grumbled from the bed he laid on. The fancy bandages wrapped around his chest and shoulders carried traces of blood from the battle two days ago.


    ¡®¡¯Of course not,¡¯¡¯ Ubel smiled and sat on a chair across the bed. He brought two pies from the only working bakery of the city as presents. Gaobun didn¡¯t seem to like them though, he eyed them as he would look at a degenerate. Or maybe he was looking at Ubel, who could know?


    ¡®¡¯Senior brother?¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯What?¡¯¡¯ Gaobun turned around to look away.


    ¡®¡¯I thought you were fine by now. Shouldn¡¯t the process be faster?¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Why should it be?``asked Gaobun. ¡®¡¯The greater your power, the more energy you need to rejuvenate. Why do you think elders of the sect almost never leave the mountain?¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Because they are old?¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Because they are wounded-wait old? Don¡¯t tell that in front of an elder.¡¯¡¯ Gaobun warned. His grimacing face told of a painful past, indeed. They said his master, Elder Windblade, was also some old fellow with thousands of wrinkles on his face.


    ¡®¡¯I won¡¯t ask about that, but alright.¡¯¡¯ A piece of genuine advice from a senior generation was almost always beneficial and had to be heeded. Ubel heard about this, and other sayings resembling each other, many times both in and out of the mountain and the city. Though he doubted the validity of that, with the exception of his father.


    ¡®¡¯So how long do you think it will take?¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Hmm-¡¯¡¯ Gaobun mumbled to himself something about herbs, Qi, cells, and life power. Ubel waited until his self-discussion ended.


    ¡®¡¯About two days. Quan¡¯s herbs helped quite a deal, so it might be sooner.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Quan? Senior brother, isn¡¯t it inappropriate to address him like that?¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯It is appropriate-¡¯¡¯ At that moment Quan appeared right beside them, wearing an ordinary blue robe with a black tie around the waist. ¡®¡¯No, even his right.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯His right?¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Ubel, seniority never was about age in the cultivation world.¡¯¡¯ He said as he fell down on a sofa across the room. His voice sounded tired, even wounded for some reason. Exhaustion dripped from his eyes as he looked around the room, and his non-existent effort to hide it didn¡¯t escape from the duo¡¯s attention.


    ¡®¡¯It is about power or authority. Latter comes with former, too, so either case it is ruled by an individual¡¯s strength. When we departed, Gaobun still had to conform to the traditions. Yet he broke through the path opening right before we reached, and this put him on an equal level as me.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯But isn¡¯t this contradicts with what you are saying, senior master?¡¯¡¯ Ubel questioned. He took down the monster Gaobun struggled to keep up with one move. If this wasn¡¯t the clearest evidence of the difference of their strength, then what would be?


    ¡®¡¯Ubel, Gaboun is strong. He is much much stronger than me.¡¯¡¯ Quan let out a weak sigh. ¡®¡¯My power is temporary, I can¡¯t use large amounts of Qi for long periods of time.¡¯¡¯ Quan pulled the as always long sleeves of his robe, then pointed with his head.


    ¡®¡¯Let me show you-¡¯¡¯ Quan¡¯s Qi started to revolve, but something seemed off. The first revolution was slow, way too slow. Then the second revolution came and ended much faster. Then the third, and the fourth revolutions. As the speed of the Qi shifted, some blue streaks of light appeared on Quan¡¯s skin.


    ¡®¡¯This is a disease.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯A disease? I thought immortals were immune to diseases?¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯We aren¡¯t, Ubel.¡¯¡¯ Quan shook his head and closed his sleeve again as the streaks of light started to diminish. ¡®¡¯To simple diseases like cold, yes. But epidemics aren¡¯t the same. They evolve over time, they get stronger and more deadly. This-¡¯¡¯ He clenched his fist while saying that.¡¯¡¯-was a disaster called Judgement.¡¯¡¯


    Judgment, a befitting name to a calamitous epidemic. It swept over tens of empires, grasped millions from the clutches of life and dropped them at the hell¡¯s bay. ¡®¡¯Back then...I was known as the Hero Of Kryostria. It was one of the strongest frontier cities of the continent border.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯I heard of that place,¡¯¡¯ Ubel remembered the city. It was once the most prosperous city of the whole continent border, a pub of culture and a place that carried at least a thousand-years-old relics in its vicinity. ¡®¡¯It fell down after a strange event, followed by the attacks of evil sects a hundred years ago.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯That strange event was The Judgment.¡¯¡¯ Quan sat straight again, his expression seemed a bit healthier than before. ¡®¡¯It spread from a plant imported from the northern continent, at those times there were no evil-righteous sects so trade was actually a famous and profitable job.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯When turned into powder, it could heal light injuries in a blink. When made into meals, it could give energy. If used as a catalyst in medicinal pills, it could purify and increase their grade by a large boundary. Simply a miracle, something from the sovereigns¡¯ own blessings some people said. So it was named Sovereign Grass¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯It soon spread to all of the continent, some disciples even snuck a bit of them into the sect. Yet, when an alchemist tried to use the Sovereign Grass to create a poison everything started to crumble. His residence exploded and the poisonous smoke of the grass spread to the city. By that time, almost every soul in the Kryostria came into contact with it once, and in the continent very few didn¡¯t know of its fragrance.¡¯¡¯


    Quan stopped and grumbled a bit. He caressed his throat, then took out a gourd filled with wine to take a sip. Now distracted, Ubel looked at his side to find Gaobun looking away from both, his eyes closed. He must have known of the story, perhaps things more than told to him by now. So, he looked uninterested, even relaxed to a degree. Thinking of relaxing, Ubel felt his back ache from sitting down on the wooden chair, but Quan spoke at that time so he couldn¡¯t do more than complain in his heart.


    ¡®¡¯As I said, almost everyone knew or touched it. And the poisonous gas had some strange property that could track down the aura of the Sovereign Grass. It soon spread, faster than we could intervene, and afflicted people it came into contact with.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯It had three stages, at the first stage one couldn¡¯t use the Qi freely. At the second, they were crippled, and at the third stage they would die from getting their meridians torn apart.¡¯¡¯ Quan stopped, meddling with the bottle in his hand. ¡®¡¯We...we saved eighty-seven thousand people in an hour. Eighty-seven thousand. Such a huge number. Yet, we still failed. Evil sects ambushed at that time, then It spread. After that, for two whole decades, the continent fell into chaos.¡¯¡¯


    Ubel stood silent. He thought, or knew, from Quan¡¯s complicated gaze that there was more into it. But he didn¡¯t question. He didn¡¯t seem willing, and him rushing over the last part talked about it enough. Then all three sighed at the same time.


    ¡®¡¯Mentioning saving, Ubel.¡¯¡¯ Quan let out a smile and looked over at Ubel. ¡®¡¯I heard you took care of some people at the northern section of the city today?¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Took care of? Did you join the aidmen or something? Why didn¡¯t I hear of this?¡¯¡¯ Gaobun turned slightly over to peek at him.


    ¡®¡¯Oh- it was something out of impulse.¡¯¡¯ Ubel didn¡¯t know how to explain himself. ¡®¡¯I just said I would, and showed Cindersnow emblem so they would follow. But I regret it a bit, using medicine would be faster to help people.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Medicine has its shortcomings as well. Over time you will gain resistance to it and your wounds won¡¯t heal, and it will either way leave remnants of impurity inside your body. So don¡¯t worry, you actually made a better choice.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Oh...when you put it that way I feel proud, senior master.¡¯¡¯ He let out a breath and smiled. ¡®¡¯This feels great. Senior brother, won¡¯t you praise me too?¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Good job, don¡¯t do it again. Also, I''m sleepy, can you two leave for a bit and continue your talk outside?¡¯¡¯ Gaobun seemed irritated, and Ubel felt an evil side of him wanting to bully the man more. But he constrained that little devil and lightly grinned.


    ¡®¡¯Won¡¯t you eat the apple pies before leaving, senior brother? I spent my allowance for them, you know?¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Would you like to die?¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Of course not,¡¯¡¯ Ubel replied and stood up. He didn¡¯t forget the apple pies though and sliced one half and put it on the side of the bed. ¡®¡¯But still, a meal is a meal. My grandma always said it is better to eat when injured.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Ubel¡¯s grandmother is right, Gaobun.¡¯¡¯ Quan agreed as well and stood up from the soft sofa. He had a longing gaze for the smooth cushion, and a trace of greed for that didn¡¯t escape from the paralyzed Gaobun. ¡®¡¯Eating when injured always tastes better.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Can-you-not?¡¯¡¯


    Ubel flinched at the blazing eyes of Gaobun and took a step back. He quickly gave a bow and said ¡®¡¯Take care senior brother, see you soon.¡¯¡¯ Then rushed out of the room. Quan giggled and looked over at Gaobun, who took the slice of pie in his hands. With a swift motion, he stuffed the entire thing inside his mouth and swallowed it whole.


    ¡®¡¯Then when shall we depart?¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯For the woods?¡¯¡¯ Gaobun wiped his mouth with the back of his hand, then stood up from the bed. ¡®¡¯Give me fifteen minutes. I will prepare now.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Alright, I¡¯m going to inform the city lord then.¡¯¡¯ Then Quan disappeared from the room.


    Gaobun, likewise, got out of the bed and stretched a bit. Looking over at the setting sun, he pondered the taste of the pie and took out a crimson robe to wear.


    I should learn the recipe...


    *********


    ¡®¡¯So she was fine when you found her?`` asked Ubel.


    ¡®¡¯Fine would be underestimating, she was even laughing like a lunatic. Her friends were terrified-my dad also got out unscathed too.¡¯¡¯ Kowalski hung his head a bit low, a bitter smile spread thin on his mouth. He even stumbled on the dislocated pavements¡¯ stones whilst wondering about what to do.


    ¡®¡¯That¡¯s good news then.¡¯¡¯ Ubel passed in front of him and opened his arms wide. ¡®¡¯What about your mother? How did she react?¡¯¡¯ He waved them around like an excited child.


    ¡®¡¯...do you want a hug or something?¡¯¡¯ Kowalski sent a sheepish glance and covered himself.


    ¡®¡¯What? No-ugh..¡¯¡¯ Ubel sighed and restrained himself further. ¡®¡¯Just forget it.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Well, she was only surprised.¡¯¡¯ The shameless fellow started speaking. ¡®¡¯She said he looked quite handsome with that huge physique, she even gave him a cup of tea.¡¯¡¯ His expression darkened a bit as he said the next part. ¡®¡¯She said I would better try to get a body like that If I wanted to seduce some lady.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Wait, do women like men with huge muscles?¡¯¡¯ Ubel was baffled.


    ¡®¡¯Of course not!...I don¡¯t know. Class pres¡¯ boyfriend is also some skeleton, so maybe-¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Who are you calling a skeleton?¡¯¡¯ An angry voice boomed in Kowalski¡¯s ears as he sent himself to the front. He couldn¡¯t escape the sonic slap, however, as it struck his nape and sent him rolling on the ground. Horrifying! Ubel took a few steps to the side subconsciously and looked at the fuming woman.Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.


    ¡®¡¯Don¡¯t you dare to talk behind people¡¯s backs!¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Then I¡¯ll say it now too, he is a skeleton! You can even see his eye sockets!¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯...aren¡¯t you going to the smithy anyway? Why are you fooling around like this?¡¯¡¯ She snorted and helped Kowalski stand up. ¡®¡¯Ubel too. You are a disciple of Cindersnow, you should be more dignified. Your stature has to be nobler than others.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Why? Isn¡¯t it fine with what it is right now?¡¯¡¯ Ubel asked rightfully. ¡®¡¯Who said those things to you people anyway? Everyone in the Cindersnow is like me and senior brother.¡¯¡¯ Ubel found it strange, inexplicable even. Everyone assumed him, or Cindersnow¡¯s disciples to be fellows high and mighty in status and stature. Hell, there wasn¡¯t even one disciple in Cindersnow who walked properly like a noble of the empire, specifically the City Lord.


    Drunkards? They were at least a dozen times more frequent than Yadratafos¡¯ pedestrians. Fights over debts? He couldn¡¯t pass a day without seeing a disciple or two getting smacked by a Combat Master in the borough seven. For two whole years, he saw and interacted with the rumored Sacred Immortals, and the only sacred thing of those people were their mothers and the business their mothers were up to.


    The class president, from her shocked expression, must have read all the thoughts passing inside Ubel¡¯s head from his twisted expression so she just didn¡¯t respond. She turned to look at Kowalski, who in turn looked at Ubel. After a moment passed, Ubel sorted his thoughts and returned back to walking. Kowalski followed after, then class president of the now-closed college.


    ¡®¡¯So what are you guys going to get?¡¯¡¯ she asked. ¡®¡¯I want to get a halberd, or a glaive would do too.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Not interesting huh? A shortsword or dagger would do better.¡¯¡¯ Kowalski commented.


    ¡®¡¯No-¡¯¡¯ Ubel instantly disagreed.¡¯¡¯A spear is the best weapon in a siege battle. It has a long range and can do a multitude of attacks like sweep, slash, or stab. It can be pretty handy.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯You can do the same with a sword, no? If you have the expertise, a sword can be more lethal. I suppose a lethal weapon would fare better than a handy weapon.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Well, it sounds right but we are all amateurs. So who knows? Maybe the blacksmith will care enough to tell us.¡¯¡¯ Ubel said, but his experience from hunting told different. Since he wasn¡¯t going to be on the walls to fight against the beasts directly, as City Lord¡¯s assignment showed that only he and a handful of students from medical course stood behind the walls as aidman, it didn¡¯t matter much what he chose. What mattered was experience, and he had the most experience with his hands, hatchet, and bow. He also had some proficiency with the dagger, too, but it all came from skinning animals, not killing them.


    Considering his role as an aidman, unless something like a breach of the walls or a swarm occurred he wouldn¡¯t even lift a finger against an enemy. Speculations were speculations though, so not getting anything to protect himself would be a waste. But the matter was different for Kowalski and class president, and their choice of tools would affect whether they managed to survive or not.


    Mentioning surviving, Ubel also wondered what material the tools were made out of. They said making armors with metal would be impossible since the reserves were too low and it would take too much time. If one wanted, they could only get enchanted robes. Yet for weapons, it was essential to get something useful. As a path finding cultivator, although not necessarily immune, steel weapons could only create light cuts on his skin unless he didn¡¯t use a Qi barrier. If he used, however, they could only hope to break through the barrier only after a dozen strikes.


    And their opponents were beasts, lightning imps with the lowest prowess and things stronger than them. Materials such as iron and steel were out of consideration. Beasts¡¯ skin and flesh were harder and tighter, sometimes they could be even tougher than his own Qi barrier. In such a situation, what could they hope to achieve with simple materials?


    So Ubel felt quite excited as well, getting to know about some new material he never heard of was quite a fond feeling.


    So they arrived in front of one of the seven smithies of the city. There wasn¡¯t any line nor people waiting in front of the small oaken door, not out of expectations as they came a bit early in the morning. Kowalski pushed the door open and they entered into the place.


    The first thing they felt was a burning heat, not unbearable but still disturbing and tickly. The smell of ash and sweat, both of which Ubel knew from the mountain and his own, infiltrated the nostrils and seeped out of the door. A huge forge laid in front of their sight, and a middle-aged man with greyed beard hammered a piece of hot metal above the flames of the same forge. Rows of empty weapon holders and hangers decorated the mossy walls and corners.


    ¡®¡¯Most were given off already-¡¯¡¯ The blacksmith explained, ¡®¡¯So count yourselves unlucky.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Oh, that is unfortunate.¡¯¡¯ Kowalski didn¡¯t seem a bit upset at all. ¡®¡¯Then are we going to place orders and take them later?¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯You are a genius boy.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯My mom says the same thing-wait!¡¯¡¯ Kowalski seemed a bit upset after all.


    ¡®¡¯Senior-¡¯¡¯ Ubel clasped his fists in greeting, as he could feel an overbearing aura from the man. From the fluctuations, he was, at the lowest, third path finding or first path establishing. Seniority comes with power...how sad. ¡®¡¯May I ask when can we take our weapons?¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯First, tell me what you want. Only then I can tell.¡¯¡¯ Blacksmith stopped hammering and left the unrefined piece of iron on the small platform above the forge.


    ¡®¡¯Let me tell you these things first: We don¡¯t have any elemental metal or divine metal, we have Black Steel and Green Steel. I won¡¯t make any stupid weapons like twin-blades, too. I recommend you youngsters to use spears and halberds, they will be the most useful if you haven¡¯t used any weapon in the past.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯And for you-¡¯¡¯ He turned to look at Ubel, his gaze slightly lingered on his hands. ¡®¡¯We don¡¯t have any good material for a strong bow, but I can enchant it. Do you want anything else?¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Then...a gauntlet will do.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Gauntlet?¡¯¡¯ Blacksmith frowned.


    ¡®¡¯Yes, a kind that protects palms and forearms. If it could be flexible around the fingers, it would be better.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯You want too much...but count yourself lucky this time. Green steel might do.¡¯¡¯ He nodded then turned to class president. ¡®¡¯You girl? You seem to be experienced too.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Oh, yes senior. I used polearms, our family¡¯s heritage is all about spears and poles.¡¯¡¯ She answered without any hurry. Talking about stature, her stance seemed quite strong. Ubel thought it was a pretty good ability to have discerning eyes. ¡®¡¯I would prefer a heavy spear if it is possible.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯It is possible, that is why Black Steel is here for.¡¯¡¯ He nodded again. ¡®¡¯And the genius, what would you like.¡¯¡¯


    Kowalski fell silent and clenched his fists. It was pretty obvious that he wanted to say something, but felt reluctant. Still, under the blacksmith¡¯s fearsome gaze he didn¡¯t hold much longer.


    ¡®¡¯A...a halberd senior.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Good. Come back early tomorrow.¡¯¡¯ He said and turned his back. The door opened a second after and another group of disciples entered, some with familiar faces. The class president struck a conversation with them while Ubel left with Kowalski and went on their way towards a random path.


    *********


    Brrrrr- Why is it this cold?


    Laila rubbed her leather gloves together. Though snowflakes never reached the city, and in case they reached they would be swept away in a moment¡¯s notice, the cold managed to affect nonetheless. She didn¡¯t know whether because their castle had a kind of ventilation or temperature adjuster like those in the guild halls of the Cindersnow city, but sweating was a normal occurrence even with a strap of cloth.


    And these people are working with just those in this cold? She looked over at the almost finished building and people carrying huge bulks of wood inside with nothing but a loose robe. A four-story high factory with a slanted pier towards the sky. It donned the sides of the pillars with unrefined soulstones to feed the new constructed puppets and pieces of machinery with energy. Also, it looks pretty in the night sky.


    Completing a building like this, and dozens of other houses, in a span of four days was an impressive feat wherever you went. Especially when it was getting done with limited resources, mostly overdrawn from her father¡¯s own treasury, and manpower. Though people creating more complex monuments and ten or eleven-story department buildings in a day- they couldn¡¯t even hope to compete with that. Cindersnow¡¯s way of doing things was simply too crazy, yet effective.


    Of course, their manuals allow them to operate in a larger width of time with less focus and effort. In contrast, our state manuals are just rubbish. The constant breathing and adjusting the body to the irreplaceable attributes of the technique made it impossible to learn other manuals. Even after furthering their cultivation, they had to abide by the rules of the sect and use whatever it deemed them appropriate. Seeking other sects for manuals? Even they had to inquire the sect about who to grant and whom to take from. So in one way or another, even the path of martial arts was under the monopoly of the sect.


    They had no say in the matter though, and she didn¡¯t think they would have unless sect disappeared.


    ¡®¡¯Laila.¡¯¡¯ A hand grasped her shoulder. Laila flinched for a moment before she recognized the voice.¡®¡¯What are you thinking about?¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯It shouldn¡¯t take more than a few hours for the first cannon to make.¡¯¡¯ She said and sent a glare to her father. ¡®¡¯But dad, can you not come up so suddenly?¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯You avoid my question, but alright.¡¯¡¯ Sid sighed and put a scarf around her neck. It also covered her reddened nose and ears together with her braids. ¡®¡¯Didn¡¯t your mother say to visit her before departing? She was going to give this to you herself.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Mother knotted something? Isn¡¯t that an achievement?¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯It is, and she was very proud of herself. Though you might have upset her...a little.¡¯¡¯


    A little...That little was probably going to be Laila apologizing to her for hours until her motherly instincts couldn¡¯t bear more. Ugh- forget it.


    ¡®¡¯Anyway, dad. Did you come to inspect or to look out for me?¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Nope, I came to inspect some of the woods for a request.¡¯¡¯ Sid said and looked over at the large heap of woods, extracted from the foot of the mountain by the Cindersnow fellows two days ago. ¡®¡¯They just wanted a piece, though prefer them to be better than the norm.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯What is that for?¡¯¡¯ She asked.


    ¡®¡¯I¡¯m not sure myself,¡¯¡¯ Sid admitted. ¡®¡¯ But it might be for some experimentation.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Or just a souvenir,¡¯¡¯ She commented.


    ¡®¡¯It might be, or it might not. Does that pose a problem to you?¡¯¡¯ He seemingly didn¡¯t want anything to go wrong with things. To be honest, Laila¡¯s father was only good at soothing people and fighting, and he never used both. His concern, however, was somewhat cute.


    ¡®¡¯No, of course not. Currying favors with someone of Cindersnow is a better choice. Though I don¡¯t think they all differ much in quality...oh wait.¡¯¡¯ She stopped for a moment and paced around her father for a bit. ¡®¡¯Dad, I think I have one of good quality.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Good quality?¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Sorry- it is actually better than that. I don¡¯t know how it ended up with others but they couldn¡¯t chop it into smaller pieces before. I told them to put it over somewhere for later.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Good choice, may I take a look?¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Of course, dad. Hey, can you look over a bit?¡¯¡¯ She called out for one of the guards around the perimeter and sent him off towards the large pile of wood stacked alongside the road. In a minute, he came back holding a long trunk with pristine white color on his back. He huffed and puffed as he left back after dropping it at their feet.


    ¡®¡¯This...it indeed looks good. How did it manage to improve itself this much around the others?¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Dad, didn¡¯t you say that they solidified the Qi around them constantly? It was just a matter of time until one like this popped out, no?¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Well, that is true unless you don¡¯t include the devouring instincts of awakening trees and the innate potential of the said plants. In the first place, no colony of half-sentient trees would allow a member among them to improve rapidly. Once there is a big enough difference between their sturdiness and power, a lone tree could devour all of its kind and turn into a sentient demon.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Wait, these trees were half-sentient in the first place? And I never heard of plants turning into demons.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Well,¡¯¡¯ Sid scratched his head,¡¯¡¯ You can¡¯t because sect eliminates them in the first place. By their nature demons devour all they see, and human immortals are generally beneficial to their cultivation and lifespan. Theoretically, demons can live indefinitely if they devour enough people. So you can imagine what horrors we would face if one managed to grow.¡¯¡¯


    And Sid left out some worrying points, Laila thought. The changes seen in these trees, if her father didn¡¯t lie about it, only happened around after declaration. Then this meant the process of turning into a demon wasn¡¯t long, at most two months if a single member of half-sentient colony turned out to be smarter than others of its kind. She had confidence, a type that she wished she didn¡¯t have, that there were more of these types of plants other than trees. If so, then the number of demons that could pop out could be devastating if they weren¡¯t eliminated soon enough.


    ¡®¡¯Sect has its hands full already,¡¯¡¯ Sid continued, ¡®¡¯So some problems might arise within other cities with their lack of manpower.¡¯¡¯ Then he smiled. ¡®¡¯At least those two from Cindersnow acted quick and cleared most of the half-sentients around the foot of the mountain.¡¯¡¯ And this statement addressed to her worries for now.


    ¡®¡¯Well- that¡¯s it all. So don¡¯t worry about that.¡¯¡¯ He patted her hair under the pointy hat. ¡®¡¯I¡¯m going to deliver this to them, then. Do you want to come?¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Oh, we are going to fly? Of course I¡¯m coming!¡¯¡¯ Laila grabbed Sid¡¯s waist tight with ecstasy. ¡®¡¯Let¡¯s go.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Alright.¡¯¡¯ Sid propelled himself from the ground whilst holding his daughter and flew over towards the residential area of the Quan and others.


    ''''Dad...'''' Laila whispered.


    ''''What is it dear?''''


    ''''I think we forgot the wood...'''' Then sid returned back to the working site.

 30-Incoming (2)

    Clutching the gourd from the side of his belt, Quan gulped down all of its content. He swiped his mouth with the sleeve of his robe and placed it back.


    ¡®¡¯Now, city lord.¡¯¡¯ He turned around to look at Sid, who stood there while clasping his hands for some time. I can¡¯t believe I agreed to do this. He sighed.


    ¡®¡¯I wish you good luck on your quest, master Quan. I apologize for pushing a task like this on you.¡¯¡¯ Sid gave another bow, a junior¡¯s bow. Cole and the entourage of thirty behind him sent apologetic glances towards their lord.


    ¡®¡¯Emperor might not listen to my words, or don¡¯t heed the Cindersnow¡¯s orders.¡¯¡¯ Quan warned again. ¡®¡¯And if that is the case, I won¡¯t care about the lives of anyone but my disciples.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯I understand- that is why I put my trust in you master Quan.¡¯¡¯ Sid rose from his bow and flashed a serene smile. ¡®¡¯I know you will treasure your disciple enough to rush back.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯That is what you do for a family, no?¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Of course.¡¯¡¯ Sid then took a step back and motioned the guards atop the walls to open the gates. With clicks and creaks the gateway rose, and in front came together with it the now deserted merchant road. Desolate and chilling. Piled up snow at the side of the road did not help to reduce the creeping sensation of loss to the entourage.


    ¡®¡¯May the light be with you.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯May the light be with you all.¡¯¡¯ Quan responded. With a swish of his sleeve, he mounted the four-legged rhino beast and departed. The entourage of thirty followed behind after bidding farewell to their lord.


    As they left the territory¡¯s perimeter, Quan increased their speed. The beast¡¯s speed equaled to a second path establishing cultivator, so it would take at most five days to reach Karnival.


    Quan had his own reasons to use the beast to travel rather than flying. His Qi usage put a huge burden on him, even flying for a relatively low span of time, and using a beast would be both more comfortable and easier. Not gathering much attention was another point he and the city lord had to be careful of.


    The most important one was, however, the gloomy feeling he felt for some time. The first time he caught the aura traces of the six forsakens, he felt some ominous feeling. A shudder, a primordial instinct of all humans greeted him. None of those six could threaten him so much that his survival instincts would kick in.


    That meant something hid from him, and it made so very good.


    Fearing from that unknown played most of the role in accepting City Lord¡¯s request. ¡®¡¯Barrier is weak-¡¯¡¯ He said, ¡®¡¯Weaker than we supposed it to be. We can survive, but not everyone. I need help and your sect doesn¡¯t value us enough to bother.¡¯¡¯


    He told the truth. Sect¡¯s whole doctrine was about itself. The Cindersnow comes first, then second, then third. One Cindersnow disciple was worth a thousand members of the other sects and worth ten thousand of a mortal population. Self-preservation and protecting the well-being of the disciples always came before all other priorities of the sect. Sect did not like unloyal or traitorous, yet the sect also did not mind lunatics or slaughterers. All it mattered, in the end, was whether one stood at the side of the sect.


    The sect¡¯s biggest enemy in this regard was the empires. In a sense, they weren¡¯t empires too. Being a tributary to the sect leveled down any dignity they had but preserving their honor was an important part of soothing their relationship. So, these so-called fake empires harbored a grudge against the sect as well. This was, however, one of the many things that made the sect a presumptuous organization in the eyes of people who believed they were chosen by the heavens to rule.


    And what would you do to someone you hated deep from your bones yet didn¡¯t have the power to defy? You would resist. You would resist with everything you got without warranting instant death, and you would definitely take joy from that. That joy, that spark of happiness inside your heart then would light a fire people called resistance. An unrelenting, hatred fuelled fire of resistance.


    So what obvious choice would the sect take when another organization burned with such flames, refused to comply with its will,(Or simply annex and take all its assets in the sect¡¯s own constitution. The sect chose their words carefully.) and put up a resistance? Resilience from the crown, of course, affected the most in the decisions of the sect but general fame and rumors circulating around the citizens likewise decided the course of action. When a ruler couldn¡¯t control their subjects and their mouth, when the sect caught wind of what they had in their sly minds, the process was easy to guess.


    The sect would take control of the court, invade the personal space of the emperor, decrease the crown¡¯s control on the populace, and destroy whatever was left of their royal blood. They chose who ruled, after all, and that someone always had to be related to Cindersnow. After that, the competition for the crown prince position turned into a rivalry to see who could seduce the sect as an individual and Emperors hated that. Royal family hated that. Court as well hated that. Countermeasures existed indeed, but how useful were they? None. And the sect couldn¡¯t be barred from storming into the chambers of a rebellious emperor and killing them on the spot.


    Outrage? It was not a problem. A few pieces of soulstone and a hanging head at the gates of a capital solved everything.


    It was as easy as that.


    So Quan sighed. A long, deep, sorrowful sigh he let out of his dry lips. The two-star dynasty was in such a situation right now. Perhaps this year¡¯s frenzy helped them to sit on their throne for a longer time but most definitely, after spring, they would abdicate their throne.


    Knowing that, would they really listen to his words? Words of a slave, a slave from Cindersnow, from the damned place they faced suffering for more than millennia.


    No, they wouldn¡¯t.


    But they would listen to the City Lord¡¯s. They would listen to Sid Starlight¡¯s pleas for help. They wouldn¡¯t stand so heartless against their own blood and flesh, their own citizens. So when Quan drifted in front of the group, forcing the rhino beast to rush amidst the piles of snow with every ounce of its energy, he felt like a villain.


    After all, his role wasn¡¯t of an envoy.


    He was a threat.


    *********


    ¡®¡¯Now watch-¡¯¡¯ Ubel stood alongside Kowalski on the northern section of the walls. They watched the class president move the new product of the city, Spike Cannon, to the small crevice prepared to set up the artillery. She put down the thing and released the two small legs around its round tube. The metal leg like rods planted themselves on the hard surface of the walls with a shake.


    ¡®¡¯This helps them to stay unperturbed even when firing. It doesn¡¯t even tremble!¡¯¡¯ She explained. ¡®¡¯You see this handle?¡¯¡¯ She pointed at a small, empty slot at the top of the tube shaped like a hexagon. Some kind of stick was placed inside the slot, and a wire escaped from its middle point into the cannon. ¡®¡¯When you pull it up, it gathers the natural Qi around it and cramps it all into a ball of energy. And when you release the handle it flows back into its place and boom! A flash of light then everything is gone.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Sounds impressive,¡¯¡¯ Kowalski said as he looked further outside. Both his and Ubel¡¯s heart shuddered at the sight of the once lush forests around the city, now nothing but ash and piles of burnt wood. ¡®¡¯These are your works?¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Of course! You should have seen the sight.¡¯¡¯ She exclaimed with a strange glint in her eyes. Ubel took a step back subconsciously. He got used to taking a step back whenever some strange fellow started to talk.


    ¡®¡¯We had seven of them on the walls. When all were prepared, we fired them on the patches of forest and some hills further on the way of the mountain. They disappeared in a second.¡¯¡¯ A strange smile crept on her face. ¡®¡¯I¡¯m sure no beast can handle such power.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Consumption must be high.¡¯¡¯ Ubel assumed. ¡®¡¯What will happen if they deplete the natural Qi around the city? We won¡¯t have any way to replenish our own reserves. No lone cannon can compensate for that.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯You say the same thing with the lord,¡¯¡¯ Kowalski said. ¡®¡¯He also said that. But...he also said it wouldn¡¯t be a problem this time.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯This time?¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯They say he dumped every soulstone in his treasury down at the trenches below. Look-¡¯¡¯ Kowalski half-leaned towards the end of the walls and signaled down at the thirty-meters deep pits around the walls. ¡®¡¯You see those sparkling blue stones?¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯They are bigger than the normal ones. He is being too generous.¡¯¡¯ Ubel had to commend the man.¡¯¡¯ Does holding them down inside earth help though?¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯It does,¡¯¡¯ Class president answered this time. ¡®¡¯Amassed amount of Qi under the earth is plenty. Even more so when you go down further. This is also why volcanoes hold insane amounts of Qi inside their molten cracks and lava. It comes from deep below the earth after all.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Well, understandable then.¡¯¡¯ Ubel held no more curiosity on the matter so he simply agreed. ¡®¡¯Kowalski, shall we go to the blacksmith?¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Oh sure. I wonder what that man did to your bow.¡¯¡¯ Kowalski seemed to hold a grudge against the man. Just for a sword-haha.


    So they bid farewell to the class president and descended down from the stairs of the walls. Passing through the dozens of tents pitched right beside the steps, all assigned to different departments of the city, they walked for a while until they reached the gates of the smithy. This time Kowalski excused himself and told Ubel to go alone since he didn¡¯t feel so good right now.


    Ubel shook his head and stepped inside. The same sight and smell welcomed him, but this time an additional weapon hung on one of the empty holders. It was, as expected, a bow but, unexpectedly, not of steel but wood. He greeted the man working on the forge and came in front of the holder.This novel''s true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there.


    Without any questioning, he reached out to the weapon and took it out of its place. The surface gleamed with a bright white with some thin green plate covering its grip. He touched the bowstring to see its elasticity but to his surprise, the string started to absorb some of his Qi at the moment of contact. Ubel didn¡¯t retract his hands and let the thing continue. After sucking up one-twentieth of his Qi reserves, a dark purple aura spread over both limbs of the bow.


    ¡®¡¯Senior- may I ask what did you make this from?¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Nothing special,¡¯¡¯ Blacksmith replied without halting his movements. ¡®¡¯They brought some resilient wood from the mountain afar, and I used it with green steel.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Then can I inquire about my gauntlets and-¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯The halberd of the fellow outside? Sure. Follow me.¡¯¡¯ The man stood up. He led Ubel through one of the doors at the corner of the room into a wide warehouse. Insides were empty, only dust and some occasional webs adorned the space other than two pieces of equipment. One was a bright green glove, with some kind of leather inside the crevices of the fingers. Other a pitch black halberd.


    Blacksmith picked them up from the ground and shoved them to Ubel¡¯s face. ¡®¡¯Take them,¡¯¡¯ He said. ¡®¡¯That¡¯s all.¡¯¡¯ Then left the room. Ubel looked at the man¡¯s back for a moment, then followed him to the forge.


    ¡®¡¯Thank you senior.¡¯¡¯ He gave a bow to the man and took his leave. Outside, Kowalski took his weapon with a disappointed gaze and muttered some random things. Ubel had no interest in the unrecountable vulgar words so just offered to buy one of the pies he bought before to Kowalski. He happily agreed and followed Ubel.


    After enjoying a meal and parting ways Ubel came back to their house before sunset.


    ¡®¡¯I¡¯m back-¡¯¡¯ He called. No voice answered back. ¡®¡¯-Oh, wait.¡¯¡¯ Quan¡¯s absence showed itself quite clear. Sighing, Ubel felt a bit thirsty and made his way to the kitchen to get something to drink. As he came inside, he found a cup of water on the table with a gourd of wine. Some bubbles formed above it, perhaps it stood there for some time.


    Ubel pulled a chair to sit down and grasped the cup. After looking inside for a moment, he gulped down its contents...


    *********


    It was midnight when he came back to his senses. Ubel looked outside at the city, snow-filled, gloom-ridden. His premature third eye picked up more frequent traces of blood. Some people couldn¡¯t control or postpone their greed and grievances even at the door of destruction. That wasn¡¯t his problem though, it was the problem of whoever caused it.


    Shaking his head, Ubel refocused on the internal structure of his body. His Qi flow was smooth, more so vibrant. Revolutions sent a slight tremor through his meridians every time they circled the organs and flesh inside.


    Ubel felt something different inside his body while cultivating since he was a path finder. It was a tingling sensation, like an encroaching aura of danger tapped on his nerves every once in a while. It warned him of people, or presences even without opening his third eye or spreading his senses. The most appropriate name would be, if he had to name it, instinct.


    They were strong, far stronger than ever. His survival instincts reached to a new height. The desire to live, the will to defy the heavens surpassed the point of ¡®I don¡¯t care¡¯ and rose to a ¡®Maybe it is worth considering¡¯. It was hard to explain with words, or sounds, or senses. It was something one had to feel, and the only way to feel them were to throw himself in front of the danger he assumed.


    This created a question in Ubel¡¯s mind. Why Immortals sought more power? Ubel tried to find the reply by separating his life into three phases. The first phase was him living in the forest, the second one was his life on the mountain, and the third one was his life in Yadratafos.


    With the passing of each phase, he spent lower amounts of time in further phases. Yet within those amounts of time, he changed things, many things. That begged another question, what changed? What forced his thinking from Not caring about death, to the I don¡¯t really want to die? Why did he feel like it was more worthwhile to pursue a path filled with riddles and spikes and fires that burned people to their deaths rather than a simple life of a hunter?


    First, he changed. His fundamental existence turned into something different. In the sect¡¯s words, he transformed from a Mortal to now an Immortal. All it took for the sect to explain his definition of change was two letters, I and M. But was the reality that simple? It might be since he was capable of talking about those by letters himself. Yet he couldn¡¯t just use two simple letters to explain himself, his thoughts, his examinations. He wouldn¡¯t feel satisfied. It would feel empty, lacking. A half-assed, a vulgar word he chose to recount this time, explanation couldn¡¯t help himself to understand it.


    Then why didn¡¯t he get on to that not lacking, not imperfect explanation? Ubel knew he was fooling around in his mind, going in circles. Because he couldn¡¯t find the right consolation to his worries. He was incapable. He couldn¡¯t do the same thing the sect had done with two words even while including possible thousands of words.


    This pained him more than anything.


    His change was not something he could explain, at least from outside. And inside? Impossible. His mind was his own, his secluded space. Whatever changed there, only he could know of it. And in the case he didn¡¯t know what differed from the past and the future, who could? Some omnipresent omnipotent god?


    Perhaps.


    It all stemmed from the fact that Ubel was insecure about change, his own change. Immortality and mortality trod on a very thin line, and in between lay an empty space, a mystery. He feared from leaving his mortality, which meant forsaking his memories, yet he also wished for immortality, which meant going on the path of death.


    He trod on none of those paths, he was stuck between. To go or not to go? He had to ask this question to himself. And when he asked, he got no answer. He was a forsaken, bereft of what heavens promised to others, lacking what heavens wished from immortals. Yet he was also a human, he certainly had traits the heavens set as a role model, capacity to reach to the point heavens wished its children to be at.


    Villainous, one could only name as such. Who would be as cruel as to leave a child between two impossible choices? Only villains, of course.


    So he changed, yet did not. He left the path of a mortal, trod on a mysterious domain between Im and Mortal, and stuck there. Left to his own choices, left to his own will. Left inside his personal, stuffed space we called the mind.


    Ubel took a deep breath. Listening to his inner voice arguing with no present soul was intriguing, more so disturbing and exciting. It was another thing that it explained some things he wasn¡¯t aware of himself and found it funny that such statements could be made with seriousness. Stuck between two paths, treading on a mysterious domain. Indeed sounds funny.


    He chose to stick with it while cultivating, revolving his Qi with precise movements and filling up his cells with energy. For some reason, he felt a great deal of exhaustion while imagining the argument. The voice continued.


    Then second, what pushed his thinking? To start from the beginning, a thought like Not caring about death never, ever existed in any human being. Never, there is no exception and it will never be. From the start of the first civilization to the current era, from the Nine Gods Of Deep Seas to the Four Sovereigns of Starry Sky, humanity always harbored that instinct we called Survival Instinct. Among other aspects of humanity, resilience, adaptability, intelligence, and many other fascinating ones, Instincts of survival always hid deeper than others.


    Like a jade deep inside worthless soil.


    No matter how useful the black earth is above, or how it could help to nurture trees, its value will always falter in front of the jade. Because it is hidden, because it only shows itself when needed the most. Because it is what pushed the first couple of illiterate cave people''s illegible art to tens of story high buildings and wooden clubs to Divine Swords. Surviving always came on top, yet never showed its superiority.


    This is why death was never left without care. Death garnered detesting, fear, joy, relief, regret. Death gained a multitude of aliases, Curse, God, End. Death presented many things, an end, a new path, a new choice, a despairing reality. Never even once death left itself to be forgotten, to be worthless, to be meaningless. And our survival instincts are what pushed the death to its current position.


    These two create a balance, Instincts remind death, death activates instincts. Not perfect like yin and yang, nor a flawless whole like Im and Mortal. Yet it has a quality in it, something many fail to see. Ubel was one such person, unable to realize what it meant.


    What helped him then? What was the driving force behind his improved understanding, his understandable accepting of death? It was what we spoke to him before, his treading on the mysterious domain. The reason he first chose to get on that thin line.


    Cultivation!


    Manuals have an exciting aspect to themselves. They represent a new possibility of reality, something kinds of Ubel perhaps never could have a chance of encountering without fate. Unimaginable power, near to six generations of lifespan, an opportunity to rise in the food chain. These three were the most prominent of realities before the era of Four Sovereigns. When they came into being, when the God Nation collapsed into nothing but fragments, and when, at last, two simple men bearing two elements picked up their leftover inheritance by the wills of heavens. It was then that those three changed.


    The first realm of possibility turned from Unimaginable power to Imaginable responsibility. Power had to be constrained, not showed off and used to bow people down to one¡¯s will. Abuse of power meant abuse of soul, and the soul was the foundation of everything.


    The second realm of possibility turned from Generations Of Lifespan to Generations Of Generosity. In act and in action, one¡¯s character was shaped by what deed they did and what good they accomplished. Those two men, wronged by the world and betrayed by anyone but each other, showed their own character as examples. The examples, alas, showed themselves not as generous but as callous.


    Ubel flinched in his place. He looked down at his neck, at the slightly burning necklace of Evil. It is this thing that is talking? The voice continued without minding to his confusion.


    The third realm of possibility turned from Rising In The Food Chain to Protecting The Food Chain. The two people, again, experienced under the cruel and villainous rule of the Nine Gods knew how to rise in such a system. And they rose. They rose so high that there were no more chains binding them, and they made it so that no one could escape like them again. They protected the chain, they kept the balance.


    Yet this balance, as one would expect, not a stable one. So they created manuals, things that could flare up the instincts of men and agitate them into protecting each other. Cinder and Snow then broke their first rule, the first act of breaching of universal laws, and abused this aspect of manuals to enslave people.


    Then men turned into beasts, capable of nothing but surviving and protecting each other. With this, the gate to the advancement of civilization was barred, and the First World was isolated as a failure.


    Cinder and Snow, or Cindersnow, hence were regarded as Evil, or Bearer Of Seals. So Ubel is just another poor soul, on the path to becoming the slave of the Cindersnow.


    This is the hidden reason and history behind his driving force, the change in his perception of death.


    Ubel opened his eyes wide as a sealing mark seeped out of his glabella and flew on to his necklace, then merged with it. The burning sensation disappeared and Ubel stood rooted in his place, his mouth agape and sweat trickling down his forehead.


    ¡®¡¯The third?¡¯¡¯ Ubel asked aloud and clutched the necklace. ¡®¡¯What is the third?¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯What is the truth!?¡¯¡¯ He asked when faced with no response. No ripple, no fluctuation, no trembling. Nothing.


    ¡®¡¯Give me the truth!...the truth?¡¯¡¯ Then he understood what happened.

 31-Incoming (3)

    Kowalski felt a slight shudder at the blowing cold.


    It was unusually cold today. The temperature was low enough to inflict frostbite on some poor civilians still maintaining their jobs to hold on to whatever money they could get. Clouds danced over horizon amidst the flurry of thunder and amassed white mist. The peak of the Mountain Of Emperors hardly reached above the dense mass of mist and proved its magnificence as it would do every day. Though looking at the scenery on top of the city walls certainly had some effect on that, if not he didn¡¯t think he could even see a piece of the mountain.


    The enchanted robes under the small piece of armor comforted him a bit. They kept the cold at bay, at least from his torso and legs, and felt much more comfortable than the heavy bulk of metal on his shoulder. He snuck a peek at the black halberd. It gleamed under the few flashes of sunlight seeping from the crowded dark clouds and blinded his eye.


    I wanted a sword...all old men are grumps!


    ¡®¡¯What are you thinking?¡¯¡¯ He heard the same line from the same person.


    ¡®¡¯Nothing.¡¯¡¯ He said without turning around. Two days of doing nothing but protecting the cannons and cannoneer on the wall would bore anyone, except him. Though the class president wasn¡¯t an exception like him and her asking the same thing over and over again managed to bore him as well.


    ¡®¡¯Don¡¯t lie to me,¡¯¡¯ She reprimanded while looking over the sight from the cannon. ¡®¡¯Why do you need to hide what you think so much?¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Because I don¡¯t think anything.¡¯¡¯ He told the truth. ¡®¡¯Don¡¯t underestimate my ability to think nothing.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯By the light, are you retarded?¡¯¡¯ She sounded pretty angry now. Well, not that he wanted to lie to her.


    ¡®¡¯Truth is bitter, pres.¡¯¡¯ He turned to look at her with a cheeky grin. She looked annoyed and didn¡¯t answer him. As she turned around to look at the field, her eyes widened a bit.


    ¡®¡¯Hey, do you see that?¡¯¡¯ She said and pointed to the air.


    ¡®¡¯I see what-¡¯¡¯ A dark projectile passed through his cheek at the moment he opened his mouth. Then an explosion sent him off his feet. Splinters and rubble flew around like arrows and stabbed onto the ground. The fellow beside them started to shout at the same time while Kowalski tried to stand up.


    ¡®¡¯Attack! Enemy atta-¡¯¡¯ A huge number of the same black projectiles flew over again and stabbed through the man¡¯s body, then exploded with him. Flesh and blood painted over the wall they stood upon. Kowalski shot up to his feet with great effort on his mind and looked over. A few dozen meters away from them the same thing happened. Shouts started to rise from every corner of the walls, from the further east to the farthest west, and a milky white barrier sprang up in front of them.


    The strike continued without minding the new obstacle as the men started to realize the assailants. They were harpies, creatures with humanoid bodies with the extension of wings. Their feathers could pierce through simple metals and claws cut through them like a hot knife through butter. Kowalski, breathing erratic and beads of sweat on his forehead, gazed at the mangled corpse of the class president right beside him. He felt afraid, too afraid to lift his eyes off the corpse. But he didn¡¯t have to keep looking too much, another squad of soldiers came with hurried steps and took back the remains. One of them struck his back with the hilt of their blade to awaken him from the stupor then mounted the cannon.


    ¡®¡¯Watch out for the land.¡¯¡¯ He quickly told as people started to fill the walls with practiced movements, among them some like him stepped out of the soldiers¡¯ way with panicked expressions. ¡®¡¯Hey, did you hear me?¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯I heard senior!¡¯¡¯ Kowalski nodded harder than ever he did in his life.


    ¡®¡¯Good,¡¯¡¯ The man replied and started to move the trajectory of the cannon. Kowalski tried to clear up his mind as the man pointed the artillery above towards the flying harpies. Their feathers still seemed endless, with no indication that they would deplete soon, while barrages of projectiles flew over and over again. At the place the man focused on, a large group of them flocked together like a big battalion. A hundred and twenty of them he could count. The feathers coming towards them, however, multiplied that number by another hundred it seemed. Kowalski gripped his halberd tighter this time, reeling in the fact that he was lucky enough to escape from a horrible fate as such while a flash of light beamed across the sky.


    Looking over, he saw a bright laser strike at the middle of the harpies, turning the majority into charred corpses and mangled pieces of burnt flesh. ¡®¡¯Fuck, they acted faster.¡¯¡¯ The man on his side cursed and pulled the handle at the top. He didn¡¯t wait long enough to gather more energy, as a few dozen harpies that survived scattered around to evade another such attack. That brief moment of sight without any raining feathers allowed Kowalski to see further, and he shuddered.


    A horde. A big, huge mass of beasts trampled over the remnant grass and piled up snow while coming. He identified one type among many of them, leading at the front with faint ecstatic laughter he heard from the walls, quick yellow streaks of lights. Lightning imps. Behind them came huge bulky gorillas with two huge tusks sprouting out of their mouths, the size of a two or three-story building. They matched with the goliaths he heard before, creatures devouring natural environment and flesh to stay alive. They left their bigger allies behind, walking and waving trees at least twice the size of goliaths.


    A natural fear embraced his soul, Kowalski felt it clearly. With a blinding and deafening boom, the man beside him fired the cannon and shot the leftover harpies from the sky. They were far too mobile, however, to get rid of with heavy artillery. Most survived, only a few fell down to the ground and the others started to get back. As they retreated to the beast horde, amidst them flying more than ten thousand of their kinds above, Kowalski gripped his halberd tighter than ever.


    Battle was incoming.


    *********


    Ubel stood in front of the huge tent assigned to the corpsman with many colleagues, all standing with some kind of nervous expression. He was no exception. The first wave of attack didn¡¯t leave any injured, the few handfuls of bodies taken back from the walls were all broken or shattered corpses. A few also fell down behind the walls before the barrier activated and struck some buildings. Perhaps because of the light¡¯s blessing, none of them struck any important place or person. Ubel decided to sit down at last, standing on his feet wouldn¡¯t help much to ease his small anxiety. This garnered some unapproving glances, but he didn¡¯t care. He would save his energy for a later time.


    At the same time, more people began to move towards the other walls.  Gaobun and the other path opener Russell guarded the eastern and western walls of the city. They didn¡¯t actively try to participate in the battle, for only light knows why. They might also intended to conserve theirs for a future time. Ubel hoped for that time to never come for a moment, but he shook his head at last. He had to be careful of what he wished for. The light was merciful, light led the way and helped them raise the civilization to this point, but it still acted on a mysterious whim. Mentioning raising civilization, Ubel remembered the voice from his necklace. He didn¡¯t want to think about that further, it gave him chills and he didn¡¯t need another reason to tire his mentality faster. Yet he somewhat couldn¡¯t shake off that thing from his mind.


    His worries about the matter didn¡¯t last any longer, a few shouts and calls from the aidmen gathered everyone¡¯s attention. A few rushed over first to inspect, Ubel waited. These people knew what they were doing and he wouldn¡¯t doubt that at least. Crowding over a gravely wounded man was, however, something he would frown upon. It didn¡¯t matter much. Soon, more wounded followed the first one and overwhelmed the nervous staff. Ubel no longer stood at the sides and also participated in tending the wounded.


    He felt worried over the incoming.


    *********


    Inside the castle of city lord, at the throne room, a three-layered circular formation laid down. At the center of the formation was the throne of the lord itself, around it the empty first circle. The other two circles held soft mats for the people that now sat upon them. At the eye was the city lord himself, enveloped in the same white light of the barrier. Around him was a miniature one as well, separating him from the others. At the first circle was the four figures in the third path establishment, experts that fueled the barrier with their Qi. At the last circle were the same, with some occasional at the second path establishment. Among them was the blacksmith that provided the disciples and many others with weapons but in this setup, his presence was negligible.


    Surges of Qi rotated around them to create another barrier, and this spread around the area including the castle itself. When looked from afar, a few lines that sprang outwards to the center of the barrier was visible from there. No one had the time to inspect that yet. Everyone focused on their duty without distraction. Sid himself, while keeping the barrier up with his power, inspected the battlefield through his third eye. Some kind of force cloaked up the flying harpies before he could sense their arrival. They acted fast, true, and only a few lost their lives but the fall of moral at the start would surely affect the new recruits and the dozen hundred college students. That was an outcome he didn¡¯t want to see. They only had the moral to cling on for now.The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    Sid, however, didn¡¯t know whether they could keep up long enough to see Quan back.


    *********


    It had been ten minutes since the horde came in sight.


    Kowalski only stood in his place with no motion. His eyes darted from one place to another, reeling in the fact that the beasts would take at least fifteen or twenty minutes to reach the range to attack them. And to people beside him, and perhaps for him too, this was a long break. By now the southern walls filled to the brim with squads of four and without realizing, he too seemed to be a part of the squad with the man cannoning and his acquaintances beside him. Their outfit did not differ much from his, with some small adjustments on the plates here and there. They started to talk some incomprehensible things and cursed a bit, then turned to look at him. Although Kowalski got past the initial shock his senses were still dulled.


    ¡¯¡¯Understood?¡¯¡¯


    ¡¯¡¯Uh- I¡¯m a bit-¡¯¡¯


    ¡¯¡¯Just take this,¡¯¡¯ the man said and pushed a circular talisman to his chest. It clung to his armor and a faint light strand escaped from its center, the other and ending at the back of the man. ¡¯¡¯When you see me in a dire situation or I call for it, pull me back to the walls. Got it?¡¯¡¯


    ¡¯¡¯But why are you going out!? Isn¡¯t that suicide?¡¯¡¯


    ¡¯¡¯Boy, barrier can¡¯t go on forever. We also can¡¯t use cannons too much else they deplete the Qi reserved for replenishing.¡¯¡¯ He did not mind Kowalski after that and stuck one of those talismans to another of his friend. Two were going out, two stood on the walls. The remaining man with him got on the cannon and adjusted it with nimble movements. This made Kowalski question whether everyone took some kind of education on how to operate the artillery. He observed the surroundings and saw other people do the same as well, all of them had two circular talismans connecting each other. There should be around thirty thousand men on the walls. How chaotic it will be if fifteen thousand people engaged in a brutal battle?


    Kowalski took deep breaths and felt a chill travel inside him. His Qi was acting as a soothing element, calming down his nerves. He never felt an effect like this before. It, as it seemed, affected how his emotions flared or presented themselves. This kind of feeling was...relieving. Fifteen minutes passed in a flash as seven cannons on the southern walls gathered the Qi around them in a hurry, vortexes of Qi swirling around their slender and long tube, and men and women preparing their weapons. The man in front of him as well made one last check and started to channel his Qi to the longsword on his back. I wanted a sword like that too. Kowalski sighed. It surprised him that he could think of a measly sword when the trampling of the horde reached his ears and trembled the earth. Vibrations and the expanding sight of the monsters sent another shudder, not as strong as the first one. Kowalski closed his eyes for a moment. Took the last deep breath of the day, then opened his eyes.


    A deep voice boomed inside his ears, inside every soul on the walls


    ¡¯¡¯TAKE DOWN THOSE FILTHY BEASTS!¡¯¡¯


    Then thousands of shadows flew over the walls at the same time. Strands of blue lights trailing behind them, weapons unsheathed at the same time with a grand shrill scream, war cries amalgamated together into one big shout. Then the cannons fired.


    The minimum of ten thousand harpies screamed in delight as their prey left the troublesome barrier, then screamed in terror as seven beams of light exploded right below and above their position. No matter how scattered they were, the aftermath did not show mercy to them. Clouds escaped from the sky together with the flying death bringers, sunlight shone on the warriors down the walls.


    Cannons started to gather up another round of energy as hundreds of lightning flashes flew over towards the barrier, skipping the rushing thousands of soldiers. Kowalski took a step back as one lightning imp collided with the barrier and sent surges of thunder flying over its surface.


    ¡¯¡¯Kill the bastard! It is trying to cover our vision!¡¯¡¯ He was right. Soon, the lightning imps crowded around the areas where seven cannons fired from and covered their sight with their bodies and lightning. Kowalski, after that momentary stop, took a step forward and slashed his halberd downwards. Imp did not move and let out a devilish smile when the halberd connected with its body. Then a thunder cackled, traveled through the halberd and struck Kowalski. It wasn¡¯t strong enough to knock him down, and he felt relieved at that fact, but something worse happened.


    The imp used his body as a medium to enter the walls.


    With the element of surprise, the imp slashed its small yet vicious claws to the cannoneer¡¯s face, ripping out a few pieces of flesh. Tendrils of lightning shot out of the wound and paralysed the man, yet he didn¡¯t seem dead. Kowalski felt a gush of pain coming from his knee as this time the imp struck him. This awoke him from the stupor and forced his body to act. Instantly, two ice mirrors appeared at either side of the imp, closing on him like moving boulders threatening to crush the monster. He slashed with the halberd again at the same time and the imp, its retreat ways blocked, tried to lunge towards Kowalski. To its surprise, another mirror sprang up in front of Kowalski and pushed the imp back. The halberd fell down at the same time and split the monster into two halves. Its innards fell down to the ground but Kowalski didn¡¯t mind the gore. Instead he looked at the cannoneer, grimacing in pain and unmoving because of the lightning. He still held the handle of the cannon.


    ¡¯¡¯By the light-¡¯¡¯ He felt guilty for not expecting something as such, a doubt inside him told he couldn¡¯t anyway, and rushed over to his side with two steps. He held him up and forced him to release the handle. The cannon fired up as the imps crowding the barrier lashed out in fear and anger. Yet they couldn¡¯t survive such an attack from the distance. They thought, perhaps, that their side wouldn¡¯t waste a shot like that on them and use something different to deal with. They were not wrong, but Kowalski didn¡¯t think of that. All he thought of was getting some kind of help to the poor man and him not releasing the handle would be an obstacle on his way. No corpsmen came in sight as Kowalski looked around with frantic eyes. He couldn¡¯t leave the walls too, he didn¡¯t know what was currently happening in the field and the man there entrusted him with his life. The cannoneer, too, had done the same and he failed somehow. He didn¡¯t want to fail again. After casting his Qi into the wound to stop the bleeding he tried to spot someone that could help him. With no tools or enough Qi to spare, he just couldn¡¯t get the man to a better shape.


    Then a beacon of hope appeared. No- it wasUbel.


    A hope was still hope nonetheless. He leaped up to the ten meter long walls and came right beside him. ¡¯¡¯By the light-¡¯¡¯


    ¡¯¡¯Yes by the light, please hurry.¡¯¡¯ Ubel shot him a derisive gaze and he felt a tad bit better, but he knew both of them were not so good right now. He wanted to watch him treat the man but shouts from the sides gathered his attention more. With a turn of his head, he saw the people reaching the line of Goliaths. Other cannons somehow cleared away the imps on their way too but the price they paid seemed worse than his as he saw near to two hundred corpses along the walls. It pained him, then his eyes fell on the field again.


    The fight over there was more intense. Flashes of divine abilities flew like arrows and javelins, trying to cut through the thick skin of the goliaths. He saw a squad performing some kind of chant together and they fused into one single avatar, pulsing with fleshly power and blood. One punch from the avatar stopped the incoming palm of the goliath, and even pushed it back. Another group sent seven blue-red orbs and exploded them near the head of another goliath. The monster screamed in pain as the liquid dropping from the orbs solidified, covering its all senses other than touch. They were the few of the successful ones, others¡¯ situation was horrible.


    A goliath slapped its both palms down and raised pillars of earth from the ground. Soldiers screamed in terror as they flew upwards, right towards the glinting tusks of the goliath. Waving down its head, it crushed the men between the pillars and its tusks, turned them into pastes of meat and flesh. Another group got smashed under the bottom of a jumping goliath, drowning under the filth dripping down its lower body. Some goliaths seemed sturdier than the others with slightly golden fur rather than pure white, their muscles were bigger and eyes fiercer, glinting with crimson red. They could cast divine abilities like immortals and outmaneuver, unlike the others who acted on instinct.


    The man Kowalski connected with was dealing with one such with just four people.


    Their coordination was good, better than others. Their stances as they evaded the incoming rush of fists showed that they were experts on fighting. In the cases they fell behind in speed and were almost hit, a forceful strike or two could save them from the death¡¯s door by redirecting the attack to another place. The golden goliath seemed to understand what they were doing, too, and acted according to that as well. Kowalski watched the connected man slide under an incoming kick by an inch and slash the ankle of the beast. It didn¡¯t do more than trailing off a yellowish blood line on its fur. He leaped back several times and distanced himself from the goliath then sped up towards it again.


    Golden goliath welcomed him with another fist, this time covered in earthen spikes sprouting out of the wrist like slithering snakes towards the front. Kowalski almost touched the talisman to pull the man back but a falling down flash of light stopped him. The flash of light struck the golden goliath on the head and stopped its movements for a moment and the man used this well. Somehow, he released an outburst of Qi to maneuver in the air and landed on the elbow of the goliath. He seemed like a small insect compared to the monster but no bug could move like him. He ran over the arms towards the shoulder and golden goliath tried to shake him off. It didn¡¯t work quite effective. The man, eyeing this opportunity, leaped towards the goliath¡¯s head like a tiger and slashed his rippling sword.


    Goliath then grinned.


    A golden aura shot out of its body and pushed back everyone near it, including the man, and sent them flying. One of the unlucky ones fell right under the nose of the big trees and got pierced by tens of roots at the same time. Kowalski didn¡¯t hesitate this time and pushed the talisman to pull him back. The connection of light between them instantly hardened and turned into a rope-like matter that whizzed. It revolved and flashed, then got sucked inside his talisman.


    The man flew like a ragdoll in the air and steered back to the walls right beside him. The golden goliath seemed to hold a grudge. It started to run on four legs to catch up to the man and almost grasped him on the air as he stepped inside the barrier. The golden goliath battered the barrier with its fists, shouting and spitting everywhere its saliva. Then its eyes opened in shock as Kowalski, now holding the handle of the cannon that pointed at the beast, released it. It turned around to escape, but two seconds wasn¡¯t enough to run away from the effect of the cannon. It pierced through the goliath¡¯s steel like fur and exploded inside its chest like a bomb. The listless body fell down after twitching for a few seconds.


    Kowalski and the man both let out a sigh and fell down on their knees as Ubel came beside them. He put his hands over their shoulders and sent surges of Qi to replenish their reserves. Then his eyes opened in shock for some reason and looked astonished at the man.


    ¡¯¡¯How are you in path finding!?¡¯¡¯

 32-Incoming (4)

    ¡®¡¯I don¡¯t require to answer any questions.¡¯¡¯ The man said after feeling his body regain a huge portion of the expended Qi. He clenched his hands twice to test the flexibility then turned around to look at Kowalski.


    ¡®¡¯Thanks-¡¯¡¯ He said and put one foot on the battlements. ¡®¡¯Also, you get back to your tent. There is no need for you to intervene.¡®¡¯


    Ubel showed a confused gaze before pointing to their sides. The battlements¡® sides and top of the walls brimmed with lightly wounded.  ¡®¡¯Don¡¯t you see all those people? It is easier to treat them here rather than to bring them back.¡¯¡¯ He then added, ¡®¡¯It saves time too.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Senior,¡¯¡¯ Kowalski intercepted as he saw the willingness of the man to speed towards the field again. People flew over their heads left and right, pulled by their connected comrades with the small talismans back to the walls.


    ¡®¡¯Yuan Shu- my name that is.¡®¡¯ He sent an annoyed glare. ¡®¡¯And no, I will go back. You don¡¯t need to ask.¡¯¡¯ Yuan Shu answered without him asking. ¡®¡¯Watch out for me again.¡®¡¯ He then sprinted towards the field again. Kowalski saw him going towards another one of those golden furred goliaths. He shook his head with disappointment, then looked at Ubel.


    ¡®¡¯What are you waiting for? Go mend those people¡®s wounds.¡®¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Alright...but it seems a bit strange.¡®¡¯


    ¡®¡¯What seems strange?¡®¡¯ Kowalski kept his eyes on Yuan Shu in case he got into another deadly situation. ¡®¡¯Monsters or the situation?¡®¡¯


    ¡®¡¯The people.¡®¡¯ Ubel muttered, then said aloud again. ¡®¡¯People, their skills are way much better than the sect disciples. At least the ones like me who didn¡¯t go out.¡®¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Aren¡¯t you both path finders?¡®¡¯ Kowalski asked.¡®¡¯ You should be able to...you can¡¯t move like him. Is it because of experience?¡®¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Instinct too. Experience alone doesn¡¯t explain the shabby fighting skills of senior brother and Shu¡¯s superb reflexes. I can kill him-¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Hey, not so aggressive.¡¯¡¯ Kowalski felt his blood tension calm down a bit in the exchange. As such, he could somehow see the battlefield much clearer.


    ¡®¡¯-in a frontal battle but that is because of my reserves.¡®¡¯ Ubel continued without minding Kowalski. ¡®¡¯Tenth of my Qi proved enough to fill him up. I also doubt that outcome too, if he can evade a move or two I can do nothing to stop him.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯I can¡¯t say I understand much.¡¯¡¯ Kowalski admitted. ¡®¡¯You are from Cindersnow, you guys are known as ten times better than every rogue cultivator.¡®¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Am I so?¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯You might be an exception.¡®¡¯ He flashed a smile at the grinning Ubel. ¡®¡¯Look at that-¡®¡¯ Kowalski pointed with his head as both of them turned their attention to Yuan Shu again.


    He ran on the ground with heavy steps and closed on another golden goliath. He leaped like a tiger to the creature¡¯s chest as his sword flew out of his hand and turned into a ten meter long longsword. Goliath crushed form sides with both of its palms to stop the blade but Yuan Shu kicked like a whirlwind right before that. His feet touched the gigantic hilt and sent it drilling inside the goliath. The black metal tip pierced through the skin and muscle and poked out of the beast¡¯s back. Goliath coughed up a mouthful(In goliath size of mouthful) of blood and Yuan Shu once more came on the monster. He stomped on the hilt of the blade and the sword rose upwards with a shrill scream from the goliath. Its organs torn apart into smaller bits and its lungs ripped from the slash, sword¡¯s sharp edge came out of its mouth carrying its organs¡¯ pieces. Goliath fell down with a thud while Yuan Shu reclaimed his blade then sprinted towards another monster.


    ¡®¡¯And half of his reserves gone just like that.¡®¡¯ Ubel commented. Kowalski sensed some aura emanating between Ubel¡¯s eyebrows but he couldn¡¯t quite put his finger on what it was. It felt like some sensory organ, perhaps a divine ability as well so he ignored it. Instead, he focused on the amassing amounts of tired and wounded bodies soaring in the skies. As one came, another left towards the field. Initial rush proved the monsters to be resilient but not that much hard to deal with. Sadly, their side had no such diuturnal endurance. Corpsman could restore their wounds and replenish their Qi but the energy, or lifeforce, the body expended wouldn¡¯t come back quick enough. This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author''s work.


    That might be the reason that monsters pressed on further and further to corner them. The casualties dipped to the point of none as fight continued. Soldiers of the Yadratafos accustomed to the attack patterns of the monsters with each exchange and the enemy didn¡¯t have enough intelligence to grasp the same. Their instincts helped to sense danger and assess the enemy, yet, that wasn¡¯t enough. However, the opponent was fierce and the groups of lightning imps and the tree monsters, albeit not too hard, still proved themselves to be tricky to deal with. Former moved way too quickly to glimpse upon but in the overall scenario did not affect the battlefield. The reckless move at the start of the battle on their part boasted no effect, instead caused loss of them in thousands if not tens of thousands. Contrary to the devil¡¯s minions, latter gained the universal acknowledgment of the soldiers. The roots that came out of the ground with no alert, grey poison mists silent enough to catch the unwary, and huge bodies shielding the covering harpies; If not for their super slow speed and unusual lack of response to the attacks, Kowalski felt they would be more than tricky.


    The tempo of the battlefield kept going back and forth between the two sides in a stalemate and Yuan Shu did not seem to aim for stronger beasts no further. He accompanied inexperienced(Compared to Yuan Shu, not to the two rookies on the walls.) ones to take down small goliaths and tree monsters or groups of lightning imps. His moves didn¡¯t seem slugged even after the first half of the hour, so Kowalski found it acceptable to move his attention to other things.


    Snow started to melt. Compounding with steam and mists of the tree monsters, sucking up the blood dying both the ground and the wide scenery to red, emitting a light rivaling the sunlight. Temperature rose. Not as much as to disturb, nor deflect the cold, yet noticeable enough. Kowalski so moved a little back, two steps before the stairs leading down the tents and the gates, watched as another man mounted the cannon and swiped his own sweat. He seemed exhausted, his skin pulsed with heartbeat.


    ¡®¡¯By the light-¡¯¡¯ Kowalski exclaimed. The man almost burned! His skin and flesh caught on fire! Yet he did not react. His eyes turned dull, blank, empty of everything except humanity. Ubel flashed before his eyes and threw himself over the man. They tangled and Ubel bore the same searing wound as he continued to restrain and grip the man by hands.


    ¡®¡¯Kowalski!¡¯¡¯ He shouted. Raising one hand, he punched the man in the face. The man didn¡¯t stop.


    Kowalski joined the fray, together with two other men near them. They all tried to hold the same person, only light knew why. Then a small roar erupted from the burning man¡¯s mouth. They shook, and walls shook, and the tents below shook. A flying burst of flame approached from afar with elegance and terror-striking energy. It landed right before the man, tearing away with its now sharp nails and hunched legs. Gaobun revealed himself, or a part of himself, as his form lacked any color or skin not made of fire. His hand raised, callous palm right in the face, he shot. A fire engulfed the man¡¯s head, then his body. Restraining men escaped in the nick of time to avoid spraying gulf of flames. And the man disappeared together with Gaobun, former left ash, latter left seared marks.


    -Damned virus...


    They heard as the body of flame, avatar of Gaobun flickered into nothingness.


    ¡®¡¯What is that?¡¯¡¯ One of the man questioned, his voice rose in wrath. ¡®¡¯Why did he kill one of our brothers!?¡¯¡¯ His eyes turned to Ubel, bearing still the voice and donning the robe of Cindersnow. They blazed like the skin of the man, the eyes the pupils.


    ¡®¡¯What even happened?¡¯¡¯ Other man didn¡¯t mind the anger of the other, he only wondered. ¡®¡¯How did he go berserk? And his skin, his eyes.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯He was in a state, poisoned.¡¯¡¯ Ubel told. ¡®¡¯They carry the poison from the Wood Spirits. The strange mist can sever the link between soul and the mind- It can¡¯t be cured. We can only...end their lives.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Bullshi-¡¯¡¯ A rumbling echoed throughout the earth and the sky, cutting off the angry man¡¯s words before he could utter them. Pillars of fire rose around the walls next to each other, and step by step, each one so fast that no eye could grasp the real pattern, covered everything three hundred meters away from the walls. Temperature finally rose so high that even the sweat evaporated. Kowalski looked on as a huge barrier of swirling whirlwinds appeared behind the pillars, then shot them towards the front. Friend or foe it did not matter, and there were very few before the ways of the fire and storm, the columns razed the ground black and the sky red. Flesh burnt and soul vaporized, shrill screams one after another arose behind the pillars and the rising cloud of smoke.


    Then the half-chaotic steps of the beasts started to falter, to turn faint. The whole land turned silent, a gust of wind defied that moment another second after. It cleared and pursued the backs of the monsters, darkened skies became bright again. Monsters were retreating, but not so far. They weren¡¯t defeated. Their numbers great and gazes of fury felt kilometers away, Kowalski felt the same shudder he felt at the start of the siege. He felt a primordial fear, he felt afraid. And he knew exactly why.


    Because they were trapped.


    Because their numbers seemed so low and tiny in front of the flying mass of dark dots.


    And because, for this point was the most important, he saw the falling down stars upon their barrier.


    Upon them.

 33-Incoming (5)

    ¡¯''His Majesty the Emperor calls forth the emissaries for the audience!¡®¡¯ One of the servants of the palace of Karnival shouted for everyone outside the venue to hear. He clamped the scroll written on the decree of the emperor in his hands and gave a waistline bow to the passing entourage of Cole and Quan. They trod on the thirty-three steps of stairs and came in front of the gateway donning the gold-jade writing of Moon and Sun- Twin Stars Of The Empire. Quan gave a cursory look before stepping inside the wide fancy walls and stopped right in front of another flight of stairs leading to the throne up above, thirteen steps away from the seated Emperor Shuangxing in yellow imperial robes. Seated at his side, one step lower, was his daughter and the crown princess, Huang Twin-star with her battle armor. Her complexion, like one of a fierce phoenix, did not meld quite right with her father¡®s bumptious gaze. Cole stood one step behind of him, and the rest of the men at the sides of the entrance, and kneeled. Quan, instead, gave only a bow. He had the right to stand upright, or even climb next to the Emperor as well. That was the influence the Cindersnow caused, and indeed for one of cindersnow to not use such thing when he was here to threaten it seemed strange.


    He did not derive it from the unmoving face of the Emperor-though he knew he also reacted the same- but from the still young crown princess¡® wandering gaze. He stood up from his bow as the others kneeled three times and clasped his fists in greeting. ¡®¡¯Greetings, your majesty.¡®¡¯ He raised his head but did not look into the eyes of the Emperor. Instead, he cast another glance to the surroundings to assess the situation, and the lack of the ministers from the court meant the man knew whatever fate would fall on him. Or else, Quan didn¡®t think this was too likely, he wanted whatever talked in here to stay here. Hence, his order for the court messenger and other servants and guards to leave, although faced with a silent disapproval from his men, proceeded with a swift motion. In no time, only four people in the hall- except the concubines and their servants inside the inner ring of the palace- now stood alone. Emperor chose not to talk, and his daughter opened her mouth.


    ¡®¡¯Welcome, advisor Cole. Welcome, representative of Cindersnow.¡®¡¯ Quan didn¡®t feel the need to react, and she continued. ¡®¡¯Before everything else, you must feel hunger and thirst from all the journey.¡®¡¯


    ¡®¡¯I would really love to taste the special cuisine of his majesty.¡®¡¯ Quan replied. ¡®¡¯But the matter at hand is much more urgent, and we managed to satisfy our needs on the way. Thanks for your generosity, your majesty.¡®¡¯ He gave a bow of gratitude. These were empty talk. A formality, if he had to say so. Lack of court did not mean there were no ears on the earth, or in the palace. Emperor seemed like he did not wish to hide that much from his men as well. He, perhaps, made his mind on his decision a long time ago.


    ¡®¡¯Advisor Cole, that would make us a bad host in the eyes of our people.¡®¡¯ She addressed to Cole this time. ¡®¡¯And his Majesty has so few people because of the chaos in the frontlines to entertain his boredom. A good pair of men like you are hard to come by in the frenzy.¡®¡¯


    Cole stood silent for a moment and listened. ¡®¡¯Your praise is unworthy of one as lowly as me, your majesty.¡®¡¯ he refused the compliment. ¡®¡¯Your heart is as wide as the sea, and as all your subjects know your mind is sharper than a precious knife. I hope you would listen to our pleas. That would be the most generous thing.¡®¡¯ He then gave a deep bow.


    Quan looked at the Cole for a moment, then upwards towards the Emperor. Their eyes matched for a moment, then darkness overtook the surroundings. Everything blurred before his eyes. The sounds, the image, the scent, the bitter taste in his mouth. Only two pair of eyes remained. And they were strong. Not aloof, or conceited as he looked at them a moment ago. They glinted like the sharp edge of a blade, and that glint fulfilled whatever definition of Greed and Ecstasy was there.


    And his eyes reflected them. Quan¡®s eyes were sour. Blank, empty of what the Emperor had. Their Qi clashed like colorful fireworks around and in front of their eyes. And the sight did not disappear until the Emperor closed his eyes. He looked...weary. Cole and Huang, blatantly unaware of the exchange continued their small talk until the Emperor opened his mouth.


    ¡®¡¯I once thought-¡®¡¯ He said, his gaze once more falling down on Quan. ¡®¡¯-that It was strange I was the sole son of my father. I was alone. I thought it was strange. Why would I be the only one, when he had so many concubines? So many wives? So many...years.¡®¡¯ He wiped the smile off his face. ¡®¡¯I searched for someone other than me as I grew up older. I looked in tomes, in the records, I even sought some acquaintances of my father that he never thought I knew of.¡®¡¯


    He then sighed. ¡®¡¯Sadly, no such person appeared. Even if...every new generation bore two new descendants, The Sun and The Moon, my generation didn¡®t.¡®¡¯


    ¡®¡¯But from what I see, representative, you have the same eyes as The Sun.¡®¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Your majesty,¡®¡¯ Quan refuted, ¡®¡¯Has both the sun and the moon inside his eyes. That might be the reason for your misfortune- your fortune.¡®¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Indeed, it might be.¡®¡¯ He agreed. Shuangxing then laid back on his dragon throne, raised his chin with his left hand and pointed with right at him. ¡®¡¯What do you ask from the twin-moon, bearer of the sun?¡®¡¯


    ¡®¡¯It is not I who asks-¡®¡¯ Quan straightened his back. ¡®¡¯It is the one you saw in my eyes. Am I...wrong?¡®¡¯


    ¡®¡¯No, you are right.¡®¡¯ he smiled again. ¡®¡¯Yet, does this change anything? Either you, either him. My son can do or live as he wants and I won¡®t have any dealings with how he rules his life and his subjects. That was what he wished for.¡®¡¯ Shuangxing narrowed his eyes after falling silent for a moment. ¡®¡¯Or did he change his mind, representative? Does he want to assume the throne, be the crown prince again?¡®¡¯


    Quan knew the answer. It was most definitely a big refusal. To Sid Starlight, to the past crown prince of the Two-star dynasty who forsook their surname for the right to rule over his own life, that was an impossible choice. The burden he faced, the things he had to get accustomed to keep his position as a crown prince, then as an Emperor, were not for someone of his character. He wasn¡®t valiant enough to meet his Majesty¡®s demands, nor was he submissive enough to comply with the sect¡®s orders. Choosing between his dynasty and the sect was no easy thing. Either way led to death, and the only thing that changed was who would welcome it. And he, on whose orders he came, had no right to comment on that matter in a place like this.


    But what would he need to say then? Just refuse the notion and keep on with the meaningless talk? Surely the Emperor wouldn¡®t care about a son with no resolve to take over his throne. Filial piety had no use in the court. Emperors of this era only cared about one single thing. The determination to put up with the sect. And Sid lacked that. He abstained from his position because of that sole thing. What Quan had to do in such a case then? He couldn¡®t keep looking at the emperor¡®s eyes like a silly commoner forever. Perhaps, as it seemed, he could use the sect¡®s name again. He could clear away their history and even convince Cinder to not replace the dynasty the next spring. He could do so much with the sect¡®s-


    ¡®¡¯My lord-¡®¡¯ then Cole spoke, keeping his waist bent in a bow. ¡®¡¯Still wishes the same. He feels burdened, suffocated by the responsibility of being a ruler. Even now, at the front, he feels the same. He realized after ruling over the Yadratafos that, in his words, ''¡¯His Majesty must have a spine made of divine metal to not collapse.¡®¡¯ I too share his sentiments, your majesty, and I am in awe of your strong will to put up with a pressure hundreds of times greater than my lord¡®s.¡®¡¯


    ¡®¡¯However, my lord also said that after feeling the same thing first hand, he felt assured of his choice to refrain from the dragon throne. Only his sister, the crown princess, is worthy of laying her back as you do, and looking down at masses as a deity like you.¡®¡¯


    ¡®¡¯What is your point, advisor?¡®¡¯ Shuangxing said with an impatient tone, his eyes glinting.


    ¡®¡¯What I mean is, your majesty, my lord wishes for you to forget about him as a son. He wishes for you to perceive him as a vassal, like a trusty subordinate and a past family. And we are, in his orders, here as an envoy from a loyal vassal of yours, fighting with all his power at the Mountain Of Emperors against forsakens and their beasts for your subjects alone.¡®¡¯


    ¡®¡¯That is why I beg of you, your Majesty. Please, grant us a sliver of your power! You can call winds and summon rains with a beckoning of your hand, and we need you.¡®¡¯ Cole let his knees go weak and prostrated on the floor, smashing his head nine times to the floor. And his face turned wet, tears fell like beads of morning dew and stained the precious mat of the palace.


    Emperor Shuangxing fell silent and closed his eyes. Quan felt a burning heat rise inside his heart. He felt ashamed. He felt sorry for himself after all these years he lived. Why could he not show his sincerity, his true purpose for once? Was he so incapable, was he such an imbecile? After living that long, after meeting with so many people, who left their impressions most on him? He remembered well. They were honest people who shed tears and beamed at the slightest things. They were people like his old wife and that Boris fellow at the sect. They were those who carried the same aura as the elder Snow and had the same tranquility as the Leopold Tree. This man, Cole, managed to show his sincerity but why couldn¡®t he?


    Because he was from the sect, and the sect had no use for people like that. They needed either rulers, warriors, or slaves. After being a slave for a time so long as two centuries, his emotions died. With them died his expressions. His wisdom? Without the backing of feelings, papers upon papers of writing or words had no value. His experience? What kind of an experience did he live other than that of a slave? Moving back and forth between missions and teaching at the sect? None. But he still knew- he could still appreciate sincerity, pure emotions like a normal mortal. Like a human.Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation.


    But could the Emperor? Could he do the same as him? To be a ruler, to command over masses and call forth every power with a wave of a hand, what did he sacrifice the most? Quan knew it well, and Shuangxing proved it.


    ¡®¡¯Your request...I can¡®t grant. You wish for everything, but give me nothing. Faithful subordinate? Loyal subject? Trusty vassal? Someone who escapes from a responsibility as easy as flattering some arrogant mongrels from a mountain can¡®t carry my banner nor impose my will! He was to be the moon, he was to be the one that held the dark under control, and Huang was to be the sun to lighten his darkness. And he didn¡®t.¡®¡¯


    ¡®¡¯I have no pity for people like him, or subjects who favor him.¡®¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Your majesty!¡®¡¯ Cole raised his grief-stricken face to meet with the emperor. Yet no more words came out of his mouth. He froze under the gaze of a deity, the freezing coldness inside his burning eyes. He just stood there, laying on the ground with his dried tears and open jaw. How ruthless was this? To reject one¡®s sentiments, to not see their wishes. The heaviest blow of all was ignorance, uncaringness of the ruler. The betrayal- and Emperor read them all. And he smiled at that. He laughed at that. Then his boasting smile vanished as Quan dropped to the ground on his knees like Cole with exclamations from both princess and Cole.


    ¡®¡¯Your majesty, I can give something to you. I can give you safety, I can give you assurance, I can lend myself for a year- no. For a decade if you wish! But I beg of you, not under the name of the Cindersnow, but under the name of the Hero Of Kryostria, Quan Bing Yingxiong, to aid me and my disciples.¡®¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Am I not worth that much?¡®¡¯


    Shuangxing looked, Huang looked, Cole looked, the concubines behind the curtains and walls looked, then the emperor erupted in laughter.


    ¡®¡¯Then there is hope for the sect, for us after all!¡®¡¯ He laughed and laughed, then stood up from his throne with a whirlwind and appeared beside Quan. He held the man from the shoulder and raised him from the ground.


    ¡®¡¯I will aid the moon.¡®¡¯


    Quan felt his eyes redden, but he didn¡®t know why. It was good, he didn¡®t want to know anyway. Instead, he took a step back and gave another bow again. ¡®¡¯I won¡®t refrain from my words, and heavens strike If I don¡®t keep my promise.¡®¡¯ He swore for the second time in his life.


    ¡®¡¯Good- then let us go over there.¡®¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Us? Your majesty-¡®¡¯


    ¡®¡¯If there are forsakens-¡®¡¯ He flashed a terrifying smile- ¡®¡¯No man will be better than me. Right, Huang?¡®¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Ye-yes fath- your majesty!¡®¡¯ She said while rushing to his back, then stopped a few steps away from him. ¡®¡¯No- no, no, no! Your Majesty you can¡®t-¡®¡¯


    ¡®¡¯I decided, and you approved. Then let me show you the teleportation formation. This way, we can get over there in an hour.¡®¡¯


    An hour...


    Quan nodded together with the Cole who climbed back to his feet, and the men behind him who cast complicated gazes at his back. But Quan cared none. He, for now, had only one thought.


    I will be back. Cinder, Snow, I won¡¯t disappoint. He closed his eyes, then opened them again.


    This will be the last promise I give.


    *********


    After the few men left on the battlefield pulled back to the walls, wails started to rise among the retreating horde. Over their head passed tens of thousands of ten meter long eagles and harpies, upon each of them rode wood spirits with pulsing green hearts under their woody bodies. Even from kilometers away, immortals of the Yadratafos could sense their animosity and desire to kill. Looking around themselves, everyone knew their already measly numbers compared to the beast horde now seemed like a drop in the ocean. Of the fifteen thousand that departed, almost four thousand laid lifeless beyond the walls. The earth, painted with their life source-blood-, reeked of death.


    After a few minutes of anxious waiting for instructions, orders came. Another cannon, just produced a few minutes ago, also mounted the walls and medical staff retreated back inside the castle with the wounded. A few that could protect themselves remained with the soldiers, who were also supposed to carry back any grievous wounded. Barrier thickened as the flying mass of darkness overtook the skies and the Qi inside the city started to deplete at a faster rate.


    Ubel felt the change to be quite minimal but if he guessed it right, it would take about two hours for the whole thing to vanish. And the reason was the man right behind him and the few hundred corpsmen. City Lord. The three-layered formation around them radiated fluctuations like the one he saw at the night of the munchur attack. Just one of them could force the barrier to the point of almost shattering and decimate Gaobun. And now, as he identified them the same night again, there were two more of those things. He doubted Gaobun¡¯s skills as an immortal, even Yuan Shu seemed to be a better fighter than him. If so, what about the elder he beat before? Was he powerless, too? Then wouldn¡®t that mean the whole sect was weak? With the memories of a few other fighters passing before his eyes, Ubel was sure the hegemon called Cindersnow seemed like an empty shell. Then there was the other righteous sects that he never heard of and evil sects he hadn¡¯t seen until now. Where were they?


    With so many questions in his head, it was hard to focus on the current situation. At least, as they were crowding the castle, a safe environment like this made it much easier to calm himself down. Except, this place wasn¡®t only safe. It brimmed with wounded and people on the brink of death. Running over from here to there and back and forth tired him enough to stop his train of thought as well.


    He was a bit shameless on that part. Ubel didn¡®t want to get near to people who stood at the door of death. The kind of wounds where organs littered the floor or their own flesh and bones stuck out of their backs and joints. They were the people that couldn¡®t escape from their fate. And there was a lot of them. A lot, tons of. So his choices narrowed down too. He couldn¡®t escape from getting face to face with a dying man again, but the later it was the better he would feel.


    At least that way, he could just say it was inevitable. Right?


    *********


    Yuan Shu patted the young boy he connected with to as a show of gratitude. He wasn¡®t sure if he could see it as one though, but it didn¡®t matter right now.


    He didn¡®t imagine a frenzy would be this hard. When he came from the Karnival as a fired God Legion officer-it is a pretty fancy name for a division he had to admit- to regain his position in the army he thought it would be at most challenging. He heard the stories where frenzies caused thousands upon thousands of death tolls, completely devoured cities and villages, sacrifice altars piled upon hundreds of corpses. He even read about official recordings of the most fierce of them all, Judgment Of Kryostria. Emerging point of a disease that took millions of lives, including his grandparents and grand relatives, and the crossing point where sects were finally classified as Evil and Righteous. It was an open secret that there had to be some reason other than hatred and greed- perhaps not hatred- that those sects that fled to the southern continent assaulted the immortals of the Cindersnow. Of course, records were records. The authors were all the Archaea Immortals of the Cindersnow, again like many other things banned or created out of nowhere, so their testimony didn¡®t count. Were it not for the senior generations of the immortals that lived up to two hundred years or more, he would doubt whether anything like that existed at all.


    Sect considered truth to be what it said before. It couldn¡®t twist everything of course. Vassal Empires weren¡®t filled with brainless fools or the arrogant masters from the stories of the famed authors. They had their own records, annual inspection of documents and historical notes, family tree check and a few other methods to keep their dynasty¡®s rule pure. Keeping the rule pure- he didn¡®t know what that was but at least what they did was pure enough to see. From that, deriving the truth and wrong from the sect¡®s words became much easier. Or harder. Since every few years some new old documents about how the sect helped the world to get back on its tracks appeared, one could only wonder how much hidden documents that- despite the writing being in formal language and with no bias- praised the sect somehow.


    Of course, he hated that fact like many other citizens of their respective empires. Yet, their hatred didn¡®t turn them blind to the other fact. The Sect was also the one who protected them from the Frenzy or the Forsakens. To describe the sect, the best word he could find was a barrier.


    One that protected them from outside.


    One that never left their heads.


    One who always watched.


    Yuan Shu shook his head. He felt admiration too. How they managed to purge such creatures with their low numbers or how they were knowledgeable on all matters. He turned over to look at the eastern walls. A huge ball of fire with blazing flames of all colors floated over the periphery of the barrier. He saw how the thing split into hundreds of small balls of fire and rained over the battlefield and created those firestorms. They were the essence of those storms, and Yuan Shu knew that the momentum behind those came from the fellow at the western wall. He, too, covered himself with tempests and whirlwinds with no colors. At least, he knew that man was a mentor in the branch of Claudius'' college. No more than that.


    One from Cindersnow, other from the far dynasty and the most fierce empire of all. Shaowei Empire. They acted as a shire and first line of defense against most of the evil sects. Thus, most of their men were also favored by the sect and strong. Very, very strong.


    Their strength perhaps could help him stay alive here. Without his Qi cultivation and only tempered fleshly body, taking down normal goliaths were not that hard. The mutated variants, he lacked the knowledge of their skills. The tree demons, way too slow to threaten him. Only, this incoming battalion of wood spirits might get him into real danger.


    He stole a quick peek at the young boy behind, his eyes wide open and breathing fast. That was the supposed effect of the manuals their general talked about. Emotion manipulation. Quick comprehension. Instinct enhancement.


    Then the isolation of feelings. Yeah, the boy calmed down a moment after only to get agitated again. Yuan Shu couldn¡¯t help but grin a bit. Maybe he chose the correct path for the first time in his life now. And if what the general said was true...he couldn¡¯t imagine what kind of a place the world would become.


    A time where they could fight as long as they wanted, a battle that would never end until another hegemon emerged, a war for the emperor of the emperors. And the best part- There would be no sect to intervene.


    Heheheheheheheheheh- His grin grew wider.


    Such a future, how fun would that be?

 34- Incoming (6)

    Archura felt a sharp pain inside her heart as she patted the head of her children beneath and around her, all flapping their wings and screeching at the people a few hundred meters away from them. They all had bright, gleaming feathers like steel. Color of red, of course, like her hair. Looking around, counting them once more before attempting to gather attention for her weak lords, she clenched her hands. Then she gazed over at the Yadratafos.


    The barrier, like a torch, still covered the small immortals on the wall with flickering dashes of lights. It was a simple one, just a huge half-sphere above the earth and another half below the ground. Unlike other types of barriers-Hexagonal, Aegis, Square, and Spearhead- it was the most Qi efficient. And, again, unlike the other types, its shape did not allow for any weak points. From wherever they struck, it would be no different for the defenders. So she searched. She had to protect as many of her children while suffering the least amount of damage. It was, seemingly, impossible though. Two path openers at the east and west walls were keeping an eye on her. As puny as they were, with no help from her children she wouldn¡¯t even be a match for her two munchur servants. So, she had to care more about them rather than the ominous wielder of the stars, the one who blotted the sky with his aura. After all, the vice-knight of the hall had proclaimed the man his own prey. It was just a matter of time before their clash.


    Though she wished it would be much later. If her children got caught among the tempests and shockwaves of two men of that caliber, there was no doubt about what their fate would be.


    Though her train of thought was cut off in a few seconds as she focused on the upper parts of the barrier. A place where mounted cannons couldn¡¯t aim at in a rush and non-rangers would have a hard time protecting themselves. Feeling sure of the place, then sending the respective alerts to the vengeance seeking munchur siblings to do whatever they wanted, she raised her hand and pointed towards the city.


    ¡®¡¯My children, my horde,¡¯¡¯ She called out to both flying wood spirits, and the now stalled beast horde below. ¡®¡¯Don¡¯t let down your mother!¡¯¡¯


    *********


    Kowalski¡¯s legs went weak.


    He watched with horror as the thousands and tens of thousands moved together once more, all dawning upon the barrier in frenzy with no courageous men from immortals facing them. Lightning imps clustered around the surface again, clawed and bit down to tear apart the barrier. Goliaths took a simpler approach. They leaped above the others and slammed with their bodies, punched with their fists, kicked with their short legs. A few hundred people with bows and javelins rushed down the walls to get a better angle at the monsters and prepared their volley. In a few seconds, flaming arrows and exploding spears flew over Kowalski¡¯s head, right as he was cutting down another lightning imp with his halberd, yet failed to hit the maddened beasts. The branches of the tree monsters, much quicker than themselves, shielded them from most of the harm. Even the few who dropped dead or wounded, if there was any, couldn¡¯t be seen because of the roots.


    Sweat trickling down both his back and his forehead, Kowalski took several steps back until he was at the edge of the wall. He snuck a peek behind to the ground, then threw a fearful glare towards the clumped and crowded lightning imps. He felt horrible inside. From fear, from shame. The shame of wanting to run away. And for each second he looked at the monsters, the voice telling him to run boomed again and again. Then several streaks of light fell in front of him and exploded. The lightning imps, caught right among the lights turned into pools of blood and pieces of flesh. Some even painted his clothes beneath the armor. The stench, however, turned more unbearable as the owner, owners of the strike came in front of him.


    ¡®¡¯Hey! Stop standing there like a fool!¡¯¡¯ One of them shouted. Kowalski looked at the man, nodded and grasped his halberd tighter.


    ¡®¡¯Go down the walls if you can¡¯t fight.¡¯¡¯ Another one¡¯s voice reached his ears as a tremor passed through the bulwarks. ¡®¡¯Help the corpsman to carry men.¡¯¡¯ They said and departed without looking at him back. They ran towards the source of the tremor, a few golden goliaths who struck the part of the barrier with the mounted cannon.


    Kowalski watched them leave and felt his fear lessen to an extent. More tremors passed through and more blood spilled down. In the air, harpies and wood spirits sent ten times of their numbers worth of sharp feathers flying towards the barrier and cracked it for a second. Howls and screams of the monsters bolstered the morale of the horde and they struck fiercer than ever.


    Yet, Kowalski looked none of that. He just turned to look over at two huge giants approaching through the sides, one green one red. Red one donned a fine armor and held a haberd identical to his, only largened to thirty meters long to suit the monster¡¯s needs. The green came with only a cloth strapped to its waist and a huge gaping mouth on its belly. They came, their feet hit the ground, and with a sweep of both of their hands a blast of Qi struck the crack the aerial monsters created. Two balls of Qi, also green and red, flew over to intercept but they were a moment too late.Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.


    So, a ten meter long breach appeared on the barrier. Then several shadows flew inside.


    *********


    Ubel watched as more and more corpsmen left the castle and fewer came back. They were either caught up in the fighting, or had trouble reaching back to the castle. Either way was no good. His selfishness wished that they would come back much faster. It was unbearable to stay with men on the brink of death and pleading for their lives. That is, if they could. And he didn¡¯t listen that. Even as he struggled to escape from one dying to another, pretending to be busy with wounded who needed none of his treatment, a few corpsmen came through the open gates of the castle. Their faces told of the horror outside. Sweat and blood coagulated on their cheeks and under their eyes. On their backs were the results of the horror and the cause of their expressions.


    Corpses. Not wounded men, nor men struggling to stay alive. They were mangled, pierced, cut, torn apart bodies. Lifeless, lacking the light inside the living¡¯s eyes.


    But in here, even living had none of that shine.


    One who carried them came over to his side and dropped the corpse right at his feet with no words. It fell with a thud and blood splashed to the white marble of the castle. Eyes rolled to the side, and gray. An overwhelming tone of gray sprang out of the man¡¯s perhaps once colorful eyes. The man who dropped the corpse cast a quick glance to Ubel, their eyes met. Ubel saw the same gray, not so potent, yet so apparent. He subconsciously nodded to the man and the other let out a bitter smile. Ubel felt like hugging the man for no reason. Was it his conscience? He didn¡¯t know. Just...he wanted to. To soothe himself. To suppress the filthy feeling inside his heart.


    Then the man left without any words, just like he came. Others, also, ran after him and his entourage. This time more of them. One stumbled on his feet and collided shoulders with Ubel. ¡®¡¯Sorry,¡¯¡¯ he said and cast an apologetic gaze before rushing off. Ubel shook his head to clear away his head. Then he looked down at the corpse. His face wasn¡¯t familiar- well, if it was even familiar he couldn¡¯t identify him because of the sunken jaw and tattered skull. And eyes, with a color like that, he had no way of knowing who.


    He wondered. If Kowalski¡¯s body came like this man¡¯s, would he be able to recognize him? Perhaps not. With a quick sweep of his eyes, Ubel understood that the man -corpse- in front of him took a lighter wound. Shattered skulls and shredded limbs were the most common of the conditions. And stinking green matter flowing out of their glabellas, the poison of those tree monsters. That, too, seemed frequent.


    Ubel didn¡¯t want to look further into them. Instead, he took out the helmet of the man and placed it backwards, so as to close his head from sight. Then he walked off towards another corpse. He did the same, then did again to others. He kept going back and forth between the dead bodies. Then once they were done, he came near to a man who was taking one of his last breaths. He put one hand over his body to alleviate his pain with Qi, then smiled at the man.


    ¡®¡¯Take care, senior.¡¯¡¯


    For he, in his opinion, thought it would be better to remember a smile rather than tears before death.


    *********


    They landed on the crowded walls and took off their cloaks. Six forsakens, each grasping their own spear, looked at the dozens of immortals around them with slight grins. Deadly ones. Among them, one with the youngest age, took a step forward and leaped into the encirclement. In a moment of breath, screams and wails erupted as blood flowed like a river on the walls. He was their little junior, a new acceptance to the Hall Of Revenge. And the vice-knight, their biggest senior, paid a good amount of wealth to the hall to take him here.


    After all, a chance to fight immortals came only in a few decades.


    Since their biggest senior hid himself to fight with that hallmaster equal of immortals, the decision making was left to their second biggest senior. He was also a vice-knight, but with less power and authority. Still, he was still their senior and had the permission to act how he saw it fit. So, they were here. On the walls, watching with amusement the death of immortals while waiting for his orders.


    Then he spoke and flashed out his golden tipped spear.


    ¡®¡¯We will take care of the barrier.¡¯¡¯ He said and motioned for their second biggest senior to come to his side. She let out a victorious tittering and stood side by side with their senior. ¡®¡¯You can take care of the cannons, or fight with the ones you see equal to yourself.¡¯¡¯ He swept his gaze over them and glared.


    ¡®¡¯And let me make this clear. Don¡¯t underestimate them. None of you know how immortals can fight, never hesitate when using your spirit. Or else, your families will be the one who will suffer.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Understood!¡¯¡¯ They all replied.


    ¡®¡¯Oh, look. Junior found someone worthy already!¡¯¡¯ He looked over to see their junior, exchanging blows with an immortal. He bore a small sword at his hilt and had raven black hair falling down to his waist. After assessing the man and finding him no threat to his junior¡¯s life, he turned around to look at them again. ¡®¡¯Watch their fight and take lessons.¡¯¡¯


    He then gazed at the castle.


    ¡®¡¯Let us depart.¡¯¡¯

 35- Last Fights Of The Era (1)

    Kowalski took a deep breath as he watched the shadows emerge, then turn into silhouettes of six people. Around him stood as many men the wall could contain without crowding it, a handful dozen. At the other side of the invaders was also another group, busy with repelling the goliaths now falling off the gape on the distorted barrier. A few lightning imps also snuck in and scrammed towards the other parts of the walls. Few eyed them from afar, together with the wood spirits descending on their impish horns. Yet, all returned their glance with fear when one of the six people moved.


    Moving man looked young, had a fancy leather armor and superb looking spear. Not only that, but his skills were also superb. The evidence? It was the spear tip at Kowalski''s side that pierced three armored men with no difficulty. He let out a yelp and took two steps back like the many soldiers beside him and the man continued his movement. The blue inscriptions on the spear flashed with a light and the young man¡¯s speed increased again. With haste, he swept the spear and five more men fell down the walls with bloody tears on their bellies. Kowalski retreated further in fear again and stumbled on one of the soldiers. The man grasped him from the shoulders and threw aside. He fell on his butt and his halberd almost flew out of his grasp. Then he saw other three men, all circling the fancy-looking enemy. They waited for a second, exchanged glances, then everything happened at once.


    The one in the front took a step and sent a low punch to the stomach of the enemy. One from the back released a twin current of lightning both from above and below to corner the man. Men from left leaped with his sword and the one from right slid with his daggers. They both slashed at the same time, then all attacks met with the man.


    Kowalski¡¯s jaw dropped as the enemy, with no hesitation, stabbed his spear down the walls. A tremor passed through the walls and pained wails rose, together with tens of stone spears. They revealed themselves beneath the walls and flew up, men couldn''t react. The stone spears pierced through their vital organs and sent their innards flying. With a hand motion, the spears submerged into the walls again. The man, however, did not care about the corpses around him and turned to Kowalski. Kowalski hurried to his feet and put his halberd in front.


    ¡®¡¯Why are you shaking?¡¯¡¯ The man laughed. Kowalski¡¯s hands shook indeed. The halberd, and its tip, trembled. It went back and forth between his chest and head. He wanted to shake his head but found no courage to make even a simple motion. And as he struggled, the enemy took two more steps and raised his spear above him.


    I¡¯m dead- mom I am dead.


    Kowalski closed his eyes and slashed with his halberd in a moment of hurry, awaiting no outcome. But something did happen. He felt the strike connect with the man, then the feeling of slashing through empty air. Opening his eyes, he saw the enemy a few steps away from him, holding onto his spear and glaring.


    Then a hand patted him from the back and strands of raven black hair entered his vision. Kowalski rotated his head, then felt something moving inside his heart.


    ¡®¡¯Yuan Shu!¡¯¡¯


    *********


    Yuan Shu patted Kowalski''s back as the young boy laughed. He flashed a smile, then grasped the boy from the collar of his robe.


    ''''Yuan Shu?''''


    ''''Sorry, don''t thank me later on.'''' He said and, with all his power, threw the boy towards a group of soldiers afar. With a scream the boy flew and collapsed on the group. The soldiers, in a rush, took the fainted boy and gave him to one of the corpsmen.


    Forsakens, huh?


    Yuan Shu looked over at his surprise at last. Yes, it was a surprise. A happy one nonetheless. He knew from records that forsakens never attacked the northern continent. At least that was since the assault on Kryostria. Even so, in general, that event was also an abnormal occurrence. To see forsakens , and multiple of them at that, he would have counted his blessings to the Light.


    Since he never had the chance to meet one in person.


    Yuan Shu closed his eyes for a moment, then reopened them. His pupils turned to emerald color, and the whole scenery changed in front of him.


    Indeed they were forsakens. Everything in his sight gained a imprint the moment he opened them. From the people scurrying around to fight to the flourishing, snow covered trees in the distance. Each had some kind of Qi imprint on them. They looked like round imperial seals with the inscription of what kind they belonged to. Plants had the Life Tree as their imprint, animals had the Beast God. And humans had the Dragon on their seals. Yet forsakens had no Qi imprint. They were simple, grey, walking humanoid shapes. They had no distinctive feature or recognizable aura. That was why, in most cases, it was hard to find the locations or tracks of forsakens.


    And, hundreds of years ago, this caused immortals to face a crushing defeat at the hand of kings.


    But that was not important at the moment. Being sure about his assumption, Yuan Shu blinked again and the world returned to normal. His eyes, too, returned to their black tone. However, this time, he welcomed a stab towards his head instead of a scenery. The glinting golden tip of the spear looked deadly to an amusing degree. Simple-


    He evaded the strike and pushed the shaft of the spear away with his forearm. The forsaken did not flinch at the move and retracted his spear. Yuan Shu, disregarding any counter move, connected his movements with a high fist to the chin. But forsaken did not allow it to reach. He took hurried steps to the back and grasped his spear tighter, then rushed towards Yuan Shu.


    He took a small leap and swept the spear towards Yuan Shu¡¯s side in a large arc, but it couldn''t reach. Yuan Shu, being the always athletic man he was, evaded it with no difficulty. So he picked up speed and closed the range between them, together with it he sent another punch.


    ¡®¡¯Why don¡¯t you use your weapon?¡¯¡¯ Forsaken inquired as he faced the strike with a fist of his own and an excited tone.


    ¡®¡¯I do- see!¡¯¡¯ Yuan Shu smirked, and his punch met with the forsaken''s. Following that moment, he unsheathed his sword with his left hand and slashed.


    ¡®¡¯What-¡¯¡¯ Forsaken tried to take a step back, but the reach of the sword proved to be long enough to hit. Its tip cut through the chest of the forsaken and yellow blood splashed to the ground. Yuan Shu followed with another severing motion. But forsaken managed to jump back before it could inflict more damage. The moment forsaken lifted his head, though, Yuan Shu struck again.


    He kept pressing on the forsaken with attacks as the other side tried to evade them. Each time meeting with failure and accumulating wounds, forsaken¡¯s expression turned ugly. As another slash fell on his head, and this time he also stabbed with his spear.


    Both weapons met. The clash of power forced Yuan Shu to take a few steps back from the force. His eyes wide open, he watched as a blood-red aura enveloped the forsaken. His form turned blurry in his eyes. Yuan Shu blinked once. Then the spear appeared right before his face.


    ¡®¡¯Ugh!-¡¯¡¯ He cut upwards in a small arc to disturb the trajectory of the spear. He followed with a kick to the groin of the forsaken to stop him from advancing.


    ¡®¡¯No chance!¡¯¡¯ Forsaken laughed and, somehow, landed on Yuan Shu¡¯s knee. Feeling the impending sense of doom, Yuan Shu retracted his leg and kicked again. The spear falling on his shoulders stopped at its place, unable to move. Forsaken, yet, protected his balance and, leaping, landed behind Yuan Shu. With another swipe, his spear cut through the outer layer of Yuan Shu¡¯s armor. Alas, before it could go further an invisible force field sprang out of Yuan Shu and stopped his strike.


    ¡®¡¯You have Qi Skin?¡¯¡¯ Forsaken exclaimed and took a few steps back, eyeing Yuan Shu. Yuan Shu, ignoring the forsaken, took off the straps of his armor on his shoulder. The piece of shaped metal fell on the floor with a thud. Above his clothes, now, stood a layer of blue Qi. Like the blood-red aura of the forsaken, it enveloped all corners of his physique.


    ¡®¡¯No way- you are one of those forsaken hunters! Hahaha! I¡¯m so lucky!¡¯¡¯ Forsaken laughed, Yuan Shu smirked. Why would he smirk? The young forsaken was not that funny indeed. He smirked because the title reminded him of the man who sent him to here.


    ¡®¡¯Unofficial one I am. I''m here as a simple, past mid-ranked executive of the military.¡¯¡¯ He corrected the forsaken.


    ¡®¡¯Unofficial?¡¯¡¯ Forsaken''s smile grew thinner and his eyes narrowed. ¡®¡¯Why so?¡¯''


    ¡®¡¯If I was a real one-¡¯¡¯ Yuan Shu replied, then appeared right behind the forsaken. ¡®¡¯You wouldn¡¯t survive to this minute.¡¯¡¯This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.


    Then he sent one more punch.


    *********


    Castle gates blew up from the senior forsaken¡¯s punch and splinters flew inside like bullets. Both forsakens, together, took slow yet steady steps inside. After a few seconds their pace froze. Contrary to their expectations, there were another layer of barrier inside the castle. And hundreds, if not a thousand, of corpses stacked inside. To their luck, no corpse would rot in a few hours so the odor was decent.


    ¡®¡¯They must be the ones controlling the barrier- hoho!'''' Second senior commented. '''' Look at the formation, that is some high-level inscriptions they are using.¡¯¡¯ She added.


    ¡®¡¯They are...our products!¡¯¡¯ First senior exclaimed, and his eyes narrowed. ¡®¡¯How do these people know of our inscriptions?¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Well, sect? They have access to them- no wait!¡¯¡¯ She also realized at the moment what they were. ¡®¡¯That is forsaken blood...but how?''''


    ¡®¡¯Unles they have captured one of ...we are taking everyone prisoner.¡¯¡¯ Senior commanded. His voice turned harsher.


    ¡®¡¯No dead?¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯No dead.¡¯¡¯


    Then they approached the barrier and observed inside, with more care this time. Among the stacked corpses, some few men with strange uniforms looked over at them with fear. One, young one, looked particularly eye-batting. His gaze held some mystifying complexion. Senior decided to keep an eye on that youngster before looking ahead at the incoming enemy. Or the host, he should say.


    ¡®¡¯So, we have an offer for you.¡¯¡¯ Senior started to speak as the man emerged from the barrier¡¯s confines. He sneaked a peek at the center of the formation, which was currently held by no one. The leader.


    ¡®¡¯Either-¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯I refuse.¡¯¡¯ The immortal said and a dagger appeared inside his hands. ¡®¡¯I don¡¯t care about your words, forsaken bastards.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯How are you so sure about our identities?¡¯¡¯ The second senior asked.


    ¡®¡¯Because I''m familiar with your kin-¡¯¡¯ He said, ¡®¡¯I know of your scent, that foul stink.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Is that so?¡¯¡¯ She replied with an amused face. ¡®¡¯And how did you get that?¡¯¡¯ First senior asked, pointing his spear to the pool of blood at the center of the formation.


    ¡®¡¯That is not your business¡¯¡¯ He raised the dagger to his head, grasped his long ponytail, and cut it from the clasp. He threw down the dagger into the barrier, took a step further, and spoke again as tendrils of hair fell.


    ¡®¡¯Now, I will mourn for your lives and that poor soul''s.''''


    And a punch from him sunk the chest piece of the senior into bits.


    *********


    ¡®¡¯Damn it- bluegh!¡¯¡¯ The forsaken flew over the walls and collapsed onto the battlements. His armor, broken into pieces, showed his ribcage under the huge gash on his upper chest.


    ¡®¡¯Stand up-¡¯¡¯ Yuan Shu said and appeared right over him. His feet raised like a tail, he whipped it down. Forsaken threw his body to the side with a small movement and used his spear as support to rise to his feet.


    ¡®¡¯I know your kind. Your wounds are insignificant.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Ai, so you know of that too?¡¯¡¯ Forsaken flashed a dangerous grin. The torn apart flesh on his chest, with a surge of power, recovered immediately with visible speed. In a single second, his chest was back to its healthy, muscular appearance. ¡®¡¯It isn¡¯t easy to let your guard down, you know?¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Thanks for the compliment.¡¯¡¯ Yuan Shu smiled, then his feet moved again. Forsaken moved at the same time and their weapons met with a metallic sound. They parted, then rushed to the other again. Again, and again. Again and again. In a few seconds, they exchanged tens of blows and each bout ended with the forsaken¡¯s defeat.


    Yuan Shu evaded another slide and stabbed his sword towards the forsaken¡¯s shoulder. The blood-red aura acted again and the forsaken¡¯s speed increased. A small step proved enough to escape from his weapon¡¯s reach. The same wasn¡¯t possible for Yuan Shu, unfortunately. The spear rose over his head once more, then fell with extraordinary speed. It met with the blade of his sword. And together with a shrill scream, created a shockwave enough to send a few men weak on knees. It would crush his skull if he hadn''t stopped that.


    ¡®¡¯You force my hand,¡¯¡¯ Yuan Shu said through gritted teeth and pushed the forsaken away. He took another step back to open the distance and glanced at the opponent. Were it not for those three other forsakens watching him up close! He considered finishing off this threat with the power of vial but it wasn¡¯t possible. The vial would help him survive, not kill. That was what his commander told.


    I might have bit more than I could chew...


    Shaking his wrist to confirm the flexibility of his joints, he started the assault again.


    Forsaken replied with attacks of his own, and their small audience of other three forsakens cheered their junior on.


    ¡®¡¯Watch his legs!¡¯¡¯ Third senior warned as Yuan Shu faked a slash and kicked the knee of the forsaken. Young forsaken managed to raise his spear and fell on one leg. Yuan Shu¡¯s other leg met with the right side of his face though, the expected stab did not come. Blow made the forsaken spit a mouthful of blood with a part of his teeth to the side. And following the dizziness of the forsaken, Yuan Shu landed his sword on the head of the him. Sword landed right on the middle and slashed through half of the head before stopping.


    It stuck?


    Yuan Shu tried to pull his sword back but to no avail. The brain of the forsaken tightened up like a muscle and kept the sword inside. Screw it- not worth the danger. He thought, and retreated with his weapon left inside the head of the forsaken. Forsaken laughed as he watched. Yuan Shu wondered how he managed to laugh with a damage to his brain, and a possible damage to his consciousness.


    ¡®¡¯Now what will you do, HUH!?¡¯¡¯ Forsaken rose to his feet the same again and took the sword out of his head. From his eyes, Yuan Shu could see, the other side must have suffered a bit as well. Forsakens weren¡¯t immortals after all. Regenerating their wounds cost them more and more energy as the severity increased. And from his assumptions, this young one in front of him had not that much energy.


    Forsaken, oblivious to his observations, shook the sword in his hand for a moment, then raised it in the air. From the sky, one of the wood spirits dived down and grasped the blade with its claws. It rose to the air and disappeared among the cloud of monsters.


    ¡®¡¯Why not throw it down the walls?¡¯¡¯ Yuan Shu asked. Was this man fond of showing off?


    ¡®¡¯So you get distracted!¡¯¡¯ Forsaken''s voice reached right after he appeared before him. Covered in the same blood-red aura the man and the spear tip largened inside his vision. Then it flew to a side together with forsaken¡¯s body. He crashed onto another battlement and raised rubbles and smoke.


    ¡®¡¯That is cheating!¡¯¡¯ Rising from the mess of stones, Forsaken screamed. He watched with wide eyes as Yuan Shu¡¯s Qi skin thickened. ¡®¡¯How do you get stronger each time!?¡¯¡¯


    This time he chose not to reply. It would be giving away the fact that he would go weak in a moment. So he took a step forward. He put both of his hands in front, the blue aura of the Qi skin gathered in front of his fingertips.


    And a wind, like a breeze, picked up after his fingers as they pierced through the left shoulder of the forsaken.


    *********


    The wind, he became one with. His body turned into blades of whirlwinds, swords of tornadoes, spears of storms, and pierced through the shoulder of the munchur. It screamed, or wailed, or something that represented pain. He didn¡¯t know, their expressions seldom changed. He could only derive.


    And from his assumptions, Russell knew at least not to touch the big ball of acidic plasma coming towards him. Streams of winds gathered under his feet again, together with the Qi of the sky, and several different threads appeared in front of his eyes. Within a single second, his eyes rolled around each of these threads, looking back and forth between where he could both escape and strike again.


    He found none.


    He spat on the ground, or on the sky. He wasn¡¯t sure that the spit would reach the ground or the blood fifty-sixty meter beneath him. But the plasma ball could very well. With a stomp, or waving of his wrinkled feet, all currents of air underneath his legs exploded into storms and sent him flying through the air, into one of the threads visible to only his eyes. He traveled through there, at the places where space was weakest and converged his Qi again inside his hands. It brightened with green, the plasma passed right through his side, and he let go of the Qi.


    Second form- He re-chanted the name of his technique- Fall Of The Clouds


    And a hundred-meter long hurricane dawned on the munchur.


    *********


    ¡®¡¯YOUR FIRE IS WEAK!¡¯¡¯ The red munchur said and stepped out of the pillar of blue fire. He had no scratches, nor did he bore any former wounds. Gaobun felt weak inside his heart, and a bit of fear too. Still, he managed to not show that to his opponent. Instead, he showed it what he couldn¡¯t show to their past kind before.


    He flew further in the air, escaping from the reaches of the munchur¡¯s black blazing halberd.


    ¡®¡¯DON¡¯T ESCAPE, COWARD!¡¯¡¯ It bellowed, then leaped towards Gaobun¡¯s back. Munchur grasped its halberd with both hands and swung it towards Gaobun, hoping to crush him into bits of flesh and charred ash. It did not happen, though. Contrary to its expectations, Gaobun only turned around and opened his arms wide to receive the strike.


    ¡®¡¯DIE!¡¯¡¯ It screamed and cut through the Gaobun.


    ¡®¡¯WHA-!!!¡¯¡¯ Munchur opened its four pupil eyes wide as its halberd passed through nothing but a flicker of fire. Then the flicker of fire turned into embers, hundreds of them, and rained all over its body. ¡®¡¯BEGO-BABWAYSKAGJA¡¯¡¯ Its speech turned into the incomprehensible mutterings of a normal monster. Gaobun appeared at that time, hundreds of him, all in the places once the embers stood. Each of them grasped a blue-red lance of burning flames, and each of them hurled those lances towards the falling munchur.


    Third form- He muttered, and all other Gaobuns gathered behind him, with new lances in their hands.


    Eruption Of Honor


    And another volley swallowed up the munchur¡¯s body.

 36- Last Fights Of The Era (2)

    Inside the castle of the city lord, the huge dome of white barrier covered at least half of the main hall. In the barrier, a dozen corpsmen started to back off towards the center of the formation. They left behind the fallen comrades or wounded at the edge of the periphery. No doubt there would be a chance of their remnants remaining from the shockwaves of the blows exchanged. Ubel had done the same, and he was one of the first to do. He was also much closer to the formation circle in the first place, so him being first didn¡¯t bat into anyone¡¯s eyes. Though their actions made Ubel feel ashamed. He didn¡¯t know why, and him escaping at first then blaming the others for doing the same was, he was sure of it, hypocrisy. The shame and degradation did not go away, no matter what the told himself.


    Perhaps the feeling directed itself at him, who knew?


    And he felt no more excess energy to focus his thoughts on that matter. Instead, he looked over at the city lord with his fancy armor, battling a duo of forsakens with ferocity. Their moves were way too fast for him to react, at the time that he could see of course. Some strikes hit to the ground, or to pillars, or to the ceiling without him even taking note of them. If he was honest with himself, Ubel found it horrifying. The degrees of strength immortals and forsakens could reach frightened him from deep inside his heart. The potential of destruction and death it could, and had, bring wasn¡¯t something Ubel felt willing to acknowledge. How was this possible anyway? How could some random creatures absorb the world¡¯s power and make it their own? To such a degree at that! Well, he had some answers on the first and third questions, but the second one was still a mystery he had to solve.


    And another mystery was the existence of forsakens. Their looks were exactly like immortals- except the woman with four silver wings that were flapping in the air. Their speech, their mimics, even the small gestures and reactions they gave when suppressed or alerted were identical. They didn¡¯t seem to act on instinct like animals. They were like immortals- like humans in every aspect. Then why were they called forsakens? He remembered some words from the Love Of Baybur, the same ones he heard from Quan before: To ignore the past...and forsake the future...only people as cruel as forsakens could do that. Did it mean they were cruel? It seemed so, the viciousness of their attacks and the ecstasy on the duo¡¯s face showed no other than joy in fighting.


    But, was it all that? Was all that came down as a forsaken was being cruel? Ubel didn¡¯t know. His train of thoughts ended there. Lack of knowledge put him in another dead end, a thing he hated whenever it happened. And not having anything else to focus his attention to, the battle of the city lord and the forsaken duo came in his vision again. He felt uneasy looking at them, at their faces, at the after-effects of their destruction.


    For the only collapsing thing wasn¡¯t the castle, but the wills of the people inside it.


    *********


    Sid jumped over the spear of the forsaken and let the tip scratch the surface of his armor. Then focusing his Qi inside his knuckles, he slammed his fist down to the back of the man. With a bang, the backbone of the forsaken broke into countless pieces, together with his numerous muscles around it. ¡®¡¯Fu** off!¡¯¡¯ The forsaken screamed, and his injury healed in an instant. He stabbed his spear towards the Sid above his head. But he only managed to propel the man upwards, letting him reach the angel who started to flap her wings to escape. Sid smirked and bolstered his speed with Qi, then let it blast under his right feet to fly over to the angel forsaken again. Tightening his muscles on his arm, Sid dawned on the forsaken angel and punched with all his might.


    Angel forsaken let out a shout of defiance and flapped her wings in a strange way, her energy gathered at the tip of her feathers. Then with a flap, she escaped from the way of the fist and descended to the ground. Sid¡¯s punch, instead of her, pierced through the walls of the castle and cracked a large chunk of it into rubble. He then felt a presence coming over him again.


    ¡®¡¯Wrong move-¡¯¡¯ He said and took out his hand out of the walls, together with it a single, several meters large boulder. Without stop, he hurled it towards the leaping forsaken.


    ¡®¡¯Damn it!¡¯¡¯ Forsaken cursed and the boulder fell on top of him, then he crashed to the ground with it. Angel forsaken also looked over with worry, but with a small smile on her face. She hadn¡¯t realized that- nor did Sid or the other forsaken, who all bore similar expressions.If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.


    Instead, she let go of the spear in her hands and took out two different chains with hooks at their tip. They were bright like steel, and as deadly as a sledgehammer. She let out a shout and flapped her wings.


    Sid did not respond to her. He leaped down to the ground and slammed both of his fists onto the boulder the forsaken struggled to get out. His strike fell on the stone and turned both it and the surrounding ground into dust. Forsaken grumbled, his head and chest both pastes of meat, and reached out with his hand.


    Sid raised his arms again and sent another punch.


    Yet, the angel forsaken came at the right time. Her chains slithered like a snake and covered his raised arm, then an amazing pulling force raised Sid to the air and flung him around.


    His head hit the walls and the ceiling and cracked wherever it touched. The angel forsaken continued to revolve around together with him and continued to smash him to the walls. Fissures appeared and splinters flew, but the barrier deflected them all.


    Then the other forsaken, now healed, stood up from his place and made a grasping motion towards his spear not far from him. The spear, like a child who saw his/her father, flew into his hand with joy.


    But forsaken did not care about that. He raised his arm holding the spear, aimed towards the Sid scraping the walls with his head, and with a ¡®¡¯Ho!¡¯¡¯ flung it towards his chest.


    Sid felt the danger at that time and grasped the chains with his free left arm. He then headbutted the walls. The force propelled him back and the spear missed. Not letting go of the advantage, his grasp on the chains tightened and he pulled back the angel forsaken.


    The force proved much larger than she expected as she reached next to Sid¡¯s feet, and received a strong fist to her belly. But her wings acted again. She used her incredible flexibility and reaction speed as an angel pretty well.


    Her wings flapped and she slid right between Sid¡¯s legs, still planted on the walls, and chained his left leg. She tugged both of them at the same time and the balance of the Sid got broken.


    Then without stopping her hands acted, and she flung the Sid, now like a boar on a campfire, to the ceiling. His body crashed with a boom like a missile and both the windows and the chandeliers turned into pieces of wood and glass. They dripped like water, and angel forsaken threw one of her chains towards the other forsaken.


    The forsaken received both his spear and the hooked end of the chain together. He looked at his junior, then understood what to do.


    They both started to rush to opposite sites from each other. Sid, feeling anxious, tried to shake off the chains but to no avail. The material was way too strong, and the constant tugging stretched his other limbs, making it impossible to reach them to crush with brute force.


    Then the duo of forsakens reached to the far ends of the castle and placed the hooks. Angel forsaken put her hook on the ceiling, her senior put the other at the far ground to make it stable.


    Then they both turned to face the Sid, hung like a beast waiting for its death in the hands of the butcher.


    They both smiled, then rushed over to him at the same time.


    *********


    Yuan Shu opened his mouth, and a mouthful of blood escaped. He had been fighting for over an hour now and, in no time in the past, had he ever fought for this long.


    Wasn¡¯t battles among immortals supposed to last short?


    It had to, but he said it. This battle wasn¡¯t between two immortals. It was a fight with an immortal and a forsaken. And forsakens were the most troublesome when it came to a fight of attrition.


    He tried to evade another strike, but his leg failed him. His knees sunk a bit as he stepped on a dent on the walls and his balance broke. The spear brushed past his stomach and tore open a large gash. Blood rained over both the spear and on to the wall.


    ¡®¡¯This became boring-¡¯¡¯ The forsaken said as he retracted his spear. The right half of his face had no skin or muscle, only the skeleton and the brain visible behind it. He stopped regenerating at some point, but Yuan Shu couldn¡¯t remember when. All that was inside his mind was to get out of here alive. But he had to kill this guy before. And even if he killed this guy, his comrades wouldn¡¯t let him off. But he couldn¡¯t escape without killing this guy- but, but, but, but...he was looking for some excuses right now.


    Getting out of here without using the vial was impossible. He realized that, he knew that. But he was reluctant to use it. It wasn¡¯t his power, after all, and it would take his power away. He lost his cultivation two or three times by now and losing it again wasn¡¯t something he would consider without assessing the value of both sides.


    And his life was definitely worth more than a few years wasted on cultivating again. He reached out towards his belt, towards the spatial pouch, and grasped it.


    ¡®¡¯-seniors, how should I kill him?¡¯¡¯ Forsaken continued at that time and turned to look at his comrades.


    Yuan Shu made up his mind at that time.


    ¡®¡¯Why don¡¯t you make him eat some stone?¡¯¡¯ One commented.


    ¡®¡¯Yeah, that would be fun to watch!¡¯¡¯ Other agreed.


    Then Yuan Shu opened his spatial pouch as the forsaken turned to face him again.


    ¡®¡¯Alright then! Here I go!¡¯¡¯

 37- Last Fights Of The Era (3)

    Ubel reached out to feel the spatial pocket on his waist. It was a keepsake from Quan. Inside, he enclosed the area with his consciousness. His Qi covered both the gauntlets and the pristine white bow.


    What should I do know?


    He questioned. He had to. Things looked bad, worse even. City lord hung in the air with two chains grappling his limbs. One latched to the ceiling, the other stuck to the faraway castle entrance. The chains squealed now and then and stretched the limbs of the city lord. And the man had to evade the attacks of the two forsakens in this situation.


    He is amazing- He had to commend the man. City lord gathered small dosages of Qi and placed them around several parts of his body. These little masses of Qi would explode and send his body swinging to the directions he willed. By now, he evaded ten such attacks this way. But at this point, evading wasn¡¯t enough. The forsakens learned their lessons quick, however. And they used wide range types of attacks to strike the city lord.


    Angel forsaken raised her hands and wings(?), then waved them forth. A gust of wind picked up in the air and appeared right before the city lord¡¯s face. City lord grit his teeth in the face of danger and burst apart two Qi balls behind his chained leg. They exploded at the same time, the wind arrived, and his body swayed left a bit, unsuccessful on dodging. The wind tore several parts of his armor and the battle robe beneath. The robe fluttered and stuck out of the gaps between the armor.


    Other forsaken came beneath him, his spear raised and covered in the blood-red aura. It flashed like lightning and struck right between the gaps in city lord¡¯s armor. City lord gasped and shook his body once more, this time evading the other gust of wind with no damage. Yet, the spear inflicted way too much agony than normal it seemed. The city lord struggled to move his body this time, the forsaken fell then. And angel forsaken struck again.


    Should I intervene? Ubel''s power, against people of that caliber, wouldn¡¯t matter much. Not because they were invincible, as they were in some situations. But because he didn¡¯t know whether it would turn the things way worse than it was. City lord needed help and Ubel saw no way of any help arriving soon. He didn¡¯t want to open his premature third eye to search for that possible help. If he did, he would get blinded from the shock of their auras. But without opening, he wouldn¡¯t know the situation of his senior brother and the other path opener.


    Then was it a better choice to act by himself?


    ¡®¡¯Hey boy, why are you staring so intent?¡¯¡¯ The voice of the angel forsaken sounded.


    !?


    ¡®¡¯You look too calm- do you not wish to live?¡¯¡¯ She asked again and their eyes met.


    I am calm? I am calm!? Ubel didn¡¯t know his outside expression but he was not calm right now. He wouldn¡¯t, he couldn¡¯t be calm. Were forsakens also fools? Were they blind, sensless towards emotions of others?


    ¡®¡¯No-¡¯¡¯ City lord whispered at that time, Ubel saw the man¡¯s face turn a notch pale.


    Angel forsaken¡¯s eyes flashed with a mysterious light at his defiance. ¡®¡¯An acquaintance? Or someone close?¡¯¡¯ She descended to the ground and approached to the periphery of the barrier. She put her hands on the milk-white surface and looked at Ubel. Her fingers spread and gave a light push to its surface.


    Then cracks spread to the surface of the barrier.


    ¡®¡¯Maybe killing you would let me know?¡¯¡¯ She smiled. ¡®¡¯And that man would be easier to slaughter, no?¡¯¡¯


    Ubel looked with wide eyes, his hand remaining on the spatial pouch and eyes on the angel forsaken. Really...I have to help then.


    Ubel didn¡¯t know how helpful this would be, but he chose to do anyway. It wouldn''t do any help standing around, awaiting his end. And his gut feeling as a amateur hunter told him clear: You have a chance to live!


    The angel forsaken lifted her left hand to the air and opened her mouth to speak. But Ubel acted at that time.


    ¡®¡¯Leave my father alone!¡¯¡¯ He shouted and pulled the bow out of the pouch in an instant. He nocked an arrow of Death River Qi and shot it forward.


    Angel forsaken laughed, roared. ¡®¡¯I knew it!¡¯¡¯ She was someone who could contend with path openers of the immortals. There was no way she couldn¡¯t react to the attack of a path finder. But Ubel took that into consideration.


    She put her raised hand in front to block the arrow.


    ¡®¡¯Eh?¡¯¡¯ But the arrow took a sudden turn, it curved in front of her hand. The arrow head appeared right before one of her wings and struck.


    ¡®¡¯!?¡¯¡¯ The arrow exploded. A small, two fingers wide hole appeared on her wing. Together with it a dark miasma made of the Death River Qi started to turn the surrounding feathers to black.


    Ubel¡¯s attack reached.


    And it proved to be effective.


    *********


    Father?


    Sid¡¯s eyes widened, the forsaken caught on that, and his face returned to that anxious expression. Is he deceiving them? It had to be so. Mistaking their relationship would make them focus on something else, the boy himself. This could give him a breathing room for a small time indeed.


    But he will be in danger!


    He had a promise to hold, Sid reminded himself. He had to keep the boy safe until the master of cindersnow came back. Or else...he feared for his fate.


    Sid grit his teeth and pulled up on the chains once more. No matter how much power he pulled with, they wouldn¡¯t budge. It was not a matter of where their tip latched on, the base material of the chains suppressed his power way too much.


    ¡®¡¯Eh?¡¯¡¯ Then he heard the voice of the angel forsaken. He burst one small Qi ball, rotated backward, and looked between the gaps of the chains binding him. His eyes widened at the sight and his face went pale further.


    He saw a tiny hole in the wing of the angel forsaken, like a burn mark. A dark purple mist rose around it. Although it couldn¡¯t cover the whole, the miasma started to corrode the rest of the feathers.


    No-


    Sid had to correct himself, it wasn¡¯t corrosion. It was decay, the aura of the dead. But the attribute of the attack didn¡¯t matter to Sid. What mattered was the reaction it provoked from the forsaken, from the forsakens.


    Because Ubel, with an unintentional reflex, revealed his connection to the sect.


    And what did forsakens hate the most beneath the heavens?


    The sect.


    ¡®¡¯He practices a hunting art? Hm...¡¯¡¯ The spear-wielding forsaken narrowed his eyes, turned his spear sideways and glanced upwards to Sid, hanging like the pig he was. Sid couldn¡¯t catch what he thought, but he knew it was up to no good.


    The angel forsaken, however, reacted much different. First, her wings trembled. Then shook, and feathers fell under the pull of gravity. Her hands grasped the tendrils of golden hair, pulled on them as she would choke some mortal enemy. Then she pulled them off. Her hair, the epitome of yellow, the beautiful golden hair came off.


    ¡®¡¯CINDERSNOW-AAAAAAAAHH!¡¯¡¯ She screamed. Her wings shook further, more feathers fell off. Under those blinding silver feathers, Sid could see the foundations of a wing. Bones, dark red like the top of a volcano with streaks of black. ¡®¡¯HOW DARE- HOW DARE ONE APPEAR!? I AM GOING TO KILL YOU!¡¯¡¯ Her howl reached a peak and her feet lifted into the air.


    At the same moment, Sid saw Ubel nock another arrow to his bow. This time the arrow looked much bigger, its aura stronger. Then came the stomp of the angel forsaken.Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel.


    Her feet struck the ground and everything in front of her feet shattered.


    The ground rose like a tidal wave, boulders and rocks and rubble pierced the living and corpses alike. The tempest swallowed them between the widening gaps among the many, and crushed them under their weights. Barrier and the formation at the center alike cracked, the people controlling the both started to flee. From outside, a huge noise like the popping, breaking, of a glass sounded. Angel forsaken flapped her wings, rose into the air, and flew towards Ubel.


    Then the arrow escaped from the string. It flew past the angel forsaken and escaped from the reaching spear of the forsaken. It traveled among the rubble floating in the air like the arrow itself. And it came right before the hook latched on the ceiling.


    Then it exploded.


    The stone holding the chains broke off. Pieces of marble fell and Sid¡¯s arm regained its freedom. But it wasn¡¯t the time for getting delighted over the recovered. Halfway through the Ubel, Angel flapped her wings once more to increase her speed.


    Sid had to move fast, and he moved with all his might.


    He grasped the chain still tangled around his forearm and burst off one grand Qi ball behind his back. The Qi exploded like a bomb and he swung in the air, connected to the other chain. The gravity and the chain on his leg tugged him to the ground and the Qi ball managed to resist them both.


    His body flew like an arrow to its target, angel forsaken, and he came right above her. Sid grasped the chain much tighter and swung it downwards, in front of Ubel.


    Ubel also cast a divine ability at that time and a huge, dark muscular spirit appeared in front of him who sent a punch. Angel forsaken roared again and her speed increased further.


    The punch of the spirit connected and, instead of delivering, suffered damage. Its arm bent backward from the recoil and forsaken came right before the spirit¡¯s nose. The chain appeared at that time. It coiled like a snake and struck the forsaken right on the face, covered a wide arc, and sent her lying back.


    The other forsaken snuck behind Sid after this strike and stabbed his spear to the last wound. It pierced the flesh and bone together. Sid¡¯s eyes teared from the pain but he kept the scream inside. The forsaken, unsatisfied by the result, retracted the spear and stabbed again.


    To evade, Sid let go of the strength at his back and allowed the chain and the gravity to pull him down. Forsaken¡¯s spear missed and Sid fell between Ubel and the frenzied angel forsaken again. She rushed and forced her body to fly once more. The other forsaken also spat in anger and followed them down.


    Sid looked over at them, then back to Ubel at the short notice. The spirit beside him covered the boy behind it like a meat wall. This made him relieved for a bit.


    ¡®¡¯DIE! CINDERSNOW SCUM! DIE!¡¯¡¯ She continued her wails and appeared right before him once more. The other forsaken tried to sneak behind him again, this time to attack Ubel he presumed.


    Sid closed his eyes to focus.


    He opened his eyes.


    His eyes were now emerald, or like jade.


    His eyes trailed off from his enemies and landed on the two chains. Then his body moved.


    He swung his arm to the right and the chain on his arm dashed towards the side. It struck the angel forsaken in the belly. Her mouth opened wide as the pieces of metal slammed and blood poured out. Her body hurled back again like a rag doll.


    The following moment, Sid tugged the chain on his leg and took off the whole thing from its place at the entrance. He revolved like a whirlwind. Together with him his leg rotated, and he whipped it towards the forsaken right above the Ubel. The chain followed his leg''s movements and the hook at the tip caught the forsaken from his robe.


    ¡®¡¯DAMN IT!¡¯¡¯ He let out a bellow of anger and the chain swayed. Forsaken''s body shot off to the side as the angel forsaken''s did. His body pierced through the weakened walls of the castle and flew further. With one look, Sid assessed that the man shattered the foot of the walls with his back. The force would knock him sensless  bit It would take the man a few seconds to regain his mind and reach back here.


    And he had to finish off this crying bastard before he came here.


    *********


    Yuan Shu took out the vial from his spatial pouch and held inside his right hand, clenched. His fingers felt the smooth, glass surface and touched the plug on the mouth of the bottle. He loosened the top a bit, enough to open the thing with a swift motion, then looked at the front.


    The forsaken started to gather his crimson aura again. It enveloped him and his spear, the golden tip flashed among the stars of red bright enough to take notice. And the blue runes. Light, a pristine version of sea blue. They also lightened, stretched to the tip and the shaft. But when he took the vision inside his eyes, devoured the contents and their meaning, what left was just a thought.


    I need a distraction, something big-


    ¡®¡¯Alright then, here I go!¡¯¡¯ Forsaken shouted and took a step. One motion, a small push from his toes and he glided towards him like an eagle.


    Yuan Shu felt sweat break on his back and neck, some traveled at the back of his nape, and anxiety. The forsaken came closer and closer. The distance of a few dozen meters he managed to open between them didn¡¯t seem far enough. Just one more step and forsaken would be right before him, and the spear inside his head.


    But it didn¡¯t happen.


    A pop. Like the popping of a bubble, small yet dull, sounded. Both of their eyes slid to their side, to the barrier covering the city. Cracks. There were hundreds of small cracks like spiderwebs, spreading on the barrier¡¯s surface. And they continued to appear. Like a tidal wave, the cracks rushed to the top of the barrier at a hastened rate from all sides. And when they all connected at the top, another pop sounded.


    Under that big sound, Yuan Shu hid another sound. His hand moved fast. Fast enough for the distracted forsakens to not notice and the vial''s contents ended inside his mouth. Te dark-yellow liquid inside it, it tasted bitter. Like champagne, or grapefruit. And it moved like a slime inside his mouth down to his belly.


    As the disgusting texture of the liquid turned distant, another feeling came closer. It was power, strength. Courage also came with it, the confidence that he, Yuan Shu, could defeat his foe with no effort now. But there was the consequence of it at the same time, the other feeling. The emotion that it wouldn¡¯t last forever, and it wouldn¡¯t be long.


    So he moved. His feet lifted from the air and he stepped through the dented and broken parts of the walls. He rushed, he forced his body to act with every ounce of strength it could produce. The forsaken now realized his folly and turned his attention back to him. He rotated his spear in a large arc and swept it right between the shoulders and the neck of Yuan Shu.


    I can evade that- Yuan Shu assured himself. He was only a few meters away from the forsaken now, and the time slowed in his vision. Veins bulged out of his skin, and his muscles underneath those snake-like patterns. His eyes took a bright golden color and his hair assumed the form of gold.


    ¡®¡¯What are you!?¡¯¡¯ Forsaken shouted in...fear? It was...worry. Forsaken worried for his life, he feared that Yuan Shu would steal him of his life.


    And his fears were well-founded.


    Yuan Shu slipped underneath the spear like a rat and came right under the forsaken¡¯s head. His hands moved way too fast for the forsaken to react and he struck the arm holding the spear.


    ¡®¡¯No!¡¯¡¯ Forsaken cried as his arm broke from the elbow. The bones in his forearm shattered, and they pierced through his skin like a blade. The blood painted white tips came into the view of the audience.


    ¡®¡¯Junior!¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Damn it!¡¯¡¯ The three forsakens reacted at the worst time available. They all moved in sync and rushed towards them with their spears pointed to Yuan Shu.


    Yet they were too late.


    Out of nowhere, a black dot appeared from the direction of the castle. Its speed unsurpassed other than a bolt of lightning, and like lightning, it slammed on the walls beneath them. The foot of the walls, together with the foundation, broke into smithereens and the stable ground they stood on collapsed.


    Forsakens lost their balance, with them Yuan Shu and their junior.


    Yuan Shu did not let go of the chance and grasped the falling forsaken from his injured hand and his back. He fell together with the forsaken but did not stop his attack. He pulled the forsaken towards him with a push from his back and tugged the injured arm with his newfound strength.


    The arm ruptured from the shoulder. The whole thing came off like a string from a cocoon, smooth. And yellow blood sprayed to his face.


    ¡®¡¯Don¡¯t you dare!¡¯¡¯ Forsaken shouted, indignant. Yuan Shu did not care and rotated the arm inside his hand. He made the bone-sticking forearm face the forsaken, let out a devilish smile, and shoved the man¡¯s own bones into his brain.


    The arm pierced through the wounded head like a hot knife through butter. It smashed the brain matter and the incomplete skull into particles of flesh and bone. It sprang from the other side trailed by the severed flesh. Yuan Shu felt his feet feel the ground at that same time and released the forsaken''s body.


    As his feet touched the earth again, the forsaken¡¯s body reached at the same time. One fell with a sigh, other with a thud. Forsaken¡¯s body twitched once. Yellow blood poured from the huge hole inside his head, then he ceased moving.


    With a swift motion, Yuan Shu took the body into his spatial pouch and ran. He ran with all his might, else the other forsakens caught him. Else he lost his life after fighting, and losing, against a forsaken for the first time in his life.


    His legs moved and he passed through the scenes of carnage and massacre. Sceneries of slaughter, goliaths crushing soldiers with their tusks. Visions of horror, tree monsters skewing poor men from their limbs with their roots. Wood spirits drilling screaming, poor souls with their steel like feathers.


    He saw a goliath coming towards him as well and ignored the monster. But the beast in question didn''t do so as he wished. It leaped towards him and let out a mighty roar. Yuan Shu kicked the ground in response and slammed his fist onto the belly of the beast.


    The goliath let out a pitiful voice and fell down with a huge hole on his belly. Yuan Shu kept going and other monsters inspecting him did not dare to come close, they let him go in peace.


    After putting a decent distance between him and the southern walls, Yuan Shu slowed his pace.


    He took a deep breath.


    Then he laughed. He roared in laughter.


    How satisfying that was!


    His insides melted at the sight of the forsaken falling to the ground. Eyes wide, jaw dropped. And the blood, the scene of it flowing like a lake. It made him proud.


    For this was the first hunt in his life. And for sure, it wouldn¡¯t be the last.


    But the matter at hand wasn¡¯t to cherish his first experience, it was to secure his life. And he intended to do so with all his focus on the matter. Still, he couldn¡¯t help but notice a body flying to the castle at the center from the foot of the wall.


    The dot was that? He shuddered at the aura, not noticing him fleeing from the scene of murder.


    ...I am lucky...

 38- Last Fights Of The Era (4)

    Kowalski opened his eyes.


    The surroundings were dark. His eyes had a hard time adjusting to the absence of light. He froze for a moment.


    I am in an alley?


    He felt a dull ache on his back. From the edge of his vision, he looked at his surroundings. Some sacks of garbage, puddles of spilled drinks and a few days old vomit from a probable drunk. Where he laid on was, nevertheless, the cold, rough ground of the city. As his senses started to function again, he felt the chill invading deeper inside his body. He spurred forward to stand up.


    He collapsed right away. There was no strength in his limbs, only pain and numbness. Even his thoughts were only regaining their clarity by now, and they said mind worked quicker than body.


    Why I am here? Was his first question. As an instinct from his childhood, he reached with his palm to the back of his head. To scratch, of course, as he heard from a family friend that it would help with garnering his thoughts. His hands touched the wet, sticky hair.


    Wet? It was supposed to be dry and rough, no? His hair had always been like that after all. Not like a bouncy smile. Kowalski swirled his hands around the strange texture on his hair for a second. Then he raised his hand to his eye line, peeking with utmost attention on his forearm.


    Then several drops slided between the gaps of his fingers. Drop of crimson blood. They covered his hand like a horrible paint, and it was still fresh. But why couldn¡¯t he smell it? Kowalski tried to sniff. Air coudn''t go further than his nostrils, something hard clogged up his nose. Kowalski took a deep breath from his mouth and released it from his nose. With a small crack, and a slight burning sensation, small patches of dried blood spilled out. Some even hit his outfit and Kowalski felt the need to inspect the rest of his body. He raised his head a bit from the cold ground to look. He froze for a second time.


    The state of his body was...meh. His chest had a trail of blood going from shoulder to shoulder, yet it looked much serious than that. He tried to raise his head further but the wound burnt like a bee sting. It was a horrible pain, since the bee stung came not from the skin but the flesh inside. Kowalski gnashed his teeth, once more lifted his head, and gazed at his lower body. There were no wounds there, only a few torn fabric and wet hair visible from the gaps on the parts of his robe. He raised his hands to inspect them again but found nothing.


    What happened? He couldn¡¯t remember.


    Kowalski squinted his eyes, trying to focus on the last bits of visions inside his head.


    Yuan Shu kicked...sent him away from the walls and he fainted from the shock. I remember that at least...I hope he is fine.


    Then he woke up and some monsters who came inside with the initial crack on the barrier attacked him. Or the group he was with, a gathering of experienced veterans. They put up a good fight and took care of their adversaries with no casualties. Then...they encountered some civilians. Crushed under the rubble and slates of their houses or wounded by monsters. He didn''t have to mention the dead, at least. This made him remember-


    My family!


    He thought about them. He made a irrational request to check on his family, but the group ignored. They had much important things to do then looking for a stranger''s family. They were right to refuse, his family''s house was not in a precarious place. They were far from all three walls and the castle, and the retreat line started way ahead of them. So he separated from the group. He rushed through the roads and sections of the city to the northern side, where his house was.


    Then I encountered that goliath...


    The monster appeared out of nowhere, like it was waiting in ambush for weaklings like him. He didn''t like that, but it was the truth. Anyway, the thing blocked his path and tried to kill him. Kowalski was no match for the beast. He realized the reality a few seconds into the fight when the claws of the beast made the wound on his chest. So he ran.


    Then there is nothing else.


    He couldn¡¯t see anything further that point in his memories. Did I escape from it? Did it die under the hands of another? Or is it still searching for me? He didn¡¯t know. But the thought of his family, his father and mother and sister, being in danger made him much restless. He didn''t want to waste further time on pondering over things in the past(Even if they were only a while ago.)


    Kowalski tested his strength again. His hands worked fine, but his chest itched and stung like crazy when he moved. How bad did the claws affect him? He didn''t know again. But all he knew right now was that he had to go. Come on! He shouted inside his heart and threw himself to the side. He rolled to the side, face-down. At least this way, facing the ground, he could lift himself with his arms. For a moment, his eyes slanted to the red puddle beside his face. Did I bleed that much? Will I be fine?


    Worrying and questioning would do no help to him though. I can find a corpsman later. He decided. Retreat line must had some corpsmen too. Kowalski pushed the ground with his arms, his chest heaved up and down as his breath turned irregular. With a strong push, his body straightened and he stood on his knees. Good! He smiled, weak, and grasped the wall''s corners as a support to stand up. He was on his feet now. Albeit unstable, but still on his two-foot. His smile grew healthier, the pale tone of the colour turned a light red.


    His chest pain also seemed lighter now, the power was returning back to his body. It was a slow process, he felt like compared to a moment ago he could stretch some fingers now. So it was going to be better. He felt relieved. Kowalski walked, step by step, slow yet steady, to the exit of the alley. From afar, the light of the barrier seemed...weak? He took two more steps and got out of the dark alley.


    Kowalski stopped in his tracks. He forgot about standing straight or protecting his balance. His hands dropped in reflex, and his knees too, to the ground. Barrier? He questioned, the answer lay in front of his eyes. There was no barrier. No dome of light, no milk-white sphere that kept the monsters at bay. Only the same, dark clouds of the winter.


    I need to hurry! Of course he had to. If they managed to break through the barrier, then it wouldn¡¯t be long before the beasts overwhelmed the city. Their numbers were outrageous. And their power was no small thing again. Soon, not already since no sign of fighting or sound of clashing metal sounded. Soon, they would swarm over the streets and slaughter everyone. So he had to go fast. No, he didn''t have the power to retaliate against them. But him being near them would sure ensure some kind of safety. Kowalski held onto the walls to stand up and started to tread towards his home.


    I have to go fast-


    His steps hastened. Although strength continued to fill him up, he still had to hold onto some support to walk through. His chest pain seemed to lessen again, he almost let go of the wall to walk on his own, but things didn''t go his way.


    A tremor passed through the ground.


    The earth trembled under his feet and Kowalski felt a rush of heat exploding in his nose. He looked down, his eyes reddened from the gush of pain, and he saw fresh blood dripping down his nose again.


    ¡®¡¯Haah-Haah!¡¯¡¯ His chest throbbed, the pain much unbearable than before. Long, deep breaths would help with pain, he learned. And clutching something, in this case where his heart was, would lessen the stress. He also hoped that it all would end soon. The mental resilience and optimism was a factor in resisting pain, he didn''t forget them as well. But instead of finishing, the wound, the pain, flared again.


    ¡®¡¯Ugh!¡¯¡¯ With a gasp, Kowalski''s knees went weak. His legs gave away and he fell to the ground, face in the dirt. ¡®¡¯Wha-Pugh!¡¯¡¯ Blood spurted out of his mouth and his chest. I was good just a bi- HAAGH! His mind couldn¡¯t handle the pain, no matter the optimisim or self persuasion. It hurt too much! Why was it hurting like this? Kowalski didn¡¯t know. He kept taking deep breaths and exhaling, but he heard another breath at that time.


    No, it was sniffing. A long, loud sniffing so violent that even he could hear. And it came right above him.


    With a great effort on his part and a process of swallowing some dirt, Kowalski managed to turn his head to the side and gaze above.


    He regretted looking.


    Two huge, bloody tusks came in vision first. Then the wide, sharp teeth inside the disgusting, wrinkled mouth. His eyes rolled above, to the irises flashing with relief. Relief? Why would a monster feel relief? How could a beast feel relief? Questions sprang one after another as he felt a terrible feeling brewin inside his heart.


    The goliath let out a swindler''s smile and it grasped Kowalski from the waist. He felt thick, big fingers wrapping around his lower body. Then it raised him high, high enough for their eyes to meet at an equal level.


    And Kowalski felt terror, the feeling inside his heart surfaced as pure horror. The smile, the expression, the wide-open mouth and the endless hunger he felt from the monster''s eyes. Together, tey cracked his will in an instant. He wasn''t some expert or a seasoned warrior. He was no sect master or a real immortal. He was only a youth who never left his city, learned about medicine, and cultivated in his free time. And for a little one like him, looking at the death in the face was fatal.


    ¡®¡¯An-¡¯¡¯ Kowalski tried to speak, his mouth opened and closed, and a mouthful of blood spurted out from his lips. It sprayed to the face of the goliath. ¡®¡¯Anyone!¡¯¡¯ He managed to shout this time. From this high, he could see the monsters going between the city''s streets and alleys. They roared and howled, some drowned in the blood of people Kowalski wished he wasn''t acquiented with.


    Then the goliath in front of him laughed. Its lips let its thorny tongue escape from the mouth. The green tongue swirled around the lips and licked the little stains of blood near its face. It let out a delighted squeal. From the taste of blood, one could say with no difficulty.


    ¡®¡¯ANYONE!¡¯¡¯ Kowalski cried out, fear overwhelmed his rationale. Tears formed and fell around his eyes. ¡®¡¯PLEASE HELP ME- ANYONE!?¡¯¡¯ His voice reached no one. His cries of help couldn¡¯t reach anyone but the monster in front of him.


    The goliath opened its mouth full-wide and lowered Kowalski to the gap between its lips. The teeth teased the numbed legs of the Kowalski with their sharp tips.


    ¡®¡¯PLEASE HELP ME! I DON¡¯T WANT TO DIE!¡¯¡¯ He squirmed like a worm to escape, to slip between the robust hands of the monster. His movments caused the dripping tears and sweat and blood mix together on his chest. His face and outfit a mess, he struggled more. But he was weak. Weak enough that the monster let him do what he wanted for a while.


    ¡®¡¯I-I-I-I-I¡¯¡¯ He stuttered as the goliath pulled him inside the mouth, showing him his new and last living place like a real estate agent. His voice faltered at the smell of the yellowed teeth and the stinking tongue. ¡®¡¯...please.¡¯¡¯ He mumbled, at last.


    Kowalski closed his eyes. He didn¡¯t want to look, he couldn¡¯t look. Even if he wanted, he found no strength inside his body to open his eyes.


    He gave up.


    *********


    ¡®¡¯Just give up already!¡¯¡¯ Sid caught the flying angel forsaken from her wings. The sturdy feathers pushed his arms back, almost bended them and broke his bones, but he managed to hold on. He grasped with greater force to keep her from escaping and slammed his knee to her belly. It barely scratched her clothes as she twisted her body and shoved her long nails into the wounded side of Sid. The sharp nails pierced both the cut open skin and the muscles underneath. Blood sprayed.


    Ubel watched Sid¡¯s shaking back. He felt dread. Why was he so resilient? He looked at the screeching angel forsaken. Why was she so unwilling?


    Dust rose from the step Sid took back, let out a grunt and tilted his head. ''''F**k off!'''' he lashed out with a headbutt against the pain in his side. His forehead slamme to his adversary¡¯s. A popping sounded from their heads. The pain must have been great for both, Ubel recognized the sound of the fracture. They parted again, trickles of blood trailed behind them. Sid turned his head back just in time to see Ubel nock a Qi arrow to his bow.Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator.


    ¡®¡¯Don¡¯t interfere, you are distracting.¡¯¡¯ He said. Ubel wanted to refute but he had no valid reason to do. He acted on an impulse to help and distract the forsaken in the breathin time. But, Sid knew better than him in this matters. Every action he took had a purpose, he supposed, and him interfering could be detrimental. Ubel caught him sneaking a peek at the Embodiment. Hm? Sid returned his attention to the angel forsaken. What caught his interest? Ubel wondered. But even before his thought process started, the angel forsaken attacked again. With a flap of her wings and a gust of wind from the back, her body spurred forward like a horse and flew over Sid.


    Ubel, feeling threatened, forwarded the Embodiment to his front and nocked an arrow to his bow. Sid couldn''t catch her in time, he assessed in a moment''s notice. He had to slow her down. So he pulled on the bow, stirred his Qi and gathered them around his fingers. The bowstring extended all the way back and he aimed right on the now not so fast forsaken¡¯s other wing. Death River Qi flowed like a river and took the shape of a dark, slender arrow between his fingers. Sid didn¡¯t await their retaliation, it relieved Ubel, and with that resolution in mind let go of the string. With a shrill piercing sound it found its way towards the angel forsaken.


    He then saw Sid, who took quick steps to the back and shook the chain bound to his hand again. The chain crashed to the ceiling and the ground, clanking, and revolved in the air. ''''Down the ground!'''' City lord shouted and swung his arm downward, the chain followed his movement. Its wide body came right above the angel forsaken''s head. Taken by surprise, angel forsaken flapped her wings to evade the chain. It almost smashed her head to bits, Ubel felt pity. It whizzed past her body and struck the ground, raised clouds of dust that covered her vision. So she couldn¡¯t evade the arrow Ubel sent forth. Ubel seized the chance and willed his Qi to change directions,  strands of Death River Qi gathered on the arrow''s shaft. He pulled on them and the arrow tilted to the right, away from the wings and closer to the head. But Angel forsaken was no puny prey. Her increased senses, most likely, picked up the vibrations in the wind.


    With a twist of her body and a flap of her wings, she managed to reach the chains and pulled on them to rotate. The arrow still found its way and scratched the surface of her cornea. It didn''t stop, Ubel packed it with more Qi than before, so it took a stripe of flesh from her glabella as well. Then the shaft exploded right before her ear. From the small explosion of Death River Qi, a cloud of dark miasma shot up and started to molder the left side of her face.


    Angel forsaken screamed, her hands shot up to her face to cover her eyes. Sid followed behind her at that time and raised his arm to swing the chains again. But the angel forsaken reacted faster. She stomped on the chain''s lead on her hand and broke it from the rest. Parts of the strange metal dropped to the ground with tinkerings. Sid''s strike failed, he grit his teeth and levitated himself in the air to reach them. In that frenzy, meanwhile, angel forsaken shot forward. With a flap from her wings, uncaring of the damage she suffered, she arrived in front of the Embodiment. Her shoulder crashed to the bulky Embodiment''s chest. It tried to put up a fight but was too slow compared to its adversary. Embodiment couldn¡¯t stop the forsaken for even a second. With a wave of her wings, Embodiment flew away to a side and crashed to the ground with a boom.


    ¡®¡¯Damn it!¡¯¡¯ Sid spat, his speed at its max, and his eyes turned red.


    Ubel¡¯s eyes widened as he sent forth another arrow, hurried and low on power. The angel forsaken evaded with no difficulty, nothing interfered with her this time. And her damaged, unhealed eyes met with his eyes. With only a few inches distance between them, she snarled and opened her mouth wide. Rows of sharp teeth glinted.


    Imitate! Ubel''s mind worked way too fast for him to understand what happened. A cluster of Qi gathered at his left shoulder, unshaped and uncontrolled, and exploded. The burst of power sent him tumbling to the side. The angel forsaken¡¯s teeth only scratched where his cheeks stood a second ago. She howled again and turned toward him, gnashing her teeth. But even before she moved once more, Sid reached to her and struck. The blinding degree of Qi amassed on his fist slammed on her head like a cannon. As if she were a ragdoll, her body shot backwards and crashed on one of the piles of boulders and rubble. Tremors from the collision made Ubel stumble on the ground.


    ¡®¡¯You steal my move?'''' Sid looked at him, eyes wide. ''''Nice one.¡¯¡¯ He said and hurried over to the angel forsaken with the same reddened eyes. Ubel noted that. Sid''s muscles trembled as he rained punches and swift kicks to the angel forsaken, struggling to regain her momentum. Finding the breathing room for a moment, Ubel decided to look at his side. The Qi explosion he tried tore the cloth on his left shoulder. A bit of the skin burnt, it looked like a patch of ashen grass. Yet he managed to bear the pain. It came as a surprise, too, as he never had a serious injury for almost twenty years.


    How old was I, actually? He couldn¡¯t remember the exact number, but it should have been around the early twenties.


    My thoughts are scattering- Was it fine? He didn¡¯t think so. City lord cornered that forsaken to defend him from danger. It didn¡¯t come off as fair to him to relax for a second or two when city lord faced danger. But his hands and feet were tied up, too. He couldn¡¯t do anything to lessen the burden on the city lord.


    Or he could.


    Amidst the shouts and the screeches of the two a bit further from him, Ubel reached out to feel his necklace. His fingers almost froze from the cold surface. Strange. The Embodiment tumbled to his side at that time, it held its broken arm. It hopped on a single leg and collapsed right beside him, and made a head motion as if it was sighing. He watched the thing, then, reconnect the limbs to its broken parts and regenerate the cracks on its chest.


    So he doesn¡¯t have any organs? There wasn¡¯t a skeletal structure underneath those muscles, he knew that. So it wasn''t a big surprise that it lacked organs as well. From the both, the lack of the former was a bigger deal, actually.


    He leeches off my Qi to shape himself, so it would make more sense if he looked more human inward. That was, considering it was a golem and not the embodiment of an abstract concept like death.


    Ubel shook his head. He could try changing its form or whatever piqued his curiosity next time. The matter at hand right now was...whether to use the pendant or not. The lightning that struck the Quan and wounded him that bad must also work on the forsakens, or so Ubel hoped. And Quan held it only for a second, yet suffered devastating wounds. Well...he rejuvenated after that night but the angel forsaken was much weaker than Quan. Ubel was at that point to know, at least, the limits of people.


    The real problem was to make her contact with it. Or shove it to her face. He wasn¡¯t fast enough to catch up to them, no matter what he did. And Ubel had no confidence in his physique or Qi barrier to protect himself from the retaliation. His escape from the bite, as well, was only an instant occurrence. The kick of his survival instincts, momentary decision making, and a bit of luck. He couldn¡¯t get away safe once more, Ubel didn¡¯t believe in that. And in himself. City lord was also out of consideration. No matter how valiant the man was and how hard he tried to protect him, Ubel didn¡¯t...trust. He didn¡¯t trust the man enough to entrust his beloved father¡¯s remnant.


    But I have him- Ubel turned to look at the Embodiment, now standing in front of him like a meat wall. It gazed at the battling duo. I don''t know what he thinks. Ubel thought. Embodiment might have sensed him, as it looked down at Ubel with its hollow eyes. When did it gain eyes? Ubel questioned for a moment, deciding it was not the time to question. He then relayed his intention to the Embodiment.


    Wait- Before that, he took out the pendant from the spatial pouch. Of course, he put it in there to be sure he didn¡¯t lose it in the pandemonium. But that wasn''t important. Give me your hand- He told. As he raised the pendant, Embodiment, with a swift motion, snatched the necklace from his hand.


    Hey!


    Before Ubel could protest, Embodiment grasped the stone in its palm. Ubel¡¯s eyes widened. The stone shined with a dark red aura, something he remembered when he broke through to the path finding. It spread all over the Embodiment''s body and cracking of bones sounded inside his hears. It started to compress, Embodiment''s muscles submerged further into the skin, now darker. It gave off a fearsome aura.


    What is this supposed to be? He just wanted to test whether the thing would suffer the same thing with Quan, but it reacted much different. He looks...stronger. Ubel didn¡¯t know how much, but it definitely improved for the better. And he felt bitter, remembering how he could see the limits of people.


    Is it permanent or not?  He wondered about that. But again, he didn''t pursue that thought further. Time was essence. Ubel didn''t know what kind of an attack Sid hit the other forsaken, but the man was not in sight even after half a minute.


    Forget it. Now, go shove that to the face of the forsaken! He ordered and prepared his bow, ready to help if needed.


    Embodiment nodded, then flashed. With a stomp, it propelled itself towards the duo. It traveled in the air for a few seconds, then fell. Sounds of its loud steps reached to the duo fighting and both looked at its way at the same time.


    Ubel sent a Qi transmission to the city lord as the Embodiment closed on them.


    ¡®¡¯Senior, help his punch connect with the forsaken. He holds a strong artifact.¡¯¡¯ He felt awkward, since he had no idea on how to call the man.


    ¡®¡¯Are you serious!?¡¯¡¯ City lord lashed out at him. ''''Then why did you keep it a secret?'''' Ubel saw the man glaring at him for a second. Sid returned to dealing with the forsaken, but Ubel got the message in his eyes clear. He felt bitter.


    Why? Because he didn¡¯t think of it. He...no. Ubel had no excuse in his mind other than keeping it, his secret, safe. It didn''t matter he...trusted Quan now. Sid was no Quan, and Ubel had no intention to use the necklace of his father in every dangerous situation. If he did so, who knew what could possibly happen to it?


    Ubel shook his head. Instead of thinking more, he looked at the embodiment, now only a few meters away from them.


    ¡®¡¯Now-¡¯¡¯ Ubel transmitted and city lord moved. He bowed his head and let the angel forsaken¡¯s nails cut through his shoulders. Her screech didn''t seem to bother him as he proceeded to hold her head with his right arm. With a snarl, angel forsaken sent another stab with her nails. City lord seemed to be expecting that. His left leg and left arm moved at the same time and the hand of the angel forsaken stopped. It stuck between the elbow and the knee of the city lord. Then the Embodiment arrived right next to them.


    Embodiment clenched its fist, its muscles bulged and veins burst out of its glinting dark arms. Winds screamed at its speed and the fist, free of obstruction, slammed right on to the face of the forsaken. They connected. Her body followed the direction of the fist and crashed to the ground, cracked and splintered.


    Embodiment released its clenched fist.


    Its open hands showed the pendant for a moment, enough for everyone to glance. Ubel''s eyes widened, city lord leaped back in horror, angel forsaken spat light yellow blood.


    Embodiment''s hand moved further. The necklace was only a few centimeters away from her face. Then it touched her face.


    A metallic clang sounded out, a shadow in his vision made Ubel froze.


    White lightning erupted. It scattered in dozens and hundreds, each of them as wide as a adult''s thigh. The heat inside the castle rose from hot to burning in an instant and the crackling of the bolts ruptured Ubel''s ears. Onslaught continued for...a single second.


    They disappeared in the same speed they appeared. As they were a flicker of flame, all extinguished. City lord came out of the smoke of dust and ash covering the area, his body tattered and burnt all the way to his face. His pupils shook as he gazed over at Ubel.


    ¡®¡¯It didn¡¯t work.¡¯¡¯ He said. The Embodiment fell out of the cloud after his words, only a single arm remained. And Ubel looked at the man who stepped after embodiment.


    ¡®¡¯Senior Luo!¡¯¡¯ Angel forsaken let out a squeal behind the man, fine and...healed.


    ¡®¡¯I am sick of waiting for someone who isn¡¯t here.¡¯¡¯ The biggest senior of the forsakens mumbled. He flipped his spear and stabbed to the remaining arm of the embodiment, to its palm. With a flick, the spear¡¯s tip caught the necklace from the ropes. Slightly swinging  the shaft of the spear, the man inspected the stone with an exotic gaze. He was ignoring them.


    ¡®¡¯My pendant...¡¯¡¯ Ubel muttered, his eyes went back and forth between his necklace and the man¡¯s burnt hand. It didn''t heal. The immortal had no more words coming out of their throats.


    ¡®¡¯But I welcome Cindersnow scum anywhere, anytime.`` He pulled back the spear''s tip and grasped the necklace from the ropes. Careful of not contacting the stone, he got it right above his nose and observed it.


    ¡®¡¯This is...a Seal?¡¯¡¯ Forsaken''s eyes widened. ''''Hahahaha!'''' he started to drown in his own laughter.  ¡®¡¯A Seal in the hands of an immortal!? What a joke!¡¯¡¯ He disappeared from everyone¡¯s sight. Except Ubel¡¯s.


    Like a ghost, he materialized right in front of him.


    ¡®¡¯No-¡¯¡¯ Ubel managed to utter a defiant mumble, yet the incoming spear pierced through his right chest. It went all the way through his flesh and impaled him to the ground. Blood poured out. Ubel gasped, his eyes teared, but the man paid no heed. Instead, he reached out with the necklace in his hands, aimed for the blood.


    He dipped the stone of the pendant to the blood, rotated it inside the puddle to cover its whole. Then he pulled it out. The stone emerged, covered in his blood. Yet...the color of the blood turned from red to...dark yellow.


    ¡®¡¯Hahaha...a child of Shamo and the Forsaken? What kind of abomination are you!?¡¯¡¯ The forsaken shouted and grasped the handle of his spear again. His muscles compacted so hard that they almost tore apart the cloth and armor covering his arms. It was as if they would explode. He retracted his hand, took the spear slightly out, enough to leave the tip still sticking out of Ubel¡¯s back.


    Then without any stop, he swung with all his might. The spear rotated in the air, Ubel¡¯s body trembled and blood gushed out of his mouth, and his body slipped out of the spear. He flew into the sky. ''''Gurghk!'''' Ubel spat a mouthful of blood along a shout of defiance, yet failed miserably. Embodiment''s arm twitched at the sound and city lord, seeking the chance, leapt towards the forsaken Luo''s back.


    ''''Back off, murderer!'''' The forsaken Luo spun like a wheel and swept his spear like a tidal wave. City lord tried to slide but the trajectory of the spear moved, abruptly, to his head. ''''Damn it!'''' City lord failed, the spear cut through half of his right shoulder and stopped right before the neck. Blood sprayed like a fall and the upper flesh of his shoulder fell. It splashed blood all over the ground and city lord fell right onto them.


    ''''Who are you!'''' Forsaken Luo ignored him, and instead, turned back toward the Ubel.


    Unbeknownst to him, a cluster of flames appeared behind Ubel. It flashed with bright red fire, and in an instant a chocolate skinned youth exchanged places with the flames. He held Ubel by the hand, glared at him, and disappeared as the flame rematerialized.


    ¡®¡¯No you don¡¯t!¡¯¡¯ Forsaken Luo shouted. Like a ghost he emerged right behind the blazing flames and pierced its intangible body with his spear. The flame flickered and exploded, it left behind hundreds of smaller seeds of fire that shot towards him.


    Forsaken Luo only flicked the tip of his spear, and all the seeds burst into small flicker of flames, then died.


    Then he blinked. His red eyes took a darker color and a blood red aura sprang out of his pores. His head suddenly turned ninety degrees to the left, and he laughed.


    ''''There you are!''''

 Notice-(Non-Chapter)

    I have had some difficulties in writing some particular scenes in the next chapter, and one possibly in the future. I lack the ability to portray some important aspects, and this made me realize someother concepts vital to the story that I never presented, yet carried on thinking readers already know it. So I am going to postpone the chapters for a few days until I take care of the problem, mainly how to handle this dumpster of fire. Sorry to the sweet handful of people who always read, I will try to get this thing sorted out in the shortest time possible so you guys can read my burning piece of mediocrity!Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work!


    Thanks for understanding.

 39- Last Fights Of The Era (5)

    Gaobun stopped midway through the path down the mountain. His eyes searched the maid behind him. She was nowhere to be seen. He was sure she was right behind him a moment ago. She might have stumbled on something on the way,  he thought. She loved flowers. Yellow sunflowers were her favorite, but any exotic ones were still in her field of interest. From time to time, some random flower popped out of the mountain in random. So she always ventured inside the forest to find new ones while he stayed in the village with children.


    ''''Young master!'''' Her voice sounded behind him at that time. Gaobun turned back from the beautiful scenery. He saw the maid rushing down the mountain path.


    ''''Watch out!'''' He called out, the road was rocky. If she fell, she would hurt her knees or face. The maid smiled from afar and in a few seconds came beside him.


    ''''How kind of you, young master.'''' She grinned and took him up. Gaobun saw her gaze fall behind him, and he rotated as well. He found a comfortable position in her arms and looked further.


    The scenery in front of them was the result of the decades worth of work. There were farms of rice, the most common food in their area, that stretched beyond what he could describe. The green leaves and puddles of water cooled down the air down the mountain in the summer. At both sides were fields of wheat and groups of corn. The yellow sea, each from one side, seemed to be wanting to swallow the middle. It was a peaceful battlefield though, one that gave him peace.


    At the ends of each line of farm, far from the battlefield, was shacks. They looked hazy from afar. Yet, Gaobun could see their sturdy appearance and bright brown doors with some effort. They weren''t designed for people to live, they built to store the food for use. Although, some villagers set up beds or cooking utensils to spend their nights in the shacks. One could never know when snow clogged the path to the peak in winter.


    Well, on top of the mountain, where most of the villagers lived, the scenery was much more magnificent. He could also see the far away Bluemoon lake from there in its entirety. But he was busy playing with children, so most of the time he didn''t have the chance to look.


    ''''Should we go now, young master?'''' The maid asked and raised him to the air. He caught a glimpse of the lake from there.


    ''''Yes, let''s go.'''' He replied. ''''But let me down, I want to walk myself.''''


    ''''Of course, young master.'''' She accepted his request and put him down. Gaobun yawned the moment his feet touched the ground.


    ''''Are you tired, young master?''''


    ''''No, I am not.'''' Gaobun smiled. ''''I felt sleepy from looking at the fields. They are pretty.''''


    ''''You are right, young master, aren''t they.'''' She crouched and held Gaobun''s chubby cheeks. ''''Then why don''t we thank them tomorrow for their work? I am sure the elders would appreciate it.''''


    ''''Yes, we can do that!'''' Gaobun smiled. ''''But let''s go home, I want to talk with mama first.'''' Then Gaobun took the lead. They weren''t too high on the mountain path, but it took them more than ten minutes to get down. They followed a dirt road among the grass, created by the continuous steps of the stream of people. They took the right turn from an intersection, where the left led to the fields they saw above. At last, their home became visible.


    It was a two-floored mansion made of exquisite wood. The way leading to the wide-open entrance turned into a path of white marble. Around and among the road''s floor were the plants of the maid. She learned how to cultivate them from Gaobun''s mother, who also helped her to plant them. The maid was always proud of her work. Sometimes, his mother called her Nectar. Though she called her master, like how she called the rest of the household. Gaobun''s eyes darted around the surface of the rood, he noted where were the little buds and all, then moved forward.


    He hopped and danced around, his steps ranged from wide to small and brushed past the large saplings and flowers. He also sang the song he learned from the village up the mountain. The maid trailed behind him, her face carried a smile worthy of gold. They stepped inside the wide gates of the estate, the floor creaked and squealed. With a hurried pace Gaobun shot towards the upper floor, he wanted to tell his father about the daily journey to the mountain and the fields he saw.


    He climbed the stairs with ease. The rich resources of a cultivation family, of course, helped the heir the most. He showed the agility of a ten-year-old as a four-year-old. The maid kept up with his pace and they both reached the scene at the same time.


    Blood.


    The maid¡¯s eyes opened wide. Gaobun noticed it, but he didn¡¯t know what blood was. He just understood that it smelled bad and looked horrible. He saw his uncle and aunt and mother, lying to one side or another with huge gashes around their left chests. The maid hurried over to their side, Gaobun looked on, confused, and came before his mother.


    He pushed her once.


    ¡®¡¯Mama?¡¯¡¯


    She didn¡¯t respond, her head dangled to the side as if she shrugged her shoulders. Gaobun¡¯s eyes lit.


    ¡®¡¯Are you angry again, mama?¡¯¡¯ He smiled and opened his arms wide. Whenever he did something wrong, his mother would shrug her shoulders and avert her gaze. But he knew, when he opened his arms, she would let go of her anger and hug him. She loved him after all, she was his mother. From the background, he heard a fearful whimper and hurried steps.


    ¡®¡¯Mama?¡¯¡¯ But she didn¡¯t. She still sat, her eyes sunk and grey, and continued to escape from his gaze. ¡®¡¯Mama, why don¡¯t you give me a hug? Did I do something wrong?¡¯¡¯ He came closer to her and leaned, low enough to see her dull eyes. ¡®¡¯Mama, are you tired?¡¯¡¯ He grasped her with his little arms, some of the bad-smelling blood painted his face. He embraced her for some time, then lifted his head. In wonder, Gaobun swept his tongue around the blood on his cheeks once, then almost vomited. It made him nauseous, it was bitter. Gaobun hurried back.


    ¡®¡¯Mama, you rest. I will look for dad, alright?¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Young master-¡¯¡¯ As soon as he turned around, however, the maid took him into her embrace. Tears streamed down her face, her lips tattered around saying something and muttering, but the most obvious of it all was her sorrow.


    ¡®¡¯What is wrong?¡¯¡¯ Though he asked, Gaobun didn¡¯t receive the answer he was looking for. The maid continued to keep him in her arms, shaking, and sealed her eyes shut. Gaobun waited. He started to realize something was wrong, but he didn¡¯t know what was. He wished his mother could wake up soon, so he could tell her what happened.


    Time passed and the tears of the maid stopped flowing.


    ¡®¡¯Young master, can you wait in the main hall- No.¡¯¡¯ She first made a request, then retracted it. She seemed shaken enough and Gaobun was clever enough to see the worry in her eyes. She rose, Gaobun inside her arms, and made her way to the study room.


    ¡®¡¯Are we going to see dad?¡¯¡¯ Gaobun asked.


    ¡®¡¯Yes...young master. We need to see the Family Head.¡¯¡¯ She replied in a dry voice. She gulped, flashed a bitter smile, and pushed him deeper into her chest.


    Gaobun didn¡¯t felt the warmth of his mother from her bosom.


    The maid came before the study room and knocked twice, in regulation, then without waiting for any approval opened the door.


    This room was messier than the outside. Furniture turned into rubbish and dust, body parts floated inside the puddle of blood at the center. And the Family Head, unmoving, sat motionless on his chair near the window.


    ¡®¡¯Master!¡¯¡¯ The maid called out and hurried to his side. She was right before the table behind him when her words stuck in her throat.


    Gaobun couldn¡¯t see his father because of the maid, but the lack of response made him aware of something. His dad was also tired like his mother? Why were they tired and coated in those bad water anyway? It could be wine. They looked pretty familiar, but the smell was different. They might be drunk and passed out.


    The maid fell on her knees, tears brimmed at the corners of her eyes again. She almost let out a cry, Gaobun felt the force traveling through her heaving chest, but she stopped. Her eyes caught something on the study table, a talisman of communication, bright red. It read Cinder on the surface. She grasped it and turned it around. Snow wrote on the other side. A small light appeared in her dull eyes. Without knowing and not caring about who was on the other side, she sent her Qi to establish the line.This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings.


    Immediately, someone responded with fluctuations of Qi, and she opened her mouth.


    ¡®¡¯Qiuji family...¡¯¡¯


    *********


    A bright streak of flame shot out in the sky and flickered, from the cluster of fire a silhouette appeared.


    Gaobun stepped out, holding Ubel in his arms, and looked down towards the castle at the center. Beast horde pushed through the southern and eastern sections of the city and crowded around the castle, where most of the immortals gathered to hold back the rush.


    He didn¡¯t look further and averted his gaze to Ubel twitching in his hands. There was a huge gash on his chest, some of the ribs inside snuck out of the torn muscles and pierced through the skin of the other half. Gaobun couldn¡¯t help but wince at the sight. When he sent his Qi inside, to check and look for a cure for this boy¡¯s weak body, he froze. His face paled. For a singular moment, his eyes traced the spatial ring on his left hand, squeezing the flesh around the fourth finger.


    He pulled Ubel closer to his chest, let his head lay on his shoulders, and tightened his grip. He felt horrible. He felt disgusted at the sight, ashamed. His rage boiled like magma. No matter how brief it was, his face still reddened. He was supposed to, he had to feel like this. Even if it was strange, out of nowhere, and unreasonable to some extent, this was what sect taught him to feel like when he was about to lose someone.


    There is a thin line between losing someone and being about to lose someone. Gaobun recounted the words of his master inside his head, to find some peace and relieve the stress he felt at the moment. What one lost is lost, there is no coming back. There are only memories to burden you, or, perhaps, belongings left for the sake of your friendship or brotherhood. It is natural to grieve or weep, for you have nothing else to do other than pray and shed tears.


    He knew what his master, Windblade, meant. He had done the same. When he came onto the mountain, under the apprenticeship of his late-master, and discovered neither of his parents came back. Tears and whimpers were the only things he could calm himself as a child. Adding on that was the departure of his maid, who he never found until today. All left on his shoulders was the small bits of memories and dreams of those moments, then nothing more. It ceased to exist, time eroded those scenes from his mind. He had no more burdens to carry on at this point, Gaobun reaffirmed.


    But in the latter, it is not the burden that is heavier. It is no longer appropriate, even, to call it a burden. If I were to name it, I would call it an inconvenience. What you fear, what you dread from there on is the consequences, the impact the death will have on your life. The other¡¯s life is as much important as the tremor it will send through your own.


    It was such a funny word: Inconvenience. Just a small problem, not worth mentioning in the face of rushing time and incoming end. For the first time, ever, he didn¡¯t agree with his master. But he had no argument at this point. Or at least, he had no one to defend himself, his point. Because his master was right.


    He felt troubled by the wounded Ubel, he had no qualms about his life ending here.


    No.


    That was a complete lie.


    He dreaded, he felt true terror trembling his insides like the first time he came to know death. He wanted to shout, smash boulders in anger, let his emotions run wild...and cry. He wanted to cry because he had a way to prevent his death. He could save this boy, who gave him nothing but annoyance and slight amusement from the first day they met, yet he didn¡¯t want to. He had no qualms about his life ending here.


    Because if it didn¡¯t, he wasn¡¯t sure if he would want to live more.


    Gaobun felt the air around him shake. Dark clouds slightly above him parted into multiple groups of mists and scattered, they escaped from the incoming strike. He hurried to turn his head, pulled Ubel further into his embrace, and closed his eyes.


    From his glabella, invisible to everyone but him, a strand of light shot out. His dark grey light matched with another line from afar, they tangled into each other, changing colors. His light turned red and the other turned grey, then Gaobun opened his eyes.


    He appeared inside a tunnel circled by seven brilliant colors of a rainbow. They bore a resemblance to the strand of light on his glabella, yet their radiance glowed brighter. They illuminated the invisible, dark space beneath his feet and showed him the way. He exhaled and took a step.


    As he kept going further and further, the lights trailed behind him. They carved the way, where he came and where he went. They looked like playful children at some point. If Gaobun forced himself he could hear eerie giggles from their shine. His scalp went numb. Yet, the weak breathing beside his terrified him the most. The undertone inside that breathing.


    Not the incoming end, but the decision awaiting at last.


    He continued on the path with no worry of the outside world. Whenever he swapped places with one of his avatars, he would be exiled from the reality of the heavens. He was outside the rule of the heavens, the laws governing the earth. But space had its limitations and tolerance. And he knew, this unspeaking, unhearing entity had no patience towards others invading its body.


    Space was alone after all, it lived off alone and, at some point, would die alone. All by himself. Sometimes, even he wanted to accompany the space. He wished he could be the space. Boundless, powerful, unbreaking. Stoic, even, yet overprotective for its children. But he couldn¡¯t. No matter how much he longed to become the space, no matter what he accomplished. He could never be the same with space.


    He halted his steps.


    Gaobun turned around to look back at the path he came. It was dark, again, like the terrain beneath his feet. The radiance of the lights didn¡¯t exist beyond where he stood and they pointed to only one thing. Forward. He had a feeling at this moment, something that made him ashamed.


    Space didn¡¯t like cowards.


    Space didn¡¯t love the ones tangling with the past.


    Space hated those who wished they could leave everything behind and move on. Just like how he wished at this point.


    He had no right to take the decision on whether to leave Ubel to die or destroy his cultivation. But him not willing to take this was cowardice? Screw space! He wanted to shout, but it indeed was cowardice. When there was no one to take the decision other than him, how could he leave things to the flow of fate? Only to not regret it at some point? He would feel the immense shame of his actions in the future if he didn¡¯t shoulder the consequences today. That was what space told him.


    That was what he saw inside the darkness behind.


    He let out a deep sigh and turned around. His steps hurried, the lights trailing behind, Ubel exhaling last of his breaths, the path behind him collapsing, the avatar greeting from the other end of the tunnel. Gaobun took a deep, deep breath, then let go of it.


    He passed by the side of his avatar, whom he used to look at himself. From the eyes of the blazing cluster of flames, he looked...pitiful. But also heroic, he didn¡¯t know where that word came from. Somehow, something called him heroic.


    It was laughable.


    He left the tunnel of light and the path disappeared. The layout of their house, their small residence came in sight. He stepped inside the kitchen and laid Ubel on the hard, wooden couch at the side. Then he took out his ring from his hand. Ring in his palm, he sat right beside Ubel. Even like this, he stood one head taller than him. He still looked down at him.


    Gaobun opened his palm. With his index finger, he traced the surface. The inscriptions were exquisite, the dragon head was magnificent. He knew just by touching that whoever carved this was a master, someone with miraculous hands. And the black stone, too, placed between the jaws of the dragon head that held his items. Its surface was smooth, he never knew the stone was this soft.


    From the tip of his finger, under his cracked nails and above his chocolate skin, a Qi stream shot out and connected with the ring. He looked through the few things; Nine sets of robes, several promissory notes from the bank at the Cindersnow city, a rusty lance from his home, and lastly a pill. A top-grade healing pill, made for the use of path openers. Not for the likes of Ubel, whose meridians would shatter from the recoiling energy.


    Gaobun took out the pill and grasped with his index and middle finger.


    He leaned towards Ubel, opened his mouth, and hung the pill right above his lips.


    What did he have to do now?


    His hands shook. He felt the avatar he swapped places with blink out of existence. The avatar sent him the traces of the same aura that invaded Ubel¡¯s body.


    Gaobun grit his teeth.


    His head crashed, soft, on Ubel¡¯s chest. His fingers grasped the pill tighter.


    Did he have the right to steal Ubel¡¯s cultivation, his life, his dreams? Or did he have the right to leave him to die here, without knowing why?


    Either way, he would go on to his new life in reincarnation without accomplishing anything.


    Mortals were weak. Even if he was to be a past immortal, even if his physique would tower over puny mortals or even cultivators below his past rank, he would be unworthy in the eyes of the sect. Sect didn¡¯t need the weak, or maimed, or crippled.


    Sect wouldn¡¯t accept him.


    He would have no chance to prove himself...but who said so?


    Gaobun let go of the pill.


    It fell between Ubel¡¯s lips and touched his tongue. It melted into a cozy, warm liquid and flowed right into Ubel¡¯s belly. Pill¡¯s power enveloped his chest and his wounds, they started to heal with visible speed. His bones retracted into the ribcage and assimilated together, the muscles wriggled around and stretched towards each other to connect. The skin grew again and in no time covered the bright red muscles with a tanned color.


    And under that skin, Ubel¡¯s meridians collapsed. His Qi dissipated, his dantian blinked out of existence, and all the cultivation kept inside his body dissolved into air. From now on, Ubel was a mortal, again. And this time, he would have no more chance of becoming an immortal.


    Gaobun lifted his head. The few drops of tears he shed made the dried blood stick to his face.


    He licked the blood at the corner of his mouth.


    It tasted bitter.

 40- Last Fights Of The Era (6)

    Yuan Shu stumbled on the pavement.


    Orange colored blood spilled out of his lips and dripped to the snow piles on the ground. Since the barrier broke around a few minutes ago, the dark clouds awaiting their chance rained whatever they held inside. Snowflakes accumulated enough to create piles of snow throughout the vacant streets. The small hills of snow hid the small cracks and crevices spreading throughout the path.


    His hands subconsciously clutched the side of his stomach and a nauseating feeling rose from his belly. Unable to hold in, another mouthful of orange blood escaped from his lips. They splattered to the blank white snow under his painted boots. Damn, this hurts too much. It wasn¡¯t a simple, easy process to get your cultivation dissipated. The pain alone was something he wouldn''t be able to bear was it not for the training at the God Legion. The consequent damage to his meridians, which were the sole vessels large enough to let his cultivation seep through, also increased the amount he had to suffer.


    I have to find a safe place to rest, away from the eyes and senses of the forsakens and monsters alike.


    The pain would go on for much longer than he first assumed at first, he had to be cautious. And from what his intuition told, he would be too weak to even use his Qi Skin after the process finished. Perhaps he would need to rest more after that. So, he moved. He clenched his fist, raised it in the air, and with a whip of air struck on his chest.


    ¡®¡¯Bluegh!-¡¯¡¯ A mouthful of blood escaped from his mouth and the pain somewhat lightened. Now, where...I found it.


    He sensed a goliath hiding in ambush from a few dozens of meters afar. The traces it left were too obvious to hide, let alone the murderous aura around it. But he chose to feign ignorance and walked towards where the beast lay in darkness. Yuan Shu trusted his knowledge on these filthy monsters.


    The goliaths were monsters who loathed chewing on the living prey. They liked to swallow their hunt whole and digest slowly. Most of the time, the ones consumed by them could live around two or three days inside the belly. Unless, of course, something abnormal happened to the monster.


    Just a few hours is enough, then I can make my escape. Yuan Shu took three more steps and came before a bloodied alley¡¯s entrance.


    ¡®¡¯HAAH!¡¯¡¯ A howl rang out and Yuan Shu widened his eyes to look shocked. He rotated to the side in a hurry and sent a fist to the large shadow looming over him, but what he received was instead a gaping mouth thrice his size. His punch swung through the air inside the goliath¡¯s mouth. The fangs of the monster appeared from the ground below and descended from above, then closed.


    He was inside the mouth of the beast now. He stomped on the tongue and rushed towards the mouth to escape. All to make the goliath aware of his anxiousness, but the agile flesh moved too quick for him to react. The tongue wrapped around his leg and hurled him back towards the pharynx of the goliath.


    He fell into the dark tunnels of flesh and soon, hit some sort of lock before diving inside the little pond of acid. Waves rose from the shock and it took a second for Yuan Shu to rise. He stuck his head out of the acid pond, took a deep breath, exhaled, and collapsed right away. The water level wasn¡¯t too high, he could sit inside the pool with his chest above the liquid.


    The belly acid of a goliath wasn¡¯t corroding. Instead, it had a property of instilling a sense of exhaustion to the ones who inhaled or consumed it. There was also the side effect of it, which caused numbness and lessening the pain. And he needed that right now.


    He grasped a handful of the acid and swallowed. It tasted sour and his throat reddened, he felt like a lemon on fire rolled down his neck. But the feeling soon ceased and he was left with a slight ache from his meridians.


    Oh, someone is here?


    Yuan Shu saw a man floating in the pond, face-down, and riddled with wounds over his body. He leaned forward and grasped the man from his foot, then pulled towards himself. The man came up beside him and Yuan Shu flipped him over to see his face.


    It is that boy? By the light, did I have some karma with him from my past life?


    He looked at the terrified face of the young man and laughed. He must have fainted from fear. He gave a small push with his foot and sent the body floating over to the other side. He didn¡¯t want to cramp the little space around him as well.


    Well, I can help him get out of here once I¡¯m rested. Yuan Shu stretched his limbs and rested his head on the mushy flesh wall. But until then, I will take a small nap.


    Soon enough, the goliath heard some grumbling noises from its belly. It must haven¡¯t eaten enough to satisfy its hunger, it thought, then proceeded to hide in the shadows again.


    *********


    Gaobun swapped places with another one of his avatars.


    This time, he didn¡¯t take his time in the tunnel. With the greatest speed he could muster, his feet shot up into the air and he flew to the other end in a second. He passed by the avatar and his eyes pierced through the curtain of light at the other side.


    What greeted him was a sharp, golden tip beside his face.


    A blazing inferno shot through his feet and his body twisted in mid-air. The spear tip missed his cheek by a millimeter, the blinding head of the spear passed right before his eyes. Gaobun swirled his leg towards the side of the forsaken to burn his flesh with the inferno.


    Unfortunately, the other side commanded both power and speed vaster than his. And experience greater than most on the battlefield. So a simple rotation of his spear proved enough to lock Gaobun¡¯s leg between his thigh and the shaft of the spear.


    Gaobun didn¡¯t hesitate to listen to his screaming instincts and swapped places with another avatar. He appeared a few hundred meters away from the forsaken and his avatar bore the brunt of the spear sweep. The blazing ball of flames exploded into thousands of embers and floated to the ground. The forsaken looked at the remnants of the avatar. His eyes glinted and a small grin appeared on his face, then turned to gaze at him.


    ¡®¡¯Why are you so angry, little whelp?¡¯¡¯ He didn¡¯t show any notion of preparing for a move. Gaobun didn¡¯t interfere with his words. The same instant, except the remaining few dozen avatars, he commanded hundreds of them to scatter. All towards the outside of the city. He wanted to gain as much time as possible. No matter how much he wanted to scorch the man in front of him until he ran out of cells to regenerate, he knew he couldn''t do it.


    ¡®¡¯Did I do something wrong?¡¯¡¯ Forsaken asked.


    ¡®¡¯I have no obligation to respond, impudent dog.¡¯¡¯ Gaobun gritted his teeth. ¡®¡¯People of Cindersnow won¡¯t stoop so low to speak with the likes of you.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯People Of Cindersnow? Hahaha! Your pride is laudable.¡¯¡¯ Forsaken laughed. ¡®¡¯So, slave of the Cindersnow, would you like to reconsider your decision? All I wish is to progress our relationship before that punk arrives.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Relationship? Punk?¡¯¡¯ Gaobun muttered. ¡®¡¯What are you talking about?¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯That cultivator, whose aura blots the sky and disperses clouds. Isn¡¯t he also a slave like you? The punk escaped before I realized but he surely will come back.¡¯¡¯ He smiled. ¡®¡¯After all, I never saw a Cindersnow forsake the other for centuries.¡¯¡¯


    Gaobun kept silent and looked at the forsaken. At their altitude, the wind blew harsher and colder than most could encounter in these lands. Both of their clothes rustled before the force of the blades and gusts of wind. The screams and bellows below their feet seemed somewhat lost under its influence. For a moment, Gaobun felt the wind carry his feet rather than the Qi. He sniffed, from the corner of his eye he noticed the forsaken untying the knot on his hair. Gaobun tilted his head to the left.


    He saw the whirlwinds and storms gathering between the palms of a man facing two munchurs. His shriveled robes and bloodied sleeves gave a sense of security to the ones watching. As if his back screamed I am here, right now, to fulfill my duty! loud in his ears. Only, he wasn¡¯t sure what was there to protect. The havoc and chaos, still, ensued. Even without intervention from the Russell, people continued to lose their lives. But that wondrous feeling, it warmed one¡¯s heart. He was one who looked like a leader, one who had the shoulders to carry the burden of a thousand together.


    He looked, for the first time in his eyes, not like a crazy asshole. But as someone capable of thinking, and valuing, what was right, what was wrong, and what was to be protected. He looked like a man willing to rather challenge alone than to fight together. One who feared the consequences to the ones beside him.


    ¡®¡¯Admiring, are you?¡¯¡¯ Forsaken asked at that time. Gaobun averted his eyes to him, at his spread out long hair and shining armor. At his right arm that clenched the ropes of Ubel¡¯s necklace, at his feet ready to move with a deadly attack, and at his eyes. Dulled, blank, filled with amusement. His eyes searched for something inside Gaobun¡¯s pair of pupils. Perhaps fear, perhaps something more positive.


    ¡®¡¯I said so. Your pride is laudable. You people, you immortals¡¯ sense of honor. I mean it, in the most serious way I can say.¡¯¡¯ Forsaken closed his eyes and took a deep breath. ¡®¡¯But-¡¯¡¯ He sighed. ¡®¡¯That is it. Pride and honor, that is all there is to your kind.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Pride?¡¯¡¯ Gaobun recounted the word. ¡®¡¯What we have is not pride...forsaken.¡¯¡¯ He refused to insult the man further. ¡®¡¯We don¡¯t need something like pride. It muddles the mind, blinds the perception. It makes people ambitious, greedy. It causes death, or accident, as a man full of pride always overlooks the most simple things.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Is that so?¡¯¡¯ Forsaken lowered his head for a moment. His hand supported his chin and Gaobun continued.


    ¡®¡¯My kind, my people are not limited to the pride and honor of humans. We...came over those two a long time ago. We destroyed greed and malice, wiped out corruption, punished the rebel and the evil. Cindersnow helped the mortals and immortals alike to stand up from the hole they sat in, the hole you call pride.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯But you are no man, aren¡¯t you?¡¯¡¯ Forsaken looked at Gaobun. His index finger curled up like a hook, he swung it towards him. ¡®¡¯You are at most forty, or fifty. You are a child, you are no man in the eyes of the elders. You haven¡¯t lived in that malice, that corruption. You never saw someone starve or get slaughtered for no reason.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯I haven¡¯t lived in the God¡¯s Nation,¡¯¡¯ Gaobun admitted. ¡®¡¯I didn¡¯t see with my own eyes, but I read. I listened, I explored. But you, how does a forsaken know about God¡¯s Nation?¡¯¡¯You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.


    ¡®¡¯It is like how we know about the Cindersnow.¡¯¡¯ Forsaken flashed a bitter smile, it disappeared in the same instant. Gaobun¡¯s eyes widened at the sight. ¡®¡¯The God¡¯s Nation was just another torturer to our people, among the many on the list.¡¯¡¯


    Torturer...


    ¡®¡¯You said-¡¯¡¯ Forsaken continued at that time, Gaobun raised his head to meet with his eyes. ¡®¡¯Your people is not limited to the pride and honor of humans?¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Mortals.¡¯¡¯ Gaobun corrected himself. ¡®¡¯Mortals are still blind.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Are you not a mortal yourself, cultivator?¡¯¡¯ Forsaken asked. ¡®¡¯You, your parents, their following generation. They all were bred from the bloodline of a normal human, a mortal, and were mortals at the first steps of their lives.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯...so?¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Why do you feel the need to differentiate yourself from the mortals?¡¯¡¯


    Gaobun had no immediate words to answer. He started to think about it. For first, mortals were weak. They lacked the power to protect themselves, or their offspring from the dangers of the wild. Normal humans had no way to survive in this world. So, the immortals, people acting as guardians of the mortals, were superior in that regard. They had the power to make decisions.


    Second, mortals were blind. They had greed and envy and jealousy in their hearts. Even if successful, they were never satisfied. They looked for a higher peak and despised them for working more than them, for being better than them. They were blind because of their emotions. They could not think without bias and with peace. They weren¡¯t as patient as the immortals were. They excluded those different or weak, immortals embraced them all. So, they, who had the potential to do everything yet lacked the drive and unity to do it, were inferior in that regard.


    Third, they feared death. They were so interlaced with the material wealth and relationships that their minds couldn¡¯t acknowledge the end. But...Gaobun stopped thinking. What was he doing a moment ago? He tried, but no excuse came on this matter. He, just like a mortal, a few minutes ago, refused to accept the death.


    Am I...not different?


    ¡®¡¯No answer? You don¡¯t need to- if you manage to find your way out of the thinking of a slave, then good for you.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Perhaps, one day, you will realize what they did. Then, you could join your kinsmen at our side.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯He is coming,¡¯¡¯ Gaobun stopped the forsaken from talking further. He blinked twice, clenched his fist, and looked at the forsaken again. He had tied up his loose hair some time ago, he didn¡¯t realize when.


    ¡®¡¯I know, whelp.¡¯¡¯ Forsaken smiled. ¡®¡¯Think about that question a lot, you can be a nice addition to ou-.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Give me the necklace.¡¯¡¯ Gaobun interrupted mid-way through. ¡®¡¯Give me the necklace and I will join you now.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯And I believe that with my whole heart, brat.¡¯¡¯ Forsaken brandished his spear and put the necklace inside a spatial pouch tied to his armor. ¡®¡¯So, what are you going to do? Want to see the spectacle? You will die in the midst if you don¡¯t back away.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯No, I don¡¯t think I will. Stop caring about me.¡¯¡¯ Gaobun said. ¡®¡¯Care for yourself, pitiful soul.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯I will, brat.'''' forsaken grinned.


    *********


    ¡®¡¯I have been waiting for you, scum!¡¯¡¯ Forsaken shouted out loud towards the north. Away from the city and the mountains, it reached their ears. City¡¯s foundations shook from the echoes of his voice. People and monsters alike stumbled on their two feet. The harpies and the wood spirits in the air lost their balance for a second. Some immortals found this as a chance to shoot them down with arrows and javelins.


    Archura¡¯s eyes flashed with hatred and she dived towards the group of immortals that struck her children. Russel, from the other side, struggled to keep two munchurs at bay right outside the walls. City lord laid in a pool made of his blood, unconscious. Some forsakens grasped the opportunity and mowed down any threatening immortals among their ranks to pave the way.


    And Ubel, he laid with no fluctuations from his cultivation base and mind. Sleeping, crippled.


    Quan closed his third eye. The colors of the world returned, the clouds to grey and the land to reddened snow. He narrowed his eyes and the Emperor Shuangxing cast him a nonchalant gaze.


    ¡®¡¯Is it this weakling that made you a slave of me? Pitiful.¡¯¡¯


    Quan didn¡¯t respond. Instead, he pointed towards the Mountain Of Emperors with his index finger. Shuangxing¡¯s eyes darted around the mountain until his eyes widened.


    ¡®¡¯I see! Your worries are well-founded. I also had some troubles with that woman before.¡¯¡¯ He smiled. ¡®¡¯But the Lady Of The Passage is no longer in her prime. She won¡¯t dare to trouble us.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯So, dear Quan. Would you like to vent that deep hatred inside your heart?¡¯¡¯ Shuangxing snuck a peek at Quan¡¯s shaking hands and reddened eyes. ¡®¡¯Anger is a poison for someone of your age, after all.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯I beseech you, Your Majesty.¡¯¡¯ Quan clasped his fist, bowed, and rose.


    ¡®¡¯I am more than happy to oblige, my slave.¡¯¡¯ A mischievous smile crept on his face.


    *********


    ¡®¡¯Who are you?¡¯¡¯ A voice asked at that moment, the owner approached them. Only a few dozen meters between them, the duo met the forsaken. ¡®¡¯Or let me correct myself.¡¯¡¯ He coughed, ¡®¡¯Which one of you is the deserter?¡¯¡¯ His eyes locked on Quan.


    Silence ensued. No one uttered a word, nor any motion occurred. Forsaken gazed into Quan. Quan looked down at his trembling hand. Shuangxing savored the sight of the forsaken.


    Then everything happened at once.


    Quan¡¯s hands flashed with seals and everything went dark. From above, a colossal, dark layer of stone and marble appeared. Everyone in the city submerged into darkness. The summoned thing covered every inch of the sky and started to fall on them. Forsaken¡¯s eyes widened and his spear moved, but the duo already left their positions. Then a booming voice echoed in the air.


    ¡®¡¯Om!¡¯¡¯ The first word shook the air.


    ¡®¡¯Ah!¡¯¡¯ The second word sent chills through forsaken¡¯s body. He flew upwards, picked up speed, and pointed his spear tip to the falling down mass of darkness. I won''t get crushed.


    ¡®¡¯Hum!¡¯¡¯ The third word sounded. Forsaken snuck a peek at his surroundings but nothing appeared. His senses, however, told him that he would die right now.


    ¡®¡¯HAAH!¡¯¡¯ He shouted and the sacred body art of his hall, Blood Of Sovereign, sprang from his pores. A blood-red aura covered every corner of his body, spread to his spear, and solidified around its shaft and the tip. The dense amount of misty aura made the spear hidden from the eye as if he held just a condensed blood cloud.


    ¡®¡¯Begone!¡¯¡¯ His spear flashed with a brilliant light. He grabbed hold of the shaft with both hands, his eyes reddened. Vessels popped out left and right on his body and his skin swelled up.


    He looked up. The thing was almost upon him now. With his senses, he knew the thing was at least four or five times bigger than Yadratafos. Something of that weight could crush him to a paste, a state that even he couldn''t recover from.


    So he would pave the way for himself.


    His hands moved, the spear blinked out of existence.


    He heard a small grunt from the space around him, forsaken¡¯s eyes narrowed.


    A tear in the sky appeared, followed by a blood-red trail of light behind it.


    Then the spear appeared right before the surface of the darkening stone and marble. Amidst the rift in the sky and the rubble, it pierced through with a small explosion.


    Forsaken clenched both of his hands and the blood-red aura around him shot out like tentacles to the spear. The dozens of slimy auras swirled and shriveled in the air and grasped the spear from the shaft.


    Then the aura around the spear started to inflate. From centimeters, it turned into hundreds of meters thick and a thousand-meter long aura. His muscles bulged again and with all his power, he swept the spear upwards with the tentacles.


    A sound like a shrill scream pierced through everyone¡¯s ears below the combatants¡¯ feet. The red aura exploded into a mist of blood. Shockwaves shattered the sound barrier and rubble, a huge opening appeared between the thing covering the skies.


    ¡®¡¯Ha!¡¯¡¯ Forsaken picked up speed and shot towards the sky. Through the opening, he flew and grasped his spear, then continued to rush upwards.


    Once he escaped from the darkness under, his eyes widened. He looked at the thing that was falling on him a moment before, the thing he cut through.


    It was an entire city. A city filled with deserted skyscrapers and vacant manors, with castles and tower houses covering every inch. Walls adorned with siege weapons, streets filled with deserted stalls, alleys full of empty wine bottles. And it was a city he knew very well, a city where he made his name for the first time.


    ¡®¡¯Kryostria!? Maniac! You were the bastard who uprooted the whole city!?¡¯¡¯ Forsaken¡¯s eyes darted around as he shouted. He found no one. But his senses tingled again, a sense of doom crept from behind.


    He turned around, his eyes widened yet again.


    ¡®¡¯No-How...how are you two here in the same place?¡¯¡¯ The moment he laid eyes on the terrifying manifestation, his vision blurred. His mind swam through the memories of the past, a scene of slaughter embed into his soul came to surface.


    ¡®¡¯Golden Statue Of Sovereign, Massacrer Of A Hundred Sects.¡¯¡¯ He mumbled, frozen.


    ¡®¡¯How funny. You little ones remember my name?¡¯¡¯ Shuangxing flashed a creepy smile, the short mustache of his gave him a sense of urgency. His mouth moved as the forsaken stood at his place, frozen from shock.


    ¡®¡¯O? T¨¡re Tutt¨¡re Ture Sv¨¡h¨¡, O? T¨¡re Tutt¨¡re Ture Sv¨¡h¨¡!-¡¯¡¯ He started to chant, hymns of deities covered him like a blessed being. From his back, a golden statue with twelve hands and four heads rose, sitting cross-legged on a blue lotus. On each side was an expression, and each face had one gold one white eye: Sun and the Moon.


    ¡®¡¯No-¡¯¡¯ Forsaken regained his clarity as he saw the twelve hands moving at the same time. He shot towards Shuangxing, his spear ready to pierce the heart, but he couldn¡¯t.


    All twelve hands of the golden statue moved at the same time. They grasped the corners and the foundations of the city and, with a push, flipped them over. The city warped upon itself, buildings and the walls started to collapse. The forsaken screamed in anger as he picked up more speed and the corners came much closer, ready to embrace him.


    Yet, Quan didn''t let go of the forsaken. He warped above him, threads of space and void connected to his back. With a push from his right hand, the threads pulled the man towards him. The forsaken couldn¡¯t react in time and Quan¡¯s palm struck right between the brows of the forsaken. The threads severed, they both spurted blood, and flew back from the shock.


    ¡®¡¯Damne-¡¯¡¯ Forsaken''s voice trailed off. The city closed on him like two metal plates stuck together. The palms of the golden statue continued to crush the forsaken and Quan backed off. He wiped the traces of blood from the corner of his mouth and glanced at the emperor.


    ¡®¡¯Get ready.¡¯¡¯ He gave a warning, then swept his arm forward. From his palm, a huge white cauldron submerged. It grew larger and larger until it was as big as the Kryostria itself, then swallowed the city inside. Quan motioned with his hand, the emperor followed and they both flew inside the cauldron.


    Behind them, a lid with the carving of the word Space appeared and sealed the cauldron shut.


    Gaobun looked at the flying cauldron in the air for a moment, then descended next to Russel.


    *********


    ¡®¡¯Om Bhur Bhuva? Swa?. Tat-savitur Vare?yam. Bhargo Devasya Dh¨©mahi, Dhiyo Yona? Prachoday¨¡t!¡¯¡¯ The golden statue behind the emperor Shuangxing started to glow brighter. In the six right hands, upon each hand¡¯s palm, a miniature Sun appeared. They sent waves of heat throughout the Space Furnace¡¯s insides. The scorching flames of the stars burned the edges of the clump of stone and marble once they called Kryostria.


    ¡®¡¯Changxi, bless your son and give me power, oh the mother of the moons!¡¯¡¯ Six moons appeared in the left six hands, each radiating a frigid cold enough to freeze a whole city. The twelve hands moved in unison, they rose, then fell with a giant shockwave.


    Quan pulled the threads of space around the city and bundled them together like sewing silk. The forsaken battered around to escape, to free himself, but he couldn''t.


    Quan sighed and Shuangxing grinned.


    Six moons and six suns all struck the Kryostria at the same time.


    Each star exploded into flames and chilling blizzards, storms of fire and snow covered the space of the Space furnace. The city of Kryostria melted and froze, again and again, under the attacks of the two opposite forces. Over time, the clump eroded until it turned into a speck of dust.


    As both of them stopped, amidst the remnant dust and rubble something caught Shuangxing''s eye. It was a simple pendant with two red ropes tied to a stone. There was something carved on it, but he couldn''t read what it wrote.


    Shuangxing reached out with one of the golden statue¡¯s hands to grasp the necklace in pure curiousity but Quan acted faster. He flashed, caught it from the ropes, opened his spatial ring, and tucked the pendant into the storage.


    Emperor narrowed his eyes for a moment. Quan looked at him with calm eyes and willed the furnace to open. The lid disappeared and the grey clouds of the Yadratafos became visible again.


    ¡®¡¯Your majesty, let me lead the way.¡¯¡¯ He said and left without looking back.


    Shuangxing gazed at Quan¡¯s disappearing back, then smiled.


    I will accept this one.

 41- Moment Of Calm (1)

    Cinder was in a wide, dark cave.


    There were many carvings on the ceiling and the floor and his sides. They looked ancient. The rough craftsmanship showed its traces in the ragged corners of the depictions; armor donning beasts, rampaging mammoths, or spear-wielding mortals¡¯ eyes. The moss was plenty on the passage and the air was damp. There was the smell of the ocean and dust, which tried to force its way into his lungs. How fortunate he was since he was about the age to resign and get sick. Small responses like coughing or sweating were expected to be normal, were it not for his immortal constitution.


    The sharp pebbles and rubble not being able to scratch his bare feet were also one of the causes of his immortal body. The sounds they made as he crushed them under his feet sounded pleasant enough to ignore the total silence, other than a small, whisper-like rustling reminiscent of leaves. His path seemed long enough to keep him walking for days. The patriarch and the ancestor lived deep inside their world¡¯s crust after all, but he knew it was far from long.


    A few hours passed with nothing but the sound of his steps and the disturbing smell of, other than the dominant dust, the burning flesh. In the meantime he was careful to avoid slipping on moss, they were planted by the ancestor herself and, as a result, were nothing to be trifled with. There were no men alive that could step and escape from their greasy surface without falling. Well, there was, but he doubted whether they could be considered men.


    But his assumptions lasted only that much. Not long after he pressed on one, stumbled and stomped, with great power, to stop his fall, yet his foot fell onto another patch of them. He lost balance and flipping, his old back slammed right onto the hard, moist surface. And it hurt. Cinder groaned and stood up, he gazed at where he stepped and found no trace of anything other than dark grey stone, upon which he sighed in exhaustion. Not minding, he kept going with small steps for another hour, when a faint red light in the distance gleamed through. At the same place, the carvings evolved from the apprentice level of roughness to the expert level of smoothness. One painted the scene of a pack of tigers with golden fur and red stripes, chasing a man holding a blue lamp, who looked beyond amused and flashed a creepy smile.


    Instead of a normal painting, or carving, made by the hands of some mortal man, it was clear this was the work of an immortal, as he could sense the colors the sculptor imagined in his mind within the grey walls. And the expression, the smile. It was too realistic to believe, and it gave him a scare enough to tingle his scalp.


    Cinder continued on his path, so did the carvings and their quality, and the dust and moist air lessened until everything turned clean and cozy. From afar, the rustlings, which he now identified as the crackling of a fire, or numerous of them, became more like booming shouts and less like whispers. The air heated until a white vapor seeped out of the crevices inside the cave and the carvings, they turned into living paintings glancing at him with sneers.


    ¡®¡¯Cinder.¡¯¡¯ A voice called from the depths of the now bright, red light afar. Cinder hastened and soon came before a small entrance, wide enough to let two men walk, from which he left through.


    A wide hall emerged in his vision. His eyes darted around and narrowed upon finding the sources of those red lights. They were apparently torches, half his size and half his width, burning with a yellow flame almost color of gold. Atop the torches¡¯ shafts, made of jade and embed jewelry, were heads- literal heads of people, or forsakens, who were from the line of Helios, a monster with blazing eyes that rivaled the sun in brightness. The brown hair and fair skin of the heads were cut and slashed over and over by small scissors rounding the torches, and between the scissors¡¯ gaps were pipes brimming with Buyuh. These long tubes with oval mouths pierced the heads¡¯ napes and supplied the forsakens with the energy required to regenerate and keep them alive, so their flaming eyes would shadow, or brighten, the blank look in their eyes.


    Although such a design seemed cruel to any onlooker, and Cinder himself felt a small tug in his heart for the pitiful creatures, the atrocities their race committed were far greater than this one. He found it acceptable to some extent, and since this was the doing of the patriarch, he had no words in the matter as well.


    Shaking his head, Cinder looked up. The chamber he was in was round in shape, yet the ceiling was square and rubies thrice the amount of torches-which were around a hundred with a glance-covered it from corner to corner. These rubies reflected the fires spewed out of the forsakens¡¯ eyes and sent their radiance towards the entrance he came from. They looked magnificent.


    ¡®¡¯Cinder, welcome.¡¯¡¯ He heard the voice call him again, but this time he saw who it was.


    He moved forward, descended the small, three-step flight of stairs and stepped on the silver ground of the hall. It felt smooth and soft, and treading on it gave a comforting feeling to him as he approached the end of the chamber. A grand, grey gate stood wide open, made of Ihlas steel, and in front of the opening rested an old man. He had soft blue eyes and the sweet face of an average elderly man, but with the addition of a thin, gray beard reaching his belly button.


    ¡®¡¯Patriarch,¡¯¡¯ Cinder kowtowed three times and sat straight, legs crossed, while facing the Patriarch.


    ¡®¡¯Why did you sit in such a hurry?¡¯¡¯ Patriarch said and smiled. ¡®¡¯Ancestor called you, didn¡¯t she? She must have some important things to tell, so I won¡¯t be rude enough to hold you here.¡¯¡¯


    Cinder froze for a second, then flashed a wry smile. ¡®¡¯I understand, patriarch. Then may we share a tea after the matter is done?¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯If it is done, then I have no objection.¡¯¡¯ The patriarch¡¯s smile dropped. ¡®¡¯But beware, Cinder. She had a fit of anger some days ago, and I suppose it was about the arm and the Forsaken High King.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯I...understand, patriarch. Thanks for your advice.¡¯¡¯ Cinder said and bowed, then stood up again and left through the gate behind the patriarch. There was nothing worthy of notice at first look, only a set of stairs that led down and down with no end in sight. It was utterly dark. No source of light brightened the surroundings, which were only large enough to accommodate him, and he couldn¡¯t smell anything. No scent, and the sole noise of his footsteps echoed throughout the place.


    Cinder walked for nine days straight. He felt neither hunger nor thirst. He was an immortal, after all, and could go on for at least a month without any nutrition. But the lack of a cold tea to soothe his dry throat disturbed him very much. Thinking of his seat on the Leopold tree and the little thing¡¯s playful branches, together with the tea leaves he kept hidden for the patriarch, an overwhelming sense to consume a drink enveloped him.


    Then it disappeared in an instant, for in a moment everything turned bright.


    He appeared inside another chamber, or a cave-dwelling large enough to be considered a small cottage. He found the word cottage the fittest, as the smell of wet earth and out of sight cherry trees made him take in a deep breath. There was a circle drawn on the red-brown earth, seven sets of seven-colored jewels were planted with equal width apart from each other at its corners. And right at the center of the circle, between three saplings of Leopold trees and nine feathers of phoenixes sat a woman of great grace.


    She had long hair the color of a raven¡¯s talon and wore a simple dark robe with two bells-one white and the other red- hung on its sleeves. There were ten rings, each different colors, on her slender fingers and they gleamed with light colors and brightened her purple eyes. She wasn¡¯t a bewitching beauty, but, as he said, a graceful woman, with elegance, and stature, that no one would dare to question. As if she was born this way. As if she was destined to be someone who would carry any burden with no qualms.


    ¡®¡¯Cinder.¡¯¡¯ But her voice defied all meanings he installed on her looks. It was not sweet, as one would expect from a woman with her looks, and it was in no way beautiful. It was the voice of, he had no courage to say it out loud, an old hag. But this was understandable to some point, she was as old as the sect, around seven to eight thousand years old, but it was indeed strange for anyone who didn¡¯t know beforehand her origins. Like the poor Snow, who froze when he met her at his auguration as the Elder Snow.


    ¡®¡¯Ancestor,¡¯¡¯ Cinder kowtowed again, nine times, and sat down. He looked at ancestor¡¯s face again and once he saw the seriousness, he let go of all stray thoughts in his heart. This was time to discuss some things he wondered and to resolve something that even alarmed the ancestor.


    ¡®¡¯I am listening, Ancestor.¡¯¡¯ He called for one last time then waited for her response.


    She closed her eyes for a few seconds, took a deep breath, then looked into Cinder¡¯s eyes.


    ¡®¡¯We have lost the favor of the heavens.¡¯¡¯ She said outright. ¡®¡¯We might have to...let go of the continent.¡¯¡¯


    *********


    ¡®¡¯Hmm-what!?¡¯¡¯


    In the belly of the goliath, Yuan Shu, snoring in his sleep a moment ago with a pleasant grin and trembling lips, shot up to his feet in a moment of anger. With his right foot, he caught the young man¡¯s body and pulled him back and Out of instinct, his hand reached for his sword at his waist.


    Yet, Instead of a leather-wrapped, hard hilt, he touched air.


    ¡®¡¯Dam-¡¯¡¯ He leaped inside the pond of acidic belly juice and spread his arms over the boy, not knowing why he acted so protective over him. At the same instant he sunk, the water shot up and the flesh walls covering the belly hissed like a snake. Blood exploded into waterfalls and flowed through and over them like a river. For a moment or two Yuan Shu waited under the acid of the goliath, holding onto the boy with a tight grip, whilst glancing upwards.


    He saw a light. Sunlight. Cloaked by clouds and a mist of blood, yet still glaring, and three pairs of eyes, that of humans, which glared the same at him. And as obvious as it was, there were no traces of the goliath''s upper body.


    ¡®¡¯Hey!¡¯¡¯ One man called to him and his eyes softened to a frown, much friendlier than the former but still threatening. Yuan Shu contemplated on what to do. He had no knowledge of what happened and how long he slept, but the lack of noise made him restless. No clashing metals, screams, shouts, or explosions. Only the bubbling of the acid and the constant shouting of the trio echoed inside his ears.


    ¡®¡¯Can you get out of there, senior?¡¯¡¯ One of the youngest ones, at last, addressed him in a much softer way after the lack of response. ¡®¡¯Perhaps he is unconscious?¡¯¡¯ He asked the other two, who dismissed the idea and beckoned Yuan Shu with the tip of their spears.


    ¡®¡¯Will you get out, or should we take you out?¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯No need to threaten, I will get out.¡¯¡¯ He said at last and tried to move.


    Then he realized his body stopped any motion, and only bubbles of air rose from his mouth.The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    ¡®¡¯Hey!¡¯¡¯ He shouted, more bubbles sprang to the surface. The trio above him looked at each other, then at him again. Yuan Shu tried to talk a few more times and move his body, they resulted in the same fiasco.


    ¡®¡¯He can¡¯t get out...¡¯¡¯ The youngest one sighed. He leaped into the acidic water and held them both under their backs, put them on his shoulders, then carried them to the outside.


    Now Yuan Shu took a deep breath to savor the taste of clean air, smelled the scent of heavy dust and blood, then regretted the action a moment after while puking. Why was this stench so heavy, way too heavy than it was supposed to be? It was then he realized that the trio wore masks of some sort, which they put over his and the boy¡¯s face with care.


    ¡®¡¯What happened here?¡¯¡¯ He asked first, he wasn¡¯t sure how much he slept or what the conclusion was.


    ¡®¡¯We won.¡¯¡¯ One said, although the dull sorrow in his eyes couldn¡¯t be more apparent. ¡®¡¯Beasts are all dead and their masters imprisoned. They also caught some forsakens, four of them, now strapped to the gates of the castle by his majesty.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯His majesty!¡¯¡¯ Yuan Shu gasped. ¡®¡¯The Emperor himself is here? How so, and why?¡¯¡¯ Though he asked, Yuan Shu also realized that these men didn¡¯t know much. Their attire stunk blood and acid, multiple types including the goliaths¡¯, and their weapons were ill-suited to war because of their chipped edges and splintered shafts. He guessed them to be the members of the corpsman.


    ¡®¡¯How can we know? And why, well, to save us, isn¡¯t it? He and a lofty immortal from Cindersnow arrived an hour or two ago and swept the city clean from monsters. They left one or two here like this guy-¡¯¡¯ He pointed down to the goliath,¡¯¡¯-who had some people living inside. They departed not too long ago but their trail is-¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Quite magnificent.¡¯¡¯ He interrupted. ¡®¡¯Or disgusting?¡¯¡¯ It could be said so. He didn¡¯t think anyone, other than his overly-sadistic commander, would find this sight something admirable.


    No flesh laid left on the streets, or the rooftops, or alleys. All there were blood, huge ponds and pools, and bones, stuck on or in wooden beams or marble floors. Snow itself rained red. Yuan Shu raised his head to inspect and saw a huge net covering the city from above. Monsters of all kinds were strapped to the web-like net and the silky strands pierced through the bodies of these monsters. They bound them together into clumps of meat, tightened and loosened at times to spill their innards and blood, then strangled them to death.


    ¡®¡¯That is...the pungent smell¡¯s origin?¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯It is.¡¯¡¯ They all replied.


    ¡®¡¯I think they deserved it, though.¡¯¡¯ The youngest commented before silence fell.


    ¡®¡¯Then don¡¯t expect them to mercy when they trample all over your land and slaughter our families.¡¯¡¯ Yuan Shu said. He smiled at the trio, then looked down at the boy.


    ¡®¡¯Say, can you carry us both to somewhere warm? I feel too tired and cold to move.¡¯¡¯


    *********


    Inside the main hall of the palace of Karnival, an attendant hurried to the side of the Emperor and whispered into his ears. Emperor nodded twice and hummed, then turned towards the kneeling people in front of him.


    ¡®¡¯The beast of the sect has arrived, they say. You are free to go-¡¯¡¯ He said. ¡®¡¯-but, representative, do not forget our trade.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯I won¡¯t, your majesty,¡¯¡¯ Quan replied.¡¯¡¯I will be back in a month, right before the flowers start to bloom.¡¯¡¯ and gave a small bow. From his back, Gaobun did the same and rose together. They walked out of the palace gates and routed towards the silver-white crane at the entrance. It was the same one that carried them to the Yadratafos, Gaobun recognized. On top of the crane was a carpet fastened like a saddle, and Ubel laid on it with his eyes closed.


    One of the attendants let go of the lead connected to its neck and put it in the hands of the Quan. He nodded then left towards the inner place.


    As Quan kept himself busy with transmitting with the crane and asking for something to the guards at the side, Gaobun drifted to the side of the gates. He looked at the familiar back, and the face of Russel, who turned around after sensing his presence. The man gazed at his face for a moment, as if trying to remember who he was. Not long passed after he scowled.


    ¡®¡¯What do you want?¡¯¡¯ Russel asked.


    Gaobun opened his mouth a few times but found no words coming. He didn¡¯t know what to say. It was a subconscious decision to come close to this man, after all. But he found something that leaked out of his lips much smoother than others.


    ¡®¡¯I apologize.¡¯¡¯ He whispered and gave a deep bow. ¡®¡¯I had been rash, and thank you. You are a proper hero.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Gaobun, come over,¡¯¡¯ Quan called for him at the same time, so without inspecting the glare of the Russel he gave a small nod to the man and walked back to the crane. He hopped on its back and slid closer to Ubel, then closed his eyes.


    ¡®¡¯You are a weird boy,¡¯¡¯ Russel said. ¡®¡¯I won¡¯t accept your compliment.¡¯¡¯


    Opening his eyes, Gaobun saw him depart from the long set of stairs down below, to the large mazes and alleys of the city.


    Somehow, he felt like smiling, but it soon disappeared.


    Quan leaped onto the crane as well, a bit further than them at the front. He took the leash and muttered some words, then the crane let out a high pitched call and flapped its wings. Soon they rose higher and higher until even the city turned into an ant-like dot and they departed towards the sect.


    The wind blowing to Gaobun¡¯s face, however, didn¡¯t smell nostalgic.


    *********


    ¡®¡¯We are close to your home.¡¯¡¯ Quan said. ¡®¡¯There is an hour left before we go through the Pierced Mountains and get near Orabura.¡¯¡¯


    Ubel didn¡¯t answer. Or rather, he couldn¡¯t answer. He squirmed around, his eyes kept shut, and continued to pretending to sleep.


    ¡®¡¯Don¡¯t you wish to see your grandmother?¡¯¡¯ Quan asked. He wished to, of course. He wanted to run through the branches and the soil of the forest again, to rush inside the small hut and leap onto the bosom of his grandma. Ubel had no reason to not go, not to see his grandma. But...he couldn¡¯t. There was something lacking, or something he had to do before going.


    His body felt way too heavy. As if his limbs weighed tons and his head was nailed to the soft back of the crane, no matter how much he tried they wouldn¡¯t budge. Then there was pain that spread throughout his body. Two were almost unbearable until a moment ago, and they were the ones that forced him to wake from his slumber.


    One came from his chest. Some kind of burning, a pain resembling a salt poured knee cut, yet multiple times harsher. Ubel was confident that this one was the cause of his weakened body, but the other one also seemed probable.


    His meridians. He could see and sense how they were, and they looked quite tarnished, but couldn¡¯t use them. There was no Qi nor power left inside and their past, bright blue color was now gray like the top of a random mountain. He tried to use the manual, to breath according to its instructions, but he only suffered the onslaught of pain.


    Qi couldn¡¯t go further than the pores inside his skin. The moment they came close to the entrances along the meridians, a force repulsed them, and it didn¡¯t act anything resembling soft. His skin burnt like bees stung him over and over again. Were it not for the influence of Quan, who sent over a surge of Qi to clean his pores, Ubel knew he would have yelped a few times.


    So that was it? Was this the end of immortality for him?


    To be honest with himself, Ubel found it amusing. Way too amusing. He left his home and his family(Perhaps his grandmother wasn¡¯t big enough to be a whole family) and now he was going back right away?


    ¡®¡¯Ubel,¡¯¡¯ Quan spoke to his mind again. ¡®¡¯Gaobun is quite remorseful, too.¡¯¡¯


    He had no way of commenting on that. Although he liked to say...he didn¡¯t feel bad. The life of an immortal wasn¡¯t as curious, or as colorful as he imagined it to be. There were good sides, he had a wide range of knowledge(Thanks to it) and some fascinating powers to help him resolve some problems(Most of them farm-related) much faster. But that was the extent of it. Extra lifespan, unworldly power. Both of them seemed so irrelevant to Ubel that he didn¡¯t feel any reason to get angry at Gaobun, his senior brother.


    ¡®¡¯You seem too calm about this.¡¯¡¯ Quan sounded concerned as well. ¡®¡¯Do you...not realize what you have lost? The grandness, the opportunities, the possibilities that were once in your palm. Now all shuffled out like a flicker of flame because of some other¡¯s wind.¡¯¡¯


    There was no need to act poetic or use resemblance. Ubel had no idea what he lost, he didn¡¯t know if there was something he lost. Was it the archaea immortality? Well, he was never dead set on it. It looked like a good profession, something that piqued his interest and had a good reputation as something respected. There was also fame related to it, but he didn¡¯t want to focus on that.


    Then death? The intense craving he felt to understand death, lay out its foundations and grasp what it meant to the people, to him. Where was it? That was a mystery as of now. With his cultivation, it seemed, his desire to work towards both of these goals died off as well. Were they actual goals, then? Or were they some short term dreams to keep his focus away from the mundane life of an immortal? It could very well be both.


    So, as he understood, there was no grandness he lost. There wasn¡¯t any opportunity lost, any possibility left. At some point, it would all come back to a circle like now. He would again travel back to his home, greet his grandmother, perhaps cry in her arms for leaving her alone for such a long time, then go on with the same life his father lived. Being a hunter, that was. Not as famous as archaea immortals, not as meaningful as seeking the definition of death, but simple. Good and slow. Something he wanted after getting himself almost dead, and now crippled, over two(or three) events.


    ¡®¡¯...we are above Orabura forest now.¡¯¡¯ Quan said. Ubel opened his eyes and snuck a peek around him. Of course, we are in the clouds. His vision only saw fleeting grey clouds and the dark midnight sky. Moon was out of sight, though, but it didn¡¯t bother him much. From the corner of his eye, he saw Gaobun gazing at him. Their eyes met for a moment, then Gaobun looked away.


    ¡®¡¯Senior brother, do you regret?¡¯¡¯ He asked aloud. It surprised both Quan and Gaobun.


    ¡®¡¯I thought...you were asleep?¡¯¡¯ Gaobun averted the question.


    ¡®¡¯I was.¡¯¡¯ Ubel found himself wanting to scratch his hair. ¡®¡¯And it was a good nap. But I need to comment on this, the pain will make me go crazy.¡¯¡¯ And the itch, too.


    ¡®¡¯Don¡¯t worry. There is not much left until we get to the sect.¡¯¡¯ Why was Gaobun comforting him about this though? ¡®¡¯Once there, I will fetch some medicine to soothe your pain.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Oh. Thank you.¡¯¡¯ Ubel tried to lift his head again to take a look at Quan, he failed.


    ¡®¡¯Are you angry?¡¯¡¯ Gaobun asked. Instead of forcing himself to stand, Ubel chose to relax. Now he laid around and tried to feel the crane¡¯s back, and Gaobun kept staring at him, he found it much softer than before.


    ¡®¡¯I am not.¡¯¡¯ He admitted. ¡®¡¯Why should I be?¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Every mortal has chance to practice, not many can reach path finding, and only too few can grow under Cindersnow.¡¯¡¯ Gaobun said. ¡®¡¯You had resources, and talent, to reach heights like me. Or...senior master.¡¯¡¯ Ubel raised a brow. He also felt like Quan had the same frown, though unlike him decided to keep silent.


    ¡®¡¯So that is it?¡¯¡¯ Ubel sighed. He managed to turn his head to face Gaobun¡¯s side and look at his eyes. ¡®¡¯Because of heights I haven¡¯t reached, and will not reach, I should be angry at you? To feel remorse and sorrow?¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Why should I cry for something not mine?¡¯¡¯ Gaobun received his words with silence.


    ¡®¡¯I am sure you don¡¯t know what you had once, still, Ubel.¡¯¡¯ Quan intervened after the uncomfortable stop. ¡®¡¯But...I understand. To live is better than not.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Something like that.¡¯¡¯ Ubel nodded. ¡®¡¯Also I have my grandma too. Would she fare better without knowing whether I am out there or not? I don¡¯t think so.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯I would have ensured her safety.¡¯¡¯ Gaobun mumbled. Ubel froze for a moment. Quan did not talk further. They kept flying in the air and a few more hours passed. Soon they left the borders of the Orabura forest and approached the mountain of the Cindersnow.


    ¡®¡¯Ubel, what will you do now?¡¯¡¯ Quan asked.


    ¡®¡¯I had been thinking about it a bit before. I will...leave the sect. I wish to go back.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯You can take a leave-¡¯¡¯ Gaobun commented.


    ¡®¡¯-But it isn¡¯t permanent. I know, senior brother. It is only...I don¡¯t know. There is nothing more for the sect to do for me, and for me to do to sect.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Then wait a month.¡¯¡¯ Quan said. ¡®¡¯Sect has way too many things for you to use now. You have credits you can use to get...things, I am not sure what you would want. And there is still a mountain worth of books and knowledge you can use from the Star Library.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯And there are things I want to teach you before I leave.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯I will...take up on that offer then.¡¯¡¯ Ubel agreed, ignoring the obvious statement. ¡®¡¯A month won¡¯t amount to much after two years.¡¯¡¯


    So the conversation died off, but Ubel could see Gaobun held himself to say something. He wished to call him out on that but Gaobun¡¯s eyes scared him. Were it not for his constraint, Ubel feared Gaobun would spew flames from his eyes to scorch them all. Ducking away, Ubel closed his eyes and waited for the moment they reached their destination. To relieve boredom, he listened to the sound of the crane¡¯s wings and passing wind.


    They had a melancholic tune, as he heard it.

 42- Moment Of Calm (2)

    ¡®¡¯How are you feeling, Su¡¯en?¡¯¡¯ High Queen asked. She reached out with her brown hands to his own, grasped them tight and tugged to help him stand up. He looked in wonder at the woman, at her now grayish hair and brows, at the wrinkles beneath and above her eyes. Ages did not do justice to her.


    ¡®¡¯...Worse.¡¯¡¯ He felt worse than before. Or...¡¯¡¯I don¡¯t feel anything. This- it is too disturbing.¡¯¡¯ He looked down to his hands, at the long slender bones and joints, where a yellowish liquid gathered like a ball to connect them to each other. Bones? He, frantic, darted his eyes around the place. He didn¡¯t forget to note the weary expression of the High Queen.


    Scots and Scotch pines rose into the air like the clasped palms of a priest. Although there were no close distance between each, and plenty of grass, long ones, and bamboos filled the blank stops, the scots pines¡¯ branches and leaves stretched to touch the others, and to scotch pines, like a circle. A few oak saplings also hid behind the, for now, huge trunks of their half-brother trees, and their eventual growth into a fitting one seemed a long time from now on. A bit away from their gathering of green was a lake, where the winds blew and leaves rustled inside the air stream, and the dense blue surface gleamed with sunlight towards Su¡¯en through the gaps of the branches.


    Ignoring the twitters of scarlet tanagers, he leaped down the square stone platform he laid and rushed to the body of water. The mixed smell of pine and vanilla rushed through his nostrils and his heaving chest calmed down a little. After another two large steps Su¡¯en was right at the edge of the lake, where he froze at the reflection. He fell on his knees, his real knees that bore no muscle or skin. All bones.


    The swaying waters of the lake showed him the monstrosity he was. A large skeleton, nothing more. There was a small red light in his left eye-socket and yellow lines through his left arm, yet other than that his body was nothing but a milky white walking dead. He still felt the connection to the Buyuh, he could still gather that power, and he could also control it perfectly fine.


    But there was no sensation. The connection to the energy of life wasn¡¯t physical, it was mental. He didn¡¯t know whether it could be considered a feeling. But other than that, he found nothing. He didn¡¯t know how he could smell, or even see, and a faint taste of medicine lingered around his non-existent tongue. His hearing was also fine- but no touch. The grass he slumped on felt no soft or hard. The water he dipped his hand didn¡¯t feel sluggish or smooth. It was just he knew he touched something, but there was nothing more.


    Su¡¯en stopped moving. His gaze stood locked on the figure reflected on the lake. The stillness, the faint chirping background, and a huge snoring above him. He ignored them all, but most the snoring.


    The owner, however, didn¡¯t appreciate Su¡¯en getting lost in the thoughts.


    The shadow of a long tail rose from his behind and whipped down to his skull. Su¡¯en only sighed and moved his open palm above him, and the tail struck like lightning. Yet the power didn¡¯t leak out a bit. No explosive sound nor effect appeared from the force that could crush hills and small mountains. A small ripple spread through the surface of the lake from the crash and it kept going on and on, until it disappeared from sight.


    Not giving him a chance, the tail coiled around him in a lovely matter. It squirmed and squished, then lifted him above. Su¡¯en turned around to look at the scaled green serpent, and his eye sockets met with its golden slits.


    ¡®¡¯Put me down.¡¯¡¯ He said. From his left eye, something sparkled.


    Suddenly, the serpent looked terrified enough and released Su¡¯en from its grasp and dove head down into the earth. It meshed up with the grass and disappeared into the Garden Of Life, out of his sight, but Su¡¯en had instincts strong enough to know the poor thing eyed him from afar.


    He didn¡¯t want to scare it, but this wasn¡¯t the time for greetings and merry reunions.


    He walked back to the High Queen, she still stood with her hands clasped, back straight, eyes tired.


    ¡®¡¯Is it painful?¡¯¡¯ She asked.


    ¡®¡¯It is. It is frustrating, too.¡¯¡¯ He admitted.


    ¡®¡¯Are you reconsidering what you did?¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯I do,¡¯¡¯ He admitted again and pointed to his left eye-socket.¡¯¡¯I don¡¯t think the eye of an overseer is worth thousands of years of body refining.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯It might be, Su¡¯en. But this is what we had to do.¡¯¡¯ She sighed. Her back bent a bit. ¡®¡¯I¡¯m also tired of this, trying again and again. Yet, you did it at last.¡¯¡¯ Now she smiled. ¡®¡¯Feza says they are ready to clash at the Glorious Portal and my...son seems to be going back to my mother.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯How long will it take?¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯A bit over three weeks, she said. And the overseer can¡¯t act before next summer. We have almost half a year ahead of us to prepare him.¡¯¡¯


    Su¡¯en nodded. He got accustomed to the lack of sensation a tiny bit now, and it seemed that sitting was still better than standing. He slumped onto the corner of the square platform, gave his back to its surface, then turned to look at High Queen.


    ¡®¡¯And when should I depart to meet your son?¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Now would be the best.¡¯¡¯ She seemed embarrassed. ¡®¡¯I haven¡¯t seen him since he was one year old and my mother has grown too affectionate over him. She won¡¯t let me know how he looks...or how he sounds like. So the sooner you go, the sooner I will get to know my son.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯...affectionate?¡¯¡¯ Su¡¯en ignored the other statements. ¡®¡¯She is fond of him? Isn¡¯t this the first time she loved a grandson of her?¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯It is.¡¯¡¯ High Queen said. ¡®¡¯She is tired of sending her own blood to die, too. This is the fourth child...and my husband passed away too.¡¯¡¯ Su¡¯en frowned on that.


    ¡®¡¯So you fear she will hold him back if he faces danger?¡¯¡¯ She didn¡¯t respond. Losing one child was enough, and she lost both her husband and three children over seventy years. The emotional toll of that wasn¡¯t something Su¡¯en could understand, and he didn¡¯t try to, as he had no family of his own. But he knew that it wasn¡¯t healthy to poke into a situation like this.


    ¡®¡¯Forget it.¡¯¡¯ Su¡¯en shook his head and stood up. ¡®¡¯I will work on creating a fleshly body for myself. Only then I will get prepared to go.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Thank you.¡¯¡¯ She said. After she helped him stand upright again, he remembered something useful.


    ¡®¡¯Where do you hold that bastard¡¯s arm?¡¯¡¯


    *********


    ¡®¡¯Senior brother, I¡¯m going out to meet master.¡¯¡¯ Ubel called out to Gaobun, but he didn¡¯t receive any answer. He wished at least he talked to him once. ¡®¡¯Then see you later.¡¯¡¯


    He pushed open the door and left Gaobun¡¯s estate. Since he would leave the sect in a month, and he actually didn¡¯t have much of anything worth, Ubel didn¡¯t bother with going to disciple hall to get a house of his own. It was also the most sensible choice, Quan said, as he had many things to attend other than teaching him, hence he couldn¡¯t look after Gaobun. Not that he taught him anything these past two days, he seemed busy with reports and meetings with the sect elders.


    Watching over Gaobun though...


    Ubel walked through the hurried swarms of disciples in the streets of the borough five, making his way to the Star Library, as he tried to listen to the new gossip he didn¡¯t hear. There were a few topics interesting enough; Calls of disciples from even the furthest vassals and other sects, gatherings of weapons and supplies branded with sect¡¯s manufacturers, demoting of several Cindersnow members in the courts of empires beyond the ocean. He saw the sight with his own eyes, too, as the platforms at the outer-mountain were filled to the brim with people donning robes of other factions and crates and carts of materials .


    But the most interesting, and the saddest one, was the death of Elder Windblade and his new disciple...Ubel¡¯s senior brother Boris. They died under the ambush of a forsaken at a mission assigned by the Elder Cinder, with their remains destroyed beyond recovering. The funeral was held a week before they arrived, with the ashes of their remaining possessions like clothing and jewelry. Although it was a huge blow to the reputation of the sect, it seemed the sorrow of the situation wasn¡¯t worth talking about for disciples. No one looked quite interested in the matter once it slid from the impacts of their deaths on the sect to the effect on their loved ones..Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there.


    He...himself didn¡¯t know how to feel about it. It indeed saddened him to hear the death of his senior brother but...he didn¡¯t want to grieve over it. The pain was just like the sting of a bee, one that would hurt a little then pass after a while.


    Was he guilty about that? Yes, he was a little. But he had no choice over how he felt over something, did he? And there was the opposite of him, Gaobun, who locked himself in to mourn. He didn¡¯t look devastated, he seemed desolate, and Quan feared he would do something irrational. Ubel couldn¡¯t guess what that was. Perhaps he was still too young to know about the relationship between a master and a disciple and how it could affect one.


    Shaking his head, Ubel decided to forget about the matter for now. He walked down the slope leading the Star Library and came before the half an adult¡¯s size gates. He passed through the entrance and wandered towards the desk of the attendants. He cast a quick glance and to his disappointment, Alim wasn¡¯t there.


    What a shame.


    So he ignored them and walked to the tidy wooden chair and table sets beside the bookshelves. He grasped a random book while passing by and slipped into one of the seats, laid his back, and opened the cover. He was unlucky, as what he picked turned out to be a children''s story.


    What does a children¡¯s story do here, though? The ancestors and past elders surely didn¡¯t put them here themselves, right?


    It was an intriguing question, but he couldn¡¯t answer before Quan arrived beside him. There were no signs of his coming or appearing, it was like how one turned on the lights of a room. An instant and he was here.


    ¡®¡¯Wait here...or not.¡¯¡¯ Quan said. ¡®¡¯Follow me, I¡¯ll need to gather some books and scrolls.¡¯¡¯ And he pointed at Ubel¡¯s feet. ¡®¡¯And could you jump once?¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Jump?¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Jump.¡¯¡¯ Quan repeated. Ubel looked around once, then at his feet. Bizarre, but alright. With a small push from his feet, he rose into the air for a moment. At the same instance, a bright white beam of light shot out of Quan¡¯s palm and turned into a bubble. It rushed over and under him, swirled like a ball, then enveloped both him and Quan inside.


    ¡®¡¯What is this?¡¯¡¯ Ubel fell down. He waved his hand and touched the surface, it was tough. Moving his feet was also strange, It felt like he walked on the same place again and again.


    ¡®¡¯Sound barrier, but hardened to reflect people spying on us.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯And why would we need that?¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Because I don¡¯t want others to learn my teachings. You are my disciple, Ubel, not them.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Oh...I forgot about that.¡¯¡¯ Ubel scratched the back of his hair. ¡®¡¯Sorry, master.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯...It doesn¡¯t feel good. Just call me senior master again.¡¯¡¯ Quan seemed quite irritated and Ubel had no clue why. Though he also felt strange calling Quan master. But the man said it himself, he would teach him things(That he would learn now) and so, they would be considered half-student half-master.


    ¡®¡¯Then senior master, what do you need me to learn.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯First, history.¡¯¡¯ Quan started to explain and moved. It turns out Ubel didn¡¯t even had to walk. The bubble around them started to rotate like a ball and rolled towards their destination. ¡®¡¯There are some pieces of knowledge about the sect, vassals, and the forsakens I have to teach you, so as to ensure you know what is happening around you.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Around me? Why would I have any other relation with these three again after going back?¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯You might not want to tangle with them, Ubel, but they will desire to do so.¡¯¡¯ Quan looked a bit angrier, now that Ubel inspected him. ¡®¡¯Orabura forest is rich in Qi and large enough to cover three or four normal sized forests. The beasts in there are high on nutrition and the woods from there are both resilient and burn longer.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯I didn¡¯t know about them being better.¡¯¡¯ Well, he had lived only in three places now and he only used wood to warm himself back at his home. The residential buildings of the sect and the one provided at the Yadratafos were always at a lukewarm temperature, for the building materials were good at heat insulation. Though there was the work of Qi in the construction that only affected it by a small margin.


    ¡®¡¯Understandable. Your home was quite close to the shore, you said?¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯About three and a half hour on foot.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯So you don¡¯t know about the fishing town near it? I also heard there were lumber mills and villages scattered around the border of the forest.¡¯¡¯


    Ubel sighed. ¡®¡¯I always stood around the periphery of my house. The animals of the forest are quite abundant and once one died, another one claimed the former¡¯s territory. So I didn¡¯t have to get far away for food. There was also work to tend the farm, care for my grandmother, gather salt from a nearby mine to keep the meat fresh.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯There is a salt mine around there?¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯There is, senior master. Is it strange?¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Hmm.¡¯¡¯ Quan hummed whilst thinking. ¡®¡¯No,¡¯¡¯ He said. ¡®¡¯It isn¡¯t. I¡¯m only surprised that no one informed the sect about it. Salt is quite expensive around the western shores and Sheng Empire¡¯s desert since there is no source nearby for them to gather it.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯No one comes deep into the forest, so it should be normal.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯It should be.¡¯¡¯ Quan stopped in front of a bookshelf. ¡®¡¯So, back to my point, Orabura is a great source of income and food. It borders two different empires, too, so in case the sect lets go of its influence on the continent, they both will lay claims on it.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯A mere forest- wait, senior master, in case you say? What happened.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Not something you deserve to know.¡¯¡¯ That choice of words hurt. Deserve?


    ¡®¡¯Related to forsakens?¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯I won¡¯t repeat, Ubel.¡¯¡¯ Quan turned to look at him. ¡®¡¯Alright?¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯I...understand.¡¯¡¯ Ubel conceded defeat. After averting his eyes, he gazed at Quan, who now started to pick some books from the shelves. ¡®¡¯Then, why knowing the history will help me understand what is happening, why it is bad they are laying claims on the forest?¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯First question, because knowing what happened will let your moral values decide which side you will pick. Second question, considering the efficiency of private guilds and the court of the two empires, it will take no more than a decade for them to clear up the whole forest.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯A decade...it is pretty long.¡¯¡¯ Did it really matter that the forest would cease to exist after then years? The only thing he cared about in the forest was the grave of his father and his grandmother, and the latter herself was perhaps...at the end of her lifespan. A decade was a long time for things to happen and Ubel knew he could provide a new home for himself and his grandma even if they were forced out of their home.


    But then came picking sides. Why would he have to pick sides, couldn¡¯t he depart the place without alarming anyone once things neared to the end?


    ¡®¡¯Not that long for an empire.¡¯¡¯ Quan said. ¡®¡¯Or for two of them. Still, I see this as an requirement to progress our lessons. For now, let me get over a few things.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯I¡¯m listening.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯The events leading to this point at the history are always biased and controlled by the sect.¡¯¡¯ Quan started. ¡®¡¯All accounts are written by either imperial historians or masters of the sect. And since both groups are under strict supervision, it isn¡¯t easy to tell the truth without getting caught.¡¯¡¯


    Surprising? Or is it interesting? Ubel didn¡¯t know which one it was, or maybe it was both. ¡®¡¯So there are some that managed to tell what really happened?¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯If there wasn¡¯t, how could we and the elders of the sect know about the past? You surely don¡¯t expect the centuries old monsters to believe that sect is all powerful and righteous?¡¯¡¯ Perhaps sound barrier was there to keep Quan¡¯s insults from leaking out, but Ubel didn¡¯t dare to comment on that.


    After assembling a dozen books, Quan plopped down to the ground and sat cross legged. Ubel followed the suit and let Quan open the cover of a random one amidst the pile.


    ¡®¡¯For instance,¡¯¡¯ He said. ¡®¡¯This encyclopedia covers the events from the God¡¯s Nation¡¯s rise to its golden age.¡¯¡¯ God¡¯s Nation? Wasn¡¯t it the place that voice talked about? Ubel pricked his ears to listen more carefully. ¡®¡¯Reading it the normal way will only tell you about a chronological order of the events and their summaries.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯But-¡¯¡¯ Quan put his hand over the words, ¡®¡¯-since these were written before the sect invented one of their own alphabets, the ciphered messages of the author still keeps its legitimacy.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Sorry, senior master, but I don¡¯t understand.¡¯¡¯ He really didn¡¯t. Didn¡¯t sect had its own groups of archaea immortals, historians, and tomb raiders? Most of these three groups had to have some grasp on the language itself to translate the material. ¡®¡¯If the sect is, as you say, controlling the information of the past, then the translators must also been people proficient in secret codes and messages. How could it be preserved, then?¡¯¡¯ And there is why the original author put secret messages in the first place.


    ¡®¡¯If you use easy methods like changing the words to a similar word, switching the letters from one a few blocks further, or jumble the alphabet into scrambled words of course it will be found out.¡¯¡¯ Quan opened both his palms and the air started to shake around them. ¡®¡¯But if you hide them with a only Qi generated ancient pictogram, not many can find out.¡¯¡¯


    The Qi covering his hands spread over the surface of the open page and the words started to flash with golden light. Above the book, another page resembling the former appeared with strange symbols, each addressing a random word in the book. ¡®¡¯Then there is a simpler answer.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Sect allows it, so the information can go down either way.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯That sounds stupid.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Indeed, it sounds moronic.¡¯¡¯ Quan agreed. ¡®¡¯But it works, and will hopefully continue to do so.¡¯¡¯ Quan moved his hands on the golden page above and moved them into different places. Soon, a set of symbols brightened again and transformed into a sentence.


    ¡®¡¯Letters To A Brighter Future, From Yuwen Xi Mang of Fourth Army?¡¯¡¯ Ubel read aloud. ¡®¡¯So this is a collection of messages?¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯It is, and I assume you have questions about other things as well. But first, let me teach you how to create several pictograms and code wheels, so you will be able to study yourself.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Good idea.¡¯¡¯ Ubel smiled. ¡®¡¯But I am crippled, right?¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Being crippled doesn¡¯t affect your control over Qi, Ubel, and I will teach you why as well.¡¯¡¯ Quan, too, smiled.


    ¡®¡¯So don¡¯t dare to mock me.¡¯¡¯


    Ubel gulped.

 43- Moment Of Calm (3)

    Gu Kaogu, Pre-Sovereign Era¡¯s Excavations, p.1:


    At the first days of cultivating, there were no immortals.


    There were also no mortals, for the language spoken dozens of millennia ago consisted of an alphabet of thirteen letters and ninety-nine words. Instead, people called themselves humans, and cultivators called Inhumans. Although it sounds silly in the modern language of the northern continent, people of that time adapted to be burly and giant like to protect themselves. And they were so loud that one of them shouting could send a pack of wild wolves fleeing today. So under no circumstances, you should consider it silly.


    But that is not the focus of our topic, so let us move on.


    The humans were, as said, burly and giant, but still humans. They had their limitations, whether on their intellect or in their physique. (And the former one they lack in an exaggrated amount, clear from the inefficiency of their language.) They had no tools, even from simple bronze. They had no precise culture or laws, had no grasp on science and medicine other than the knowledge of a few herbs, and most important of all they were only prey to nature.


    In summary, they were the epitome of idiocy and the lowest of our kind.


    Then, how did immortals, how did Inhumans come to be from these small-minded idiotic people? (People who took offense in account of their ancestors may stop reading this book, for I have no patience on criticism based on emotions. And facts like this, not statements, I assure you, will be prevalent more the further into the topic we go.)


    It all started with a madman who punctured his artery with a primordial tiger¡¯s fang. Stupid move as it was, and he died not long after because of infection, but even for a short term, he gained the powers of an inhuman that flowed through the beast¡¯s body. As he threw a fit of anger in the despair of dying, in an unintentional motion, the man crushed a boulder as high as himself with a smash from his head. (Remnants of this rock are still preserved.) The sight, as said in some murals((And they are also available in the central museum), shocked both the man and the people watching. And among the spectators, as I like to imagine, one¡¯s eyes started to shine, for nothing is more appropriate to a moment of inspiration than a burning spark.


    That man¡¯s name was something along the lines of Dad inhuman, for reasons obvious, but in our time, his name would be Su¡¯en. And Su¡¯en, the one intelligent man among a hundred fools, would be the inventor of the first meridians: An outside vessel made to purify the Qi and use that energy to empower normal humans.


    So he started, and soon he found out. That there were many things beyond his...


    *********


    The four weeks passed in no time for Ubel.


    In the mornings he went to the Star Library to meet with Quan, who tried to make him use the spell to find the real contents of the books.


    Of course, his attempts at learning the magical pictograms of Quan went too horrible to recount as a whole. As a summary, he spasmed, lost control over his body, even squirmed in pain for a whole day after trying again and again and almost got comatosed from shock. To force a cripple to use Qi was not something a sane man would find sensible, and at that point, he had doubts about whether Quan went senile or not.


    At least the man stopped forcing him after the seventh try. He looked disappointed, too, but Ubel didn''t want to address that. Quan solved the riddles of the books himself and let Ubel read them for the days they spent. In the meantime Ubel learned about a myriad of things, Quan busied himself with a stack of empty papers and notes. Ubel tried to ask, then peep on them to find out what they were but it didn¡¯t help him understand. Though he got reprimanded for not paying attention to what he was being taught. So, it was a fine little experience that lasted a couple of hours before returning to studying.


    The tension covering Gaobun''s home wasn''t something he could bear much, too, so most of the time he spent long nights in the Star Library. Quan urged him to go back to Gaobun to watch over him again and again, so he gave up after the third day. And things kept going on that way until today.


    Now, he was leaving, and that was the important thing.


    He stood at one of the crowded multitudes of platforms beside a huge eagle. He wore an empty purple robe with no insignia or symbol. He gave back all the clothing, though they insisted he should keep them still, and the disciple token to the Disciple hall.


    Their faces were...confusing. They looked betrayed, even sold out, when he pushed both token and the clothing onto the table again. The looks he received still gave him chills and some disicples even followed him here. From the corner of his eye, Ubel could spot seven to eight of them, rounding several wooden boxes and whispering. Was it such a big deal that he left the sect?


    It wasn¡¯t, at least for Ubel.


    Rolling his eyes to the group, Ubel ran his eyes over the visible side of the mountain. Lush and rich green trees, bright brown earth, people donning robes with colors of all kinds. Hushings and whisperings. Loud laughter. A small stream of air brushing his large sack of items, including the bow, strapped to his back.


    Now thinking of not seeing the mountain again made him feel strange. Not being able to walk around its streets again, inspect the people and explore their words. Not watching the fluttering red lights of the borough seven or blinding white of the Star Library again. It was too much of a weird feeling than nostalgia or sorrow. But a feeling was a feeling, no matter how disturbing it was.


    He had attachments to this place, he had...karma with some people here.


    Gaobun who, in a huge effort, managed to send him off regardless of his grief, and his red eyes that Ubel thought he wouldn''t be able to forget. And Alim, whose presence was something fond and peaceful. The late Boris, who helped him take his first few steps and helped him meet Quan, who turned out to be someone he was much intimate with.


    What was it, which one was the truth, then? Attachment to a place, or attachment to people? Or if both, which bond was stronger than the other? There looked like it had no answer.


    His curiousity lasted only a couple minutes, and Quan came from the top of the mountain with his crane on tow.


    *********


    Ubel landed on the yellow beach at Orabura forest¡¯s border. His feet sunk with a plop into the soft terrain and he turned to look at Quan, sitting on top of the familiar crane again. Waves from the ocean crashing to the sandy coasts made a pleasant sound and Ubel found himself locked in his place.


    He was still grasping the feathers of the crane.


    He let go of them and took a step back. The crane shot an annoyed glare but did nothing more while Quan snapped his fingers. A notebook appeared in his hands, with thin pages and a blank blue cover. Then on top of it a few different scrolls and books.


    ¡®¡¯These-¡¯¡¯ He said and placed them on Ubel¡¯s dangling hand,¡¯¡¯-will help you further in practicing the spell.¡¯¡¯


    Was it the spell again? Why was it so important that he had to suffer so much to learn a word or two? Ubel didn¡¯t dare to dismiss them though. They were still gifts.


    ¡®¡¯And this.¡¯¡¯ As Ubel took the books, Quan revealed another thing. It was a talisman of communication, it seemed, with words Cinder and Snow over both sides. ¡®¡¯If you are in danger, throw these to a flame or water. Someone will help you.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯I suppose that person won¡¯t be you, senior master?¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯...unfortunately, no, Ubel.¡¯¡¯ Quan sighed. ¡®¡¯It will be a miracle if we even meet in this decade. But I hope...¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯What is it?¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Nothing, I only hope that Gaobun can overcome his trauma quick.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Before you come back?¡¯¡¯ Ubel smiled.


    ¡®¡¯Before I come back, yes. Before me.¡¯¡¯ Quan narrowed his eyes.


    ¡®¡¯Then I will be awaiting you here, in the woods with some reserve meat and rice to welcome you.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Don¡¯t let them rot, then.¡¯¡¯


    They kept silent for a few seconds, they had no more words to continue.


    ¡®¡¯Farewell then...my disciple.¡¯¡¯ Quan motioned the crane. Crane flapped its silver wings and rose into the air with a cry, then flew towards the south.


    Ubel listened to the echoes of their voice for a second, accompanied by the now roaring waves and the whistling wind. For a bit, he preferred this sounds for solitude.


    Not long passed after he started moving again. He walked right into the forest, left the yellow sands behind, and trod towards the familiar route to his home. There were several clean roads marked with the footsteps of his and his father¡¯s that led to their small hut, but they were further away from the coast. For now, all in front of him was trees upon trees.


    Oaks and birches stacked together covered the fields. On the ground, the familiar brown and green patches of grass appeared again. Only the squeals and songs of the birds were missing. It was winter, after all, none of them preferred to stay here and instead went west, where the air was more lukewarm. Though the occasional grunts of the deers or snorts of the boars were still there.Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators!


    After half an hour, he reached back to the area of the forest he knew the best. He was also surprised that it took only thirty minutes to get here. A result of an immortal¡¯s body, he thought and moved on. There didn¡¯t seem to be any snow, or remnants of it, while the clouds were as white as they could be. This was a good sign.


    Seven minutes. Only seven minutes later he came back to the clearing that was their farm. He came from the wrong side it seemed, as the road usually led to the front entrance of the hut. But it was okay.


    Ubel came closer to the crops and kneeled in front of one, looked at the leaves and roots. They seemed fine and well-fed, the small stream of water feeding them wasn¡¯t clogged up as he guessed it to be. Standing up, he walked over to the front door.


    For a second, his hand didn¡¯t move. A minute sensation of guilt invaded his heart, then disappeared. The subconscious trembling of his hands stopped and he touched the wooden frame. He pushed, so slow that not even a squeak sounded, and closed right behind.


    In the hallway, he saw the open room he and his grandma slept. Ubel trod towards the room while casting a glance at the kitchen. There were fresh vegetables lined up on the table, and two chairs left unorganized. He passed through and came before the entrance. He glanced inside.


    On a dark brown rocking chair, she was. Her grey hair unkempt and released, two different blankets covered her. A wool shoe covered her feet, and Ubel did not fail to notice the thick leather robe under the blankets. Though he felt warm, hot even, he realized that this was not the case for his grandma.


    She was cold.


    *********


    He stepped inside.


    Ubel wasn¡¯t aware of how frantic, how anxious he was. It wasn¡¯t his intention to make a noise, but it still sounded. The floor croaked and the old grandma of his, who now used to living by herself for almost three years, awoke from her slumber in alarm.


    The face she saw made her freeze immediately.


    Then a warm force filled her body, something she didn¡¯t feel in years. All the heavy blankets and the extra pillows he kept close to make herself warm flew into the air in a moment. Adrenaline pumped through her veins, and happiness, as she flung herself into the arms of her grandson.


    ¡®¡¯Ubel!¡¯¡¯ Her hoarse voice shattered. ¡®¡¯My dear Ubel, my son!¡¯¡¯ Ubel reacted quick and caught her by her shoulders. This didn¡¯t stop her from coiling her hands around his shoulders. Tears welled up in her eyes, and the red on her nose spread to her cheeks. She pulled him closer to her chest, Ubel put no resistance.


    ¡®¡¯My son, my dear grandson...¡¯¡¯ She continued to mutter and whisper. Her tears rained down on Ubel¡¯s hair, Ubel¡¯s own on her clothes. ¡®¡¯This is real, right?¡¯¡¯ She pulled up his head to look inside his eyes. ¡®¡¯This is not another one of those nightmares, right? You are here, dear, right?¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Grandma-¡¯¡¯ Although he tried to talk, only an incomprehensible cry escaped from Ubel¡¯s lips. His grandma started to shake again and fell on her knees.


    ¡®¡¯How much I missed you, you know my dear, my son. How much I awaited-¡¯¡¯ She laid her head on Ubel¡¯s arm, who tried to calm himself down for a moment. ¡®¡¯How much, how much! Aaaah!¡¯¡¯ Her voice went on and on, shrill and hoarse, yet too sweet to make one pained. How heart-wrenching it was to tend to herself and worry over her last relative, only she knew.


    ¡®¡¯Grandma, I am here, I am good, alright.¡¯¡¯ Ubel managed to speak a few soft words. His own eyes were red, too, but he couldn¡¯t bear to see his grandma devastated like this.


    ¡®¡¯You are getting cold-¡¯¡¯ The red on her face spread further. With no thought, Ubel pulled the blankets on the floor and coiled them around his grandma¡¯s body. He hugged tightly as she continued to cry and wail.


    ¡®¡¯I am here, grandma,¡¯¡¯ Ubel said again. He put a hand over her scattered long hair. Both his and her hair weren¡¯t checked for a long time.


    ¡®¡¯I will be here forever with you, so rest.¡¯¡¯


    Ubel patted her hair, and her tears continued to flow.


    ¡®¡¯I am...here.¡¯¡¯


    *********


    After his grandmother calmed down, Ubel carried her back onto her comfortable rocking chair and laid another blanket over her. Her complexion became a bit better after expending all her energy on crying and now, with a smile, she seemed fine enough to rest for a few minutes. Meanwhile, he put the books and scrolls and the sack on the table beside, and he leaned the bow to the wall beside it.


    Then Ubel looked at the fireplace, covered with stones to contain any fire they would lift. There was little trace of ash and black, so it wasn¡¯t used for a long, long time. Though he had made sure to cut wood enough to last six or seven winters, all kept at the small cave...that was a minute walk away. Of course, she couldn¡¯t burn any. How did he expect the poor woman to walk over and carry a heavy load of wood at the mid-winter?


    Ubel sighed at his stupidity.


    ¡®¡¯Grandma, I¡¯ll go get some wood to light a fire.¡¯¡¯ He said. She peeked at him for a second before mumbling something, then started to sway on her chair. He couldn¡¯t help but smile at her.


    He left the house and followed the small stream feeding the farm. The source of the stream came from the top of the Pierced Mountains that were nigh-visible from inside the forest. And the cave in front of him was one of its branches. There were two streams, one large that flowed west to the ocean, and the small northern one that fed their crops.


    The cave wasn¡¯t special and Ubel gathered the woods in no time. Though their texture was a bit...wet? It seemed the interior was moist, perhaps because of the stream or because of the weather, but still something he ought to keep in mind. Without further ado, he returned home and put the stack beside the fireplace. Ubel snuck his head inside and peeped up, he saw no black mass of those ash like matter, only the clear sky.


    Gracious light, it isn¡¯t clogged.


    Ubel held one of the woods, took a deep breath, and opened his mouth wide. Then he exhaled. A wild wind rushed out of his mouth, so hot that the cold air seemed to turn into vapor, and washed over the firewood. In a moment it was back to being dry, and his throat itched with a sore pain. If it works, then it is fine. He did the same thing to the whole stack until they all dried up and put them together on the fireplace.


    ¡®¡¯Grandma, do you know where the hatchet is?¡¯¡¯


    She poked her arm out of the heavy blankets and pointed at her right, to the wall between kitchen and bedroom. ¡®¡¯Thank you.¡¯¡¯ He said. One inside the kitchen, at the left corner he saw the hatchet laid on some sort of leather with the shovel and his grandma¡¯s wooden crane. Convenient. He plucked the iron hatchet and returned to the room.


    *********


    Once the fire sprang to life with a sizzle and the healthy color of red spread to the room, Ubel stopped crouching. He grasped the rocking chair from the bottom and turned it to face the fireplace. Grey smoke rose from the burning wood and left through the hole above whilst Ubel stood in his place for some time.


    ¡®¡¯Are you hungry, grandma?¡¯¡¯ As it seemed, she didn¡¯t want to expend any more energy, so she just shook her head. ¡®¡¯Then...I will go to father¡¯s grave for a moment.¡¯¡¯


    She nodded and Ubel gave a small push from behind to let her chair sway again. He turned to the table behind. From the pack of items, he took out a palm-sized bowl and two sticks of incense. With them, he left the house.


    His father¡¯s grave wasn¡¯t that far, for he feared some random beast would try to dig up its remains. Another minute walk''s away from the house, upward towards a slope to the south where a small hill stood, they buried him. And he put traps, many of them, for reasons obvious.


    But it seemed he would no longer need to worry about random animals with this incense. Quan said it was a type of incense that burned with Qi, as long as there was supply it wouldn¡¯t go off, and the smell it gave made weak animals terrified of it. He mentioned something about affecting the nervous system, but Ubel didn¡¯t give any attention at that time.


    After rounding several thick branches and the trunk of a gigantic oak, Ubel came to the clearing where his father laid. He spotted the grave with no difficulty, as there was a two-meter long gravestone at its head with two simple words.


    Ke¡¯ai Zhanglao


    Ubel wandered around for a second to see the traps, he found none of them triggered until now and sighed in relief, then came before the grave. He kneeled and cast his gaze to the gravestone.


    Ke¡¯ai Zhanglao


    The more he looked, the more he found the writing of his grandma mystifying. But he didn¡¯t care further. He put the bowl next to the stone and planted the incense. On top of the incense were small lids, sealing the real ones inside. With a swish, he opened both and retracted.


    Soon he felt the Qi around him gather towards the two incense sticks and fill them up. Faint, multi-colored wisps of smoke started to rise from their top and like a wave of mist covered him and the grave. It smelled like...dust. After a moment of silence, he kowtowed thrice.


    ¡®¡¯I am back, father.¡¯¡¯ Ubel stopped for a second, then gave three more kowtows.


    ¡®¡¯I won¡¯t be going back to the sect again, I decided myself.¡¯¡¯ Then the last three, and stood straight. He gazed at the name again.


    Ke¡¯ai Zhanglao


    ¡®¡¯I was...not supposed to come back here at first. Grandma didn¡¯t want me to see her go away... as you wanted.¡¯¡¯ A slight smirk spread to Ubel¡¯s face. ¡®¡¯But guess what happened.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯I spent a bit over two and a half years on the mountain of the sect, then some more in a city called Yadratafos. Now...I had to stay there for at least a decade, they said, but again guess what happened!¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯They taught me immortality, then I lost it.¡¯¡¯ Ubel put his hands together. ¡®¡¯I don¡¯t feel regretful about it, I think it might even be a blessing. Or perhaps it was you who gave me it, father?¡¯¡¯ There was only silence, of course. ¡®¡¯But...that is it, I suppose. I am back here again, and I don¡¯t intend to leave grandma, or you, alone.¡¯¡¯ Ubel gave one last kowtow and stood up.


    ¡®¡¯I want to build you a better grave, father, but I don''t think it will be too soon. So please bear with here for some more.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯I will come back here again.¡¯¡¯ So he left, unaware of his reddened eyes. As the smoke of the incense parted way in front of him, he saw the silhouette of a four-legged animal. Short, a bit long, and looked like it had a fluffy tail. Once outside of the mist, he saw the orange body and the long ears much clearly, and the whiskers near its nose.


    The old fox looked at him with caution from afar, the familiar face of the troublemaker now looked quite sulky. Ubel recognized him, of course, but the fox didn¡¯t seem to figure out the hand he stole from for years. Though it looked deep into his face, and his eyes, and perhaps its memory made it less cautious against him. Why? Because if it was the past, the little trickster would have fled a long time ago.


    But Ubel had confidence that he could catch up to it now.


    So he continued to stare at it, and the fox did the same. Half a minute passed and at last the beast gave in. It trod towards him with shaking legs and came beside his feet. Ubel watched where he gazed at. It was looking at his hair, the hair that he hadn¡¯t cut for years.


    Oh- It couldn¡¯t recognize me because of my hair?


    Ubel reached for the hatchet at his side but the fox didn¡¯t seem too alerted. Did the cunning fox eat something weird these years?


    Ubel grasped his hair, now reaching his waist, from the top of his shoulders and with a swift motion cut through it all. Tendrils of raven black hair fell to the ground and flew under a small breeze, but instead of looking at them the fox inspected him. Its eyes widened for a moment then it...tittered?


    ¡®¡¯Now you make me annoyed. How did you even get past the traps?¡¯¡¯ The fox answered with a small growling that he, of course, didn¡¯t understand. ¡®¡¯Well...since you are so old now you won¡¯t be that mischievous, I hope.¡¯¡¯ The fox grumbled. ¡®¡¯Don¡¯t pretend to understand me.¡¯¡¯ He glared at it, but it soon turned into a soft smile.


    Crouching, Ubel put his hand over the old fox¡¯s head and patted its soft fur. It didn¡¯t growl or grumble this time. While playing with its head, Ubel turned to look at the wide patches of forest and incoming dark clouds, signaling a possible snowstorm. He stared back at the fox again, then hugged it with his other arm.


    ¡®¡¯And I missed you too,¡¯¡¯ He murmured. ¡®¡¯I missed you all.¡¯¡¯


    End Of Prologue Arc: Revolution

 44- Shrine Of The Raven (1)

    I will succeed!


    The fervent voice of the young prince, soon to be emperor of the Shuanguang Empire, spread throughout the crowd beneath his feet. He stood upon the balcony of his royal study, at his sides two little children clung to the hem of his dragon robes. Their eyes were sparkling, and there were traces of their noble blood in that gleaming brown eyes, but the silence of the crowd shunned the hidden bravery flowing through their veins.


    Contrary to them, their father had eyes blazing like celestial stars whenever he gazed at the crowd gathered below.


    I will succeed, not only the dragon throne left by my forefathers and ancestors for thousands of years, but I will also succeed the dreams of our people!


    I am but a single man, a sickly prince, burning with the vigor of youth and handling the people under the will of heaven, otherwise no different from all of you gathered below my palace. And as you all do, I also have a heart. And guts, and courage, and audacity to call myself the emperor before all of you. But I seek forgiveness, my soon to be people, for my impulsive decision.


    I am but a single man, a sickly prince, whose ambitions include nothing that won¡¯t benefit the prosperity of my soon to be people and my soon to reign nation. Everything I and will do, and anything that I and won¡¯t do, will always be there for you and you alone.


    Are these excuses of another monarch who will soon dry us out of our measly amount of money and food, you can ask. Are these the veiled words of another emperor who will only seek to pile gold on gold into his treasury, you have to ask. And you will say, these words of yours are only another set of excuses to blind us, fool us into submission, as no righteous ruler will justify his actions by words, but with his fists and wits, with action.


    And you are right! You, my dear and intelligent people, hundreds of thousands of you all shouting there! You all are right.


    But what action can I do to prove my worth, my innocence here in the short term I will reign? As an infant I was sickly, as a child I was alone. As a youngster, I was hidden, and as a prince, I was pressured. Up until now, how many of you knew of my name, of my deeds? None! But how many of your good deed have I heard and learned and admired, do my people know? None! Again, none!


    The young prince stopped speaking, digressing the words he spoke in a flurry of emotions. His face flushed with red, and his breathing ragged, young prince realized how chaotic the words he spouted were. For a moment, he also fell victim to the silence of the hundreds of thousands beneath him.


    Then a huge commotion broke out. Yells, shouts, cheers rose from the commoners. Palace guards at the gates stirred into action to block the gateway, but no one made way for there. Instead, they looked upto the young prince, and someone called out his name.


    ''''Long live the Emperor! Long live the Shuangxing!''''


    Their voices boomed and reached to even the city walls at the horizon, Shuangxing found his own voice drowned by their fervor cheers.


    No, don¡¯t! You can yell Shuangxing as much as you want now, it does not matt-


    Then all the images disappeared as Shuangxing waved his hand in front of him.


    The illusion around him disappeared with a puff, all sound and images dissolved into thin strands of smokes. They flew over his head and sunk into the red jewel at the center of his Imperial Crown, and soon left him all alone inside the royal study. Shuangxing stood up from the wooden wing chair and walked up to the grand balcony behind his room.


    Walking atop the white marble of the balcony, he came before the edge and grasped the railings to look down.


    The slope flowing downwards to the Karnival was once riddled with hundreds of thousands of people willing to die for him, and the further pagodas with seven or thirteen floors were once nothing but temples where abbots squandered people as if they were a bat sucking the blood of its prey.


    Now, neither of them remained.


    He destroyed the evil vermin that was the Brynhildr¡¯s Temple, fought off against the sect influence on his people, gained and distributed the wealth of the nation to raise the middle-class that was the backbone of their society.


    But then he lost the support of the poor, gained the ire of the wealthy, no longer commanded respect among the zealots and monks, and turned into an eyesore for the sect.


    But was it really important now?


    It wasn¡¯t.


    He was no longer an Emperor, after all, lofty aspirations and heavy burdens of people were no longer his worries.


    He was an emissary, and as all emissaries had done, he would give his everything to the one deity who gave him power. And this deity, Shuangxing prayed, was not one of those benevolent ones.


    If there was a word that could describe it, it would only be one thing.


    Mongrel.


    *********


    The sky was blue and clear. Branches and leaves of the trees swayed under the calm whizz of winds, sunlight perched atop the treetops and shadows cast on the crops of all kinds: Corn, wheat, rice, watermelons. A small stream of water burbled and flowed into the shallow trenches between the lines of brown earth, moistening and nourishing the roots of these herbs and food.


    Near the largened farm beside their small hut, there were a few boulders and trees left unrooted. Atop one of these huge yellow rocks sat Ubel, around his body a sheen screen of light. It was as thin as the tip of a needle, color of aqua, and from deep inside it garnered a power enough to scare off a cultivator of low strength.


    Ubel took deep and continuous breaths and swathes of grass below his feet danced back and forth from the blown air. Within each breath was traces of Qi, unrefined and wild, with no clear attribute and mixed with all kinds of essences; Fire, water, earth, wind, light, darkness, sun, moon, death, life, and many more. And it was the same for the screen of Qi around him, it consisted of a mangled force of Qi.


    It was a strange sight for normal people, were they to see a man with shattered meridians controlling Qi, and with a slight proficiency at that. But to masters with power, and experience who were decades or even hundreds of years old, this wasn¡¯t something impossible. Only rare, but not surprising.


    As Quan explained inside the notebooks he left, the lack of meridians wouldn¡¯t constrain his control over Qi. Actually, what made him unable to control Qi was the existence of his meridians, or them being broken. Why was it? Because, in the first place, immortals controlled the Qi not with meridians, but with their minds.


    And, as it seems, meditating was a pretty effective way of strengthening one¡¯s mind.


    Ubel took one last breath and opened his eyes. His gaze slid towards his right, to the entrance of their home. From there, a man waved his hands towards him with a bright smile.


    ¡®¡¯Priest Hong.¡¯¡¯ Ubel leaped down the boulder and clasped his fist. The man did the same.


    ¡®¡¯Ubel, how have you been?¡¯¡¯ He asked.


    ¡®¡¯Better than you it seems, Priest Hong. Where is your flowery cloth?¡¯¡¯ Today, Hong Seng wore not his green flowered robe, but a simple grey cloth that reached his knees.A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.


    ¡®¡¯I tore its sides in an accident,¡¯¡¯ Hong Seng explained. ¡®¡¯It seems The Raven isn¡¯t happy with his shrine being postponed again. So he sent a flock of owls to attack me.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Owls?¡¯¡¯ Ubel hummed in thought. ¡®¡¯Falcons abound in the woods since the air is getting warmer, it is surprising a flock of them gathered together.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯The Raven is not of mortal men, Ubel, there is no need to think about how he had done it.¡¯¡¯ Hong Seng smiled. ¡®¡¯My hair is also ruined, too, but I don¡¯t see you comment on that.¡¯¡¯ His red hair, too, wasn¡¯t in its normal shape. Instead, it looked mudded and scattered, rather than gathered into a ponytail.


    ¡®¡¯Sure, Priest Hong.¡¯¡¯ Ubel didn¡¯t care much about Priest Hong¡¯s faith or his deity and both of them were peculiar enough that he had never heard of their mentions. He was a kind, middle-aged man whom Ubel met a month ago after constructing his father¡¯s new grave. His tale was not something long or depressing or joyful. He was only a small believer of a religious group who wanted to build a shrine for their deity, The Raven, who was supposedly the son of Brynhildr. Heresy, yes, but no one cared about religions and people¡¯s beliefs these days unless it pricked their sides. And Ubel had no spare energy to learn the man¡¯s background.


    Still, in case he sought harm Ubel knew he could take down the pitiful man in a swift strike. Not that he preferred...or imagined about it. Only an intuition.


    ¡®¡¯I¡¯m still short of some stone and wood, Priest Hong, and your promised tools never arrived. How do you expect me to build it with my bare hands?¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Like you built that grave, as I guess you had no prior tools before my arrival.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯It is only some carved walls, light gracious! Do you know how much stone and energy I spent on building it? And you expect me to build a shrine twice its size with no tools? Hold onto your words, Priest Hong.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Haah-¡¯¡¯ Hong Seng sighed. ¡®¡¯Although I still doubt you, nevertheless, a promise is a promise. Perhaps the owls were to remind me of my duty, who knows?¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯You know it very well.¡¯¡¯ Ubel yawned and wiped the tears at the corner of his eyes. ¡®¡¯So, are you here for something else, or?¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯I was going to ask if you would accompany me to the Denizage.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Impossible.¡¯¡¯ Ubel blurted out. ¡®¡¯I don''t ever intend to leave the forest.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Why the haste?¡¯¡¯ Priest Hong looked at him with open confusion. Ubel could guess why very well. ¡®¡¯It is not far from the shore. Once at the beach, we only have to walk four to five hours to reach the docks of the city.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯And you are multiple times faster than me, no?¡¯¡¯


    And he was right about that.


    ¡®¡¯I still refuse. I don¡¯t feel safe leaving my grandmother behind.¡¯¡¯


    Priest Hong gazed at him for a second, the gleam in his eyes shunned, and he sighed. ¡®¡¯So be it. Then I will come back tomorrow noon.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Farewell.¡¯¡¯ Ubel sent him off and watched his silhouette disappear among the branches and the trunks of the trees. Once he disappeared, Ubel entered his house.


    Inside he saw his grandmother sitting on her rocking chair, this time with no additional blankets but donning thick leather robes and a pair of white gloves on her hands. And in those hands she held one of the books Quan gave Ubel, her gaze looking at the contents was one of full understanding.


    Ubel came inside the room and looked at the still-burning fireplace. The cold of the winter started to substitute a fortnight ago and continued to decrease with consistency until today. Nevertheless, it was still chilly. So they continued to light it every once in a while. At the foot of the fireplace laid a pair of foxes, one male and one female. Male one was, of course, the mischievous fox who disturbed their crops. The female one was an addition to him, she appeared out of nowhere right after Ubel took the male fox in.


    And it seemed the male knew her well even before meeting Ubel(Again), so Ubel just took them both. They did no work, female fox sometimes accompanied him when cutting stones and woods for the shrine he prepared to build, but that was its extent. Male was as cunning as ever, it didn¡¯t even lift a finger and acted always tired.


    But from the bulge on the female fox¡¯s belly, one could see he wasn¡¯t that tired when it came to lust.


    Ubel only shook his head at this.


    He sat right beside them near the fireplace and reached his hands to their heads. Without minding to him, both continued to snore with small smiles on their faces. Ubel pat them when his grandma spoke.


    ¡®¡¯Was it the Priest Hong again?¡¯¡¯ She asked and closed the cover of the book. Her voice sounded livelier than before, and her skin seemed to glow.


    ¡®¡¯It was him. He was here to inquire about a thing.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯So? Where is he now, dear?¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯He left to the Denizage for the tools, asked me to accompany him but I refused.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Good boy,¡¯¡¯ A thin smile spread to her lips. ¡®¡¯But is he a man worthy of trust?¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯He seems so.¡¯¡¯ Ubel stood up once she started her questions again. ¡®¡¯Does it even matter?¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯It does matter, dear. Wasn''t it you who complained about people wanting to destroy the forest? Now someone appeared and wants to relocate a part of the forest for himself, why are you so easy going about it?¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Grandma, I said it multiple times. A single priest is different from the whole nation. And it is just a job I do to get some money, I even made it so that his shrine is hours away from our home.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯A single priest with a huge religion behind him, yes. Dear, I don¡¯t care about it much on where his supposed god will live, but why do you care about money? Will you trade with the wily fox laying down there?¡¯¡¯ She pointed at her feet and the male fox grumbled.


    ¡®¡¯It is...only an investment. I need to have something reserved, lest something unexpected occurs and I need something from the cities near.¡¯¡¯


    Still, his grandmother didn¡¯t seem convinced. She waved the book she held in front of Ubel¡¯s face, her eyes darkened. ¡®¡¯So now you are going to disregard your master¡¯s teachings? Ubel, dear, are your master¡¯s words as worthless as a pile of silver?¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Grandma,¡¯¡¯ Ubel sighed and snatched the book from her grasp. ¡®¡¯If all you worry about is the priest himself, don¡¯t worry. I am strong enough to ensure both of our safety.¡¯¡¯


    Ubel told this as an assurance, for he could manage to pinpoint his grandmother¡¯s source of worry. She read the books Quan gave to him as much as Ubel, if not more, and the first three rules at the start of each page were most definitely drilled into her mind as well.


    1- Never spend a day without meditation.


    2- Never spend a day without reading.


    3- Never, under no circumstances other than something fatal, try to contact any community or authority foreign to you.


    First two were things he did, as obvious as it was from his results, and the third one wasn¡¯t something plausible for him to even achieve. He knew of only two authorities and three communities; The Sect and the Shuangguang Empire, and the town of Denizage with its two villages. He had no relation with the former two, one he left on his own volition and the other didn¡¯t even border the Orabura Forest. For the Denizage and its villages, Koyh and Kabsah, he had no relation with them whatsoever other than Priest Hong, who also was only a stranger to the place.


    Still, for Quan to repeat these three at the start and the end of each note, books, notebook, and scroll meant he knew something. A thing that Ubel wasn¡¯t aware, even after learning more about the local geography and the history of the place he lived near, and was not worth getting tangled with.


    So his grandma was both right and justified in her words. Ubel had faith in Quan¡¯s words about not getting involved with anyone, and that was his intention from the start as well, but the prospect of getting some money that could potentially help him in the future was...a bit enticing? It was greed, perhaps, but it stemmed from the resolution to make the last few years of his grandma better.


    Then...maybe he could seek something with it.


    But for now, Ubel shook his head to focus again, I need to be careful about it. He didn¡¯t believe a problem would arise from his relationship with the friendly priest, and in case anything popped up Ubel had confidence he could resolve them.


    Yet his grandmother, a woman with great experience and arduous years behind her back, knew how insignificant the self-confidence of Ubel was on solving anything.


    ¡®¡¯Dear, dealing with humans aren¡¯t like hunting animals.¡¯¡¯ She said and closed her eyes at last, with a push from her dangling feet the chair started to sway again. ¡®¡¯Can you still let go of your bow¡¯s string in the face of a human, even if they were a murderer?¡¯¡¯


    Ubel fell silent for a moment, deep in thoughts, then gave a small hug to his grandmother. ¡®¡¯No, I don¡¯t think so.¡¯¡¯ He whispered and stood up. ¡®¡¯I will get the last batch of materials for the shrine, grandma, I¡¯ll be back in an hour or so.¡¯¡¯ With that, he left through the entrance and disappeared into the woods.


    Ke¡¯ai Huiqing opened her eyes and looked at the swinging door. For a moment, she felt like laughing and a wide smile appeared on her face. Then it turned into tranquility.


    ¡®¡¯He lies like his father, doesn¡¯t he wily fox?¡¯¡¯ She asked the grumpy fox, but he didn¡¯t pay her any heed. The female fox turned to look at her, however, and her beady eyes were open wide.


    ¡®¡¯Hm, hm.¡¯¡¯ She let out two grunts, laid back on the floor, and ignored the surprised gaze of Huiqing. The trio let their body relax and soon, they all fell into a warm, cozy nap that would last until Ubel came home.

 45- Shrine Of The Raven (2)

    Ubel faced a relatively large oak tree with his hatchet in one hand and a ball of Qi on the other one.


    The ball of Qi gathered atop of his palm was similar to the screen of light he used whilst meditating, other than the obvious shape and its condensed form. To his former self, this ball of Qi would be at most one-hundredth of his reserves. But to his present self, it was the largest amount he could control.


    But controlling didn¡¯t mean Ubel could use the Qi. In principle, use and control of Qi entailed two different matters; former could enable the body to support, refine, and transform the Qi to its demands while the latter could only sense, gather, and shape the Qi to one¡¯s preferences. The former was, essentially, a shortcut to the mastery of Qi without mastering the control.


    And in a normal circumstance, no one would even need to master the skill of controlling the Qi.


    But as a person who lost his primary source of help, meridians, primal ways of using Qi was the only choice for him to grasp a semblance of his old power. Though, he did not practice control of Qi to regain his power. Instead, per Quan¡¯s wishes, all the effort he put in were to learn several divination techniques and pictograms to decode ancient tomes and books. But learning the technique didn¡¯t equal to him being able to use it. Even the simplest one required him to be able to control a ball of qi double the size of his palm, so he had an arduous way to go.


    But for now, using it for simple things like cutting wood was easy.


    Taking a deep breath, Ubel focused on the condensed Qi on his palm, now wobbling like a pushed egg. In no time it opened like a blooming flower and tendrils of Qi spread around. They gathered around at the tip of his index finger and soon established some kind of road, and it kept going further and further until it was around thirty centimeters long.


    This was an imitation of his old Depression skill, only in shape but not in nature. He had the breathing technique and even the knowledge of the further skills of the Death River Manual, but his lack of meridians made it, for now, impossible to filter the Qi in the air into Death River Qi. On his own, he had almost no chance of extracting a sub-elemental essence like Death and River. So, this Depression was only a replica.


    Its use was also different, too. Ubel lifted his index finger and the long, slim depression followed its trail. With a sweep of his hand, the Depression¡¯s almost illusory edge cut through the large trunk like a hot knife through butter. No trembling, no fluctuations. Ubel followed that with a small tap from his hatchet¡¯s hilt, and with a boom the trunk crashed to the ground.


    Patting off the dirt from the hem of his brown leather pants, Ubel raised his hatchet and cut all side branches of the trunk. Waving his hand, a gust of wind appeared and the dry branches piled up to a single side. The might of the wind, of course, stemmed both from his increased control over Qi and the physical might of his immortal physique. Little tricks like this were much easier to do than the replica of Depression.


    Done with the clearing, Ubel grasped the wide trunk from the bottom and mounted it on his shoulder. Walking back, he passed through the small clearing he created. Maple, oak, birch, and other kinds of trees¡¯ roots sprawled over, their numbers around hundreds. After walking over a few minutes, he came in front of a different segment of the forest, where even the remnant roots vanished and grass looked trimmed.


    At the center of this empty grassland was a huge pit of hexagonal earth. Inside, pillars of stone connected with wooden beams and a considerably stronger kind of resin and mud stuck those together. These were the foundations of the shrine, which he made a few days ago. At the side of the foundations stood piled up woods and large boulders weighing hundreds of kilograms. The latter was hard to carry, as Ubel excavated them from the small iron mine in the southeast.


    And they were the last batch of materials with the wood over his shoulder.


    Ubel put down the wood near the pile and threw himself to the ground. The brown earth below the grass wasn¡¯t harder than a wooden bed, so Ubel''s back welcomed the relaxing change quite joyful. Yawning and stretching, he looked up and watched the clouds for some time. In the meantime, he thought of how to build the shrine.


    Priest Hong requested its base to be the same shape with the foundations, it wasn¡¯t that hard to accomplish. But the main body had to be made of four different kinds of tree trunks, and the ceiling was to be adorned with feathers of four bird species; Raven, hawk, falcon, owl. The latter could be done by the priest himself, as long as Ubel captured the beasts. Ravens would be troublesome, as they were intelligent and learned over time the customs of mortals. Other three, not as much but they still proved a bit of a headache.


    Of the six sides of the two-floored shrine, three of them had to be stone. Hong Seng said over and over again, even though Ubel advised him to make it entirely out of stone so that it would be durable. But, as Priest Hong replied, The Raven knew the best for himself.


    Ubel had grown curious over this man, deity, called The Raven. Only a slight interest, one that he considered talking with Priest Hong over a meal or a tea session. But for him to get that chance, he had to take care of the shrine itself first.


    In his luck, all Ubel had to do was to wait for Hong Seng to come back from the market of the Denizage with the tools. After all, he didn¡¯t want to use the replica Depression all the time to carve the boulders into shapes and pillars.


    But it might be good training, Ubel put that notion in his mind for another time.


    For now, all he had to do was to wait.


    *********


    Steam rolled into the clouds from the dockyard of the Denizage, a breeze spread the salty scent of the ocean.


    Sea vessels of all kinds swayed in the piers, anchored to the hard bottom, and like a streak of light spread out into the horizon. Caravels, carracks, huge hulks, and even the treasured trade ships of the Haishen Empire, Baochuans could be spotted from afar. Men moved up and down from these boats; either carrying a box, a treasure, or a captive. Atop the scouting towers of these ships, some sailors gazed at the grand ocean and the five and seven floored pagodas of the Denizage.


    But most of the gazes, including Hong Seng¡¯s, switched to not the vast and exotic sights, but a middle-sized, unassuming vessel.


    To the surprise of many, this ship¡¯s outer shell shone under the sunlight with a metallic gleam, as it consisted of hardened iron. The deck was the same, a dark and treacherous air loomed over the strange vessel. But the most important of all was the lack of sails. Instead, a large tube forged out of, again, hardened iron, like the body of a cannon, spiraled from the middle of the deck into the air. From the mouth of this tube escaped those milky white streams of steam and traces of fire Qi seeped out with them.


    A new invention of Haishen? Hong Seng recognized the symbols covering the side of the vessel. It was a blue sea dragon pierced by two javelins, one red and the other gold. Haishen Empire¡¯s admirals were also a craftsman of their vessels, some even created their fleet from scratch with their own hands. So it was normal, or almost a tradition for people to brand their creations. And this vessel, Hong Seng couldn¡¯t help but sigh, belonged to the Imperial family itself.


    Many rumors traveled between the slippery mouths of the sailors and the common folk, even the slaves carrying goods and loads whispered something to their compatriots. But Hong Seng chose to ignore the flurry of false, and possibly exaggerated, information. In a few days, the imperial family itself would declare what their new invention was, as, if they had no intention of doing so they wouldn¡¯t even let the ship see the face of light.


    Moving through crowds of people, brushing past some slaves who beg their pardon and walked faster than they came in fear of retaliation, Hong Seng left the dockyard spanning half the beach and entered the commerce area.


    From the moment he stepped in, luckily, he spotted what he needed to buy. With large strides, he came before one of the many individual stalls, one where a slim and hunched old man sat on a stool behind the counter. Ink, pens, axes, hatchets, chisels, hammers, and a few more tools laid on the red wool below the stall.


    ¡®¡¯May you have a splendid day, old sir.¡¯¡¯ Hong Seng clasped his fists to greet. ¡®¡¯Could you tell me about the prices of the tools?¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯There are lots of ''em, which you wanna buy?¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯A solid chisel, a hammer, a pickaxe, and if it is possible, a vial of medicine.¡¯¡¯


    The old man behind the counter glanced up at Hong Seng, then burst into laughter.


    ¡®¡¯Alright, the chisel is fifteen, hammer and pickaxe is twenty silver each. The medicine is my gift for you.¡¯¡¯


    Hong Seng smiled at his luck and clasped his fists again in gratitude. He took a soulstone from the hem of his robe and gave it to man, who snatched it and put it under the stall.


    ¡®¡¯Hey, old man. How much is this?¡¯¡¯ A rough, staunch man approached the stall as the old man pried the contents of his ragged clothes to get the remaining silver. He looked up at the robust man with a glint.


    ¡®¡¯Twenty-five silver for saws.¡¯¡¯ He replied.


    ¡®¡¯Twenty-five? Are you a swindler, old man, or a beggar?¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯If you don¡¯t like ¡®em, then get lost. Many sell tools like me!¡¯¡¯ The old man spat and pointed at his sides. Indeed, many of the individuals sold goods similar to his and even looked at the rough man who could be their customer.


    ¡®¡¯Theirs are trash, yours are at least fine.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Then pay their price.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯I refuse, at most eighteen silver.¡¯¡¯ The rough man tried to haggle for the price but whatever amount he put, the old man refused. ¡®¡¯Either pay up or get lost.¡¯¡¯ He said, and veins popped around the rough man¡¯s neck.


    ¡®¡¯Here you go, the change.¡¯¡¯ The old man stretched Hong Seng a purse at the same time, where he put the leftover forty-five silver. Hong Seng nodded and reached for the purse.


    ¡®¡¯Old man, twenty-four silver, my last price.¡¯¡¯Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road.


    ¡®¡¯You know what? Scram! You are annoying.¡¯¡¯ Right before Hong Seng could grasp the pouch, however, the rough man started to howl.


    ¡®¡¯You annoying pest! All I want is a fucking saw!¡¯¡¯ From his body explosions rang out and the breaking of bone echoed in the streets. Pedestrians, sensing the dangerous aura scrambled to sides while a few strong-looking men and women surrounded the howling man.


    The man let out a deep breath and sent a fierce punch towards the face of the old man. The air whistled and the purse took flight, floated to a narrow alley beside the stall, rolled on the ground and disappeared into the darkness.


    ¡®¡¯My money!¡¯¡¯ Hong Seng took a step back to rush to his purse but the punch in front of him proved a more imminent disaster. With a swipe of his hand, a transparent grey barrier sprang from his body and covered his front. At the same moment, it came into being, the punch struck the old man.


    Qi exploded like a whirlpool and the surrounding stalls went into a frenzy, like arrows they turned into shrapnel and crashed onto the onlookers. A few Qi barriers sprang around the crowd and protected them while another one covered the old man in the stall.


    ¡®¡¯You dare call me pest!? I¡¯ll skin you alive!¡¯¡¯ A low whistle escaped from the old man¡¯s mouth and the airflow from the punch abruptly stopped. His body glowed the color of red for a moment, then he acted. He sent a palm, at least triple the speed and power of the rough man¡¯s punch crashed onto the unprotected chest of the man.


    Aura of a second layer Path Finding cultivator blasted out of the old man¡¯s body at the split moment. The rough man bore the brunt not so well, shockwaves exploded like firecrackers and his chest caved in, then turned into a palm-sized hole. Coughing blood he flew back towards the crowd but crashed a few meters away from them, dust and earth rose and fell.


    Hong Seng, in the meantime, found himself floating back from the fierce winds surrounding the strike and came next to the dark alley. Hong Seng sighed in relief and before going back to get the purchased tools, he snuck inside the alley to get his purse.


    ¡®¡¯What is this smell?¡¯¡¯ Hong Seng grasped his nose. A foul stench, full of death and blood loomed over the alley. Though it was still dark, he could see both his purse and the source of the stink.


    With hurried steps, he came before the dangling body of a woman and grasped his purse beneath her revealed, bleeding white legs. Hong Seng cast a long glance at the woman. Her feet toes were pulled out, long scratches and stitched gashes spread from the tip of her feet to her calves, where signs of palms and cuts covered the surface of her bottom. Some parts of her belly showed rotten flesh, she must have been here for more than a few hours. And her upper body...Hong Seng didn¡¯t find it pleasing to look at a vile and alive sign of abuse longer than a few seconds.


    He kneeled in front of the corpse and put his hands together.


    ¡®¡¯The Raven¡¯s wings span the world, but his eyes can only look forward. Perhaps there will be justice for you in the path of the future or maybe not. But be assured, not many will suffer your fate after The Raven comes.¡¯¡¯


    Following the prayer with a few more words, he blew onto the face of the corpse.


    His breath turned into seeds the size of a walnut and pierced through her skin, burying themselves inside her brain, then exploded. The muffled burst didn¡¯t spread much sound and soon, the body collapsed into a mixture of blood and dust.


    Leaving the alley, with his purse hidden inside his robe, Hong Seng approached the old man once more. He was talking with a woman donning a white tunic over mail armor, bearing the insignia of the Imperial family, when he noticed Hong Seng. In his hands was a strap of cloth and from the bulges, it was evident the tools he requested were in there.


    ¡®¡¯Here you go,¡¯¡¯ He put the cloth in his hands. ¡®¡¯Have you found your money?¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯I did, many thanks for your consideration.¡¯¡¯ Hong Seng clasped his fist. ¡®¡¯You have my gratitude for the other thing as well.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯No worries.¡¯¡¯ The old man smiled. After saying a few more words and inquiring about some matters about the city, Hong Seng departed.


    He felt a strange sensation of fulfillment, as the date The Raven would get his new shrine approached. Soon, both he and his deity would have a home to live in.


    And once it was done, they could proceed to draft some missionaries.


    *********


    Contrary to the sensing and absorption of Qi, once the control over the ambient Qi grew more proficient the shaping abilities of a cultivator increased exponentially.


    The shape, of course, depended on whether the cultivator could sense the nature and state of the Qi around them, as well as how many types of Qi his/her body could contain without a deficit. So, even if someone had great accomplishments in controlling the Qi, without the ability to sense and absorb, they wouldn¡¯t accomplish anything noteworthy. After all, a blind man does not know of the colors and a river without a source is fated to dry up.


    In that aspect, Ubel was a lucky one. As someone who broke through into the Path Finding realm, where the cultivator already experienced thousands of essences and determined the main essence they would pursue in the future stages, his body¡¯s capability to sense and absorb the Qi was over average. Of course, he couldn¡¯t absorb the Qi into his meridians, so the value of it stood below the normal standards. Yet the experience of breaking through and the perception of a Path Finding cultivator still existed.


    So, for him, it wouldn¡¯t be necessarliy impossible to recreate the effects of his Death River Manual. That was, however, as long as he had any source for the Death and River Qi. And him being able to sense those wouldn¡¯t help him like a glass of water would to a helpless pilgrim in a desert. The essential skill was ultimately the ability to control the Qi, shape it, imbue the wished type of Qi, and maintain(Or release) it. And at his stage, he might as well be a small sapling aspiring to be a mountain.


    There are trees towering even mountains though...


    Cheering himself was important to keep him going on as well. Or he felt like it since, in a large amount of time he spent alone, he found dark thoughts at the corners of his consciousness more willing to go out. Ubel didn¡¯t want to spend half of his day about what would happen once the forest was gone, it was pointless. If it would come, then it better come soon.


    As his thoughts wandered around different topics, he came back to their hut. Coming inside, he snuck inside with silent steps and saw the trio napping in the bedroom. Without disturbing them he picked up a book, returned to the kitchen, and laid down the hatchet on the leather cloth. He might as well read through some things while waiting or priest Hong to arrive.


    Ubel strolled outside and gazed up. White milk clouds dominated the sky as of now and the sun started to sway towards the west, it was past noon. Priest Hong could arrive at least by evening, so he had a few hours to finish this one, too. With a few large steps impossible to execute by mortals, he appeared on top of the boulder in the garden, sitting cross-legged.


    He read through the first three rules yet again, their imposing writing affected him the same as always. Then the lines started to follow.


    To start my words, I should address the matter that is the classifications of these pieces, at least from my own hands. There is no certain arrangement to look into these notes I wrote but if you aren¡¯t as picky as you were in the last month, it might have taken you a few months to read through all the technical and lore related materials I left for you. And as a result, you are here.


    In the case, however, you have stumbled on this at the start of your departure, or not far from that time, then I suggest you read through all before looking into this, My Disciple. For without adopting all the knowledge you have to, learning how to control the ambient Qi without getting strained for a moment, and accomplishing all the goals I set up for you to activate the divination spells you will most likely stray away from the path I intended you to pursue.


    But even if you are unwilling, then...The sentence cut here with a line that kept going until the end of the page. Ubel flipped the paper.


    Then, I will respect your decision to learn eagerly.


    What am I going to learn, you ask? If you did as I intended you to, you might have guessed already. But I still assume you haven¡¯t. What you are going to learn is one of the first paths the early immortals, inventors of the meridians and the cultivation failed to progress in. It is the path that led our civilization to take their first step, the path of flesh and blood.


    Body Enchanting.


    *********


    At the southeast of the Cindersnow City, farther from the seven towns surrounding the Peaking Hills laid the single domain of northern continent covered in endless sand. The hot and dry yellow sea started from the border of Shuanguang Empire¡¯s Spire Castle, Shaowei Empire¡¯s Noble Quarters, and Haishen Empire¡¯s Town Of Exploration. Its eastern coasts once bordered the broken third continent, which caused the sea levels near the shore rise exponentially.


    But now, all left was the endless royal blue stretching to the horizon and battalions of mounted archers. These groups of cavalry archers, consisting of a few hundred soldiers each and mounting crimson horses bigger than destriers, patrolled around the coast to both look out potential survivors and help the excavators if any need arose.


    And among one of these battalions, a company of a hundred and twenty men and women stood apart at the edge of the border between the desert and Shuanguang Empire. Their eyes moved around the three-hundred meters tall tower surrounded by light grey walls in their front, the Spire Castle, and their gazes cast automatically towards the raised hand before their sight.


    The mounted archers all flicked their wrists. The bows strapped to their backs and now grasped in their hands were made of Demon Oak, a bedeviled oak tree¡¯s with dark color. On their brown scale armor''s sides hung two belts, one carrying a quiver and the other one a cavalry saber. From the quiver of the same color as their armor, the company retrieved their sharp feathered arrows and nocked them, pulling the bowstring to their shoulders.


    The dark, tanned hand in their vision fell and together with that their rough fingers set loose the string.


    A flurry of arrows flew over their heads, winds rustled, and because of the empty gouge at the heads of the arrows, a shrill scream followed. From the opposite, from a hill not far away from their position wails and shouts arose and several dozens of people rushed out. As it seemed from their eyes, the full-plate armor over their hulky bodies couldn¡¯t protect them from the arrows of their people. Without any delay, the commander raised and lowered his hand again, another volley followed.


    After three volleys of arrows, the remaining few retreated with their wounded comrades in their arms, the remaining either laid dead in their blood or were in too bad of a situation to move.


    A sigh echoed.


    ¡®¡¯Shuangxing is quite hungry, it had been only a few days since sect gathered back their power. Does he not fear this is a test for them to observe the continent?¡¯¡¯ The commander turned around. A few strands of his hair sneaked from the turban covering his head, now all yellowed from the sandstorms they endured for the past few hours.


    ¡®¡¯What do you think, Qibing?¡¯¡¯ After swiping the sand over his dark hair and flashing a part of his scarred face to his troops, the commander turned to look at an elegant man among their midst. He seemed too out of place with that fancy robe and court hat, though he didn¡¯t give the impression of one of those young lords from afar. Instead, the sun looked on at his eyes like a shy maiden, every once in awhile brightening the red in his iris.


    ¡®¡¯My Khan, we all knew he was a man of ambition long ago. Is it too surprising that he took the initiative to probe his potential allies and enemies?¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯All men of the Kuhzey are ambitious, Qibing.¡¯¡¯ The commander continued. ¡®¡¯Were it not for the sect¡¯s existence, instead of the few of us empires there would be tens of different realms on our ancestral home because of them.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Then it is more of a reason...but you have a different thought it seems, my Khan?¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯I do. Even though they are all ambitious and crave for the same power the sect holds, none of the reigns of the time are stupid. Shaowei¡¯s old strategist Kaiming and the Haishen¡¯s Da Yuwang are literal beasts when it comes to administration. Former in civil, latter in the military. Shuangxing himself is, however, on another level from us each.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯A demon, perhaps.¡¯¡¯


    Qibing Zhanlue closed his eyes for a moment to think while Mansour Khan waited. In the meantime, a bright flash of light appeared on the Spire Castle¡¯s tower, some kind of sign resembling two sets of flags.


    ¡®¡¯These bastards...¡¯¡¯ Mansour cursed and turned around, Qibing opened his mouth at the same time.


    ¡®¡¯My Kh-¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯We return to the capital right now. Send the message, three of the eight battalions should change their route from the coastline to the hills west from here.¡¯¡¯ He cut Qibing¡¯s words and pointed towards a high sandhill further from their position. ¡®¡¯And to the Northwest,¡¯¡¯ His finger followed the border and ended signaling at the Spire Castle.


    ¡®¡¯Other five continue for two more days, let one stay as additional reinforcements and the other four may return to their tribes.¡¯¡¯ A woman among his company nodded and strode her scarlet horse towards the company¡¯s back, to the east shoreline. At the same time, Mansour Khan spurred his mount and rounded the company, who followed him from behind. Qibing Zhanlue, however, looked at his back for a second more. Once out of the daze, a sharp glint passed through his eyes and he urged the horse under him, too, and caught up with the rest of the unit.


    Sounds of hooves and clouds of sand drifted behind them until they were out of sight.

 46- Shrine Of The Raven (3)

    In the evening of the same day, priest Hong delivered the tools to Ubel and left to take a rest in his shack near the shore. After checking up what he had and their state, Ubel took a good night¡¯s sleep.


    The following two weeks, Ubel halted all spare time activities other than tending to the farm to focus on The Raven¡¯s Shrine. For someone, whose experience in building came from his father, who had no big accomplishment or experience, doing something both delicate and refined like a shrine proved more difficult than he anticipated. He overestimated his skills.


    Laying down the walls were not that hard and their shape wasn¡¯t a problem, too. But he underestimated the weight of the main body of the shrine. The foundations he set turned out to be lacking, as well as short-lived, as they collapsed after placing the third wall upon the foundation¡¯s ceiling.


    So he had to make the foundation from scratch with more stone and less wood as well. Ubel spent a whole day mining and carrying large amounts of stone and boulders, the pickaxe helped him greatly. The next two days he used the hammer and chisel to grind the rocks into slim and long pillars, then engraved small slots around their sides to place the ceiling of the foundation. He found difficulties when putting the supporting beams, as carrying meters long pillars of stone were still hard on his back, but with time he managed to re-do the entire foundation with another day¡¯s worth of time.


    The remaining eleven days, he built the lower floor of the shrine and managed to construct all six walls. Of this time, he spent nine days to hunt the birds for their feathers to make the ceiling. Even as a hunter, and the son of a hunter, Ubel couldn¡¯t track down these birds with ease. Owls and falcons were easy for the most part but the hawks were troublesome. They flew too high for him to shoot down and once he missed, they would fly away to somewhere farther and harder to reach. A few random tried to play with him though and he shot them down much easier.


    The ravens were literal hell.


    Unlike others, they were way too intelligent. They could hide their tracks, fly slow and silent to avoid his senses, hide for a few hours, or even a day, to be safe. Hell, they even tried to hunt him down by grouping up with fifty others. Honesty, were it not for their wrong assessment of his power, Ubel couldn¡¯t guess how long it would have taken him to gather enough of them for their feathers.


    But it was all done and now he stood in front of the shrine with Priest Hong under the moonlight.


    The priest fell on his knees right next to the two meters large gates, upon the three-steps high stairs. Tears danced around his eyes, floated down his cheeks, and wet the hem of his ragged clothes.


    ¡®¡¯After years! Oh, Ubel! Oh! Oh!¡¯¡¯ He started to shout, Ubel took a few steps away from him with widened eyes. Umm, what?


    ¡®¡¯The Raven! My cruel, unmerciful lord! I, hereby, accomplished my mission as your minion!¡¯¡¯ Tears built upon other drops of tears, as if they were a waterfall continued to flow without a halt. From his hands, now clasped into each other, purple and black colored feathers spread out. In an instant, Hong Seng¡¯s hands turned into a mass of feathers. Then his arms transformed to the wings, and his feet to gleaming claws.


    ¡®¡¯GHAGHAGHAGHAGHAGAHGAHGAH¡¯¡¯ Hong Seng¡¯s tongue dropped to the ground, his teeth clattered one by one next to it, and a huge beak grew out of his empty mouth. His muffled cries and tears continued.


    Yet, Ubel didn¡¯t watch this all like a scared lamb. Instead, he rushed back to retreat until he was a dozen meters away from the Hong Seng, now a huge raven size of an adult mortal. Ubel grasped the hatchet from his leather belt and put his guard up. The Qi in the air noticeably drained. His fingertips sucked the Qi like a whirlpool and soon a screen of Qi covered his right arm and the hatchet.


    ¡®¡¯Priest Hong!¡¯¡¯ Ubel¡¯s shout made the raven turn its head towards him. Its large, beady eyes gazed into Ubel¡¯s, then it laughed.


    It cackled. Like a lunatic at the brink of insanity, the raven cackled and snickered and tittered. It opened its beak and from within, a light shone. A blue even the moonlight couldn¡¯t gleam upon light up the dark beak. And an eye popped up.


    A huge, navy blue eye emerged into the open field.


    ¡®¡¯Bearer of my own, well done.¡¯¡¯ It spoke. Ubel took one more step back. He had enough experience to know that this thing wasn''t something safe. Confronting existences above him would never, ever, result in something favorable in the long run.


    ¡®¡¯I like this one. It is simple. Ohh! The feathers are glorious!¡¯¡¯ The eye shot up towards the sky and circled the shrine several times in an ungodly speed. Ubel felt his heart sink at the sight. He couldn¡¯t escape from something like that. But if the eye had no real power, if the raven was the one who wielded any strength, then-


    ¡®¡¯What might you be thinking, bearer of my own?¡¯¡¯ The eye¡¯s voice sounded behind him.


    Ubel turned only so slightly to his left, the color of his eyes lacked the luster of a man alive.


    He felt something nudge his heart.


    ¡®¡¯GET LOST!¡¯¡¯ With a shout, he leaped back and swung his hatchet in front. The swing cut through a dozen trees and a large boulder, the wind even scratched the leaves of lone plants, but the eye had none of that. Its nightmarish purple still glowed with fervor.


    Purple?


    Ubel continued to retreat but the eye caught up to him. With a golden brilliance, it gazed down at his neck.


    ¡®¡¯Oh, how beautiful. You have the last on the list to gather, bearer of my own. You will continue to live, then?¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯I said, get-LOST!¡¯¡¯ Ubel¡¯s voice boomed throughout the area. Tens of flocks of birds flew up in fear and screeched, but the eye still followed him with its emerald iris.


    ¡®¡¯I will disappear, eventually. But why worry yourself over this, bearer of my own? Why not get anxious over what the eventual fate of that missionary would be? Or what is going to happen to your supposed reward? Else, about your own life? About the identity of yourself? About the origins of your prized necklace? About the state this forest is in? About how the Overseer will act? About how forsakens will slaughter their way into your lands? About how your kin is doomed to be a third-rate race?¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Of course, why would you worry about them? You are only an irresponsible, ignorant youth unaware of his presence in this stage.¡¯¡¯


    Ubel turned around to run faster. If the eye hadn¡¯t acted until now, he supposed the chances of it doing so wouldn¡¯t be much even if he ran faster. But possibilities were possibilities and reality was the reality. As his speed increased, a shrill cry sounded behind and the image of the raven Hong appeared.


    Its speed was ten times faster than him. With only three flaps of its wings, the raven came upon his head and clawed his back.


    Ubel halted his steps and rolled on the ground to escape, the sharp tips scratched the corners of his shoulder. It didn¡¯t draw any blood, yet Ubel¡¯s body collapsed to the ground the same moment.


    Wha- Ubel felt his body drain of strength. His limbs and torso went numb, yet his head still moved fine. But he couldn¡¯t do anything else. Rolling a few more times and swallowing some dirt, Ubel landed face down on the earth. He could smell the soil and see the worms wriggling inside.


    ¡®¡¯Now, sit.¡¯¡¯ The raven made a low gurgling and sat on Ubel¡¯s back. The weight collapsed on him like a mountain. Ubel felt that even if he wasn¡¯t out of power, he couldn¡¯t wrestle this bird out of his back.


    ¡®¡¯As befitting of my status as The Raven, I have to give you some reward. Else, how could I hold my promise to be fair to the world?¡¯¡¯ The white eye came before Ubel¡¯s head and gazed down at him.


    ¡®¡¯I see you have no meridians, I also see you tried to temper your body to enchant it. But none of those paths leads to the excellency you need to reach...what to do? What to do?¡¯¡¯ Its mutters sounded like the whispers of a ghost in Ubel¡¯s ears. ¡®¡¯Perhaps, knowledge? Yes, knowledge. It might help you. Or eyes, I can give you eyes that can see through any disguise and pierce any illusion.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯No, that won¡¯t do. I can give you a pair of wings so you can fly, but it also won¡¯t do. A new set of meridians? Your body can¡¯t take them. Hmmm...¡¯¡¯ Ubel waited and waited. The man told of countless chances, each of them better than the former ones. But why was he rewarding him? Why did he think of something like this?


    In the first place, he acted out of greed towards money. So that he could prepare some money for his future self without his grandma. His trust stemmed from the fact that he could take care of any problem that might occur because of the Hong Seng. He was weak, at the Peak Qi Creation, and had almost no awareness towards battle it seemed.


    Not that Ubel had much. But experience was experience nonetheless. And Ubel, in confidence of his learned lessons, acted foolishly and trusted a man he shouldn¡¯t have. It was a complete mistake on his part and even now the words of his grandmother ringed in his ears.


    A simple priest with a huge religion behind him...huge? I never heard of The Raven before in my life, and I never saw a mention of this deity in any source of books. I didn¡¯t even mention what kind of religion or how big it was. Then how did grandma knew of it?


    Was it an empty assumption? Ubel didn¡¯t think so. And there was the matter of...his god living? Even he didn¡¯t know about that. It was supposed to be a shrine where Hong Seng would offer his prayers to his deity and would live. Then, where did the matter of his deity, The Raven, living in the shrine came from?


    Is it related to something I¡¯m unaware? It had to be. If by any chance this was something both she and his father knew, and he didn¡¯t know of, then why didn¡¯t she warned him about it? Or she warned...She implied, at least.


    Why am I thinking about these? His priority was, his priority is surviving at the moment. What could he do, then?


    ¡®¡¯...no, giving you two celestial energies would be a bit too far. Then-¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Why are you here?¡¯¡¯ Ubel wanted to delay him a bit to think of a good question.


    ¡®¡¯Because I am here to see my home, my new home. I do not necessarily live in them, of course, I have a lair of a larger scale than these measly dwellings. But to improve my influence, I need to have some other places I can visit and control, and I need people to oversee these little details. And for these people to work efficiently, they need a base and a home of their own, am I right?¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Why did you choose my home, then? Didn¡¯t you say you had a promise to be fair to this world? How is this fair to me?¡¯¡¯ Ubel continued to rack his brain.


    ¡®¡¯Because this will benefit both of us. You might think this isn¡¯t fair but is it fair what the rulers of other realms think of to do your home? All I want is a plot of land that is near to some places I want to gain faith and control. And a single plot of land that is not even a thousandth of this forest shouldn¡¯t affect you, bearer of my own.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯And how will this benefit me?¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Of course by ensuring your safety. Unlike those with fickle minds that only works for how to win a war, I do not have any more design on this forest other than having a home. And where I call home, I won¡¯t let it be stolen from me. Or else, what point there is to call a place home?¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Then, one more question.¡¯¡¯ Ubel finally gave up on some intelligent answer that could take him out of this situation. Instead, he asked flat and outright.


    ¡®¡¯What if I want you to have no other relation or dealings with me further from here on as a reward, and what can you do to make me believe in your word?¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯That is...hmm. Bearer of my own, you have to know that our fate was always intertwined with each other as bearers of seals. There will be an instance, or a few, where we will have to interact with each other. But by all means, I can promise that unless you seek me out, I won¡¯t attempt to pursue you any longer.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯For the second part, that is the easiest.¡¯¡¯ The red eye narrowed. ¡®¡¯Seventy-three thousand four hundred eighty-three steps to the north is a small cave where piles of firewood are stocked in. And a hundred and fifty-one steps west to it is a small hut. In that house are an elderly woman, two spiritual foxes-one male other a pregnant female-, and a set of books imbued with consciousness marks.¡¯¡¯


    Ubel¡¯s eyes turned into tiniest of dots, like the tip of a needle, and his brows arched like a bow.


    ¡®¡¯You damned beast!¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯I know, I am The Raven after all.¡¯¡¯ Ubel felt the brown eye smiling at him. ¡®¡¯But that is that, and this is this. Do you understand me, bearer of my own? This is how I, how strong people do the deeds. I have the power to see through everything you own and know everything you do. I also have the strength to crush each and every one of them to dust if you even displease me a bit.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯But I won¡¯t do it, because we bear the same thing.¡¯¡¯


    It was such a bullshit response that Ubel wanted to lash out at him. He wanted to curse and spit on his eye. But he couldn¡¯t. Because he had no choice other than to listen.


    ¡®¡¯If you are satisfied, or not, let me grant your reward.¡¯¡¯ The indigo-colored eye floated away from him and shot a glance at the raven Hong. ¡®¡¯Stand up.¡¯¡¯ The bird flapped its wings and flew up, continuing to circle them.


    Ubel also felt the strength return back to his body and immediately rolled to the side and leaped on the branch of a tree. He landed with his wobbling, numb legs and gazed at the eye at the same height. He also spat the dirt he had been munching for some time.


    ¡®¡¯You might have wasted a great chance, bearer of my own. But it is no longer of my concern.¡¯¡¯ The violet eye sighed.


    ¡®¡¯I accept your wish and from here on, I, The Raven, Deity Of Birds and bearer of the Crystal Hilt, will not attempt to converse with you lest you decide on your own. But try to harm me, my followers, my homes, or anything related to me and I will no longer hold onto my word.¡¯¡¯


    I am not suicidal. Ubel muttered to himself. ¡®¡¯Then go already,¡¯¡¯ Ubel said through gritted teeth.


    ¡®¡¯Farewell, then.¡¯¡¯ The orange eye sizzled like a flame and dissipated into the air. In the meantime, the raven Hong let out a shrill cry and flew back towards his new home, Shrine Of The Raven.


    And Ubel, once more left alone to face the consequences of confronting an unbeatable being way above his league, gnashed his teeth.


    ¡®¡¯I am...¡¯¡¯


    *********


    The huge raven landed in front of the shrine¡¯s doorstep. The moment its claws contacted the ground, it opened its maws and shrieked. A moment later, an eye floated out of the darkness inside.


    ¡®¡¯It is done.¡¯¡¯


    As the voice echoed inside the raven Hong¡¯s ears, its body trembled. Falling on the ground, the raven continued to spasm and shake until all the feathers on its body fell and revealed a weak, naked, and aged body. Few lines of bones from the lack of nourishment pressed on his skin at his back.Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator.


    ¡®¡¯My-my-my-my-my-my-my lord! What have I done! I have sinned!¡¯¡¯ Hong took a deep breath and rose. Tears gathered around his eyes again. ¡®¡¯My lord, why have you done this? Wasn¡¯t he one you wanted to reward? Were they not your words that said you wouldn¡¯t harm an innocent one?¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Oh, my poor zealot.¡¯¡¯ The eye looked at him with pitying eyes, Hong Seng¡¯s complexion brightened. His lord was still merciful.


    ¡®¡¯What harm did I bring to him, tell me? Did I break his bones or tear his flesh? Did I destroy his life or damage his livelihood? Neither. I have only kept a promise to an old opponent and a friend, that is all.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯And-¡¯¡¯ A seven-colored light gleamed through the eye into his eyes. Hong Seng threw himself back to the ground, clutching his head and screaming. ¡®¡¯-Whatever I say or whatever I do is not the business of a mortal like you.¡¯¡¯ Hong Seng continued to roll on the ground. Tears of blood flowed towards his chin.


    ¡®¡¯Enough!¡¯¡¯ A wave of green light exploded and swept over both of them whilst roots protruded out of the ground towards the eye.


    In the exact moment, the amaranth eye dissipated and appeared far above the forest. It looked down.


    For a few seconds, it continued to watch over. Nothing more happened. The leaves on the trees continued to rustle, the grass kept swaying back and forth, the clouds still floated over the sky, and the birds proceeded to cry for their partners in the night.


    The eye descended near the Hong, slow and silent, found him recovered from its soul attack, then gazed towards the north of its shrine with peculiar eyes.


    ¡®¡¯Don¡¯t question me again, my poor zealot.¡¯¡¯ it gave one last command and dissipated, for real, at last.


    Hong Seng awoke from his pain-induced nightmares three hours after, filled with regret and pain for causing harm to Ubel, but also with gratitude to his lord.


    The Raven was, after all, worthy of believing in without faith and wisdom.


    *********


    Ubel didn¡¯t return to his home that night. Or the following morning.


    He traveled through the forest¡¯s inner section and outer perimeters a few times. Even though he witnessed the power of a...deity first-hand, Ubel still had some faint hope that it was a bluff the eye pulled off to scare him. It better be what he thought, Ubel sighed, but even a faint hope couldn¡¯t suppress the dominant fear in his heart.


    After circling every inch of the forest and being sure it was free of invasion, and also getting to know the other parts of the Orabura better, he came back to his home. There wouldn¡¯t be any problem for that, it wasn¡¯t the first time he didn¡¯t get back for a day or two. Only, he wasn¡¯t that far from their home. But that was it. Once near, Ubel found the two foxes messing with each other near the water stream feeding the farm. The mud and dirt being shaken off from their furs clogged up the earth passage and blocked the water from flowing in. The gurgling also stopped.


    Their small chuckles made him feel a bit better.


    Inside, his grandmother was also awake and sound, holding another book in her hands. They trembled a bit.


    Ubel didn¡¯t greet her and neared the table with piles of books. He grasped the leather bag next to the desk and, with a swish of his sleeve, sent the pile of papers and books into it. Then he reached out to the one in his grandmother¡¯s hand but hesitated.


    It didn¡¯t last long. His grandmother turned around and stuffed the book into his hands on her own. Now that he looked, her face looked a notch pale. And Ubel was too confident that it wasn¡¯t because she washed her face with cold water.


    ¡®¡¯Grandmother.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯...Yes, dear?¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯I still love you.¡¯¡¯ He said.


    ¡®¡¯I love you too.¡¯¡¯ She tried to stand up from her rocking chair but Ubel patted her back and kept her sitting.


    ¡®¡¯But now, I do less than before.¡¯¡¯ Ubel clasped her right hand and planted a kiss on her calloused palm. ¡®¡¯I hope it is the same for you. Because, if not, nothing makes sense anymore.¡¯¡¯


    Without giving her a chance to talk, he stood up. ¡®¡¯I¡¯ll spend more time inside the forest.¡¯¡¯ With a step back, he was already out of the room. ¡®¡¯I will visit early in the morning or late at night to bring my hunts and look after the farm. I have too many things to study and the house is distracting me.¡¯¡¯ Ubel took two more steps and came near the door. his grandmother gazed at him from her chair.


    ¡®¡¯I¡¯ll see you later, grandmother.¡¯¡¯ Then he left.


    Ubel ran with such a great speed that when he came to his senses, he was already thousands of steps away from his house. He halted to a stop near an ancient oak with a towering thirty-five meters long trunk. Its wide leaves didn¡¯t let sunlight slip through and a cool breeze blew near it.


    Also, the smell of fresh earth and a wily fox infiltrated the air.


    Ubel slumped down to the ground, his back facing the wide trunk, and extended his legs to one of the major roots of the oak tree. A fox leaped on his thighs at the same time. A wily, red, and helpful fox.


    ¡®¡¯How did you keep up with me?¡¯¡¯ Ubel looked at the wily fox, reached out to his head. Ubel caressed him, it was soft and comfy. ¡®¡¯Because you are a spiritual fox?¡¯¡¯


    The fox trembled in a faint shock and looked at him in the eyes. Then put his head down, again, under the assault of the faint pats.


    ¡®¡¯That is why you act...you understand me? Unbelievable.¡¯¡¯ The hard to understand part wasn¡¯t the wily fox understanding his words, many beasts with great strength could also understand and communicate with mortals. But the unbelievable part was the lack of Qi, or the sign of power, around the wily fox. Most beasts carried a powerful aura around their skin like a brand or a symbol of their power. Weak ones showed because they couldn¡¯t contain it, strong ones did show so that no idiotic beast wasted their time with them and tried to take over their territory.


    ¡®¡¯So are you a strong one?¡¯¡¯ Ubel laid his head back. The bark of the tree felt so mushy that he even felt an urge to sleep. The fresh smell around him also helped that impulse. From the corner of his eye, he saw the fox smile at him.


    The strong ones are always around Path Establishing or Path Opening. Ubel shook his head in his heart, as he couldn¡¯t bother to do so right now. Always strong people are around me...why is that I wonder?


    One couldn¡¯t help but wonder but alas, Ubel fell asleep before he could pursue that train of thought.


    Unbeknownst to him, one of the hidden roots of the oak tree caressed the back of his head.


    It was gentle, and soft as well.


    *********


    Thousands of miles away from the Haishen Empire¡¯s capital and western port of Okyanung, in the fierce waves of the Grand Ocean, swayed a fleet of a thousand two hundred and sixty-nine ships. At the back of the fleet, near the dark and light colors of the ocean where the depth was divided, stood almost five hundred galleys. They were old, most of them served under the empire¡¯s rule for about twenty years, though the crew changed a few times. And since Haishen improved greatly in ship making the last century, any able commander would expect these out shunned ships to be at the forefront to lead the others as cannon fodder and deceive the enemy.


    In the eyes of the Haishen Haiyang, Emperor of the Haishen Empire and the sixth admiral of the collective fleet, this wasn¡¯t the case. Or to be more precise, against the kind of enemy they faced, other than the center and the flanks, it didn¡¯t matter where they deployed which ships.


    After all, the Sea Beasts were the natural conquerors of the open water.


    Thinking of them, Emperor Haiyang put the also experienced caravels around the flank, three hundred on each side, and to the center moved a hundred baochuans, literal swimming fortresses loaded with tens of Qi cannons and hundreds of soldiers. Their imposing red sails rose like spires into the sky and cast shadows over their little compatriots.


    But even they faltered when compared to the clouds of smoke drifting from their front.


    At the foremost of the fleet sailed sixty-nine iron vessels. Their sizes were half of the baochuans. The crews of the ships consisted of a hundred men and two hundred sailors. The amount of cannon they carried was laughable, only one on the hull and three on each side. But every sailor on their respective vessels knew the power these fire-ridden, Qi-boosted lumps of steel could unleash.


    And it was no laughable amount.


    On the leading iron vessel named First Steel, as it was the first on the line to be produced, Emperor Haiyang gazed at the deep ocean. Beside him, a few dozen sailors with scimitars and leather armor inspected the pieces of equipment and cannons. Behind the First Steel followed the Second Steel and the Third Steel, and it continued until the Sixty-ninth Steel, where the fleet showed a sign of breaking in their formation.


    The Sea Beasts didn¡¯t swallow the bait, though. Emperor Haiyang closed his third eye and sent a fluctuation from his mind to the skippers of the other Steels, who in turn relayed his orders to the baochuans and caravels and galleys at the back.


    The fleet increased their speed to the top while First Steel and others kept theirs in check, although they were bulky and could only operate by burning Blazing Diamonds to progress they could still outspeed their old compatriots. Though their maneuverability wasn¡¯t as good as half of a galley.


    The sudden increase in speed alerted the Sea Beasts swimming under the waves. In response to the immortals'' charge, the ocean swelled like a blood clot and rippled.


    From the fleet¡¯s front, a huge tsunami arose, rising as high as seventy meters and as wide as hundreds of meters, and flooded towards them.


    Haiyang estimated that the baochuans could survive, albeit hurt, and Steels wouldn¡¯t even scratch from the impact. The same wouldn¡¯t be the case for the ships at the back.


    In an instant, Emperor Haiyang concluded what he had to do.


    With a flash, he appeared on the edge of the First Steel¡¯s white gleaming hull, on his tiptoes and his purple hair waving around the air.


    Emperor Haiyang narrowed his already slanted eyes, making their golden hue disappear, whilst raising his palms to the sky. The silver and jeweled bracelets around his wrists clanked like metal junk under the pressure.


    ¡®¡¯Mother Of Sea, Mazu, protect your children from the wrath of the sinners.¡¯¡¯ His voice boomed like a horn throughout the sea. The sailors behind him covered their ears and the ones far away started to cheer. No one showed any sign of fear towards the huge tsunami.


    Well, Haiyang also wanted to ensure they wouldn¡¯t.


    Both of his palms started to glow with a royal blue and spread their brilliance like a spider web into the sky. Then everything rumbled.


    The sea, the air, the fleet, the shadows under the ocean¡¯s surface, the Third Sea Emperor launching the tsunami. All shook and trembled and swayed, then a thunderous boom struck.


    Thousands of water giants rose around the fleet, each of them thirty meters. They all stepped on the surface of the water like they walked upon the hard ground and dashed towards the front. Waves rose from their stomps and hiding beasts scattered away in fear of their power.


    ¡®¡¯Peh!¡¯¡¯ A petty, selfish, and also a great leader spat inside the tsunami. Just as the water giants forced themselves into the wave, a huge roar sounded.


    ¡®¡¯RAAAAAAAR! UGH- MY THROAT!¡¯¡¯ An emerald breath of fire swept inside the tsunami towards the giants and evaporated them together with the huge wave. Steam started to cover the ocean''s surface. Haiyang chuckled to himself and moved his hands down, everything rumbled again.


    This time, a phantom appeared behind his back, the shape of a graceful woman carrying a scripture. She opened her mouth and in an instant thousand words flew out of her lips. Whoever heard it became dumbstruck, then nauseous. Ones who couldn¡¯t hold in, namely the Sea Beasts still close, vomited not their meals but fresh blood and chunks of their internal organs.


    ¡®¡¯Damn it, you dirty ruler! Stop your offense!¡¯¡¯


    The Third Sea Emperor realized what Haiyang was after, to reduce their overall combat before an all-out sea battle started.


    After all, in a battle where most numbers concentrated on a single area and multiple strikes were unleashed, the Qi flow around the place would destabilize. Though immortals did not need to control the Qi on their own, even their meridians couldn¡¯t sort out a chaotic wave of energy quick enough to act in a battlefield. And even if they, miraculously, managed to purify and refine the Qi they absorbed to execute a move, the moment they unleashed it the destabilized Qi flow would disturb its components and make its power many, many times weaker than it was.


    That was why numbers were still strong and armies were still raised instead of powerful cultivators. That was also why sects were never considered a force or the lords of a region and were at most schools for local nobles to educate their offspring.


    The only exception was The Sect, though, and Cindersnow was always an exception in every matter.


    But did it matter that he thought of these at this moment? Haiyang could reply, and with a big, strong yes at that! Why?


    Because the sect was gone? No. Because this made him remember the eventual fate this continent would face without a centralized, utmost power which controlled all three of the world; The earth, the heavens, and the ocean, against the Forsakens.


    So he had to act fast. There were no more essence realm cultivators left on the Northern Continent and all the fools at the east and the south would first work for their influence, rather than the external threat.


    Then what he tried to accomplish right now was not foolish? It was. Offending Sea Beasts, the second-largest force of the Beasts wasn¡¯t that intelligent in the absence of The sect. But was it necessary? Yes, and they needed offending them the most right now.


    ¡®¡¯You will pay for this with your life!¡¯¡¯ The Third Sea Emperor rushed out of the veil of the sea he hid under and flashed his draconic, ultramarine scales and silver horns towards Haiyang. Following him thousands, then a dozen thousand sea beasts rose as well.


    Serpents covered in lightning, dolphins with three or four horns on their heads, sea turtles hidden in spiked shells, sharks bearing steel-plated fins and many more rushed out. Waves of smaller beasts chased after them, including sea horses, whales, swordfishes and others.


    Haiyang let out a smile. His pearly white teeth matched the silver horns of the Third Sea Emperor in brilliance as he turned around and opened his third eye again. His invisible consciousness spread over the whole fleet. With a command from him to the skippers, Steels and caravels distanced from their compatriots to cover more area.


    Then Emperor Haiyang, Sixth best admiral of the Haishen Empire and the blessed one of the Mazu, Goddess of the Sea and Maritime, chuckled. Another order followed.


    ¡®¡¯Steels! Aim towards the flashy bastard!¡¯¡¯


    So sixty-nine shots of purple blazing cannonballs flew from the hulls, some over some under the beasts, and rocked the ocean.


    Sea Beasts lost a battle, in their homeland, for the second time in history.


    *********


    The body enchanting was one of the first attempts of the early cultivators to protect themselves from the dangers of the wild world.


    As Quan wrote: ¡®¡¯After the establishment of Qi¡¯s usage, then the first meridians, came the ways on how to control it better, as no race living in the world could survive the wild with only pure power.¡¯¡¯


    And how could they control the wild, unruly Qi without negative consequences? There were many attempts to do before inserting the meridians into the evolutionary cycle of the mortals, of which some were; Blood Spells, Rune Smithing, Celestial Worship(Which still existed in some forms), and last but not least, Body Enchanting.


    To call the Body Enchanting a culmination of all knowledge of the former three wouldn¡¯t be wrong, as other than Celestial Worship that included stealing power from higher beings, the other two methods stemmed from the beasts¡¯ and humans¡¯ power. But the innate strength of the beasts, humans, or even the Celestial Beings were never powerful enough.


    Only nature reigned, and nature encompassed the entire universe.


    So, from the start, all these paths, supported not by nature but by the fragile constitutions, led to a dead end. For Blood Spells it was Qi Creation, for Rune Smithing it was Qi destruction. For Celestial Worship, it was half-step into Path Finding and Body Enchanting made one go as far as the second layer of Path Finding.


    Which was only a level above of Ubel¡¯s former cultivation base.


    So regaining a semblance of his old power-nay, a little bit of a stronger strength was in the realm of possibilities for him. But Body Enchanting wouldn¡¯t help with his control over Qi, nor would it enable him to get stronger more than that. It wasn¡¯t called a dead-end for nothing, after all. But it was power, and he needed it.


    Why was he to cultivate this technique for personal strength in the first place? The reasons Quan gave were more than a few, but two of them struck him the most because of his recent experience.


    ¡®¡¯Since the sect left the continent for good or bad, whichever only light knows, there will be more opportunities for new powers to rise. First ones will be vassal empires, seconds in the line will be religions, and the third ones will be the criminals. To protect yourself from the third, you need to know how to hide. To protect from the second, you need to know how to talk. But to protect yourself from the first, you need power. Actually, you will need power for each, but the first needs the most. And your most, my disciple, might be the worst of your compatriots.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯...And to talk about the difference between the religions you do know of their backgrounds and ones you don¡¯t, the most dangerous ones are the anonymous ones. Mazu, Brynhildr, Hades, and other well-known celestials have what they wish from the start. But the small ones still seek power. They need to establish themselves as an influence first, then as a deity. They can¡¯t contend with other celestial beings for control, so they are prone to steal from the weaker ones, the mortals. If you ever fail to meet eye to eye with an unknown power, beware, as no celestial being will tolerate ones aiming to take them down.¡¯¡¯


    Ubel only wished he read these lines before. But even he knew he was too much of a greedy person to ignore these as well. In front of an investment that could lead him to a future he longed to see, no warnings could sway him from that decision. Even now, there was a small whisper in his heart that told him to approach The Raven again. He was one who had a great deal of knowledge it seemed, and also a power that might as well be as great as his knowledge.


    But there would be a price. Definitely a big one as well. Then why bother? Ubel didn¡¯t thirst for knowledge right now. So the whisper couldn¡¯t be much of a trouble in his mind.


    For the moment, of course, as right now there was something that troubled him more.


    He stood among the last few trees separating the yellow and wetted brown sand from the green earth of the Orabura, peeking from a birch tree¡¯s trunk. Dozens of meters away from him laid a sea beast on the beach, in a greenish pool of blood of its own. Its ragged breathing echoed louder than the crashing waves¡¯ sounds and the oily stench from its body suppressed the clear breeze of the ocean.


    A sea beast? It was clearly one. The important questions were, however, what kind of a sea beast it was and how high its cultivation reached.


    Ubel didn¡¯t even want to test the waters with the thing. Its visible upper body alone was around fifty to sixty meters it seemed and from the angle it coiled like a serpent¡¯s body, it had to be thrice as long as that. The light blue scales on its body and the grey horns on its bloody head also gleamed with a threatening light. All in all, Ubel had a hunch that this thing could kill ten of him at his peak state.


    Not eleven of him, though.


    Ubel took three steps back. He made no sound. He slightly turned around, looked once more from his shoulders to the sea beat, then ran.


    He ran with all his might, leaves flew up and trees shook as he got away from the shore as fast as possible.


    Hell, he wouldn¡¯t experience the same thing over and over again for nothing. He was too ignorant of a kid but at least, he wasn¡¯t that much of an idiot.


    But the not idiot Ubel, after going back and resting for two more days, came back to the shore to find the sea beast again in curiosity.


    He found it at the same place, to his luck.


    This time alive and less injured.


    And also angry.

 47- Immortal Of The Forest (1)

    Ubel ran again.


    His feet stomped on brown soil, green grass, fallen leaves, and pebbles. He leaped above protruding roots and slid under the thick crowd of branches he encountered every once in a while. Behind him, a sound boomed like the slithering of a snake, and it was, and booms and shakings of the fallen or broken trees followed. Ubel could pick out the traces of a rough yet powerful breathing chasing after his neck. But most frightening was the creep washing over him. The sense of being observed, the emotion that made him aware of something that gazed at him so bad that only his death could substitute its volume.


    But he was lucky enough, and also careful. He saw the beast flung its gigantic maw full of sword-like teeth from the corner of his eyes. With a push from his dirtied tiptoes, he leaped up and clutched a chipped branch, the momentum itself propelled him towards the next one. An agile monkey would fare better than him still, but the extent of his agility and benefit of the knowledge of the terrain favored his chances.


    A roar sounded, slithering frenzied, and the temperature plunged.


    Ubel swung his tired arms and forced his hurt wrist to move erratically, almost breaking the connection between the joints and bones. His body shot to the right into a puddle of water, Ubel rolled and stood upright again without a stop. He felt a chill permeate the surrounding, in front of him a dozen oak trees transformed to ice sculptings.


    And an explosion occurred.


    A great deal of Qi of the immediate area puffed out into nothingness like the burst of a bubble. At the same instant an aquamarine blue, mixed with soft-grey hurled towards Ubel- no, to the twenty-meter circle around the sea beast. Another sound captured Ubel¡¯s attention, one that blinded all senses but his feeling.


    ¡®¡¯GUEWUGUSU-BRGHHHHH...!¡¯¡¯ He screamed and flew up from the impact. His eyes blinded and ears deafened by the almost white, Ubel stormed in the air while the rising circular dome of explosion extended over its initial area. Ubel swept the floors with his body for a few meters, only to be sent away like a ragdoll again. The dome expanded and turned into the shape of a ring that slashed through the obstacles. Long grasses and plants and trees split into two, one part froze and the other turned into particles while Ubel didn¡¯t suffer anymore, for the ring passed right above his nose by a few centimeters, as he couldn¡¯t get himself to rise.


    Following a whoosh, the presence and the sound of the explosion ended, only to rise again for the last time. The ring exploded into a circle of milky white fire, it spread wild and wide and boomed again. At that time Ubel regained his sight. His ears still tingled and all he heard was an incomprehensible buzzing. This, however, didn¡¯t stop him from swaying to the side and pushing himself up the ground. The moment Ubel regained his balance on two feet, he shot towards his left. Ten seconds passed, he approached the ring of fire, which froze and rose into a wall of ice. The buzzing in his ears decreased by each second and step, but the lack of pressure behind confused him.


    Was he not being followed?


    I still could be, or the beast might be tired from that attack. It can be some kind of sacrificial art or even a derogatory one. Why would the beast execute a magical ability like that, though? They regenerate by either eating flesh or devouring natural Qi. Expending some amount of his leftover to gain a bigger lump from me would be beneficial.


    But Ubel¡¯s train of thought could be wrong as well. They could do other things to rejuvenate their lost flesh and blood, most of them even peaceful solutions that wouldn¡¯t harm anyone. In this case, however, stealing one another''s was the fastest way that led to peak condition. But were the beasts too brazen to kill a post-immortal without a grudge? They weren¡¯t.


    The status of the other races, excluding forsakens, was way too low in the northern continent dominated by The Sect, Cindersnow. Unlike vassal empires, The Sect didn¡¯t have another high authority restricting their movements and with the backing of thirteen colossal beings called Essence Realm Cultivators, where there were only twenty throughout the world, no other race could stand up to them. The status quo itself was already broken by the overbearing power difference at the beginning, so the later actions of The Sect to prioritize mortals right above all others did not need any deep justification. A smooth, not flawless, but a decent lie to gather the masses of unwitty mortals and immortals were enough to allow the occurred events bordering atrocities or genocides to make the other races submit to their authority exist.


    Ubel was aware of this one way or another even before going through the so-called secret messages of the past figures. From primeval times to the period of Nine Gods Of The Deep Seas, to the God¡¯s Nation era and The Great Shattering. From the establishment of The Sect a thousand years ago to the Rise Of Prominence it experienced nine centuries before now. The men and women who wrote letters and messages and books and notes and scrolls and advice and warnings to the future from those periods, Ubel knew of what they told long before knowing their statements. He knew how The Sect was a natural slavemaker even before reading through the biased evidence. Although he didn¡¯t want to further continue this sickening train of thought, there was a point he had to make and that point needed the support called The Sect¡¯s slaving attitude.


    The point was, the beasts were slaves. But strong ones that could overthrow the normal empires and the most fortified cities in a few years if left uncontrolled. They could dominate the sea and the sky, only the land was safe from their terror. And the biggest restraint on these mindless slaves was The Sect, their methods of slaving through force and exemplary acts of derisive attention caused them to be the master. And if they were the master, the Northern Continent was like the children of the master.


    It was apparent what would happen to the child of the master without the latter¡¯s presence.


    So...did the sect finally leave?


    That was the point. That was what he derived from this one act. His mind acted unusually quick in the face of danger, from the boost of his survival instincts. And the small revelation reminded him of another thing once said in Quan¡¯s notes.


    ¡®¡¯The Sect¡¯s absence doesn¡¯t mean liberation for mortals, it is the day the others escape from the suffering. And those others are not, and won¡¯t be ever merciful.¡¯¡¯


    Ubel snuck a peek behind. The body of the almost two hundred meters draconic water snake stopped slithering after a while. It crooked its head through a few tree lines and gazed at Ubel with slitted, pale yellow eyes. It didn¡¯t move, Ubel didn¡¯t stop.


    With a breath, Qi enveloping his being whizzed and coagulated into a hard substance like tree bark, covering him from head to toe in a shining blue screen. It took four seconds for it to start brightening and the moment it did, Ubel¡¯s speed increased by two-folds.


    Like lightning, he leaped and smashed his shoulder into the crystalline walls. Cracks spread first, then fractures, and at last, the wall crumbled into shards of ice. Ubel rushed forward and disappeared into the forest. He didn¡¯t dare to look back.


    The beast fell to the ground in exhaustion a few minutes later, near the coastline Ubel found it.


    It never stood up again and the waves of Grand Ocean swallowed the colossal body.


    *********


    How beautiful-


    It was the middle of the day, nowhere near past noon, and the Sun imposed its ability to give life with light to its utmost. Feathers of the birds Ubel hunted stuck to the hexagonal ceiling, the white ones and the grey ones decorated their sides whilst at the center sprawled out the greatest of them all, the black feathers of the ravens.


    There were gaps between them, of course, and a few streaks of illuminating gold pierced through the little ones to shine over Hong Seng¡¯s robe. His flowered robe, embroidered by himself onto a black cloth The Raven provided to all his followers. There were crimson red lotuses and royal blue daisies, former at the back and the latter on the front. The clothing was light and when touched, felt like the wool of a puffy sheep.


    Contrary to his clothes, though, the light gray floor he kneeled was quite crude. It was cold, too, and in normal cases, the dust and dirt would accumulate over time to make them lose their color. But he was a devout one. Like how he had been doing for the past hour, Hong Seng always cleaned around the Shrine Of The Raven for four to five hours. He would sweep the floors, wipe the walls, wash the gates, and tidy up the feathers(Which he used Qi to do, else it would be impossible.) He also watered the few new plants and trees that emerged overnight around the shrine, they were a fine addition to the grand humbleness of his lord¡¯s abode.


    Then there was the smell, or the scent of a cold winter breeze drifting inside, mixed with freshly butchered meat. There were none of the both though, only incenses with corresponding flavored fumes, and they were more than enough for The Raven to enjoy them a bit.


    And it seemed his lord was in quite a good mood today as he received one order or another to move things from place to place. Not that they had many things, Hong Seng still planned to buy some furniture both for himself and the potential brothers and sisters in faith. And he was low on incense, too.


    Once Hong Seng put two purple cushions in front of the spiraling dais the shape of a cone, he realized there would be a visitor. Who is it? He thought and looked over at the gates.


    The sound of boiling and puffing of steam awoke him from his stuptor. Oh, tea. He ran back inside to grab three cups and the steaming teapot, which he brought into the room at a moment¡¯s notice.


    ¡®¡¯I-am-here!¡¯¡¯ On top of the spiraling circular dais, an eye materialized with a sheen orange glow, size of an adult¡¯s fist. Of course, it was Hong Seng¡¯s lord The Raven. ¡®¡¯My poor zealot, get the bottle I asked you to acquire.¡¯¡¯ His voice followed his appearance.


    ¡®¡¯The medicine? Of course, my lord!¡¯¡¯ Hong Seng beamed at the order and strode inside again, this time into his private chambers with nothing but a pillow and a long mattress to sleep on. Right beside his cyan, swollen pillow stood the bottle of medicine he received from the Denizage. He plucked it and returned to his lord¡¯s side.


    ¡®¡¯Mix half of it with the tea, keep the rest to give as a gift. Our guest will be coming in a minute or two.¡¯¡¯ Hong Seng affirmed the order and opened the lid of the reddened silver teapot, poured half a pint, then closed the cap. He shook the teapot a few times to mix them good and fine and once he was done, The Raven followed with another command.


    ¡®¡¯Open the gates, I will pour the tea myself.¡¯¡¯ Hong Seng found his heart beating faster than a second before. Who was this individual so important that his lord chose to act this courteous? Were they another deity, an emperor, or a hall master? Because in the fifteen years he studied under the Central Shrine, he learned that his lord was only benevolent and intimate to those belonging to the groups mentioned.


    Is it Mazu? Her home is the closest to us. Or the Emperor Haiyang?


    These were the only two appearing in his mind.


    Two deep knocks sounded from the timber gates. Hong¡¯s eyes lit up and he reached out to the handles. He pulled inside.


    ¡®¡¯Welcome, welco-¡¯¡¯ Hong Seng gave a junior¡¯s bow before looking up.


    The result was much different than his imagination.


    The boy only cast him a curious, yet distant glance. His right hand clutched the side of his left shoulder, from the gap between his fingers Hong Seng saw small tears. The almost non-existent Qi in his body was also somewhat chaotic and the hem of his robes looked worn out.


    But these details didn¡¯t matter to Hong Seng. Because he froze under the assault of that single glance. Why was it so distant, even though they weren¡¯t even close before? Or rather, it was Ubel being cautious, wary of him, and not being distant. He was before, but now more than in the past. They had no feeling against each other more than that of a business relationship, too, so it was natural. And it wasn¡¯t that Hong Seng hoped more than that, even though he was no fool that would trust a random youth from the start. Especially when he bore the brunt of an important task.


    But the problem wasn¡¯t that. He felt hurt because Ubel was a youth. However chary he was before, he still had some kind of a gleam in his eyes that showed his young spirit; that he was a resilient, free and strong-willed, bright youngster. That was the gaze Hong Seng had seen and still hoped to see in the eyes of all young men and women he met. And his hopes being dashed, that gaze going awry, and a small thing he cared about being destroyed by his own hands was too regretful.


    Yes, regretful. Even though it wasn¡¯t fully his fault, and he wished only good fortune upon the young man who helped him realize the quest he had for more than three decades, it was still by his own hands, wasn¡¯t it?


    But then it was his lord, The Raven, who led him here to seek out a young man with short dark hair and tanned, almost brown skin. The Raven also told that he was a cripple with a dream out of reach, a goal that his lord could help the young man achieve. And he promised rewards, too, to both of them.


    But Hong Seng saw no rewards. He was pained, Ubel was warier and unconvinced of him, and his lord laughed merrily as Ubel walked past Hong Seng without saying any word.


    ¡®¡¯So, bearer of my own. How come you are so hasty to meet with me again?¡¯¡¯ The vomit-green eye sent an amicable aura.


    Ubel didn¡¯t seem to mind his lord more than he cared for Hong Seng and sat down on the cushion at the dais¡¯ right. Ubel didn¡¯t answer until Hong Seng hurried towards their side and crouched on the cushion, sneaking pitiful glances at Ubel.


    ¡®¡¯Haaah-¡¯¡¯ Ubel sighed, and a deep one that he didn¡¯t utter for some months. ¡®¡¯Were you aware of the sect¡¯s circumstances?¡¯¡¯ He asked.Stolen story; please report.


    The Raven¡¯s eye smiled and opened his mouth. Hong Seng, however, chose to stay silent.


    He had no authority to take a word in this conversation.


    *********


    ¡®¡¯Before that-¡¯¡¯ The Raven said, ¡®¡¯-drink some tea. It is Hong¡¯s gift. My poor zealot has been upset lately for the crime he committed against you.¡¯¡¯ A transparent blue tendril shot out of the golden eye and writhed the handle of the teapot. A few swings and all three cups were full, so The Raven pulled back his tentacle.


    Repenting for someone¡¯s own failures is normal. It was common sense to do so, no matter how prideful or narcissistic the immortals were. After all, today¡¯s ant could grow into tomorrow¡¯s mammoth, and tomorrow¡¯s mammoth could soar the skies like a dragon a day after. Unless you had the power, wit, and backing to stomp the ant and its nest completely, it could come back to bite you back again.


    ¡®¡¯He feels sorry for the mistake you made?¡¯¡¯ Ubel murmured. ¡®¡¯Idiocy.¡¯¡¯ But he still reached out for the cup of bright red tea. He took a sip and felt the life force inside him sprung up like a spring. As if he ate a ball of blazing fire, his belly burnt and the heat climbed up to his throat, where it turned into a mist.


    Ubel exhaled from his nostrils and expelled the remaining steam. At the same time the shock he suffered from the explosion substituted, his shoulder, wrist, and the back felt better.


    ¡®¡¯It is not in my interest, bearer of my own.¡¯¡¯ Said The Raven. ¡®¡¯See my poor zealot¡¯s act how you wish, but don¡¯t burden him with the price of your emotions. He still has believers to gather and quests to accomplish. In that case, it would be natural and fit for me to put the responsibility on you when his results deviate from the desirable outcome.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯...Fine,¡¯¡¯ Ubel put down the crow patterned teacup on the floor. There were still left enough for two sips. ¡®¡¯In that case, would you like me to get to the point? Or would it be easier to answer the question I wanted to ask yourself, O mighty Raven?¡¯¡¯ Though he said the last few words with an ironic tone, Ubel felt that The Raven was fond of the fake compliments.


    But it was only an intuition, and since he did not know what a supposed deity like The Raven found hilarious, it was hard to derive the truth. Of course, deities weren¡¯t people fond of humor. But any other effect or interaction differing from their plain life of battles, intrigues, and plots were like a brush of new paint on a three colored canvas. They were not always fond of it, but a change was nevertheless intriguing.


    ¡®¡¯I do know of what you want to learn about the situation of The Sect-¡¯¡¯ The Raven said, this didn¡¯t surprise anyone. ¡®¡¯-but I do not know why you wish to learn. Would your heart care enough to explain, bearer of my own?¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯If I were to answer, would you remove the costs of the future questions I ask, O¡¯ Raven?¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Never.¡¯¡¯ The answer came spontaneously. The Raven¡¯s eye frowned like that of a thunderstorm in dark clouds, even the golden illuminance of the Sun vanished for a moment from Ubel and Hong¡¯s sight.


    ¡®¡¯No matter what kind of an answer you give, its worth won¡¯t go beyond satisfying a small curiosity of mine. Contrary to you, how much my words worth, bearer of my own? I present you a knowledge, an opportunity that might alter what you will do or where you will go, and what you will wish to do in the future. In that case, do you find it rational that I would harm myself like this?¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Of course not. But considering the special bond between us, maybe you could do a small kindness?¡¯¡¯ Ubel tried his luck. The Raven¡¯s frown softened, then the intent of smile appeared on the eye. He also understood what Ubel secondly said.


    And the third question in Ubel¡¯s mind found its answer by the small mistake The Raven committed. The Raven showed a small part of its nature.


    ¡®¡¯Fine- fine! Pray tell, bearer of my own, how long did you think trick? In these three days we were apart, how much those seventy-two hours you spent on this?¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯More than enough for you to now know.¡¯¡¯ Said Ubel. Ubel also knew he wasn¡¯t a genius. Only under danger, when his survival instincts worked on full power did the gears hidden in his mind start to revolve, making him able to pick out several scenarios with most benefit out of many more. Excluding those, he wasn¡¯t a man who thought clever. If he was, he would know from the start to not mess with The Raven, or get things clear with his grandmother. But he didn¡¯t. That¡¯s why he spent most of his time to think about this. He had to close the gap between his and others¡¯ mental capacity with more effort and time.


    ¡®¡¯...I see.¡¯¡¯ Raven fell silent. The color of his eye withered and left its place to a deep gray. He seemed to be thinking.


    ¡®¡¯Ubel.¡¯¡¯ Then Hong Seng opened his mouth for the first time. With his palm, he pointed at Ubel¡¯s chestnut-colored, worn-out leather robe. ¡®¡¯If you want, I can stitch up the shorn places.¡¯¡¯


    Priest Hong still looked at him with empty, meaningless eyes. Ubel stopped for two seconds. Not because he had nothing to say, but for the reason that he didn¡¯t want to say. At last, he gave up.


    ¡®¡¯Of course, priest Hong.¡¯¡¯ He said and set loose the white strings connecting the front of his robes. In case his clothes got dirty, Ubel wore sleeveless tunics under his robes. Today, he had one with a color reminiscent of yellowed teeth. While Hong Seng inspected the strange color, Ubel tidied up the robe and placed them on priest Hong¡¯s empty palms. ¡®¡¯Here,¡¯¡¯


    Hong Seng nodded. ¡®¡¯I¡¯ll be in the backroom, stitching. It will at most take two or three minutes.¡¯¡¯ He stood up. Leaving behind his full cup of tea, Hong Seng left with hard sounds of his footsteps and disappeared.


    Ubel swung the cup and drank the leftover two sips of his tea, placed it gently on the floor, and then started to wait for The Raven.


    Once the steam rising from the cups halted and they turned lukewarm did The Raven¡¯s eye shone. He was back.


    ¡®¡¯I¡¯ve received what you wish to know.¡¯¡¯ His voice sounded a tad bit strange. He looked sour.


    ¡®¡¯Then before explaining, tell me about what you want from me.¡¯¡¯ Asked Ubel.


    ¡®¡¯...are you aware that you, once more, request me to harm myself?¡¯¡¯ The Raven¡¯s voice rose a notch.


    ¡®¡¯I am. Yet, how am I supposed to be aware that your desire won¡¯t put me in danger The mighty Raven? Or how will I know of the thing you want of me is, or could be, something I won¡¯t ever agree to do? Simply, I can¡¯t.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Then if there is something you want to know, go along and learn it yourself.¡¯¡¯ Said The Raven. ¡®¡¯But when will you be able to go, alone? If your conscience allows you to leave that old woman behind once more, proceed to do so. Even if you do it, all you¡¯ll be able to learn without the right people or correct connections would be rumors talked around the quarrelsome women or addicted men in brothels.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯And your connections do not include brothels?¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Do you intend to anger me? Or are you here to play with me?¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯All I need is for you to tell me what I need to do.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯...fine, then.¡¯¡¯ The Raven spoke after a brief moment of silence. ¡®¡¯I want you to protect my poor zealot.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Protect? From what?¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯From whom, you need to ask.¡¯¡¯ The Raven corrected. ¡®¡¯The fact is, even if the poor zealot works harder than ever, all he could accomplish would be to get one or two simpleton villagers to put their faith in me. For worse, since he is powerless and my name is unknown, his likelihood of getting hunted down by Mazu¡¯s believers or Imperial Family is too high. He can¡¯t preserve by himself.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯You don¡¯t expect me to shield him from a whole nation¡¯s pressure, do you?¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Perhaps yes,¡¯¡¯ The eye smiled. ¡®¡¯But for now, it won¡¯t be possible. I already ordered some of my third and second tiered believers the day you built the shrine. The earliest should be here in eighteen, the latest around ninety-two days. In that period, you need to keep my priest safe.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Isn¡¯t this harming yourself that you avoided so much? If he does nothing these following three weeks, he won¡¯t get into any trouble. What need is there for my presence?¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Ah bearer of my own, the blessings of a deity on a believer can be seen by none others. Only blessed believers can see other blessings. No sane religion that lived and spread its roots in these areas for centuries will let go of some random minions of...unknown masters. Particularly around this time.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯It comes down to the same thing. Lock him up here a bit and it will be fine.¡¯¡¯ Ubel snorted. ¡®¡¯Or do they have some super-effective tracking information or something?¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯That is what we call deities, yes.¡¯¡¯ Ubel froze in his place. Of course, different deities could also give information about other deities¡¯ believers. It wasn¡¯t an ability singular to The Raven.


    ¡®¡¯Hong has been marked since he visited the Denizage before encountering you. There is no probable activity I expect from them, those with already established power won¡¯t bother to raise their hairy bellies from their sweaty beds. For a month, you will be fine. But I don¡¯t like to take chances.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯None of us does.¡¯¡¯ Ubel shook his head. ¡®¡¯But...let me think of it.¡¯¡¯ He said, ¡®¡¯I¡¯ll be back tomorrow to say my word.¡¯¡¯ and finished.


    The Raven waved up and down to give his approval. ¡®¡¯Then, some other time.¡¯¡¯ He blinked and vanished, leaving a spark of fire in the wake of his absence.


    As Ubel stood up, Hong Seng walked towards him with Ubel¡¯s robe in hand. ¡®¡¯Here you go.¡¯¡¯ He gave it to Ubel, who donned it in seconds.


    ¡®¡¯Thank you for your hospitality, priest Hong.¡¯¡¯ Ubel clasped his fists.


    ¡®¡¯Then farewell.¡¯¡¯ Hong Seng did the same and Ubel left the shrine.


    While going back to his house, Ubel felt something poke from the inner pocket of his robe. He reached inside and took out a red, crystalline vial half-full of green liquid.


    He sighed and put it back.


    Today, he didn¡¯t feel like thinking anymore.


    *********


    The next day, Ubel walked into the Shrine Of The Raven again.


    He received a much different welcome than yesterday, not the kind where he felt like a respected elder. Hong greeted him with a small nod and ¡®¡¯My lord is waiting for you.¡¯¡¯ Then retreated. There were no cushions on the floor nor any tea prepared, again. Ubel somehow liked the taste of it, it would¡¯ve been a nice addition.


    But he didn¡¯t linger further. Stepping inside, he faced with The Raven who blinked into existence above the dais again. The eye swum in the air around him once, at a breakneck speed rounded the room, and came right in front of his nose.


    ¡®¡¯I¡¯ll assume you¡¯re willing?¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯I am.¡¯¡¯ Ubel¡¯s reply was curt. ¡®¡¯But I have no mind to listen what you will tell now.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Hmm...as you wish.¡¯¡¯ The Raven didn¡¯t question his decision. ¡®¡¯Then, get prepared. I¡¯ve seen some movements around Koyh. Also, a priestess of Mazu appeared in the Kabsah. And...¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯And?¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯A fleet of two-hundred ships arrived at the port of Denizage. They are unrelated to you, for now, the conquest of the western Great Ocean exhausted them enough. But there are at least sixty priests and priestesses onboard.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯...can I take back my word?¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯No, you can¡¯t.¡¯¡¯ The Raven¡¯s eye smiled. ¡®¡¯I will make sure my home will last longer than a few days. Else, I would be a laughingstock among the others.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Good luck in that, mighty Raven.¡¯¡¯ Ubel sighed.


    ¡®¡¯Say that to yourself, bearer of my own.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯I do, I¡¯ll do.¡¯¡¯ Ubel nodded. ¡®¡¯Then how strong are your opposers?¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯The priestess is a path finder. The ones that caught my eye in Koyh were seven people, four in Qi Creation, three in Qi destruction. One of them was a second layer.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Oh.¡¯¡¯ That was...easier than expected? No, it shouldn¡¯t be, Ubel reassessed his state. Cindersnow cultivators were stronger than the norm, that was what people thought. But Ubel saw people that could triumph most of the disciples at his level in Yadratafos, especially Yuan Shu, who struck down goliaths that could fight off ten or fifteen cultivators of the same rank.


    But that wasn¡¯t cultivation power, was it? It was battle experience and skill. Not divine abilities, but the proficiency of knowing how to fight that could be learned with dire risks. Unlike the disciples of Cindersnow, who spent most of their life on a mountain and sparred against themselves or puppets, those in Yadratafos were real immortals. Who could say his opponents were not a bunch like them?


    Or who could say they weren¡¯t? Cindersnow was too peaceful of a place. So much that the first time Ubel looked into the world in Yadratafos with his third eye, he felt unsettled. The blood and pus-like brown dirt floating in the air was the direct opposite of the sect. Although he hadn¡¯t seen the exact thing because of his inability to open the third eye at that time, Ubel knew that sect¡¯s air was composed of nothing but clear Qi. This was a piece of solid evidence to the contrast between two places.


    One was the epitome of the immortals¡¯ dreams and power, a pure and protected mountain. The other was a city in the wild, restrained Northern Continent. The one who adapted to harsher conditions would always be better prepared than the lofty one sitting on his cushion.


    And Ubel was the latter.


    ¡®¡¯Interesting. You don¡¯t seem to understand the merits of The Sect¡¯s hunting arts.¡¯¡¯ The Raven commented from the side. Ubel woke from his stupor and gazed into the huge eye. Ubel shook his head.


    ¡®¡¯Anything left?¡¯¡¯ The Raven¡¯s eye swung from side to side. ¡®¡¯Then, I¡¯ll be going.¡¯¡¯


    ¡¯¡¯Then, bearer of my own, I hope you¡¯ll keep our home safe.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Farewell.¡¯¡¯


    The eye blinked out of existence again, a golden spark was left on the dais. Ubel swept his gaze around but couldn¡¯t spot Hong Seng. He must have been in one of those back rooms, Ubel assumed, and left on his own.


    He had quite a lot of work to do.


    *********


    Baldusta was on fire.


    The deep crimson of the fires burnt everything on their way to crisps. Bloody stenches and decapitated bodies scattered, abound, on the rocky roads and bridges of the city. The terrorizing scarlet gleamed from the eyes of dazed. From the blades and spears lying with no owners, or with the severed palms of their past beholders.


    Adobes and three-floored mansions made of dirt, earth, and wood let the stench of ash and crumbled into piles of black dust. Above them, flappings of wings and booming crashes of soundwaves sounded. Among the pedestrians running to the north towards the shelters and City Hall, earth loosened and centipedes rushed out.


    Their clanky claws around their poisoned mouths chattered and squashed around the legs and ankles of whoever they could reach. With screams and wails people fell to the ground, then dove down to the earth to be buried alive. Then more and more shot out.


    Bong! Bong!


    Bells atop the hall monastery rung out deep and loud. The six-floored, ink-black cathedral with two towers of double the length at its front opened the blood engraved doors for any near survivor. The frantic mass squirmed towards the place, struggling to pass the huge crowd over their sight to safety.


    Then a buzz echoed.


    Everyone¡¯s breathing fastened. The ones at the forefront punched their thighs and stomped harder to move further, the ones at the middle started to yell for the front to move faster, the ones at the back clawed the ones in the middle with frenzy. Wails rose, the buzzing rounded around the monastery once.


    Then one of the two towers brightened.


    A red so scarlet, so crimson, so deep exploded into action. A three-layered ring of fire appeared right above the bells bound to their flat tips, where stood three men and women in yellow blood draped leather cloaks. Their eyes widened as each ring expanded, first double the size of the second, the second double the size of the third. They swirled, sucked the Qi in the air like a vacuum.


    Then let loose.


    A deep buzz deafened everyone near the monastery. Ones who screamed found their voice disappear and the ones clawing their way found their hands melting. The ones at the forefront already disappeared into liquid flesh and bones. One second passed and the former two realized the horror. Eyes narrowed into needle points and breaths were held, the air sucked in burnt the lungs.


    Two seconds passed. The monastery¡¯s top liquefied into black magma and flowed into the sheltered people inside. A gaping hole melted and shoved down into the emerald halls and golden seats. At the three-second mark, no one could utter an itch before turning into dissolved muscle.


    Bong! Bong! Bong!


    The bells continued to ring deep and loud. This time it was three strikes, and the ones who were rushing from afar, and were perturbed by the miniature sun scorching the surroundings of the monastery, gasped in fear. Then the tide of people incoming revolved with the same speed, hurrying to another safe place. After the seven-second mark, bells stopped.


    The buzz then flew over to the third monastery and there was no one that could stop her.


    *********


    The next day, Su¡¯en received news from the Blood King of the Blood Hall amid his preparations.


    The evil sects had raided the forsaken city, Baldusta.


    The hallmaster...passed away.

 48- Immortal Of The Forest (2)

    Ubel threw the shovel in his hands aside and stomped on the ground.


    His stomp caused the pit he dug to shatter into smaller bits, the man-sized hole widened into one that could trap four or five men of average size.


    Then Ubel leaped out and took the spikes the same height as him, landed back, and planted them vertically to make the sharpened tips at the top. Once done, he left the pit and shoved some dirt and leaves onto the top, supported by small beams of wood to hold them on the surface.


    Behind him, there were more of these types of traps. Some the same, some different. And Ubel did the same things throughout the southwest entrance of the forest, at least the portion that was closest to the shrine. It was a boring task to spend two weeks to plant some traps that would prove at most mildly effective.


    But it was as needed as it was boring.


    Ubel didn¡¯t have the thought that he could fight those people head-on by himself, perhaps. And the damned Raven refused to turn Hong into the beast he was the night they met.


    ¡®¡¯It was one time of a thing, my power is always in need elsewhere. This is, after all, not the only place I try to expand.¡¯¡¯ He said, and Ubel didn¡¯t swallow that lie.


    It was clear The Raven intended him to suffer, even if there was truth to his words. And Ubel didn¡¯t like this feeling of being tested, it gave him a mild disgust. This was kind of an alien experience.


    But he agreed, and what he would get out of this would be, perhaps, more profitable than a few wounds. And so did Hong Seng thought, who tried to amend himself. It wasn¡¯t helping that he always expressed how generous and merciful his lord was in updating him with the knowledge of the supposed assaulters.


    Well, that was what any decent employer would do, yes?


    *********


    Ubel sat on a cushion in front of the dais again, with the sole company of priest Hong and a boiling kettle of tea.


    Hong Seng grasped the kettle from the handle and poured the reddish tea into the crow engraved, green teacups. These were different from the ones he served before, as rather than carrying enough to sip three or four times they could contain far more. These cups were longer, too, and had no handle to hold.


    Ubel held one with his bare hand and felt a slight surge of heat pass through his palm. Kind of lukewarm, a notch hotter but not disturbing. It was a kind of flow, one that made him cozy inside.


    ¡®¡¯Did you always have a collection of these?¡¯¡¯ Ubel asked after taking a small sip. It tasted bitter.


    ¡®¡¯You mean the cups? I did,¡¯¡¯ Hong Seng said. ¡®¡¯And the leaves too. They are tasty, relieve stress, and can heal minor injuries. Most of my fellow believers carry the same set as well.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯They should be pricey though,¡¯¡¯ Ubel guessed. ¡®¡¯A few pills that can heal wounds and replenish energy would be a better choice, wouldn¡¯t it?¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Perhaps for you, Ubel.¡¯¡¯ Hong Seng said, taking a sip himself. ¡®¡¯But for us, it is better to have something that deals with both mental and muscle fatigue. Our task is not to engage in battles and get ourselves wounded, we are to travel from place to place and make people aware of our lord¡¯s glory.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯And it is easier to make conversations with some high-quality drink, I assume?¡¯¡¯ Ubel asked, gazing down at the ripples on the teacup.


    ¡®¡¯It is, fortunately. It helped out a lot around the central regions and western shores. Villages around there have near to none tea supplies, so most elders were enthusiastic about welcoming me.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Central regions? How come? I heard from a close friend¡¯s family that they have one of the largest plantations there. And pretty high quality, too.¡¯¡¯ Ubel said.


    ¡®¡¯They do, and they are controlled by strict regulations. There are a few listed luxury items in the continent, tea leaves are considered to be the eighth-most expensive and those plantations, no matter how large they are, can¡¯t produce enough for widespread use. To buy, people need to visit big cities who import them from Karnival or the towns around it, namely Chafee or Watwe. Two dozen villages also have some, but theirs are a pretty small amount and they are prohibited from expanding the farm. Or selling it to others, Emperor Shuangxing doesn¡¯t permit unless it is for personal use.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Why does he go through all that trouble? It must be hard to keep track of each individual¡¯s gardens and the amount of tea in the market.¡¯¡¯ It was a bit inconceivable that an empire would dedicate its resources to such a regulation, from Ubel¡¯s viewpoint.


    ¡®¡¯The demand is easily ten times of the supply, and this reflects on the prices as well. The more supply catches up to the demand, the less valuable the goods will be. To reap the most benefit it is essential to put some restrictions on the growth of the industry, especially when it is something that can be replicated by lone individuals.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Well, then other countries?¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Climate. Building restricted areas and shaping the terrain to grow out of season and weather herbs is a way, but it is not permanent. The cost is too much to even consider growing tea leaves, which doesn¡¯t benefit the investor, and Shuanguang won¡¯t permit such an action. At least under the covers. In open, they wouldn¡¯t have anything much to say or do.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯...unnecessarily complex,¡¯¡¯ Ubel said and sighed. He took a large sip, a quarter of the cup¡¯s contents disappeared into his belly. ¡®¡¯So, considering they are a luxury, how come you have such a wide collection?¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Smuggling. The Raven is fond of tea as much as he likes the stench of fresh meat and most of our funds come from smuggling goods through small-scale organizations, who in turn sell them to higher authorities to spread around. As teas are one of his favorites, our roots run a bit deep in the business as well.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯So the scraps are left to you? Good light.¡¯¡¯ Ubel said. ¡®¡¯But I thought a deity would be more...unwilling, to participate in lowly acts like thievery? The Raven, does he not frown upon this?¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯We don¡¯t act solely upon my lord¡¯s orders.¡¯¡¯ Hong Seng¡¯s voice rose a notch and his chest swelled. ¡®¡¯Most of the actions are planned by us, then it is left to my lord to decide. If he approves and finds it not detrimental to his image or power, we go with it. And if he refuses, other ideas are made until we find one pleasing to our Lord.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Interesting enough,¡¯¡¯ Ubel said. ¡®¡¯Priest Hong, you are pretty proud of your lord.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯I am. He is my Lord and my savior.¡¯¡¯ Hong Seng cracked a smile. ¡®¡¯One can¡¯t be proud enough with someone of his existence.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯You¡¯ve spoken too much, my poor zealot.¡¯¡¯ A voice sounded beside their ears and a mist rose from the dais. This time, there as no eye rising and greeting them. ¡®¡¯Bearer of my own, how have you been doing?¡¯¡¯ He sounded weary.


    ¡®¡¯Surprisingly good,¡¯¡¯ Ubel replied, pointing at the small quiver with some twenty arrows in it. ¡®¡¯I¡¯ve also learned how to make some durable arrows, so I am better off.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯How joyous!¡¯¡¯ The Raven exclaimed. ¡®¡¯Then grab your bow and recount your arrows. The group of seven started to move inside the forest. The priestess is still at her location.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯How?¡¯¡¯ Ubel asked, then answered himself before The Raven did so. ¡®¡¯You¡¯ve said it would take at least a month for the Mazu¡¯s believers. Then these guys weren¡¯t in her side?¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯It seems so. They...have a bit of a grudge against me. This makes them an easier target, though. Unaffiliated enemies of their kind have no one who would question their absence.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯So I will be safe from the priestess for the time being?¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Perhaps, I have no guarantee of that for now. But hurry, and get yourself ready in the shortest time. By now, they are inching closer to the territory of my blessing.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Quite fast.¡¯¡¯ Ubel¡¯s eyes narrowed. He leaped to his feet and grasped the quiver, filled with twenty-seven wooden arrows with stone heads. Not far from the entrance laid his bow, and his hatchet always hung at the side of his belt. He plucked the bow and left through the gates.


    ¡®¡¯Then I¡¯ll try to return quickly,¡¯¡¯ Ubel said and rushed to the top of a tree, and from there chased the sunlight to the west. The first line of his traps started with the area of the blessing, after all, and making them stop there would be the best option.


    The only trouble was the dark clouds traveling towards them at an extraordinary speed.


    Not long after, it seemed, the rain would be inevitable.


    *********


    The seven people pushing through the forest halted under the wide branches of a pine tree. The one in the lead peered his head through the leaves in his face and let the raindrops swim through his cheeks. It felt chilly. The scent of wet earth smelled like it would become more prominent.


    ¡®¡¯We are lucky,¡¯¡¯ He said and returned. At least fifteen men could sit around in a circle under the tree¡¯s shadow without disturbing each other, so his colleagues sprawled over to relax. He raised a brow. One among them with green hair looked in his way at the same time, seeming like understanding his intent to deliver a long verbal speech to ruin their mood, so he stood up.


    ¡®¡¯True,¡¯¡¯ He said. ¡®¡¯They say Orabura¡¯s trees have leaves all round the year. Even in the harshest winters at most a few trees near the Pierced Mountains lose their color.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Wonders of the Qi,¡¯¡¯ A fat man laying on his belly muttered. ¡®¡¯And it smells better than that shithole of a village.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Barbarians,¡¯¡¯ A thin, sickly boy with his back to the trunk added on.¡¯¡¯In which town you see people¡¯s crap on the roads?¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯In no town, you ignorant fool.¡¯¡¯ The green-haired man spat. ¡®¡¯Half of the villages are like that.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯And the other half releases into any river they find.¡¯¡¯ The leader said. ¡®¡¯But that¡¯s not important. Shengbing, don¡¯t get yourself wet again.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Sir He, I¡¯ll be fine.¡¯¡¯ The sickly boy responded, his eyes dangled to the side.


    ¡®¡¯No you won¡¯t,¡¯¡¯ He Xian said. ¡®¡¯Unless you become a destructioner like Zhifang, you¡¯ll still get sick from low body heat.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Listen to Sir He,¡¯¡¯ Fatty Zhifang supported their leader, too, and rolled over to gaze at Shenbing. ¡®¡¯We don¡¯t want you to get ill before clearing the shrine of that bastard.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯That bastard.¡¯¡¯ All seven muttered.


    ¡®¡¯Get up and prepare, we are near the area of the blessing. Once there, it will depend on luck whether we find it quick or not.¡¯¡¯ The group obliged and they leaped up to their feet, except those already standing.


    Suddenly, the gazes of Sir He, Fatty Zhifang, and a man with a longsword at his back yelped.


    ¡®¡¯Ambush!¡¯¡¯ They each cried and moved their feet to get in front. Then everything happened at the same time.


    Sir He brandished a woodcutter¡¯s axe and swung it towards the branches blocking their vision. Fatty Zhifang took a deep breath and his body expanded into a ball of meat, protecting Shengbing with his flesh. The man at the back stepped forward and a cloud of sand drifted beneath his feet, his body blurred.


    Then four arrows whizzed to their area, each following one another from behind. First one got cut by Sir He¡¯s axe swing and the stone head turned into rubble. The second one aimed for the Shengbing but Fatty Zhifang¡¯s body shielded him. The arrow sunk into his left shoulder and staggered him to the floor, blood seeped from the wound. Third and fourth, however, struck their targets and pierced through the kneecaps of the two behind. Arrowheads crushed the bones and tore their muscles, blood gushed out.


    Two men let out pained cries, rolling on the ground. They reached for their not functioning knees, only to find that their legs below there disappeared. They, from what the group saw, flew over a few meters with the arrows¡¯ remaining momentum.


    ¡®¡¯Chi Jian!?¡¯¡¯ Sir He looked from the corner of his eyes, saw the man in question already acting. So he took two steps back to cover for the ones behind and watched Chi Jian leap towards the source of the arrows. Sand drifted from his feet.


    ¡®¡¯Shengbing? Zhifang? Bu Chong?¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Aye!¡¯¡¯ Bu Chong shouted and took a step forward, grasping one of the javelins strapped to his back. His eyes danced around the branches and the far away Chi Jian, now tangled with a blurry man in a fight of arms.


    ¡®¡¯Not good-¡¯¡¯ Fatty Zhifang said, flinching and trembling. ¡®¡¯That arrow was too strong! It almost turned my shoulder into bone dust!¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯I¡¯m fine, thanks to Senior Zhifang,¡¯¡¯ Shengbing said from his senior¡¯s back, reaching for the arrowhead buried in his shoulder. He yanked the arrow out of its place, the seeping blood frenzied. Yet before it went wild, Shengbing put his palm on the gash and activated his Qi. Deep green wood Qi infused into Fatty Zhifang¡¯s shoulder, then traveled inside the bloodstream. Five seconds later the bleeding stopped, but the wound was persistent about disappearing.


    ¡®¡¯Hah!¡¯¡¯ Bu Chong shouted at that time. His short fingers grasping the iron javelin tightened, so did his muscles, and with a stomp, he hurled the projectile towards the running Chi Jian¡¯s back.


    Air brushed past the four men¡¯s face, then a clang sounded. ¡®¡¯I did...¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Monster! Sir He, he is a total monster!¡¯¡¯ Bu Chong exclaimed no sooner than Chi Jian, who descended to their side with a pale face.


    ¡®¡¯Indeed, like that priest Zi Heshang! This guy is also a cripple, yet his blows were as strong as a pathfinder.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Another cripple warrior?¡¯¡¯ Sir He and Fatty Zhifang gasped. At the same time, Bu Chong sent two more javelins flying. Two clangs sounded, then the whizzing of an arrow.


    Sir He didn¡¯t let his guard down all these moments, and now so raised more than ever. His axe glowed with crystalline white and Qi surged into the head of the weapon. With a swing, a rich silver Qi exploded and cut through the arrow coming to their side.


    ¡®¡¯Does this fucking deity have a fetish with maimed men!?¡¯¡¯ Fatty Zhifang almost roared. He had swallowed a low-grade pill to replenish the wound, and replenished the wound he wished. He now stood up, more energetic and filled with vigor, then took a step forward.


    ¡®¡¯Chi Jian, surround him with dust, get some in his eye too.¡¯¡¯ Sir He said, Chi Jian leaped again, then Sir He turned to his twin brother Zhifang. ¡®¡¯Brother, let us tangle him together so that Chong¡¯er and Shengbing can demonstrate their arts.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Let us not!-¡¯¡¯ Another arrow arrived in the middle of his sentence, Fatty Zhifang caught it, prepared this time, and broke it in half. ¡®¡¯-wait another moment then!¡¯¡¯ So he took a step, his body expanded into a meatball again and he rolled through the ground. Sir He cracked a smile and executed his Three Steps In One art. Like a shadow, he passed through the trees Fatty Zhifang crushed or sent flying, his speed double of Chi Jian.


    Bu Chong raised another javelin, whilst checking the remaining eleven. Shengbing, at the same time, raised his hands towards where the silhouette exchanged blows with Chi Jian. Emerald colored Qi burst out and all the trees around them started to rustle without any wind.If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.


    Tell me of his steps and thoughts, let me see through the gruesome veil of truth.


    His eyes took a brighter blue than before, then he shouted towards Sir He.


    ¡®¡¯Sir He, watch his left leg!¡¯¡¯


    *********


    Ubel felt his belly churn, sweat dripped down with raindrops from his forehead. After looking at the two bloody legs he severed, and trying to compose himself, he nocked another arrow to the string and let it go. His eyes were keen, and his body stronger than any of those in his sights. But they had Qi, as well as the advantage of more than a pair of eyes.


    But this close to him, this man called Chi Jian had no much effect.


    Ubel¡¯s arrow found no target, the assaulter hid behind a veil of dust and disappeared within, and his arrow did the same. But he could hear the branches around him shake and the wind rustle, as well as knowing that raindrops were cut short at some places. And those places were the ones most close to him. So Ubel brandished his hatchet and held the bow from its mount like a buckler, awaiting the eventual strike.


    Then a flash of yellow passed before his eyes and Ubel saw a sharp edge coming to get his neck. He moved backward, his reflexes acted faster than he hoped and swung the hatchet to the chest of the Chi Jian.


    A bright, deep yellow exploded beneath the man¡¯s feet and he stepped on thin air, leaping back and escaping the assault. But Ubel saw that a thin layer of Qi spread under the skin of Chi Jian, the real reason as to why he could do so. But that was not the time to inspect, or it was, but in moderation. So he pressed forward.


    With a jump, Ubel chased the man. Chi Jian abruptly turned around and stabbed towards his belly, Ubel¡¯s reflexes didn¡¯t catch up to the motion that accurately, and even covered form instinctual fear, and the strike reached his stomach. The tip cut through almost a millimeter before stopping.


    ¡®¡¯You-¡¯¡¯ Chi Jian¡¯s eyes widened, then he took a step behind to another branch to stand upon. ¡®¡¯Are you a cripple?¡¯¡¯


    Ubel didn¡¯t answer, he couldn¡¯t answer. For a moment there, he was almost skewered. He felt death move to him so close, almost as close as it did in Yadratafos, that his body acted on its own volition.


    ¡®¡¯You used a Qi art?¡¯¡¯ It had to be. Not all techniques were meant to externally kill people. Some would invade the meridians, like a poison, or they could be a real poison that would infect the bloodstream. And others were like him, who chose to destroy the flesh rather than the spirit. And it seemed, this Chi Jian guy chose the internal method.


    How pitiful he could be, trying to burn the ash?


    Three seconds passed, quite a long time considering their apprehension at the moment, then both moved at the same time.


    Ubel threw his hatchet to him, who evaded, and it struck into a tree further away, the sharp head sunk into the bark and clattered for a moment before stopping. Then he pulled out an arrow from his quiver within the same moment, which he readied to shoot at the Chi Jian.


    Chi Jian, however, didn¡¯t strike. Instead, a storm of dust rose from his hands and rushed over to Ubel while the man retreated. His feet like the slippery tongue of a snake, he moved through the branches and escaped from Ubel¡¯s close-quarter reach.


    But with him opening the distance, the power of his art weakened and left out a gap in the dust that allowed Ubel to see again.


    Please, just don¡¯t die.


    Then Ubel let loose the arrow.


    Ubel¡¯s eyes locked on the arrow, rather than the inevitable target it would hunt. He suffered enough from causing two people to wail in pain.


    But he didn¡¯t expect it to fail.


    From afar, something sparked. It was a javelin, an iron-headed javelin with a wooden base. Like his arrow, it flew with an unseen speed and crashed right onto the arrow. They collided, sparks bordering blazes appeared, then were cut short by the rain, and both exploded into splinters.


    He destroyed it? Ubel understood in an instant what was wrong. He had a better physique and vision than any individual in the assaulters¡¯ group. But his proficiency lacked. Compared to the bare-chested, javelin-throwing guy, his ability to aim and shoot was clearly lacking. After all, from what Ubel could guess, the enemy was one forged by battles and slaughter while he, himself, was one raw material with only the blood of animals in his hands.


    So what would happen if they were equal in strength? Ubel shuddered, as he knew that in a moment¡¯s notice he would be skewered from his heart. He is a danger. He was the most immediate danger in his hands. Ubel assumed so, so he moved.


    With dizzying speed he threw two arrows in an instant, they both swam in the air for a moment before being struck down by two more. They exploded into rubble and splinters again.


    ¡®¡¯No damn way.¡¯¡¯ Ubel shot another one, ended up watching with opened mouth. An axe swing from their supposed leader stopped the arrow. Ubel shot one more, again, and his jaw dropped. The mountain-like fat man, called Fatty Zhifang, caught the arrow between his palm and crushed it with no effort. Then he saw Chi Jian coming up to him again, this time followed by the Fatty Zhifang and the middle-aged axe-wielding Sir He.


    Scowling, Ubel pulled one more arrow. He nocked it, then let it loose.


    The arrow whistled across the branches and the leaves and found itself looming over the Fatty Zhifang¡¯s rolling, wet, muddled body.


    ¡®¡¯No damn way!¡¯¡¯ Ubel¡¯s jaw dropped. The rotating ball of fat deflected the arrow. Ubel shot one more, a javelin flew his way and intercepted the shot. One more followed, another one intercepted and the first of the trio, Chi Jian, arrived.


    His arrival was tense but not unexpected, Ubel kept him in his line of sight the whole moment for he feared what the man could accomplish in a group fight. And his fears were right, as the first thing he did was to make another storm of dust swallow Ubel¡¯s position.


    Ubel choked on the dirty air and soon a brown cloud covered his vision. Coughing and stumbling on his place, he nocked one more arrow and awaited. All sounds were lost other than the splattering drops of rain and his heavy breathing, and also a faint rumbling.


    No you didn¡¯t!


    It was a rumbling indeed, the crashings of the meatball Fatty Zhifang crushing through the trees and plants on his way. His voice came nearer. It became clearer. Then Ubel found his footing lost, the tree swayed under him to the back.


    ¡®¡¯Uwah-¡¯¡¯ Ubel¡¯s cry of shock was cut short, the man called Sir He descended upon him with a silver glinting axe strike. With a slash, an aura spread and the silver image exploded into a crescent moon. And like a falling moon, it fell.


    A light gash spread through Ubel¡¯s chest and he crashed into the softened ground. Ubel moved his limbs but something didn¡¯t allow him to get out. It was like a swamp, he sank into the mud the more he moved.


    Another blade strike followed, this time by Chi Jian, and his sword appeared right above Ubel¡¯s neck. The sharp edge threatened to spurt a fountain of blood.


    Ubel¡¯s eyes trembled, his mud-tangled limbs found a new strength in fear of death, and in anger to The Raven.


    Suddenly, a whirlpool of Qi appeared above Ubel¡¯s head. Chi Jian froze from the abrupt sight, his blow slowed down for a single moment. And in that instant, the whirlpool exploded like a bomb.


    ¡®¡¯Grr-!¡¯¡¯ The aquamarine explosion swallowed Chi Jian, together with half of Ubel¡¯s upper body. Former tumbled back in a sorry state, half his left arm painted with blood, while the latter escaped from his position.


    Now finding a chance to regain his footing, Ubel rolled to the side. A javelin traced blood from his cheek and sunk into the mud.


    He had not much time to adapt to the sudden scent of blood and burning, nor the rushing meatball Zhifang. And from his back Sir He approached again, so Ubel found himself surrounded from three sides, Chi Jian chased after him the moment he escaped from the momentary pain.


    Ubel¡¯s breathing roughened, his mind started to work. Then a deep blue veil of light sprang on his skin, pulsing with a dangerous aura only recognizable by non-cripples.


    Ubel shot back and swept his left leg to the lower body of Sir He, whom he deemed the second most dangerous after the javelin guy.


    ¡®¡¯Sir He, watch his left leg!¡¯¡¯ Then a shout sounded from afar, Ubel found himself swept over with delight.


    *********


    ¡®¡¯That is such bullshit!¡¯¡¯ Bu Chong spat at the sight. Although his vision was still hazy and multitudes of trees blocked his sight, he saw how his javelin missed from Shengbing¡¯s art. Then the unexpected occurred.


    ¡®¡¯Sir He!¡¯¡¯ Shengbing cried out. ¡®¡¯How did he got faster?¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯How can I know!?¡¯¡¯ Bu Chong readied another javelin. His eyes darted around the fast-moving targets and the limping Sir He, under the furious attacks of The Raven¡¯s cripple warrior. His ankle was broken, utterly crushed into a paste. But his agility didn¡¯t waver, nor did his will to fight, and he blocked over ten blows of fists and kicks.


    ¡®¡¯Shengbing, hurry and tell me where he will move next.¡¯¡¯ Bu Chong raised his javelin. ¡®¡¯I¡¯ll use Blood Expansion.¡¯¡¯


    Shengbing gazed at his side, his cheeks looked quite red.


    ¡®¡¯Don¡¯t dawdle, come on!¡¯¡¯ From Bu Chong¡¯s, fingertips red lines spurted, nine of them, and gathered at his back in the forms of cloaks. One of them flowed forth and enveloped the javelin, gave it a sickening aura of blood.


    ¡®¡¯Thirteen steps left to Sir He, Ten centimeters below the second branch from the tree six steps behind him.¡¯¡¯ Shengbing halted his gaze and told, Bu Chong saw his Qi drain again. They could strike seven more times together, and he could do two times more by himself. Then their Qi would deplete altogether and they would be forced to fight in close quarters.


    Which was something both avoided as often as possible.


    ¡®¡¯Six seconds, five, four-¡¯¡¯ Shengbing started counting, Bu Chong tensed his muscles. ¡®¡¯-three, two, one!¡¯¡¯


    The javelin flew forth like a streak of bloody lightning. Its color eye-catching and its might mind-rumbling, it reached before the battlefield of the four.


    This time both of their jaws dropped.


    The believer, suddenly, evaded a punch from Sir He and took two steps back, upon where Chi Jian slashed his sword. The believer lowered his body and rotated with a sweep of his elbow, crushing of bones sounded from Chi Jian¡¯s ribcage and he flew back from the sheer force.


    The javelin arrived right at that time, together with Fatty Zhifang¡¯s rolling, glorious belly. They both seemed as if they could squeeze the man into a skewered paste of flesh, yet failed to do so.


    The believer moved in an unrecognizable way, his body just launched itself to his right with no initial clue, and the javelin struck right into Fatty Zhifang¡¯s stomach.


    ¡®¡¯Phugh!¡¯¡¯ He puked blood and bounced back like the ball he was, tumbling down several trees along the way. He ended up coughing a mouthful of blood and stood up again. His figure, although wounded, still looked as powerful as ever, or even more than before.


    ¡®¡¯Bu Chong! Make this scum into a shish kebab for me! I¡¯ll eat him whole!¡¯¡¯ He roared, took out the javelin with no grunt of pain, and threw it aside.


    ¡®¡¯Chi Jian!¡¯¡¯ Sir He shouted at that time, once more dealing with the furious, yet undisciplined martial arts of the believer. ¡®¡¯We need you!¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Right there!¡¯¡¯ Chi Jian said, struggling to his feet. A part of his robe sunk together with his chest inside. Blood tainted his dark grey robe. His eyes flashed and his palm rose, a whirlwind of dust arose within the center of it.


    Contrary to the other dust storms he created, which served only to obstruct the vision and distract the enemy, this one was the real deal. One intended to sever the flesh and eat at the bones.


    Oh, it could also blind someone, too.


    Fatty Zhifang joined the fray as his storm largened into the size of an average man and the believer found himself under pressure. Even Chi Jian, although a bit late by now, could see that their enemy wasn¡¯t a real crippled warrior like Zi Heshang. Or he was, but without the expertise to control ambient Qi and their body.


    If he was, Chi Jian doubted he would survive the first encounter they had.


    But that was an if, and this was now. And now, the light favored them.


    But the ominous rain continued to drop, and for whom no one knew.


    *********


    Ubel ducked away from an axe swing to his head but another sword strike came in its stead. Taking a step back, he narrowly avoided the tip and started retreating.


    These men had better of him, Ubel reminded himself once more. They were better in fighting, richer in experience, more proficient in weapon mastery. Like Yuan Shu, whom Ubel had carved his face to his memory a long time ago.


    Fatty Zhifang rolled towards him again and caught him from behind, a boom and a tremble later Ubel was flying further back into the forest. The rain intensified a few seconds before, too, and a piercing cold encroached to all participating in the fight. It was, however, more prominent on Ubel.


    ¡®¡¯Dam-¡¯¡¯ A bloody javelin flashed before his eyes and sprawled blood, his blood, all over his chest. It took a finger-sized piece of flesh out of Ubel¡¯s shoulder and flew further into the gloomy darkness of the forest. Ubel found himself stumbling back.


    I need to get back. He had to get back. Not later, but now.


    Grasping the mount of his bow harder, Ubel stopped his tripping and launched himself back with a leap. Fatty Zhifang and Sir He didn¡¯t wait for him to act all the time and were on his back already. Chi Jian, too, followed behind them, but with lesser agility. Perhaps because of the terrifying, crackling whirlwind in his hands. Ubel knew how hard it was to maintain the balance of Qi to make a technique work in the midst of a battle.


    He also couldn¡¯t keep the Qi on his skin longer. With each wound, his mind got dizzier. His already measly control of Qi slipped more often than not.


    The wind whistled at that time, Ubel saw another bloody javelin coming for him. Annoying.


    Ubel gathered as much Qi as he could without losing control, which was only the size of a toddler¡¯s fist, and pointed it towards the incoming strike. He let go, the free Qi exploded into a ring of force that propelled him to the front.


    The javelin missed, trio right behind him cursed aloud, Ubel continued to retreat.


    Soon, four more javelins flew forth, but all missed again. They were also almost out of the range of the javelin guy, Ubel estimated, and were near the ground traps he planted.


    So he descended to the ground and covered his legs with a blue-colored veil of light. His speed increased, and his opponents were left behind a few dozen meters.


    A few more voices rang out, talking about his suspicious descent and weird movements. Ubel sighed.


    He halted right before a not-so-hidden pit and nocked an arrow, then shot it at the unexpecting Fatty Zhifang. The man rotated like the ball he was again, rolled down the trees and deflected the arrow with pure velocity. Ubel wanted to shout in frustration, so he did.


    ¡®¡¯Dammit!¡¯¡¯ He placed another arrow on the string, let it loose. His aim was the same. Fatty Zhifang took the strike the same, not even a scratch appeared on his rolling back.


    Ubel shot one more arrow, Fatty Zhifang defended and increased his speed again. Sir He and Chi Jian followed behind, now everyone was again on the brink of clashing in close quarters.


    But Ubel cut that possibility short.


    The moment Fatty Zhifang reached two dozen meters away from him, Ubel stomped on the ground. Vibrations spread, trees¡¯ rustling suppressed the dripping rain¡¯s sound.


    The ground cracked under his feet into a large ravine, Fatty Zhifang fell right into it. He let out a wild scream at the sight of tens of stakes approaching closer to his vision. Sir He shouted, Chi Jian scowled and ran forth to his rescue.


    But it was futile.


    Not even a second passed before the meatball Zhifang fell right onto the initial few spikes. Their tops trembled under the weight and speed, yet once the momentum was delivered all left was the impalement. Poles of spiky wood pierced through his eyes and throat and belly, even into his crotch. His scream died in his throat with him.


    ¡®¡¯Brother!¡¯¡¯ Sir He¡¯s shout shook the surroundings. ¡®¡¯You- you!¡¯¡¯ His voice cracked, hoarse.


    Chi Jian stopped on top of a branch of oak, wide-eyed. He gulped.


    Shengbing and Bu Chong approaching from afar halted their steps from the yell.


    Bu Chong trembled, his fists clenched.


    Ubel smiled. Tears flowed from his eyes, they reddened until even crimson wasn¡¯t a word enough to describe its bloody tinge. Yet, he managed to crack a smile.


    ¡®¡¯You monster!¡¯¡¯ Sir He lunged forward and ignored all the visible traps. He didn¡¯t even need to look out for them at this point, side-stepping them by leaping from tree to tree proved more effective.


    Ubel watched him come closer and closer, the distance was only a handful of meters when he awoke from his stupor.


    He hurriedly gathered another ball of Qi instead of nocking an arrow, he thought the range was too dangerous for that. So he made it explode right in Sir He¡¯s face, they both flew backward.


    Chi Jian recame to his senses, then he joined the fray as well. His right hand rose into the air, raindrops ceased falling for a moment, then descended with the whirlwind of dust in his palm.


    The earth accompanied the howling winds and floated up, the storm gathered power as it marched towards the maddened Sir He and desperate Ubel.


    Shengbing wanted to inch closer, Bu Chong stopped him from advancing and readied another javelin. He launched successive shots without caring for either the storm or Sir He. Else, he wouldn¡¯t be able to hit anything.


    The bloody javelins whistled over their heads and landed above and below the two combatants, now brawling like two drunken men. They punched and kicked, sent flurry of slaps and head-butted each other. One forgot to use the bow, the other the axe.


    Ubel¡¯s quiver landed on the mud, his bow flew over to another pit revealed by their fight. The storm of dust appeared in his vision at that time, approaching with a majestic size.


    As they exchanged one more move, Ubel retreated and gathered another ball of Qi. Sir He didn¡¯t seem to let him do as he wished, though, and threw himself over him. But he stumbled on another pit¡¯s edge as well, tumbled down, rolled on the wet mud. Then his body disappeared into the pit.


    So, now free, Ubel approached the storm on his own volition. He punched with the ball of Qi in his hand.


    Two wild forces collided, Ubel¡¯s mixed Qi and physical strength triumphed over the one backed by a shaken will.


    The storm scattered into particles of smaller dust, the rain swallowed it whole. Chi Jian¡¯s legs wobbled upon the tree he stood.


    Ubel then looked over at the pit Sir He landed on. He had crawled out of it meanwhile, grasping at dirt and weed, as if they were lifelong friends. From his eyes, Ubel saw fire, and bright silver, tainted by pain.


    Ubel didn¡¯t dally further. He took a step forward and came before Sir He, almost out of the pit. He looked down, his opponent looked above.


    Their gazes connected, Sir He grumbled.


    Then Ubel kicked him.


    Kicked him down.


    Sir He fell into the spike-ridden pit again, this time unable to avoid the sharp tips, and suffered the fate of his twin brother. Blood spurted, washed over the dirt.


    An inaudible chattering passed through Ubel¡¯s ears, so he turned around. He saw Chi Jian shouting before turning back, running away. Far from him, the duo of javelin wielder and the other youth looked on with tears in their eyes. They cursed, the sickly Shengbing attempted to come closer.


    ¡®¡¯Leave!¡¯¡¯ Ubel shouted at them. They froze for a moment, Chi Jian landed next to his compatriots.


    ¡®¡¯Leave!¡¯¡¯ Ubel said, again. ¡®¡¯Leave before I kill more of you! Leave!¡¯¡¯


    Leaving was what they did, with more incomprehensible words.


    Ubel¡¯s gaze didn¡¯t leave their backs for some time, they disappeared.


    His eyes fell on the corpse lying beneath the pit, impaled by woods. Ubel felt more tears flowing out, and a wider smile accompanying it.


    Why did I enjoy this? He put his palm over his face. His tears streamed down his cheeks, more prominent than the rain.


    Why do I feel so good?


    Why? He wondered.


    Why?

 49- Immortal Of The Forest (3)

    Ubel stuck around for an hour.


    He gathered his bow, took his quiver back. His right gauntlet seemed fine, though a small crack appeared on the knuckles. After inspecting for another second, he looked down at the corpse of Sir He.


    Ubel leaped down the pit and shouldered the dead body, then leaped again to the surface. Not far from them, he took out Fatty Zhifang¡¯s corpse, too, and put both of them on the ground for the moment.


    *********


    Once he returned with his hatchet, Ubel saw both men¡¯s blood dried up. He cast a slight glance. Ubel shook his head. Even his tears dried up, how could theirs¡¯ not?


    Since he didn¡¯t have his shovel to dig another pit easily, he decided to take out the traps and use another one to bury the two. It was, at least, a decent show of mortality on his part. Even if they intended to kill him, more so than he wished to do the same, in Ubel¡¯s mind he thought they would do the same.


    Perhaps not because of moral issues or decency, they would have buried him either way, to not let Death Qi contaminate the surroundings and give rise to an Avenging Spirit. But still, they would. That was the important part. That was all he needed to think now, to make his heart settle down.


    He descended into the pit Sir He died and slashed with his hatchet. A sliver of Qi escaped from the sharp edge and two dozen spikes clattered to the ground, each upon the other. The small clattering suppressed the heavy rain for a moment, their dripping on the muddled ground softened. Then once all spikes fell, the rain struck harder.


    It hardened, rained fiercer, sounds of thunder boomed and lightning fell to someplace afar.


    Ubel suddenly raised his head and looked beyond the forest¡¯s trees, where lay a mountain range. A sound exploded from within and a bolt of lightning fell, yet before it struck the grey mountain peaks something interrupted its way.


    Thunder collapsed into thousands of tendrils of lightning, they spread around the air after the collision.


    ¡°So, there are some Tribulation Lightning aftershocks! Finally I, Wang, get some good fortune from the Heavens for me!¡±


    The voice faintly reached his ears before disappearing. The thunder growled, angrier, and fell. But nothing interrupted it further. Peaks mounted the burden and soon the rumbling returned to its normal pace.


    Ubel cast a long, long glance at the clouds before gathering the spikes. He left the pit, put the spikes aside, and pushed the two men into the pit. They tumbled down upon each other, Sir He landed on Fatty Zhifang¡¯s belly and rolled down with a soft thud. Ubel averted his eyes and sprinted towards the initial location he saw the group.


    Once there, he mounted the other two dead men, who died from blood loss. A few minutes walk later he threw them into the pit, again, and watched them embrace their friends. One¡¯s head landed between Fatty Zhifang¡¯s arm and Sir He¡¯s leg, the other¡¯s open arms covered the trio.


    Ubel grit his teeth and raised his hands.


    Then he slapped.


    He slapped with all his physical strength, with his weakened Qi control. He hit so hard that he staggered himself, then tripped into the hole.


    He landed on his back to the small pile of corpses, they softened his fall. From his vantage point, now that Ubel looked up, the pit seemed endless. The entrance, and the exit, the mouth of the hole was almost out of reach. As if he couldn¡¯t get out of this place forever.


    Did they feel the same?


    Instead of wetting his hair, now that his head was facing the sky, the drops rained on his face. The stink of blood infiltrated his nostrils. From his back, he could feel the texture of the dried blood.


    They must have felt the same.


    The life must have looked so out of reach at that moment.


    Standing at the door of death must have been so painful to bear.


    It could be, or it couldn¡¯t be. But he felt so right now. How the lives of those whom he took were far away, and how his own sanity looked out of reach at the moment.


    Am I the only one that feels this way?


    He could be, or he couldn¡¯t be. But he felt that way at the moment. How desolate it was to be confronted with the regret of taking a life, or how much he was torn in his heart to feel enjoyment from it.


    Why is life so worthless?


    It, also, could be, or couldn¡¯t be.


    How precious were the lives of the thousands that died in Yadratafos? To Ubel, they weren¡¯t worth mentioning. He didn¡¯t know them, he didn¡¯t have any favors owed to them, nor did they had his gratitude.


    And how precious were the lives of these four in front of him? Less than him, more than the ones¡¯ in Yadratafos. Why? Wasn¡¯t it the same thing? These people, he owed nothing, nor did they have his good-will. They were even here to kill him, and the middle-aged priest Hong. Yet, he felt more torn.


    Even though it was only four.


    Even though, compared to the tens of thousands, this was such a negligible number.


    Just because I killed them? Does it matter who kills who? Does it matter who dies when?


    It mattered when it was him killing, or him dying. It mattered when the ones dying was close to him. It was as simple as that.


    ...hypocrisy...


    So what did change, then, if it was hypocrisy? This didn¡¯t make him feel any better.


    Ubel rose from his position and sat upright. Crossing his legs, he placed his palms together and started gathering the Qi around him.


    Death doesn¡¯t matter, does it?


    He would ask it someone else if his answer was hypocrisy.


    His hands moved like the wind and he made tens of different seals, each of them he learned from Body Enchanting and Quan¡¯s handwritten books.


    These seals helped him move the ambient Qi easier and identify them easier. As if he reopened his third eye, Ubel¡¯s vision changed.


    He saw a large gathering of dark, deadly Death Qi all around him. It infiltrated his nostrils, his lungs, his pores, even his broken meridians. And mixed between was a lesser amount of Blood Qi, its amount was negligible compared to the Death Qi.


    More than these two were an amalgamation of green, blue, and gold. Green was the nature, Wood Qi, and blue was the rain, Water Qi. Then gold had to be Lightning Qi, Ubel assumed. But he didn¡¯t savor the vision, he had done it many times before. Only, with the help of additional seals of Body Enchanting, he could see them individually with better clarity.


    His hands moved again and again as he made more and more seals he memorized with great difficulty, and with the help of his better memory from the Mind Expansion Technique. After half a minute, a dark, swirling vortex appeared in front of Ubel. Without his imaginary, temporary third eye Ubel couldn¡¯t see this vortex. But now he did, and with another set of seals, the vortex grew larger.


    It started to absorb the ambient Qi, especially the abundant Death Qi, at a furious pace. Dark waves of Qi rolled in the air into the vortex, making it spin faster and grow wider. Raindrops fell harder to his position, Water Qi dod so too, the Qi vortex attracted all types of Qi without discrimination after all. Then a flow of Wood Qi surged towards the vortex.


    Ubel grit his teeth and started a new series of seals, an invisible barrier popped around him. Once the green wave of Wood Qi came near, the barrier repelled it. They continued to surge, however, and more and more of it gathered at the edge. In the meantime, the vortex in front of Ubel continued to grow larger.


    After a tense minute the Death Qi grew thinner, the invisible barrier stood at the cusp of breaking, and Ubel¡¯s forehead was covered in sweat. Yet, he could feel inching closer to the spiritual connection he once had with the Embodiment.


    And now, the vortex in front of him grew wide enough for him to cast the Embodiment again.


    Ubel never tried to cast Embodiment in the past, contrary to his attempts at replicating Depression and Waters Of Netherworld, since he didn¡¯t feel the spiritual connection he had with the Embodiment before. The Embodiment was, as the Death River Manual told, a manifestation of his understanding of death. But Embodiment was somewhat different from a mere manifestation. Instead, he felt like it was something that took the shape of his understanding.


    So, without his connection to that thing, Ubel thought something could go awry. Without being able to sense and reestablish his connection, Ubel wouldn¡¯t try it again. But now, it was different. He was looking for an answer, an answer only the shape of the Embodiment could give, and today he had plenty of Death Qi to make the divine ability work.


    As his thoughts wandered, from the large vortex that was triple the capacity of what he could control in a stable manner, Ubel felt something reach out to his soul. Something tingled, as if a machine clicked into the right place, then the vortex blinked out of existence.


    Ubel halted abruptly. He looked in front. Since he stopped doing hand seals, both the barrier and his vision disappeared. And once the vortex disappeared, the rushing surge of Wood Qi also stopped. All left around him was the sound of the dripping rain, booming thunder strikes, and a faint step.


    Ubel tilted his head above and saw a giant tower over him. It had a dark purplish skin and a body so packed with muscles that the six-packs looked like twenty-four of their human-sized compatriots stacked together. Yet, contrary to before, the giant wore a set of overlapped long skirts coming to its knees and a spiked shoulder pad.


    And at its chest was the character  ÕD stamped like a seal. Around it was a circle, and it was split into eight sections with colored lines. In one of them was...the word Blood, written in crimson.


    Then Ubel realized he didn¡¯t block the remaining Blood Qi around him. As the giant descended near him, gazing at him with visible curves of an empty eye, Ubel cast another set of seals and his vision returned. He glanced around and found no traces of Blood Qi, then gazed at Embodiment.


    Indeed, as he thought, the character for blood was compiled of a disturbing amount of Blood Qi, condensed into a smaller amount. But it didn¡¯t seem that Embodiment¡¯s body, or the small slot, reached its limit. On the contrary, the amount of Blood Qi it held seemed like only one-fifth of its capacity.


    But Ubel, after thinking of these things for a moment, found his aim again.


    He sent another slap to wake himself, his other cheek brightened.


    As his vision faded, Ubel took a good look at Embodiment. His gaze didn¡¯t leave the giant, who stood there watching him with the blank outline of a dark iris.


    At last, Ubel sighed.


    What did I hope to see?


    He didn¡¯t know. Perhaps another shape, or something capable of talking rather than shielding him from the rain with its three-meter size.


    Embodiment tilted its head and kneeled. Its gaze was on Ubel¡¯s shoulder, where a finger size hole could be seen.


    Ubel looked down as well, then reached out for something in his robe¡¯s inner pocket. He took out a vial half-full of green liquid. With a swipe of his hand, he opened the lid and downed the contents.


    Soon, a bright green aura of Wood Qi spread from Ubel¡¯s body. It concentrated on his shoulder and the flesh around the hole wriggled like tentacles. Then they shot towards each other, tangled themselves and fused. Only a small, red mark was left.Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.


    Once he was done, Ubel looked at the Embodiment again.


    He looks more realistic. He indeed did. Why a skirt, though?


    He didn¡¯t question further. With the appearance of the Embodiment, Ubel felt his heart turn calmer. At least...he made use of these people¡¯s deaths.


    My insincerity knows no bounds... Ubel shook his head.


    ¡®¡¯Take me out,¡¯¡¯ Ubel said, aloud. He didn¡¯t need to, actually. With their mental link back, he could give any kind of order or information with his mind. But he felt better this way. As if he didn¡¯t face this challenge alone before. As if he had someone to rely upon right now.


    And he did.


    Embodiment took Ubel and placed him on his arm, then leaped out.


    ¡®¡¯Bury them, then grab my things. I think...I¡¯ll rest for a while.¡¯¡¯ Ubel gave a few last commands and closed his eyes.


    The exhaustion hit him and his eyes felt sleepier. The sound of the rain and thunder, without them raining on him, sounded like a lullaby.


    Soon, he fell asleep.


    *********


    Alim opened the straps around his chin and released the half-plate helmet. He took it out and inhaled a deep breath.


    The air stunk of blood.


    The main road of the Han Dynasty¡¯s capital drowned in gore.


    Pagodas with thirteen and nineteen floors were reduced to scraps of wood and stone by the shots of artillery and divine abilities.


    Immortals of the Cindersnow City flew over these ruins with flying swords beneath their feet, donning the official robe of the Cindersnow City¡¯s magistrate; A pure white robe with a blazing ice shield embed on the chest.


    Alim exhaled, he spat out a piece of flesh.


    Imperial guards have thick necks. They said their skins were thicker, though. Perhaps that was the reason the magistrate ordered the attack on the Han Dynasty.


    Suddenly, one of the scouting forces dived down towards him and floated a meter above his head.


    ¡®¡¯Alim Mingzi?¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Alim is enough.¡¯¡¯ He replied. Bloodlust spilled over the eyes of the squadron of twenty people. But he wasn¡¯t the target of it.


    ¡®¡¯High Commander Jian Fei summoned you and your...¡¯¡¯ The leading officer¡¯s eyes swept the trail of corpses behind him.


    ¡®¡¯I¡¯ll head over in a second,¡¯¡¯ Alim said, clasping his fists. ¡®¡¯Thanks, brother.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯No need,¡¯¡¯ The officer almost muttered and gazed down at him one last time. ¡®¡¯But you might want to check over the corpsman, brother, before heading out.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯I¡¯ll do.¡¯¡¯ Alim nodded and cast a glance to his shredded stomach as well.


    ¡®¡¯Then farewell.¡¯¡¯ Officer bid his bye and left with his squadron to another part of the city. Alim went the opposite way, to the southern gate where the High Commander Jian Fei settled his commanding tent.


    A few minutes walk through the corpse-filled, blood-painted streets let Alim reach the slope leading down to the Southern Gate, where he saw a gathering of at least a thousand tents right outside. Only one large tent was inside the gates and near it was a company of two hundred soldiers.


    Before the siege, there were booths and huts of the poor there.


    Alim shook his hands. Something felt heavy.


    Gazing down, he realized that he still held his broken sword in his grasp. It had snapped into half from the attack of a third-phase Path Establishment commander, the same one who tore his belly and almost cut him in the middle.


    Alim willed, but his body refused to let go of the handle. His fingers kept trembling and squeezing around the hilt.


    Oh well. He sighed and continued. A minute later he came before the red tent with white peaks. He snuck a peek inside to see a few men seated on cushions placed on the ground, all bearing marks of blood wounds like him. Two guards crossed their halberds at the entrance, signing people to stay away.


    But his appearance caused the gleaming tips to shy away from his head, so Alim passed through with no trouble.


    He took a step inside and a few eyes turned over him. Of the four men and six women inside, half of each gazed on his wound. The other half was too busy meditating and thinking of some matters. The High Commander, Jian Fei, however, wasn¡¯t the same.


    ¡®¡¯Alim,¡¯¡¯ He nodded, his eyes shone with a dull light. ¡®¡¯Take a seat.¡¯¡¯ He urged him to a seat at the furthest corner, near the Commander Jian Nuxing. Alim took a seat and unreservedly reached for a bottle of pills in his spatial pouch. He gulped down all four inside and started cultivating to stop his wound from worsening.


    He spent five minutes, everyone gave him enough breathing room to work on his injuries. He supposed they did the same, as evident from the lack of bleeding from their wounds. Once done, and he was sure it would hold on until he got some real expert to work on him, Alim opened his eyes and gazed at the commander Jian Fei.


    ¡®¡¯You¡¯ve killed the beast, Shou Ren, they said.¡¯¡¯ Jian Fei said. Everyone cast him glances of approval.


    ¡®¡¯My men, not me.¡¯¡¯ He corrected, Alim lowered his head. ¡®¡¯And Shou Ren¡¯s son ran away with two Path Finding guards.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯A pity,¡¯¡¯ An old man with long beard across him said. His name was Zhize Sha, an able general who joined them from Haishen Empire. ¡®¡¯But not something too important. His talent is low, his temperament worse. And other than the mad Shuangxing, no one might think of sheltering him.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯I do agree,¡¯¡¯ Jian Nuxing said. Her hair was the same with her older brother, the High Commander, but the short brown tendrils seemed to succumb to crimson blood of her enemies. ¡®¡¯Shuangxing, at most, will use him to justify his claim over the Tashradag mountains and the Cindersnow city.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯That much is obvious.¡¯¡¯ Jian Fei sighed. ¡®¡¯But do not fret over it for now. Instead, worry about how will we preserve the people here.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯How long until the rations arrive?¡¯¡¯ Alim asked.


    ¡®¡¯Half of them arrived, you¡¯ve seen yourself yesterday¡¯¡¯ A middle-aged man next to Zhize Sha said, his eyes narrowed.


    ¡®¡¯That was the half? That is only enough to feed the soldiers for half a month, let alone the civilians.¡¯¡¯ Alim said, his fingers holding onto the sword tightened.


    ¡®¡¯Indeed,¡¯¡¯ Jian Fei shook his head. ¡®¡¯Magistrate Feng Tian didn¡¯t spare much for us, he fears the retaliation of God Legion.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯For light¡¯s blessings, how could this man be that much of a fool!¡¯¡¯ Zhize Sha slapped his hand down. ¡®¡¯Then does he want to starve the people here? To let them die?¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯...perhaps,¡¯¡¯ Alim muttered. ¡®¡¯Letting these people starve to death, then swoop in to rescue them would be better. Or instead, he could move the overflowing population of the Cindersnow city to here.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯And what good will it do?¡¯¡¯ Jian Nuxing asked. ¡®¡¯It had been six hundred years since a mortal starved to death. Six hundred! How good will it be for his reputation to be the first to break the record?¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯None,¡¯¡¯ an elderly woman replied, sitting next to Jian Fei. ¡®¡¯And it won¡¯t be good for us, too. But what do we have to do, then? Only a few hundred among the soldiers can endure the hunger for two weeks, others at most a week before falling weak.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Pillaging,¡¯¡¯ Alim suggested. ¡®¡¯Countryside is open and defenseless, no one will oppose a large army taking a few of their grain.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Alim!¡¯¡¯ Jian Fei, together with him a few other commanders cast him disturbed gazes. ¡®¡¯We won¡¯t do any raiding or sacking, nor now nor in the future. I won¡¯t starve others to feed mine.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯High Commander,¡¯¡¯ Zhize Sha spoke. ¡®¡¯I know you are an honorable immortal, but even if you won¡¯t do so, I won¡¯t make my people go with hungry stomachs.¡¯¡¯


    Jian Fei fell silent. Alim snuck a peek at Zhize Sha who winked at him. The older man had much more influence than Alim, as he had both greater power and greater connections. He also helped them with a brigade of Haishen soldiers to break through the Castle Tashratep before. Were it not for his men and women, they couldn¡¯t scale the fifteen-meters walls between the cliffs of the Tashradag Valley.


    The silence continued for a while until a messenger rushed into the tent and kneeled before High Commander, presenting him a talisman with white and red-colored stripes.


    Once Jian Fei took the talisman and listened to what it old, his eyes widened and he shot to his feet.


    ¡®¡¯We are returning!¡¯¡¯ He shouted and waved his hand for everyone to stand up. He leaped down his higher cushion and stormed out of the tent, followed by the eleven commanders.


    ¡®¡¯High Commander?¡¯¡¯ Alim inquired.


    ¡®¡¯Good brothers and sisters-¡¯¡¯ Jian Fei transmitted his thoughts through their mind.


    ¡®¡¯Magistrate was assassinated!¡¯¡¯


    Alim shuddered.


    *********


    Ke¡¯ai Huiqing swayed back and forth on her rocking chair.


    Two foxes snored in front of her, right next to the cleaned fireplace. A blazing flame crackled, it spread embers every once in a while.


    The rain softened an hour ago when she ate her last meal of the day. It consisted of two apples as appetizers, a roasted deer leg, and cheese Ubel brought with him from outside the forest.


    They tasted good, as far as she was concerned.


    How long had it been since she ate cheese? One made out of goat milk?


    Huiqing put her hand over her chin, pondering. Then she gazed at the leather screen shielding the window.


    The raindrops created some sort of rhythm on the veil. One, two, two, one.


    It had been one hundred twenty-three years. When her eldest grandson was born, Nuwang celebrated with cheese. Though they weren¡¯t of a goat milk¡¯s product, Huiqing closed her eyes.


    Oh dear, she blinked again. It was the milk of that Plated Serpent of her. But it was still a cheese.


    One, two, two, one.


    She kept rocking on her chair. She felt comfortable. Her back still hurt. Living a long time and not getting injured was a miracle in this world, and for her luck, she bore one from her spine.


    Like mortal women- she giggled- she couldn¡¯t walk properly without support. She was fortunate, though, her son-in-law made a good cane before he passed away.


    May light bless his soul. Huiqing closed her eyes again.


    Suddenly, something from the forest called for her.


    Listening, her ears excluded all noises around her. The crackling of the flame disappeared, two foxes¡¯ snoring drifted away, The raindrops went mute. Some kind of shuffling sounded in her ears, as if someone brushed past a bush or a branch.


    Huiqing opened her eyes. She reached for her wooden crane lying at her feet and, once stabilized, stood up.


    One, two, two, one.


    She staggered towards the door, her legs were numb a bit. But it wasn¡¯t an arduous road, she reached in a few seconds and opened wide.


    At the door stood a three-meter, towering dark giant, in whose hands snored a young man.


    ¡®¡¯Come in,¡¯¡¯ She let go of the gate and walked back in. ¡®¡¯Don¡¯t hit your head, dear, or his.¡¯¡¯ She warned, Embodiment lowered his body to force himself in. He couldn¡¯t evade the most walls though, this was not as big as a proper house.


    Just a humble hut for a family of two.


    One, two, two, one.


    She stepped into the bedroom with the Embodiment and pointed at the bed. He nodded and laid Ubel down, he didn¡¯t forget to put a soft pillow there.


    ¡®¡¯Thank you, dear.¡¯¡¯ Huiqing said, smiled, and slumped back on her rocking chair.


    Embodiment made a few gestures to her, Huiqing nodded.


    ¡®¡¯Yes, your mother is fine. He is also fine.¡¯¡¯ Embodiment stopped for a moment, thoughtful.


    ¡®¡¯Sit down, you look funny like that, dear.¡¯¡¯ Huiqing giggled again. Embodiment gazed around and made sure he squashed nothing, then flopped on the floor. His large toes nudged the side of the wily fox.


    The wily fox gazed for a moment, blinked, then fell asleep again.


    Embodiment made a few more gestures, last one pointing at Ubel.


    ¡®¡¯A hundred years at most,¡¯¡¯ She said. ¡®¡¯Don¡¯t worry, your brother is not like you.¡¯¡¯


    Embodiment shook.


    ¡®¡¯I¡¯m joking, dear!¡¯¡¯ She cracked a smile. ¡®¡¯But indeed, he is different. Both from you and your sister.¡¯¡¯


    Embodiment patted his right shoulder.


    ¡®¡¯We didn¡¯t have much chance to know your big brother, dear.¡¯¡¯ Huiqing sighed. Embodiment nodded to himself as well. They listened to the dripping rain and crackling fire for a moment.


    One, two, two, one.


    One, two, two, one.


    One, two, two, one.


    Once their minds cleared a bit, they continued with the discussion.


    *********


    ¡®¡¯There might be,¡¯¡¯ Huiqing said. ¡®¡¯But I¡¯ve never seen one myself. How deep did you go into the river?¡¯¡¯


    Embodiment was in the midst of telling something when both he and Ke¡¯ai Huiqing shuddered. Some ominous aura spread over their location and locked on them.


    ¡®¡¯Celestial!¡¯¡¯ Huiqing rose to her feet again.


    ¡®¡¯Quick, aren¡¯t you?¡¯¡¯ A voice boomed in. Embodiment shot up and crashed head-on into the ceiling, some parts broke off. ¡®¡¯Slow, Guardian. I have no intent to fight.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯You have some courage to spy on me, you bald bird!¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯You have some courage to tarnish my name, mortal.¡¯¡¯ The Raven answered. Embodiment made a few signs, his barely visible eyebrows¡¯ outline rose in anger.


    ¡®¡¯Talk more, sign less you fool.¡¯¡¯ They could hear The Raven almost spit on their faces. ¡®¡¯And before you two pursue a more troublesome argument, let me speak.¡¯¡¯


    Huiqing fell silent for a moment, then crouched back on her chair. ¡®¡¯Speak, Celestial.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯I assume you know of the events at the Sect¡¯s city?¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯I do, so what?¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯I chose there as his next challenge.¡¯¡¯ The Raven said. ¡®¡¯To spur his growth, clashing with some fine geniuses are far more useful.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯..good idea.¡¯¡¯ Huiqing, contrary to everyone¡¯s expectations, and by everyone it was only The Raven and Embodiment, didn¡¯t refuse. ¡®¡¯With his brother at his side, he won¡¯t be in fatal danger.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Good.¡¯¡¯ The Raven¡¯s voice sounded approving.


    ¡®¡¯And with Zi Heshang and his sister, he¡¯ll have quite a hard time.¡¯¡¯ Huiqing smiled. The Raven¡¯s voice faltered, then fell silent.


    ¡®¡¯...I¡¯m not fond of this right now.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯You can¡¯t be.¡¯¡¯ She smiled and looked at Embodiment. ¡®¡¯Ubel will wake up soon, take him to the featherless¡¯ home.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯The Raven¡¯s Shrine, yes.¡¯¡¯ The Raven corrected. ¡®¡¯Since I have your opinion, I won¡¯t bother anymore. Hope you die soon, mortal.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯My approval,¡¯¡¯ She corrected, but no one responded to her. ¡®¡¯Well,¡¯¡¯ Sighing, she urged Embodiment to stand up. ¡®¡¯Leave now. And...watch over him, please.¡¯¡¯


    Embodiment nodded and shouldered Ubel, then realized the rain didn¡¯t cease. So he took Ubel in his arms and went for the door.


    Huiqing accompanied them until the door and opened for them to pass through. As they left, Embodiment cast her one long glance. Then disappeared from her vision.


    The rain continued with the same rhythm all day until dawn. Huiqing fell asleep to their sounds not long after.


    One, two, two, one.


    One, two, two, one.


    One, two, two, one.


    One, two, two, one.


    One, two, t...

 50- Immortal Of The Forest (4)

    In the village of Koyh, there were only three buildings that were not homes to the locals. One was the forge of the village smith, a two-story-high building made out of plain acacia wood. He had four apprentices, who were quadruplets, and with them supplied the whole village with tools to build and farm.


    The other one was the village doctor¡¯s little booth, with a body of oak and pillars of stones. She had been working here for seven years after her graduation at the Arasheir Medical Expertise Course, where she studied medicine and herbs to become an Herb Sage. She had a long way to go, it wasn¡¯t an easy road to become an Herb Sage. Yet her skills were evident from the lack of mortality in the several years of her presence. For this, Chi Jian deeply admired the doctor.


    And the last of the three was a three-story high inn, or a bar, as the owner called it. Bar Of Lu Dian. It was made out of limestone imported from Denizage, polished by Lu Dian himself. It looked classy and was lively. As the single source of enjoyment other than the weekly gatherings at the center square, he had a good amount of customers almost all hours of the day.


    Today was one such day.


    Some two dozen people sat around on stools, clutching iron mugs filled with a green Acid Shot. The invention of Lu Dian, it made the throat burn and made one feel as if they melted in their belly. It also stunk like a rotten carcass, and its stink spread fast and wide. So by the time he descended the stairs to the mess of a celebration and the fast-paced zither playing, Chi Jian already regretted his decision.


    Clogging his nose with his thumb and index finger, he strolled to the counter and sat on a longer stool, facing Lu Dian.


    ¡®¡¯Oh, you look better!¡¯¡¯ Lu Dian smiled and plucked a bottle of Acid Shot, then poured it into a dozen mugs in front of him. ¡®¡¯Is it the same inside?¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯It is,¡¯¡¯ Chi Jian replied. ¡®¡¯But Shengbing isn¡¯t.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯You said he was Sir He¡¯s nephew, of course he would be bitter about his uncle.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Perhaps.¡¯¡¯ Chi Jian looked over at one of the empty mugs and grasped it before Lu Dian could.¡¯¡¯ Give me some grape wine.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Ehm-¡¯¡¯ Lu Dian coughed. He took one out of his spatial pouch and poured, then put in front of Chi Jian.


    ¡®¡¯Why perhaps?¡¯¡¯ Lu Dian asked. ¡®¡¯I could see the adoration on his face every time he gazed on Sir He.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Not in that way,¡¯¡¯ Chi Jian said. ¡®¡¯He isn''t bitter. He is angry.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯At that immortal?¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Immortal of the forest? No. At Sir He.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Oh!¡¯¡¯ Lu Dian exclaimed. ¡®¡¯Some kind of inferiority syndrome? Or some rivalry thing?¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Seems like his mother told the boy Sir He murdered his father for two hundred soulstones. Revenge thing, not unusual.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Ahh, blood debt, my favorite! But Sir He didn¡¯t seem like one to do thievery. You know, like from how he carries himself and all. ¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯I do agree,¡¯¡¯ Chi Jian nodded, someone at his back shouted Lu Dian for more drinks. A few more asked, then some more.


    ¡®¡¯Come get it yourself, you old fools!¡¯¡¯ Lu Dian shouted, then turned to Chi Jian again. ¡®¡¯Then what about the other boy?¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Bu Chong? Better than me, although his pride is hurt.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Better than his life.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Again, agreed.¡¯¡¯ Chi Jian shook his head. ¡®¡¯Well, it''s a pity. Sir He liked Bu Chong like a foster son, after all.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯It is more of a pity none of you care about my brother Zhifang, he was a good drinker!¡¯¡¯ Lu Dian turned towards the people scrambling to get some drinks. ¡®¡¯Better than you all! You hear me! How come you get this drunk from a cup!?¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Lu Dian! I¡¯ll slit your throat you bastard! Dare fight me ten bouts!?¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Oh shit, you definitely can. I believe in you, brother.¡¯¡¯ Lu Dian clicked his tongue. The man approached him, then collapsed to the ground with a thud. Someone came over to raise him, then he fell over too.


    ¡®¡¯...anything else?¡¯¡¯ Lu Dian said, looking at Chi Jian¡¯s annoyed gaze.


    ¡®¡¯I forgot to ask, did you know of that man?¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯There always was an immortal of the forest.¡¯¡¯ Lu Dian said. ¡®¡¯ I only heard of three. One was a hunter, one was an old soldier, and the other was a Cindersnow disciple.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯The sect¡¯s?¡¯¡¯ Chi Jian dropped the empty mug to the counter. ¡®¡¯Wait, there are three?¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯No, there were three. The Cindersnow disciple died some sixty-five years ago, the soldier forty or so. The hunter recently passed away, six or seven years at most.¡¯¡¯ Chi Jian froze for a moment.


    ¡®¡¯And the current one is...¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯New, a young man at most in his twenties.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯How do you know that?¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯The man said himself before he passed away. You know, I¡¯ve been here for twenty-three years. I only heard about the other two from the hunter guy, they were his children it seems.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Oh, and the current one is also his son.¡¯¡¯ Lu Dian added. Chi Jian pondered for a few seconds then nodded and stood up.


    ¡®¡¯Drink money?¡¯¡¯


    Chi Jian he rushed to the door.


    ¡®¡¯No you don¡¯t dare!¡¯¡¯


    *********


    ¡®¡¯Tea?¡¯¡¯ Hong Seng shook his head. ¡®¡¯It ran out yesterday. And I didn¡¯t drink even a drop of it these five days! Won¡¯t you have some mercy on me?¡¯¡¯


    Ubel gazed at Hong Seng for a moment, then sighed. They both sat next to the dais of The Raven, this time accompanied by the Embodiment.


    The dark-purple giant faced them both, he was large enough to be capable of that, and clutched the sides of his skirt. Even he seemed to be perplexed by his choice of dress.


    ¡®¡¯That skirt would go better with some flowers,¡¯¡¯ Priest Hong said. ¡®¡¯Sunflowers, especially.¡¯¡¯


    Embodiment raised his head and looked at Hong Seng, then nodded.


    Nodded.


    Ubel sighed again.


    Embodiment started acting strange. Weird.


    In the past few times he summoned him, Embodiment was more like a guardian spirit or a summoned devil familiar. It acted on orders or instinct, couldn¡¯t convey emotion or choice. Yet, now, he could even assess the beauty standards?


    ¡®¡¯He knows the beauty of nature.¡¯¡¯ Hong Seng said, smiling.


    Embodiment nodded again.


    Ubel turned his head away from them. Instead, his eyes locked on the dais.


    ¡®¡¯Priest Hong,¡¯¡¯ Ubel called, ¡®¡¯Today should be the day your fellow believer arrives, right?¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Oh, she is already here.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Then?¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Well, there are some difficulties that make it harder for her to travel. She should be around the perimeters of the forest by now.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Want me to go receive her?¡¯¡¯ He wanted to see the second believer of The Raven. Ubel wondered if all had the same attitude.


    ¡®¡¯Ooh-¡¯¡¯ Hong Seng exclaimed. ¡®¡¯I never thought of that. May I trouble you, then?¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Directions?¡¯¡¯ Ubel asked and stood up. Embodiment followed his steps and readied himself.


    ¡®¡¯One moment, please.¡¯¡¯ Hong Seng followed suit and stood before the dais. From the hem of his robes, he dropped two drops of dark liquid, then took out a vial of powder and scattered them over the dais.


    A dark light shone within and in moments was gone. Instead of the remaining powder or drops, the surface of the dais swelled and turned into the map of the forest. At the southwest of the shrine, a few thousand steps away was the shape of a raven.


    ¡®¡¯There you go.¡¯¡¯ Hong Seng said and plopped down again. Ubel looked at the map for a few more seconds, drawing the quickest route he could think of, then left with Embodiment.


    *********


    Not long after Embodiment¡¯s senses tingled. He transmitted this feeling through their link with Ubel, and Ubel understood where their visitor was.


    Jumping down from a tree branch they descended and continued to walk for a few more seconds, among the lush green and wide trees they heard a rustling. From within, a voice lovelier than a bird¡¯s chirping sounded.


    ¡®¡¯Oh my, what privilege!¡¯¡¯ A woman brushed past the few trees in her way and Ubel glimpsed on her blonde ponytail. ¡®¡¯I wonder, are you the little boy Ubel?¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Um-¡¯¡¯ Ubel was about to answer when the woman came over, letting them see her in full. She had good features, even with the mark of a burn covering half of her left face. Her dull, black eyes gleamed when their eyes met, then following his gaze fell on her protruding belly.


    ¡®¡¯Pregnant?¡¯¡¯ Ubel muttered. How did a pregnant woman walk through the forest? It shouldn¡¯t be easy, Ubel thought, and from the beads of sweat traveling down her copper skin his guess seemed right.


    ¡®¡¯I am, little boy,¡¯¡¯ A gentle smile spread to her lips. ¡®¡¯Have you never seen one?¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Yes-no, umm...I never saw one that could travel miles, at least.¡¯¡¯ Ubel said. ¡®¡¯But...cultivation is indeed strange.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Rather than your musings, boy, can you help me for a moment?¡¯¡¯ She asked, exhaling from her nostrils.


    ¡®¡¯Oh-¡¯¡¯ Before he could move, Embodiment stepped forward and picked up the woman, carrying her in his arms. ¡®¡¯How bold, I am married though, Sir Spirit.¡¯¡¯


    Embodiment gazed down at her, then at Ubel, then at her again. He nodded and started walking back.


    Ubel watched him leave, then followed after. He had a strange feeling in his heart that Embodiment felt embarrassed at the moment.


    Strange, too strange!


    While Ubel mused over what could have caused this change in Embodiment and listened to the exclaims and small talks of the pregnant priestess, they reached the Shrine Of The Raven and saw Hong Seng waiting in front. He flung his arms wide and strolled forward. Meanwhile, Embodiment let down the priestess and retreated to Ubel¡¯s side. He also sent a message.


    Ubel shivered as if a bucket of ice-cold water poured down his head into his heart. From the intent behind Embodiment¡¯s message, he glimpsed upon some kind of a demon.


    Now looking once more at the woman, Ubel felt his instincts scream at him to run. Then it disappeared.


    ¡®¡¯Sister Muqin!¡¯¡¯ Hong Seng called out and grasped the hands of his fellow believer. ¡®¡¯You are here at last! How long had it been? Thirty-five years?¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Exactly, my dear Hong.¡¯¡¯ Zi Muqin smiled and let go of Hong Seng¡¯s hands.


    ¡®¡¯How have you been these days? Or wait, my mistake.¡¯¡¯ He looked down at her belly and his smile widened. ¡®¡¯Is it?¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Yes, from Heshang.¡¯¡¯ Her smile blossomed like a spring flower.


    ¡®¡¯How joyous! Come inside, and Ubel and your spirit too!¡¯¡¯ He called and led them inside. He had been preparing it seemed, there was already cushions placed and tea boiled.


    Ubel raised his eyebrow at Hong Seng, the man in question shrugged off with a wide smile.


    ¡®¡¯Sit, sit!¡¯¡¯ Though he wanted to ask, Ubel couldn¡¯t get himself to part this man from his excitement. Had he ever seen him this ecstatic?


    They all sat down, Ubel and Hong Seng took their usual seats next to the dais¡¯ sides. Right at the dais¡¯ feet sat Zi Muqin and Embodiment was seated across her. She pulled the hem of her robes and sat in a more comfortable position, leaning her back to the dais.This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    ¡®¡¯I hope you don¡¯t mind, dear Hong.¡¯¡¯ She said.


    ¡®¡¯Of course not, sister Muqin,¡¯¡¯ He replied, waving his hand. ¡®¡¯Relax, don¡¯t force yourself.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Thank you.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯So, how old are they?¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯You mean my boy?¡¯¡¯ She patted her bulging belly. ¡®¡¯He is six months old already. Quite healthy, he kicks a bit lesser than his compatriots though.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Don¡¯t believe in hearsay, sister Muqin. They said I kicked my mother so hard the village elder had to use a spell to calm me down in her pregnancy. And look at me now.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯You are as successful as you are, dear Hong.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Not as good as those old naggers say.¡¯¡¯ Hong Seng smiled. ¡®¡¯But anyway, why don¡¯t you take a sip? My Lord cast some divine techniques to make them soothe pain and cleanse the fetus from impurities. He said it would be helpful in the future.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯My lord is generous,¡¯¡¯ Zi Muqin¡¯s eyes flashed and her eyebrows dropped low, a thin smile at her lips. ¡®¡¯I am forever grateful.¡¯¡¯ She took one of the cups and sipped. Ubel watched as her expression went from dull to strange, then turn into a wide smile.


    He reached out to the one in front of him as well and took a small gulp, but nothing happened. It was plain old tea. He shot another glance at Hong Seng, the man in question smiled wider again.


    Haah- Ubel sighed in his heart. He gazed at Zi Muqin, contemplating, and then the dais exploded into a shower of lights.


    All three shot to their feet except Zi Muqin, who picked herself up in slow motion.


    As they all faced the dais, the lights faded and a small raven appeared in its stead.


    Chirp Chirp Chirp


    The bird let out a few sounds, both Hong Seng and Zi Muqin bowed their heads. Ubel didn¡¯t understand what transpired, nor did the Embodiment.


    Chirp Chirp Chirp


    The raven continued its words, Hong Seng bowed once more and Zi Muqin smiled. Then the raven wailed and turned into dust.


    Ubel gazed at the duo, then at the dais.


    Strange, too strange.


    *********


    Late in the evening, Chi Jian came back with a purse filled with two-hundred silvers and delivered them to Lu Dian with apologies. Feeling satisfied, Lu Dian allowed the man and his group to stay for another two nights, Chi Jian accepted without extra words. He gave an extra pouch of twenty silver, saying he had something to do tomorrow and asked him to watch over the two boys.


    Lu Dian accepted without a word as well. Then the following morning, Chi Jian departed.


    Once he left through the door of the inn, Lu Dian moved. His eyes flashed with icy cold, one that would make soul shiver. He grasped a broom waiting at the side. Wearing his morning suit, a brown pants and a black robe, he ascended the stairs and came before one of the fourteen doors in the bar.


    Then he kicked down the door.


    The door broke from its beams and blew up, flying towards the beds near the window.


    ¡®¡¯Who!¡¯¡¯ A voice came beside him, followed by a streak of red. Lu Dian tilted his head and a crimson javelin passed right before his long nose¡¯s tip, then sunk into the remaining part of the door¡¯s beam.


    ¡®¡¯Lu Dian!? What ar-¡¯¡¯ Bu Chong tried to speak but Lu Dian didn¡¯t give him the chance. He grasped the handle of the broom and pulled. Instantly, the hidden sword inside the broom appeared. Lights of the dawning sun gleamed upon the blade, then blood splattered.


    ¡®¡¯BRGH-!¡¯¡¯ Bu Chong coughed, his neck muscles tightened around the glistening white of the blade.


    ¡®¡¯Bu Chong!¡¯¡¯ Shengbing shouted under the door over his head. With a kick, he sent it flying at Lu Dian.


    Lu Dian clenched the hilt, traces of Qi escaped from his palm. The blade buzzed, then with a streak of light cut through the already dangling neck. Flesh and blood dripped to the ground and the head fell.


    The door arrived at that time, but Lu Dian didn¡¯t even change his expression. His eyes carried the same cold, ice-like ruthlessness. With a kick of his own, he sent the door flying again. Shengbing rose from his position and punched at the door. The moment they contacted, the door burst into splinters and, like arrows, they pierced through the walls and crashed onto furniture.


    Yet before he could act again, he saw Lu Dian kick the falling head.


    Half of the head turned into meat paste from the kick¡¯s force, the other half flew like a meteorite and crashed right into Shengbing¡¯s face. A gruesome crack sounded, both heads collapsed into pieces of bones and meat and their blood mixed.


    Shengbing¡¯s rising body collapsed into the ground with a thud.


    As blood seeped out of both bodies lying on the ground, Lu Dian sheathed his blade into the broom. Then he swept the head of the broom and a crystalline white light appeared. It spread like a wave and wherever it touched, all the stains disappeared. Even the bleeding of the corpses stopped.


    Then he made a few quick seals and pointed with his index finger. The broken pieces of furniture and the door rose into the air, then flew into each other to create balls of wood. With another wave of his hand, Lu Dian sent the ball of wood crashing onto the broken furniture. The moment they collided, the ball of wood split into smaller parts and merged with the damaged door and bed and cupboards.


    Soon, the room became exceptionally clean except the two corpses, which he stowed away into his spatial pouch.


    Taking one last look at the room, he jumped out of the open window and left towards the northeast of the bar.


    Yesterday he had planted a Qi seal into the drink of that bastard Chi Jian so that he could track him. It was a choice made out after considerable research, and fueled by hatred.


    Lu Dian closed his eyes for a moment to feel the seal¡¯s place, then opened his eyes. The ruthlessness in his eyes increased after killing the two, now his gaze almost spouted lightning.


    With a step, he disappeared from his place and appeared some thirty meters away. His speed equaled to someone at the peak of Path Establishing. This was the power he got from his father, or the power of the manual, and his father had gotten this manual from the kind Immortal Of The Forest.


    Immortal Of The Forest was a kind, old man. He was always sickly, even when he came to their village thirty-two years ago when he was but a small child. His father always said the immortal wasn¡¯t like this before, that he was a burly fellow in his youth. That was also when they met, seventy-nine years ago at a bandit raid to the village. He always said how heroic it was at that moment, and how sad it was to see him degrade like this.


    He could imagine that, actually. Inside the eyes of that kind, old hunter laid a beast he had never seen before. Even when he departed for Okyanung to find himself an immortal master, he never saw someone with that subtle aura of wildness. So he had respect for that kind, old, Immortal Of The Forest.


    He was the one who granted his father a manual, one that differed from the State Manuals every generation was bound to practice. He was also the one who saved them from the bandit raid and helped the village to learn about the patterns of wild animals. This caused them to preserve on their own with beast meat and gave them time to get into farming. So he really liked that kind, old hunter.


    That was why he felt that he owed him. No, it wasn¡¯t a feeling. He owed him, and his son. Were it not for his old habit of not questioning travelers before their business was done, he knew he could prevent the boy from getting hurt. Not that he died, he thought of the moment Chi Jian spat with hatred. But he was still in danger because of him. Because of his incompetence.


    Lu Dian shook his head and continued to sprint through the road. After a few minutes, he felt the seal stop at a place. If he guessed it correctly, it was near the outpost of the Kabsah. Lu Dian¡¯s eyes flashed and he slowed down, then used his merging art.


    Instantly, his body merged into the ground and turned into earth. He dove a dozen meters down and started swimming in the earth towards the seal¡¯s place.


    Half a minute later, he was standing twenty-meters behind the seal¡¯s location. With careful movements, he slowly submerged over the ground and gazed at an intersection near the road, where the line of trees near Orabura started. Behind the trees stood Chi Jian, bowing to a woman wearing a bright blue robe. A symbol of a beautiful, blue haired woman, holding a scripture and a vase was painted over it.


    Priestess of Mazu!


    His family didn¡¯t have a pleasant past with them, as his mother was a past priestess. He knew of the inner doings of the religion, and the cruel atrocities they committed at southeast deserts of the Sheng Empire. Well, they call themselves Shamo Khanate now, and their situation seems precarious with the Shuanguang.


    ¡®¡¯Four dead! Pieces of trash!¡¯¡¯ The priestess shouted at Chi Jian and slapped him. It was backed with a force surpassing Chi Jian¡¯s second Qi destructioner by two times, so it wasn¡¯t a surprise that he crashed into the ground head first.


    ¡®¡¯Now I need to clear this on my own, or mother will be angry.¡¯¡¯ The priestess sighed. ¡®¡¯Stand up.¡¯¡¯ She ordered and Chi Jian pushed himself to stand up.


    The exact moment Lu Dian merged into the ground again, rushed in the earth, then, with a rumble, broke through the earth under those two¡¯s feet.


    ¡®¡¯Eh?¡¯¡¯ The priestess yelped as she lost her footing, while Chi Jian collapsed onto the ground again. Between the dust and rocks flying into the air, the gleaming tip of a blade appeared and stabbed towards the priestess.


    ¡®¡¯You dare!¡¯¡¯ The priestess made a few seals mid-air and spat out, a blazing monster core flew out and collided with the blade.


    Flames exploded at the moment of contact and the core shattered into pieces. Monstrous flames spread to the surroundings, the few meters afar trees caught fire. The stink of ash appeared as Lu Dian emerged fully and stabbed towards the priestess again.


    Of their cultivation, Lu Dian was a third-layer Path Establishment cultivator while priestess was a two-layer Path Finding cultivator. The difference between these two stages was like Qi Creation and Qi destruction, there was only a distinction of their Qi capacity, with Lu Dian¡¯s being at most two times higher than her. So unless they refined their bodies, which Lu Dian did, and had a great deal of experience to hone their reflexes, which Lu Dian did again, there were no other discrepancies between the two of them.


    But unluckily for the priestess, there was, and Lu Dian¡¯s sword reacher sooner than whatever technique she intended to use.


    With a buzzing, silver light gleamed on the blade and pierced through the priestess¡¯ white neck. The tip protruded from the nape and drew blood, then Lu Dian retracted the blade.


    The blade cut through the remainder again and the priestess¡¯ head fell off, her eyes still wide open. Lu Dian then turned to look at crying Chi Jian climbing to his feet.


    ¡®¡¯Lu Dian! Spare me, please! I didn¡¯t do anything wrong, why must you kill me!?¡¯¡¯ Confusion filled his tear-ridden eyes.


    Lu Dian didn¡¯t bat an eye and swung his sword, Chi Jian¡¯s head fell off his shoulders. Blood spurted like a fountain and his body collapsed.


    With a shake, Lu Dian cleaned his blade of the blood, then gazed at his back, into the burning patch of forest. He slightly turned around and clasped his fist to the shadows inside, a small growl sounded.


    Step by step, he heard, something approached. Then it came before the blazing lights of the fire, revealing its red and white fur. A long jaw and two wolf-like ears.


    It was a fox, an old fox, and the familiar of the Immortal Of The Forest.


    ¡®¡¯Senior,¡¯¡¯ Lu Dian said and pointed with his finger to the two corpses. ¡®¡¯These two are my gift to you. Sorry for stealing your prey.¡¯¡¯


    The fox grumbled again and approached the two corpses, Lu Dian took a step back and narrowed his eyes. The fox smelled the corpses and shot him a look filled with warmth, then opened its mouth.


    Suddenly, the small jaw widened into a one-meter mouth filled with rows of spike-like glinting teeth. There were nine tongues instead of one inside, and the flesh surrounding it was the color of ash.


    The mouth clamped around Chi Jian¡¯s corpse and started digging down. As if it was ravenous, the not-anymore fox bit and tore apart flesh bite by bite. Blood splattered everywhere, muscle tissues and skin flew around. Some painted over Lu Dian, even seeped into his nostrils, but he waited.


    Once it completely trashed the unidentifiable corpse, the nine tongues of the fox lunged forward like tentacles and swept the ground of the blood and flesh. Wherever the tongues passed, deep gashes appeared. Within a few seconds, the road was cleaner than it was before, yet two inches lower.


    Then the fox turned to priestess¡¯ corpse, then with its tongues pulled it inside the huge mouth. Instead of devouring it like a wild ghost, it swallowed the corpse whole. Deep crunches sounded as it broke down the corpse down to its bones, then closed its mouth.


    It burped, and its appearance turned to normal.


    Lu Dian opened his eyes and gazed at the fox, then gave a deep bow. With a step, he merged into the ground again and steered his direction to Koyh. The fox behind him watched for a while and let out a roar as if it was a lion, defying its nature as a fox. With its roar shockwaves spread and extinguished the flames. It took one last look before returning into the forest.


    *********


    Two days later, The Raven told Ubel about the mysterious retreat of the priestess, and so he could receive what he wanted to learn.


    He did, so The Raven kicked out his two believers from the Shrine for three hours as he told Ubel about the general workings of the current Northern Continent.


    After three hours, Ubel left with a deep frown on his face. When Hong Seng asked his lord about it The Raven replied with one sentence.


    ¡®¡¯He started to realize the burden he is carrying, both as a Cindersnow and as a Shamo.¡¯¡¯


    *********


    Ubel ignored everything around him as he walked towards his home.


    It wasn¡¯t that he intentionally did it, rather it was a subconscious action his mind took; to let him focus on the disastrous, intriguing, and scary news.


    At the extreme south of the continent¡¯s border, the evil sects appeared near Shaowei empire¡¯s territory, bringing thousands of forsaken heads and spoils of war.


    They were accepted into the country with celebrations and chants of victory.


    The Han Empire bordering Sheng, Shuangguang, and Haishen empires fell after a month of siege into the hands of the free city of Cindersnow.


    The city magistrate was assassinated before the main army returned with the news.


    Haishen Empire launched a naval assault on the sea beasts at the Western Great Ocean, twenty-three thousand troops were lost.


    Among the casualties was the Third Sea Emperor, ruler of the Western Great Ocean.


    Shuanguang empire declared war upon the Sheng Empire, now known as Shamo Khanate, and started to gather his ministers and generals.


    Vast amounts of grain and soulstones disappeared overnight from the internal market.


    Ubel shook his head and settled down under an oak tree. Leaning his back towards the trunk, he crossed his arms and gazed up.


    Three of the four happened near him, one of them was directly related.


    Shamo Khanate.


    The Raven didn¡¯t seem willing to give this information at first, or he hesitated. Or he was not, Ubel didn¡¯t know how a deity¡¯s mind worked. It could all be an act, he supposed, but even if it was what he learned was more important than what it took for The Raven to tell it.


    ¡®¡¯Do what you want with that knowledge,¡¯¡¯ He said, ¡®¡¯But what I suggest is to see for yourself. The holy desert.¡¯¡¯


    What would he see if he went? Ubel heard and read about all people on the continent, they all had some differing qualities than others. Shamo were like him, they had tanned or slightly dark skin and blue eyes. Some had brown eyes as well, and ones with brown always had talent in using glaives and javelins, rather than the traditional bows and mounts.


    His appearance, or his father¡¯s, was enough of an evidence to his relation. His father also had dark skin and blue eyes. But what made it apparent was the comment of that forsaken.


    ¡®¡¯Hahaha...a child of Shamo and the Forsaken? What kind of abomination are you!?¡¯¡¯


    If his father was of Sheng, of Shamo Khanate, then was his mother a forsaken? So he carried the blood of forsakens? People that everyone in the continent hated deep down their bones?


    Ubel wasn¡¯t willing to accept that.


    Why was he? He never felt a connection to any of the people, or any of the races. He grew up in a forest, all alone with a sole man and old mother. He learned writing and reading from them, he learned about simple etiquette and what was different about men and women from them. He learned how to hold a bow, how to shoot a prey, how to tend to herbs and vegetables, how to respect his elders, how to find his way in a complex environment, what was the best way to strangle a dying bear, how he could spot the tracks of wild beasts, or wild humans, and at last, how he could survive on his own.


    But he never, ever, heard them talking about connection to any group of people. Not to the sect, not to the Shamo, not to the Forsakens. Only filial piety and mutual trust were important in building his relationships, he learned.


    Then why was he unwilling?


    It was an instinct, an instant heartbeat that accelerated his blood circulation. As if his body felt an immense hatred at the thought of being related to a Forsaken.


    It was an inferiority complex.


    He felt inferior to them.


    So he wasn¡¯t willing.


    Bullshit...


    *********


    Once Ubel stood up from his place, it was already past evening. Sun had set, the moon had risen, and the clouds seemed to devour the endless sky.


    After standing up, he walked towards the Shrine Of The Raven.


    No matter how dire the news seemed, the last one among them was what troubled him the most, even more than the matter of his relationship with his mother.


    It was the Cindersnow mountain¡¯s disappearance to the extreme north. Ubel¡¯s eyes became, for the first time in his life, cold.


    Like the ice mountains of the Barren Lands, the last piece of land where a portal to the starry sky remained.


    The portal¡¯s name was the Glorious Portal, and that was where Cindersnow fought with alien cultivators.

 51- The Ravens Offer (1)

    Gaobun woke up from his meditation.


    From his seating on the soft cushion under his naked, muscular bottom, he rose onto his feet.


    There was a bronze mirror across the wood-embellished room, and on the same mirror stood his reflection. He had a stoic face, his long brows arched like a half-moon into a stable frown, his eyes¡¯ color couldn¡¯t be seen. He was also naked, his dark bronze skin draped with beads of sweat rolling above his muscular torso, and on them were reflected pictures of his desolation.


    He stepped towards the side and came before a two-layered wardrobe. He opened, eyed the few robes made of immortal silk and embed jewelry, then grasped one with his rough hands.


    He put over the crimson robe and took out a silk belt adorning rubies on its surface. With swishes, he tied it to his waist and gazed at his reflection from afar.


    When did he look this dreadful?


    How did he lose that bright shine in his eyes? He didn¡¯t know.


    It took a long time until Gaobun averted his sight from the failure¡¯s image. He opened a cupboard under the wardrobe and revealed a leather cloak draped with fur. He clutched it, then threw it over his shoulders as well. For a moment he felt the stifling heat and smelled the overbearing sweat from it, then as if they were an illusion they disappeared.


    It was time to go, now that he got ready.


    With steady steps, he left through the door and closed it behind him. Now what laid before him was a huge, two-ways slope. The way leading down was filled with mansions, closed shops, stands, inns, and taverns. Ceremonial gates, abundant with gifts and colored with gold, carrying the words of the ancestors, led the way until the inclining path¡¯s end. At the foot of the slope, where all of the inner boroughs¡¯ ways met, stood the Star Library, high and bright like the glimpse of a blazing star. It also seemed desolate.


    Streets were as empty as the shops were, an eerie silence covered the surroundings. A small breeze flew over from the summit of the slope, streaks of light danced around the exit to the outer-mountain. They were green, unlike the gold of the Sun and silver of the Star Library. Gaobun walked up towards the slope to the exit, he didn¡¯t try to fly. Of the empty borough, only his footsteps resounded.


    He also saw a few more disciples afar, gathered at the exit and is periphery, wearing fur riddled leather cloaks like him over their robes. Their heads were frozen, without exception all had bits of frost in their handful of hair. And their expressions were of the cold over their heads, their eyes crackled like a fire in a winter night¡¯s snowstorm. Their hands rubbed each of their own, their Qi spread over them like blankets to shield from the encasing frost.


    Gaobun reached next to them in a matter of seconds. After all, even if his choice was to walk, a Path Opener¡¯s speed wasn¡¯t in the realm of the ones preceding it. One who started to walk on the path to the essence, their understanding of self and the universe, was always above those still foraging their way.


    Path Openers, in that sense, was in the eye of the storm called the world, and ones behind them were the observers of the said storm.


    These younglings in front of him were the same. They were still searching for their path to establish, then to walk on it. To explore a place no one had ever seen, exclusive to themselves, and experience a journey no soul but their pitiful ones could live. How grand of an ambition was that? Its greatness was, at least, not something Ubel would understand.


    Gaobun¡¯s frown softened for a moment, he passed from the disciples waiting at the gates and stepped onto the outside. They didn¡¯t bother to clasp their hands or bow their heads, they couldn¡¯t be. And Gaobun also couldn¡¯t dilly dally with simple, ancient etiquette for any longer.


    Then the moment his feet touched the ground, his frown hardened again. His eyebrows knitted tighter, and his lips spread thinner. His already low cheekbones sunk further into his flesh and following its demise, a burst of wind strode over his long hair.


    It smelled fresh mint, yet the domineering cold over it suppressed whatever entices it had.


    Gaobun took a deep breath and the frozen particles on the air rushed down his throat, into his windpipe. The breath reached his lungs in no time and terrorized the inside with a wild surge of frost. The Qi inside his meridians moved in a frenzy and charged towards the sheet of ice over his lungs, a battle of control ensued.


    He looked fine otherwise from outward. How couldn¡¯t he with a sight like this?


    Ice was something he had rarely seen. He knew from somewhere in his mind that he had seen it before, and were it not for that he could say he had never seen at all. At most snow, and those were the all-year-round ones clinging to the top of their mountains. But here? It wasn¡¯t even snow.


    It rained pure ice.


    Snowflakes were ice flakes, the clouds were flying puffs of frost, and the land beneath his feet was also a screen of thin ice. Under the veil he could see the still alive grass and weeds, the vitality of the mountain wasn¡¯t something easily extinguishable.


    From the front, two paths paved towards his destination. One was the general road circling the spiraling slopes of the mountain, and it passed through every platform and house along the way. The other was the stairs leading directly up to the mountain¡¯s top. He chose the latter, for the cold started to seep into his skin.


    This was no ordinary cold, Gaobun learned only now.


    This time he chose to fly, but still followed the outlines of the path. He floated above the ground and pointed with his head, then his speed multiplied by ten. He disappeared with a boom and the ice veil under him cracked from the shockwave. Bursts of it spread to the ground and one of the stalks of tiny grass, now free from the encasing of the cold, swayed triumphantly or a second.


    Then it was swallowed again, and its defiant spirit was crushed as if it never existed.


    *********


    As Gaobun neared the top of the mountain, he looked over to the northeast from the corner of his dull eyes.


    What he saw was majesty. Glory. Honour. The pride of the immortals, and one of the biggest reasons they fell to the grasp of the Overseer. A black, pentagonal device the size of a small mountain. Flashes of emerald and golden lightning burst from its sides now and then, and it floated over the Barren Lands most dangerous area as if it was immune to its magical freeze.


    Glorious Portal, a tool that could pave the way to the starry sky.


    The starry sky was the highest point in the immortals¡¯ life in this world. It was where they could take the last step from the Essence Realm to the Overseer Realm. It was the place where the ambition of the immortals laid, which once claimed the three continents in its grasp. The starry sky was the ocean of the universe, as his master called it, and it was always shrouded in a thick mist. The starry sky was...


    Many things.


    Each ignorant fool could plaster a definition of their own to the Starry Sky, and it would still be fit. Because it was the Starry Sky. That was it.


    The winds turned harsher as he flew higher towards the summit. The mint smell disappeared and left its place to a freezing sensation that made iceburns inside his large nostrils. But he didn¡¯t have to endure much more, as the peak came into sight.


    He rounded the side once and rushed up, bursts of flames escaped from his feet and hands as he blew like a candle and appeared before thirty-eight men and women, and the frozen peak of the Memorial.


    At this point one could see the sneaking rays of light from the freezing sun, even the grandiose sun seemed weak in front of this kind of a cold. Among these lights danced the colors of emerald, jade, and antique green. They warped and slithered like hungry snakes in the sky and descended far over the peak, down to the Cindersnow mountain¡¯s base, and finally ended their trail over the heaving waves of the Grand Ocean.


    The peak, as the lights brightened, was as barren as one would expect from a mountain amid snowstorms. A sheet of frost thicker than its compatriot at the foot of the mountain spread far and wide, inclined up like a slide to the grand Memorial; a dark square structure three-hundred-meters high and twenty-five-meters wide, on its surface engraved over hundreds of thousands of names. The writing for each was different, as each represented another individual, and fluctuations of light seeped out of the words inscribed to tell who was alive and who wasn¡¯t.


    By this time, only one-twentieth of the names glinted.


    On top of the Memorial stood thirteen thrones constructed of polished soulstones, each of them the color of gray. On top of these thrones stood thirteen people as well, and they all wore the same colored robes over their slender limbs. The elders, indeed. These people were the thirteen Essence Realm elders of the Cindersnow, the backbone of their power and the central authority that took every decision involving the future of the sect. Of these thirteen, only one had a hair of different color than white, who was elder Cinder.


    Gaobun swept his eyes and met the gaze of each elder, their expressions softened at his sight. Then he looked down towards the twenty-six cushions floating around the thrones, one was empty. He cast a quick glance to the Combat Masters and Masters of the sect and sped towards his own cushion. He sat, swung himself slightly to left and right to find a comfortable position, then crossed his legs.


    Like him, everyone sat in the lotus position and eyed the elders above them. At that moment, elder Cinder raised his hand and spoke.


    ¡®¡¯Let¡¯s start, shall we?¡¯¡¯


    *********


    On the hexagonal housetop of The Raven¡¯s shrine, Ubel seated himself among the interlocking beams of stone.


    He crossed his legs and put both his hands together, took a deep breath, and gazed up towards the full moon milking away the light from the falling sun.


    It cast shines of blue and white over the descending red, a big contrast to the boiling sun peeking from the leaves on its way. There was no wind, for it was almost spring, and the multitude of Daisies, lotuses, roses, and violets Hong Seng grew around the shrine exuded a deep, yet sweet and earth-like scent. With each breath he took, the smell rushed into his nostrils with the still unwarmed air.


    Of the many breaths he took, and of each light that seeped from a gap in the leaves above his head, a glint of azure would shine.


    These azure-colored moonlights swirled around his head and coiled into the shape of a circle at the center of his glabella. With each passing second, the circle grew thicker and wider, and Ubel¡¯s mind lost the ability to sense the surroundings.


    This lasted for three hours until the circle of azure light grew as large as him and revolved around his body. Ubel regained his awareness right before it grew the last bits of its capacity, and he opened his eyes.


    Gather lunar energy for thirty-three days- That was the first step of the Body Enchanting, and the first bottleneck to step onto the Qi Creation equivalent of it. -Then crush your body with the light, force it to fuse with your skin and flesh.


    So he willed it, and the circle of light split into two parts. One half broke from the center and rotated, getting thinner in the process. Then it came before his neck and like the pincer of a crab, pinched around it.


    Ubel let out a grunt. His face distorted, a frown sneaked on his brows, and the moment Lunar Qi Circle forced its way through his shoulders and his neck, It pushed like a flood that crashed on a stone wall. With each battering of it, crackling of bones and sizzling of a fire spread. And soon it disappeared, what was left behind was black marks around his neck.


    Ubel took a deep breath and without stopping willed the second half to push into him.


    As he went through the same process, this time for a shorter period, the black marks around his neck and shoulders widened. His tanned skin gained a new, darker color around his torso. Even then it didn¡¯t stop. The color washed over his whole body, its density lessened and instead of dark chocolate, it resembled a dark wood.


    At last, when his whole body changed colors, Ubel was done in ragged breaths and shaking hands. He couldn¡¯t help but groan for a few more seconds until the pain went away and his expression turned into a wry smile.


    Thirty-three days worth is this unbearable, how will I push through the second step?


    The Body Enchanting had three steps, with each step correlating to a step in the modern cultivation system.


    Within the first step, Ubel had meditated under the moon for thirty-three days to gather Lunar Qi, as with only Lunar Qi could he progress through Body Enchanting. Unlike normal Qi, Lunar Qi would gather around his skin rather than meridians, and this was a happy occurrence as he didn¡¯t have any meridian to speak of. Once the Lunar Qi inside the skin reached its peak, he would have to fuse it with his flesh and make it more durable and prone to hold larger amounts of Lunar Qi. As he finished it, he now had the power of an average Qi Creation cultivator, which was perhaps as strong as two mortals.


    In the second step, however, he would have to meditate under the moon for three hundred thirty-three days. It was a pretty long time and considering not all nights had a full moon, or even a half-moon, the expected time could be as long as two and a half years. And the pain he would go through could increase depending on that as well, which made him half-hearted to go further down this point.


    Now, he considered buying or ordering some crystallized Qi from The Raven, Lunar Qi one, obviously, but the method was too flawed and old to use them. He had no knowledge of how manuals or mortal bodies worked, let alone improving or fixing them. And it had been almost two-thousand years since anyone other than cripples used a technique like this. So he had no shortcut out of that, it all depended on time.


    In the third step, he didn¡¯t even need to mention.


    Three thousand days... Ubel wiped the wry smile off his face and sighed. Why was it so hard to acquire power, when all he had to do before was so simpler?


    Is that what I lost? The easy way?


    Perhaps he did. Perhaps he didn¡¯t. The path leading to the Essence Realm wasn¡¯t one easily traversed, but it was true that it didn¡¯t involve any pain. The three tribulation lightning cultivators faced at Path Establishing stage were also not aimed at the body, but at the path one chose. It was a test of your will and character, whether your ideals were considered ideals and your true self was what you assumed it to be.


    Like how a teacher would question his/her student¡¯s dao, the tribulations did the exact thing. Yet they were much merciless, as they didn¡¯t have that moral compassion of a master. After all, the former was there to guide, and the latter was there to punish.


    So whether it was an easy way or not wasn¡¯t up to Ubel¡¯s decision. What right did he have to question these, when sages and immortals of higher stature and intellect than him approved it?


    ...None, I guess.


    So he shook his head and stood up. His legs and arse went numb from sitting on a cold stone for hours, and as a result, he wobbled and tripped on a beam. He stumbled and fell with a thud, rolling on the roof, and no sooner than that crashed onto the ground from a few meters high.


    It was no surprise he took no damage from a fall of that caliber, Ubel thought, but the cloud of dust rising under him seemed to be expressing its dissatisfaction. Ubel looked up from the ground up to the moon, now almost at the top of the sky, where once the celestial sun burnt the lands and ravaged the crops. Would the moon do the same if it was given the chance? The thought struck, then escaped at the same moment. As if that wasn¡¯t even a part of his consciousness.


    The moon perhaps heard his question, or another question of the same caliber of heresy, as it released a light harsher than before. The azure and the white beamed down like a lamp in the darkness, and it could be considered one, and suddenly the darkness of the forest brightened like a beacon around him.


    The wind started to blow, even moan, in a low, enchanting voice. Leaves atop the trees rustled from it, and waved towards the cloud of dust Ubel raised as they drifted apart. Soon they were gone, and all left was the few tendrils of his air dancing from the gust above him.


    For a moment, Ubel put this image next to the one he had in the corpse pit. How different- he mumbled to himself, -how...strange.


    ¡®¡¯Ubel?¡¯¡¯ He heard the voice of Hong Seng behind him, the monk¡¯s footsteps approached with a low hum from his mouth.


    ¡®¡¯Oh the sea, the sky,


    How welcome are you?¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Oh my life, my death,Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more.


    How welcome ar-¡¯¡¯ The muttering abruptly stopped, then the steps hurried.


    ¡®¡¯Ubel! What are you doing, lying on my flowers!?¡¯¡¯ Ubel felt his scalp tingle at the rising voice of priest Hong. He leaped up to his feet and looked down at where he fell. Indeed, he saw the traces of some colorful leaves and green roots sprawled around and crushed into a paste.


    ¡®¡¯I-I¡¯m sorry.¡¯¡¯ He let out and took a step back. Hong Seng came step by step, each one heavier than the one before it, and crouched near his flowers.


    ¡®¡¯Is there anything I can do?¡¯¡¯ Ubel asked, taking one more step back. Hong Seng raised his head and looked at him with a huge frown, and his eyes had a dangerous glint. Though his instincts told he could, still, crush this man into a paste of meat in a few seconds if he wanted, that flicker of sublime light made him worried.


    Then Ubel shuddered, his eyes turned into needle-sized dots.


    What am I thinking? Why did he evaluate the man¡¯s danger to him before his well-being? It was a thought on an instinctual level, it happened instantly and the judgment came not even a millisecond after.


    Hong Seng¡¯s frown softened, then disappeared as he stood frozen on one knee, his hand reached out for fragments of flower petals.


    ¡®¡¯Ubel? What happened?¡¯¡¯ he sounded weird.


    ¡®¡¯What- nothing,¡¯¡¯ Ubel muttered and took a deep breath. ¡®¡¯I¡¯m really sorry, priest Hong.¡¯¡¯ He repeated and clasped his hands. ¡®¡¯I¡¯ll drop by tomorrow and help you plant them again.¡¯¡¯ Then turning around, not even sparing a glance to the trembling hands of Hong Seng, rushed into the dense trees of oak and maple.


    His heartbeat increased in frequency as he traveled farther from his old position, and at last, became loud enough to be heard from outside.


    Bang It beat once, and Ubel stopped in the midst of a random patch of grass and pine. He reached out with his palm to touch the bark.


    Then with a squeeze crushed the trunk into splinters.


    All left behind was his rough breathing.


    *********


    A few days later, a deep rumbling echoed throughout the border of the forest. Neither Ubel, who hadn¡¯t been to the shrine since some time ago, nor Hong Seng was aware of where it came from. Only Zi Muqin raised her head to look outside from the shrine.


    In her eyes was a doting shine, and her lips bloomed into a smile.


    For half an hour the trembling continued, and with each passing second it encroached towards the shrine¡¯s direction. Soon roars amidst the trembling were heard and Hong Seng shot to his feet from the garden around the shrine, not sparing a glance at his shaking flowers.


    He saw a cloud of dust rushing towards the entrance of the shrine from the south, and inside the cloud was the shadow of a gargantuan rhinoceros. Two peaking horns sprouted from its forehead and deep chasms revealed themselves under its stomping feet.


    Hong Seng stepped towards Zi Muqin, grasping her hands to help her descend the small flight of stairs down. Once her crimson slippers touched the ground, the cloud of dust was descending above them.


    Yet even before it could descend, a snort echoed from the top of rhinoceros beast and a gust of wind spread forth. Like a small whirlwind, it spun and sent the cloud drifting towards their right.


    As the wind continued whipping in the air, a shadow leaped down to the ground in front of the duo and opened its arms.


    ¡®¡¯My puffy puff!¡¯¡¯ It was a man in his forties, around the same age as the duo, and he had a bright smile on his face. Were it not for the yellowed exterior, the full set of teeth he beamed would look more attractive.


    ¡®¡¯Heshang!¡¯¡¯ Zi Muqin stepped forward and opened her arms as well, embracing Zi Heshang. ¡®¡¯You look too dirty!¡¯¡¯ She said a moment after, releasing her grip on him. ¡®¡¯And stink, too.¡¯¡¯ Though she didn¡¯t forget to take a deep breath of his scent, and instantly covered her nose.


    ¡®¡¯Come on, puffy puff!¡¯¡¯ Zi Heshang approached again and grasped her hands, planting a kiss on each. ¡®¡¯It''s been two weeks since I saw you, can¡¯t you be more patient?¡¯¡¯ Heshang¡¯s brows lowered into a docile arch sloping downwards and made his eyes glow brighter. It seemed too strange for a forty-year-old man with a few wrinkles around his eyes to look this cute.


    ¡®¡¯...hi-¡¯¡¯ No sooner had Hong Seng opened his mouth to utter a greeting that Zi Heshang released his wife¡¯s hands and coiled his arms like snakes around Hong¡¯s body. The moment they connected at Hong Seng¡¯s back, Zi Heshang crushed him.


    ¡®¡¯Hong! Old Hong! Young Hong! Middle Hong! How long has it been!?¡¯¡¯ No, the right word was a hug, but all Hong Seng felt was a force greater than of his own by ten times squeezing him to death. His face paled and eyes almost bulged out, yet Muqin tapped her husband¡¯s shoulder before he died.


    This was the second time Hong Seng saw the face of death from the hands of Heshang, he thought and coughed a few times to get his erratic breathing stable. Heshang smiled at him with his yellowed teeth, still, and the rhinoceros behind them trembled at the sight.


    A fellow of the same fate.


    Hong Seng wobbled up to his feet and turned his back to the bickering couple, but it was clear that it was because he wanted to ignore Heshang¡¯s initial excitement.


    I¡¯ll get myself some tea. Yes, that¡¯ll do.


    *********


    Not long after the small gathering of people run off into the building, Zi Heshang didn¡¯t forget to slaughter the rhinoceros beast for a good load of meat, Ubel came knocking on their door. Hong Seng opened the gates to him, as expected. The first expression he made was one of relief as he saw Ubel¡¯s face, and peeking inside, Ubel could feel an aura that made his instincts not even dare assess.


    He gulped and came in after Hong Seng¡¯s gesture.


    Miss Muqin was sitting on a raven embroidered purple cushion made larger than its other kinds that they normally seated themselves, so that she could lean on the dais and extend her legs in a comfortable position. And comfortable she seemed, her eyes had a fervent glint that made him shiver, and her long copper-like legs were hidden by a large body sprawled over them.


    ¡®¡¯Puffy puff, puffy puff!¡¯¡¯ The owner of the muscular body muttered, swinging side to side, and played with thick strands of golden hair. He looked like those Shaowei people, yet he didn¡¯t have the silver-like pale skin of them. It was the most common slight-white, slight-tanned color of any mixed men around the central continent.


    Ubel¡¯s eyes widened, more than enough for the man to notice, and less than enough for Hong Seng to see. Is he what makes me terrified? He found it incredulous.


    The man sized him up and down, his chest heaved up for a moment as if he was going to stand up. But a tap from Muqin¡¯s slender fingers made him fall back again.


    ¡®¡¯Puffy puff?¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Do you remember our Lord''s words?¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Oh-Oooh!¡¯¡¯ He exclaimed.¡¯¡¯I don¡¯t.¡¯¡¯ Muqin tapped on his forehead thrice.


    ¡®¡¯He is the boy. Lord said you¡¯ll have to train him.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯His name is boy?¡¯¡¯ The man shook his head. ¡®¡¯Pitiful thing, it seems like his family had some big trouble picking his name.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯They didn¡¯t-¡¯¡¯ Ubel¡¯s eyes hardened, as if an icy mountain appeared deep inside his gaze. ¡®¡¯-And my name is Ubel.¡¯¡¯ he said and collapsed on the last, empty cushion next to Hong Seng¡¯s. He couldn¡¯t perceive whether this was set here for him, or was left behind by the smarty kipping on miss Muqin¡¯s legs.


    ¡®¡¯Ubel...single piece, two syllables. Easy to remember. And I¡¯m Heshang. Zi Heshang, Mighty Heshang, title Heshang. Just put whatever you like.¡¯¡¯


    Bodger Heshang, Ubel thought in his head. But it seems like his muscles cover for his empty brain. Ubel could only say like, as it wasn¡¯t even clear whether the oppressing aura he felt around this man came from his cultivation base or his fleshly body. But his instincts told that an unsurmountable power hid inside this man¡¯s skin and muscles. A power so great that, if erupted, could shatter three shrines of the same size.


    ¡®¡¯What is this training thing?¡¯¡¯ Ubel asked directly.


    ¡®¡¯My lord¡¯s words,¡¯¡¯ Hong Seng said, Ubel saw him looking at his stiff, darkened hands. ¡®¡¯He said it was for, hmm, some kind of an offer.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Do I need to kill more people?¡¯¡¯ Ubel pointed at the whispering wife and husband with his index finger. ¡®¡¯It seems like senior Heshang can kill a few men by himself.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯A few would be underestimating!¡¯¡¯ Said Heshang and extended his hands towards Ubel. ¡®¡¯I broke only a few hundred necks with these! Those that I shattered are more than that.¡¯¡¯ And as if intending to show the evidence for his words, the callouses and wrinkles inside his palm had dark crimson dots covering them. His palm had lost its color like a blade rusting from blood.


    ¡®¡¯There were also a few sect disciples.¡¯¡¯ His eyes showed a strange glint.


    Ubel knitted his brows. ¡®¡¯Senior Heshang, what do you want?¡¯¡¯ He said and gazed down at the man. The danger he felt from him suddenly climbed to a new peak at Heshang¡¯s last sentence, as if an invisible wall pressured him from all sides. ¡®¡¯I have no more relations with the sect.¡¯¡¯


    The glint in Zi Heshang¡¯s eyes disappeared. ¡®¡¯I only wanted to boast, nothing more.¡¯¡¯ He slouched left, snorting, and avoided Ubel¡¯s gaze. Then his hand patted the lower parts of his wife¡¯s legs. ¡®¡¯Ahh, downy!¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Ubel,¡¯¡¯ Hong Seng inched closer to him and leaned beside his ear. ¡®¡¯Are your hands any good?¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯They are fine,¡¯¡¯ Ube said and shook his head. ¡®¡¯Forget that for now. Tell me what The Raven wants.¡¯¡¯


    Hong Seng cracked a slight smile and returned to his seat, dallying for a few seconds to get comfortable. ¡®¡¯You know of the Cindersnow city.¡¯¡¯ He started.


    ¡®¡¯Yes, everyone knows, but I¡¯ve never been there.¡¯¡¯ Ubel gazed at Hong Seng in the eye. ¡®¡¯Can you get to the main point?¡¯¡¯ With each passing second, the pressure he felt from Heshang choked him more and more. Though he didn¡¯t want to return without asking for medicine first, it seemed like he would have to.


    ¡®¡¯Almost all disciples of The Sect retreated from the continent, as you know, and only a few remained like you. Yet most of these people are from Cindersnow city, who hold management positions in high places and don¡¯t want to resign.¡¯¡¯ Hong Seng stopped here and raised four fingers.


    ¡®¡¯Of these people, there are four you need to know and be aware of. The first is the magistrate¡¯s spokesman and chronicler, Qiang Yin. He has been working as a historian for twenty years and is at the second layer of Path Establishing. He is known to be cunning and wise, and as the late magistrate trusted him very much, he is one of the most resourceful about the finances and history of the city. Some say he even knows secrets, the kind that even the high nobility clans don¡¯t have a clue about.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Second is the head of the military force in charge of public order, Nu Jing. She is one of the few that is knowledgeable about the city¡¯s whole layout. And the small degree of political power she holds among the lower portion of the city makes her an eyesore for Qiang Yin and a few more people. But the local populace praised her character more than once.¡¯''


    ¡®¡¯Third is Mi Jian, one of the sect¡¯s old spies and diplomats. He has a wide range of connections with people all over the continent, so he is keen on what is about to happen in the near future. Though he seems jobless right now, my lord said he started an information business for some very troubling figures. By troubling, I mean people not worth bothering.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Fourth is Alim Mingzi, one of the rising commanders of the city army.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Alim?¡¯¡¯ Ubel interrupted his words. ¡®¡¯Is there any information about his appearance? His Character? Or is it known what he did in the sect?¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯He is a man with raven black hair, green eyes, short brows, and a height of near one-hundred-eighty centimeters. His last bits of responsibilities were simple errant works and a librarian. As for his character, it is noted that he is overall a calm man except in battle. A few days before, he killed a famed third layer Path Establishing expert of the Han dynasty with his first layer Path Establishing cultivation, and fifteen Qi Destructioners.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯...Surprising.¡¯¡¯ Ubel took a deep breath. So Alim was also here, not among the hundreds of thousands that left. When they talked about the general affairs of the continent, The Raven didn¡¯t tell him of his existence. Was this a happy coincidence? He didn¡¯t know. Did they still have a connection left, after he had left the sect? He didn¡¯t know again. But it was lovely. Perhaps it was knowing that he also had another person he knew from the sect, aside from Quan, but he felt a sweet warmth in his heart.


    ¡®¡¯Then,¡¯¡¯ Ubel retracted his thoughts, ¡®¡¯What is our relation with these people?¡¯¡¯ That was the first question to be asked. Orabura forests had borders with Haishen and Han dynasties, true, and it was also a fact that Cindersnow city intended to migrate its overflowing population to these newly conquered Han territories. But what relation did Orabura had with figures from a city three mountains and cliffs, a large forest, and several towns afar?


    The offer, Ubel repeated, What does Raven want me to achieve?


    ¡®¡¯My lord¡¯s first thoughts were to increase his influence in Denizage, then follow the coastline to K?ykan and Sahden cities. But now he has a weaker, and uncontested prey.¡¯¡¯


    Gears started turning in Ubel¡¯s mind.


    ¡®¡¯Why me?¡¯¡¯ He asked, but knew the answer.


    ¡®¡¯Your connections, your relation with them, and you...know sect more than us.¡¯¡¯ Ubel raised his brow at the last statement. Even the couple playing aside frowned in confusion.


    ¡®¡¯It is illogical,¡¯¡¯ Ubel said. ¡®¡¯I can¡¯t do anything by myself, and even if there were people this is not a danger I¡¯m willing to push myself in. What can he even promise me to do it?¡¯¡¯ Ubel, if The Raven didn¡¯t lie to him, wouldn¡¯t get himself in a situation where several different parties vied for supremacy among the city. There were even people dying in the middle of the street every day.


    ¡®¡¯Origins of your parents.¡¯¡¯


    Ubel, at this, flashed a bitter smile. Of course, that was the bait he was most likely to bite. But believing in a second-hand knowledge felt uncomfortably disturbing to him, even though The Raven proved himself as a real deity. Or perhaps it was because he was a deity. And now thinking of how he withheld the information about Alim, The Raven¡¯s place in Ubel¡¯s mind dropped by one notch.


    ¡®¡¯Still unreasonable.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯The kid is right,¡¯¡¯ Heshang said, turning his head over to look at them. ¡®¡¯There are five of those third layer Path Establishers in the city, and a few dozen Path Finders. And Wusheng Wang, why don¡¯t you tell about him as well? I¡¯m curious.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Priest Hong?¡¯¡¯ Ubel turned his head ninety degrees and gazed at Hong Seng. His eyes darkened at their words, but it was clear the reason wasn¡¯t being found out. It was confusion. Hong Seng looked at them, the few wrinkles under his eyes trembled.


    ¡®¡¯I...don¡¯t know him.¡¯¡¯ he murmured. ¡®¡¯Everything I lear-¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯This won¡¯t do-¡¯¡¯ A suffocating voice boomed into existence and dark feathers stuck to the ceiling shook. ¡®¡¯-my poor zealot. I wish you wouldn¡¯t tell every little thing you thought.¡¯¡¯


    The eye of The Raven appeared again, Muqin and Hong Seng attempted to rise to their feet.


    ¡®¡¯Sit, I don¡¯t have time.¡¯¡¯ Said Raven, the duo obediently sat down, and he looked at Ubel with a crimson gaze. ¡®¡¯Listen, bearer of my own. Let me make this clear, I am not an omnipotent nor omnipresent deity. I can¡¯t grasp what kind of a stature I have in your mind, but I am not that, too. IF I were, I wouldn¡¯t need people like you, like this zealot, like this dumb muscular beast.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯And I wouldn¡¯t let you hold onto that Seal for this long.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Come to the point.¡¯¡¯ Said Heshang, he suddenly appeared behind the eye.


    ¡®¡¯...what my zealot talked about is still an offer, in the process of making. Even if you accept, there is no guarantee I will move onto there. But you are no fool, and you know you need any kind of experience to further your powers. The training Heshang can provide you, consider it as a deposit for your role.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Even if you don¡¯t accept now, and I have no intention of hearing your response right now, last two believers of mine are on their way here. Hao Tou, one of the few people I have full trust in and a scheming genius. Meng Liu is a shamanic cultivator, he can foresee possible futures to help you avoid disasters.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯So this will be safe, you say?¡¯¡¯ Heshang asked instead of Ubel, leaving him wide-eyed at the man.


    ¡®¡¯Not safe, but it can be if you act properly.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯And why do we even need a divinator?¡¯¡¯ Ubel asked, raising his brow. ¡®¡¯Aren¡¯t you one, O¡¯mighty Raven?¡¯¡¯


    His last word touched a reverse scale of The Raven, Ubel felt at a millisecond, and the eye expanded into three meters.


    ¡®¡¯My powers are limited, yoU DAMNED FOOL!¡¯¡¯ The Raven snapped. A sound wave burst out of the eye and washed over them, creaks and pops sounded from their bodies. Then the wave rebounded from the walls and returned with increased momentum, taking the visible shape of a feathered blade.


    ¡®¡¯You damn chick, keep yourself in control!¡¯¡¯ Heshang clenched his fist at the moment of attack and swung his fist towards the eye. From his knuckles, several thin lines of blue flashed and went off, and his fist buried deep into the eye.


    With a pop, the sound wave broke like glass and the eye exploded into a handful of sand.


    Ubel froze in his place, his stiff hands and legs trembled from terror. Hong Seng crashed his head into the ground, continuously. As for Muqin, she held clenched her belly with both hands, shaking all over her body, and grit her teeth. Beads of sweat started rushing down her forehead.


    ¡®¡¯Puffy puff!¡¯¡¯ Heshang rushed to her side and kneeled, he placed his hand on her head.


    ¡®¡¯I¡¯m...fine,¡¯¡¯ She shook her head, Heshang took his hand back. ¡®¡¯Can you..ah, help me.¡¯¡¯


    Heshang nodded and curled his hands around her, his hands coiled around her back and legs. He carefully picked her up and sent a stare at Hong Seng.


    ¡®¡¯Send her to one of the backrooms,¡¯¡¯ Hong Seng raised his head, blood drops dripped from his forehead. ¡®¡¯I¡¯ve prepared lodgings for all of you.¡¯¡¯ Heshang nodded again and carried his wife to one of the rooms inside, then disappeared from their sight.


    Ubel, at the same time, recovered from his stupor. His hands still trembled and his eyes were blurry, everything seemed like a mish-mash of grey and black in his eyes.


    ¡®¡¯Ubel,¡¯¡¯ Hong Seng called for him, Ubel turned to face him. ¡®¡¯Rest for now.¡¯¡¯ He said, then struck his head into the ground again. Droplets of blood flew from the small puddle under Hong Seng¡¯s head and painted the white floor. ¡®¡¯I¡¯m sorry...I¡¯ve caused another accident again.¡¯¡¯


    Ubel dumbly stared at his head, he held his breath without knowing. Then he subconsciously rose from his seat and walked towards one of the rooms at the back.


    Clenching his shaking hands, he stepped inside.


    *********


    Hong Seng¡¯s eyes gazing at Ubel¡¯s back darkened.


    Ubel was walking in circles.


    Hong Seng opened and closed his mouth a few times, yet no words came out. At last, his lips spread thin and he closed his eyes.


    Not long passed and a different set of footsteps sounded around them. Hong Seng revealed his tired eyes and gazed at the Heshang. He wasn¡¯t walking, though the rhythmic steps gave off that vibe, but was rushing to Ubel. Ubel also stopped trying to reach a room and turned to gaze, with blank eyes, to the incoming Heshang.


    ¡®¡¯Heshang, no!¡¯¡¯ Hong Seng shot up to his feet but it was too late.


    Zi Heshang raised his fist and, with an enraged roar, punched right on Ubel¡¯s face. His knuckles buried into Ubel¡¯s nose and sent him flying to the gates. Hong Seng rushed up to block his way but Heshang snorted and grasped his arm, then flung him aside.


    Hong Seng flew in the air and crashed to a side-wall with a bang. His body stuck to the wall, then slid down with small rubble. Blood trickled down his lips.


    ¡®¡¯Heshang!¡¯¡¯ Hong Seng shouted again and tried to sand up, yet his torso throbbed with unimaginable pain. He couldn¡¯t even grit his teeth.


    Ubel crashed onto the gates like him and created a dent on the doors, they flung open outwards. Heshang stepped towards him, fuming with literal smoke coming off his nostrils. As if his eyes had a blazing, furious fire.


    ¡®¡¯You fool!¡¯¡¯ He crouched and sent another fist at the dumbfounded Ubel. Blood sprayed. ¡®¡¯You talk with a deity! A fucking deity!¡¯¡¯ Heshang clutched Ubel from the collar and shook him. ¡®¡¯Where the fuck does your scorn comes from!? Do YOU not realize what you are dealing with!?¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Heshang!¡¯¡¯ Hong Seng bit the tip of his tongue and spat a mouthful of blood onto his clothes. The crimson color turned into golden and spread to his limbs like slimy water. The pain started to lessen. ¡®¡¯Don¡¯t touch him anymore!¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Shut up!¡¯¡¯ Zi Heshang roared and sent another punch at Ubel¡¯s swollen face, droplets of blood sprayed onto his fist. Ubel let out a whimper at the impact. ¡®¡¯The damn chick hurt my wife! Why? Because a nobody from the fucking arrogant pricks¡¯ land couldn¡¯t hold onto his tongue!¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯I ought to kill him now and here!¡¯¡¯


    The pain in his limbs was almost gone, so Hong Seng managed to move. He stood up and rushed over to Zi Heshang. ¡®¡¯Heshang, please!¡¯¡¯ He said and came next to them, Heshang had raised another fist aimed at Ubel. Hong Seng reached with both his hands and kneeled over, covering Ubel¡¯s body with his own.


    ¡®¡¯Spare him, I beg you. He is in the wrong but he isn¡¯t the one you should blame.¡¯¡¯ Hong Seng¡¯s eyes revealed a deep fear at his own sentence.


    Heshang froze at Hong Seng¡¯s eyes. His fist stood motionless on the air, between his head and Hong Seng¡¯s nose.


    Then his eyes shrunk. Tremors spread through his body and the scarlet on his knuckles dripped one by one.


    ¡®¡¯Training, you said,¡¯¡¯ He mumbled and lowered his hands. Heshang slowly stood up and gazed down at Ubel. His brows knit so tight that even a demon would be scared. And his eyes. They had a deep, ice-like cold under their brownish color. ¡®¡¯Let this be my first lesson!¡¯¡¯


    Then he stomped and sped off back to his wife¡¯s side. His body disappeared into the entrance.


    Hong Seng let out a deep breath of relief and collapsed beside Ubel.


    Now both their heads were covered in blood.

 52- The Ravens Offer (2)

    The backrooms of the shrine were built with the utmost care by Ubel, and Hong Seng guided him into their final state of perfection. Of course, this perfection was by the standards of the priest, and not a widely accepted one, as Heshang thought.


    Unlike the main hall, where there was a big contrast between the dark feathered ceiling and the light gray tiles, the walls and the floor and the top was all glinting silver of marble. Cushions were laid, one short for sitting and one long to lay upon, and one light, one heavy blanket was put near. His wife laid on one of the long, and her legs constantly pushed the light cover on her.


    There were curtains hiding small openings, the size of his head, that acted as windows, and from these windows, tame gusts of wind roared towards these raven engraved veils. They trembled and swayed under the mighty breeze. There was the mixed scent of flowers, earth-like deep and almost as sweet as his wife¡¯s cheeks.


    Heshang put his right hand over her head and gathered a sliver of Qi on the tip of his index finger. A glowing blue dot appeared, and when it did Heshang made a hand seal with his other hand. Then another one, followed by a series of blurry finger moves, and his eyes started to glow with the same aquamarine glint. It was a self-made third eye¡¯s sign. For people without meridians, it was nigh-impossible to open their third eye if they hadn¡¯t done so in the past. Even if it was a pseudo-third eye, it would be useless after getting crippled.


    But there was a solution to that, at least for the third eye¡¯s observation skills. These set of hand gestures he prepared were known to many vassal citizens, as they were used by many state manuals prior to Qi Creation Realm. Before achieving the constant-breath and constant-circulation to progress their cultivation, these sets of seals would help a new cultivator experience what it meant to control and use Qi.


    Of course, compared to the innate control abilities the meridians had, these set of seals did almost nothing. They took long to memorize and prepare, and in situations with fatal danger, their usefulness proved too little. Even with tens of years of practice, Zi Heshang could only finish the sixty-nine set of seals in ten seconds, so it was easy to guess the situation the amateur cripple warriors like Ubel faced.


    There was also the drawback that made it incapable of achieving the sensing abilities of a real third eye. One could, when using the third eye, spread their five senses with a wave of Qi to large distances. With these senses, commanders in the Path Opening Realm, which were no more than thirty-eight and twenty or so of them had left with the sect, could issue direct commands and even observe the battlefield from a more strategic point. So the value of Path Opening realm cultivators was of utmost importance to the empires¡¯ militaries as well.


    Lacking such an important capability made this self-made third eye pretty worthless in the eyes of real immortals. But cripples were cripples, they could only strive to improve themselves other than cursing their luck.


    Soon, by which for Heshang meant thirteen seconds, the glow in his eyes became fiercer and his brows furrowed.


    From his vision, he saw faint lines of vessels brimming with wood Qi. The verdant surge of Qi inside her moved without obstruction and rushed towards her dantian, her belly, where a different set of vessels¡¯ outline could be seen.


    Heshang closed his eyes and stopped. He raised his trembling finger from Muqin¡¯s face, then plopped down back with a hunched back.


    ¡®¡¯Hooooh!¡¯¡¯ He let out a deep sigh and his eyes sparkled. He is fine. He could finally smile again, and he did so, his fairly large lips parted to reveal a yellowish set of teeth.


    ¡®¡¯Good!¡¯¡¯ Zi Heshang said.¡¯¡¯Good!¡¯¡¯ This time roared.


    ¡®¡¯Can you...not?¡¯¡¯ Muqin¡¯s copper eyelids trembled, then opened wide. A strand of tenderness passed through her eyes, and her reddened cheeks made his lust sprout more than a plump piece of cake would sate his appetite.  Yet the soft love transformed into a fierce glare a moment after.


    ¡®¡¯...I¡¯m sorry.¡¯¡¯ Heshang lowered his head. He was sorry, how could he not with that kind of gaze? That glare told him he was wrong, and he knew that all the times she cast over him and his body he was so confident a fierce glance, he had always been the unjust side. At least, at this moment, he knew why, contrary to those before.


    ¡®¡¯You¡¯ve held back?¡¯¡¯ She said, and attempted to rise. But Heshang tapped on her forehead, a glinting aquamarine shone off her copper skin and her back leaned on the purple bedding again. ¡®¡¯Heshang?¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Don¡¯t move yet,¡¯¡¯ He said and put a hand over her belly. Other than the prickly surface of her robe and the wetness around her sweating sides, he could feel a small banging coming deep inside her flesh. ¡®¡¯He...needs to rest. You too, you still have to sleep.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯...what happened to my Heshang, Sir Demon?¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯If you don¡¯t rest, this old demon will devour you like he did to your handsome husband.¡¯¡¯ Heshang cracked a smile.


    They gazed at each other for minutes, watching each other¡¯s funny expressions and trembling eyes.


    ¡®¡¯You didn¡¯t answer my question,¡¯¡¯ Muqin said, breaking the silence.


    ¡®¡¯I..did,¡¯¡¯ Heshang said. ¡®¡¯I didn¡¯t kill him, or wound him.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Those whimpers weren¡¯t so convincing, Heshang.¡¯¡¯ Muqin narrowed her eyes.


    ¡®¡¯I struck without him expecting, of course he would fear,¡¯¡¯ He said. ¡®¡¯If not, I don¡¯t think he would have taken that beating that poorly.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Ye-¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯But!¡¯¡¯ Heshang interrupted his wife¡¯s words. This was a common occurrence by this point, this was her way of making him explain himself. If not, he couldn¡¯t think of the right words to describe what he thought. All his actions, after all, stemmed from the impulse of a moment and rarely resulted from a thorough session of planning. Yet he was no simple man. He was Heshang, Zi Heshang, Mighty Heshang, Title Heshang.


    ¡®¡¯Even if he was careful around me, he wasn¡¯t around that bird.¡¯¡¯ He said. ¡®¡¯This boy doesn¡¯t know who or what he is dealing with, nor does he realize how foolish he is to underestimate that chicky. So I beat him¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯You know your lord better than me, puffy puff, so I won¡¯t explain why.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Because you can¡¯t?¡¯¡¯ She beamed an innocent smile at him, her eyes forming half-moons. The scarlet around her cheeks had lessened.


    ¡®¡¯...well, yeah,¡¯¡¯ Heshang admitted. His pursuit of Muqin and their path of love wasn¡¯t so easy when there was a huge religion belonging to an eccentric, ambitious deity that her wife was a member of. Rules and traditions and missions of such deities were as bad as they were, so it was understandable they would spend much of their time apart when they were weaker.


    But now, they were strong, independent. And they were people that The Raven needed, rather than used. Even so, the horrors and difficulties he faced because of the Raven were ingrained into him by beatings and hardships. He knew and understood from deep inside his bones how dangerous a deity without a proper standing could be, as unless they had a large number of believers and supporters, their moral compass could twist very easily. Without a proper foundation of beliefs, nothing they did needed any justification. And if they needed, it would be as simple as two words.


    Divine Punishment.


    ¡®¡¯Look at my Heshang!¡¯¡¯ Muqin let out a laugh, then a coughing fit hit. Her hands rose and fell near her opening mouth and a large amount of spit flew with her coughs. She always choked on her saliva while laughing.


    ¡®¡¯Now this is divine punishment,¡¯¡¯ Heshang said and stood up. At first, he was too scared of it, but after a few years, it became a common occurrence so he was used to it. How would my boy react? He wondered, then pointed at his wife¡¯s forehead.


    From the tip of his index finger, a Qi seed shot out and floated above her head, rotating clockwise. Then it burst into strands of light that spread around her body and hardened, turning into an oval-shaped, pellet-like barrier. He made a hand seal with his left hand and pointed at the flapping curtain with his index and middle fingers, another Qi seed flew over instantly. It merged with the curtain and soon, a royal blue Qi vortex appeared.


    Heshang now made hand seals with two hands, and soon several more Qi seeds appeared, one above each finger. He flung these over, under the marveling gaze of his wife, and they all placed themselves between the barrier and the Qi seed in the curtain with the same width apart.


    Once Heshang ceased with the hand seals the Qi seeds started to rotate, half clockwise and half in reverse, and from the curtain, a verdant Wood Qi sprang up. It traveled through one seed to another, transforming them into green pellets of Wood Qi, and merged with the barrier. In a few more seconds they all turned bottle green vortexes of Qi. Now, he finished establishing a stable tunnel of Wood Qi to supply his wife.


    ¡®¡¯Oh! A new spell!¡¯¡¯ Muqin exclaimed, her brows shied away from each other and raised in awe. ¡®¡¯Are these self-sustainable?¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯If no one disturbs, yes.¡¯¡¯ Heshang sighed and waved off a few beads of sweat from his glinting forehead. Though it looked easy, or even moderately difficult, it was harder than it seemed to execute complex Qi arts involving purification or synthesis of Qi into another of its kind. Without meridians¡¯ ability to expel impurities and unwanted types of Qi, this was an insanely hard feat. But, as Heshang always boasted, having a good master and a few decades worth of experience under your belt was enough to do such things.


    ¡®¡¯Rest well, puffy puff.¡¯¡¯ He cast a smile to his cheery wife and left through the open door to the main hall. Right before he stepped out, the faint smile on his face disappeared, his brows and nose wrinkled into a deep frown, and his eyes released an infernal flame of hatred. Literarily, of course.


    He came at the right moment when Hong Seng helped the boy, Ubel, stand up and wipe his bleeding face with a wet towel. The instance his feet stomped down, both raised their heads and looked at him. The final touches were a single silent step, then crossing his arms and squeezing some muscles. Once they bulged enough and he stood as upright as an arrow, the threatening aura reached its peak.


    Hong Seng¡¯s eyes darkened and his lips shut tight, his body moved between them again with a single step. For Ubel, his haggard appearance couldn¡¯t hide the inexplicable light in his eyes. But still, Heshang could see that he bore a kind of fear in his eyes.


    That was good enough. If he had a trace of that, even a little, then it would remind him a thousand times to not mess with a deity again. If not a thousand, then he would inflict that damage again. Then again and again, until the brat understood the consequences of what he did.


    This wasn¡¯t out of goodwill, Heshang knew himself. The only bit of kindness he had left was reserved for his wife, his unborn son, Hong Seng, and a few more old friends. Ubel was none of that, he was only a stranger and a newbie at the art of Qi Control. But, he did something wrong, and that thing affected his wife in the wrong way. So he had to correct that mistake, lest it caused another harm to his wife again. His wife was the most important, and if necessary he, wouldn¡¯t feel any worse for dragging the bare brains out of the youngster.


    Acting is hard, the fury in his eyes wasn¡¯t real, at least some part of it. He was indeed upset, but not furious. He couldn¡¯t, when his wife wasn¡¯t in that bad of a condition. But it was, again, needed. Though he learned what he did wrong from beatings and hardships, one couldn¡¯t say the same for all people. So other than violence, he would have to use other things.The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.


    But to be honest with fate, Heshang was no intellectual man. So all he thought of was to scare the kid away a few times and beat him until he surrendered.


    ¡®¡¯You are still dangling here?¡¯¡¯ He sneered. ¡®¡¯Did you not take your lesson, brat?¡¯¡¯


    Ubel looked at him in the eye, then nodded. ¡®¡¯I did.¡¯¡¯ He suddenly said and clasped his hands.


    Heshang froze, he saw Hong Seng freeze, and Ubel walking behind him towards the gates. Both looked dumbfoundedly at the leaving youngster, who opened the gates and cast them a solitary, yet complex gaze. ¡®¡¯I¡¯ll come back tomorrow.¡¯¡¯ Then he closed the gates after himself.


    They stood there with blank expressions, unsure of what to do until the dais started to spit tens of raven black feathers.


    ¡®¡¯HESH-¡¯¡¯ Heshang appeared right before the dais and sent a punch, shoving his fist deep into the appearing eye again.


    ¡®¡¯DAMNE-¡¯¡¯ The voice cut off in the middle and the feathers turned into dust. Patting the dust off his hands, Heshang sighed and let the fury inside his eyes disappear. The tranquil, funny look turned again and his eyebrows arched into a wide circle.


    Hong Seng gazed at him, then shook his head. His eyes recovered to some point, but their past luster was still away from his current state. He turned away, mumbling about some tea and cups, and left into his backroom.


    Zi Heshang stood in the middle of the shrine, looking at the dais with a slight crack over its surface.


    What do I do now?


    Indeed, a profound question.


    *********


    Heshang¡¯s answer came not long after, or a day after the event, when Ubel came back again.


    He had stopped a dozen meters away from the door and called out to Heshang, shouting even. There was no other sound too, as they were almost four fortnights into the spring, so the winds ceased quite often. Orabura was, as a forest at the tip of the continent and bordering a sea, had most of its activity during the winter and summer. Hence, what accompanied Ubel¡¯s third yell was only the giggle of his wife and Hong Seng¡¯s urges.


    Leaving the bedding he laid near his wife¡¯s, Heshang walked out of the room with the sash of his robe untied, the clothing swayed as if it would fall at the slightest breeze. His footsteps rang outside with increasing momentum and he pushed open the doors to the outside. It didn¡¯t bother him that these gates were crafted to open inside. It did bother Hong Seng though. Not that he cared much, it was a small inconvenience, after all.


    Once outside, he saw Ubel standing before the rows of different flowers Hong Seng planted on the courtyard. He knew none of their names, he had no interest in them. His wife also didn¡¯t like flowers much, as she explained when he gathered a hundred-year-old flower bouquet. So he didn¡¯t need to learn their names. This included also the trees; ones with long or short branches, wide or thin trunks, red or green leaves, crispy or prickly textures...


    ¡®¡¯Tch-¡¯¡¯ Heshang chuffed, casting a glare at Ubel. ¡®¡¯-How come you are here again?¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯I said I would be here, again,¡¯¡¯ Ubel said and clasped his hands.¡¯¡¯And is it not your responsibility to train me in whatever you are proficient in?¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯I¡¯m good at beating brats like you,¡¯¡¯ Heshang said and took a step forward.


    Ubel took a step together with him, the distance between them shortened by a meter. Heshang frowned at this, but in his heart, he felt something strange.


    He took one more step, this time traversing two meters, Ubel could only take a one-meter leap.


    Heshang stood still at their current distance, then raised his palm to face Ubel. ¡®¡¯Show me your hand.¡¯¡¯ He ordered.


    Ubel looked at him for a moment in confusion, then complied. Raising his hand, Ubel shoved his palm into the air toward Heshang. Heshang could see several deep black lines going through the wrinkles on Ubel¡¯s hand. They resembled slumbering cobras, wriggling once or twice in their drowsiness. They were moving.


    ¡®¡¯How do you refine your body?¡¯¡¯ He asked, lowering his palm and crossing his arms. He didn¡¯t try to squeeze them this time, yet the loose-fitting robe¡¯s open arm sleeves showed their natural muscular shape.


    ¡®¡¯Body Enchanting, Meditation,¡¯¡¯ Ubel replied, his palm still facing Heshang. From his dulled eyes, Heshang could see this wasn¡¯t the type of encounter Ubel expected.


    ¡®¡¯Tsk tsk tsk.¡¯¡¯ Heshang snickered, casting a disdainful gaze. ¡®¡¯Those two are not body refining, dummy-¡¯¡¯ He suddenly coughed, dryly, twice, and covered his face with his hand. Damn, ¡®¡¯Dumb brat!¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Do you want to learn how to refine your body?¡¯¡¯ Even before Ubel could nod, Heshang raised his hands above his head. ¡®¡¯It is to take a good beating every once in a while.¡¯¡¯


    Suddenly, the Qi around them surged into the ten fingers of Heshang and started revolving above them. Whirlpools of Qi rushed around and condensed into seed shaped Qi beads, or Qi seeds, and flew out of his hand to float between them. Then they transformed into a straight line, and all Qi abound raced around them to float like a shell. All it took was a second and in front of Ubel appeared a serpentine beast with an eight feet long body.


    Then it hissed and opened is ethereal eyes.


    The moment Ubel¡¯s gaze met with the transparent Qi serpent¡¯s, his body started sweating and his legs buckled. His knees gave way to his torso and he fell face-first to kiss the mother earth with his dry lips. The serpent, instead of watching this, rushed while hissing again and bashed its head into Ubel¡¯s own.


    They collided, and Ubel was sent flying.


    The serpent¡¯s skull crumbled into particles of Qi, of which most dispersed back into the air, and then the whole body collapsed with a single motion from Heshang. It broke down into surges of particles of Qi and mixed with the ambient Qi again.


    Heshang turned around without glancing back and stepped inside the shrine again, leaving the doors open.


    *********


    The following day, Ubel came back and called him out again. Heshang, too, acted the same and struck him with the Qi serpent, flinging Ubel through the air.


    Then he came again, and again.


    *********


    By the fourth day, all trauma on his wife¡¯s body disappeared and she even profited to some extent, so he was left with nothing to do but drink tea with Hong Seng and his wife. Ubel, at that time, didn¡¯t step one foot into the Shrine and challenged him from outside. He obliged, he didn¡¯t want to question the reason.


    Then days, weeks flew away. With each passing day, Ubel came more prepared to meet his strike; either by implementing skills or trying to evade it, to meet it head-on or try to reach him before the serpent struck. Each failed, of course, an attack from a man with near Path Opening physique wasn¡¯t a normal cripple warrior could face.


    But he improved, that was the most obvious.


    On the fourth week¡¯s fifth day, he managed to stand on both his feet against the impact. He was still sent back, and his feet carved deep gorges in the flower garden as a result, but he didn¡¯t shake.


    On the sixth week¡¯s first day, Ubel reduced the distance he was sent back by half, and his feet and palms only suffered light bruises.


    On the seventh week¡¯s seventh day, Ubel took only three steps after the initial shockwave. His hands had only light scratches.


    On the eighth week¡¯s fifth day, Meng Liu came to the shrine and watched as Ubel pushed back the strike of Heshang. He had a knowing smile throughout the whole encounter. It seemed to make Ubel distracted, so Heshang sent the man away.


    *********


    On the ninth week¡¯s first day, Heshang appeared on the doorstep hours before Ubel arrived, at the dawn when lights flickered between leaves and cast pillars of thin beams upon the surroundings. The early breeze tasted no different from each day, though, and when he took a breath all he could smell was the dew like scent of his wife¡¯s hair. Oh, I love her so much.


    Smiling, and relaxing his usual frown, Heshang sat cross-legged and made a not-so-good circle with his index fingers and thumbs. He started erasing all thoughts irrelevant and took a deep breath.


    Meditation was a must to do for every cultivator, whether they were a beginner or a master. Being cripples didn¡¯t exempt them from being cultivators too. Instead, it was more of a requirement for him and Ubel to meditate quite a large portion of their time. Meditation settled the mind, let the person talk with one¡¯s self to understand their own nature better, and helped concentrate on their surroundings with more precision.


    For the most part, Heshang focused on the last part. His role was that of a warrior, all he needed was to have the ability to judge the enemy, and his forces, and determine whether they would win or escape. Having a better focus, and a refined body, correlated directly with reflexes and a sharp mind, which were both as important as they already were alone. But it had some drawbacks, the mission of a fighter was, as its name implied, only in battles.


    And battles were not things that sprang out of nowhere, nor were things to seek actively.


    Perhaps, Heshang opened his eyes and gazed at the incomer from afar, Sect knew what it was doing, after all.


    ¡®¡¯Hao Tou.¡¯¡¯ He called out. The figure came closer and stepped into the periphery of the lights to make them shine off of his blonde hair. He looked exactly like how one would expect a Shaowei citizen to look like: a small nose bridge and rather big nostrils for its size, shoulder-long curly blond hair, and a tattoo under his thin lips shaped like a peach blossom. Most likely, the insignia his family used to brand their members.


    ¡®¡¯Zi Heshang,¡¯¡¯ Hao Tou stepped forward near the stairs and clasped his fists. ¡®¡¯How fine it is to see you today, and this early to greet me. I¡¯m delighted.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯You sure are, Hao.¡¯¡¯ Heshang cast a slight frown, then made it disappear in a moment. ¡®¡¯Well, for the first welcome,¡¯¡¯ he said and motioned with his open thumb to the back. ¡®¡¯You can get inside, the rightmost room is yours. Hong Seng should wake up in a few hours, so you can ask him whatever you need by then.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Of course, thanks for your consideration.¡¯¡¯ Hao Tou beamed and stepped behind Heshang, his footsteps disappeared into the shrine.


    Troublesome guy. Hao Tao was the kind of guy everyone dreaded for his weird behavior back in the days, but it had been, as he remembered, more than a decade since they saw each other. They didn¡¯t have a good or bad relation those days too, though him being one of the few that helped his wife through her troublesome matters made him more favorable to the guy.


    It doesn¡¯t matter much, does it? It depended on who spoke, but Heshang didn¡¯t think so. Shaking his head, he returned to meditating.


    After hours, when the sun rose and flickers of light turned into pillars, and pillars shone so bright that even clouds shied away from them, Ubel appeared again.


    His hair was quite disheveled, as always, and his sparkling eyes had dark bags underneath them. Heshang never, ever, advised Ubel to stop tiring himself. He should know when to start and when to stop by himself, for he thought it was the most memorable if he learned by himself. He gave guidance if he felt like it, in the form of a more thorough demonstration of the spell, but that was the extent of his efforts.


    Ubel seemed to be appreciative of it, though.


    ¡®¡¯Rules changed,¡¯¡¯ Heshang said and stood up, crossing his arms. Unbeknownst to him, his frown had softened in fierceness. ¡®¡¯From now on, you will strike.¡¯¡¯ These past two and a half months, Ubel¡¯s body grew far tougher than a simple attack of that caliber to affect. Of course, it wasn¡¯t that he was now strong enough, only that surviving wasn¡¯t a matter of bearing punches and kicks until enemy wore off. One also needed control, and power, to smash their enemies into a meat jelly to savor the taste if they wanted to survive.


    So, it was now Ubel¡¯s turn to strike.


    Ubel simply nodded and put his hands together. Qi started flowing around him, although a few dozens of times less impactful than Heshang¡¯s limit, and grouped on top of his middle fingers. A second passed, and the chaotic gathering of Qi particles swam towards each other to take the shape of a hexagonal crystal.


    The crystal pulsed with a bright aquamarine twinkle on the dripping drops of sweat on Ubel¡¯s forehead. Their luminance was like a vicious glare, nevertheless of a small pony or a duck, and soon increased in intensity to that of a small cat.


    Ubel moved his hands apart, three more seconds passed, and the hexagonal Qi crystal came right between the middle of his palms. Then he motioned forward, pushing his palm towards Heshang, and it rushed out like a ferocious arrow.


    A sharp whistle sounded, Heshang raised one brow at the sight. Then he took one step forward and willed the Qi to move around him without using any seals and motions. As the crystal reached the ten-meters-mark,  A half-sphere of revolving green lights sprang from his body and expanded until it collided with the crystal. Gusts of wind raged forth upon the impact. With a bang and an explosion of light, the crystal bounced off the slithering barrier and rushed through the air towards its owner.


    Ubel didn¡¯t panic and took a step forward as well, pushing both his palms further through the air. A mirror as large as his palm materialized in front of his chest and took the brunt of the crystal, both shattered into clumps of Qi.


    Heshang, upon seeing the scene, took a step back and the revolving barrier disappeared. ¡®¡¯You know what to do-¡¯¡¯ He said, then stopped in the midst of his sentence. Ubel¡¯s eyes were glued to his back. Glancing above his shoulders, he saw Hao Tao leaning to the gates. He wore a loose, white robe with a purple eye embroidered upon it.


    ¡®¡¯I¡¯ll...be back.¡¯¡¯ Ubel said after a while and clasped his hands, then walked out of their sight into the forest.


    Hao Tao cast Ubel¡¯s back a familiar gaze, Heshang saw, one that made him remember what made this guy such a creep in the southern realms of evil sects.


    What does he know about him?

 53- The Ravens Offer (3)

    Ubel wondered, ever since he stepped up, then down, on the path of cultivation: Was it really worth it?


    Was it worth the time, one might ask, and it is their natural right to do so. Cultivation was an arduous process of progressing through spending obscene amounts of effort and time, of which the former had a lesser involvement in the reaching of an elevated state of cultivation. Time was all one spent, the effort was only made when one decided to sit, close their eyes, and think of nothing but themselves inside confines of the void called mind.


    Without time, cultivation had no meaning. Without time, no men or women could go farther than any average Qi Creation or Qi Destructioner in any orderly army, a bandit band, a mercenary group, a village chief, a city guard, a farm owner, a merchant. These were all average, for the time they were willing to spend on cultivation was too little in the eyes of, as they liked to call themselves, Immortals. The pursuits and professions these people had were much important, more than the few years of lifespan they would earn in cultivation by spending their valuable, and limited, time. What was the point of spending twenty years meaningless to gain twenty-five, only to increase the empty days and nights they would have to suffer?


    But they were average, still, in the eyes of Immortals. Why, then, they felt like it was a much greater cause to pursue more years to live? Obviously, Immortals were no fools. Even if spent meaningless, time had an extraordinary way to affect people¡¯s mindsets, even to their said to be unshakeable beliefs. And if it was like this, then these Immortals, like his past self, had some motivation behind their backs to propel them to the distant star of achievement, to the last stop of their travels, to the mirage a starving pilgrim sought after, a destination they wished so dearly to reach.


    The force was the curiosity and awe, the path was the meditation, and the destination was the dreams.


    Ubel shook his head and pushed the door of their home open. He stepped inside, walked with small strides-his footsteps were not so audible- and reached into the bedroom. The fireplace was empty, fire no longer blazed and bursts of dark smoke ceased to rise into the heavens. Yet, the foxes still laid in front of it; a habit, a feeling of familiarity, a sense of safety, or the sole feeling of owning the place, any of them could be the reason for their occupation of half the room.


    Half the room, of course, since four more joined to the grumpy and sweet duo. Their children, much jovial than their parents, refused to sleep and rest as they did. Three females, one male, grappled and clawed at each other as any animal would play with their siblings. Though their fangs and weapons were not polished yet, they were barely two months old and still drank from their mother¡¯s almost dried up milk. The male one, whose fur started to take an orange-red color, the earliest one to do among them, was chewing on a piece of cooked and sliced deer leg. The boy was nowhere near the size of a whole leg, but eat two of them whole in a meal.


    That could be the reason, Ubel thought and turned to look at his grandmother. She snored on her rocker. Her body was no longer wrapped on bulky pieces of blankets but with a single piece of leather robe, though her elderly physique wasn¡¯t fond of any temperature other than average, so it was of a thicker kind. He wasn¡¯t sure if she didn¡¯t sense him coming, or she was ignoring him. He hoped it was the former, but it didn¡¯t matter.


    ¡®¡¯Hm?¡¯¡¯ He sensed Embodiment reach out to him with their mental link, as if a spider web clung onto his head and wrapped around to choke him. But it being more of a mental feeling, it had no negative effect. ¡®¡¯Go on, I¡¯ll be cultivating.¡¯¡¯ He said, Embodiment sent a trace of affirmation and cut the connection.


    His fingers are fine with herbs and crops, though they look a bit bulky.


    Taking a deep breath, Ubel sat in the gap between Mother Fox and Wily Fox. The three sisters gazed at him for a moment, the male stopped chewing its roasted leg. They let out growls-male fox couldn¡¯t because of the food in his mouth- bared their almost non-existent claws, then lunged at him!


    No, they jumped on his bosom and rolled around, snickering and smiling. A small smile crept on Ubel¡¯s face, his eyes lost their focus for a moment. A twinkle passed, then, in front of his eyes and the male fox appeared on his shoulder. Ubel tousled his fur for a moment, savoring the soft texture, then lowered his hands and put them together. He took a deep breath.


    The laughs and the chewing of the foxes disappeared, the faint shoveling in the garden turned silent, the squealing of the rocker stopped. Now, he was left alone with himself. The only scent was his morning food, three apples and a boiled boar meat, and the only sound was his breath. His vision was darkness, boundless, nevertheless lighted up by the sunlight piercing through the new-furnished window at the side. But he still felt the soft caressing of the foxes.


    While pondering on the barrier Zi presented early on, Ubel added another question the earlier inquiry.


    Was it worth the time? What was the reason?


    The force was the curiosity and awe, the path was the meditation, the destination was the dreams.


    To start with, as every beginning had something pushing it forward like this train of thought, the curious nature of any mortal was enough of a reason to make one step onto this path. After all, were it not for this exact nature of mortals, and a few other characteristics like murderous passions, holding hatred, and the heart to do good, there would be no stories to tell and pass on. Or worse, there would be no mortal men and women willing to live these stories. Stories sparked curiosity and the inner explorer inside mortals, that was the most obvious of all from the thousands of stories known: God Of Herbs, Dried Blaze, Love Of Baybur, Beasts Of Poverty, Kaiserri And Osbour...


    And all these tales started, like many unnamed or unwritten others¡¯, with a spark of curiosity. In God Of Herbs, Zengin asked herself at the start, how wealthy could an Herb God would be? In Dried Blaze, Atesh sought out the warmest fire, to feel it, to taste its passion to burn, worrying whether he could survive it or not. In the other, Baybur feared the future, wondering whether he should pursue this woman that eluded his heart so much, or his dreams that were, at the beginning, within the reach of a palm. In Beasts Of Poverty, the Draken¡¯s last child wandered into the third continent, wounded, searching for the identity of its mother. Kaiserri And Osbour, rivals in life, companions in death, fought together to see the glimpse of their deities¡¯ face.


    And Ubel¡¯s life started with one as well.


    What do I want to do?


    What will I do once my family takes off towards the heavens, leaving their shells buried under the earth for me to see and weep?


    What do I have to do once they are gone?


    That was what pushed him to the eventual destination he would end. Yet, he didn¡¯t know where it would lead him.


    The path was the meditation, Ubel remembered, and every single event happened, and was decided beforehand, whether he liked it or not, on this path. Meditation didn¡¯t mean complete isolation, away from the world and worldly experiences, feelings, needs, and knowledge. Meditation was to build upon what one learned, to differentiate what one concluded to be evil or pure, what one was fond and wasn¡¯t, what one found helpful or malignant. Desires, in that state, was the most transparent. It was in that exact moment one could find what they really sought out. Or what they didn¡¯. It would, as it seemed to Ubel, work both ways.


    His entrance to the sect, marveling at the structures and the people, finding beauty in nature of its environment,  feeling the secluded wisdom and soul of the mountain. There he became curious for more of it. Then learning cultivation, practicing it, listening to Immortal and Mortal Literature from his beloved master, Quan, and undertaking a quest to see what he really wanted to do. At that point he started solidifying an idea. His arrival at the Yadratafos, his responsibility as a scribe and an assistant to Quan, his attendance to the medical course of the academy, his confrontation with Quan, his interactions with Kowalski, and finding out a small portion of State Manuals¡¯ secret...


    Then more, and more. With each event, and their impact on him, his idea changed. His ideals changed. What he thought of immortals changed, what he found cultivation to be changed. What he, at first, pursued and saw a good fit to his future self changed. Everything differed after each step into the life of an immortal. And, at last, he was no longer an immortal.


    But he lusted towards it, now that he came to realize it. The final destination he changed over and over again, from being nothing to being an Archaea Immortal, to searching the death¡¯s meaning, and now, from living the forest until he passed away to...immortality.


    The meditation was the path, and he saw in this path the consequence of forsaking, or being forced out of it, immortality was too big for him to handle. All aspirations of the noble or evil kind, or easily achievable to conquering heavens¡¯ degree of difficulty were in immortality. Immortality was grand. It was noble, evil, easily achievable, yet as hard as conquering the heavens.


    In immortality, his destination was unlimited. In mortality, his destination was a fog of death.


    And back to the question: Was it worth the time?


    It is- Ubel could, and would, roar out if he had the chance.


    IT IS!


    *********


    Two more weeks passed.


    The three sister foxes also started turning into a reddish-orange, transforming from the little hand-wide size brown rascals to almost knee-high juvenile foxes. This day, he didn¡¯t visit the shrine. Miss Muqin was soon to give birth, so they took her to the Koyh with Zi Heshang and Meng Liu to get professional care.


    Ubel couldn¡¯t help but giggle on that. Even immortal women were bound by fate like this.


    The next three days he went, though, and asked about their situation. As obvious as it was, since she was also someone nearing the border of Path Opening, Muqin had some difficulties in giving birth. This was the same for all immortals. The life they added to the cumulative number of the world was, as it seemed in the eyes of the fate, more precious than a mortal¡¯s one. One nourished by the Qi of heaven and earth was, and would be, stronger and healthier than a not so blessed one. And this correlated to equal demands. For such an important life, a trial was needed to accommodate its worth.


    But all would be fine, Hong Seng said. ¡®¡¯There is an experienced doctor there, she is said to be one of the best in her generation. At least, my lord has trust in her skills.¡¯¡¯


    That was convincing enough, so left it with that. Hong Seng also offered cups and mugs and bowls of tea, of different kinds and tastes; smelling of roses and violets, of mint and pepper, of honey and milk, of vanilla and chocolate, of berries and apples, of fish and something so disturbing he didn¡¯t even attempt to take another sniff at it. But it ignited his thirst for some tea again. If this turned out to be an addiction of some kind, Ubel was determined, he would blame priest Hong for it.


    In their long tea drinking and talking sessions, of which the latter was of lesser occupying, the last believer of The Raven, Hao Tou, joined them after the first hour. He looked quite handsome in Ubel¡¯s opinion, but his skeleton thin body didn¡¯t help the charms. But that was, also, of lesser importance. The other thing was his...aura. He had this feeling of looking through you, which he felt only in the Combat Master Illidan, whom he found out later to be at the brink of breaking through Essence Realm, and Elder Snow. But those two had the overwhelming superiority of power alongside their long years of experience, and Hao Tou simply showed it with the lack of both, at least on the surface.


    ¡®¡¯Have you heard of my people, brother Ubel?¡¯¡¯ He asked. His tone was as charming as he was, and Ubel found his twinkling pupils not so peaceful.


    ¡®¡¯I assume Shaowei?¡¯¡¯ He made a guess. He didn¡¯t know of most of the continent¡¯s phenotypes, he had also heard of how Shamo people looked, and only of the Sect and perhaps a little bit of Shuangguang¡¯s he saw firsthand. But cities crowding near the Continent Border had the absurdity of attracting all kinds of people around the whole continent, so they were more of a mixed hub of culture.


    ¡®¡¯I have to admit,¡¯¡¯ Ubel said. ¡®¡¯I don¡¯t really know much about how people look in the northern continent, let alone their traditions or things like that.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯You sound as if you know of the southern though, brother Ubel.¡¯¡¯ Hao Tou smiled.


    ¡®¡¯I don¡¯t,¡¯¡¯ Ubel looked at him, then at Hong Seng. ¡®¡¯But, do you? About the forsakens, or the evil sects?¡¯¡¯ There was a small hint of anticipation in Ubel¡¯s heart that told him the man intended to lead this conversation to the talk of forsakens.


    ¡®¡¯As much as everyone knows,¡¯¡¯ Hong Seng said. ¡®¡¯But since our base of operation and training was near to the Continent Border, we saw a lot of evil cultivators.¡¯¡¯ He cast a glance at Hao Tou and smiled.


    ¡®¡¯Brother Hong, you don¡¯t need to force me like that,¡¯¡¯ He raised one brow, still smiling. ¡®¡¯I¡¯ve been there myself. We tried to conduct an assasination to the Sect Leader of the Blood Moon Sect, for the lord Raven argued that he was of the lineage of one of his enemies¡¯ believers. I and three seniors priestesses traveled through the Mountain Of Emperors into the Gorge Of Flight, then went down from a river called the Yellow River. It was only  a hundred and twenty kilometers away from the Mountain, and flowed all the way into an inland lake. The lake was large as a sea, and for some glaring reason they called it the Pit Of Descent. There were several unnamed hills at its west where the sect headquarters were built, yet even at that point we found no settlement for forsakens.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯No cities or towns?¡¯¡¯ Hong Seng asked, whereas Ubel continued to intently stare at Hao Tou.


    ¡®¡¯Not even villages, brother Hong,¡¯¡¯ He said. ¡®¡¯Only landscapes and some excavated ruins. There were even those we suspected of not investigated properly, as if everyone suddenly let go of their research and retreated. Let me show you.¡¯¡¯ He waved his hand. From a ring choking his finger, embedded with emerald, a streak of light appeared and descended in front of them.


    As it disappeared, it left in its wake a few pieces of tools: A shovel with a head out of blue metal, a pickaxe glowing gold, a pair of goggles strapped with the hide of a beast, two trowels of the same head with the shovel, and at last a sack filled with pure white gloves.You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.


    ¡®¡¯Once we successfully finished our mission,¡¯¡¯ he said and took one of the trowles to his hand. ¡®¡¯One of our seniors decided to look into the ruins near the mountains. We found these sprawled around, their materials are also unknown. But, they are almost a hundred years old.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Kryostria-¡¯¡¯ Ubel muttered, looking at both. ¡®¡¯So there were researchers looking into these ruins, and when the disease spread and evil sects attacked they left all their work and ran?¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯It seems so,¡¯¡¯ Hong Seng said.


    ¡®¡¯But the question is, ¡®¡¯Hao Tou narrowed his eyes. ¡®¡¯Where did they escape?¡¯¡¯


    After a moment of silence, Hao Tou coughed and took a sip of honey-like orange tea. It also tasted like orange, Ubel savored the taste at the same time, and they both put their half-filled cups down.


    ¡®¡¯Honestly, brother Hong, how did you learn the art of choosing tea? You weren¡¯t this indulged with them before then.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Oh, true, brother. Do you remember sister...¡¯¡¯ As they started a new series of conversation, Ubel¡¯s mind was glued to the last question Hao Tou asked.


    Where did they go? Back to the sect, or...


    He thought of Quan¡¯s words at the Star Library. The sect allows it, he said, when Ubel asked him about the mysterious, and eccentric way the old authors and translators put hidden messages into the books. But now that he thought of it, was that really the case?


    What if, he thought for a moment, those Archaea immortals and Chroniclers never intended to return the sect. What if they actually coveted the chance and ran? But for what reason?


    Ubel couldn¡¯t answer these. But his instincts told him about a shuddering thought.


    The sect is...helpless?


    *********


    Ages begin to end, to give birth to another era.


    Times would change, so that people could change. And with change comes chaos, and with chaos, creation.


    That was one of the most wide-known beliefs of the Brynhildr, Sovereign Of Light. Other religions also had similar quotes and truths in their sacred texts or prophecies; The chaos is born to create, creation is there to destroy, destruction exists to give birth to order. They all, although worded equally distinct and close, shared the same piece of wisdom from deities.


    That everything had a price.


    Perhaps, Hao Tou thought, out of his peers, he was the only unreasonable one to cling onto this interpretation. After all, a religion was meant to have doctrines about blind, or subtly suspicious, faith and people that would, with no other exceptions than those at the head of the ruling class, understand what the religion wanted them to learn. In that sense he, or his belief, wasn¡¯t fit to be in a community involving religious conventions.


    But he was, in the end, and he was one of the most well-known of The Raven¡¯s servants. Not for his exceptional faith to the lord, as Hong Seng had, nor for his overbearing power, as Muqin had, but for his wit that let him reach a different conclusion from the rest in the same environment. That meant he was exceptional.


    He took delight in that.


    Walking inside the hall, he saw Hong Seng and Ke¡¯ai Xie¡¯e, or Ubel, sitting down on two cushions. There was an empty one at their side, making the shape of triangle in front of the white dais, and the steaming smoke ascending from the teacup before it hinted at the tea being poured recently. Without any reservation he walked up and took a seat, grasping the handle of the shiny cup.


    ¡®¡¯Hmm...good.¡¯¡¯ He muttered after taking a sip. It smelled like a fresh flower out of earth, but the taste was far from it.


    ¡®¡¯...And that¡¯s why they called it Bluemoon lake.¡¯¡¯ Hong Seng finished his words and looked at him.


    ¡®¡¯Brother Hao, you look troubled?¡¯ He said. Ubel also gazed on him from the side with confusion.


    ¡®¡¯Do I?¡¯¡¯ He cast a glance at his reflection from the greenish tea, his eyes had narrowed without him knowing. A trace of wrinkles on his forehead almost bulged out. ¡®¡¯It might be of weariness, Brother Hong, you don¡¯t have to worry.¡¯¡¯ Hao Tou waved his hand and took another sip.


    What is this aroma?


    ¡®¡¯I won¡¯t question, then.¡¯¡¯ Hong Seng nodded after a while. A minute of easing silence descended. Other than the wafting scents of mixed aromas, faint sounds of breathing and clattering remained. They all gazed at the empty space in the center, then Hao Tou spoke.


    ¡®¡¯What were you talking about?¡¯¡¯ He asked. Name of the Bluemoon Lake wasn¡¯t one much discussed, other than a disaster that befell a ruling cultivation family ruling over its eastern lands. Even then, the suspicious event happened over half a century ago, so it wasn¡¯t one easily remembered. Thinking of it, Hao Tou felt a trace of fury.


    ¡®¡¯The source of its name,¡¯¡¯ Ubel replied, smiling. ¡®¡¯I was curious about it, and some other places.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯And it went down there,¡¯¡¯ Hong Seng said, tapping on his tea cup once in a while. ¡®¡¯You must know more than me, brother Hao. Don¡¯t you?¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯I don¡¯t like boasting about things I don¡¯t have, brother Hong, but I also heard a thing or two.¡¯¡¯ He said.


    ¡®¡¯The name comes from the surreal and supernatural look of moon it reflects, as might have brother Hong told, but there is a small detail most people don¡¯t ponder on,¡¯¡¯ He raised his hand and tapped on the air, drawing two different words: One Blue Moon the other Bluemoon. ¡®¡¯For instance, the correct way of writing the lake¡¯s name, if it was named in our time, would be the former.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯As it is with Blood Moon Sect?¡¯¡¯ Ubel asked.


    ¡®¡¯Correct,¡¯¡¯ Hao Tou said. ¡®¡¯But since they are both spoken and other than a few recordings about the imported or exported goods around the region, there is no written documents, there are few that realize the difference. And even if they do,¡¯¡¯ He sighed at this point, ¡®¡¯They don¡¯t care.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Why is it so troubling, brother Hao?¡¯¡¯ Hong Seng looked at him, confused.


    ¡®¡¯Because-¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯It is an old heritage?¡¯¡¯ Ubel completed his sentence, albeit with doubt.


    ¡®¡¯That is also correct,¡¯¡¯ Hao Tou said. ¡®¡¯May I ask where did you derive that from, brother Ubel?¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Gu Kaogu had a few...angry comments, too, about people confusing some names. He once wrote that the words Sea and River were of the most used in the ninety-nine words of the old ones. Any place the men of old ages saw a different reflection of the moon they would name them with a color and the moon, like Redmoon Sea or Goldmoon River. Also my master talked about Chronicler Xue Ze¡¯s translation of the old tablets before. He especially pointed out how Sun and Moon were always written together with other words, even if they were meant to be meaningful apart.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯...you have a master of good education.¡¯¡¯ Hao Tou praised, he flashed a smile.


    ¡®¡¯He is one-¡¯¡¯ Ubel nodded, ¡®¡¯-but I¡¯m the same with priest Hong on this matter. Why are you, umm-¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯-frustrated? Because of the lack of attention!¡¯¡¯ Hao Tou¡¯s anger slipped up for a second, then sighed once more. ¡®¡¯Bluemoon lake is one of the oldest geographical areas of the Northern Continent, yet it honestly makes me sick in my heart to see people be this disrespectful about it. Every decade they pour the remnants of whatever Frenzy had left into the lake to get rid of them, instead of burying properly. Death aura around the lake is so thick now that more demons and Jiangshi started rising from there.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯And the one to blame is the sect, again.¡¯¡¯ Hao Tou heaved a deep breath, then exhaled. People were so treacherous, so ungrateful to the past. Manpower and time and money, all of them were pretexts they used to get rid of any remnant they didn¡¯t want to deal with. The lake would do their work, after all, and the sect would swoop in to kill all demons and devils and Jiangshi that would arise from the accumulated Death Qi. How profitable it was!


    What will they do now, the sect left the continent.


    ¡®¡¯Anyway,¡¯¡¯ waving his hand, Hao Tou looked at Hong Seng. ¡®¡¯I might be biased about this, brothers, so don¡¯t mind my words. But, sorry for going too far back then, the point I wanted to indicate was how a simple thing like a word¡¯s position revealed the time period it existed.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯I think I got your point,¡¯¡¯ Ubel showed a wry smile.


    ¡®¡¯Brother Hao is quite energetic when it comes to language, look at yourself. Your face look a tad bit healthier now.¡¯¡¯ Hong Seng said.


    Hao Tou frowned and took the handle of his chilled tea, then gazed at his reflection.


    He looked...better, indeed. A smile crept on his face, yet it was not a smile.


    ¡®¡¯Alright, anything else you wonder, brother Ubel?¡¯¡¯ He asked.


    ¡®¡¯Oh, actually...¡¯¡¯


    *********


    Hong Seng opened his eyes from meditation around midnight.


    Moonlight shone a bit strange today, its cast of a different material than the dark blue and silver, yet enchanting as a pearl. He let out a breath of foul air, the Qi passing through his meridians thrummed like a drum.


    A faint aura of Second Qi Destructioner lingered on his wrinkled body.


    Standing up, he reached for a small robe embroidered with a purple raven and threw it over his shoulders. He grasped its belt next to the knee-high table and adorned it around his waist in a second, then stepped out. He was greeted by Hao Tou and Meng Liu, both on their knees in front of the dais. Hao Tou nodded towards him and pointed with his hand to the third cushion, standing at his left with a discernible Qi Crystal planted at its center. It had the color of obsidian, shaped like a sloping ramp, and from the aura he felt, thanks to his new cultivation breakthrough, it carried a trace of blood essence.


    Meng Liu, also, looked at him with a knowing smile and nodded. He had tied his long hair into a ponytail hardly reaching his broad silvery shoulders, and below them no clothing, apart a long skirt tied with human skulls. With how thin his physique was, one would wonder whether he ate anything at all.


    Hong Seng approached both and kneeled on the cushion as they did, he stoved the crystal into an inner pocket of his robe. Once he left it dangling there pricking on his chest, he made a hand seal. His index and middle fingers clenched, he muttered something. Vomit green light descended to the pinky, ring, and thumb, then he pushed them forward to the dais. His fingers except the index and the middle twinkled, then the radiance disappeared into the dais.


    Instantly, Hong Seng¡¯s hair turned half-white.


    At the same time the dais blazed with a sudden burst of flame, on which Meng Liu acted and put his hands together. His coarse palms grew in size, almost twice of his head, and he clapped.


    A soundless wave spread and the flames dimmed, from within a smouldering eye rose with indignance.


    Before The Raven could speak, Hao Tou whispered.


    ¡®¡¯Haoren is sleeping, lord.¡¯¡¯


    The eye retracted a bit, the flames extinguished at its wink and the embers floated into the air.


    ¡®¡¯Will this suffice?¡¯¡¯ He spoke into their minds, yet indignant, it still came out almost as a shout. Hong Seng could count with his hand, and he counted, seven times, how much Heshang interrupted The Raven from speaking to them this past year and a half. But he realized he didn¡¯t feel the need to reprimand Heshang anymore. He...looked much different since his child was born. He had the same disposition as all fathers he met, many great few worse, and no doubt was he of the former. When spoken, subconsciously, Hong Seng and others lowered their voices. Even if Haoren giggled and crawled around, rather than sleeping, as if any rise or hint of ascending in their vocal cord would disturb the child. Or Heshang, as Hong Seng felt.


    ¡®¡¯Will do-¡¯¡¯ Hao Tou said. Their minds were connected it seemed, as expected of their lord. Meng Liu cast him a funny glance though, Hong Seng saw from the corners of his eyes.


    ¡®¡¯What reason did lord see to contact us discreetly?¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯I have no reason to hide, little Tou, and this is no secret meeting. Were it not for this shaman, I have no doubt the other two would also join.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Or three,¡¯¡¯ Hao Tou smiled, ¡®¡¯And I also have no doubt brother Heshang would be ecstatic to join.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯...do you remember of the Jian Fei?¡¯¡¯ The Raven blinked before speaking.


    ¡®¡¯Son of Jian Shen, Commander Of Cindersnow?¡¯¡¯ Meng Liu asked.


    ¡®¡¯Indeed,¡¯¡¯ Hong Seng said. ¡®¡¯What did he do to trouble you again, my lord?¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Take a guess, little Tou.¡¯¡¯


    Hao Tou closed his eyes for a moment, contemplating. ¡®¡¯Is it about the tension between Shuangguang and Shamo?¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Correct,¡¯¡¯ The Raven said. ¡®¡¯He received a diplomatic envoy, the son of the Shuangxing himself, to seek aid in reclaiming their lands.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯What reclaim?¡¯¡¯ Hao Tou harrumphed. ¡®¡¯Did they also say bullshit like restoring the desert?¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯If not,¡¯¡¯ Meng Liu said, ¡®¡¯What can they say, dear friend? Their aggression is too open, both to the eyes of the public and the royalty. I fear were it not for their dependency on the merchant guilds of Cindersnow city, Shamo wouldn¡¯t be their first target.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Brother Meng, correct me if I¡¯m wrong,¡¯¡¯ Hong Seng interjected. ¡®¡¯But Jian Fen shouldn¡¯t be the man most suitable for this, right? Even more than his background, people know him of his honor. He isn¡¯t a man to bend over profits or wealth.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯...Hao Tou, did you do something?¡¯¡¯ The Raven suddenly asked, glancing at Hao Tou for a moment. ¡®¡¯Please continue, lord. Don¡¯t distract the matter right now.¡¯¡¯ Hao Tou replied without a change in his expression.


    ¡®¡¯My zealot is right,¡¯¡¯ The Raven said after a moment of silence. ¡®¡¯And indeed there are more suitable candidates. Yet, they are somewhat desperate for brute force.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Did the armistice fail, lord?¡¯¡¯ Hao Tou propped his chin up.


    ¡®¡¯Outright. They know Shamo can¡¯t leave the deserts because of their curse, so the terms were quite favored for Shuangxing.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Shamos are not aggressive people to begin with,¡¯¡¯ Meng Liu said. ¡®¡¯And they can¡¯t go on the offensive unless they use the Incense Of Sand to steal their land.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯But they won¡¯t do it,¡¯¡¯ Hao Tou added. ¡®¡¯Too risky.¡¯¡¯


    Hong Seng swept his finger under his nose. ¡®¡¯But why brute force, my lord? A man like Qiang Yin would be better suited. Get him to pressure some merchants, or even give them some tax amnesty for the Eleven Years to stop the food export. Shuangxing himself could do it too.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Cutting connections with Cindersnow won¡¯t get him any benefits.¡¯¡¯ Hao Tou replied instead, his eyes flashed. ¡®¡¯Also, any merchant families that survived the Eleven Years won¡¯t lack in worth and money. Any of them can move over to Haishen or Cindersnow city to conduct fairer businesses without political ramifications.¡¯¡¯  He left out the established connections part, though it was obvious everyone understood why.


    ¡®¡¯So?¡¯¡¯ Hao Tou smirked at The Raven¡¯s response. Meng Liu cast his lord a wider, more knowing smile. Hong Seng couldn¡¯t measure how much knowing it would get. And since the two didn¡¯t finish up, he decided to follow it.


    ¡®¡¯I assume favoring any of the Cindersnow disciples would break the internal struggle of the city. Shuangxing needs the disciples to fight over the role of Magistrate for longer, so that by the time he is done with any imminent danger no one can stand up to him. If he were to request any kind of assistance from them, in the eyes of others it would look like he was intervening in the matter.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯The same reason Yihan and Haiyang didn¡¯t attempt anything,¡¯¡¯ The Raven¡¯s eye waved back and forth in agreement. ¡®¡¯Any interference can make the matter an continental crisis, and at this stage none of the emperors need some external threat other than forsakens.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Mad Shuangxing, however, seeks it.¡¯¡¯ Hao Tou sighed. ¡®¡¯Then, lord, what worries you? It is obvious that the mission of the envoys were doomed to fail. What did go awry?¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Well,¡¯¡¯ The Raven stopped for a moment, ¡®¡¯...a fight broke out when a vice-commander insulted envoy¡¯s father.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯And Jian Fei stopped it?¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯No, he supported his subordinate. Then he fought to standstill with Shuangxing¡¯s son for twelve whole minutes¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯What?¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Hm?¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯No way!¡¯¡¯


    All three shot to their feet.

 54- Conflicts May Rise Out Of Nowhere, But Your Heart Will Have To Be The Same (1)

    Is it the fate of thou, man, to succumb, which never falters and never halts, in fervor and lust? Is it wrong to be oppressed by beauty in a moment of inability to contain nature? Why should it be so, if it is, and how does one reverse the cause and effect of the wrongdoing?


    To me, as a man, a human, as an inhuman, an immortal; what counts as wrong if it doesn¡¯t bother my morality? In the first place, what force reckons on morals if not the weak, and since I am not of the weak, why should I follow the reason of ethics? For my conscience, perhaps an example, but this heart endured the slaughter of hundreds, thousands, tens of thousands, hence is it not wrong to assume I have a conscience? If it is, then what do I try to pleasure by being virtuous?


    My mind. That is, of course, what spouts these justifications, what judges these statements, and what deems most of these important. It is the mind that decides, even, the course of the three mentioned before, and it is what lets me, and you, and others, to conclude why we follow ethics in the first place. Or why we don¡¯t-


    But the question is, why do you and I even bother to consider following an unspoken set of rules designed to defend the integrity of the weak?


    The answer is...


    Quan¡¯s finger halted above the air, next to the marks of engraved Qi awaiting their process of imbuing themselves into the paper to end. The answer, it seemed, was too hard for him to find. Quan slightly tugged at his meridians with his mind, it was akin to letting loose a mouthful of water from the lips, and the transmission of Qi stopped. The flickering blue at the tip of his finger disappeared and the glistening words on the yellowish scroll faded. Just as they turned into blurrier letters, Quan waved his finger and the whole text turned transparent. This wasn¡¯t erasure, and he could do that indeed, but this was a simple way of hiding the contents. Unless his own Qi aura acted, no one below his cultivation could peer into it.


    Well, there was a certain individual that could look into it, but he doubted the Emperor was curious enough to do that.


    Shallow- Quan leaned back on the wooden chair, his head rested on the toad shaped top, and his eyes looked up at the narrow ceiling. Too shallow. I wonder why?


    His gaze reflected the white glow of the Qi crystal, embedded in the center of the roofing and gleaming like a golden prism. It was designed so that the excess Solar Qi from above could be released late into the night if the guest was willing to do so, and in some cases could even help with cultivation.


    With a frown embed on his face, Quan stood up and walked to his left. Past the table in front of him and the grand bedding, next to it pieces of furniture; a gold inscribed cabinet to hold his tools and herbs, a cupboard made of jade with transparent glass behind him-and inside it a myriad of pills and exotic plants- then a wardrobe with golden linings to hold his robes next to the door; beyond them all was a huge window, with polished wood and removable curtains. He came before the crimson blind and pulled it open, then moved aside the wooden handles of the window.


    The twinkling moon greeted him first, then the gales of the midnight pushed their way in with force. His robes, a brighter shade of the curtains, flipped in sync, and in response he took a deep breath to savor the fresh watered earth. The scent came from the garden underneath his living quarters, and although there were also a sizable gathering of distinct plants- examples would be Nine-leaved Clovers, Molten Grass, Lunar Orchids, Lunar Moon Daisies, and more Yin related herbs- their fragrance couldn¡¯t disturb the dominating aura of the soil. One could catch upon their spicy whiff with a nose sharp enough, if one had it.


    Quan gazed further into the horizon and soon pierced through the material realm- or simply opened his third eye. The flowers, the garden, the flickering street lamps in the distance; all disappeared and left their place to the mass gathering of bright, gloomy, and dancing Lunar Qi. Quan waved his hand, his meridians went back to work, and with the suction force of his meridians a cluster of them steered to his palm. Like a vacuum the Lunar Qi started revolving around his forearm, then Quan clenched his hand.


    The suction force turned into an overbearing aura of compression, a gravitational force that surrounded from all sides. The Qi bent and bent, silent cackling and breaking of the Lunar Qi created fluctuations that could be felt dozens of meters away. A few seconds after the process stopped and Quan opened his palm. On the callouses stood a piece of crystal, like a dome on top of a square, a half bead. The emissions of power said it clearly- it was a piece of Lunar Crystal to aid in cultivation. A quarter of its piece would go for four soulstones in a normal store, a whole would reach as high as twenty-five.


    With a slight smile on his face, Quan flicked his sleeve and sent the Lunar Crystal into the spatial pouch in the pocket of his robe, next to almost eight hundred other Lunar Crystals.


    Two-thousand seven hundred and thirty-three left...


    *********


    There were two, bumpy things squeezing him between. One was soft, tender, and the other was quite hard. They were also quite big, almost as big as him, so they were also scary to some extent. But there was a warmth passing to him as well, a kind he loved very much.


    But since he was awake, he didn¡¯t need to stay here any longer.


    He turned face-first to the ground, then pushed himself up with his wobbly arms. His knees were weak, but the will to walk was strong. He toppled over the soft pillow once, and the big, soft and hard arms around him tried to squeeze him in their warmth. But he didn¡¯t want to. With another push, he evaded the vicious attack and stood up for a moment, only to fall on his butt again. But he escaped from them.


    Giggling, he tried to stand up again. This time, he grabbed the sides of the hard one¡¯s bottom and climbed up, then his feet planted on the ground with a great amount of confidence. Though shaking, his legs didn¡¯t give in and he took a step. Then another, and another. With some twenty-or some more, he left the sleeping room and got into the wide area of the place they lived in. There was a long, cracked thing spiraling. And at its right stood a man- with a naked torso like him, but also carrying some weird things on a belt around his waist.


    He became vigilant in a moment and rushed to the long white thing, all the while enduring the cold in his little feet. His efforts paid off as he snuck behind the long white thing and peeked at the man- and he was looking at him. There was a smile on his face.


    He took a step back, but the man didn¡¯t approach him. The man put his finger on his lip upwards, then made a ¡®¡¯Shhhhhh-¡¯¡¯ sound.


    ¡®¡¯Shhhhhh-¡¯¡¯ He made as well, and the man moved towards the big long gates leading to the outside. He came before them, pulled the handles and opened them forth with a squeak. He feared those two would wake up at the sound, and hurriedly turned to look back with worry, but it seemed they didn¡¯t hear it. Smiling in satisfaction, he walked down the gates and climbed down the stairs, then sat on the dirt next to the temple.


    His gaze sparkled as he watched the road, awaiting something. Then they came.


    He saw four red things, bigger than him, running towards him with full speed. Clouds of dust rose behind them as they came, and stumbled and rolled towards him. They grunted and giggled with their pointy mouths, inside them sharp fangs, and once they stopped in front of him they started circling him. One left his side and passed the stairs to get near the man with bare torso, then slumped next to his sitting figure. Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original.


    ¡®¡¯Haoren!¡¯¡¯


    The silhouette of a figure appeared on the horizon, and the faint body of a deer carried on his back. He, Haoren, laughed and waved his hand.


    ¡®¡¯Uncle!¡¯¡¯


    *********


    Ubel dropped the carcass of the deer next to the stairs and opened his arms wide. The little Haoren escaped the encirclement of the three sisters; Yihuli, Erhuli, Sanhuli, and leaped towards him. Or more like tried to, as he tripped on his own feet. Ubel took a step forward and caught the boy from under his arms, then lifted him up with a ¡®¡¯Heeey-¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Uncle-¡¯¡¯ Haoren said and tried to touch his nose and flailed them around his forehead, so Ubel slightly raised him higher into the air.


    ¡®¡¯Brother, it should be brother,¡¯¡¯ Ubel said and made a slight frown.


    ¡®¡¯Uncle, meal?¡¯¡¯ Haoren seemed oblivious to his acting, Ubel sighed in response.


    ¡®¡¯Yes, yes- I brought the meal for Haoren!¡¯¡¯ Ubel made a wide smile and gave a small hug to the boy, and once he felt the small hands reaching for his nose he put him on the ground at lightning speed. ¡®¡¯Brother is going to prepare the meal, alright? Play with Yihuli and her sisters.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Yihuli! Erhuli! Sanhuli!¡¯¡¯ Haoren shouted with all his might, then lunged towards the three foxes running in circles. The three yelped and leaped out of the way, then started running left and right. Haoren chased after them with the fury of a two-year-old, which was nothing too serious.


    ¡®¡¯Senior Meng-¡¯¡¯ Ubel came before Meng Liu and clasped his hands. ¡®¡¯Are the others awake?¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Good morning-¡¯¡¯ Meng Liu smiled, at the same time on his palm one of the skulls he carried on his waist revolved like a ball. ¡®¡¯Hao is out at Rivrit to meet with an informant, Hong should be around the back. Those two- you know how they are.¡¯¡¯


    Ubel nodded. ¡®¡¯Sound sleepers, then may I trouble you to prepare the fire?¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯No need to ask, it¡¯s as usual, isn¡¯t it?¡¯¡¯ Meng Liu patted Sihuli¡¯s head, the brother of the four foxes opened his eyes to look at them. Meng Liu smiled at him, then took Sihuli off his knee and stood up. After letting out a slight grunt, Sihuli went to support Haoren against his sisters in the battle of chase- so Ubel and Meng Liu got on to work.


    Ubel came before the carcass and pulled it on his shoulders again, then followed Meng Liu a bit further away from the playing children. They stopped a dozen meters away and Meng Liu waved his hand at the clearing of grass and ash- they had been using this place to prepare for some months. Dust and dirt rose from the ground with a gust of wind, then with another wave of his hand Meng Liu created a screen of Qi to put the carcass.


    Ubel raised his hand as Meng Liu prepared, a faint blue traveled between his fingers, and once it turned almost corporeal he slapped the deer with full force.


    The blue Qi aura blasted with a boom and sent tremors shaking through the deer, yet it didn¡¯t seem to get wounded in the slightest. Yet, from its eyes and mouth pools of blood flooded out to the grayed grass. The stream of crimson stopped a few seconds after, then Ubel slapped a second time. Blue Qi exploded like a cloud of dust and the deer¡¯s body shook again, this time all kinds of dirt and dust on its skin shot off into the air.


    Meng Liu put his index and middle fingers together at response and pointed at the carcass, then made a hand seal. His spectral Qi moved and created another gust of wind that moved forth and sent the dirtied air away. Now that they were done, Ubel laid the cleaned carcass on the screen Meng Liu created and put his hands together. Meng Liu, in the meantime, pointed his index finger at the pit on the grass and shot his Qi. A flickering ember appeared on the tip of his clean nails, then shot forth.


    The ember floated down and touched the ground, and with a small tremor burst into flames of high temperature, enough to make them both sweat. Ubel watched for a moment as Meng Liu contained the flames, then moved his hand. The ambient Qi rushed at his hand, revolved around it, then with his will turned into a corporeal dagger. A flick of his wrist later the tip plunged into the skin and remained right before the flesh, blinding the edge was a drop of blood.


    He pushed the dagger forward, the skin tore off, and started skinning the whole deer.


    *********


    Rivrit was a town to the east of K?ykan, surrounded by triplet hills at all sides and separated by a river- River Lont- from the rest of the Southern Haishen. The river between them flowed from the Pierced Mountains at the southeast and ended at the Lont Sea- shore region of the Grand Ocean, which provided many fertile lands to do farming. And as a result, to the town¡¯s north, following down the path leading Denizage, was founded three farm households containing a large swath of the land next to the river. Yet, these folks built their estates at the border of Orabura Forest for reasons unknown. These families also ran businesses focusing on timber and lumber to cover their original intention, in Orabura obviously, and supplied to the rest of the Haishen villages and towns and cities.


    This meant they had both a sizeable wealth to sustain and improve their line of work and a rather extensive network of contacts to draw support or influence from- both of which would prove quite helpful to The Raven and their upcoming travel to the Cindersnow City. The premise was, as one could deem, if they had the chance to gain first the interest, then the goodwill of one of these families. But with some interference by The Raven, then a little bit of spicy blackmailing by Hao Tou, there wasn¡¯t much trouble left to encounter.


    One example of the aforementioned benefits would be the informant sitting across him inside the lightless room, tapping on the table with a milky white finger. The man or woman, draped in a shadowy cloak and bound by dark red bandages all over his/her body, paid a great deal of attention to not even show a piece of his/her facial or physical features- except the hand. Though Hao Tou could imagine the other side being a man with how plump and coarse the fingers were.


    ¡®¡¯For first-¡¯¡¯ The supposed man spoke- but he, as per custom by now, hid his voice with an artifact, hence it came off like a claw scraped against a metal plate. ¡®¡¯Road Boty has quite an influx of Shuangguang scouts going back and forth and, in contrast, there are outposts situated across the old Han borders.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯That, I can infer myself. Is there anything I don¡¯t know yet?¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯You ask every week, Senior Yinying, and information doesn¡¯t come in a flash-¡¯¡¯ Then the informant waved his hand in rejection. ¡®¡¯-or it does, but assessing the truthfulness, considering its worth, and delivering it in an organized manner takes time.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Go on, then-¡¯¡¯ Hao Tou leaned back on the chair and crossed his legs. The motion caused the armor beneath his robes to jangle. ¡®¡¯If you finished making excuses.¡¯¡¯


    The informant stood silent for a moment, took a deep breath, then exhaled.


    ¡®¡¯The detections are skin-tight, if I say in folk speech-¡¯¡¯ He said, ¡®¡¯They use civilian talismans in every check-point, if you don¡¯t know, and there are some travel books on the market. Recently released, contains half the map of the North Haishen and Middle Han.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Those books you trace your travel?¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Yes, past the Tashradag Mountain they also require you to carry one of those- each traveler is literally forced to buy one before.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Quite flimsy,¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯A waste of resources, indeed,¡¯¡¯ Informant also nodded, ¡®¡¯But to be safe, people are going to buy it anyways. It isn¡¯t popular among traders, though.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯That is understandable,¡¯¡¯ No trader would want people to learn of their half-private routes or shortcuts, especially in the region of a brewing storm called Northern Triad. There wasn''t any business to do at the south anyway, for Shaowei market was not so profitable and the war between Shamo and Shuangguang left the land bereft of small and middle scale merchants. Those that supplied food and arms skyrocketed, though, and with the tension between Shuangguang and Cindersnow they would, as expected, put up resistance to such regulations.


    ¡®¡¯Anything else?¡¯¡¯ Hao Tou asked.


    ¡®¡¯This one unconfirmed- from two weeks ago,¡¯¡¯ Informant said and raised two fingers, ¡®¡¯But they say someone crushed down half of the Mountain Of Emperors.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Hmph-¡¯¡¯ Hao Tou pushed himself up the chair to turn back to the door at the other side and snorted, ¡®¡¯Who can even destroy a mountain, let alone that humongous mountain range?¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Don¡¯t come to me with empty rumors again.¡¯¡¯


    He flung the door open and sunlight sprayed inside the same instant, then with a step he left.


    I have to take note of that...

 55- Conficts May Rise Out Of Nowhere, But Your Heart Will Have To Be The Same (2)

    In The Raven¡¯s Shrine, the group of believers; Zi Heshang, Zi Muqin, Zi Haoren, Hong Seng, Hao Tou, Meng Liu, and Ubel were sitting on cushions with a round table in their front, colored the same black as the ceramic bowls with the few remaining venisons inside them.


    ¡®¡¯He is growing too quickly, isn¡¯t he?¡¯¡¯ Hao Tou raised a brow at Haoren. He slid a blank, white patch of cloth over his lips, stained with brown and orange-ish juice of the spiced deer meat.


    ¡®¡¯They say children who grow faster also live longer-¡¯¡¯ Hong Seng smiled at Haoren patting his belly. ¡®¡¯In my hometown, at least.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯They also say stupid shit like drinking rat piss is healthy,¡¯¡¯ Heshang snorted while looking at the unperturbed Hong Seng. Zi Muqin, meanwhile, snickered at her husband.


    ¡®¡¯Not that anyone forced you to drink a gallon...pfft!¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯They are natural scammers! And they have a way of revolving those tongues and lips, it''s like an illusion.¡¯¡¯


    Hong Seng shook his head and crouched down to gather the empty bowls of rice and venison. ¡®¡¯I doubt you¡¯ll get deceived again, it has been some decades after all.¡¯¡¯ While speaking, he waited for Haoren and Hao Tou to finish the last bits of their meal. Once they were done, he swooped the remaining two and went outside, to the garden of flowers and herbs he nurtured to clean the dishes.


    ¡®¡¯Not even a thank you?¡¯¡¯ Muqin tapped on Haoren¡¯s forehead and pointed at Ubel, sitting alongside Meng Liu across them with crossed legs.


    ¡®¡¯Thabk you!¡¯¡¯ Haoren beamed and tried to clasp his small fists- this drew a knowing smile from Meng Liu to Heshang, who giggled as if he did something wrong. Muqin seemed to realize as well, while Ubel chose to be oblivious to Heshang¡¯s attempts at teaching Haoren immortal etiquette.


    ¡®¡¯It is granted children won¡¯t feel the necessity to express gratitude once they are accustomed to receiving something,¡¯¡¯ Meng Liu spoke, ¡®¡¯though Haoren is, at least, better in this regard.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Is that so?¡¯¡¯ Hao Tou seemed doubtful. He was one of the most well-regarded members of The Raven¡¯s believers, especially vital in guiding newer recruits, so his position back in the Feather Servants¡¯ Court was also quite taxing with taking care of orphans and all.


    ¡®¡¯Not that I met more children-¡¯¡¯ Ubel said, ¡®¡¯But Haoren looks quite well behaved to me.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯We owe that disposition to Sihuli and his sisters,¡¯¡¯ Muqin sighed while patting Haoren¡¯s back to relieve him of the tummy ache. ¡®¡¯I doubt I can match them in energy when playing. If they didn¡¯t exhaust him all day, I would have a serious headache.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯And you eat the fruits of it-¡¯¡¯ Heshang said,


    ¡®¡¯We,¡¯¡¯ Muqin repeated, ¡®¡¯We, we eat the fruits of it.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯I, contrary to an overbearing puffy puff, still try to look after my son instead of pampering him.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯I can also show him how to cultivate. Isn¡¯t it you who doesn¡¯t allow it?¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯No, you don¡¯t understand,¡¯¡¯ Heshang shook his head, ¡®¡¯Once he knows the fundamentals of controlling Qi, it will be easier for him to progress in manual cultivation. Once he has enough power, then he can pursue whatever path he wants.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Oh, true,¡¯¡¯ Ubel exclaimed, ¡®¡¯How do you think of getting a manual, Senior Heshang?¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Isn¡¯t it basic?¡¯¡¯ Hao Tou replied in his stead, ¡®¡¯We either get Servants¡¯ Manual or steal one from another place.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯And I won¡¯t allow him to practice Servants¡¯ Manual-¡¯¡¯ Heshang rebuked the idea instantly, so the sole choice left was to steal. But from whom, or where?


    ¡®¡¯It would be good if we found someone from the sect, their manuals are...¡¯¡¯ Just as Heshang was muttering, he stopped. He looked up to see Ubel slightly disturbed, carrying a wry smile. He also showed a wry smile at this.


    ¡®¡¯Rude of me, rude of me,¡¯¡¯ Heshang shook his head under the glare of his wife, ¡®¡¯My bad.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯No, it isn¡¯t a big deal-¡¯¡¯ Ubel waved his hand in response and he returned to his calm exterior. ¡®¡¯Not that...I didn¡¯t give a thought to it.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Oh?¡¯¡¯ Hao Tou raised a brow at this, Meng Liu cast a knowing smile at Ubel. Muqin, however, frowned at the now grinning Heshang.


    ¡®¡¯When was he eligible to cultivate again?¡¯¡¯ Ubel asked.


    ¡®¡¯Three years old,¡¯¡¯ Muqin retracted her glare from Heshang and turned to look at him. ¡®¡¯Not that far, but please don¡¯t, dear Ubel.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Why not?¡¯¡¯ Ubel actually pressed further.


    ¡®¡¯It is a capital punishment-¡¯¡¯ Meng Liu said, his smile widened. ¡®¡¯The moment you pass down the manual of the sect, they will know it.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯And I doubt you remember every detail,¡¯¡¯ Hao Tou continued from there, shrugging, ¡®¡¯They must have taken the scroll, too.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯I still have it though.¡¯¡¯


    This time Hao Tou froze. He looked blankly for a second or two, then shook his head. ¡®¡¯How come?¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Because they didn¡¯t ask for it?¡¯¡¯ Ubel tilted his head. ¡®¡¯They would rather me keep everything, it seemed. Even clothing, although I gave them with the residency token of mine.¡¯¡¯ And Mind Expansion Manual, too.


    Now that I think of it, I had one chance to pick one more manual...pity.


    He didn¡¯t mention the rest, for it would be a little more excessive. But Ubel really thought of passing the Death River Manual to Haoren. Not for the sole reason of his affection, he was pretty fond of the little boy, after all, but actually to repay Heshang a little. The experience and the level of control he achieved because of Heshang and Miss Muqin couldn¡¯t be calculated in the short term.


    As for the capital punishment and the sect supposedly knowing it, he didn¡¯t bother much with it. For a large institution like Cindersnow, they wouldn¡¯t be so stupid as to allow a random disciple to leave with their prized manuals, especially when they restricted the normal populace from accessing them. And even if they were to, in a pure coincidental series of events, they wouldn¡¯t be able to inflict the punishment while being away at the Barren Lands.


    So either they wanted him, and perhaps other disciples left on the continent, to slowly reveal these manuals to the populace in the Sect¡¯s absence. Or Ubel¡¯s master, Quan had a finger in him retaining the manual for reasons unknown. From a certain viewpoint, if he wanted Ubel could buy his way through a fatal predicament with the manual itself. But it also depended on the danger and the type of enemy he faced, so it was an unreliable way of indirect protection.


    Or it could be both at the same time.


    ¡®¡¯This doesn¡¯t mean you have to-¡¯¡¯ Muqin said, ¡®¡¯Don¡¯t act hasty with this, dear Ubel.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯...I won¡¯t, miss Muqin,¡¯¡¯ Ubel nodded. It wasn¡¯t the time anyway. ¡®¡¯By the way, when are you planning to depart.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Soon,¡¯¡¯ Hao Tou stood up and patted his knees. ¡®¡¯I hired several different groups to scout the roads, they all brought similar results. There aren¡¯t any unexpected events as well, but bandits and ransacking mercenaries seem to be on the rise. At most, they will slow us down.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯I¡¯m amazed at how easy you make it sound easy,¡¯¡¯ Ubel said and stood up as well. Haoren looked on with his big eyes and shot to his feet after him, Heshang followed them.


    ¡®¡¯When you have puffy puff and me, it is easy,¡¯¡¯ Heshang grinned.


    ¡®¡¯Though he boasts, Heshang speaks the truth,¡¯¡¯ Hao Tou said while descending the stairs. They rounded the hexagonal walls and went over to the back of the Shrine, where Hong Seng was cleansing the dishes with waves of Qi from the tips of his fingers. The aquamarine waves of tangible Qi turned into screens of light that scratched the surface and brought along all the stains and crumbs.


    ¡®¡¯They also have different names at the southern tip of the Northern Continent because of their...achievements.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯What kind of names?¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Crippling Cripple and Blooming Death.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Alright! That¡¯s enough!¡¯¡¯ Ubel and Hong Seng said at the same time, and the latter rose from his place, bringing the dishes back with him. ¡®¡¯Ubel, can you sweep here for me?¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Of course,¡¯¡¯ Ubel nodded and took a few steps forward, then put his hands together. Qi surged right between his palms and started raging like a wild cyclone suppressed between two boulders. His hands started trembling and azure light shone from his fingers, then Ubel released them both.


    The whipping of sharp streaks of air sounded and surged forward, raising dust and dirt into the air. Strangely enough, none of the scarlet and jade-colored herbs took damage, nor the earth itself. Only what Hong Seng left behind from the bowls disappeared into particles or flew far away.


    Ubel let out a deep breath and relaxed his shoulders, with his motion the squall disappeared.


    ¡®¡¯Will Haoren be able to take the travel?¡¯¡¯ Ubel asked while turning back with the duo, as Haoren was, again, encircled by the foxes at the entrance.


    ¡®¡¯You missed a few spots-¡¯¡¯ Heshang said and pointed with his hand at the dirt, but both Ubel and Hao Tou was already past him talking to each other.


    ¡®¡¯...alright! I¡¯m gonna go sulk to Ren¡¯er!¡¯¡¯ Heshang ignored them and ran towards his wife.


    ¡®¡¯...but we will adjust according to him, of course,¡¯¡¯ Hao Tou nodded. ¡®¡¯Though my lord is interested in the boy, he is also Heshang¡¯s son. He would create too much trouble if we didn¡¯t take care of him properly.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯I can see that,¡¯¡¯ Ubel turned to look at the family of three, now being bullied by the foxes by their number. ¡®¡¯...are they not bothered?¡¯¡¯


    Hao Tou seemed to understand what he meant, so he lowered his voice.


    ¡®¡¯It is their decision to include him in the danger, not ours¡¯, really,¡¯¡¯ He said, ¡®¡¯If it wasn¡¯t impossible, I would have thought of leaving him with you here.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯You¡¯re lying?¡¯¡¯ Ubel opened his mouth wide.


    ¡®¡¯I don¡¯t,¡¯¡¯ Hao Tou shook his head. ¡®¡¯Well, I know you didn¡¯t forget who we are and what we do. And I know the most how a child changes in the face of killing, deception, intrigue...it isn¡¯t that pleasant.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Of course it isn¡¯t, but it is also not pleasant to leave your child to some random acquaintance.¡¯¡¯The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    ¡®¡¯You aren¡¯t some random man, Ubel,¡¯¡¯ Hao Tou looked him in the eye, their gazes clashed against each other under the swaying leaves of the oak trees. ¡®¡¯He trusts you enough.¡¯¡¯


    They stood silent for a while after that, listening to the joyful cries of Haoren and foxes, with the slight breeze moving their hair and soothing their cheeks. Miss Muqin moved to sit on the edge of the stairs, Heshang followed and laid his head on her thighs, and they both gazed at their child with traces of smiles. Meng Liu disappeared into the shrine, though his all-powerful knowing smile still hung on his lips.


    Hong Seng took out some yarns and needles to the outside in the meantime, to stitch together clothes for Haoren and the rest. The travel would, if their estimates were right, last around four months on foot. Since it was the first month of the summer now, and their departure seemed sooner rather than later, it seemed to be the best to get some winter clothing ready.


    Ubel shook his head a little and took a seat next to Hong Seng, sitting cross-legged.


    ¡®¡¯What about the garden?¡¯¡¯ Ubel asked after a while.


    ¡®¡¯Left for you,¡¯¡¯ Hong Seng said, ¡®¡¯Since you decided not to accompany, I must leave you some suffering behind.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Suffering, you say,¡¯¡¯ Ubel smiled, ¡®¡¯I¡¯ll try to take care of it. But I refuse to clean the shrine.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Why?¡¯¡¯ Hong Seng asked, head tilted in puzzlement.


    ¡®¡¯It is your job, not mine.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯But the garden is also my job.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯I also don¡¯t like cleaning,¡¯¡¯ Ubel said.


    ¡®¡¯...you¡¯ll have to clean the weeds too, Ubel,¡¯¡¯ Hong Seng reminded with a laugh. ¡®¡¯And water and care, and wash the roots and clip some leaves. A few even need special treatment like a child.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯I made good headway with Haoren, I doubt they will be bothersome.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Each child has a different temperament, I doubt they won¡¯t be bothersome.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯...I¡¯ll try, still.¡¯¡¯ Ubel sighed.


    Hong Seng cast him a smile and returned to crocheting. The swishes and the small cries of the children at the back of their head, faint, Hong Seng talked again.


    ¡®¡¯You know, Ubel, it might be rude of me to ask this but...whom you don¡¯t trust?¡¯¡¯


    Ubel, of course, realized what he really meant and what the rude thing could possibly be. He, at last, refused to with the group. Out of his own will, of course, but it should have been clear to the believers of the group what coerced him to not join. The promise to his master was a factor, though he had already failed it to some extent, and this ensured he would break it again at some point. But even if he did in the future, the decisive point was still his own conscience.


    Conscience as a grandchild, as a student, and lastly, as a son.


    For first, even if his grandmother lied about everything to him from the start, it didn¡¯t matter much. Whether her attempts to persuade wasn¡¯t unexpected, and his enrollment into the sect was planned from the start, didn¡¯t bother him in his heart. Being deceived, he learned, while proved harmful and could lead to cracks in a relationship, could also mend them when the reasonable argument was put with a sincere heart. That could be the case with his grandmother, and couldn¡¯t be. He didn¡¯t know, also, if the tears she shed when he came back were real, or her hoarse voice, or her pitiful state, or her frail body. Through their extended interactions, albeit limited to a certain extent, he grasped that her physique was really that of an old woman.


    A full-fledged old grandma. This didn¡¯t justify the occurrences between them, however, and certainly didn¡¯t make him feel better about the past. But it left a seed of confusion in his heart, and it made him doubt the integrity of whatever decisions and lies, or truths, she made and told. This wasn¡¯t something solved so easily, so he had to stay and spend more time with her. To regain the semblance of their old amicable relationship, away from the complexities of his origins and his disappointment, and also to uncover what she and others hid from him about himself.


    Ubel lowered his head to look at his now heavier legs. He found a Sihuli sprawled on the pair of sturdy legs, with a pointy nose and calm eyes raised at him. He smiled and placed his palm over Sihuli¡¯s head, then fondled the soft fur beside his ears.


    ¡®¡¯I don¡¯t doubt you,¡¯¡¯ Ubel spoke and kept his voice down. It bordered near a whisper, though not so close to his slightly shrill voice. ¡®¡¯Nor the others. Hao Tou, perhaps. I am...a little bit afraid of him-¡¯¡¯ He turned to look at Hong Seng at here, ¡®¡¯Don¡¯t tell this to him.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯But-¡¯¡¯ He continued, ¡®¡¯I don¡¯t feel that apart from you people even with that. I am wary of The Raven, that is true, and I also don¡¯t have the intention to be his pu-¡¯¡¯ Ubel gulped here. ¡®¡¯...his supporter. I suppose it would be fun to travel with you and watch Haoren grow more healthier...but I won¡¯t, in the end.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯The promise?¡¯¡¯ Hong Seng asked.


    The promise was, in actuality, not a promise. It was the first three lines of Quan at the start of every note and book, and calling them instructions wouldn¡¯t be wrong. But to Ubel, they were more than instructions. It was more akin to an...exchange, exchange of trust between him and his master. They did once back at Yadratafos, and there it was him who trusted Quan. It had been somewhat forceful, and even hurtful, yet he trusted him in the end. This time, it was his time to uphold his master¡¯s trust; the trust in him adhering three simple rules, the trust in him to trust in Quan, the trust in him to be patient. If they were to meet- Ubel was sure they would, in the end- and this topic came up, he knew he wouldn¡¯t have the heart to tell him he didn¡¯t value the sentiments of his master if he left now.


    Why though, even when he knew that the master-disciple relation between them was quite feebler than others¡¯ that were built on years and decades of long guidance, he felt they would have the same chemistry from the times back? It was intuition, foresight, clairvoyance, or whatever one may call it. It was but a feeling, and he trusted in that feeling. After all, the whole premise of their relationship was built on trust, something not so seen higher than love.


    ¡®¡¯The promise,¡¯¡¯ Ubel nodded, ¡®¡¯And my father.¡¯¡¯


    Hong Seng sighed at that, then didn¡¯t question further. There was no point- his father was somewhat of a reverse scale for Ubel. Not the kind where he lashed out at anyone mentioning it, nor it was the kind where he got overly sentimental at the sole presence of him in the discussions. It was simply a bond he couldn¡¯t cut, and questioning that connection incurred the cold indifference inside Ubel¡¯s otherwise cheerful heart. Filial piety, it seemed, held great value for Ubel.


    And it was indeed so.


    To say he didn¡¯t miss his father would be a lie, and to state his thoughts on that would be a little bit complicated. Sometimes, acts gave better clues than thoughts or words, and the father in his heart wasn¡¯t one remembered with memories. It was with movements; with the cutting of a wood, with the nocking of an arrow, with the digging of a shovel, with the mining of a pickaxe, and with temperament; being calm as much as he could endure, being happy as much as he could be, being as little afraid as he could try, being as merciful as he could become.


    It was, in essence, living like his father, being like his father, and incarnating his heart into his own life. To represent him and his values after death was the best thing he could do as a son, and his values didn¡¯t allow him to leave. Ubel felt the need to sweep his father¡¯s grave every day. Because if he didn¡¯t it wouldn¡¯t be like his father, who mentioned Ubel¡¯s grandfather with words of praise and love every day. If his grandfather had a grave, Ubel thought, his father would sweep its front each day, too. One might consider it a shackle of blood- and the one who thought of it was Zi Heshang- but blood was, in the end, no thicker than the soul of a man. Man, in the end, had the will to decide which one would be the priority. Ubel chose not blood, but his father. That was all.


    That was his resolution, the simple act of sweeping his father¡¯s grave and lighting incense.


    Eight years- Ubel raised his head to look at the pillars of white clouds swimming to the horizon, Eight years of patience is all I need.


    After all, it is not me alone who endures.


    *********


    Su¡¯en opened his eyes...again.


    The first sight he took was the crystal blue sky and milky clouds stampeding to the end of the world, though they also seemed like they would crush him if he dared to obstruct their way. The second was the mouths made of sharp, as tall as thousands of meters, reaching to devour those hordes of clouds, yet unable to reach in the end. The third was the rolling down boulders from the mouth like droplets of water, and in a few seconds, they would actually do the deed in the stead of the clouds.


    The fourth was his sides, a huge pit carved like a finger rounded around him and went upwards, spiraling to the mouth of the broken Mountain Of Emperors. Now that he inspected carefully, the northern side of the mouth had a small dent belonging to a possible knuckle. Other than that, though, he felt the existence of gurgling magma under and around him, filling the spider web-like cracks created after the fearsome collision he had.


    The fifth was the magma¡¯s source, which he turned around to examine. It was a ball of condensed flames, bright gold and light crimson, with waves of blazing rings around it. From the rings revolving around the sphere of fire oozed out thick, dark scarlet magma and surged outwards. Now he started to feel, he was also swimming on the magma as well.


    Su¡¯en willed it and Buyuh of the purest kind- a purplish-red surge of aura- sprang from his lungs to envelop his body. The sensation returned to his body and he grasped the faint itching from his back. With another thought, the purplish-red aura gathered around his legs and arms, then he took a step forward into the air.


    The step landed, seemingly on a hard block of wood, the air released the squeal of an old plank when faced with weight, then cracked. The invisible space literally cracked. Faint lines imbued with purplish-red power spread like ravines, then exploded into a burst of crimson magma.


    A deafening boom rang beside Su''en, followed by a spray of red from the ball of flames in front of his eyes. A gravitational force raised the ball of flames into the air, and, with a will of its own, the blazing ball resisted with a fierce blast of magma waves.


    But an itch was still an itch to Su¡¯en.


    Su¡¯en moved his hands and the purplish-red aura morphed into the shape of a needle-like spear shaft. He grasped the shaft from its end, revolved it around him once, then smashed it down with the momentum on the ball whilst ignoring the magma.


    The shaft fell with the force of a mountain and rumbled hundreds of meters around them. The wave of rising magma separated from the middle and vanished into thin air from the sheer rebound, while the shaft itself crushed the blazing ball¡¯s outer rings. The rings caved in for a moment, followed by another caving that made a dent on the ball. Then the purplish-red aura reached into another peak and pushed the needle-like shaft a little bit further.


    The blazing ball of flames broke into two with a cling, Su¡¯en managed to peek inside to see a miniature sun revolving at the center of the ball, and then everything went up in flames.


    An inferno appeared inside the old Mountain Of Emperors for an instant, and inside from the flurry of flames walked out Su¡¯en without a scratch. Yet he didn¡¯t have a pleasant expression.


    How did he manage to send another strike into the world? Feeling puzzled, Su¡¯en moved up and pierced through the veils of fire to the mouth of the mountain above.


    We started the rebellion, so it should be impossible for sovereigns to approve of the Civilization Extermination. Then how...


    Just as he flew out of the raging inferno and appeared on the skies of the Northern Continent, Su¡¯en felt someone tug at his soul¡¯s defenses. It was a message, it seemed, and from the aura he knew who this woman was. With a though, he let the thread approach his mind and open up.


    ¡®¡¯What happened?¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯What happened? A calamity of course! The damned overseer released seven of the Nine-colored phantoms!¡¯¡¯


    Su¡¯en froze in the air.


    *********


    Ke¡¯ai Huiqing shot to her feet from her rocking chair at the same instant Su¡¯en froze at the Mountain Of Emperors.


    ¡®¡¯Seven? SEVEN!?¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯There might even be more!¡¯¡¯ Feza Cindersnow replied from the other side. Alongside her worried tone, blasts and explosions of Qi could be heard with the accompany of screams. ¡®¡¯This is violating the Rebellion Law! What does that Overseer is thin- HAAA-!¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Feza! Girl!¡¯¡¯ Huiqing felt her legs tremble again from the Civilization Curse, yet the wails of her instincts forced her to stand still. With a bang and the flipping of the door, Embodiment rushed inside with a dirt-stained hoe in his hands. He stepped towards her and pushed her down to sit, moving his hands down two times.


    Calm down!


    Huiqing gazed into the faint outlines of a pair of eyes on Embodiment¡¯s face, gulped. Her legs shook from the sheer pain rushing from her heart and joints, yet her stance stood the same.


    ¡®¡¯Sister Huiqing,¡¯¡¯ Feza¡¯s voice reached her again, this time with rough breathing. ¡®¡¯We¡¯ll be fine for a few more days, it seems like they haven¡¯t completed their transformation.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯But they¡¯ll do sooner-¡¯¡¯ Huiqing sighed and told, only now did her legs buckle down to slump on the rocking chair. ¡®¡¯But is our world so unimportant to the Sovereigns?¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯I can¡¯t say anything for now about that, Sister Huiqing,¡¯¡¯ Feza replied. The sounds coming from her surroundings died off considerably. ¡®¡¯But concerning here, I¡¯ll keep an eye with the Little Zuzhang. If things go awry, we might have you and Su¡¯en come here personally.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯...will it delay his growth?¡¯¡¯ She added after thinking a little more.


    ¡®¡¯It won¡¯t,¡¯¡¯ Huiqing laughed after shaking off the worry in her heart. ¡®¡¯It will even be more beneficial. I was thinking with that naked bird about how we could get him out of the forest. This will do- it might even open his eyes to what he¡¯ll see in the future.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Haah-¡¯¡¯ Feza sighed from the other side. ¡®¡¯That¡¯s too cruel.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯I have to be- that was the mistake we made with my son and other grandchildren...¡¯¡¯


    Their conversation came to a halt with the awkward silence, then Feza bid her farewell and cut the connection.


    The Embodiment was still standing beside her, looking with an expectant face devoid of any mimic. Huiqing shook her head and grasped his large hands-still holding the hoe- between her own- she caressed them for a moment in silence.


    ¡®¡¯I won¡¯t let him be like you...alright?¡¯¡¯


    Embodiment didn¡¯t seem to understand but still nodded. After asking some irrelevant details he departed from the door and closed behind him with a thud. A few seconds later sounds of a hoe digging through earth came from the garden.


    I won¡¯t let him be like the rest...

 56- Conflicts May Rise Out Of Nowhere, But Your Heart Will Have To Be The Same (3)

    Ubel was far inside the Orabura forest, to the far east of both the Shrine Of The Raven and his house, approaching the Han Dynasty¡¯s River Ochmurent. Though he was extremely close to the Han Dynasty¡¯s borders, there were no settlements to the west shore of River Ochmurent, and even to its southeast there were only small villages of a few dozen people each living together. And as there were also many wild animals, though none with a degree of cultivation, the chances of someone stumbling near him were exceedingly low. Adding upon that the distance between him, the shrine, and the house, there would be no one that could trouble him.


    Yet, Ubel had solid doubts about his grandmother¡¯s abilities and her degree of cultivation as well. How far her senses reached or what kind of a thing she could use to spy on him was out of his knowledge, even the fact that whether she was even attempting to inspect him in the first place. But being cautious was the first lesson he took from Zi Heshang, and he learned that lesson with a good amount of beating as well.


    So Ubel inspected his surroundings for a moment before stopping. His eyes grazed the empty patches of barren ground while he raised his right arm and retracted his fingers to show his palm. A faint, blue surge of light started to surge from the surroundings and rushed forth to revolve between his fingers, eventually forming five rings of Qi feeding off of the ambient Qi.


    Once he felt the accumulation was enough, Ubel sat down cross-legged and pushed his palm down on the ground. The rings of Qi stopped around his knuckles for a moment, then suddenly crashed onto the earth below with a dull echo. Though the force belied its after effect, as not even a speck of dust rose from the ground.


    Instead, the rings of Qi stuck to the ground, continuing to revolve. Ubel raised his left arm this time, reenacting the same motion from before. With another dull rattle, another five rings of light appeared. The moment two sets of rings buried themselves into the ground, they started rounding each other, then spread like frightened crows to circle Ubel. A dim light shone from their round corners, the color of a slightly conspicuous blue.


    As the lights brightened, streaks of aquamarine lines of Qi shot from the round corners and merged with the closest ring of light, then shooting off to another one to bind as well. Soon a network of Qi lines showed itself around Ubel, and with a wave of his hand, they burst into a half-sphere barrier that enveloped him from head to toe.


    In the same instant, Ubel¡¯s mental connection with Embodiment was cut off. He could feel Embodiment still being there, but they couldn¡¯t establish any communication with the interference of the Versatile Barrier.


    Literally, that was its name. It could be used in a myriad of ways; To keep a hostage hidden, to stay away from the eyes of others, to escape from any tracing marks, to protect oneself from attacks, or to even attack one¡¯s enemies. The barrier at Yadratafos, for example, was one of the epitomai of how powerful a Versatile Barrier could be. But without additional materials to increase its efficiency, as well as a high cultivation base to empower and ensure its conduction, it would be nigh impossible to achieve a Versatile Barrier of that magnitude.


    Not that he intended to do one- all Ubel wanted was to guarantee that what he was going to do now wouldn¡¯t get on the radar of his grandmother.


    Ubel swept his hands inside his fox-patterned blue robe- a gift of Hong Seng- and from an inner pouch he took out a scroll. Color of violet, carrying an aura of decay and death, with the prints of two thumbs at its sides caused by prolonged sessions of study. Ubel gazed at the surface with a faint glow in his eyes, then with a wave of his hands, the scroll opened wide.


    The same words greeted him at first, those that puzzled him quite a lot- and also one that he didn¡¯t bother thinking about beforehand.


    You know the truth.


    What was that truth, anyway?


    I know what manual wants, and I know what manual does- yet do I know what I want from it?


    It wasn¡¯t a simple matter of him uncovering the erratic way of thinking the manual forced upon its cultivator, Ubel thought. Else, wouldn¡¯t these words appear right after he reached the Late Qi Creation at the cliff of Cindersnow Mountain?


    The catalyst, in that case, was Tulpar, the Beast God. The mark she sent forth; the one that made him go mad, the one that caused his Senior brother and Senior master to fall deep in terror, the one that fused with the Seal Of Evil. What was its objective, then, and why the manual considered him to know the truth after that event?


    They were left unanswered, of course, and he wouldn¡¯t go out of his way to ask these questions to his grandmother or The Raven. Both were just...unhelpful, if that was the correct word to describe. Their identities, their motives were all shrouded in a cloak of mists, of lies and deception. And his beliefs on their nature was forged with a new hammer of perspective- mainly Zi family and Meng Liu¡¯s outlooks on their own lord.


    But Ubel also knew, or thought, that this could be a ploy of the Feathered Deity, to make him doubt his own kin and his last pillar of trust. Or in reverse, it could be his grandmother¡¯s scheme to have him out of The Raven¡¯s influence, to keep him in the forest for reasons unknown. That was why he didn¡¯t ask their opinions anymore, that¡¯s why he was- though this was not one of the main drives- unwilling to accept The Raven¡¯s offer, that¡¯s why he stood away from his house as long as possible.


    It all came down to a matter of trust, simply put, and neither his grandmother or the Feathered Deity could provide that sincere desire- only a few managed to do so in the end.


    I went off again-haah... Ubel sighed.


    This was a result of reminiscence, not that he could blame himself. But now aware of where he should be focusing on, Ubel turned the scroll to its back and gazed at the violet surface full of golden texts.


    I can¡¯t give the scroll itself and copying would be the same as giving it away. How do I make it work like the manual itself?


    Ideally, if he could make it easily accessible and referable like the manual itself, that would be the perfect scenario. But, even if it might be seen as rude, he intended only Haoren himself to cultivate the manual, not others. Perhaps Hong Seng or Meng Liu would benefit from cultivating it- as former practiced Servants¡¯ Manual¡¯s Curse path, the way that focused on weakening the enemy rather than lethal strikes, while the latter practiced a state manual from the late Han Dynasty, The Spectral Blaze manual. And indeed, his relationship with the two was especially on the good side. Even his confession of holding onto the main manual was a show of goodwill.


    Yet Ubel couldn¡¯t trust Hong Seng on the manual, for the man¡¯s faith didn¡¯t allow him to disobey any order. He might complain, he might lash out, but he never, ever, failed to comply with The Raven¡¯s orders. Leaking Death River manual wouldn¡¯t be ideal to him, or to the men and women of the continent, even if it wouldn¡¯t affect anything- but he doubted that point. Unreputable religions were the second most dangerous in Quan¡¯s opinion, and strengthening them wouldn¡¯t be aligned with both his and Quan¡¯s ideals. For Meng Liu, it was just an eerie feeling that made him unwilling to share it.


    One might ask, still, that wouldn¡¯t it result the same with Haoren? A child had no will of his/her own, or even if he/she had it would be limited to a degree, controlled by others in the name of guidance. Zi Muqin was also a fervent follower of The Raven, though she might not show it, and if her lord ordered, there was also a good chance of her poaching Haoren for the manual. She was, after all, his mother. Who could curb the utmost faith a child had of their mother?


    Only the other parent, of course.


    Zi Heshang was not a believer of The Raven, he wasn¡¯t even a Willing Soldier like Meng Liu. He was a love-stricken guy who worked under The Raven for the sake of his wife. If not for the sheer strength and reserves of The Raven and his believers, Heshang might have destroyed them a long time ago. Hence, Ubel didn¡¯t doubt Heshang¡¯s trustworthiness in that matter. But that begged the question again, how would he make the manual work?


    Trustworthiness and all matters aside- everything depended on how he left the manual for Haoren and how he could arrange it to safeguard them from others. Brainstorming for a while under the flickering lights of the Versatile Barrier, Ubel suddenly blinked.


    ¡®¡¯The voice!¡¯¡¯


    The voice he heard when he first laid his eyes on the manual, and on the breathing techniques. He could leave recordings, of course!


    ¡®¡¯...but how?¡¯¡¯


    Now that he thought of it, Ubel didn¡¯t know how the manufacturers of the manuals managed to implant the voices in the scrolls. He had never thought about that, too, and didn¡¯t question it as well.


    Ubel let out a sigh and relaxed his brows for a moment. Just as he needed something, it turned out he didn¡¯t know how to achieve that.


    I¡¯ll have to improvise...Ubel closed his eyes and started thinking of the artifacts or tools using voice. His eyes opened again as he thought of two things.


    Soundwaves and talismans.


    Soundwaves were soundwaves, he learned that in the early days of his admittance to the sect. They were a series of vibrations in the air caused by the tremblings of the vocal cords near the throat- one of the most vital parts of the human physique that allowed humanity to develop language and complex communication.


    Talismans were tools used for communicating long distances. They worked on a similar basis to how soundwaves spread- yet instead of bouncing off of obstacles and dissipating in the air, the talismans used the ambient Qi to reinforce the soundwave, and condense it into a line of invisible streak that continued to exist until it reached its target in the estimated time. The line of communication of a talisman could be intercepted, distorted, changed, or even destroyed by external factors; namely immortal interference, surges of Qi, heavy auras like blood and death auras, or the absence of a receiver.


    The thing Ubel needed to learn was how to condense and contain his voice into a talisman-like structure to preserve it. This wouldn¡¯t be hard if he was still a cultivator- as the basic premise of the talisman was similar to a Qi transmission between immortals in some ways. The refined and exquisite, yet unconscious control the meridians possessed would make it much easier to realize his aim at the moment. But Ubel neither had meridians or a control level near a perfect meridian. And though he improved by leaps and bounds in the past year and months, he had no way of achieving the same effect at the moment- only Zi Heshang could, perhaps, do it.


    But he had to attempt at least, so Ubel clasped his palms together and Qi started to rush into the Versatile Barrier. They coagulated into patches of glimmering blue crystals around him, and once they condensed Ubel opened his arms wide to gather them between his five fingers.


    The crystals floated towards his fingers and lined up like a set of soldiers between his palms and hands, glittering with the same light. To the sight in front of him, Ubel responded with clasping his hands again, causing the Qi crystals to crash and merge into a single pearl of shining blue- with prickly and rough edges on the circular frame. If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    Ubel released his grip on the pearl, yet it continued to float in front of him with a slight buzz. Ubel took a deep breath, pierced a hole in the pearl with his right index finger, then spoke into the pearl.


    ¡®¡¯First attempt, let¡¯s get over with this.¡¯¡¯


    Then at the same moment his words came to a halt, Ubel sealed shut the small hole with a burst of Qi. His eyes flashed with a small light, he took another deep breath, then after waiting for a few more seconds opened the pearl.


    ¡®¡¯....?¡¯¡¯


    No sound came.


    How am I supposed to do it then?


    *********


    Zi Muqin was sitting on the stairs leading up to the shrine¡¯s gates, her hair let loose, reaching the likewise loose sleeves of her green robe. And behind her Zi Heshang half-kneeled, moving his hands across the tendrils of golden hair to tie them together with a blue-jade hairpin. A few snuck in front of the reddish mark of a burn on her left face, Heshang quickly grasped them and put them together with the rest.


    Though she couldn¡¯t see the whole process, Muqin knew how fast Heshang normally managed to make her hair. He was efficient, and was a master of hair in some cases, even the ponytail he always wore was the work of his own- not her¡¯s, as people assumed. If not for her circumstances, no doubt he would be an excellent coiffeur.


    But he acted slow today, and she didn¡¯t know why. Still, knowing that he took, seemingly, more care than usual made her happier.


    ¡®¡¯Momvy!¡¯¡¯ Haoren¡¯s shout came from a few steps away from them, riding on Yihuli and chased by Erhuli and Sanhuli. He approached with the furious wave of his hands to garner attention, and he gained what he wanted- Muqin smiled at him and waved her hand too.


    ¡®¡¯Don¡¯t fall off, Ren¡¯er!¡¯¡¯ She said, Haoren nodded. Then he spurred his mount to clash with the other two, but, suddenly, Sihuli sprang from their back and jumped between them. His gaze sharp, and his nose pointy, he let out a cry and went forth to face his biggest sister, tilting the scales in favor of the other two.


    ¡®¡¯Sihuli, evil!¡¯¡¯ With a furious shout, Haoren slapped- or patted- Yihuli¡¯s side and revolved in his place, running back to the Meng Liu sitting on the branch of a tree with a knowing smile.


    In the meantime, with the swishing and flapping of her hair, Muqin felt Heshang doing the final touches- which were not much, yet quite fair in itself. Heshang waved his hand behind her and a flurry of Qi floated to the front, materializing out of nowhere. The Qi particles gathered together and turned into a flat, shining green surface glittering with her reflection.


    With another wave of his hand, Heshang created another one above her head, so as to let her see how her hair looked like. There were two small circles at the left and right sides of her hair, connecting to the cascading tendrils of golden hair at the middle that stopped right before her shoulders.


    She tilted her head and shoulders, left and right and back and forth, to inspect and to see the details.


    ¡®¡¯It¡¯s fabulous,¡¯¡¯ She said and leaned back on him, though his knee poked her spine.


    ¡®¡¯As always?¡¯¡¯ The pair of mirrors blinked out of existence as he asked.


    ¡®¡¯As always,¡¯¡¯ Muqin nodded with a smile. ¡®¡¯Where is dear Hong?¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Cleaning the shrine one last time,¡¯¡¯ Heshang told and supported her back for a moment, then sat cross-legged on the entrance to let her lay down. He touched the burnt patch of her face while her head slumped on his knees. ¡®¡¯I saw some tears fall from him.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯He loves the Lord, and leaving his house must give him great pain.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯...might be,¡¯¡¯ Heshang said. ¡®¡¯But he still has someone to take care of it, no?¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯He does,¡¯¡¯ She agreed, ¡®¡¯But it doesn¡¯t matter much. The value isn¡¯t in its cleanliness, but in the presence of it.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Then don¡¯t you feel upset about it?¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯You know me enough, Heshang,¡¯¡¯ Muqin made a slight frown, ¡®¡¯What troubles you, say, to fish an answer out of me?¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Nothing, nothing,¡¯¡¯ Heshang shook his head, ¡®¡¯I¡¯m fine puffy puff, don¡¯t get angry at me.¡¯¡¯ He snuck closer and was about to plant a kiss on her forehead when his eyes widened. Muqin, at the same time, sensed the approaching footsteps and rose from Heshang¡¯s embrace. Her eyes at the front, she saw the fox-embroidered blue robes wearily walking towards them.


    He clasped his fists to Meng Liu, who also greeted him the same, and passed by the children chasing each other. After giving a slight smile and a pat on the head for Haoren and Sanhuli, he came before the couple and greeted them.


    ¡®¡¯Where were you these days?¡¯¡¯ Heshang asked first.


    ¡®¡¯Look at his feet-¡¯¡¯ She heard, and Heshang¡¯s message arrived at the same time she noticed the abnormality. ¡®¡¯There is a small imbalance.¡¯¡¯


    Not seen with normal eyes, or with the third eye, but this detail could be seen with the experience of a veteran, which both of them were top-notch. Stains of mud or earth were common in the forest, even Heshang and Muqin had dirt and pieces of brown soil over their feet. But none were as tight-packed as the ones under Ubel¡¯s barely visible foot. They were sunken into the small wrinkles beneath the toes, heel, and the middle, and it said a lot about how long he walked or ran to get here. If they were the cause of the almost-invisible trembling of his left knee and unsteady right foot, then Ubel had not much of a physique to speak of.


    But he had, and they saw how he trained and improved it, and it was Heshang that knew it the best, being the tutor and the teacher of the boy for over a year and a half. Likewise, Ubel seemed to know it too, but his efforts to hide the flaw made it more obvious.


    They didn¡¯t comment on it, nor did they betray any emotion other than curiosity.


    ¡®¡¯Preparing these-¡¯¡¯ Ubel said and reached for the inside of his robe, then took out a small brown pouch. Muqin recognized it as the relic of Ubel¡¯s master, one he mentioned and showed them before. ¡®¡¯There you go.¡¯¡¯ And he pushed it towards Zi Heshang.


    Heshang reached out and grasped the itchy pouch, then after a moment his eyes had a small glint passing through in an instant. ¡®¡¯How did you manage this?¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Oh? What did he do?¡¯¡¯ Muqin asked whilst approaching closer to both, now they stood only two steps away from each.


    ¡®¡¯Senior Heshang-¡¯¡¯ Ubel interrupted right as Heshang moved to open the pouch, ¡®¡¯This might come off as rude, but please don¡¯t,¡¯¡¯ Muqin raised a light brow at the remark. ¡®¡¯They are for Haoren only.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯...I guessed so,¡¯¡¯ Heshang nodded. ¡®¡¯Let it be puffy puff, it is a fortune for Ren¡¯er, nothing more.¡¯¡¯


    Whether he said this to not talk about it right now, or he actually meant it, Muqin couldn¡¯t sense with certainty. She clasped her hands for now in gratitude. Heshang, however, put his right hand on Ubel¡¯s left shoulder and patted his back.


    ¡®¡¯Thank you,¡¯¡¯ He said, and Ubel gave a wry smile.


    ¡®¡¯It makes me a little uncomfortable knowing this looks a bit bad,¡¯¡¯ He turned to her here and clasped his hands. ¡®¡¯So forgive me, but as you said before, I must handle it with care. Sorry, Miss Muqin.¡¯¡¯


    So the manual? She guessed, but if that was the case they wouldn¡¯t hesitate to reveal it now. So there ought to be something additional, or a surprise that she couldn¡¯t predict.


    But before she could answer, Heshang suddenly snapped his fingers right beside Ubel¡¯s left ear.


    It was of the light kind, yet audible from a few meters away. Ubel slightly tilted his head to look at Heshang, confused. But Heshang snapped for a second time, this time fainter than before. Muqin couldn¡¯t hear it clearly as well, she only saw the motion, but it should have been obvious to Ubel with how close he was.


    He didn¡¯t react a second time.


    Heshang snapped for the third time, this time the sound effect between them both, and the face of a fish caught in a net came before Ubel¡¯s own. His brows furrowed, and his mouth opened to say something. Yet, all came out was a sigh.


    ¡®¡¯How did you rupture your ear?¡¯¡¯ Heshang asked and put his hand on Ubel¡¯s shoulder again. With a push, the boy¡¯s feet sunk two centimeters into the earth, with his back alone straight. Meng Liu¡¯s faint silhouette faced their way at the same moment.


    ¡®¡¯With them?¡¯¡¯ He waved the pouch in front of Ubel.


    ¡®¡¯Let me check,¡¯¡¯ Muqin said and put her palm on Ubel¡¯s open neck before he uttered any words, then sent a pulse of Qi. Like a ripple, the rich wood and earth Qi surged in Ubel¡¯s broken meridians and his veins, then spread like a wave to the organs and limbs. The faint vibrations stopped right beside Ubel¡¯s left ear, left knee, right foot, and the upper-left of his torso. Then, as if they revitalized, the ripples resurfaced again with harsher vibrations, surging back to their origin like a tidal wave.


    It all happened at a moment¡¯s notice, even before Ubel replied and Heshang berated, and once the feedback reached her mind Muqin¡¯s face darkened.


    ¡®¡¯What were you doing, Ubel?¡¯¡¯ She questioned. ¡®¡¯An almost sprained ankle and a knee, a cracked torso, and a ruptured ear. What caused it?¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯My cultivation went err,¡¯¡¯ Ubel said, ¡®¡¯That¡¯s all. They aren¡¯t anything serious.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯They all will heal in a few weeks at most-¡¯¡¯ Heshang added, ¡®¡¯But that doesn¡¯t change what you did.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Just a slightly-below average mistake I made,¡¯¡¯ Ubel said, ¡®¡¯Please don¡¯t ask further.¡¯¡¯


    Muqin lowered her frowning brows. Heshang seemed like he wanted to press further, but Muqin waved her hand at him.


    ¡®¡¯Let him be. Let¡¯s not be ungrateful. He has done it for Ren¡¯er, after all.¡¯¡¯


    Heshang cast her an unwilling glance, then lowered his hand. Ubel took a step back to get out of the small pit, where now stood the hard engravings of her footprints, and clasped his hands at both. They stood silent for a moment, then Muqin urged him to sit down.


    ¡®¡¯Let me take care of them, at least.¡¯¡¯


    Ubel nodded and sat cross-legged, Muqin moved behind him and waved her hand in the air. Streaks of green and brown Qi gathered between her open palms, and as they condensed into the shapes of thin lines she sent them forth.


    One snuck in Ubel¡¯s left ear with a hush, one passed through his skin to mend his torso, and the other two went to his lower body to stick onto the right ankle and the left knee. The injured parts of Ubel gave the glow of a pure jade, then with another wave from Muqin they condensed into corporeal marks around the wounds.


    ¡®¡¯Your torso and ear should take around three or four days,¡¯¡¯ She explained as Ubel stood up and clasped his hands again. ¡®¡¯Don¡¯t let water or anything alike get in your ear, and don¡¯t force your torso much.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯I¡¯ll do, thank you.¡¯¡¯ Ubel nodded.


    ¡®¡¯...when will you depart?¡¯¡¯ Ubel asked after a moment of silence. Heshang also looked around, confused, before he replied.


    ¡®¡¯Once Hong Seng is done, but it doesn¡¯t seem like he is...I¡¯ll go fetch him up.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Let him be as well,¡¯¡¯ Muqin stopped him. ¡®¡¯It won¡¯t bother Hao Tou if we are delayed by a few hours.¡¯¡¯


    Heshang pursed his lips and went back to the staircase to lay on the cold stones.


    ¡®¡¯By the way, I can¡¯t seem to smell the scent of the flowers. You¡¯ve gathered them already?¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Oh, actually...¡¯¡¯


    *********


    Huiqing looked at Ubel¡¯s smiling figure, bidding farewell to the believers with her third eye. As they exchanged words and hugs, she closed her third eye and turned her attention back to the foxes in front of her.


    They were busy lazing around as always, sleeping next to the empty fireplace while tangling their tails together. Either it was the slight breeze seeping inside, or her piercing gaze, she saw them shudder for a moment before turning to look at her.


    ¡®¡¯Are you sure about it?¡¯¡¯


    What replied wasn¡¯t a calm gaze, but a thick voice akin to the sound of a cracking boulder.


    ¡®¡¯I want them...to grow like...him...¡¯¡¯ Replied wily fox and rubbed his nose against his wife.


    ¡®¡¯Ancestor...wants...it too...they are the...last...¡¯¡¯ His wife replied, while her voice was no different from his, and next they spoke together.


    ¡®¡¯Holy Desert...Sheng...our home...¡¯¡¯


    Huiqing nodded at them and turned her attention back to the departing group of believers. Other than Erhuli, the middle sister, all three decided to escort the group to the border of the forest. Haoren rode on Sihuli- a gesture never seen by the most junior of the children- while others walked off in silence.


    Ubel and Erhuli didn¡¯t make any noise for a few seconds, Ubel sighed. Patting upset Erhuli¡¯s head, he started walking back to the home.


    It should take an hour for them to leave the forest- it is more than enough.


    Ascertaining the situation, Huiqing spread her mind over the whole forest- and every leaf and branch shook with a chilling hurricane.


    Among the group of believers, Meng Liu¡¯s eyes widened for a second as he took a look behind him, muttering to himself some words.


    Near the Pierced Mountains, next to a pathway leading first to Ussriver then to Road Boty, Hao Tou felt the ground rumble for a moment, even the barren rocks around him. He gazed at the faint forest of Orabura with a glint.


    Ubel and Erhuli were walking with weary steps when Erhuli stopped for a second in confusion. She let out a slight growl.


    Embodiment was plowing the garden of the hut when the outline of his eyes rose in a frown- he knew this creepy sensation very well.


    He threw the hoe in his hands to the ground and rushed into the house, rounding the garden and barreling through the door to see Huiqing speaking to the air while smiling.


    ¡®¡¯Feza, release the beast!¡¯¡¯

 57- Conflicts May Rise Out Of Nowhere, But Your Heart Will Have To Be The Same (4)

    Had it been forty minutes? Fifty?


    They had been walking all the way through the edge of the forest, through the all-year lush trees and vibrant leaves, yet they couldn¡¯t reach near the home yet. Erhuli¡¯s growls were growing stronger by time, and her eyes sparkled- with something Ubel felt he was quite familiar.


    Bloodlust.


    There had to be something wrong, he realized. He did a few minutes ago, yet the path continued.


    They went on and on and on and on- and just as they rounded another patch of long grasses and oak trees, he saw footprints. Not large, with a slight dent at the heel- the same pattern as his wooden sandals.


    What are they doing now? First The Raven came to his mind, then his grandmother. They were the only people that could cause any anomaly, and the moment of the believers¡¯ departure aligned perfectly with the abnormal situation.


    What are they intending to do?


    Not something ordinary. Ubel cast his brows into a frown of bronze- steely.


    Premonitions were not his thing, neither intuition. He faced too few dangers, and those few were always presented to him beforehand. All he felt before them could be attributed to restlessness or anxiety, yet this blooming sense of heaviness in his heart definitely proved an unknown. Or known, now that he had a clue.


    ¡®¡¯Erhuli, come here-¡¯¡¯ Ubel reached out with his hands.


    ¡®¡¯GRRRRRRRRRR!¡¯¡¯


    Erhuli suddenly opened her maws wide and chomped down with her glinting fangs- a fountain of blood erupted. Ubel¡¯s eyes widened and his steely gaze curved into one of astonishment, then the pain rushed in.


    ¡®¡¯HAGH!!-¡¯¡¯ As if his hand was melting under the crimson liquid, Ubel let out a sharp hiss- he exhaled a patch of white mist through the gaps of his half-yellow teeth. As the nerves of his body responded with an automated response, his hand rose to slap the fox down from his arm.


    But he stopped himself right before it fell. ''''GRR! GRAAA!¡¯¡¯


    Erhuli let out a howl and started mauling Ubel¡¯s hand around, Ubel staggered a few steps back from the sheer force. These children, these little foxes were far stronger than they looked. The grip power of the jaw didn¡¯t let him even move his fingers, and the fangs dug deeper into the torn flesh- cutting left and right in the wound.


    ¡®¡¯Girl! Calm down, Erhuli!¡¯¡¯ Ubel managed to let out a shout and grasped Erhuli¡¯s soft head. Her ears perked up in hostility, and her eyes sparkled with bloodlust again.


    In the meantime Ubel gripped Erhuli¡¯s head, a deep rumble boomed under them and rushed outside. Ubel snuck a glance at his feet, to the patch of brown earth under green grass, cracked like a spider web and spreading further, and in a moment¡¯s flash leaped to the side.


    The web-like crack was a mere appetizer it seemed, as the rumble exploded into a flurry of flung rocks and trees, with the piercing howls of a hurricane. Ubel covered his right ear with his empty hand, the sound itself almost ruptured his other ear. From his left ear trickled down droplets of blood and a few littered on Erhuli¡¯s nose.


    Her eyes opened wide, the slits turned into circles, and the glint in her eyes disappeared.


    ¡®¡¯Grrrrrrr!¡¯¡¯ She let go of the mangled hand in her jaw in a rush. Yet she chose the most unsuitable moment to free them both. The cracks and the splinters exploded a second time and the hurricane pulled her in, revolving her around in the air.


    ¡®¡¯Erhuli!¡¯¡¯ Ubel gnashed his teeth and opened his right palm wide, and his right ear came under the assault of the explosion sounds. Blood literally burst out of both his ears with a blast. The cracks, now a deep ravine as wide as a few meters- and as long as hundreds of meters- sneaked under his feet to swallow him in.


    But he stepped up.


    Qi turned into a corporeal mirror under his both feet, and they moved upwards to climb further. Ubel stepped forward once more, another crystalline Qi mirror came into being, yet right as he stepped on it to reach Erhuli a piece of boulder smashed against his feet. Against the devastating echoes of the hurricane and the extending ravine, the huge rock¡¯s noise was as silent as night- and with its benefit it crashed onto the mirror.


    The mirror shattered to pieces, Ubel¡¯s eyes widened again, his right feet descended the abysmal ravine. He fell headfirst for an instant- and his eyes caught the trace of a fiery-red at the bottom. No warmth rushed out, it didn¡¯t seem to be magma. But he didn¡¯t care, he couldn¡¯t care at the moment.


    His hands slapped against each other and boundless Qi rushed towards him- almost all of it was obstructed by the devastation around. But the tiny flicker of Qi was enough- it was more than enough!


    Ubel thought of the Lord Of Yadratafos- he thought of his evading technique ever since he trained under Heshang. So he had a solid image in his mind, and his body was already accustomed to the execution of it.


    Qi gathered under his descending right foot, and his stable left foot, and in an instant burst off!


    He flew- he blasted into the sky with a sea of blue Qi exploding under his feet. His speed was several times higher than his full-sprint, and the sheer momentum of the explosion sent him right through the crazy howling whirlwinds and flying rubble.


    Yet it was a short-bump, a one time strike with limited steam. The wind slowed him down, the rubble smashed on his body, and just as he could touch the whimpering Erhuli¡¯s body he started falling down.


    Ubel felt his hearing go down again- if this continued he would suffer a permanent hearing loss, or even deafness. But he had to take that child out of there!


    Gritting his teeth, he gathered monstrous amounts of Qi again, all rushing to round his feet and hands. They coagulated into circles of runes and glowed like moonlight- it was Lunar Qi from the Body Enchanting.


    Ubel felt his physique turn slightly more resilient while he fell a few meters to the ground, now right beside the mouth of the canyon tens of meters wide, and let the runes burst off with a blinding radiance.


    Right before he launched up, the heels and ankles of his feet broke into smithereens. Pain gushed in, his face turned into the shade of crimson, and his blood of the same color seeped out of his nose and mouth.


    But he blasted through anyway. His enchanted body crushed the rubble into dust, his head smashed the trees into splinters, and his wide-open palm grasped the teary Erhuli¡¯s right front paw. That made him hold on, and he kept going.


    The momentum was greater than what he anticipated, however, and Ubel kept flying through the air. Now dozens of meters high in the air, his bloodshot eyes managed to see what was happening.


    The whole forest was tilting!


    It was turning into a slope, and at the far back he saw nine mountain peaks with holes, swirling in the air.


    They were the Pierced Mountains!


    They were the tails of a massive beast!


    Where he was standing on was not a forest, but the back of that humongous monster!Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation.


    The wind scratched their cheeks and furs, but Ubel didn¡¯t lose his focus. He saw Erhuli¡¯s eyes shine with terror, her foxy ears fell in defeat, and her tail started moving in sync with the mountains from afar. Suddenly, a name came to his head. One also associated with Osbour, The Mountain Devourer, and Tulpar, The Beast God.


    Tian Hui, Heavenly Fox Of Destruction.


    ¡®¡¯...YOUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU!¡¯¡¯


    He knew whose work this was, he instantly pinpointed what was happening. He didn¡¯t care whether the assumptions were right or not- it was definitely related to her, and the thought of what could have happened to his father¡¯s grave now made him mad.


    Ubel¡¯s eyes started spewing blood from the air pressure, his ears had only a semblance of their ability to hear now, and his feet could no longer move. But he still had his hands, and his Qi.


    That was enough!


    Qi rushed to his hands, traveled through the air like a surging river and a mighty sea tide. They brushed past all obstacles, even the air currents and howling winds, and coagulated into a humongous claw rivaling his size. A swipe of his hand was enough for the steely tips to pierce through the solid earth and stabilize their position.


    Even then, the earth and the forest continued to rise into a slope, going upwards and rising higher and higher. Chunks of stone, branches, wild animals; deer, reindeer, wild boars, wolves, and massive trunks all rolled down towards them.


    Ubel created a swirling sphere of Versatile Barrier around Erhuli and swirled in the air to gain a footing. Amidst the sharp screams of the animals and the screeching ravens, the howling wind tried to push him back into the deep canyon. It now spread over half of the forest, and continued to rush through the land in an attempt to break it down into complete dust.


    From the faint mountain peaks afar, the colossal red fur of a tail could be seen thrashing around.


    Ubel¡¯s broken feet finally touched a flying platform of boulder, so he let go of the claw¡¯s grip. Hurricanes whistled and struck his chest and face, they were no longer pure bloodshot. It was just blood seeping out, yet the picture of a broken grave and a weeping fox kept him going.


    His foot slipped, but his claw struck again. The nails pushed deep into the earth, and with a lung from his arm Ubel propelled himself and Erhuli higher into the air. Then again, and again, and again...


    In a few dozen seconds, he evaded hundreds of splinters and rubble while climbing the spiraling back of the Tian Hui. They exploded with deafening sounds at every second, it was akin to a battlefield.


    ¡®¡¯HAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!¡¯¡¯


    One last momentum sent him away from the stream feeding their garden to the hill near it, now with almost half of it broken. Ubel¡¯s heart burst into a thousand pieces at the single instant, his hands reached out for the last ray of hope, and his eyes flashed a glare so terrifying it would freeze the souls of any immortal.


    The Gaze Of Terror.


    But it didn¡¯t amount to anything.


    A huge boulder rolled down, its size at least a quarter of the small hill itself, and smashed right onto the other face of it. It exploded into pieces of dust and sharp rocks, the hill burst into tens of different pieces, from within Ubel saw incense sticks snapping in half.


    And a tombstone shattering.


    The character Ke¡¯ai flew beside his face, right before his eyes, but Ubel¡¯s trembling gaze was on something else. He looked at the broken remains of the huge tomb, he watched them rain onto him and the deep canyon trying to swallow him, and he saw the corpse of his father with nothing below his head.


    A single head, an expression of pure hatred, of desolation, of unwillingness.


    ¡®¡¯YOU! YOU! YOU! YOU!-¡¯¡¯


    Would Ubel care if he could hear his own voice? He wouldn¡¯t. If it wasn¡¯t for his almost deafened ears, he would even have shattered his vocal cords in wrath. He would have torn his toes and nails, as long as he could reach next to that old woman standing in the air with an upset gaze. Why?


    Because he was a dragon with a reverse scale. And that woman didn¡¯t just touch it. She dug out the reverse scale, then stabbed his heart through there.


    ¡®¡¯Ubel!¡¯¡¯ She shouted, ¡®¡¯Son, I am sorry for this all!¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯I am sorry for lying to you,¡¯¡¯ Tears gathered at the corner of her eyes and splattered down. Few, in pure coincidence, even dropped on Ubel¡¯s lips. ¡®¡¯I¡¯m sorry for leaving you.¡¯¡¯ Though she didn¡¯t seem to use much effort, her voice still resounded in Ubel¡¯s ears.


    ¡®¡¯But be strong! You have a fate none have ever seen, and you need to grow! You need to be strong! So that you can save us, your mother, your world!¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯You need to know it, SON!¡¯¡¯


    Ubel no longer cared at this point. The humongous claws of Qi dissipated into nothingness and he lost the sole thing keeping him stable. He started falling down, dropping to the huge, dark canyon under him. Yet his frozen eyes gazed into the woman¡¯s, into her supposed grandmother¡¯s teary eyes.


    ¡®¡¯Don¡¯t forget! Conflicts may rise out of nowhere, but your heart will have to be the same!¡¯¡¯


    Ubel spat in the air. He hated the taste of those teardrops on his lips, but more so the sight in front of him.


    His legs buckled, he curled up into a half ball, his lips quivered. Then he roared akin to an ancient beast.


    ¡®¡¯FUCK YOUR HEART!¡¯¡¯


    He waved his left hand with devastating force and sent Erhuli flying through the air, still covered in the barrier. The Versatile Barrier suddenly sprouted spikes tens of meters long and revolved, tearing apart every obstacle in Erhuli¡¯s way.


    She found herself right in front of Ke¡¯ai Huiqing.


    ¡®¡¯YOU DEFILE MY FATHER¡¯S GRAVE, YOU DISTURB MY FATHER¡¯S ETERNAL REST, AND NOW YOU PREACH!?¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯YOU DARE PREACH!?!?!?!??!?!?!¡¯¡¯


    The Versatile Barrier exploded right in front of her face with a ring of crystalline shockwave.


    Erhuli flew out of the meeting point with a smaller barrier around her, safe and sound, while the heavens and earth rocked with another explosion. This time a ring of dust and clouds spread from Huiqing¡¯s flying point, then followed by a beam of crystal blue light.


    Now both his hands free, Ubel created two corporeal claws and clawed his way to the top!


    He smashed the terrain, he dug out the earth, and he stepped on the flying pillars of stone! He was like a monkey king in its own jungle, he knew no bounds when it came to pushing forward!


    ¡®¡¯DON¡¯T CALL ME SON!¡¯¡¯


    A sigh echoed in the air.


    The humongous ring of dust around Huiqing cleared up in the blink of an eye and she stepped out. There were still tears, and even her lips quivered.


    ¡®¡¯...you¡¯ll know it, soon enough...¡¯¡¯ Huiqing bit her dry lips and shook her frail arms. They seemed heavier than mountains to shake. Erhuli, and around her Ubel¡¯s Versatile Barrier, appeared in Huiqing¡¯s palm.


    Ubel continued to push forward, but he was restless. He couldn¡¯t get near her no matter what. There were too many obstacles, even if he smashed through them, and he couldn¡¯t reach her in the air. His legs were...a fierce glint passed through his bloodshot eyes.


    Runes made of Lunar Qi spread under his feet and arms again, this time numbering in dozens. They circled around him and gave the glow of a majestic Moon- then exploded!


    A mist of silver burst under his torso and sent him hurling forward, pushing him higher and higher in the air.


    Now he had the chance to touch her neck!


    ¡®¡¯...so take care.¡¯¡¯ Huiqing finished her sentence at last. Ubel was now a few meters away from her, and his claws could very well tear apart her whole body. But she didn¡¯t change her expression.


    Instead, her fingers turned into claws imbued with Qi, a dazzling emerald of Wood Qi, and enclosed around Erhuli¡¯s Versatile Barrier. She let out a whimper and growled at Huiqing, but nothing happened to her inside.


    Yet, Ubel saw the changes instantly.


    The barrier enlarged. Not two times, not five times, nor ten times.


    A hundred times!


    It turned into a swirling, emerald barrier hundreds of meters in diameter!


    And in the same instant it grew up in size, he was already smashed under its surface. Ubel¡¯s cheeks swelled, his nose broke down, tears appeared on his already wounded chest, and his finger bones cracked.


    ¡®¡¯YOGUGOGGGOGOGGOGO...¡¯¡¯


    Under the barrier, he was mauled and thrown off kilometers away. The sheer speed crushed his remaining bones, half of his left ear fell off in a spurt of blood, whatever liquid left on his body blasted out of his pores.


    Ubel caught the glimpse of the Seal Of Evil on his neck glowing, and the sea under him brewing with waves. The red glow sucked all the blood outside of him into it and thrashed around his neck to gather more, but it couldn¡¯t escape from the rope tied around him.


    Then he saw a monstrous shadow approaching from afar, hundreds of meters tall, clad in nine-colored flames. At its exact opposite was a Heavenly Fox with blazing flames and mountain-like tails, empty patches of rings on each.


    His gaze, however, pierced through them all and focused on one woman. He could still see her, yet couldn¡¯t even discern the shape of trees or the monsters¡¯ themselves.


    She looked on with pity for a long, long time. Her eyes closed, at last, and her attention turned back to the shadow clad in nine-colored flames.


    The barrier disappeared at the same time, the Seal Of Evil spread its red glow around him to absorb all blood.


    Just as Ubel felt his eyelids grow heavy, he felt a strange force invade his body. It tampered with his body and gave off a soft warmth that healed each injury to some extent.


    But that warmth set off his heart on fire, his heart blazed.


    And it was the sole color of wrath.

 58- A Talk Under The Stars

    What is that sound...it is like a running water?


    Ubel blinked and looked down.


    There was a small stream of transparent water trying to push through a mound of dirt. There were marks of a claw on it, and the scraped parts were already painted dark brown by the water separating into two lines that died not far from the source. Though it was milder than the days before, the little stream sounded quite loud today.


    Ubel raised his fingers and tapped on his earlaps twice; the buzzing and swirling sounds dimmed.


    I should clear it out- Ubel nodded to himself and crouched near the dirt pile. He waved his hands over the hill and sent it tumbling over to the side, letting the water rush through the fresh opening with vigor. Just as the stream pushed out towards the small garden at his back, Ubel heard the buzzing get louder again. This time with pain.


    His index fingers slightly dug into the ears, sealed their entrance. In the same instant, the ringing vanished. In its place was now the gurgling of his own blood- quite a soothing source.


    With his fingers in his ears, Ubel stood up and watched the nature¡¯s mother leak into the garden of yet-to-bloom crops. Though there wasn¡¯t much left to their awakening, and to the chance of Ubel and his family eating some hand-grown fruits and vegetables.


    Once he made sure everything was in order, Ubel walked past the series of vibrant oaks and maple trees across the garden, rounding the boulders half-mined by his father, and came before their door. Years of use had worn down the exterior, now half a pinky¡¯s size splinters threatened to stick out of the main body. Ubel pushed his hands on one and slid his palm down the surface to straighten the splinters.


    Ouch-


    One prickled his open hand, he felt it pierce and burn, and so he raised his arm again- the other one still in his left ear.


    A droplet of blood coagulated on top of his ring finger¡¯s tip, right next to his chipped nails. Ubel inspected it for a second to see, yet as the pain subsidized he felt no more need to focus on that. He swept his finger across his leather robe, the blood smeared on the robe¡¯s upper-right leather, and no more blood seeped out of his finger.


    He pushed open the door with the same hand and stepped in after its squeal. His footsteps rang in the ears of a certain duo, and one called out to him.


    ¡®¡¯Ubel, are you finished?¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Yes, grandma,¡¯¡¯ Ubel replied across the small corridor between bedroom and kitchen, in the meanwhile walking towards the source. ¡®¡¯I¡¯ve cleaned the garden.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Good,¡¯¡¯ a thicker, and perhaps jovial, voice commented. Ubel¡¯s steps suddenly came to a halt right before the entrance of the room. He had an instant hunch in his heart, one that smashed even the veins connecting the heart. But it disappeared as fast as it came, in an instant.


    Ubel stepped forward and entered the now slightly empty room...


    Wasn¡¯t it always like this, though?


    Ubel¡¯s foot ceased its descent mid-air, for his eyes swept the room that he was most familiar with.


    There was an elderly woman leaning on a rocking chair, swaying back and forth, and patting something in her hands.


    ¡®¡¯Have you seen the fox?¡¯¡¯ The thick voice asked, and Ubel¡¯s gaze fell from the elderly woman¡¯s face to the head in her hands.


    The whole world froze.


    *********


    The sound seemed quite louder than before, Ubel realized.


    Even with the prey in his sight, and his bow drawn full in an arc, he couldn¡¯t get himself together. The gazelle, on the other hand, didn¡¯t carry the same set of troubles as him. It licked out blurbs of gurgling water to taste and drink, unbeknownst to it the death awaited.


    A buzz, a gurgle, a fierce storm? How could he describe this sound the best?


    He never heard anything like it before- though one couldn¡¯t say he heard too many things. Chirpings of the birds, the cries of the eagles, the roars of the boars, whimpers of the deers, howling of the wind, doting of the soft breeze, cackling of the fire, squealing of the door, squeaking of the floor, tapping of the rain...


    Now that he listed, there were many indeed.


    Just as he was deep in thought, the gazelle had finished its short period of rest and trod to the other side of the forest- away from Ubel. Now Ubel added to the list of sounds the hard stomp of the gazelle, but he had no idea of what to do now.


    Should he go back? They had meals for today, and tomorrow as well. Keeping them fresh took a lot of salt though and mining salt was a dangerous deed. His father already took out at least a few meters down in the past, leaving the salt well in its current state of pseudo-depletion. Unless he created a new well to mine from, and that was also an affair harder than it sounded, it would take quite an effort to replenish their salt reserves.


    So he should chase the animal down? If it was before, he could. But the gazelle rested, drank quite an exorbitant amount of water to lower its body heat and quench its thirst. Yet, right after it again warmed up its limbs to take caution. Gazelle continued drawing farther from him- thus, in such a state, only the light knew whether he could catch it before the night fell.


    In the end, he chose to go back. Prey was numerous and centuries alone couldn¡¯t end the wild life here. If he wasn¡¯t truly unlucky, Ubel would definitely get a deer or a boar tomorrow to home.


    But not today. Picking berries and clutching wild fruits were all he did today.


    Now that the sun almost set and dyed itself the color of a fox-fur, Ubel decided it was enough exploring for now. He gathered the few pellets of berries and a dozen of pears into a leather pouch tied with an itchy rope. It slung on his shoulders and swayed back and right with his every step towards his home.


    The sound in his ears, however, became much unbearable when the night approached. It turned from a faint buzzing to an outright, shrill scream. Not the kind an iron plate did, nor the last whimpers of a dying animal.


    It was like being dragged in the sea at extraordinary speeds.


    ...what kind of sound is that?


    Ubel shook his head and bit his lower lip whilst approaching home. At the half-open door step stood half the body of a man, with the lower parts completely missing.


    Intriguing, however, was the lack of any treatment or blood near the bottom belly. It was a flat, stone like surface and above the flesh. The half-a-body looked at him, Ubel, with relaxed brows and a wide, warm smile.


    Ubel¡¯s feet stopped mid-air, again.


    The whole world froze.


    *********


    In the eyes of a small and crunchy cicada reflected was the gleam of the moon- full moon. The round, silver bead hung in the sky implored with its soft light to cicada, to get it chirp and hoot with others of its kind and owls. An orchestra of nature, the moon seemed to explain, that it had to join before some danger befell.You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.


    But a cicada was no creature with will, sentience; it was just a small insect born to be two things, a song and a food. It couldn¡¯t understand why the grand celestial star wished for it to enjoy the former without encountering the fate of the latter. That was what people called instinct- and yet, even with that, cicada was foolish enough to laze around before acting.


    It stuck on the thick bark of a tree not far from the garden, meshed together with the darker shade of the bark under the black of the night, and chirped. Once, twice, thrice...its wings fluttered, making the sound it was destined for so long.


    Yet mantis had come already.


    A lush monstrosity with four legs and two arms like blades; with a pair of sharp dots to act as its vision. It slid down the bark of the tree, silent, and came behind the cicada living the moment. Its blade like arms rose, then befell- the chirping halted.


    Like a tidal wave starting with the faint ripple, the faint sounds in the forest disappeared one by one, then ten by ten, then a hundred by hundred. A raven let out a long, piercing cry at the absence of the cicadas¡¯ voices, followed by the supporting hoots of the owls stalking in the branches.


    Cicadas returned to their song at the order and continued...


    Ubel watched it all with mild interest, sitting beside the door with his arms wrapped around his knees, and his back leaned on the wooden beams of the house.


    Then midnight¡¯s refreshing breeze had not much effect on lightening his mood, nor did the tragic end of the cicada. His limbs refused to move, even, in restlessness as he awaited the man of the night.


    The door creaked at the same moment; it slightly propped towards the outside. Then a head peeked out, eyes locked on him with curiosity.


    ¡®¡¯...may I come?¡¯¡¯ He asked to Ubel, his body cloaked behind the door.


    ¡®¡¯Yes.¡¯¡¯ Ubel nodded, so the man pushed the door open. With a faint squeak he stepped outside, not with his head or with half a body- but with a fully operating, well-trained body without any disabilities.


    The man pushed the door behind him to close it. The door shut with first a squeal, then a thud, and the man took two steps to the side of Ubel. Ubel was three steps away from him, crouching and leaning to the house, while the man stood upright and gave his back to the house to cross his arms.


    Ubel snuck a peek at his feet; he realized there really were no more deficiencies. So he gulped and gazed down at the mantis munching on the cicada- as he didn¡¯t know what even to say.


    ¡®¡¯Owls are plenty tonight-¡¯¡¯ The man said, ¡®¡¯And cicadas too.¡¯¡¯


    Ubel didn¡¯t reply, but his ears perked up a little.


    ¡®¡¯And the moon is...haah,¡¯¡¯ As the man continued, his words came to an abrupt halt, then escaped a heavy sigh. His lips trembled for a moment to tell something else, it seemed, but gave in in the end.


    ¡®¡¯You¡¯ve grown,¡¯¡¯ He said, ¡®¡¯And I don¡¯t know what to talk to my son anymore...¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Why?¡¯¡¯ Ubel asked. ¡®¡¯I am still your son.¡¯¡¯


    This time, it was his father¡¯s turn to stay silent. His long nose, however, had a shade of crimson near the nostrils.


    ¡®¡¯Won¡¯t you ask what I did after you left?¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯...do you...want me to...?¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯...I do,¡¯¡¯ Ubel said, his hands wrapped around his knees a tad bit tighter. ¡®¡¯I really do.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯...How did it go? The sect, the world? The cultivation?¡¯¡¯


    Ubel¡¯s answer came not much later, yet with a break to process his words.


    ¡®¡¯It was...interesting. I didn¡¯t have much hope or dreams about them, I was still thinking of coming back to take care of her, if she ever survived at all...¡¯¡¯ He couldn¡¯t go farther than a few words before his voice turned into a whisper.


    ¡®¡¯But I met misfortune, and had bad dreams, and there were things I don¡¯t know why even happened...¡¯¡¯ Ubel continued. ¡®¡¯Still, I kept going. I had some worries, and I learned of some secrets that I probably shouldn¡¯t be aware. Even now, I¡¯m not sure if they are real or not...¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯It didn¡¯t last long. Two and a half years at most. I almost died at the border city, my meridians were wrecked when I was healed. I lost my cultivation there, in Yadratafos.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Then you are here?¡¯¡¯ Ke¡¯ai Zhanglao said. ¡®¡¯What happened in between?¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯I...gained some friends. I also gained a master, Quan Bing Yingxiong is his name. And some closer than a friend, who saved my life. But I¡¯m unsure...¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Does that person not feel the same for you?¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯I have gratitude for him, and he is like a half-brother in my heart. But it is in my heart...and I don¡¯t know if he did the same. It doesn¡¯t matter anymore, he left for a battle of the utmost rate of mortality.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯You might meet or you might not, son,¡¯¡¯ Zhanglao crouched down near Ubel. His hand reached out to Ubel¡¯s head; his fingers traveled between tendrils of short hair. ¡®¡¯But does it really not matter? A bond is as strong as the string tied to it, as well as the end it is anchored; Like a bow. Think about who he is, who you are, and what made your bond in the first place.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯That might tell you what you want to know.¡¯¡¯


    Ubel raised his head to look at the beaming Zhanglao. How much had he longed to see this delighted man again? How long had he imagined gazing on this soothing, warm smile while sweeping that hard, cold tomb? Only he knew. So he nodded and gazed up, further than his father¡¯s face, to the twinkling sea of milky stars above.


    ¡®¡¯Say, father,¡¯¡¯ Ubel asked suddenly. ¡®¡¯Why can I not keep onto my aims?¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Because you are impatient, weak-willed, easy to mislead,¡¯¡¯ Zhanglao started listing off, ¡®¡¯passive in action, not willing to open your heart to anyone, mistrusting before a threshold...and liar.¡¯¡¯


    Ubel let out a slight chuckle at this and he looked at his father; They both gazed upon the floating galaxies outside the world.


    ¡®¡¯Your resolutions are empty because you don¡¯t seek them,¡¯¡¯ Zhanglao stopped crouching and outright sat on the ground, crossing his legs to relax. Ubel released his arms around his knees.


    ¡®¡¯We had a saying in my home: Heart is softer than sand, hotter than the Sun. Do you know what it means?¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯It can be swept away, or it can be divided, but sand can¡¯t be crushed. Heart can be mild, it can be cold, but in the end everyone has that spark of emotion in their hearts. That is passion, and is a virtue. And virtue is what makes someone a person.¡¯¡¯


    Zhanglao slightly furrowed his brows. ¡®¡¯Your master¡¯s words?¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯His words,¡¯¡¯ Ubel nodded with a grin.


    ¡®¡¯Answer with your own,¡¯¡¯ Zhanglao said, ¡®¡¯Or I will have to add thief to your flaws as well.¡¯¡¯


    As they fell silent, their eyes were still on the sky, inspecting the field of stars inching closer with each second.


    ¡®¡¯Am I...heartless, then?¡¯¡¯ Ubel asked.


    ¡®¡¯No, it is this, Ubel, that is heartless.¡¯¡¯ With his hand, Zhanglao plucked the necklace hidden inside Ubel¡¯s robes and tore it from the ropes- the ropes that couldn¡¯t be cut by the spears of the forsakens.


    ¡®¡¯It is this...?¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Ubel is the one without mercy, without wisdom, without will, without patience,¡¯¡¯ Zhanglao clenched his fist and boundless crimson light seeped out of the black stone. The word Evil turned ethereal and passed through Zhanglao¡¯s hands to float in front of them.


    ¡®¡¯You aren¡¯t evil, and you aren¡¯t Ubel.¡¯¡¯


    As he spoke, the Evil morphed into a distorted shape and lost all its luster; with a bang, it turned into a single word.


    Ubel


    ¡®¡¯You are Xie¡¯e, you are my son. Not the embodiment of Death or Evil, but an idea.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯We gave you this name because of the supposed destiny...of our people,¡¯¡¯ Zhanglao stopped for a moment and fondled Ube- Xie¡¯e¡¯s hair. ¡®¡¯It is not in our blood to be bad, nor in your mother¡¯s fate to be wicked. It is all an idea, and you are our hope for that to stay the same.¡¯¡¯


    The stars in the air gleamed through their eyes; now inches apart from them.


    ¡®¡¯Xie¡¯e...¡¯¡¯ Xie¡¯e lowered his head and gazed into his father¡¯s eyes.


    ¡®¡¯What should Xie¡¯e do, then, father?¡¯¡¯


    Zhanglao raised a brow at him and let out a small sigh.


    ¡®¡¯You still ask, son?¡¯¡¯


    Zhanglao grasped his son from both shoulders and pulled him into his embrace, sniffing his hair. The scarlet around his nose now gathered under his eyes and on his cheeks.


    ¡®¡¯You get to find your dream again, spoiled boy.¡¯¡¯


    Xie''e let out a laughter at the nickname. The stars from the sky were now right above them, at most a few millimeters away. The moment they touched, Xie''e knew this would all disappear.


    ¡®¡¯Say, father,¡¯¡¯ Xie''e asked before the light enveloped them, ¡®¡¯Is it you, is it grandma, or is it...myself?¡¯¡¯


    His father beamed and clutched him tighter; a drop of tear fell on Xie''e¡¯s face.


    ¡®¡¯It is me...¡¯¡¯


    The sea of stars descended on them and they disappeared within.


    *********


    ¡®¡¯Thank you, mother.¡¯¡¯


    Ke¡¯ai Huiqing cast a long glance on her palm, to the head now turning into dust. The faint glow of stars around it glimmered for once, then dimmed; the twisted expression on the face turned into a tranquil smile. A second later a wind picked up and took her son''s last part from her, and a strand of her white hair.


    Huiqing sniffed with her red nose a few times; to keep her tears and calm herself down.


    She waved her sleeve and the Tian Hui below her let out a sorrowful cry. With a step, they both disappeared in the direction of the extreme north.


    Behind them, left to drift in the ocean, was the giant corpse of a Rainbow Phantom.

 59- Not Afraid Of The Future

    Xie¡¯e opened his eyes inside a moist space; one he identified with the slightly wet surface he laid. Inside was dark, His feet were cold. And they were also in a calm body of water that kept receding and advancing- caused by his own motion rather than a natural tide or the moon¡¯s gravitational force.


    The blue of his own eyes reflected his dark brown torso, barren of cloth and bereft of blood, but with wounds of cuts and bruises all over its skin. He wondered for a second who he was, where he was, what happened to him, and why he was like this. He moved to stand up, the faint trembling of his calves and the not-so-staunch back signaled the start of his rise.


    Then he fell back with a groan to the ground. His back smashed with a force not so significant and a small patch of dust rose into the air. The pain of a stiff back wasn''t a stranger to him, now that he remembered who he was, what happened, and why he was like this, but it being this severe in magnitude proved a new shock.


    Gritting his teeth, Xie¡¯e took a series of deep breaths and pushed himself up again- this time with the support of his still functioning arms. The sting of his back appeared out of nowhere again; a sharp hiss escaped from his mouth and he managed to sit straight. Xie¡¯e exhaled through both his mouth and nostrils a foul breath and thought of the last image he saw.


    A sea of milky stars above, a forest of majestic trees and green at front, a house at the back, a father at the side; in his embrace.


    His heart trembled at the last memory. Between the warmth of the arms and the calm breathing above his head, the last words of that moment echoed in Xie¡¯e¡¯s ears.


    ¡®¡¯It is you...father?¡¯¡¯


    Xie¡¯e shook his head, and suffered from it as the pain lingered still behind his nape. But it reminded him: he was calm, perhaps too calm at his situation. Was it a magic of the Huiqing, or his talk with his father? Or neither?


    If it was the past, he would have let this thought, this question go. He didn¡¯t need to ponder on things he didn¡¯t have control of, or things that happened before- that was what he always felt. As far as he remembered, most of the time, he acted the same as his father exposed; passive in action. The decisions he took were, for the most part, forced by the situation, rather than him forcing the situation. He had a will, and he acted on his will, but if it wasn¡¯t for the immediate need of the events he took part, this will of his had no use.


    Still, bad habits were bad habits, even if they were caused by a seal the size of a pebble stone.


    Xie¡¯e reached to touch the rope on his neck- his hand contacted bare skin.


    ¡®¡¯...what?¡¯¡¯


    His head gazed down and Xie¡¯e found nothing but a bare chest riddled with wounds. Around his right chest was a patch of light brown skin, standing as an evident contrast to the rest of his body, and below it were the half-a-robe covering his waist, bottom, and legs.


    Where is it?


    Xie¡¯e pushed himself up to inspect his immediate surroundings; patches of dark gray cavestone drooled with droplets of water extended far into a winding hole at his back, and pressing on this road between it was a pond shaped like a coiled snake, reaching for its own tail. The intriguing layout wasn¡¯t the thing in Xie¡¯e¡¯s mind, though, but it awakened a scene from his talk with his father.


    He ripped off the ropes...did it fall then?


    Likely not- as the wounds he bore at the moment weren¡¯t present in that memory-like state. So it should have been around his neck; as it always were.


    As he pondered on it, Xie¡¯e gained his balance on his wobbling legs. It was tough to stand, for his ankles made it as sufferable as possible, and he couldn¡¯t get his back straight no matter how hard he tried; he could only keep himself on his feet with a hunched rear. And he realized, as his eyes focused on the droplets of water falling from the ceiling, his ears couldn¡¯t hear very well. Too much aftereffect...


    He took a step forward; his feet descended without much problem. Xie¡¯e sighed in relief and turned to look at the place he was in more carefully- to both learn where he was and to see if he could find the seal.


    The dark gray cavestone on the ground spread even into the ceiling, turning into a lighter shade as it approached the miniscule cracks covering its entirety. It was from these cracks that let go of water droplets and moisturized the land he stood upon, and probably created the pond around him. From how the walls curved into a half-sphere, it wasn¡¯t hard to guess that the elevation of the sides were much lower.


    Could it be in there? Xie¡¯e cast his eyes over his wet feet.


    ...I don¡¯t know how to swim...


    That was a fatal flaw in this case.


    Perhaps...He thought, and waved his arms in front of him. He felt the surrounding Qi flow towards him, yet it was slow. Too slow, and lacking in magnitude. After all gathered in front of his palms, it could only condense into a ball of Qi smaller than his fist.


    This can¡¯t even activate the pictogram spells...and the books.


    Xie¡¯e cast a desolate glance at the ball of Qi and he remembered his master¡¯s books, now-quite possibly- destroyed or left to float in the sea. And his father¡¯s grave, his house...


    ¡®¡¯Erhuli!¡¯¡¯ He suddenly shouted and looked around. Of course, the scenery didn¡¯t change. The cold and moist air was still there, as well as the unmoving pond.


    All left was the winding road leading to that dark hole.


    Xie¡¯e walked towards the road sloping up to the hole, he would have run if he could right now. Climbing the path became a bit arduous from the constant ache of his back, but without lasting long he reached in front of the gap.


    He snuck a peek inside and saw faint rays of light at the end. The end of the hole wasn¡¯t even that far, it would only take a few steps to get through; yet it didn¡¯t seem so from the bottom of the road. Xie¡¯e stepped inside and passed through the cramped walls, rubbing his half-healed wounds onto the wet surface a few times, and emerged into a magnificent cave with a spiraling opening.


    The ceiling had an artificial sun in the shape of a Versatile Barrier hundreds of meters diameter in width; it gave off a warm, golden glow that lighted up the humongous cave Xie¡¯e stepped in. The walls were unpolished and there were no traces of water. Though the distance was mere meters, the dispositional difference between the past room and here was a matter admirable on its own.


    But his eyes didn¡¯t widen for this sight; he had seen more formidable, more enticing, more amazing, more diverse sceneries than this- even if this was the first of its kind. His mouth gaped open and shouted ¡®¡¯Erhuli!¡¯¡¯ because this was the same Versatile Barrier he launched, and was sent back by Huiqing after a moment of enhancement.


    The beams of light weren¡¯t from the barrier itself, however, but from a cocoon at its center. The cocoon itself had a crunchy-looking texture, slightly transparent, and inside could be seen the shadow of a fox- with two tails, one of them at most twentieth of the other.


    Is she...evolving? It seemed so.


    Yet, from what Xie¡¯e knew only beasts at the three tribulations of the path establishing could go through an evolution- to increase their lifespan and prowess. He knew the wily fox was strong, and his wife stronger, but he also knew that their four children all had no cultivation- just a resilient body from birth. So resilient that their teeth could pierce through his skin impenetrable by pig iron swords.


    Constitution shouldn¡¯t affect it, though. That, however, he wasn¡¯t sure.


    Not many immortals involved themselves in the biology and anatomy of beasts, while those with medical expertise preferred to work on theory and practice on humans. Beasts¡¯ only value came from their body- the heart- and most of the time only those above the realm of Path Finding had any value. So it was no coincidence that a lack of knowledge existed in the immortal community about the out of norm reactions in the beasts to evolution, excluding those of higher realms of course.This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version.


    Quan was an Herb Sage, a medical profession out of practice for some decades but still respected, so he also had quite the knowledge about the subject. He, however, didn¡¯t include much in his notes other than the few known materials to make healing pills or semi-precious herbs. Xie¡¯e, as a result, also didn¡¯t know the reason behind the happening right now. Yet it didn¡¯t bother him; no matter what, an evolution was a good fortune in and out. Even if it came abruptly or without reason, it brought nothing but benefits to the beast itself.


    So he gazed inside the cocoon, to see two paws holding together a pebble stone. The color couldn¡¯t be distinguished, nor any characters on it, though a snapped rope was still dangling before the stone. Xie¡¯e sighed in relief and sat down right where he was. He leaned towards the mouth overlooking to the whole cave. The bright gold of the Versatile Barrier gleamed through his eyes and gave his pale face a new complexion.


    ¡®¡¯Now,¡¯¡¯ Xie¡¯e looked at his hands, then to the other opening at the end of the cave; Shaped like a gaping maw of a beast, the upper half of the jaw bared its green-ish stalactite towards him.


    ¡®¡¯What do I do?¡¯¡¯


    *********


    Haishen Haiyang stood upon the deck of a treasure ship- named Baochuan- and his gaze was upon the huge corpse twice the size of his ship floating in the now empty basin of Orabura.


    What a mess...


    Rather than a basin, he thought, it should be called an inland sea now; the water had flooded not only the old lands of the Orabura and the shattered Pierced Mountains, but also leaked through the Road Boty and created a stream of rivers going around Ushtepe- to the east of Okyanung and the South of K?ykan.


    There were many problems prodding from that; for first, there were severe financial losses throughout the Koyh, Kasbah, Denizage- and farming households across the Capital Road-, Rivrit, K?ykan, Ushtepe, and Pierslih. These places had a majority of the farmers, fishers- if there were any lake or river- laborers, miners, woodcutters, lumbers, hunters, and herbalists of the empire. The loss of a financial income, namely the trees and animals of the Orabura forest and the Blazing Diamonds at the foothills of the Pierced Mountains; as well as a large number of Salt, Iron, Coal, Yellow Powder Stone, White Powder, and Marble quarries and mines, would incur a huge ripple of unemployment throughout the Haishen and war ravaged Han Dynasty.


    For second: The extreme change of landscape would, unlike the magical desert of Shamo Khanates that wouldn¡¯t even be affected by the loss of a continent, have a huge impact on the climate itself. Whether it would boost the fish population or preclude a new habitat to form for the marine life wasn¡¯t clear for now. If it was the former, the severe loss of funds could be soothed a little, but if it was the latter then Haishen was bound to find itself in a weak position for a few years in the future.


    For third: The loss of the quarries and mines around the Pierced Mountains not only cut the available jobs for hundreds of thousands of people, it also severed the majority of the supply of Blazing Diamonds to the new-forged Steels Fleet. This obstructed the conquest of the western ocean and the Third Chain Islands belonging to the Third Sea Emperor. Though largely successful until today, now it remains a mystery whether they could take down the final defences of the Third Emperor and acquire the last four islands to complete the landbridge between the twenty-three islands.


    Perhaps, Haiyang thought, the only good thing was the opening of a possible trade route through the inland sea. By the momentum of the waves, it would take a few more weeks for the flooding to stop and recede.Thus, by the time it stopped, a huge sea covering the border of Shuangguang, Han, and Haishen was bound to appear. As the empire with marine superiority, no doubt they could gain a huge profit from the trade of Oceanic Goods.


    It is too little, thus the conquest must go on.


    Haiyang swept his long hair behind his ears and looked at the rest of the Baochuans encircling the large corpse. The decks of the twenty three ships overall had nine thousand sixty men- including the slaves, workers, soldiers, and sailors; and it equaled around four hundred men on each vessel.


    As the four of the ships remained behind to scout, the other nineteen readied their harpoon cannons to aim at the corpse. To carry the corpse back to Okyanung, they would have to tie it to the ships and pull through the Denizage¡¯s port and swim across Lont Sea for three weeks. Baochuans carried enough supply to preserve the men and Capital Steels were on their way to escort them throughout the journey, so it wouldn¡¯t take much trouble in the end.


    But a problem popped up right now.


    The harpoons couldn¡¯t pierce through the skin of the corpse.


    Haiyang narrowed his eyes and took a step in the air, appearing right above the hundreds of meters large body. The jewelled bracelets and piles of golden pendants tied to his neck clattered in the wind as he grasped one end of a harpoon and stabbed it through the feet of the corpse.


    The harpoon went in a few dozen centimeters with his power but suddenly, the sea trembled all around him. Haiyang took three steps in the air and disappeared, now reappearing in the sky to take a look at the corpse.


    The rainbow phantom¡¯s body rumbled, a streak of nine colored rainbow shot out of its mouth.


    Then its vertical eyes opened.


    *********


    Xie¡¯e stood before the crack presumably leading outside; there was a gust of hot current rushing towards him from the unseen exit. The golden glow at his back and the clattering debris of the gap in front, he took a step towards the darkness.


    ¡®¡¯Big brother, wait a minute!¡¯¡¯


    Xie¡¯e¡¯s foot froze in mid-air. His head tilted to the side, and eyes wide in surprise, he turned back to look at the Versatile Barrier.


    ¡®¡¯Erhuli?¡¯¡¯ He muttered.


    ¡®¡¯It is me, big brother! Don¡¯t you recognize me?¡¯¡¯


    How can I? Xie¡¯e shook his head and approached the center of the cave. ¡®¡¯Since when can you speak?¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯From birth? Are you not intelligent big brother?¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯I mean,¡¯¡¯ Xie¡¯e said, ¡®¡¯Like this, into my head, and with me understanding you.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯WAIT! You weren¡¯t understanding us!? My precious ancestors, big brother! But stop! This isn¡¯t the time!¡¯¡¯ Her voice gave clues about how she would very much like to berate him, however, the trace of weariness under that cuddly child¡¯s speech proved she couldn¡¯t keep on longer.


    ¡®¡¯I¡¯m going into sleep soon- I feel like it will take a very, very, very, very, very long time to wake up again! And I¡¯ll be stronger, too! I can feel we are very near to our homeland as well!¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯...but which home?¡¯¡¯


    Erhuli yelped, then ceased speaking. Xie¡¯e felt like she was looking at him like he was dumb.


    ¡®¡¯The desert, of course!¡¯¡¯


    Desert?


    ¡®¡¯Then it is Shamo?¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Yes! I heard mother¡¯s voice- she told me that you can¡¯t wander around without this,¡¯¡¯ From the cocoon, a beam of light descended in a flash and struck upon Xie¡¯e¡¯s hunched back. Xie¡¯e let out a grunt; his back was searing and burning from whatever it was, yet it didn¡¯t last longer than an instant. His back now throbbed far fiercer, and though he felt it would go away soon, his hunched back would become a little bit worse.


    ¡®¡¯What was that for!?¡¯¡¯ Xie¡¯e raised his brows.


    ¡®¡¯Prote...protete...proteciton?¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Protection?¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Procection, yes! Laws and customs!...at least that¡¯s what mother said, but I don¡¯t remember well. It was all fuzzy and warm and trembling...I feel drowsy now...¡¯¡¯ Erhuli¡¯s voice turned fainer with each word spoken.


    ¡®¡¯Erhuli?¡¯¡¯ Xie¡¯e called out to her; she didn¡¯t respond for a while.


    ¡®¡¯Its blurry a bit, big brother...I¡¯m going to nap a bit...don¡¯t forget- the tattoo mustn¡¯t be shown to...everyone...¡¯¡¯ And off she went, no longer her voice echoed in Xie¡¯e¡¯s ears- or mind.


    ¡®¡¯Erhuli?¡¯¡¯ Xie¡¯e attempted once more but the result was the same.


    What even was that? A tattoo?


    Xie¡¯e turned back to the first cave; he passed through the moist gap and reached to the edge of the winding road, and he kneeled in front of the pond to look at his reflection. He first twisted his body to the left and glimpsed upon the so-called tattoo: a dark black fox''s head, as big as his shoulder, and from what he could assume it was probably the whole body of a fox. Is she one of those narcissists? He let out a laugh and sat again- with a hunched back, of course- to look at the reflection.


    ¡®¡¯My face is also bloody...hell,¡¯¡¯ His face was cut in the cheeks and above the right brow- though lighter than the others, the scars were easily spotted and didn¡¯t seem the kind to go away in a few months. His chest was the same, barren and worn out with wounds almost healed, and his arms stood out as the least affected.


    I wonder how they weren¡¯t hurt. Xie¡¯e shook his head. The most severe was probably his feet, perhaps the bones were skirting near cracking. It didn¡¯t seem the right choice to get out to explore his surroundings now but he was determined. I¡¯ll make my own decisions from now on...should I clean my body, then? And water to drink, It won¡¯t do without water in the desert.


    Immortal constitution off his was still there, with the lack of a natural Qi barrier of course, and indeed it brought him a much better insulation against both cold and heat. However, insulation was still limited- he wasn¡¯t immune to it, and even Path Openers weren¡¯t. If he felt ten percent less, then a Path Opener would feel fifty percent lesser.


    Do the sect elders feel the cold, though?


    While pondering upon that, Xie¡¯e fetched a handful of water and brought near to his nose; he sniffed. Isn¡¯t weird, He concluded and took a small sip. It had a earth-like taste, but it didn¡¯t bother him at all. Their drinking water at home also came from a small stream budding off of a river, so it was inevitable for it to carry a little bit of nature¡¯s taste.


    His fingers stretched out and the remaining water spilled through the gaps between them; they dripped down in a line of drops until nothing but a soggy palm remained.


    The link is gone...I should call Embodiment if I have the chance, too...


    He sat in silence for a long time looking at his face. His eyes were bordering on the edge of crying, or letting out a deep sigh.


    He chose both; teardrops floated down his cheeks, and a tired sigh escaped from his mouth.


    Xie¡¯e scooped up another handful of water and splashed his face.


    ¡®¡¯I¡¯m not afraid of the future...¡¯¡¯ He muttered.


    ¡®¡¯I¡¯m not afraid...¡¯¡¯

 60- Cruel Crescent

    It was a hazy, hazy world.


    Now, the sky was supposed to be clear; it always was except when sandstorms and sandsurges arose. But it wasn¡¯t. There was the distinct scarlet of a life¡¯s pillar of support dying above, and instead of clouds were floating masses of raindrops. Instead of the deep blue was a blurry scarlet, observable by him only.


    That¡¯s blood, isn¡¯t it? He realized, and coughed a mouthful of blood. His head had to face the ground to not drown, so he turned sideways; his nose plowed through the mould of sand under him. Now the blurry scarlet disappeared and a light yellow came into his sight. Even then, it wasn¡¯t clear.


    From the corner of his half-bloody left eye, he saw the landscape; sandy hills, sandy plains, sandy mountains, sandy pits, sandy ridges, sandy valleys, sandy cliffs. It was all sand, and some even couldn¡¯t be called pits and ridges and cliffs, for nothing but sand existed. Desolate, he thought, and closed his eyes. Desert was not a picturesque existence, it couldn¡¯t be. It would tarnish and starve its residents, send storms upon their way and prey upon them, and force them to submit to its burning winds.


    I¡¯ll die...now?


    A sliver of his eyelids moved away from each other; his gaze wandered off to another sandy hill not far from him.


    And I was going to win, too...pity...


    A shadow walked and walked, with stomps as heavy as a pair of oxen. If not for the sand escaping in large swaths from the figure¡¯s steps, it wouldn¡¯t be easy to notice.


    Now the figure was near, and the following instant was next to him; crouching in front of his face it spoke.


    ¡®¡¯If I save you, may I borrow this cloth?¡¯¡¯ The figure tugged at his Chief robes- those he won after killing two companies of Shuangguang auxiliary.


    Go on...pilgrim... He tried to nod, and tried to speak, and as expected none happened. Only his eyes had a gleam pass through them once, then twice, and the figure itself nodded.


    ¡®¡¯Alright then, thank you.¡¯¡¯ The figure raised its hands and waved them towards his head; a large, oval red Qi coagulated in front of him. Its edge shone with a dangerous light.


    Ahh...I was deceived... He thought before his mind went blank.


    *********


    ¡®¡¯Thank you-¡¯¡¯ Xie¡¯e muttered and plucked the loose cloth over the unconscious man¡¯s body. It seemed like a robe at first; and it indeed could be a robe. But associating this large, wrinkly, loose-waisted, and tight-sleeved robes with those he wore proved a little bit difficult.


    My leather robes were different from the sect¡¯s, too. He smiled.


    Xie¡¯e slipped his hands into the loose robe, threw the veils over his shoulders, and revolved them around his waist like a belt once. As it tightened, Xie¡¯e pulled the cloth up and connected it at his shoulder; With one last motion, the veil covered his empty neck like a cloak.


    The few grains of sand left from the owner himself slipped into his chest- though it bothered him not much after walking a few hours in this reddish-yellow landscape.


    Should I give him some water? Xie¡¯e gazed down at the man. He was floating on a piece of mirror-like surface, made out of concentrated Earth and Fire Qi. There were no visible wounds on his body except a small gash above his brows; a horizontal cut that started from his left ear and went to the right brow¡¯s edge. There was the usual crimson as always, but in its company was also a tint of greenish-purple liquid.


    Poison, Xie¡¯e frowned, though I don¡¯t know if its potent or not. He crouched on the flaming hot sand to inspect the man; his feet sunk a few centimeters into the ground.


    He knew it was poison; one half out of expertise he gained from Quan¡¯s imparted knowledge at Yadratafos and his books, the other half from Meng Liu¡¯s extensive talks about Spectral Manuals and Poison Manuals.


    Shamo has four provinces: Bashkend has three state manuals; Kuhzey, Ghuneit, and Bah?t has two state manuals. Which one was it...Ghuneit Province¡¯s Scorpion Manual?


    There were two official state manuals dictating the use of poison he knew: Shamo Khanate¡¯s Ghuneit Province¡¯s Scorpion Manual and Shaowei Empire¡¯s Hu region¡¯s Tiger Tongue manual. Former dwelled more on poison useful in warfare: simply put massacre, assasination, and sabotaging while the latter focused on self-defence and ambush types.


    This is superficial knowledge though...so it doesn¡¯t have any guarantee. It might not be foundational manual, or even could be some secret cult or group¡¯s own Scripture as well. That would complicate the situation, but Xie¡¯e couldn¡¯t be bothered about the background of this man, or others who attacked him.


    To leave someone to die in a desert was either of the two: They were confident of the poison¡¯s potency or they were confident of the desert¡¯s brutality. Both weren¡¯t that much of a preferable scenario for the victim, but it was to Xie¡¯e; this meant he wouldn¡¯t be affected by anything related.


    Xie¡¯e was pondering while he willed the surrounding Qi to gather around him. With a tensing of his muscles around chin and cheeks, the feeling of a burnt finger drilled into his mind; it passed through his head into his shoulders and torso, to his arms and waist, and at last to his legs and feet. But the feeling was the fiercest at the tip of his right index and middle fingers.


    Reminiscent of a volcano erupting, the invisible and intangible scarlet Qi started coagulating between two fingers into the shape of a half-sphere: a Versatile Barrier as large as his nails. The more corporeal the barrier turned, the ambient Qi lessened in that amount; Then it was refilled by the ambient Qi again in the same millisecond.


    Raising the burning half-sphere to the man¡¯s forehead, Xie¡¯e put it near the dried purplish-green blood and placed it right on the man¡¯s black forehead. The contact sent a faint sizzling, and Xie¡¯e willed the sphere to close its other half. While the other half started to materialize, his fingers retreated afar.


    Xie¡¯e gazed at the Versatile Barrier to inspect the piece of purplish-green blood.


    I¡¯m not some expert...but most can be resolved by burning, was it? He willed again, his head muscles tightened, and with a poof an ember appeared inside the Versatile Barrier.


    The moment of contact between the ember and the blood, a gleam shone off the purplish-green blood and it evaporated into a two-colored mist: Green and purple. As they rose into the air, the barrier¡¯s surface clashed with both to halt their advance. It failed to contain the duo, though, and the mists pierced through the barrier; they disappeared into thin air with no more sound.


    Then I won¡¯t attempt, Xie¡¯e sighed and stood up.


    Giving him water now might not bring any benefit, so I¡¯ll leave it at that. He cast a glance at the round piece of rock he carved from the cave, hung on a stone belt around his waist now covered under the loose robe. It was half-filled, for walking several hours in the desert with no direction caused him great fatigue as well. He wouldn¡¯t mind giving a little sip if it could help the man awaken; then, after all, he would have a direction to go and learn about his home.


    Thereon, perhaps, he would seek the Guild Of Explorers for Quan¡¯s whereabouts.


    Xie¡¯e nodded to himself and waved his hand. The mirror levitating the wounded man rose halfway through his waist and followed behind him. With his wounded state, it might burden him quite a bit to get this fellow trailing behind, but without him Xie¡¯e would suffer in the long-run no lesser.


    So he made his way through the desert, under the glaring sun and fierce winds of the burning hills.


    To find his path, and to find a cure.


    *********


    ¡®¡¯Aaah!...I am still alive?¡¯¡¯


    When he took a breath in and the Sun descended on him with its wild lights, a voice in his front responded.


    ¡®¡¯Alive, indeed, but not fine,¡¯¡¯ He raised his head alone; it felt quite prickly throughout his whole lower body after all. Without the support of his waist, he couldn¡¯t raise himself up to face his now...supposed benefactor.


    ¡®¡¯I can see that,¡¯¡¯ He said, replying to the man carrying him. While not on his shoulders, he was lying on a flaming hot something. It looked quite dull in color, also red, and smooth. If his already weary back wasn¡¯t getting boiled between the desert winds and the thing he laid on, he might have rolled around to relax.


    ¡®¡¯Can you?¡¯¡¯ The voice stopped, and he halted mid-air.


    ¡®¡¯...I can feel it,¡¯¡¯ he snorted.


    ¡®¡¯Hehe,¡¯¡¯ The man giggled and came closer to him. ¡®¡¯I thought you wouldn¡¯t wake up this soon.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Why is that?¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Well, because you were poisoned?¡¯¡¯ The man took a few steps towards him and his unconcentrated gaze focused on the man.


    Now, that was no man. It was a shady looking youth; with half sand-woven blackish hair and donned in patches of different clothing. One at his top, he recognized it as his own. The bottom didn¡¯t look like something they wore around Holy Desert, so he thought of the Shuangguang¡¯s officials he met. They had some differences but still, it wasn¡¯t that unfamiliar.


    ¡®¡¯Was I?¡¯¡¯ He asked and looked at his own torso. There was another robe over him laid without much care- not his, of course, as it was now worn by the shady youth, but also familiar; the tight white robe of a Tribal Cavalry. They would wear these under scale armors.


    ¡®¡¯You were,¡¯¡¯ the shady youth said, ¡®¡¯And that-¡¯¡¯ he pointed at the blood stains near the neck of the cavalry robe, ¡®¡¯I found on another corpse, don¡¯t worry.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Another?¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯...well, you aren¡¯t the only person I met along the way,¡¯¡¯ Shady youth smiled, ¡®¡¯But you are the sole living one.¡¯¡¯


    Who were they, then? We were going through Bat?h Oasis to scout the Ghuneit Elder¡¯s lack of re-...my company, is it? Now that he thought of it, that was the most probable. Armistice was signed for only a few days when he approached the Region Passage through Bat?h to Ghuneit. It wouldn¡¯t be rational for the Ghuneit Elder¡¯s men to give up their plot with how disconnected they tended to be amidst the mission. This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.


    Or Ghuneit would be content with my death? Being this lofty is hard.


    ¡®¡¯Are you done contemplating?¡¯¡¯ Shady youth asked. He cast an inspecting glance at him, but the youth didn¡¯t show any response.


    ¡®¡¯...Thank you for the help,¡¯¡¯ He said.


    ¡®¡¯Don¡¯t worry, I was paid with fabric and sand,¡¯¡¯ The youth smiled and waved his hand down; the platform carrying him floated down and sank into the hot sand. ¡®¡¯Now, let¡¯s talk about a few things.¡¯¡¯


    *********


    Xie¡¯e sat down in front of the mysterious man and started collecting his thoughts. His first priority was to find where he could go, and from there how to locate a branch of the Guild Of Explorers. They were supposed to be available through most of the towns but Shamo wasn¡¯t that much of a welcoming place to the foreigners- even to the sect. So that came as the first.


    Second was the source he wanted to uncover the information: this man, and the poison in his body. Contrary to his expectations, this poison didn¡¯t seem to be fatal- though it showed signs of corrosive elements- rather more weary and weakening type.


    But strong enough to have him die faster than starvation in desert. Why didn¡¯t they bleed him to death anyway? That would be much faster and efficient. One shouldn¡¯t have to worry about blood or body trails in the desert, right?


    Is there a way of tracking that I don¡¯t know?


    Xie¡¯e crossed his legs to shake off some sand over the skin and pulled the man up to sit as well. They looked at each other, one long nose facing a smaller one, and Xie¡¯e spoke first.


    ¡®¡¯For first, may I get your name?¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Ah Li,¡¯¡¯ The man replied, ¡®¡¯And yours?¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯...Xie¡¯e,¡¯¡¯ He said, ¡®¡¯Now, I have some questions for you, if you don¡¯t have any memory loss.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Go on,¡¯¡¯ Ah Li waved his hand as to motion.


    ¡®¡¯Where are we now?¡¯¡¯ That, after all, was what he cared the most right now.


    ¡®¡¯Hmm, it shouldn¡¯t be that far from Shagang; and if I remember right the border with Shaowei is at most a few dozen kilometers away from there.¡¯¡¯


    Xie¡¯e looked at the man without a word.


    ¡®¡¯...what?¡¯¡¯ Ah Li raised a brow.


    ¡®¡¯That is not helpful at all!¡¯¡¯


    Ah Li raised his other brow in response to the yell, composed. ¡®¡¯By any chance...are you from one of those tribes?¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Those?¡¯¡¯ Xie¡¯e scratched his chin in frustration whilst urging him to talk.


    ¡®¡¯Those...diviner lunat- prophets¡¯ tribes.¡¯¡¯


    Of course not! Xie¡¯e narrowed his eyes to slits; he found it helpful when focusing on things he ponder over. But does it change anything? Lunatics, he almost said, and he now has a grasp of my background- at least the part that I know not much.


    I can¡¯t remember every inch and province of a map, it is not my fault to not know...


    ¡®¡¯I understand,¡¯¡¯ Ah Li spoke after his prolonged silence. ¡®¡¯Be at ease, I won¡¯t ask more. But in the case you want to escape far from your tribe, we must hurry.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯...indeed,¡¯¡¯ Xie¡¯e nodded, ¡®¡¯But to where?¡¯¡¯ And why did he assume I was a fugitive?


    ¡®¡¯Do you have any Sun Calculator on you? You must have stolen one if you managed to escape for so long,¡¯¡¯ The time Ah Li assumed, Xie¡¯e thought, must be because of the period he took the man with him in the desert. Indeed, the desert was a treacherous environment and without the support of some equipment or life supplies, it was harsher to keep on moving. But of course he didn¡¯t have that Sun Calculator Ah Li talked about. He preserved all this way with water and Qi enchanting his wounded feet.


    What way? I don¡¯t even know where I am...and my back hurts. Xie¡¯e sighed.


    ¡®¡¯Why dissatisfied, benefactor?¡¯¡¯ Ah Li asked. His brown eyes had a glint pass through them at Xie¡¯e¡¯s lack of response. ¡®¡¯...no¡¯¡¯ he muttered, ¡®¡¯You did not?!¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Why are you angry at me?¡¯¡¯ Xie¡¯e said, his brows furrowed as well. ¡®¡¯And aren¡¯t I the one who saved you?¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Saved? I paid you with my Chief Robe damned lunatic!¡¯¡¯ Ah Li said. ¡®¡¯That is worth at least three hundred soulstones! And is this what you call saving, benefactor? I don¡¯t want to get buried alive with insects in a mud pit because some fugitive decided to flee his tribe-¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯I-¡¯¡¯ He cut off Ah Li¡¯s speech at its end,¡¯¡¯-AM. NOT. FROM,¡¯¡¯ Xie¡¯e pressed each word with a gnashing teeth, ¡®¡¯A. DAMN. TRIBE!¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯...you are not?¡¯¡¯ Ah Li looked at him with his tongue open in the air. Sand drifted in his mouth whilst it invited the hot winds in, so he came back to reality while spitting the grains in his throat.


    ¡®¡¯I am not-¡¯¡¯ Xie¡¯e said. He didn¡¯t know why he was so infuriated at Ah Li¡¯s response yet his tone incensed Xie¡¯e¡¯s heart ablaze for a moment. In the next second, he calmed down and started pondering.


    It is not right to just tell ¡®¡¯Well, I¡¯m not from here at all, I come from a forest far faraway!¡¯¡¯ And it isn¡¯t...why do I even need to explain myself to him, at all? Xie¡¯e raised his head, his hand scratching his chin, and looked at Ah Li. And does he need to as well? Isn¡¯t what I want a known general direction?


    His well-being isn¡¯t my concern further than what I want from him- Xie¡¯e tilted his chin, it seemed his subconsciousness approved of the train of thought. And in his case, I am no more important than his life. Reaching a safe place is both of our goals; it is just that we need each other.


    But their needs were on different scales.


    As long as I can find anyone with some knowledge of the land, I can achieve what I want. Yet in his case, he is dependent on me alone for now. The robe of his- Xie¡¯e stroked the sleeves of the robe on him. He said it is worth quite a lot; three hundred is no small number. He must have quite the background, or a wealthy one. He can buy his way out of a predicament if I leave him anyway...


    But! Xie¡¯e met the brown eyes of Ah Li and smiled at him; Ah Li made the same, though it was one of defeat. And the lack of words between showed Ah Li was also pondering before that. What he thought, and its extent, however, wasn¡¯t known to Xie¡¯e.


    It is not only friends who might recognize him.


    Nevertheless, that was what he and Ah Li needed to know at the moment.


    ¡®¡¯Then, benefactor, how do you expect me to know the way?¡¯¡¯ Ah Li¡¯s smile turned into one of the shrewd old man; he was not an old man in any way.


    Xie¡¯e, for response, didn¡¯t utter any word in his defeat.


    *********


    They departed to the unknown a minute after, with Ah Li smiling all the time and Xie¡¯e sighing to himself.


    The first few minutes passed quite quiet between the both, it was no longer than three or four hours they met after all. But Ah Li seemed to get bored after his initial silence and tried to strike a conversation.


    ¡®¡¯How did you shape those?¡¯¡¯ Ah Li pointed at the stone belt and stone gourds around his waist. ¡®¡¯They look quite smooth as well.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯With the thing you are riding on,¡¯¡¯ Xie¡¯e said. ¡®¡¯But smaller and sharper.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Won¡¯t this drain you of your Qi fast, benefactor? You must preserve as much energy as possible in case of an ambush or sandsurge.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯It won¡¯t,¡¯¡¯ Xie¡¯e said. At least revealing this won¡¯t hurt. ¡®¡¯I am crippled anyway.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯...are you sure you aren¡¯t from one of those tribes?¡¯¡¯


    What are those tribes anyway!? He wanted to ask of course, but he didn¡¯t want to give more hints about his background. And if I¡¯m not wrong, the tensions between Shamo and Shuangguang should be high. If he thinks I am a kind of spy, I¡¯ll be in some bad situation.


    ¡®¡¯Do you want me to prove it?¡¯¡¯ Xie¡¯e turned around, his right foot half stepping on a sand hill overshadowing them.


    ¡®¡¯Sure,¡¯¡¯ Ah Li said, ¡®¡¯Just let me see your balls, if there is any.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯...¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯What¡¯s wrong, benefactor? Are you unwilling?¡¯¡¯ Ah Li showed the trace of a smile.


    ¡®¡¯We were near the border with Shaowei you said,¡¯¡¯ Xie¡¯e turned back and started scaling the sandy hill, speaking without facing Ah Li. ¡®¡¯Is there anything worthwhile we need to be aware of?¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯I¡¯ll get my response,¡¯¡¯ Ah Li said before answering. ¡®¡¯Perhaps the disciples of the evil sects, but for the most the Avengers.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Avengers?¡¯¡¯ Xie¡¯e found the name quite familiar- it was a term acquainted to all with a little bit of knowledge about how warfare worked in the Northern Continent. ¡®¡¯I don¡¯t remember any big slaughter happening near here though.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Most atrocities have a history of remaining hidden, benefactor,¡¯¡¯ Ah Li muttered, ¡®¡¯And are never corrected.¡¯¡¯


    Xie¡¯e took his last step over the sandhill and reached to the top; a flurry of sand surged down to the bottom under his feet. He could see the Sun halfway down the horizon- within a few hours it would be nighttime. In the presence of the endless sand drifting to the endless desert beyond, he chose not to comment on Ah Li¡¯s words.


    ¡®¡¯How safe it is in the night?¡¯¡¯ He asked outright. Knowledge was, after all, knowledge. He knew what the dangers were to some extent but some extent wasn¡¯t enough to get by.


    ¡®¡¯If we are still near where I¡¯m assuming to be: in mortal danger,¡¯¡¯ Ah Li said. ¡®¡¯There are no insects or desert spiders and foxes near Ghuneit, yet scorpions abound in the place. Venomous ones are the most, some serpents appear as well. A few even burrow underground like a worm, but they are not real worms. They can¡¯t stay under sand for too long.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Then,¡¯¡¯ Xie¡¯e stopped for a moment to think. The sunlight escaped from his silhouette and lighted up Ah Li¡¯s face. ¡®¡¯Will I be able to take care of you?¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯It depends on your prowess,¡¯¡¯ Ah Li said. ¡®¡¯And my own. This poison is not one to kill, it is to weaken. There are of course limits to it, but the affliction should last no longer than three days.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯And how long have you been in this state?¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯At most a day when you found me, at earliest some five or six hours.¡¯¡¯


    So it is either a day and a half he needs, or two days.


    ¡®¡¯...can I trust you, Ah Li?¡¯¡¯ Xie¡¯e glanced back at the man, into his brown eyes flickering with amusement.


    ¡®¡¯I assure you, benefactor, you will be the burden once I regain my cultivation.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Then it is good!¡¯¡¯ Xie¡¯e laughed. ¡®¡¯I need a strong guide as well.¡¯¡¯


    Ah Li smiled at the response, it had no underlying tones for the moment. Xie¡¯e, however, didn¡¯t probe further. He took a step forward to where he faced and started sliding down the hill of sand. Ah Li followed behind, sitting tight on the reddish platform with eyes quite inexplicable.


    And so the day passed and sun set; the moon rose in front of them with a quarter of its body: a silver waning crescent.


    Ah Li looked at the sky for a moment and he spat on the sand they were traveling.


    ¡®¡¯Fuck this!¡¯¡¯


    *********


    ¡®¡¯Fuck what?¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯That-¡¯¡¯ Ah Li pointed upward to the moon...smiling at them?


    ¡®¡¯That¡¯s creepy,¡¯¡¯ Xie¡¯e said; he squinted and made a quick set of seals to veil his eyes in a reddish Qi cloak. His gaze now saw not the sand, but the huge storm of reddish Fire Qi spiraling up in whirlwinds of brown Earth Qi.


    But the moon was the same. At the lower part of the crescent was a huge, yellow gash shaped like lips; the moon¡¯s lips curled up and from a golden circle at the top of the crescent it gazed down.


    ¡®¡¯...Ah Li, explain.¡¯¡¯ Xie¡¯e thought of a name Hao Tou mentioned beforehand: Cruel Crescent.


    ¡®¡¯I forgot we were near the crescent week...¡¯¡¯ Ah Li muttered and raised his head to look at Xie¡¯e. ¡®¡¯It is, in fact, not that different from normal desert nights except a few Scorpion Kings and Serpent Queens submerging...¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯And?¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯And perhaps...a little bit of poisonous smoke...?¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Alright, I¡¯m leaving!¡¯¡¯ Xie¡¯e took a step forward.


    ¡®¡¯Wait, benefactor! It isn¡¯t that dangerous!¡¯¡¯ Ah Li pulled Xie¡¯e¡¯s robe from the sleeve, ¡®¡¯Let¡¯s just lay low- or stop. There should be caves surfacing as well throughout the night. We can go into one to shelter for the meantime.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯That is, if we can find it.¡¯¡¯ Ah Li added.


    ¡®¡¯...I¡¯m also joking,¡¯¡¯ Xie¡¯e sighed. As he looked at the horizon, however, he couldn¡¯t help but blink. ¡®¡¯Hey, Ah Li,¡¯¡¯ He said and gazed up into the sky.


    ¡®¡¯Why is the conversion rate so high?¡¯¡¯ The reddish and brown Qi¡¯s of the earth shone with a silver luster under the silver moon; from the center of the specks of Qi a white-gold brilliance shone and started devouring the Fire and Earth Qi.


    ¡®¡¯It is normal in Cruel Crescent time,¡¯¡¯ Ah Li said, ¡®¡¯And are you really not from those tribes?¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Can you stop doubting me?¡¯¡¯ Xie¡¯e waved his hands and the red veil on his eyes disappeared. Now the sand, and the sand, and more sand came into his vision. And from the look of it, they not only came into his sights, but were coming towards him as well. The growing cloud of sand trampled down hills and pits of sand in its way.


    ¡®¡¯Ah, bottom of my ancestors, why is your luck so bad?¡¯¡¯ Ah Li also noticed the rising tsunami of sand grains surging towards them. The howling wind pressed on their long hairs so as to greet the two men.


    ¡®¡¯It is your luck that¡¯s bad,¡¯¡¯ Xie¡¯e said.


    Or it could be mine...


    ¡®¡¯Benefactor, let¡¯s run back. The sandsurge should die in a few minutes.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Will they stop, though?¡¯¡¯ Xie¡¯e raised his index finger to the inside of the sandsurge. Ah Li glanced inside, his dry lips shut tight.


    ¡®¡¯My dumb, damned ancestors!¡¯¡¯


    From within the sandsurge, shadows of a group of scorpions heralded their arrival with sharp cries.

 Notice 2-(No chapter, again.)

    So some family matters, school problems, and add the inconsistency of some plot points that I saw or noticed; those that could cause me problems in the future, those that might play down the tension of some points, and those that destroyed the possibilities of story lines that I find necessary for reaching to the story''s end. What do we get? No chapters for a week!


    So yeah, there were no chapters this week, and won''t be for another two weeks I assume. I''ll try to change my schedule, this time to a single but humongous chapter per two weeks; resembling my writing speed at the NaNoWriMo fiction( Pls don''t look at it its horrific.) Further than that, I''ll polish some story points that are probably included but might not really be from those that I mentioned above, in summary.The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    I''ll return with a(-) quite sizeable chapter(s) as an apology of course, as it is my duty and debt to those sweet twenty-some people still reading, but until then I''ll be dealing with my own problems and the story''s.


    Sorry for the inconvenience and thanks for your patience, I hope you all have a great time reading other stories in the meantime.


    Take care!

 61- The Chase Of Three (1)

    Ah Li released a deep sigh at the rushing calls of the scorpions. He saw Xie¡¯e¡¯s ears prickle like a bunny. It seemed like he, too, picked up the hissings of the scorpions- no worse than the rumbling tide of sand, surging with the force of uncountable horses. Among them one struck him the most: A piercing whistle akin to an arrow¡¯s head.


    ¡®¡¯Benefactor,¡¯¡¯ He called, Xie¡¯e turned to face him. ¡®¡¯Neighing with the horse won¡¯t do, you should know that.¡¯¡¯


    Xie¡¯e awaited in silence with his gaze on the approaching sandstorm. Though it seemed to be near in his vision, the sandsurge had to cover quite a sizeable land to reach the hill they were on. The size and danger it possessed was no less threatening, nonetheless, but that was what made him stop and consider this idea.


    ¡®¡¯I do,¡¯¡¯ Xie¡¯e said, ¡®¡¯But I...would like to take my chance with them.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯What chance, benefactor?¡¯¡¯ Ah Li asked, seeming to be calming down from the frustration. ¡®¡¯Were you of those battle masters in your tribe, seeking death above and below? Do you not know; Cruel Crescent isn¡¯t the time to lust for blood.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯I¡¯m not from those tribes-¡¯¡¯ Xie¡¯e said, and added, ¡®¡¯But it isn¡¯t about...seeking.¡¯¡¯


    I only want to make a decision of my own; the first being to see what I can prove to myself.


    It seemed not much of an explanation, and indeed, he thought, carelessness on his part. He decided to do things on his own, to not get swept by again by the currents surrounding his life. But what defined- what decided whether he sought things willing to see their end or not? Was it not his choice, but of the others, if he did not seek conflict and it came his way? The rationale covering that train of thought wasn¡¯t something Xie¡¯e understood now. If everything has to result from my decisions, he turned around to look at Ah Li¡¯s merging eyebrows, doesn¡¯t it mean I have to have perfect control over any event of my life?


    A perfectionist strategist? Thinking of the description, a smile crept up his face. Wasn¡¯t that what Osbour called Kaiserri?


    He was neither of those people, though. He had not the power to swallow mountains, and indeed he had not the wit to scheme against the world; even to his death. He had, in his opinion, no ambition regarding his future. Is it that what I lack?


    ¡®¡¯Benefactor,¡¯¡¯ Ah Li said after seeing him in thought for some time. Xie¡¯e didn¡¯t lose himself in a dreamland of course, his attention still stood over Ah Li and the scenery before them. But having his attention didn¡¯t help the current predicament hounding them. Sandsurge drew near to their site with each second and it did seem to pick up even more speed.


    ¡®¡¯Ah Li,¡¯¡¯ Xie¡¯e said, ¡®¡¯Does it matter to you that I pick a fight with them? Your concern extends no longer than your own safety, right?¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯No, it doesn¡¯t, and yes, my health is the priority,¡¯¡¯ Ah Li nodded. ¡®¡¯But-¡¯¡¯ He raised one muscular hand and slapped his paralyzed thighs.


    ¡®¡¯When our well-being are tied to each other, those decisions of yours won¡¯t extend beyond your own jurisdiction. It is not you who suffers alone- what you jeopardize is also my own priority as well.¡¯¡¯ His trembling index-finger lurched to the whizzing and hissing shadows of the scorpions; their man-sized black pincers clinked in sync at the show of aggression.


    ¡®¡¯Your situation isn¡¯t a result of my choice, so why should I be responsible for it as well? Is that what you think?¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯That is how a child rationalizes; and I am not one by any means,¡¯¡¯ Xie¡¯e replied. ¡®¡¯ And why do we even have this discussion?¡¯¡¯


    Ah Li didn¡¯t respond for a few seconds but his finger didn¡¯t trail off either. It stood straight and clear under the light of the moon, trembling all over from the poison still wearing down his body. His face: A large nose competing against his thumb in size, and his lips curled so loose they might not even rise up, gave Xie¡¯e the impression of a confident veteran.


    Of what, Ah Li explained right away.


    ¡®¡¯Do you know of the Aura Syndrome, benefactor?¡¯¡¯ Xie¡¯e raised a brow at the question.


    ¡®¡¯Who doesn¡¯t know?¡¯¡¯ Except children- he didn¡¯t add. ¡®¡¯What, have you seen that?¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯If I hadn¡¯t, why would I bring it up?¡¯¡¯ Ah Li replied. ¡®¡¯But yes, I did. I saw that tunnel, the seven brilliant colors; the gray and black of the space seemed to swallow me whole.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯You died.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯I died,¡¯¡¯ Ah Li nodded, his index finger clenched back with the other four to form a fist, and they pounded his broad chest twice to emphasize his words. ¡®¡¯You saved me from it, still, but I am a dead man. So I have no worry, no fear of them.¡¯¡¯


    Them, Xie¡¯e knew, was those scorpions; now a few hundred meters away their angry hisses alerted them of the little time they had left to escape. ¡®¡¯Then it is more of a reason to not stop me.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯And no-¡¯¡¯ Xie¡¯e cut Ah Li¡¯s words before he spoke. ¡®¡¯I don¡¯t confuse fear with desire, Ah Li. You might want to live, still, unafraid of death, but for me I also want to live without fearing death.¡¯¡¯


    That is my desire.


    ¡®¡¯Benefactor, you are impatient,¡¯¡¯ Ah Li said after a second of silence. ¡®¡¯Did no one tell that to you?¡¯¡¯ His head raised and calm brown pupils reflecting the moonlight, he spoke again.


    ¡®¡¯You have all the time to make choices, whatever they may be. So is it that important to make one choice here to prove yourself than to live a life decided by yourself?¡¯¡¯


    Their gazes met each, filled with conviction of their standpoints. The rumbling sandsurge at the back and the moonlight above couldn¡¯t block what they tried to tell; the lifelong experiences of both passed as a glimmer between their eyes, one blue and the other brown. But brown had the brilliant glow of pride, a confidence that Xie¡¯e didn¡¯t have in himself.


    Xie¡¯e craned his head down after he glimpsed upon a seven-colored distortion around Ah Li¡¯s eyes. Aura Syndrome...


    ...did I not die there as well?


    ¡®¡¯I¡¯m tired of lessons,¡¯¡¯ Xie¡¯e said and stepped back. His foot didn¡¯t dive into the sand, yet, but slipped on it like a sledge on snow. There blinked into existence a curved half-sphere, right under his heels, and between him and the mirror Ah Li stood stretched four thick ropes of silver Qi.


    ¡®¡¯Me too, benefactor,¡¯¡¯ Ah Li nodded atop the half-silver half-red Qi mirror. Xie¡¯e looked behind him, his gaze went beyond their position and met the glowing green eyes encased in dark carapace. Instead of eyelids were thorns of black and in the place of an eyebrow were horns curving into a crown of sickles. Nine of them, he counted, and atop other scorpions escaping the cloaking of the sandsurge he saw none alike.


    ¡®¡¯Their king is him?¡¯¡¯ Xie¡¯e asked and stepped forward, pulling the ropes behind him. The moment his foot came down again, his body started sliding down on a path carved in two by the Qi spheres; the mirror followed his lead and picked up speed to descend the sandhill they were on. They lost sight of the scorpions and though the ear-wrecking hisses and clinks of their pincers rang louder, Ah Li still understood who and what he meant.


    ¡®¡¯Yes,¡¯¡¯ He nodded. ¡®¡¯They lead packs of twenty or thirty at the minimum, most of them can equal to Third Stage Path Establishers, with some few in Second Stage. The scorpions that one led should be around Qi Destruction and Third Stage Path Finding.¡¯¡¯


    Xie¡¯e¡¯s feet came to a halt for an instant, then he started descending down again.


    ¡®¡¯If you told me that I wouldn¡¯t even spout such nonsense!¡¯¡¯ I can¡¯t even beat senior Meng in First Stage Path Establishment!


    ¡®¡¯Well, benefactor,¡¯¡¯ Ah Li showed his lunar-white teeth to grin, ¡®¡¯I saw you needed some help more urgent than that.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯...I¡¯m dropping the ropes.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Benefactor!¡¯¡¯


    *********


    After scaling down the sand hill Xie¡¯e and Ah Li escaped to the direction of where the moon had risen. Their plan was to go to the farthest west as possible; even though their position and fate seemed unpeculiar at the moment, Ah Li informed him of how most towns and tribes settled themselves near the border oases at the time of war to provide manpower and supplies for the Khan¡¯s collective army. If there was any chance they could find a settlement, their chance laid near the conflict zone.


    But the sandsurge caught them off-guard, right in the way of their destination. So they could only run back to where they came from.


    Before, they considered watching moon¡¯s movement to somehow find their way back to north: Perhaps to stumble on a lone tribe connected to local government or a migrating oasis to follow its lead. But that could lengthen their journey and had the risk of running into the divination tribes¡¯ people; Ah Li seemed very much wary of those particular community that he assumed to be related to Xie¡¯e.


    ¡®¡¯Benefactor, do you remember the pit from an hour ago?¡¯¡¯ Ah Li asked amidst the storm of sand grains shooting past them. In night, Xie¡¯e expected, the winds howled with more ferocity than they did in the day. Were it not for the bursts of hisses and rumbling falls of the collapsing sandhills, Xie¡¯e and Ah Li could appreciate the sound with its own worth.


    ¡®¡¯I do- it shouldn¡¯t be that far right now,¡¯¡¯ Xie¡¯e said. ¡®¡¯But weren¡¯t they the home of a serpent, you said? A large one at that?¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Could be, I said, and actually warned. It wasn¡¯t a statement,¡¯¡¯ Ah Li raised his fine arms to point at their back. ¡®¡¯We-...ehm, you put up a little distance with them, yet my gut tells it will close in an instant if something goes awry.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯That¡¯s common sense-¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯So,¡¯¡¯ Ah Li continued without glancing at Xie¡¯e, ¡®¡¯It might be better to delve into the pit and wait for some time to pass.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯And none will pursue us into it?¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯None. These sandsurges are like the festivals of Shuangguang and Cindersnow; they have a designated start and destination from the start. The distance is hard to cross in a night alone. I doubt they will chase us down.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯What if they do?¡¯¡¯ Asking questions were important, Xie¡¯e noted in his head. Milking out basic survival knowledge of the desert would have some benefits in the future...or so he thought.


    ¡®¡¯They won¡¯t, benefactor. I¡¯ll swear on my life.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯You lost that once, Ah Li, how can I trust you?¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯...This humor will get you killed one day.¡¯¡¯


    Xie¡¯e didn¡¯t mind the comment and moved on.


    The terrain didn¡¯t change much in front of them; the desert was, after all, a lone giant of sand piled left and right at random places. They were once the remains of mountains and hills of real; of riverbeds and dried up streams. Now, their remnants were there for people to stomp and pave their way.


    For a considerable amount of time they leaped and ran on the sand, escaping from the reaches of the horde of scorpions hounding at their back. Leaping was more of a requirement than a choice, for sand wouldn¡¯t let go of Xie¡¯e¡¯s feet once he stepped on it. When he encountered small hills, rather than going around he chose to run over them. If they wanted to find the pit, Ah Li reminded the first time he attempted, the road had to stay clear and straight. They had done the same in the day to keep where they went clear.


    ¡®¡¯But the sand piles up with wind and disperses with storm, right?¡¯¡¯ Xie¡¯e argued this time. ¡®¡¯We can¡¯t guarantee these hills are the ones we trampled, or the paths we take are the ones we strode in the morning.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Wind indeed does affect, but it was no longer than an hour, or even two hours that we passed by these places. For sand to gather up in that time, it would need another sandsurge to pass through and destroy our path.¡¯¡¯ Ah Li said.


    Xie¡¯e nodded without asking more. He could indeed say ¡®Can we trust that chance?¡¯ or pose other inquiries, but they had no meaning. The answer was the same: they couldn¡¯t, but this is the only way. Or not, Xie¡¯e thought, But air should be no less dangerous than land.


    Their path went on and on for some more time. It seemed like the scorpions had too much energy to spare; their cries and hisses ceased for not even a second. Contrary to them, Ah Li was of no use and Xie¡¯e¡¯s feet hinted at their eventual exhaustion; a faint pair of throbbing made itself clear around his ankles and heels. The right foot hurt the most.


    But he no longer had to endure the pain. As he pulled Ah Li to scale up a small elevation of sand, he saw the shape of a hole lightened up by moonlight. Even at night, its position was clear to the duo smiling for the faintest of the moments. Xie¡¯e picked up more speed at the sound of hisses drawing near and in a matter of seconds leaped right beside the pit. His descent sent a flurry of sand flowing inside the pit with rustles.


    To see the existence of a wide, dark pit in a desert was quite intriguing at first. How come sand never filled it? How did it come to be?


    As they glanced down, the first question was answered by the sand-belied earthen rock surrounding the hole. It seemed like the ground of a mine carved in a round circle. It was smooth and, when touched, hard to grasp. Its width, also, bordered near the size of those goliaths Xie¡¯e encountered at Yadratafos. If this was not what made Ah Li suspect of it being the lair of a sand serpent, then it would have to be the invisible depth it went on.


    They wasted no time other than admiring for a second and got to work. In reality, Xie¡¯e got to work. He dispersed the mirror upholding Ah Li- who made a grunt at suddenly falling down- and gathered his hands in front of his chest; he cast seals of quick succession that increased the rate he gathered Qi and made his control better. There he wasted another few seconds and rumbles drew nearer from their back. It would take no longer than a minute for sandsurge to reach them. He swallowed his saliva.


    With his hand movements Xie¡¯e tightened his head muscles and particles of half-red half-silver Qi shone around his calloused fingers. They gathered and whizzed, their sound low compared to the hounding scorpions¡¯ hisses, and flared into a long hatchet: a woodcutter axe. Xie¡¯e grasped it from the handle and raised up, then swung it down to the side of the hole he looked down.


    The ax-head dug into the earth with a bang and a small termor passed through their location. Pieces of the hidden earthen rock fell in the pit with clatters to reveal the gray stone underneath. Now the smooth surface had a crooked and cracked part that he could hold without falling down, so he cast another set of seals and recreated the mirror from before. One hand still carrying the ax, he grasped Ah Li¡¯s raised arm with his other and put him on the now sturdier mirror.


    ¡®¡¯How deep should we go in?¡¯¡¯ Xie¡¯e asked as they drew nearer to the edge.


    ¡®¡¯Their tails are longer than us- even though they won¡¯t chase one might decide to attack for once. Can you cut a few more meters down to hold on?¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯I doubt-¡¯¡¯ Xie¡¯e said. Carrying his own body and Ah Li was quite a burden for his wound ridden tired body. If he was fresh out of training and a session of meditation, he would have no qualms about going as far as fifty or sixty meters and climbing back up. But in this case, it would be too dangerous to trust his body.


    ¡®¡¯Then take the risk, if you wish.¡¯¡¯ Ah Li said and no longer spoke. Xie¡¯e nodded and waved his hand forward. The mirror, now half-silver and half-red, floated above the pit of rock and descended six meters down. Xie¡¯e then followed and leaped down. He didn¡¯t place his leg onto the mirror but kicked the earth around the pit. Though hard, his body had more of a momentum to support it, so the earth broke down and revealed another crooked part of the rock. Then his hand latched onto the first section he broke to stabilize himself.


    While Ah Li¡¯s sight was obstructed by Xie¡¯e¡¯s back and arse, Xie¡¯e himself could, to some extent, see the rising clouds of sand from the approaching scorpions. For a more safety measure he ducked his head and still-hunched back low and waited. Seconds passed in a hurry. He was calmer than he expected, though it didn¡¯t affect the eventual outcome.


    The hisses passed right above him and instantly, outrageous amounts of sand flowed down to their heads. Like a river they descended into the hole and battered their shoulders and heads and slipped into their clothes. Unprepared, Xie¡¯e let some in his mouth, which he spat in the same moment. The wriggling feeling made him no less disturbed than the actual level of loudness the rumbling reached. Xie¡¯e had heard this intensity only a-presumed- few days ago, when the whole forest ripped apart and fell off into a huge mess.


    The sound was followed by the freakish hisses of the scorpions, their clattering feet, the air-crushing pinches of their pincers. Xie¡¯e held his breath in fear of attracting their attention and swallowing more sand; From the sounds of it Ah Li had done it long before him. A fear crept in his heart when among the hisses, one rose higher than others and all movement halted for an instant. The surging sand stopped flowing, the pincers stopped pinching, their carapaced legs ceased stomping. A second passed, then two. Xie¡¯e held his breath and closed his eyes, his hands clutching the broken ledge trembled at the third second.


    Idiot! How did I think of taking them out?


    One second followed another and the suffocating silence continued. For how long Xie¡¯e couldn¡¯t care less. Are they contesting my breath or something!?


    His right hand grasped the edge tighter and his left hand raised the axe to his waist. One movement and I¡¯m going down-


    The moment he decided that, the hiss of the presumed king sounded through the air and the invisible pincers pinched in the air again.


    Xie¡¯e raised the ax above his head, ready to swing at any threat coming his way, but none came.


    The stomps of the carapaced legs boomed in his ears and another surge of sand drooled down the pit onto them. This time none infiltrated his lips, which he was grateful, and the sounds of the scorpions turned fainter. Seconds passed heavier than before with an anticipation in his heart for Xie¡¯e.


    Soon the stomps disappeared and the rumbling appeared again, but that, too, faltered after a few seconds of waiting.


    ¡®¡¯Haah,¡¯¡¯ Xie¡¯e let out his breath and looked down. Apart from Ah Li intensely gazing at something on his back, he glimpsed upon the deepness of the pit they stood in.


    I- I wonder what there is...


    *********


    After waiting for half a minute as a precaution, Xie¡¯e climbed out of the pit and pulled Ah Li up after him. They settled down a few steps to the right of the pit to shake off their clothes and limbs; to relax, place their minds in a calm state, and to get rid off all the sand roughening their skin.


    Finding the chance, Xie¡¯e let go of the ax; it dropped to the ground with no audible sound and turned faint, then transparent, and then vanished into thin air amidst sparkling particles of Qi. Xie¡¯e cast no glance at it but tidied his robe and stepped forward. Ah Li, right behind him, followed with the same mirror under him floating after each step of his. When he looked back for once, Xie¡¯e noticed, Ah Li had a look that indicated a desire to talk- or question.


    But Xie¡¯e had no such intent. His heart, although left with a small number of seconds to calm down, still beat turbulent with anxiousness. Sweat that dripped in the sun¡¯s presence flowed harder than that, all the while boosted by the cold night breeze.


    Why can¡¯t I make it? He asked himself, and spat. Taste of sand lingered at the edges of his coarse tongue. Isn¡¯t it a sole, stupid decision?


    He was, he realized, still stuck on the matter of decisions. The right to choose what he wanted, and what result he desired, and what path to follow; right after encountering these scorpions twice he failed to do so.


    Not climbing further isn¡¯t a choice, but a requirement of the situation. That was how he saw it.  Not swinging that ax isn¡¯t a choice, but response to a circumstance. Following that train of thought, nonetheless, did point him to the eventual answer: These two matters, however, are the outcome of my earlier decision.


    That is what his rationale said. Choices weren¡¯t always possible. Most of the time, what he thought to be the response of his will, and its result, wouldn¡¯t be the result of another choice. In fate, he assumed, there weren¡¯t times everything done by him would have to be caused by him.


    But- it is plain idiocy.


    The question he asked himself before the sandsurge reached them: Should I fight with them or should I run, he pondered and decided to run. But decision here didn¡¯t appear out of his will. It stemmed from the guidance of Ah Li, the information provided by him, and the paths he showed. And by paths, it was one sole path. Only running away.


    There would be two ways to go, still, with or without his addition. It was a matter of what he picked and what resulted from it. So was it a choice, again, or was it the necessity of the situation that he ran away?


    It is all so confusing! Xie¡¯e sighed and increased his pace. For a moment he looked up to see where the moon was. Horrible smile of the crescent gazed down at him and, for a moment, he thought. Why is the moon like this only here? That remained without an answer as he didn¡¯t seek any conversation, so he moved on after determining where he would be walking.


    As Ah Li said before, the terrain before them had changed. There were still the same things of course: low altitude sand plains, sandhills, sand mountains, valleys of sand stuck between two sandhills, or rare pieces of once-large boulders still not eroded by the harsh morning wind. Their places weren¡¯t the same, however. His eyes glazed the front; the series of hills he scaled up and slid down to get the pit laid flat, in their stead another range of sandhills rose further away to their right. At his front was a slope of sand still flowing down to fill the gaps of a huge body print. It was the shape of a scorpion carapace, with its lines faintly visible.This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it


    Walking before the slope, Xie¡¯e created two halfs-spheres at the bottom of his feet and slid down in a matter of seconds. His arrival brought another surge of sand that filled the gaps, and like that the remain was gone. He frowned for a moment, then two, but didn¡¯t stall longer. The half-spheres vanished into air and he trod forward, Ah Li at his back.


    Compared to the minutes long travel time from their chase, it took a full hour to recover their past distance. That was pure estimation, however, for neither he nor Ah Li could know the true span of time.


    He scaled hills and slid down slopes of sand, sometimes he took a small rest at the feet of a large boulder to sip on his water; he shared with Ah Li a mouthful as well after learning it would actually help him recover. It could be a lie, Xie¡¯e reminded himself, but either way he felt a small amount of gratitude to the man other than his need for him.


    Mentioning need, Ah Li spoke after almost six hours of traveling, where they estimated it would be only a matter of minutes that sun rose again.


    ¡®¡¯Since we didn¡¯t encounter any town or tribe on the way,¡¯¡¯ Ah Li said, ¡®¡¯We are either far away from the border, or too close to the border.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯I suppose the former is better?¡¯¡¯ Xie¡¯e asked.


    ¡®¡¯No, the latter.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Why so?¡¯¡¯ Xie¡¯e tilted his head to glance at Ah Li. He kept his pace steady in the meanwhile.


    ¡®¡¯Troops are bound to be near, whom will spare no expense to help us get to a safe place. Even if they are to be the Shuanguang¡¯s skirmish parties, we¡¯ll get through with no danger. It might take a while, only, to get back.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯What if they drag you out?¡¯¡¯ Xie¡¯e said and halted his steps. ¡®¡¯You...can¡¯t leave, after all.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯...are you really not from those tribes?¡¯¡¯ Ah Li snorted.


    ¡®¡¯Ugh, alright. I don¡¯t care,¡¯¡¯ Xie¡¯e returned to dragging Ah Li forward. ¡®¡¯I¡¯ll keep moving and you keep sitting until tomorrow night. Isn¡¯t that what it matters?¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Yes, benefactor, yes. Thank you for your grace.¡¯¡¯


    *********


    A few hours into the day, the sun chased the moon all the way to the top of the sky and stuck at its middle, shining glaring beams of light upon the two. Their breaths remained stable the whole journey, extracting the time they hid in the pit of stone last night, but now that Xie¡¯e noticed his stone canteen weighed no heavier than a handful of stone his throat turned quite thirsty, and his breathing rough. An itch traveled up and down, touching his brown and red dyed tongue to reach for the last bits of water. His eyes, too, grazed by more than a dozen times at the rock strapped to his waist, in no more than a few minutes at that.


    His body was alerting him, he realized.


    Walking on the left side of a striped sand dune, pulling Ah Li behind him, Xie¡¯e cast the man an obvious glance. Ah Li did seem to notice it a moment later; his chin descended from the sky to face his gaze.


    ¡®¡¯Yes, benefactor?¡¯¡¯


    Xie¡¯e opened his mouth to inquire about the water problem, to learn if there was anything they- or he- could do about it.


    ¡®¡¯The wa-¡¯¡¯ Yet the moment his voice sounded between, Xie¡¯e¡¯s eyes widened into two pieces of round pearls. ¡®¡¯Did you hear that?¡¯¡¯ A sound, he heard, akin to a stomp.


    ¡®¡¯Hear what?¡¯¡¯ Ah Li said, his ears faintly flipped and his eyes narrowed.


    ¡®¡¯It is...a group? I hear breathing as well- no, neighing?¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Horses!¡¯¡¯ Ah Li muttered; he, too, now heard the noise.


    ¡®¡¯Should we look for them first?¡¯¡¯ Xie¡¯e asked.


    ¡®¡¯No it could be...why do you say first?¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Because they are coming our way.¡¯¡¯ As he talked, Xie¡¯e turned to his right, to the north, and spread his arms wide in front of them.


    ¡®¡¯How many people?¡¯¡¯ Ah Li asked. ¡®¡¯Can you pick that up as well?¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯No, but there should be above f-¡¯¡¯


    In the middle of his sentence a gust of wind blew by them; behind it rose grains of sand and sounds followed. A scream they heard, and after that a group of war cries now clearer than ever. Xie¡¯e¡¯s eyes turned into slits, Ah Li followed him right after, and in the same instant he spoke.


    ¡®¡¯Go first! There is only a handful people that declares their arrival.¡¯¡¯


    Xie¡¯e nodded and raised his right hand up; Ah Li¡¯s mirror floated a little bit above his head and shot forward at the same time as he did. Though his first step sank into the sand, the second stomped right on it, and the third he placed on air. Fourth and fifth came with no delay and the duo were now up above the sand dune they were on, gazing beyond to the rising cloud of sand surging their way.


    The size and density of this storm was in no way near the sandsurge of the late-night, it seemed too little of a threat; and the half-visible silhouettes inside it showed none of the terror the scorpions had.


    ¡®¡¯Above!¡¯¡¯ A shout rose from their front and made it clear what was: ¡®¡¯The brat is there! Yihahahahahaha!¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯I can¡¯t decide if his voice is hoarse or too high pitched. How does it even happen?¡¯¡¯ Xie¡¯e asked.


    ¡®¡¯If you also spend half of your life living in pits of insects and fighting against monsters,¡¯¡¯ Ah Li shook his head, ¡®¡¯Your voice will be the same. I wonder, actually, how yours isn¡¯t like that. Look,¡¯¡¯ Ah Li raised his index finger and pointed at the irregular cavalry of seven, no longer faint but clear in their sight. ¡®¡¯Do you recognize them?¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯I don¡¯t, of course. Should I?¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯...you aren¡¯t from the same tribe?¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯I said I¡¯m not from any tribe!¡¯¡¯ Xie¡¯e grunted and cast his eyes on the bodies of incoming men and women. They had white and yellow mixed robes with sleeves tight around the wrists. They were loose around the chest and belly, to make it comfortable, and their pants had ropes rounded around the ankles to strap it firm- most likely to not let any sand, or in some cases poison, in.


    ¡®¡¯Then what are they here for?¡¯¡¯ Ah Li raised a brow.


    ¡®¡¯Little princeeeeeeeeeee!¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯...¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯...little prince?¡¯¡¯


    An arrow whistled forward before any response came in. The head of the arrow scraped by Xie¡¯e¡¯s cheeks and disappeared into the horizon.


    ¡®¡¯Yihehehehehehe! KILL THE DAMN SERPENT!¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯This?¡¯¡¯ Xie¡¯e noticed a streak of liquid flowing down his cheeks, mixed with his blood. He recognized what it was from the texture and the two colors mixed in. ¡®¡¯Poison, by the light!¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯By the light?¡¯¡¯ Ah Li repeated what he said before coming back to reality. ¡®¡¯Benefactor, watch for their poison and spears. They must belong to the Rebtan Tribe!¡¯¡¯


    I don¡¯t know a thing about them!


    Xie¡¯e stomped on the air he stood and descended the ground; bundles of sand cascaded down with Ah Li¡¯s mirror.


    ¡®¡¯Benefact-¡¯¡¯ Ah Li could only squeal as he was sent back flying, away from the reaches of another flurry of arrows coming their way.


    ¡®¡¯Good friends, can we not talk out this misunderstanding!?¡¯¡¯ Xie¡¯e shouted at the incoming horsemen, yet his actions didn¡¯t seem to prove his authenticity. A wave of his hand spurred forth a revolving Versatile Barrier- red in color and ferocious in power. The arrows crashed onto the turning crimson surface and lit up in flames. In a mere second they exploded into sharaphnels of metal and rippled the surface of Xie¡¯e¡¯s barrier.


    ¡®¡¯Once I get your corpse in my bed, we will!¡¯¡¯ Was the sole response from one of the bowmen.


    Xie¡¯e froze in his spot for an instant.


    ¡®¡¯You¡¯ll have me see nightmares,¡¯¡¯ The group laughed and started climbing up the sand dune with their horses. Unlike Xie¡¯e and his normal steps, at which he sank with each, these giant red horses weren¡¯t hindered a bit by the sand. They stomped left and right with the same momentum and chased towards his place at the top; and three of the riders, halting at the bottom, nocked arrows with...scales at their nock?


    I¡¯ll ask about that.


    Xie¡¯e placed his right foot back and leaned forward; left arm pushed out and right arm pulled in, he clenched both his arm and leg muscles. At the heels of his feet gathered in a flurry of spheres of red Qi and at the top of his fingertips he created revolving balls of a much denser scarlet. Before him laid the horsemen and horsewomen ready to shoot their arrows and swing their spears upon their mounts.


    ¡®¡¯Burst!¡¯¡¯ Then he flew forward.


    The spheres under his feet exploded into storms of red, of blood and of a harsh gust, and with it he appeared right before the first mounted woman with her spear upfront. He saw, at first, an insane lust for blood in her eyes. But in the same instant, at his flickering figure that disappeared with a deafening explosion of sand and Qi, the look changed into one of severe wariness.


    Xie¡¯e stretched out his right fist and with tightened muscles punched right below the shaft of the spear, aiming to knock her off the horse; and knock her down it did.


    But soon his eyes widened in terror.


    Before the head of her spear could fall on him, his fist punctured her belly and dyed his whole fist red, then her stomach, and at last the blood shot out in a fountain that dyed everything below her.


    ¡®¡¯...huh?¡¯¡¯ He muttered as she fell off her horse and tumbled down towards her comrades. Her horse, now below the mid-air Xie¡¯e, neither escaped nor went into insanity. Xie¡¯e noticed the abnormality and didn¡¯t extend his mercy that he spared for the group, all the while his heart in tumultuous waves. His feet shot forward as well and crashed onto the skull of the red horse.


    The horse raised its head in response and smashed its skull onto his feet. An unstoppable surge of power traveled through the head to his feet and Xie¡¯e found himself rolling on top of the horse¡¯s back; his sore feet now in greater pain and right after facing the raised hind-legs of the horse.


    Hah!


    Xie¡¯e let out a grunt in pain and swung his left hand towards the kicking legs. The small spheres of reds on the tip of his fingers flashed scarlet for a moment, then expanded dozens of times in the same second. It was another type of Versatile Barrier, but instead of protecting him it pushed against the ferocious strength of the horse with a reverse revolution.


    The legs and the several barriers collided with each other; a storm of Qi rushed out of the point of contact. It whirled and revolved around Xie¡¯e, and sent him flying back to the other members of the small group; all incensed yet calmer than before. Experts, Xie¡¯e noted- and felt his heart turn dreary- but rash. If not, his previous strike wouldn¡¯t have claimed a life. He thought of the sensation for a moment and a faint excitement burst off as an emotion.


    But this wasn¡¯t the time for thinking. As his body flipped in the air, wide and open to attacks, three arrows flew his way. He saw the grey metallic heads and the two-colored liquid at their tip- the poison of weariness, he called it. Then of the other three wielding spears, two spread open and circled him, the last thrust his spear towards his open back.


    Then everything happened at once. Xie¡¯e flipped on the air one more time, the spear avoided his back with mere millimeters, and his right fist punched out towards the head of the spear-wielder. The man let go of his other hand from the reins and matched his fist one of his own. The arrows streaked down towards him from above and the two men circling rushed forward from two sides.


    Right before two fists collided, and when the arrows were centimeters away, Xie¡¯e suddenly opened his fingers wide and caught the spear-wielder¡¯s fist. The man¡¯s eyes opened wide for a moment and he raised his spear again- yet he couldn¡¯t thrust before his body rose into the air.


    A ball of Qi materialized and burst off under Xie¡¯e¡¯s spine in the same instant. With the momentum he pulled the man off his mount and flipped once more; the man¡¯s body followed his direction and flicked in the air. The arrows descended and the man screamed- they pierced through his back with half the shafts in. Blood gushed over Xie¡¯e.


    The other two riders with their spears didn¡¯t flinch at the sight. Their spears stable and horses calm and collected, they stabbed their colorful spears forth. Xie¡¯e threw the man in his arms to the three nocking their arrows down below, and landed on the slope of the sand dune. My arm- ugh! He could only grunt before the flurry of attacks followed.


    ¡®¡¯Surround, gather the blood!¡¯¡¯ Someone from below called out and the two riders pulled back their strikes. Even the now-ownerless two horses obeyed, albeit with neighs and fervor.


    ¡®¡¯Blood?¡¯¡¯ Xie¡¯e looked around and indeed, the bodies of the woman and the spear-wielding man dyed the sand dune a tinge of scarlet; and also dripping from his nose was the mix of their and his blood. From the top of the sand dune, Ah Li¡¯s shout resounded.


    ¡®¡¯Get away from the blood!¡¯¡¯


    Xie¡¯e obliged without questioning. Enduring the pain in his again-wounded legs with a scream of his own, he burst two balls of Qi under his heels. Explosion blew all the sand away and his ears rang from the explosion; but now he was in the air, back upon the dune, and able to see what the leftover five were doing.


    ¡®¡¯Killing the horses?¡¯¡¯


    One of the spear-wielding men ran back to the bottom, raised his spear, and cut through the head of the first horse, then the other¡¯s. Horses toppled in their places and stomped and screamed, then fell with silent thuds. While their blood flooded the ground, among the bow users, a woman put her hands together and started gathering Qi in enormous amounts.


    She is also crippled?


    He couldn¡¯t sense any Qi from her, yet she could do the same?


    ¡®¡¯Which tribe are you from, brat?¡¯¡¯ The same woman asked. For a moment, Xie¡¯e thought, the woman seemed to be wary of him. Or of that tribe Ah Li and these people presumed him to be a member of. But in the following moment, he thought of Senior Heshang¡¯s teachings; and now he interpreted that wariness towards himself, about what he might do as she cast whatever she was trying at the moment.


    ¡®¡¯Hah!¡¯¡¯ So he didn¡¯t respond, nor did he let them stall for time. With a shout, he gathered two balls of Qi in front of his hands, matching in magnitude to the woman¡¯s spell, and hurled them towards the group. His body started falling to the ground as the balls expanded in the air; around them sprouted spikes with tips as sharp as a spear. Now blood leaked from his ears.


    ¡®¡¯By ancestors!¡¯¡¯ The woman clenched both her hands and the Qi she gathered condensed in front of her- the other four moved forward to protect her.


    Spear-wielders raised their spears and spurred forth, raising sand behind them as a cover. The remaining two men shot their fresh-nocked arrows to him behind the levitating sand clouds.


    Xie¡¯e understood: these people knew what he was capable of as well. Since they had someone like him at their side, it was understandable. Even though he sent them forth already, he had to exert some amount of control over the Qi balls to hold their shape; with at least half of his focus spent on those two, how could he evade the arrows without sacrificing his strike?


    At least, Xie¡¯e smiled, that was their estimate.


    The moment two arrows whizzed from the sand cover and appeared above the spearmen, Xie¡¯e¡¯s head muscles tightened to the point of creating wrinkles. Qi balls, now a few meters away from the arrows, suddenly changed ways.


    Like opposite poles attracting each other, balls of Qi shot forth towards each other, seemingly about to self-destruct to get rid of the arrows. Spearmen glared at the sight and picked up speed to climb the slope, yet the moment they decided that the balls of Qi changed directions.


    No sparks, no explosion. The spikes around the balls contacted each other, then bounced away. Pushing away the other like two same poles, balls of Qi spiked in momentum again and smashed onto the lower shafts of the arrows. A crack and a whizz later the arrows broke and lost their force; they fell on the sand while the red Qi balls surged forward.


    ¡®¡¯Small completion!?¡¯¡¯ The sand cloud dispersing behind the spearmen parted ways in front of the strike and revealed the trio, shocked for a moment. Though their attack had failed, none of them were unprepared for it. The two bowmen spurred their horses and, with the gauntlets around their hands to protect from self-harm, punched towards the Qi balls.


    Xie¡¯e let out a frustrated sigh at the sight and wiped the blood dripping off his eyes.


    *********


    Ah Li stood atop the sand dune, sitting on the still-existing mirror. His eyes glanced back and forth between the clashing forces; their lacking punches, the incapability of foresight among the two sides, inability to ponder upon a simple tactic, idiocy of not using the terrain, foolishness of not taking him hostage, not using their mobility to take over Xie¡¯e...


    Novices, Ah Li sighed. Benefactor, even more so. From what he could distinguish, his benefactor had some kind of a reservation after claiming the first life. He knows what he should do, but doesn¡¯t anyway. The enemy, Ah Li gnashed his teeth thinking, were more of an imbecile.


    As he watched two bowmen trying to destroy the Versatile Barriers with their proficient hands, he felt wrath overcome other emotions in his heart.


    My company wouldn¡¯t have lost to them!


    Following his thought, the Versatile Barrier¡¯ spikes prickled open the bowmen¡¯s gauntlets- one  managed to divert it safely: to the path of the other. Two balls exploded in the face of the bowman and his head blew to smithereens of blood and brain. Ah Li¡¯s expression loosened, for this affirmed his view more than before. Followers, he concluded, but the one that got me and her should be one of the Gurus.


    ...should I have them make this faster? If that Guru was around and well, they would be in quite a big trouble.


    Then I¡¯ll force his hand to finish it quick, and if not, I¡¯ll act.


    *********


    ¡®¡¯Benefactor, don¡¯t let the bowmen circle you!¡¯¡¯


    Xie¡¯e glared at his enemies when he heard the shout. His eyes in blood widened and he noticed the enemy doing the same; then moving back. The last, and safe, bowmen gripped the reins of his horse and started rushing around him.


    ¡®¡¯You go nowhere!¡¯¡¯ Xie¡¯e willed again, his head rippled with an ache, and right in front of his forehead emerged an unshaped hexagon. It was an empty foundation, waiting to be filled with Qi; and fill it with Qi Xie¡¯e did. The Qi around him materialized into a dozens of meters large scarlet whirlwind. It rippled and whirled, a horrible shriek emerged from the center: His own voice, and it came out for his forehead started to scorch red from the flames pooling into the hexagonal Qi crystal.


    I forgot! Qi had different attributes, specialities, and ways to take care; and Qi with different attributes had their own styles of affecting the environment they were in. Compressing water and wood Qi, he realized, was bound to be much easier than compressing Fire Qi.


    The two spearmen hadn¡¯t stopped all this while, spending the few seconds between the occuring events to climb up the slope leading Xie¡¯e. Now they were at most ten meters away, with their spears ready to thrust and slash at any given moment. The hooves of their horses stomped on the sand to create a cloud of sand akin to the one before, and with it bearing on him did Xie¡¯e realize the enemy was beside his face.


    He didn¡¯t hesitate for a moment and cut off his connection with the mirror. He faintly felt Ah Li moving on it right before he fell, followed by a cursing that sounded silent from all the noise around him. But he didn¡¯t care about it; for the moment he severed that link the Qi storm rounding his body grew in size again.


    Then all blood on him evaporated.


    ¡®¡¯HAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH¡¯¡¯


    *********


    A terrible howl escaped from the whirlwind that even stirred these blood lusting warriors of the Rebtan tribe, those that experienced the hardest of trials and fiercest of the tortures.


    ¡®¡¯Get his head!¡¯¡¯ The voice of their compatriot reached the spearmen, ignoring all the noises from the ravaging storm and deafening stomps.


    ¡®¡¯Hah!¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Yiah!¡¯¡¯


    Two spears retracted back in front of the storm, horses¡¯ heads centimeters away from the cascading sand and wheezing scarlet Qi, yet there and then they shot forward. The speartips glared with the light of the sun and penetrated the storm with no difficulty; two huge gaps blinked at them for a moment as they rushed forth, then blinked again to close. Yet with two blinks of an eye, terror dawned on them for the first time in their fight.


    ¡®¡¯Sshhhh!¡¯¡¯ One of the spearmen suddenly let go of his spear, flung it to the ground, and tried to take a deep breath. It was hot, the air and his spear, unbearable in temperature; and the moment he inhaled a gust of air he felt his lungs turn into a field of burning thorns. ¡®¡¯Haaaaaaa!¡¯¡¯


    The other man, clearly better than his fellow warrior, still held onto the shaft of his black spear, eyeing the monstrous man he aimed a moment ago. He saw their enemy¡¯s skin turn red from the heat, and his forehead black from a flame blazing throughout the storm¡¯s range. Tendrils of materializing Fire Qi flowed down to gather around the violent force of nature; and around this flame rose the breaths of their opponent in the shape of a thick creamy steam.


    ¡®¡¯Hah!¡¯¡¯ But he didn¡¯t stop. Though he halted for a second, though he felt a fear that reminded him of his mentor, of those monsters in pits, he still moved forward. He was raised in terror, what did this count as?


    Head of his spear rose into the air in an erratic line and his arm muscles tensed up for a moment; they, too, now felt the unbearable heat. Yet again, this wasn¡¯t something that could stop him.


    The enemy cast him a short glance between the quick succession of events, one that he noticed to be filled with fear, and two drops of water that evaporated as soon as they came out.


    ¡®¡¯Why, again-¡¯¡¯ The enemy whimpered, his spear fell, then scarlet light exploded. His sight went full red, his arms rippled as if they would rip off and blow away, and in his torso he felt something roasting his chest hair; then he heard a terrible shriek blasting in his ears, followed by the smell of burnt flesh. Yet a second later, everything stopped.


    ¡®¡¯...ah?¡¯¡¯ His vision came back in the form of hundreds of different parts first, then every inch of his body turned numb. In all different visions he had, he saw an empty black road; filled with a seven colored glow that led to somewhere invisible.


    Aura...


    So he blinked once, then his body was gone.


    *********


    ¡®¡¯Does he think he is a Path Opener?¡¯¡¯ Ah Li cast a long, curious glance at the rising storm of red. Scarlet Qi brimmed with violence and a furious strength under it; revolving round and round it expanded layer by layer, and then it exploded into a shower of arrows scorching even the sand. A blaze spread from the center of the storm, its color dark crimson, and bringing down a huge, hexagonal crystal it burst off with a ear-battering sound.


    The scent of ashen flesh traveled all the way to his nostrils. Ah Li sniffed twice, then with his moving legs he kicked off the sand dune. Not much remained of the sand, excepting the part he stood by, and now with the physical might of his tempered legs the last piece of the dune blasted away with the wind.


    In mid-air he clenched his hands; his Qi flowed fine and his legs were no longer sore and numb. The assailers might have been all body but no spirit.


    Gliding downwards to the woman that finished casting her spell, Ah Li relaxed his fist and frowned.


    ¡®¡¯Damn it!¡¯¡¯ The woman clasped her hands together at his sight, and the bowman let out a shriek. ¡®¡¯Damn you and your ancestors! And your imperial father!¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Lunatic is a lunatic everywhere,¡¯¡¯ Ah Li responded back. His Qi flowed within his meridians, turned into a raging river, revolved thrice in a single instant; and then it escaped through his pores as a mist to round every inch of his body ¡®¡¯Stop licking the sand for water, trash.¡¯¡¯


    The bowman retreated further, his bow down in defeat and his horse ready to depart. The woman, however, persisted with her efforts and raised her shredded arms towards Ah Li. ¡®¡¯You might have survived because of that boy, but now I¡¯ll see you dead with my own eyes!¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Hm?¡¯¡¯ Ah Li raised both brows this time and the mist around his chest suddenly hardened. It circled him round and round like his Qi flow until it took the shape of a metal armor; encased in golden-red chestplate and a helmet adorned with nine horns as a ceremonial touch. Then he descended with his legs pointed down.


    ¡®¡¯Haah!¡¯¡¯ The woman pushed up, the blood on the ground rose with her. Bloods of the three horses, one still alive and running, and of their three friends shot up like arrows and streaked across the air towards him, hounding after his back with a brilliant glow.


    ¡®¡¯The storm is dispersing?¡¯¡¯ Ah Li didn¡¯t mind the strike. Instead, his gaze followed the storm shrinking in size and decreasing in temperature; its end seemed near. If I had my glaive, it would be easier.


    ¡®¡¯But well!¡¯¡¯ He inhaled and let out a deep sigh. ¡®¡¯I¡¯ll see about that.¡¯¡¯


    The arrows appeared all around him and befell.


    *********


    Bowman retreated at least two hundred meters in a few seconds, and now considerably away from the fiendish little prince his fear lessened enough to allow his head crane backwards. He saw, at the same moment his head revolved sideways, a current of red lights gathering at the sky, right above the scarlet storm substituting after its initial expansion. His body shivered; the sensation of the scorching wind and the scene of sand turning to ash remained fresh in his mind.


    But now away from there, he thought, and spurring farther to where their mentor resided at full speed, he would be safe and sound; and it made him regain that bit of confidence that came, naturally, from his blood of Rebtan. He might have not shown it on the field, but he showed it right here, by escaping at the right moment rather than dying in vain, to uphold a quest more important than confronting an enemy of much higher power: to alert those who could take care of it.


    Feeling satisfied and more at ease, he paid little attention to the road in his front and watched the arrows of blood dye the sky crimson. The hue cloaked the golden sun behind it, and its brilliance made him gasp even from this far. If he was any closer, would his eyes still be fine? That he had no answer, and he didn¡¯t wish for one.


    Blame is on them for not being prudent, and not me, He reminded, and right as his head rotated back to its place his eyes widened.


    A flash gleamed in the air, and in his eyes; a dark crimson it shone and appeared centimeters before his eyebrows.


    ¡®¡¯Succulent ancestors!-¡¯¡¯ It was an arrow made of blood, thin at shaft and sharp on the head, and with how fast it came he didn¡¯t even think of escaping.


    It brushed past the air around it and struck on his right eyebrow; the head slid and shaft followed, and then it came out from the back of his head with pieces of his brain.


    ...aaah-


    *********


    Ah Li raised his foot from the bashed piece of skull and turned back to face the dwindling storm of Qi. The scarlet turned to a faint red hue flickering between his irises, and from inside he saw a body standing straight and strong; before this point, Ah Li had never seen Xie¡¯e with his back this straight. And with his eyes closed there, Ah Li thought Xie¡¯e to be still in the shock of his strike. No man or woman¡¯s body could take that much Fire Qi and stay healthy or hydrated. Or mind, as far as he knew.


    And indeed, from the little gap in the now almost transparent storm, he glanced upon Xie¡¯e¡¯s skin tightening around his muscles and bones- the lines and curves of his body were all traceable. And under the white streams of smoke the skin had started cracking and drying.


    Ah Li had the thought of inspecting these people¡¯s bodies for water for Xie''e, and for a Sun Calculator for them to go on, but the whisper of I need to stay prudent against him had him stop for a moment. Though he was incapitated and helpless against this benefactor of his some hours ago, and he seemed to be fine with facing danger without getting rid of him, who could say his thoughts were different?


    The doubt expanded with the scene of their first meeting, and his benefactor¡¯s open intentions. Now they weren¡¯t so much clear, even clouded. After all, even if Xie''e had doubts about the locations he gave, following the same path by tracking the moon and the sun was easy. Definitely, he was capable of something so simple.


    Then was it because of his tribe? In that case, he would be ignorant of the world outside and would need help to progress; to get his citizen token and rank mark branded was bound to be a troublesome thing with a background like that. And the dangers of the desert, he did not seem to be aware of them, too. That was also the case for the young members of the Diviner Tribes, ignorant of what the world held for them, and following this train of thought Ah Li felt that could be the most certain case.


    He needed Ah Li. And Ah Li needed him, too, not long ago.


    But he didn¡¯t have to depend on him right now, right?


    He would do the same if the reverse happened- Ah Li thought, -and if he knew of me and my family, he might have done something worse...my family?


    As his thoughts came to a halt, Ah Li took a step forward and looked towards Xie¡¯e. He had heard what they called him, he remembered.


    It is all the fault of this family!


    A miniscule brown light flickered beneath the heels of his boots, then Ah Li disappeared from the sight. He appeared right before Xie¡¯e inside the storm, his palm open and ready to land on Xie¡¯e¡¯s burning chest.


    Xie¡¯e¡¯s eyes opened wide, and Ah Li gritted his teeth. The storm around them blinked once, Ah Li¡¯s palm landed, and the storm snuffed out.


    Xie¡¯e let out a heavy grunt.

 62- The Chase Of Three (2)

    Shagang was the first of the three cities of Savbath with migrating oases around it, situated not far from Ghuneit¡¯s southwest border with Shuangguang and Shaowei Empire. Being near the intersection of three empires, and on the Road Boty that circled around the Northern continent, gave it a natural advantage of trade; and with it a somewhat rich culture and defenses that emerged with, also, the unusual circumstances of it.


    In the desert, building walls was a troublesome matter that required tremendous time to make a clearing, and with most cities depending on migrating oases for food and water, they proved a threat to the livelihood of those living inside. So the Shamo people crafted humongous sledges made of wood and light metal; and they adorned them with Qi-imbued stones to make them weigh less. These sledges had tents, or in some rare cases huts built upon them to accommodate soldiers and members of the city guard. Though comfort of it could be questioned, the quest to patrol wasn¡¯t a permanent one, but one that revolved among a few selected men and women of the city¡¯s armed forces.


    This morning, however, one of these sledges, pulled by horses half-a-torso bigger than men, contained a man of esteemed background. He was named Jiao Xue, and he belonged to Rebtan Tribe of the Ghuneit¡¯s Thirteen Tribes Of Divination. At the moment, this man of good up-bringing and will sat inside his tent on the moving sledge, right upon a ground bed with an empty table in his front.


    The table was of wood like the sledge and its surface had gathered sand, as well as the ground of the sledge, for he forgot to close the tent¡¯s opening last night. Jiao Xue snorted and took a deep breath, then blew onto the empty table. Sand grains floated for a second and flew away from him; they floated out to the loud desert rumbling with another sandstorm.


    Half-satisfied, Jiao Xue willed his Qi to move and waved his wrinkly hand in front of him. The ruby ring on his middle finger gave a faint hum in response to his Qi and brightened, and next to it an emerald and sapphire ring, too, started to glow. Their lights extinguished a moment later and in front of Jiao Xue came to be twenty-one pairs of talismans and tokens. They collapsed on the table and raised the little of the sand left, and they started to glow as well.


    Everyone is safe, Jiao Xue pulled his arms to his neck, and no news came still. He gripped both sides of his neck and fondled, and he let out a deep sigh. This is what Elder Guru talked about?


    Pains of old age were not to be underestimated, Jiao Xue thought, and closed his eyes to rest a little bit more. Amidst the storm outside and his mumbles, the tokens and talismans- each paired with other- released a clear hum still audible. If something happened, he would be aware at the same instant.


    No news is good news. He thought and waited. Little prince is quite something to stay alive. The Royal Curse is still nowhere to be seen...if those younglings kill the prince, well. That¡¯s their mistake.


    For several hours nothing happened. As the sun rose into the sky and the storms started subduing, Jiao Xue heard a sound. He stopped meditating and massaging his sore neck.


    His gaze fell on the rightmost line of the talismans and tokens. Though the talismans had their glow still live, the top token lost all luster it had. The humming stopped and a crack sprang from its top, and it spread down; the white stone token split into two half-circles.


    Jiao Xue let out a snort and swept his eyes over the talismans, yet none brightened. He raised his hand and stopped it right above the bottom talisman, then he lowered it to grasp. His wrinkly fingers touched the edge of it, and the moment they clutched he heard another crack.


    His head jerked up and his brows furrowed in anger. Another had split in half and still, none of them contacted him.


    Is it not prince? Jiao Xue moved again to take a hold of the talisman, and yet, he heard another sound. This time not a crack, nor the faint clink of a talisman. But a whistle. One fierce, one that made the desert winds falter and the storm submit.


    ¡®¡¯Cursed bastard, who dares attack me!?¡¯¡¯ From within the sound seeped traces of wild Qi, earthen Qi. It came heavy, he felt, and it struck heavier.


    Jiao Xue sprang to his feet and his Qi moved. Qi gathered on top of his palm in a second and in the other it blew into a straight line. One hand at the bottom and the other at the top, he grasped the line; it turned from transparent and materialized into a solid lance. The whistle, at that moment, turned into a roar and collapsed right onto him.


    A blinding light shot out and ripped apart the tent, the clothes swished and the furniture around him blew up. Jiao Xue waved his lance in his front to fend off the light. The tip of his lance encountered, to his surprise, not strength but a light edge; and once he swept up his lance the light parted to reveal its owner: an emerald glaive with a brown shaft. It was held by a man he got to know a week ago, and one he imprisoned three days later that date.


    ¡®¡¯Who let you worms out!?¡¯¡¯ Being of old age, and also being from Rebtan, Jiao Xue showed his wild temperament with his actions. Even as he spoke his hands and feet moved: his legs blasted apart the meters lare surface of the sledge and his lance holding hands thrust forward. The red tip flashed, then it appeared right before the glaive wielding man.


    ¡®¡¯Worm is your parents!¡¯¡¯ The man shouted and struck back.


    The glaive rippled and trembled, then a streak of cracks spread like webs through its surface. A glow of earthen brown spread, and it fell with the same ferocity.


    Jiao Xue narrowed his eyes and stepped back. Yet his opponent, being the weakling he was, flew further beyond his reach and crashed on another sledge. The tent upon shook and the wooden side sank in together with the man.


    Yet Jiao Xue had no more time to observe, for a few dozen lights streaked from his sides, all earthen brown.


    ¡®¡¯Where is the prince, you slave!?¡¯''


    ¡®¡¯Give us his highness!¡¯¡¯


    Shouts came with them and surrounded him, and so appeared a company of thirty-seven men and women bearing emerald glaives with black wooden shafts. They all wore black robes of a prisoner, and as he thought how they escaped, Jiao Xue saw a woman among them with a longbow; its quiver hang at her waist half-full. Her cloth, like the glaives, was of emerald but dark, almost akin to an unpolished jade. On her he smelled the scent of blood, and also from those around her.


    That judge- I knew he was suspicious.


    ¡®¡¯Deviless.¡¯¡¯ He muttered through his teeth and raised his lance. His Second Stage Path Establisher Qi shot forth and collided with the air around the woman.


    ¡®¡¯Are you a snake? Stop hissing.¡¯¡¯ Then from the woman an aura of the exact caliber shot out to meet his own.


    Jiao Xue calmed down and, as the gazes around him turned to glares, started whistling.


    The woman¡¯s expression turned dire and the company of men and women let go of their glares. Now came wariness on their furrowed brows and narrowed eyes, and with it a shrill hiss sounded from the horizon behind Jiao Xue.


    ¡®¡¯I prefer to be called serpent,¡¯¡¯ Jiao Xue said, ¡®¡¯ Blood Serpent.¡¯¡¯


    The sunlight gleamed through hundreds of metallic scales at the same time; and a slithering figure overshadowed them. With the sun hidden behind the silhouette, the woman turned her head sideways to the shattered remains of his sledge, cloaked under piles of sand and wood and stone, and in there he noticed with her the flickering light of a talisman.


    Then tens of figures shot forward at the same instant.


    *********


    Xie¡¯e let out a grunt and his body shook. Ah Li¡¯s palm had a tremendous force that he encountered in only two: Zi Heshang and Zi Muqin. Like the monsters they were, Ah Li too garnered a fearsome physical might behind his body and struck him hard. But what his action signified hit him harder, and it hurt farther.


    ¡®¡¯Scum-¡¯¡¯ He gnashed and swinged his right arm in response. Even as his body fell backwards and slammed onto the sand, Xie¡¯e punched left cheek of Ah Li with what power he could muster.


    Ah Li¡¯s palm smashed him down and sent clouds of sent swirling out in rings, and from his back came a sharp pain almost unbearable. A second later, his punch crashed onto Ah Li¡¯s cheeks and staggered him; the man toppled on his legs for a second and took two steps back.


    ¡®¡¯You still have this much of a strength?¡¯¡¯ Ah Li spit a blood-mixed saliva and turned back to look at him; his head high and a red mark around his cheeks he showed the trace of a deep worry.


    ¡®¡¯Yet you have no dignity close around it,¡¯¡¯ Xie¡¯e said and let out a deep breath. Blood, too, dripped down his nose and lips, and they dyed his still-scarlet face a tad bit crimson. His chest felt lighter than a second ago, however, and he presumed it to be because of Ah Li¡¯s palm. It gave him pain indeed and it gave his chest a deep-purple bruise, but with it the remnants of the Fire Qi seeped out.


    ¡®¡¯Benefactor, stop for a moment,¡¯¡¯ Ah Li said, and his figure flickered again. Xie¡¯e reacted faster than he thought, and underneath his feet appeared two balls of Qi. The smooth red surface gleamed scarlet for a moment, then it burst into a shower of red light and brown sand. His body took off into the sky and off he went towards the sun, away from the second palm of Ah Li.


    ¡®¡¯Don¡¯t call me benefactor-¡¯¡¯ Xie¡¯e gathered his hands together and made several seals, and with each he garnered a more powerful force of Qi in front of his chest. The faint shape of a hexagonal crystal started appearing.


    Ah Li¡¯s brows rose in distress, he glimpsed, and he lowered his body to the ground. His legs hardened and, like the surface of a water, the clothes around his muscles tore apart. There appeared legs of bronze, a tad bit lighter than his skin, and with it a surge of brown Qi rose under them.


    Aerial Step, Xie¡¯e heard a mutter, and a moment later the sand exploded around Ah Li. Rings of white, compressed air shot all around him in circles, and with them an outrageous amount of sand, and his body flew up to Xie¡¯e; his eyes had a trace of fury in them.


    Xie¡¯e let out a shout in response and Qi materialized again above him; tendrils of blazing fire flowed all around him towards the crystal. This time no storm sprang up, for he was careful with the amount, yet it was the lack of the screen that let Ah Li come closer.


    Though he had flown quite near to Xie¡¯e, his fall came a tad bit quick. Ah Li clawed at the air for a moment and his body floated in the air, then started to fall. Xie¡¯e rejoiced, and he smashed both his palms together to complete the crystal. The hexagonal shape turned corporeal and from its inside gleamed a bright crimson; its heat scorched his palms in a matter of seconds and filled his innards with Fire Qi again.


    Taking control of the crystal, Xie¡¯e cast his gaze down and looked at Ah Li¡¯s eyes. He saw the same trace of worry, a bit soft and anxious, yet when his crystal appeared he noticed a trace of fury. A chill crept up his spine and with that feeling, he turned sober. A sharp, burning pain slashed open his chest.


    For a moment, what he was doing seemed wrong, even foolish. Yet a moment later, his confidence returned and he pushed his hand down. The crystal illuminated his whole body red, and the surroundings a dark crimson; its body brightened then dimmed, and at last it shot forth. A shockwave spread from its back, rings and tendrils of red light seeped from it and a moment later a flame roared into existence around it: the shape of a pair of wings.


    Xie¡¯e¡¯s body started falling down at the same time, so he willed again for Qi to gather. Amidst the booming roar of the firey wings cascading down another pair of Qi spheres sprang under his feet, then burst off. His body flew further and further away, yet his sight didn¡¯t part away from Ah Li.


    He watched Ah Li¡¯s body fall down to the ground; he fell from the air and, right as his brown cloaked feet touched down, squatted down. A sound so loud escaped from his place that Xie¡¯e¡¯s ears almost ruptured, then a storm of sand exploded back. The land and the sky seemed to obey his will, and also fear, for they blasted further and further away from him. Rings and tendrils and whirlwinds of sand and compressed air whistled from the sheer strength he put in his legs.


    Xie¡¯e felt his heart palpitating, yet this wasn¡¯t the end.


    The blazing wings of the crystal descended on Ah Li at that moment, when sand paved apart and air escaped. The roaring flame brightened, then expanded into a wave of fire surging down. Ah Li, at the same instant, shot up again to meet it. His right leg retracted to his stomach and his left leg stretched out; and on both of his ankles appeared plates of earthen armor made of Qi. His right leg shot forward, the flames halted for a second, and they collided.


    He heard a crack resound in the sky, then a sonic boom. The hexagonal crystal shattered between the wave of flames and the compressed energy within exploded; a pillar of fire shot into the sky like an unending line. Yet Ah Li came out fine and sound, with his legs still moving and his eyes still glaring.


    Xie¡¯e gasped, then horror filled his heart again. He remembered the terror of the scorpions of the night, then the pain of the forsaken¡¯s spear at Yadratafos. His body acted in response to his instincts and, with no lead from him, tens of balls of Qi surrounded his body.


    Ah Li¡¯s eyes blazed with fury at the sight. ¡®¡¯STOP USING THE FORSAKEN QI FOOL!¡¯¡¯ His voice boomed with such strength that half of the red spheres dispersed, yet the other half managed to shoot forward. Xie¡¯e woke up from his momentary stupor, too, but a greater sense of worry invaded his mind. He imagined Ah Li being blasted away by the balls, and his flesh being burnt by the flesh. A faint excitement crept in, then his conscience smashed it shut.


    ¡®¡¯Watch out!¡¯¡¯ He shouted with the desperation of killing another fellow human.


    Ah Li didn¡¯t bat an eye at his shout and moved again. He heard the same mutter, but this time louder and sharper, as if coming out of a gnashed teeth.


    ¡®¡¯Aerial Step,¡¯¡¯ There and then he saw Ah Li stepping on thin air and dying it brown, then shooting out of the ways of the red Qi balls. His body streaked across the sky whilst Xie¡¯e fell down, and, he stepped once more. His legs hardened, his muscles bulged, and the sky turned half brown again; then he watched Ah Li shoot from above towards his falling body.


    Regret overcame him at that moment. Xie¡¯e closed his eyes, then opened. Two streams of tears escaped. He knew the man lied about his recovery time. He, after all, treated a paralyzed men for months. How the legs would subconsciously twitch, how the chest heaved up and down, or how they trembled; he knew of it. But even then, Ah Li hadn¡¯t acted once. When he encountered his enemies, he didn¡¯t act. When he seemed to be in danger, he warned, and once he was in fatal danger, he saved him from it.


    Yet, when he struck wasn¡¯t even his weakest moment.


    And yet, why? Was his nature treacherous? Was he not fond of feeling pity? Yet, then, he didn¡¯t give him any. He couldn¡¯t think of why he did it. Because he heard those men yell little prince? It was too common of a nickname for rich children; that, he willingly revealed at their meeting with the price of his robe. Then what? To not let anyone else know he lived, to silence him?


    That...was cruel for Xie¡¯e.


    His lips parted at the open hand stretching out towards his neck, and he glared with such fury even Ah Li seemed shaken.


    ¡®¡¯I killed men for you! My own kind! YET-¡¯¡¯


    Then Ah Li¡¯s hand arrived and reached out to him. Xie¡¯e forced his vocal cords to tremble, to talk, to not let him restrain his voice before he snapped his neck.


    But he couldn¡¯t. He swallowed his words as the hand grasped him from the shoulder, then took him into Ah Li¡¯s embrace.


    ¡®¡¯...ah?¡¯¡¯ He felt the wind travel through his hair and clear up his tear-stricken eyes, and he heard Ah Li¡¯s almost-amused voice.


    ¡®¡¯Though I don¡¯t understand why killing someone matters to you, benefactor,¡¯¡¯ He reached the ground at here and squatted at the same manner; clouds of sand blasted away to make a clearing. ¡®¡¯You have my thanks for that.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Only, you are too rash,¡¯¡¯ He let go of Xie¡¯e¡¯s shoulder and laid him down on the small clearing, where sand from surroundings flowed down to fill it up again. ¡®¡¯If I wanted to kill you, you would be dead by now.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯...¡¯¡¯ Xie¡¯e didn¡¯t respond. He couldn¡¯t respond. What was happening?


    ¡®¡¯Now, let me get rid of that Fire Qi in your body.¡¯¡¯ Ah Li grasped the burnt collar of his robes and pulled them down to reveal his open chest. Let alone the cloth, even his chest had black ashen marks, and under them a scarlet skin seemingly boiled. Ah Li placed both his palms on his bare chest and sent forth a wave of Qi into his body.


    ¡®¡¯...¡¯¡¯ He still had no words for what was happening, yet gradually his body relaxed and calmed. It turned lighter and his senses came back to him, with it a searing pain. Every part of his body: his head, his arms and legs, his cheeks, his feet, his fingers, his back, his arse...they all felt scorching hot.


    ¡®¡¯Aagh!¡¯¡¯ He let out a loud grunt at the forthcoming pain, he didn¡¯t have the strength to endure it. But it lessened. He felt how the sliver of Qi traveled in his shattered meridians and through his veins. It moved back and forth and it absorbed the remnant Fire Qi hiding inside his body. This was a situation he never encountered before, and he had no memory of Zi Heshang warning him against.


    In his painful estimate, half-a-minute passed until the pain went away and left a bundle of exhaustion in its place. His limbs turned heavy and he felt the need to sleep for a moment. Drowsy and unable to move, he knew it was too dangerous to go vulnerable for now. And he was still confused, even if assured that his speculations weren¡¯t the case.


    ¡®¡¯Why in the light did you attack me there, if you were going to act like this?¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Because you would die?¡¯¡¯ Ah Li said and sat next to him. He covered up his chest and tied the collar of his robes to not let any sand in, then let out a sigh. ¡®¡¯If I didn¡¯t act fast, your innards would burn from inside in a matter of seconds.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Though I accept, that might have been a bit rough.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯...too rough...¡¯¡¯ Xie¡¯e muttered and loosened his neck. ¡®¡¯And now I feel...like a dead horse...¡¯¡¯


    Ah Li gave him a blank stare, then his eyes widened. ¡®¡¯Wait, don¡¯t go to sleep!¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯I...¡¯¡¯ Can¡¯t- Xie¡¯e couldn¡¯t finish before he gave in to the urge.


    *********


    Ah Li cast his eyes at the shady youth lying down, then let out another sigh. He looked up at the sun, then down the sand, and at last to his throbbing legs. The ache turned faint with each second, but it would remain for a while. Oh father, ah father, he lamented, what did I deserve to live like this?


    His eyes then glazed to his side again, to the boy already in deep slumber. He knew, or heard, how tiring it was for the mind of those cripple warriors to work. They controlled the Qi not with instinct and guidance, but with power and precision; akin to weaving a web, or looming silk, yet not with the exact tools, but with two rough hands made of will. How it worked and how they did it: that, too, was instinctual, but also different from the meridians¡¯ natural influence.


    He had not much knowledge about the topic, Ah Li realized. All he knew came from the superficial lessons he was obliged to take in his childhood; and in advanced classes he only paid attention to the arts of war and ruling land, in which he wasn¡¯t near the success his brothers had. In relations he was weak, and in forging connections he deemed them as a dangerous work. Why would you bow and give to people, just to get none of their scorn for you?


    That, he thought, might be why I am here. That wasn¡¯t how a ruler had to look, his eldest brother said, and was, perhaps, what made him dismissible in his father¡¯s eyes. If not, would the Ghuneit Elder even raise a finger of his against him? Of course, he would. Taking sides was what mattered now- without sect, the remaining strong decided who got the power and who lost it.


    Shaking his head, Ah Li raised himself and stood on one knee next to Xie¡¯e. He raised the boy from his shoulders, slid him on his back, and got on his feet. His erratic breathing sounded quite loud, and so he shook his back a little; Xie¡¯e¡¯s head tumbled twice and now rested at the edge of his shoulder, and his legs twitched before they trembled twice above his hands lifting him up.


    For first, the tracking path- Ah Li pushed his feet and a brown shower of light cloaked his open legs, and the still-sunken sand burst into the air again; there appeared another pit, and sand grains flowed in to close the gap. By then, Ah Li had climbed onto the air and cast his eyes to the ground.


    As it had been no longer than two or three minutes, he noticed the battlefield after two glances. Knowing the destination he kicked the thin air and the sky behind him dyed brown; he shot forward and then kicked again. The moment air cleansed, another veil of brown encased it in its colors. The faint booming of his steps came right after he reached atop the bloody past sand dune and with their heralds he descended, this time slow.


    His feet sank a few centimeters in the sand, then rose again with the cloaking of the brown around his legs. He stepped forward and inspected the ground for a moment: there laid eight corpses- four of them horses, four other humans. One human died from a gap in the chest, one by bleeding to death from arrows to the back, and two with their heads smashed or ripped to pieces. Two more died by burning to ashes, and he saw no trace of the black remains, while the magic casting woman killed the deserter herself. He still didn¡¯t know why she had done that; was it not their quest to find and be assured of his death? Then it was the most logical to have someone send the news.


    But they shouldn¡¯t be that careless- For a Guru of the thirteen tribes, it was impossible to act without at least two or three means of communication through his hunting bands. Establishing the flow of information, then relaying his orders were crucial if he wanted to, especially, achieve something in the desert; and that being his life, and it was quite precious, he would be a fool to not act with caution.


    So, Ah Li concluded and came near the first corpse; the woman with the chest wound. He laid Xie¡¯e down on the ground and kneeled in front of the corpse. With a shake of his hands his meridians whizzed, then created a gust of wind barreled forward by his Qi. It swept the accumulated sand over the woman¡¯s body except those stuck on the wound, but he had not that much of a need for it.


    With her robe¡¯s belly being already torn, he didn¡¯t fuss over it and cut with his finger from the remains to half. There pooled out another surge of blood, and so he rotated her to face the sky. The remainder mixed to the ground and there appeared her innards; half smashed, half torn out, and inside a foul smell that made him grimace for a moment. But no longer than a moment he looked, then cut the front of her clothes again. Her dead head titled to the side for a moment, then he took off the whole robe.


    Taking away the robe Ah Li turned his head away from the naked corpse and looked at the inner pockets first. There he found nothing, and so he traced the cloth with his hands. Over at the upper-left of the robe was a bump not so noticeable, but one that he noticed. Qi gathered at the tip of his fingers, then cut through the cloth; there appeared a small paper with a faint red glow.


    ¡®¡¯One,¡¯¡¯ Ah Li counted, then traced the cloth again. He found nothing alike, so he turned to the corpse again to inspect. Another time he glazed over her body and the pants, but there he also didn¡¯t find anything.


    Then he went over to the other corpse not so far down, to the man lying down; coagulated blood shielded his back from the sun, and perhaps it would help him preserve the remains for a tad bit longer.


    Ah Li crouched down again and did the same; he traced the corpse for a few seconds then ripped apart his clothes. He cast his eyes over the bare chest down to the pants, then cut once more the take out the robe. He laid it on the sand, glanced back at Xie¡¯e¡¯s position, then looked over it. He found another bump, this time near the center of the chest, and revealed another talisman among the fabric. Color and shape was the same, and it glowed the same as well.


    ¡®¡¯Two-¡¯¡¯ He muttered, ¡®¡¯But what were they tracking me with?¡¯¡¯


    He rose up and inspected other two corpses, and he found nothing but talismans. Now four of them laid in his hands and he had nothing more to do. The presumed tracking device was either on the two men burnt alive, or at the bowman who fled not far from him.


    Or at another group.


    For scouting purposes, this little of a squad was a miserable amount unless they had dire circumstances; A royal retaliation perhaps.


    But no need to be wary about that; It is those chasing that are annoying.


    Ah Li looked down at his roughened hands; above the calluses, old scars, and the blood from the corpses on his palm now he held those glowing talismans.


    Should I bait them out?


    But then he felt his skin tingle, and his meridians wriggle with alert. A trace of disgusting, foul Qi wafted from horizon, and with it the weak presence of poison.


    His head shot to the side and his eyes focused at three figures, one hounding two; then he realized he knew them all.


    ¡®¡¯Beri! Nehkar!¡¯¡¯


    *********


    The moment he shouted, Ah Li also shot back towards Xie¡¯e and grasped him from the ground. His hand clasping on Xie¡¯e¡¯s shoulder, he rushed and stomped on the ground towards the man and woman riding towards them. Their mounts were a pair of horses tainted with red skin, and they bore high quality skins and exquisite saddles adorned with gems. Right behind them rose from a cloud of sand a huge serpent: it had scarlet scales glistening under the Sun, and atop it stood a figure clad in blood and crimson scale armor. The figure was of an old man, and within his wrinkled hands he grasped a half-black half-red lance above two meters in length.


    ¡®¡¯Your highness, run forth to the northwest!¡¯¡¯ The woman shouted from afar. Ah Li cast his eyes at her, then at the bare-chested man right next to her who continued.


    ¡®¡¯The rest of the company waits there for your arrival! Please hurry!¡¯¡¯


    Ah Li neither affirmed nor refused, but steadied Xie¡¯e on his back. He let his legs dangle under his palms, and he let his arms coil around his neck. Perhaps from natural instinct, Xie¡¯e clenched tight to hold on, and this made Ah Li feel at ease.


    Then he turned around to glance at the trio approaching closer and closer. He stood upon the sand for a moment, deep in thought, and a second later the sand beneath him exploded into a shower of grains. His body shot off into the sky and towards the trio, and watching his actions the two gasped.


    ¡®¡¯Your highness!¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯My prince!¡¯¡¯


    A cloak of brown appeared all around his legs, then it slithered up to his back and shielded Xie¡¯e from the upcoming. It solidified like a barrier, and it acted like a barrier indeed. The next moment another brown wave of Qi rose like a tide, and it coagulated into a pair of solid greaves. Now two followers let out another series of gasps, yet it was apparent that this was more of relief.


    Ah Li retracted his left leg to his stomach, and extended his right leg all the way; he practiced this stance so many times that it became an instinct already. The horse mounting followers, noticing the stance, spurred their mounts and rounded their compatriots, and they faced the large serpent drilling through sand and clouds to chase them.


    The old man let out a laugh and grasped the lance from the center, and in a blink the lance started wheezing and revolving. It turned into a half-red and half-black whirlwind, and looking at his expression Ah Li noticed a trace of amusement.


    ¡®¡¯Jiao Xue,¡¯¡¯ He called out. Though he was far and away from him, concentrating his Qi into the shape of an expanding cone boosted his voice and echoed it through the whole area. ¡®¡¯Was it Ghuneit or was it the Warlord?¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯What if I say both, little prince?¡¯¡¯ Jiao Xue grinned.


    ¡®¡¯Then-¡¯¡¯ Ah Li showed a grim smile, then whilst floating in the air stepped on the blank space. A brown dyed the sky, and with it came a deafening boom that rumbled the ears of anyone present. For Xie¡¯e inside the half-sphere brown, Ah Li made sure he wasn¡¯t disturbed.


    But for the target, he was disturbed indeed. Jiao Xue stopped grinning and narrowed his eyes, and his lance rose into the air whilst spinning.


    Ah Li¡¯s body streaked down in response and the brown color started changing; its color became brighter and lighter, and from within the faint outline of a hand could be seen. The blood serpent of Jiao Xue let out a nervous hiss at the image, and the man himself turned warier.


    Two followers, however, stopped their charge at the sudden voice in their heads.


    ¡®¡¯Which one of you has strength left?¡¯¡¯


    Beri looked at her compatriot, Nehkar, and he looked at her. A glint passed through their gazes and they nodded at each other.


    Ah Li¡¯s figure flickered in the air at the same moment, and he disappeared. A deafening explosion gave way to a shadow parting the air itself, and the light-brown brilliance in the sky revealed a humongous hand holding a divine bow. With their rise Ah Li appeared right in front of Jiao Xue; his leg raised, his expression grim, yet with eyes filled with contempt he struck.


    ¡®¡¯Ugh!¡¯¡¯


    Dozens of rings of brown Qi shot off from the center of their clash and the blood serpent wailed in pain. Jiao Xue let out a grunt and pushed his lance against Ah Li¡¯s leg, and Ah Li continued putting strength into his right calf to push harder. Clouds of sand rose into air from sheer pressure. The blood serpent coiled down to resist the strike while Jiao Xue let out another grunt: his face twisted with anger at last from the pain.


    ¡®¡¯Nehkar!¡¯¡¯ Ah Li suddenly shouted and kicked with his retracted left leg. Jiao Xue tilted the lance sideways to counter, and taking the rebound from it stretched his arms forward.


    Ah Li snorted and shot himself back by kicking the lance again. His feet pushed against the shaft and he flew back, then came above his follower duo.


    ¡®¡¯Yes, my prince!¡¯¡¯ Nehkar let out a vibrant shout and grasped at thin air. From empty space he clutched a pair of glaives: Both with shafts of black metal, yet with heads differing in color; one a deep emerald bordering jade and the other a dark yellow almost gold. Nehkar raised both glaives, upon his humongous and muscular physique bulged out almost all vessels of blood in his body, and with tremendous physical might he swung them both down.


    From the glaives¡¯ tips shone radiant brown and shot off in the shape of crescent moons. The blades of Qi cut through the land, left devastated sand dunes in its wake, and appeared right before the blood serpent.


    ¡®¡¯Scram!¡¯¡¯ Jiao Xue shouted and retracted his lance; his hands caressed its surface for a moment, then thrust it with all the force he had. From his lance¡¯s body emerged a blinding scarlet, then burst towards the incoming crescent blades with a booming screech. The serpent, too, accompanied the strike and drilled through the sand to guide Jiao Xue.


    Ah Li turned his head away as the strikes met.


    He dissipated the cloak around Xie¡¯e and landed next to Beri, who cast him a glance more than shocked.


    ¡®¡¯Take him to the company and treat him well,¡¯¡¯ He said, ¡®¡¯Your first priority is to get in contact with Kuhzeit Warlords at Tanbrid. Tell them of the Rebtan as rebels, and move. We will catch up once-¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯My prince, stop babbling and let us go while Nehkar holds him off!¡¯¡¯ Beri said and pushed Xie¡¯e against Ah Li, refusing to take him. ¡®¡¯And who is this pilgrim again? Is this the hundredth you saved when you are in times of trouble?¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Deviless-¡¯¡¯ Ah Li said, ¡®¡¯I¡¯ll dismiss you once I catch up, so do not dare complain again,¡¯¡¯ He shoved Xie¡¯e over her hands, and this time she didn¡¯t object. A trace of sorrow appeared in her dark eyes when he spoke of dismissing.


    ¡®¡¯And he is not a pilgrim-¡¯¡¯ Ah Li added and turned around. ¡®¡¯He is the one who did the duty that was yours, so do not let him suffer, too.¡¯¡¯


    With that, he stomped on the ground and shot off towards Jiao Xue and Nehkar facing off. His figure flickered in the air, beneath his feet the sky morphed into brown, then he blasted through the shockwaves of their strikes to appear right in front of the duo clashing their weapons.


    ¡®¡¯My prince, here!¡¯¡¯ Nehkar blocked the tip of Jiao Xue¡¯s lance with difficulty and hurled the yellow-headed glaive to Ah Li.


    ¡®¡¯Have you gone senile, Prince Ali?¡¯¡¯ Jiao Xue let out a snort and started revolving his lance again, and the serpent beneath him retreated to get in a defensive stance.


    Without a word Ah Li clutched the spinning glaive in the air and kicked at the empty sky once more; he drilled through the air from above to swing down.The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    Nehkar, however, responded in his place with a slash of his own.


    ¡®¡¯You are the senile one, old snake!¡¯¡¯


    *********


    There and then they exchanged a dozen moves after the initial strike, and with them keeping both the serpent and Jiao Xue, Beri carried Xie¡¯e away from the battlefield to the northeast.


    As his eyes glazed over the scales of the serpent and noticed the lack of presence other than the four of them, Ali retreated a safe distance away from the serpent and Jiao Xue. Nehkar, too, moved back with his alert and now they confronted the blood serpent with their gazes alone.


    ¡®¡¯Jiao Xue-¡¯¡¯ Prince Ali said, ¡®¡¯Would you mind telling me who convinced those two?¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Hah!¡¯¡¯ Jiao Xue let out a snort, ¡®¡¯No one! They acted on their own, those mad dogs!¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯On their own?¡¯¡¯ Nehkar raised a brow, and his eyes slid to his prince. When he saw another brown surge of Qi rising, he, too, took a step and readied for another attack.


    ¡®¡¯And, little prince,¡¯¡¯ Jiao Xue said, ¡®¡¯Telling of Rebtan as a rebel won¡¯t do. They exiled me, hahahaha!¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Since when?¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯The moment word reaches them, of course,¡¯¡¯ Jiao Xue laughed and laughed, and the serpent beneath him hissed with amusement. The slits on both the man and the beast¡¯s eyes narrowed into thin lines, and the dull yellow of their pupils glowed.


    ¡®¡¯I never used their name when conducting business, after all,¡¯¡¯ And right then the blood serpent coiled down; the Sun gleamed through the scarlet scales and, unbeknownst to their foresight, turned into brilliant rays of blinding light. Ali clenched the shaft of his glaive kicked the ground; his body shot forward at the same time as Nehkar and together they swung their glaives down on Jiao Xue.


    ¡®¡¯My little prince, you should have escaped!¡¯¡¯ Jiao Xue roared in laughter and pointed the tip of his lance at the sky. The serpent beneath him hissed and lowered its body again, and its tail extended dozens of meters behind. There, at the tail¡¯s end, shone a crimson crystalline light and a moment later it pierced through the air towards the lance¡¯s tip.


    ¡®¡¯My prince, that¡¯s poison!¡¯¡¯ Nehkar shouted and slashed through the air to Jiao Xue¡¯s head. Ali, at the same moment, kicked the air and dove down towards the serpent¡¯s fangs almost as long as him.


    From their glaives shot off waves of brown Qi, and within them a tinge of gold they turned into crescent moons that descended upon their targets.


    Jiao Xue swung down his lance in response. From the lance¡¯s tip extended the serpent¡¯s crimson poison, and it expanded into a huge curtain spanning the upper body of the serpent.


    A second later, all strikes met their match.


    Jiao Xue¡¯s curtain blocked Ali¡¯s glaive with booms that had no equal until now, and the sand dunes and hills all around them burst into miniscule grains of sand. The sky absorbed the colors of scarlet, brown, and gold all together, then it morphed into a pillar of humongous Qi left in the wake of their strikes. It blinded the eyes of all but Nehkar.


    Nehkar, right there and then, came down with his own glaive. What he supposed to be the weakest moment of Jiao Xue, and the moment he decided to strike, turned out to be the most dangerous of the times. The huge blood serpent raised its scaled head and lunged forward towards him, with jaws wide open and fangs gleaming with lust for blood.


    Yet Nehkar smiled. His crescent-shaped Qi cut through the tongue of the beast, and it let out a shrill hiss; from the darkness of its throat came pouring out thick, foul-smelling blood, and on the passages they came appeared two gashes.


    ¡®¡¯HISS!¡¯¡¯


    The serpent rose, its body heaved up and down as Nehkar retreated with his prince, and on it Jiao Xue clenched his left chest with a trace of red on his cheeks. His breath, too, turned ragged with the serpent¡¯s pained cries.


    ¡®¡¯So you knew-¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯I am a servant of the royal, of course I know!¡¯¡¯ Nehkar slammed his bare-chest with a mischievous grin.


    Ali, then, stepped out of the pillar of Qi with his clothes torn to shreds, and his body revealed to the duo.


    Compared to the bulging muscles on his legs and the refined belly muscles he had, his arms seemed quite insignificant. And indeed they also looked tiny in comparison, as if he had a physical deformation.


    Looking at the naked prince and the grinning Nehkar, Jiao Xue snorted for the uncountable time and slammed the end of his lance on the serpent¡¯s body. Blood serpent wailed, tremors passed through its dulling scales, and at last it shriveled and fell dead on the ground. Jiao Xue stepped off the dead serpent¡¯s head and came in contact with the sand earth- then the serpent disappeared from sight.


    All it took was a blink for it to vanish, and the next moment a huge shadow appeared behind Jiao Xue.


    Ali cast his eyes to the shadow and took a step back. Nehkar, in reverse, took one forward.


    ¡®¡¯Little prince, I¡¯ll see you again-¡¯¡¯ Jiao Xue said and the shadow behind him solidified: It was another serpent, this time smaller and seemingly with an aura much weaker than before. ¡®¡¯-and when I do, it won¡¯t be alone like this.¡¯¡¯


    Then the shadow turned corporeal and his eyes froze in shock.


    Nehkar trembled and felt tremors passing through the ground, and he looked up at the sky.


    Ali was the sole person with no shock; he had a simple, yet grim smile on his lips.


    ¡®¡¯Don¡¯t forget my bow-¡¯¡¯ He said and extended his left arm forward, and put his right hand¡¯s index finger and thumb. As if he carried a bow, he pulled the imaginary bowstring back.


    Then the lands rumbled again. At the sky, Nehkar and Jiao Xue looked, the image of the divine bow with the hand could still be seen.


    As Ali took a hold of the bow, the hand did the same. As he pulled the string, another hand came and mimicked the movement. And once he set his eyes on Jiao Xue and the serpent, a single eye opened in the sky that gazed down with might.


    They all recognized what this spell was, or who that eye belonged to.


    ¡®¡¯Khan!¡¯¡¯ Jiao Xue paled.


    ¡®¡¯Your majesty!¡¯¡¯ Nehkar kowtowed on the ground.


    ¡®¡¯Father-¡¯¡¯ Ali said and, right after muttering let go of the string. There appeared no arrow, nor there was any other sound.


    Only, right inside his pupils flickered an aura; seven colored, tiny, and mystifying.


    Then Jiao Xue let out a curling scream.


    The old man wailed and cried, he grasped the top of his head with both hands and dug with his fingers deep into the skull; he kicked on the ground, fell on his knees, and smashed his head again and again, and yet didn¡¯t stop. He cried tears of blood and from his nose flowed a river of crimson, and he spat his teeth out of his dry lips with bloody saliva.


    Ali raised a brow at the prowess of the spell but chose not to comment. Amidst the blood-freezing squeals of help he gazed up at the sky, to the single eye encompassing the whole space above them.


    ¡®¡¯Get back alive and we will discuss-¡¯¡¯ From the eye came a majestic voice.


    ¡®¡¯...yes, father.¡¯¡¯ Ali said, and bowed.


    The voice didn¡¯t respond again and instead dissipated into chunks of Qi, and they, too, turned into streams that disappeared into thin air.


    Nehkar rose from the ground after a second of silence and gave another bow towards the sky, then kneeled in front of Ali.


    ¡®¡¯My prince, I am glad you are safe.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Hm,¡¯¡¯ Ali nodded. ¡®¡¯Me too, Nehkar. Rise first, and get that man¡¯s head for me.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Yes!¡¯¡¯ Nehkar rose and went forth with his glaive to retrieve the head of screaming Jiao Xue. Ali watched the man cast a glance at Jiao Xue, grin, then behead him with one swift strike. The headless body spasmed and trembled on the ground, from the severed neck blood flooded the ground and at last it stopped moving. Nehkar clasped the head with one hand and ran back to him.


    ¡®¡¯What shall I do with it, my prince?¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Hang it on your mount of co...oh,¡¯¡¯ Their eyes swept the battleground for the horse but they found none- not even any remains. Amidst the deafening explosions of their strikes, it must have slipped out of their minds. Or it could have escaped, but either way now they had no means of transportation.


    ¡®¡¯Then I shall carry it myself!¡¯¡¯ Nehkar raised the head from the severed neck and it dyed his palm red, yet he seemed content with it.


    ¡®¡¯Do you have a Sun Calculator?¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Of course-¡¯¡¯ Nehkar said and waved his hand in front of him. Out of thin air appeared a cloth cloaking something, and whatever it had in was about to tear the fabric apart to get out.


    Ali took it and pulled the thin bond at its top to unravel it. In his hand, now, laid two medallion-like metal circles. The one at the bottom he recognized: it was a Sun Calculator, with four iron-made rods separating the image of a sun into four pieces. They showed the hours of the day, and it seemed like they were at the fourth hour of the third division; there was only an hour or two before the night came down.


    Apart from the hour, though, it also showed the cardinal directions: there was a small grey stone placed in the center of the circle that glowed when injected with Qi. Ali did so, and right after a second a thin line escaped from the grey rock. The line grew with his Qi and morphed into the shape of arrows that pointed at four different sides. On each side were words written in the old language: Up was used for both Up and to point north, Dovn was used for down and south, Arta was used for either behind or east, and Maet was used for front and west.


    Ali raised the Sun Calculator and extended his arms to the front. The arrows moved with his action and tilted slightly, and with it he nodded. It worked fine.


    Now he rotated to stand between Up and Arta, and with their direction now clear and with no worries he looked at the second object.


    ¡®¡¯Nehkar, can you explain?¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯This medallion was used to track you, my prince,¡¯¡¯ Nehkar said, ¡®¡¯They took it from one of the Warlords it seems, as it could detect your Chief robe.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯My robe!?¡¯¡¯ Ali glared. ¡®¡¯Why did I not ask you before, my unlucky ancestors! Do you know how many were chasing us?¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯It seemed like three squads: One we got rid of when we ambushed the blood serpent, and the company took care of another one when they were on the road. But the third one we can¡¯t find. We have been trying to bait them out but there is no response,¡¯¡¯ Nehkar sighed.


    ¡®¡¯If we had their life tokens, it would be much easier.¡¯¡¯


    Ali gazed at Nehkar for a moment, then sighed as well.


    ¡®¡¯Then let us be on alert for them- after all, it is my benefactor who wears it in my stead. If something happens to him, it would hurt my prestige, no?¡¯¡¯


    Nehkar froze, his eyes dulled, and then his skin turned bright red. Ali passed him his glaive at that time, and Nehkar subconsciously grasped it with his other hand.


    ¡®¡¯Imperial family¡¯s dignity must be protected! My prince, I will carry you on my shoulders till we find your benefactor! Let me- let us depart immediately!¡¯¡¯ He shouted and two glaives disappeared from his right hand. Then he put Jiao Xue¡¯s hair in his mouth and bit on it to hold, making it sway back and forth.


    With it being done he kneeled, and breathing now rough he gazed down.


    Ali coughed twice and stepped on the kneeling Nehkar¡¯s back, then put his legs over his shoulders. Nehkar held him from his thighs and stomped on the ground to start running.


    In a second he picked up speed and a few seconds later they started raising humongous clouds of sand. Ali enjoyed the feeling for a moment, then looked down at the two medallions.


    ¡®¡¯Wait, Nehkar stop! You are going the wrong way!¡¯¡¯


    *********


    It was no longer than fifty or fifty-five minutes since they departed from battlefield. The sun floated down and its rays turned red, it let out the last bits of its light before it would set and disappear down the horizon. It was amidst those that Ali and Nehkar saw a woman riding towards them. She rode a silver-maned brown horse with an exquisite saddle, and actually held the reins of another pair of horses; their manes black, and their saddles, too, donned with jewelry, they followed behind her.


    The woman wore a green robe that had stitches around her breasts, and looped around these stitches were strings connected to a cloak hiding her body and half of her hair. For most members of the military, it was a requirement to wear one, save one, and craft one for themselves. Though it seemed Nehkar and Beri had lost theirs, and now Beri came with one of her own.


    The woman was Beri, of course, and two horses she brought were belonging to them. Only, Ali frowned, there was no trace of Xie¡¯e.


    A few seconds passed and they came before each other with sand rising against their faces. Ali stepped off Nehkar¡¯s back and Beri threw the reins in her hand to jump off.


    ¡®¡¯Ours, I presume?¡¯¡¯ Ali glanced at the two horses. They were two heads bigger than him, and the power he felt from them indicated a breed not so easy to find. Did they steal it from Shagang¡¯s Judge or was it a gift?


    ¡®¡¯It is, my prince,¡¯¡¯ Beri said, ¡®¡¯and with their speed it won¡¯t take longer than half-an-hour to get to the company- and the pilgrim there, too.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Why the haste, Beri?¡¯¡¯ Nehkar said through his teeth- they still clamped on the blood serpent''s hair. ¡®¡¯You could have waited with them, and my prince would have kept his promise the same.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Let her have some privacy,¡¯¡¯ Ali said, waving his hand. ¡®¡¯I said I¡¯ll dismiss, so give me your Citizen Talisman.¡¯¡¯


    A smile lit up her face and Beri waved her hand. On her ring finger lit up a piece of stone, strapped to the center of a golden ring, and from within flickered a faint shadow. A moment later the shadow turned corporeal and revealed itself to be, as its name suggested, not a talisman paper, but a bulky metal; Circular and quite weighty, on its front it had the image of a wooden bow and at its back the head of a horse.


    Ali took ahold of it from her palm and bit off the tip of his left thumb. A small piece of flesh came off, drops of blood dripped from its tip, and without stop Ali drew a straight line upon the two sides of the citizen talisman.


    His blood had, as it was of the imperial, the ability to sever a person¡¯s affiliation with Shamo. It would destroy the records of their birth, their homeland, their families, their past professions, their crimes, or even accomplishments that were notable. All left would be a blank piece of metal: and that was the sign of exiled ones.


    Soon his blood on the talisman shone crimson and absorbed the images; they turned into a liquid and rushed up to his blood, then disappeared. With nothing else left in its wake but his fingerprints, Ali put it back on Beri¡¯s palm and closed her hand around it.


    ¡®¡¯Do what you wish with it,¡¯¡¯ He said, ¡®¡¯But if it comes down to nothing...you know what to do. Go find your brother.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Thank you, my prince,¡¯¡¯ Beri lowered her head and nodded. ¡®¡¯I¡¯ll visit with him, if it is possible.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯I hope so.¡¯¡¯


    Ali then took a step back and caressed the head of the silver-maned horse. It neighed and heaved its head up and down, then it calmed down and pushed his hand away.


    ¡®¡¯My prince, these...¡¯¡¯ As they were about to bid their farewells, Beri snapped her fingers and her ring flashed again. This time a pair of rings, similar to her own, came on her rough palms. ¡®¡¯The judge had them collected from the guards when we were imprisoned-¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Nehkar can tell you the whole story,¡¯¡¯ She ceased her speech and winked at Nehkar. For a moment, Ali thought that instance of heaviness around them relaxed. ¡®¡¯But well, these are yours. I almost forgot and took them with me.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯It wouldn¡¯t be a big deal,¡¯¡¯ Nehkar laughed and scratched his bare chest. ¡®¡¯Are you sure you won¡¯t take mine?¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Then I won¡¯t be-¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯I was kidding! My mother¡¯s potteries are there!¡¯¡¯


    Ali showed an amused smile, and his brows loosened after hours of worrisome events.


    ¡®¡¯Thank you, Beri,¡¯¡¯ He said.


    ¡®¡¯It is- it was my pleasure, my prince.¡¯¡¯ There she handed them two rings, with Nehkar clutching his own with the look of a mother protecting her children, and mounted her horse. The horse neighed and stomped with its hooves to raise some sand, and it cast a glance to Ali that he presumed to be some kind of promise. He nodded, and gazed as Beri showed them a final smile before departing towards southwest; to Shaowei border.


    Nehkar let out a sigh after she went beyond the horizon and turned away from the scarlet Sun. He, alone, was enough to protect Ali from the Sun¡¯s sweeping lights.


    ¡®¡¯My prince, shall we depart?¡¯¡¯


    Ali swept the horizon with his eyes one last time and nodded.


    ¡®¡¯Let us return to our people.¡¯¡¯


    *********


    As per Beri said, their journey lasted no more than thirty minutes on the fine horses she brought. They galloped and neighed, and once the sun almost set they saw a rising tongue of flame a few hundred meters in their front; placed at the center of a camp of tents, and surrounded by two sand dunes squeezing them, a gathering of thirty or forty men and women came to their sight.


    ¡®¡¯Is it not the week of waning crescent? Why are they settled this quick?¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯My prince,¡¯¡¯ Nehkar said whilst releasing the horse¡¯s reins, ¡®¡¯You might not be aware of the time- it is new moon tonight, and two days thereafter as well.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Then comes the Merciful Crescent,¡¯¡¯ Ali nodded, ¡®¡¯We have around three months to march from Ghuneit to Bashkend,¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯March?¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯I need treatment,¡¯¡¯ Ali said.


    ¡®¡¯...I dare not overstep my rank¡¯s boundary, my prince, but...was it the royal spell?¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯It wasn¡¯t complete-¡¯¡¯ Ali straightened his back and they both slowed the horses. The soldiers around the camp had noticed them long ago, and now a dozen of them lined up at the supposed entrance to it.


    ¡®¡¯-and it is a soul spell, so it had quite the toll on myself as well.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯So we need to get to High Judge...¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯No need to worry,¡¯¡¯ Ali waved his hands and their mounts came to a halt in front of the spikes entrenched around the camp.


    ¡®¡¯We welcome the Third Imperial Prince!¡¯¡¯ The soldiers, seven of them woman and six of them men, half-kneeled in front of Ali and put their hands on their left chests. It was a piece of old military etiquette; its meaning akin to serving the royal and holding the people at heart whilst on duty. Who invented it, no one knew, but it lasted till this day fine in action.


    ¡®¡¯Rise-¡¯¡¯ Ali gave his first command in a while and got off his mount with Nehkar. With his words they rose, and among them one man and one woman stepped forward to take their mounts. They grasped the leashes, bowed to him, then walked off to the back of the camp where the flame rose.


    ¡®¡¯My prince,¡¯¡¯ a man with tied up dark hair rose, and he caressed the thin mustache above his lips as he spoke. ¡®¡¯We tried to contact Warlord Irohan and Warlord Purehan of the Bat?h, and Warlord Balkash of the Bashkend. We can¡¯t reach them with our talismans; either they are tempered, blocked, or...my tongue won¡¯t extend to the last possibility.¡¯¡¯ There he bowed and took another step back.


    ¡®¡¯It is worrisome,¡¯¡¯ Ali said, ¡®¡¯but not too troublesome. Thank you, Kazad, let the men return their duty, and-¡¯¡¯ Here he grasped Kazad from shoulder and gazed deep into his eyes.


    ¡®¡¯Where is that benefactor of mine?¡¯¡¯


    *********


    ¡®¡¯I say-¡¯¡¯ Xie¡¯e glared at the two soldiers in front of him. ¡®¡¯I am not from any damned tribe!¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯And where you are from, then?¡¯¡¯ These two soldiers, unlike their compatriots, wore armor reinforced with steel plates over soft tunics, rather than normal scale armors, and green steel gauntlet rather than leather gloves . Hence, each time they moved or snapped their fingers, they made an annoying clink or clang, or tick and tock. These sounds aggravated wounded Xie¡¯e more, more than the fact that he was strapped to a column of the tent with nothing soft to sit on but hot sand.


    ¡®¡¯You have no Qi yet such strong body and soul, you have no knowledge of the world outside and travel the desert, and while looking like us you don¡¯t bear our curse; you know of old tongue, you recognize our armor, and by accident found our prince near the territories of Thirteen Tribes?¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Look, boy,¡¯¡¯ The bulky built man at the left raised his right index finger and started digging around his nose. ¡®¡¯It is enough if you admit to being from the Divination Tribes, at least then we will know how to explain things to your Elder Gurus.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯And do you not fear your own elders? What will they do to you once they come?¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯I am saying this for the fifth- no sixth time!¡¯¡¯ Xie¡¯e kicked the ground and growled for a moment. ¡®¡¯I.AM.NOT.FROM.ANY.DAMNED.FUCKING.CURSED.TRIBE!¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯...¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯...You said you once met with one of those divinators, right?¡¯¡¯ The soldier at the right turned to his friend. ¡®¡¯Are they always this bratty?¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯...¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯What?¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯...well, they were, but now I remember something.¡¯¡¯ The soldier at the left threw off the gathered mucus on his finger and kneeled in front of him, his hands drooping forward.


    ¡®¡¯Perhaps, were you from Tianhui tribe?¡¯¡¯


    Xie¡¯e stopped shaking and glaring, and his momentary freeze gave the kneeling man the glimpse of something he seemed to be thinking of as the truth.


    ¡®¡¯...Fourteenth tribe?¡¯¡¯ The other soldier raised a brow, and his expression also changed to a wry smile.


    The kneeling soldier rose and turned around, and grasped the arm of his fellow soldier to take him out with him.


    ¡®¡¯Well, boy, sorry for your loss, but don¡¯t endanger us with your revenge,¡¯¡¯ He said and cast one more glance before shoving his friend out.


    ¡®¡¯You can tear those off anytime you want-¡¯¡¯


    There he spoke something, yet he couldn¡¯t hear what he said, but he disappeared beyond the flapping entrance of the tent before he could ask. Xie¡¯e looked after those two for a while.


    ¡®¡¯Is it...father¡¯s home?¡¯¡¯


    In silence he sat and thought, and his complexion changed with each thought coming one after another.


    Then, perhaps after a few more minutes, he heard the entrance faintly whip in the air again, and he saw a bronze, brown-eyed figure that was quite familiar these days.


    ¡®¡¯...is this how you treat your benefactor, Ah Li?¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯...¡¯¡¯


    *********


    An hour or so later, Xie¡¯e found himself sitting alongside the whispering and giggling soldiers. They sat next to the huge campfire at the back of the camp, the fire contained by stones and flared by woods rose towards the air whilst roaring. His eyes cast themselves to the sky for a moment, and he saw none of that creepy crescent moon looking down; and he saw no moon as well.


    Instead he glanced and watched the men and women encircle the fire with bowls of wood in their hands, and an orange-ish soup in their bowls that they chugged down with no spoon. They gave one to him, too, and he caught a whiff of a sweet meat, akin to venison. But no doubt they couldn¡¯t find deer, or any of that kind of animals in the desert. Then where did it come from?


    For a moment he considered asking, then he forgone it. It was better without knowing; not like he would feel worse by learning it was from a freakish monster, but it would be unpleasant to consume further of it.


    So he took the filled bowl from the smiling woman and took a small sip. It dyed his lips with an oily orange, and it tasted like liquified deer leg. Now he became more curious about the ingredients, but he held back the urge and drank more.


    ¡®¡¯Slow, benefactor,¡¯¡¯ Ali said beside him, ¡®¡¯You¡¯ll burn your throat.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Mm,¡¯¡¯ Xie¡¯e nodded and lowered the bowl. He had consumed half of it with one, though at first intended to be, a sip.


    ¡®¡¯Good?¡¯¡¯ The man who wore nothing even in the cold desert night, Nehkar, asked, sitting at Ali¡¯s left.


    Xie¡¯e raised his head again and looked at him, confused. ¡®¡¯Sorry, did you say something?¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Is it good, I asked. It must taste better since you two ate nothing for a few days.¡¯¡¯ Nehkar spoke again, and now his voice seemed on the normal strata.


    ¡®¡¯I was fine,¡¯¡¯ Xie¡¯e said. ¡®¡¯It is water that makes a problem, else I can preserve without food for some time.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯But does it taste good?¡¯¡¯ He asked again.


    ¡®¡¯...yes, it is delicious.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯It is made of horse meat- those that you asked us before, you remember them?¡¯¡¯


    Xie¡¯e thought of it for a second. Other than the horses of the company of thirty-three men and women, and a few more that were of those deceased, the group also carried a plethora of fat horses and mules. They used those to transport rations and everyday supplies, and some of them they said were for special purposes.


    It turned out, making meals out of them was one of them.


    ¡®¡¯I do. Is this from them?¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯It is,¡¯¡¯ Nehkar said. ¡®¡¯And the milk those guys are serving-¡¯¡¯ Here he pointed at three men filling cone-shaped cups with creamy white milk. ¡®¡¯It is also from them. It is quite tasty, too.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯I¡¯ll try, then,¡¯¡¯ Xie¡¯e nodded again, and he turned back to look at the flame. It rose and rose, then it fell with a cackle and flashed forth again. Though it faltered amidst all these voices sounding and muttering, with these faint outbursts the flame alerted them of its existence.


    ¡®¡¯Benefactor,¡¯¡¯ Ali said and tapped his shoulder, ¡®¡¯Would you like to move closer?¡¯¡¯


    It came as a surprise to Xie¡¯e, and he wondered why there would be any need for it, but he noticed something peculiar in Ali¡¯s gaze. So he nodded, and they both stood up, chugged the last bits of the horse-meat soup, and walked away from their cushions closer to the campfire.


    As they went further from the soldiers and closer to the flame, Nehkar behind them sighed and waved his hand towards them. His Qi moved, it shot up to the sky, and turned into a half-sphere around them. It would block any sound coming from outside, and wouldn¡¯t leak any from inside.


    It was, in the eyes of the soldiers, a message to not disturb the two. So they returned to their conversations, and Nehkar did the same, but a portion of their attention stood glued to the duo standing by the side of the flames.


    *********


    ¡®¡¯There was something I had to ask,¡¯¡¯ Ali said and stared at him.


    The fire blazed in front of them with a revolting warmth, and their backs felt quite cold from the everlasting gusts of cold wind. Nehkar¡¯s barrier cut off all sound from outside, so all that remained was their breathing, the wind, and the roaring blaze in their front. Between two extremes of fire and cold, and silence and deafening loudness, Xie¡¯e felt a familiar complexity that he had in his home; when he sat in front of the fireplace with his grandmother and the foxes at winter, meditating, and sometimes playing with the little children, and then visiting Haoren with clothes he made from the skins of the deers and boars of the forest. It all blinked like a star in his heart, then vanished.


    He had, in these past few days, never once thought about Zi family and the followers of the raven, spare the momentary awakening he had when fighting the Rebtan tribe¡¯s members. Even his grandmother, he never thought.


    All he had in his mind was his father.


    And now that it all ambushed him at this single instance, and made him shake and turn solemn, he also felt what Ali was about to ask to be something precarious. So he paid utmost attention and import-


    ¡®¡¯Are you really not from those tribes?¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯...Ah Li,¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯It is Ali,¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Ah Li, Ali, aren¡¯t they the same? And no,¡¯¡¯ Xie¡¯e exhaled through his nose, distracted, and spoke again. ¡®¡¯Why do you still insist on asking the same thing?¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Because I heard a specific speculation from one of my men.¡¯¡¯ Ali crossed his arms and took a step back from the flame, then stared right at him.


    ¡®¡¯I¡¯ll confess...I saw your tattoo that night, at the pit,¡¯¡¯ Xie¡¯e raised a brow. ¡®¡¯And...do I need to mention your problem with killing people?¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯What does it have with my family?¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Tianhui were more of pacifists, or middle-man among the fourteen tribe in the past. Why? Didn''t they teach you so?¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯They are my own...or not.¡¯¡¯ Here Xie¡¯e thought of his reservation for the first time they met, how he decided to not reveal much to him, then ended up showcasing all he had in the span of two days. Background wise, still, they knew nothing; but the case was, he, too, knew nothing about it. His father was born in Shamo, and his mother was a supposed forsaken, a light damned forsaken. His grandmother? He didn¡¯t even know what manner of a being she was.


    With how much he lacked knowledge about them, and correlated with that about himself, would it be too bad of an idea to ask them himself?


    Had he not fought alongside, then against this man just some hours ago, and from what it seemed gained some kind of trust, and gratitude, from him. And he too saw Ali in a favorable light, for he didn¡¯t, even if it was to pay back his debt, leave him to his own fate.


    Why was the hesitation, then?


    ¡®¡¯I...¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Is it something uncomfortable to talk about?¡¯¡¯ Ali wore a grim frown on his face, and it wasn¡¯t directed at him, Xie¡¯e felt. More like something related to him, or the matter they spoke at the moment.


    ¡®¡¯It is, but...haaah!¡¯¡¯ He muttered and looked down at his feet, then let out a small shout of anger.


    He was here, in the middle of some place where he knew nothing else but his father belonging here; he had the little child Erhuli waiting for him in a cave god knows where, in a deep slumber that he also didn¡¯t know when would end; and he was in a family so complex and frustrating he couldn¡¯t even estimate whether they were family or not. Then came the new influx of small revelation about his father¡¯s tribe, and it made him conscious of the constant efforts of his grandmother that she succeeded at sending him away out of the forest, the plans The Raven had on him that might still be in effect, and...what?


    And what?


    Was there anything else that he forgot about himself, or was there not?


    All the complexities these thoughts brought to his heart made him sleazy, and his heart heavy. For a moment he agreed with his father on his traits; he was weak-willed and easy to mislead: was he not played in those two old things¡¯ hands? Even the delicate moment he shared with his father, the one he always longed in his heart, was it not, too, a part of what they sought and wished to do?


    Xie¡¯e bit his lip, then released his grip after the small ache assaulted his nerves.


    And he was mistrusting, too...


    ¡®¡¯It is all confusing, frustrating,¡¯¡¯ He spoke after a lengthy silence for him. To Ali it might be a second, or a dozen seconds,. He didn¡¯t know which.


    ¡®¡¯The history?¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Our history,¡¯¡¯ Xie¡¯e said, ¡®¡¯My family¡¯s, and my own. Everyone is...distant isn¡¯t the right word, but-¡¯¡¯ He tried speaking what he felt, but even then his feelings weren¡¯t that clear to him as well.


    ¡®¡¯Benefactor,¡¯¡¯ Ali said and reached for his right shoulder and swayed him back and forth; his body, yet, didn¡¯t even move. ¡®¡¯Think of it a little, speak after that. If what you want to say isn¡¯t possible to deliver in speech, then so be it.¡¯¡¯


    Xie¡¯e cast him a downtrodden look, yet he saw none of the grim expression Ali had a moment ago. There instead was a bright smile, with lips parted to show fresh silvered teeth, and glinting eyes with an intent he was quite familiar with.


    He saw the same gaze in Boris when he first came to the sect.


    He saw the same gaze in Quan when he turned out to be one of his long-lasting students.


    He saw the same gaze in Gaobun after their experiences in Yadratafos, and in the last days of the sect.


    And he saw the same gaze in his father, whose memories he so obsessively treasured that anything related to him got his attention straight away.


    But what kind of a gaze was this? Why would their eyes twinkle, and they would smile? Why did it give such a comforting feeling of safety and trust? Why did it convey him You will be safe, I will solve whatever problem you have in such a direct way?


    His heart, for better or worse, lightened for a moment; it was the familiar things that gave the men comfort, and he, too, felt it. But there had to be a logic behind that, else, would it really be familiar?


    What was the logic behind his gaze, then?


    Was Xie¡¯e a benefactor here, or was he the victim now? Once he thought of it, Xie¡¯e realized, he seemed more and more like on the receiving end. So he showed a wry smile and spoke.


    ¡®¡¯Should I call you benefactor now?¡¯¡¯ Xie¡¯e asked, and Ali¡¯s smile froze. He retracted his arm, then his neck, and cast a glance that showed how frivolous his question seemed to be.


    But then he laughed, he roared in laughter.


    ¡®¡¯Ahahahahaha! Ahahaha!¡¯¡¯ He laughed and laughed, took a breath in between to rest, then once he looked at Xie¡¯e¡¯s dumbfounded innocence he laughed again.


    ¡®¡¯Benefactor,¡¯¡¯ Ali said after collecting his cool. ¡®¡¯I still owe you; both as Ali Shamo, and Third Prince Ali Shamo. Even if you consider one of them paid, there is one more debt I have to pay to you.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯And I don¡¯t like being called benefactor- it gives me ire.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Benefactor, don¡¯t be like that,¡¯¡¯ Xie¡¯e said and started smiling. ¡®¡¯We both saved each others lives, right? And yours should be twice, too. One from those group, and the other from that supposed man with a serpent.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Call me benefactor one more time and I¡¯ll throw you into this fire,¡¯¡¯ Ali tilted his head left to the fire and glared, then they both ended up smiling again.


    ¡®¡¯But still,¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Even then,¡¯¡¯


    They spoke at the same time, and were taken aback. Then they both gestured each other to speak at the same time, and suddenly bowed to each other.


    ¡®¡¯Thank you.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Thank you.¡¯¡¯


    There came a silence between them, and the roaring fire at their side silenced with a puff. Faint crackling of it stirred both of their hearts, and from the still shadows it cast onto their feet both of them saw the other in a bow.


    Since the other wouldn¡¯t rise, so would he, they thought, and in front of the company¡¯s gazes they hold their bow for a good minute. Then from the crowd Nehkar could no longer hold himself and jumped into the fray, holding them up and telling them to cut the spectacle.


    ¡®¡¯That is embarrassing for both of you, grown men so persistent on small things.¡¯¡¯ Though, the small things were their lives, and if asked in private by any soldier Nehkar would confess that his prince¡¯s life was naturally worth a ten thousand of Xie¡¯e¡¯s life. But blatant disrespect towards the savior of that one life wasn¡¯t something his pride would allow; Imperial dignity wasn¡¯t all about upholding the royalty, after all, though it existed around it for the large part.


    But it indeed was quite face burning for Xie¡¯e, for he realized that he made the prince of all these soldiers bow to himself. Ali, on the other hand, seemed calmer and relaxed. And the peculiar gaze he had at the beginning was long gone, replaced by serenity.


    For himself, Xie¡¯e couldn¡¯t speak that well. But at least, he was feeling better now. Being better than before was the important thing, so the rest didn¡¯t matter.


    ¡®¡¯Now go, since you interrupted us, we have things to talk about.¡¯¡¯ Ali said and shooed Nehkar away from the barrier again. Then actually replaced the barrier with one of his own, and Nehkar retracted his Qi with a faint trace of reluctance.


    ¡®¡¯Benefactor, what shall you do from here?¡¯¡¯ The question cam both as abrupt and as natural, but it coming right after his embarrassing act baffled him a bit. He stood silent for a moment, and looked at Ali.


    The smile of his had disappeared, and there was that intent still, but more than that he noticed a...unwillingness. Was it the possibility of seperation, or staying together?


    Xie¡¯e, then, took on a more serious expression and started speaking.


    ¡®¡¯I want to look for my master.¡¯¡¯


    *********


    The next morning Xie¡¯e woke up with a tiresome ache on his back. He rose from the bedding and threw the blanket off to a side, where it happened to fall on a soldier¡¯s wide open mouth. For a moment or two he felt dizzy; setting the pain a side, he seemed to have problems about sleeping and hearing as well.


    To get rid of his weariness he looked around at the tent; there were two weapon racks set aside near the yellow veil leading outside, and on those racks stood multitudes of white and yellow robes, glaives, and bows; their quivers hung beside them with filled arrows, and the nocks of the arrows had the same type of scales as those Rebtan people had. They were among the things he asked about yesterday: about how they could set pillars on sand and pitch their tents on it, about how they fed the horses and what they fed with, about why the mules slept with them in the tents- one was snoring to his left, crushing a pair of man and woman under its belly- and a myriad of other things, but it seemed he had no recollection of the answers.


    He shook his head, tried stretching his back, then grunted in pain before stopping. He should have taken the offer of massage from that old soldier.


    As his thoughts turned clearer and his mind awoke, Xie¡¯e looked towards outside. From the trickles of light seeping inside, and the glowing surface of the tent, he presumed it was already the daytime; that would explain the unbearable hot he felt right now. He climbed out of the bedding, careful of not stepping on any of the soldier¡¯s feet or stomachs or heads, and tiptoed towards the exit. He parted the veil and sneaked out.


    Then he came back inside, and snatched one of the robes to put over his naked upper-body. He wore it quick, strapped the leather belt around his waist and tightened the tied-up cloak around his neck. Though sand seeped in and stuck to some extent already, but it didn¡¯t matter.


    This time he stepped out for real and looked around. To the entrance of the camp, past the sole tent at their left, he saw a pair of soldiers standing upright with glaives in their hands. Over their white tunics, of which he recognized, they had steel-plated armors and actually shields propped on the spikes surrounding the camp. There were only two men dressed like that in the camp, so he recognized them, though the shields intrigued him. Was it theirs or another watchmen¡¯s?


    There he turned around and cast his sights to the right. At the end of the camp, further from the last five tents, was the snuffed out campfire and the ashes of the woods; the stones around it had turned half-black, and it just came to him now about how they found that much of them in the desert.


    It seemed these people, too, needed some rest, and so other than the watchmen at the entrance and at the end of the camp, no one was out of sight. But looking at the sky, to the Sun climbing up to the center, it didn¡¯t seem that early. Where was the military discipline they talked about yesterday? That, too, he didn¡¯t answer and, since there was no one to talk, he walked off towards the duo at the camp¡¯s entrance.


    As Xie¡¯e came near, one of them cast a slight glance to his back and noticed his arrival. He tilted around, smiled, and put his hand over his left chest. The other also turned at the same time and greeted him the same; it seemed, cusping fists or bowing were not in the Shamo¡¯s social tradition.


    So he responded the same and tilted his head down a bit.


    ¡®¡¯Why the head motion?¡¯¡¯ The one at the left, fond of scratching the insides of his nose asked.


    ¡®¡¯Just habits- no worries.¡¯¡¯ Xie¡¯e said and took a step forward. Now he stood the same place as them, in their middle, and together they looked at the distant horizon and tasted the dry wind of the desert. There in their front rose and fell dunes and hills of sand, and every once in a while, like at that moment, they could see flying beasts assessing them on whether they could be prey or not. Eagles, he thought that he recognized, but they were not the same; these he saw here had longer necks and fatter bellies.


    ¡®¡¯Say, benefactor,¡¯¡¯ The man at his right said, and once he craned his head to look Xie''e saw the man stood a head shorter than him. ¡®¡¯Was your ears always this bad?¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Please don¡¯t call me benefactor-¡¯¡¯ He said, ¡®¡¯And no, a little bit...of an accident happened.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Is it permanent?¡¯¡¯ The left one asked. And he was one head taller than him, so they looked like a flight of stairs descending down from the left.


    ¡®¡¯I hope not-¡¯¡¯ It would indeed be annoying to live with hearing problems. ¡®¡¯I don¡¯t want to force a conversation to be a shouting contest.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Pity we lost the shaman to those dirty bloods,¡¯¡¯ left one said, scratching his nose again. ¡®¡¯Else he might have taken care of it.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Pity indeed,¡¯¡¯ Xie¡¯e nodded. ¡®¡¯But Ah Li said there were many towns before our road- it shouldn¡¯t be that hard to find a physician.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯...a what?¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Physician, doctor, medicine man. Do you call them just shamans?¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Ooh, benefactor means physician!¡¯¡¯ The one at the right said, snickering.


    ¡®¡¯What?¡¯¡¯ Xie¡¯e looked at his disheveled hair- no, at him, confused.


    ¡®¡¯Your accent- it is quite different from ours, benefactor. Well, each tribe has its own language and jargon, but yours is quite a...how do I say it?¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Slippery-¡¯¡¯ The one at the left said and threw the gathered ball of mucus aside. ¡®¡¯Or too soft?¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯I didn¡¯t realize the difference,¡¯¡¯ Xie¡¯e said. ¡®¡¯Your speeches sounds the same as those of the central continent.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯You mean those food and drug merchants? They visit Shamo quite a lot, so its normal for them to speak it the same.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Well...¡¯¡¯ Xie¡¯e thought of correcting the right soldier for a moment, then decided not to. They seemed to be in a good mood for once, and he hadn¡¯t even talked much about his background with Ali yet. It didn¡¯t seem appropriate to discuss it with them when he referred to duo as the left and the right soldier. ¡®¡¯Understandable.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Say, benefactor,¡¯¡¯ The left- the man said. ¡®¡¯It might be a bit insensitive, but how was the life in the tribe?¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯It is insensitive, Thleaft,¡¯¡¯ The right sai- wait, his name was the left!?


    ¡®¡¯But I wonder- all we heard were like horror stories your sister talked about.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Pardon me for my words, benefactor,¡¯¡¯ The right said, ¡®¡¯But what if its the same and he doesn¡¯t want to talk about it?¡¯¡¯ This he told to Thleaft.


    ¡®¡¯I¡¯m sure you just don¡¯t want to hear it since your sister isn¡¯t here. There is no one the little Theraght can cry, yes?¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Benefactor, can you watch the horizon for a moment?¡¯¡¯ Theraght said, and tried to pull his sleeves back to lunge at Thleaft, but Xie¡¯e didn¡¯t even move a muscle. Instead he looked at Thraght, then to Thleaft, and alternated between for a solid minute.


    An awkward and horrible silence descended between the trio, and Thleaft¡¯s face paled and brightened with red each passing second. Thraght, however, seemed quite haughty, as he might have thought he won the argument. Yet he more looked like an imp, and Thleaft looked like a wronged giant.


    At last Xie¡¯e stopped and cast one last glance to his feet. Then he stared at the sky and sighed.


    ¡®¡¯This is fucking ridiculous...¡¯¡¯

 63- Traveling To The Region Border (1)

    To Xie¡¯e, the journey to find his master was bound to be long, Ali had said yesterday.


    In confirmation of his former knowledge, like most guilds other than Guild Of Commerce and Guild Of Banking, Guild Of Explorers were also shunned away by Shamo for the lack of- in their words- respect to their ancestors and dead; it was the work of the explorers and archaea immortals to uncover old times¡¯ secrets by any means, after all, and defiling tombs were one of the most fruitful ways to do it. And so, they had too few bases of operations directly in contact with the guild, and only three of them had solid and reserved places.


    One was right next to the border with Shaowei and Shamo, in the city of Onshom around the remains of a large genocide that Ali refrained from talking. He said the remains of a secluded community like the Totinhu, and that was their name, enticed great many of them to scourge through all records and graves left behind after the horrible events. And so, their headquarters settled a few dozen clerks and explorers to prepare the initial expedition.


    When Ali seemed quite sour about them disturbing the dead, Xie¡¯e also remembered his father¡¯s now-gone grave.


    Shaking his head and returning from the ridiculous revelation he had with Thleaft and Theraght, his mood turned for a little bit worse as well at the thought. The sun had not risen by much, for their talk lasted at most eleven or twelve minutes. The winds turned milder at this time of the day, and would do so until the third quarter of the day, when they would riot into gusts and storms. It would bother them quite bad, honestly.


    But now, Xie¡¯e enjoyed the wind caressing his face and lifting his hair; it had grown long again, he realized.


    I should cut it sometime- he decided and went back into his tent after passing through the first one by the entrance. Since the company would, with his estimate, still be asleep for an hour or more, he would rather meditate to look how his body fared.


    He walked in and cast his eyes to anyplace that would be comfortable to sit, and he found none. A few steps into the tent started a sea of soldiers, and by sea he saw only seven of them, but each man and women had such large-built bodies that they covered twice the land he would. Even then this tent wouldn¡¯t be such crowded- but there they were, the mules and horses laying and sleeping at the edges of the wide tent made it so.


    The grey mule he saw some minutes ago with over-sized eyes now seemed awake and well, though it continued to crush the same pair with its body. Xie¡¯e looked on at it, and it stared at him with a blank gaze. Then it whimpered and Xie¡¯e moved closer to it. Right beside the mule, away from the trembling hands and the grunting heads of the two soldiers, he found an empty space he could sit; he sat down and leaned his back to the mule¡¯s chest.


    ¡®¡¯Thank you,¡¯¡¯ He said and closed his eyes.


    In a meditative state, he thought of the other two bases Explorers had.


    Like the one in Onshom, the guild built its other base at the other edge of the Shamo: next to the border between them and Cindersnow City. There, Ali said, laid not tombs but ancient homes and residential areas constructed around seven to eight hundred years ago; right before The Sect¡¯s foundation by two patriarchs. So they carried quite a value to understand the time period between the old God¡¯s Nation fall, end of the Frenzy Of Century, and Cindersnow Hegemony¡¯s starting point. Thus, the explorers put more importance right after The Sect¡¯s absence, and so the base there had both a great deal of manpower, and communicative devices and records of the registered members; there, he could find his master¡¯s contact and get in touch with him.


    But right before that, there was the third base in Shamo¡¯s capital, Bashkend, which also had its name applied to the whole province. Ali brushed off most details about it, as he admitted he didn¡¯t know much about them as well, but being in the center of the whole country they were bound to have the devices and registers to help him as well. Even if it didn¡¯t, since it shared the common road to the Cindersnow, he could try his chance there and go forth to Cindersnow city.


    What will I do right after...then?


    He didn¡¯t put much thought into that before, nor did he consider the circumstances his master might be in. He, and Xie¡¯e learned this from Quan himself, had promised to his excellency Shuangxing ten years of service for a debt. What it was, Gaobun seemed to know but showed no inclination to confess it, and at that time Xie¡¯e felt no need to push a grieving disciple for his curiosity.


    What need Quan had to lie to him, he thought of none, and even know he believed it to be the truth. Both of them, Quan and Shuangxing, were of high status and almost at the peak of the world in martial prowess; what would warrant the necessity to not let him know other than a national secret? As such, he thought knowing it to be a debt sufficed. Whatever it may involve, his master was there as a beneficiary to that debt. So it was nothing but truth.


    Or I am delusional- he let out a smile at that and released his focus to the surroundings.


    Since he would travel all the way to the Bashkend with Ali and his company, it would be the best to recover fast and be of help somehow. There were many things he could do, they said, to help. Only, he didn¡¯t know in what, and he had to wait until everyone got on their feet to do so.


    Trying to guess along, Xie¡¯e kept seated and willed the Qi around him to move; his forehead wrinkled and for a moment, he sensed something peculiar in the tent. He inspected for a moment, and his intangible sense passed through the particles of red Qi swarming around the mules and horses.


    ¡®¡¯Is this why they hold you here?¡¯¡¯


    The mule behind him, as if answering, snorted.


    *********


    In two hours the soldiers in the tents rose and started getting back to their work. Some woke like a bear and some awakened quick; yet they all did the same.


    Those in the same tent as Xie¡¯e cast him glances before greeting, he supposed them to be the slow awakeners, and climbed up to their feet to get dressed. There were many who took out their chest pieces to sleep, for it would be scorching hot in the armor, and for those the elder soldiers in the auxiliary group prepared the yellow and white robes to wear for the time being. They were the first ones to awaken and get to work; Xie¡¯e watched the sole older woman in their tent shot to her feet and get dressed before storming out before everyone else tightened their belt.


    After her came the others, and one by one they disappeared, leaving him with the two struggling under the mule. Xie¡¯e stared at them for a moment, then stood up. With the mule in front of him, there were two horses and another mule surrounding the tent. They were, even if awake, still lying comfortably on mats sinking into the sand.


    ¡®¡¯Rise for a second,¡¯¡¯ He muttered and held the grey mule¡¯s head in his hand. The mule peered at him, then rose to its four feet; it whimpered and with it other animals rose as well. They stomped their hooves, and they neighed, then left through the flapping entrance to the outside.


    Those two lying under the mule groaned and clutched their backs in pain, and they seemed to awaken faster than even the elderly woman as they shouted.


    ¡®¡¯My back! Aaagh! Get master Batos, aaaaaaAAAGH!¡¯¡¯


    Xie¡¯e held his laughter and ran out of the tent to find the old man from last night; it seemed his service was needed today.


    *********


    ¡®¡¯Aaah! Slow- yeah, like that! Mmmmh!¡¯¡¯


    Ali peeked into the tent Batos rushed in a moment ago and saw the man fingering the back of a soldier; his face lit up and his arms shaking the man continued to shout and call.


    Ali withdrew his head, let go of the veil, then walked back to pale-faced Xie¡¯e.


    ¡®¡¯That¡¯s why, benefactor, I said you should refuse-¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Yes, yes, okay, I understand.¡¯¡¯ Xie¡¯e nodded. His face lit up red at the thought of letting out such sounds in the middle of a group of strangers.


    ¡®¡¯Was the sleep...¡¯¡¯ Ali asked.


    ¡®¡¯What?¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯You ear is the same, alright,¡¯¡¯ Ali said, ¡®¡¯I said was your sleep any good?¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯You don¡¯t need to shout that hard, but it was okay,¡¯¡¯ Xie¡¯e said. ¡®¡¯So, bene-¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯I can lit that fire again.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯-Ah Li, what will we do?¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯As you see, benefactor,¡¯¡¯ Ali pointed all around them to the soldiers; they gathered the excess wood and stone and put them on mules in sacks, they reclaimed the tents and stuffed them in stacks of boxes and hung them around mules as well, and auxiliary group started helping soldiers to put on their armor. Those with free hands pulled out the spikes put around the camp and placed them in their personal rings. ¡®¡¯We are preparing.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯To wher?¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯...really?¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯...I mean, where will we pass?¡¯¡¯ Xie¡¯e pouted for a moment.


    ¡®¡¯You know the general area, I suppose?¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Of course,¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Good,¡¯¡¯ Ali said and started drawing in the air a square. He tapped a small dot at the farthest left of the square and put a cross a little bit to its right. ¡®¡¯The circle is Shagang, and this cross is us, here.¡¯¡¯ Then he drew a half circle covering both Shagang and their location, and two more that separated the map to four parts.


    ¡®¡¯We need to get out of Savbath region and pass the Province border to Bat?h,¡¯¡¯ He drew a shape in the leftmost half-circle, which was like the character ÈË, and so it became apparent this was Ghuneit province, and these three parts were the regions Savbath on top right, Savest on the top left, and Savkhuz in the bottom. In each he drew some circles, then smaller squares to indicate villages, and in a moment the whole map of Ghuneit appeared before his eyes.


    ¡®¡¯Is it a supplementary art?¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Commanding manuals- they are widespread among thousand-men-commanders,¡¯¡¯ Ali said and started drawing a route for their road. The line slithered and sometimes went straight, all the way until it touched the border of the other half-circle.


    ¡®¡¯This isn¡¯t the general area, is it?¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯...we will avoid these three settlements as far as we can while going, named Ghbat, Ghukhet, and Nuofuon.¡¯¡¯ Ali ignored the question.


    ¡®¡¯My prince,¡¯¡¯ Nehkar came to their side at that moment, with pants a yellow not that natural, and still a bare, hairy chest. ¡®¡¯Kazad says we are ready to depart- did you not talk about these to him last night?¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯It is better to make a quick summary to keep in mind,¡¯¡¯ Ali said and waved his hand, and the map dispersed. ¡®¡¯How fast can we move in a day?¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Sixty or seventy kilometers at best, the rations were quite bulky after all.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯...that¡¯s fine as well. Then let¡¯s get to the front,¡¯¡¯ here Ali turned to Xie¡¯e, ¡®¡¯Benefactor, have you ever rode a horse?¡¯¡¯


    Xie¡¯e scratched the itch on his hair for a moment, then answered. ¡®¡¯I rode a boar before- and a deer.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯...well, at most I¡¯ll make you and Nehkar ride together. Let¡¯s set out,¡¯¡¯ He said and moved forward.


    They followed after him and went past the handful of soldiers almost ready, tending to mules and horses or steadying their belts and quivers. They greeted the trio, or just Ali, as they came to the front, where almost half of the soldiers had mounted their horses. They, too, gave salutes and Ali and Nehkar climbed onto their horses. Xie¡¯e stared at them for a moment, then tried to get onto the black horse.


    He held the reins and stepped on the stirrup, and he threw his other leg around to sit tight. Yet, the horse let out a neigh and shot itself back, rising into the air; Xie¡¯e shook for a moment and tumbled back. A few snickered, and Ali himself looked the other way with a repressed laugh.


    ¡®¡¯...boars were milder-¡¯¡¯ Xie¡¯e said on the ground. He patted the sand off of him and stood up, then cast a glance at Nehkar.


    ¡®¡¯Alright then, come here benefactor,¡¯¡¯


    Nehkar slid back a little and caressed the empty space in front of him. It seemed the gap was just enough to fit them both.


    Xie¡¯e sighed again.


    *********


    Not long after they set out towards their first target: Usorho village. It was seventy-six kilometers southwest of the Nuofuon and the general pathways trodden by the Ghuneit patrols, and with there being a Talisman Beacon Ali and his men hoped to contact the warlords of the Bat?h and Bashkend for possible escorts. Furthermore, the supplies gifted to them by the Judge Of Shagang was, although much when looked, remained low and would be running out in no more than five days time. Compensating the lack of rations for both men and animals in Usorho would not waste much of their lacking travel time.If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.


    Xie¡¯e didn¡¯t bother himself much with the company¡¯s decisions; he couldn¡¯t involve himself even if he wanted. So he stood silent and rode in front of Nehkar, whose arms covered his left and right to hold onto the reins of the black Runvalt. And indeed, Runvalt was the name of this type of horse breed; they were born from a cross-breed of the battle horses called Ritous: with legs quite thick and skin most of the time a darker shade of scarlet, the Shamo Khanate housed around sixty thousand of them in Bashkend alone; and Testous: Horses used for racing and for scouts for their agile builds and early maturing bodies.


    This Runvalt of Nehkar, and of Ali¡¯s, were among the cream of the crop, as one half of their bloodline came from a superior breed of Ritous called Noble Ritou, and the other half from a generic family of Testous. Their speed, unlike other Runvalts, surpassed one hundred and twenty kilometers per-hour, and their hind legs could crush another horse¡¯s skull with no effort, and their stamina equaled a normal breed of Testous, so in all aspects these Runvalts were of an excellent quality.


    This, Ali and Nehkar explained as they went by sand dunes and sand hills and sand dunes again. For the first time Xie¡¯e remarked, aloud, on the unchanging landscape to Ali as they ran right behind the vanguard in a formation of wedge, leading the mules with a pace a bit slower than trot.


    ¡®¡¯I know that the lands beyond my country have many different things,¡¯¡¯ Ali said, ¡®¡¯They have dunes and hills and pits as well, and with them they also have; mountains, cliffs, valleys, seas, lakes, and rivers. They also have marshes, though they said some in the north had dried, and last but perhaps not the least, they have forests with trees overshadowing five-story palaces.¡¯¡¯


    Xie¡¯e looked above Nehkar¡¯s muscular arms and cast a confused gaze.


    ¡®¡¯...Do you not know what they are?¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯I do, and everyone does too, right?¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯In name, of course,¡¯¡¯ Nehkar replied in Ali¡¯s stead. ¡®¡¯The merchants have foul mouths, after all. They speak seductive words about how wonderful it is outside all the time; it became worse after the war, even.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Foul? What bad is there in telling some stories about the outside?¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯It plants the seeds of rebellion in the youth, what else is need to be said?¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Stop-¡¯¡¯ Ali said, halting their conversation before it went towards a undesirable direction. At least, that is what Xie¡¯e assumed him to do.


    ¡®¡¯Benefactor, It would be to our benefit if you, and Nehkar too, refrained from talking about controversial matters.¡¯¡¯ Ali said, then cast him a glance. Right after it came his Qi transmission.


    ¡®¡¯Benefactor, I also advise you to not speak of Light and Brynhildr, or other imposters in public.¡¯¡¯


    Xie¡¯e stared at him for a moment, awaiting the reasoning behind his words. He couldn¡¯t ask outloud, too, else Ali wouldn¡¯t have contacted in private.


    Or he had done that to not let him question it, but Xie¡¯e didn¡¯t pursue. He nodded, knocked Nehkar¡¯s neck with his right index finger, and the man let out an approving grunt.


    For an hour or two they then traveled in silence. The company¡¯s capes tied to their robes straightened, then started flapping under the wildening winds of the desert. Now came their use of time, Xie¡¯e saw, as soldiers wrapped them around their necks and a part of their shoulders; the scale armor seemed like a rag with their cover.


    To his surprise, too, no one drank or ate all this time. They did not eat breakfast, they did not open their canteens of water, and they did not rest the horses for even a little. These horses might have been much better than he imagined, Xie¡¯e guessed, or the riders themselves had some kind of supplementary manual¡¯s art to help them keep on.


    For in the military arrangements The Sect placed upon the Northern Continent, it was essential to have at least four diverse arts based on a single manual; Pseudo-manuals, to say, which did not benefit cultivation, but let the user practice spells and arts of variable origins.


    Cindersnow had the most with seven of them, then it should have been Shamo with five- Shuangguang also had five, but Quan mentioned before that they lost one of their legacies after their incapability to protect continent borders in the last frenzy. Now they stood with four Pseudo-Manuals and Five State Manuals, the same amount remaining for the fallen Han Dynasty and Shaowei Empire.


    These were tidbits of information he thought in his boredom, and since it had been four months of the last news he heard from The Raven there might have been changes to the balance of matters in the Northern Continent. What they could be, however, even that he found hard to estimate.


    ¡®¡¯My prince,¡¯¡¯ Whilst in thought, he and others heard the voice of the left flank leader: Thleaft, of course. ¡®¡¯It seems a group of deserters have camped not far away and are eyeing us. What shall we do?¡¯¡¯


    Ali didn¡¯t question when they spotted them and how they did it, they, as he told before, were works of his subordinates and checking them were also others¡¯. And those others were Kazad, the leader of the vanguard, Theraght, leader of the right flank, Thleaft, leader of the left flank, and Nehkar, leading Companion of the prince. Yet even them did not say anything. Instead, their brows rose and among the company alert surfaced.


    ¡®¡¯Is the scout back and safe?¡¯¡¯ Nehkar asked, turning his head to the left. Xie¡¯e did not know of the existence of such a man or a woman being a scout, but it seems they did.


    ¡®¡¯Yes companion!¡¯¡¯ Who answered was not Thleaft, but a woman riding at the back of the left flank, standing conspicuous among the eight riders raising dust.


    ¡®¡¯How many?¡¯¡¯ He asked again.


    ¡®¡¯Forty-seven, only thirteen of them have mounts to ride, however.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Kazad?¡¯¡¯ Nehkar nodded and raised his voice towards the vanguard.


    ¡®¡¯It would be better to get past, unnoticed or not it doesn¡¯t matter.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Then ride forth and ignore them, but don¡¯t change the route else they realize their folly.¡¯¡¯ Nehkar gave the judgment and all three leaders spoke in agreement. Xie¡¯e looked left and right, to the horses neighing and stomping the sand, but he heard no voice among the company; disagreement or acceptance, none even grunted other than the three leaders of the flanks and the vanguard.


    ¡®¡¯So here is the military discipline you talked about.¡¯¡¯ Xie¡¯e said.


    Ali chortled beside him and Nehkar coughed.


    ¡®¡¯Nehkar, take out the head if they come close,¡¯¡¯ Ali reminded amidst the loud steps and breathings, and waved his hand in the air. In his hand flickered a red shaft, a tad bit lighter in color than the Ritous of the company, and came into sight a long pole with a carved top. It was longer than two Nehkars, and even surpassed the well-known Rock Lances of the Shaowei Knights Of Rock Valley in length. Knowing that Nehkar was very well two heads taller than him, he doubted what use Ali had for a...pole as such.


    ¡®¡¯My prince?¡¯¡¯ Nehkar mumbled.


    ¡®¡¯I changed my mind-¡¯¡¯ Ali said, ¡®¡¯We might as well collect the heads sooner than later; we should face no trouble passing the region borders if we are to haste towards Bashkend.¡¯¡¯


    There he beckoned Nehkar with his fingers, and Nehkar smiled. He also waved in the air and a streak of light shot towards the pole raised into the air, now visible to all company. A round ball flickered, then impaled itself to the top of the sharp end. Once the light around it, glowing and gleaming in the eyes of the company died, there appeared the head of a man hated by the all men and women around the pole. Jiao Xue, the blood serpent, the head revealed itself to be, and now gazed forward to the endless sand with a grimacing agony with his open jaws. Indeed it looked terrifying, and the last screams he uttered resounded in the minds of those gazing in his still-bloody eyes.


    ¡®¡¯Are they still around?¡¯¡¯ Nehkar asked towards Thleaft.


    This time a man said ¡®¡¯They have retreated forty-eight seconds ago, companion.¡¯¡¯


    Nehkar nodded and turned to look at his prince, and Xie¡¯e followed his gaze to see the man sighing. Once the weary look he had worn out, and they kept going in silence, yet more dreadful than before, Ali halted the company after some dozen minutes.


    ¡®¡¯We are past the second quarter,¡¯¡¯ Ali said as the company came to a stop, raising clouds of sand, and neighs and whimpers from the mounts. ¡®¡¯Of water drink two mouthful and give three mouthfuls to the horses and mules, and of grain feed the mounts a pack. We¡¯ll get to moving in six minutes.¡¯¡¯


    So they all dismounted except vanguard, who circled them with their horses and stood alert. Elderly men and women from the auxiliary group came forth from their mules and fed the vanguard¡¯s Ritous for them; the others fed and gave food and drink to their own by themselves.


    Three minutes after the vanguard dismounted and the flanks mounted, and they let the horses rest whilst flanks rounded the company to let the horses warm up. Then passed three more minutes, and they all mounted their mounts and set forth again with the same formation; Seven of the Kazad¡¯s glaive cavalry at the front with him leading as the vanguard, sixteen mounted cavalry flanking led by Thleaft and Theraght, the mules and the seven of the auxiliary riding on them at their center. Ali, Nehkar, and Xie¡¯e stood right behind the Vanguard and right in front of the Auxiliary group, and that made them the most protected of the company for the meantime.


    Then they rode for five more hours and stopped for one more time on the way, and then rode two hours more when the sky started losing its luster. The last bits of sunlight dyed the brown and white-clad company in it, and it seemed like they would have to camp one more night in the desert.


    But they needed not, for when the last sunlight snuffed out and the few stars in the air twinkled, from the horizon the company saw bundles of yellow and red lights gathered together in a place. Around those lights were more lights, and they gleamed rather soft through their pupils and glaives. Fire, they concluded, and it all matched up with their road and ride time. So it became apparent where they reached, and with that conclusion Nehkar rallied the company a little bit tighter.


    ¡®¡¯We have arrived to Usorho, get ahold of your bearings and sit straight!¡¯¡¯ He shouted and waved his fist to the front. Xie¡¯e clasped his ears with both hands, baffled by the magnitude of his shout. He heard less than others, even, so how loud was his noise in reality?


    ¡®¡¯My prince?¡¯¡¯ There he turned to Ali, and Ali cast a disturbed glance to his pole standing upright with a single head.


    ¡®¡¯Let¡¯s hope they recognize the man,¡¯¡¯ Ali said, ¡®¡¯If not, we shall depart right away.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Understood,¡¯¡¯ Nehkar said and shouted again, and the company lined themselves into a four-line rank. Now the supposed village¡¯s lights drew closer and closer to them, and with each step of the horses the cold seeping from the night receded back to its place. Winds howled, and a few figures started riding towards them from the blurry image of the Usorho.


    Xie¡¯e stared at the incomers as the others did and once they turned visible, widened his eyes in surprise.


    *********


    Though visible only in outline, and from their shape he assumed the five riders to be all men, the two riding at the front gave off ominous auras Xie¡¯e knew very well: Death Qi.


    This dreadful Qi overlapped with the duo at the front and when looked upon, he, and the company, saw a curtain of darkness rise behind them. It cloaked the three behind the duo, and the duo slowed down their horses to greet the company.


    They approached and stopped ten meters apart from the vanguard leader Kazad, who halted the company; he stroked his mustache and cast a glance at the duo. The one at the left stared at them and raised his hand, then Xie¡¯e felt a familiar suction force.


    Another cripple?


    The Qi in the air and the sky had not converted to Lunar Qi as of yet; the darkness came new and it would take at least an hour for Moon to settle on the world¡¯s ceiling. So he wasn¡¯t baffled when an ember sparked into existence in the man¡¯s hand and started circling his fingers like snakes.


    The man squeezed his fist and another suction force emerged, and with it a flame roared in the man¡¯s hand. Its brilliant red lighted up the surroundings and started crackling, and whilst being fanned by the cold desert winds they inspected the company with the source of light. They seemed not impressed, yet once their heads rose and their gazes swept by the head the duo froze. Their lips twitched together, and they stared at Kazad smiling.


    ¡®¡¯Nutis must be an excellency of war and courage to hunt a serpent,¡¯¡¯ the man at the right said. His eyes, cast in shadows of the flame, swept by the back once. The same shadows crowded on the ground, and behind the ranks of the company, where Xie¡¯e and the rest watched the interaction. Though Xie¡¯e noted the use of the old tongue; One the primitives and those before the sect used.


    ¡®¡¯Nu is not from here?¡¯¡¯ Kazad cast his blue eyes to the horses they rode. ¡®¡¯These steeds, I saw none around Bat?h or Ghuneit.¡¯¡¯


    The steeds he mentioned were horses quite small, perhaps a head larger than a young colt or mare, and were with manes almost non-existent. Instead these steeds had white marks on their brown skin.


    ¡®¡¯My tat¡¯s own breed,¡¯¡¯ The man at the left said and raised his hand higher; the flame rose and cast its light further beyond the company. Yet it couldn¡¯t pierce the dark curtain behind them. ¡®¡¯But your excellency must be tired to talk; let us guide you through the traps into the home.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯My gratitude,¡¯¡¯ Kazad said and raised his right hand, shouting. ¡®¡¯Stand closer and follow behind, don¡¯t go astray.¡¯¡¯


    The company complied with a hearty shout and spurred their mounts, and with them the duo let go of their assumed spells. The curtain of darkness disappeared and revealed the other three men, holding bows of exquisite wood with origins unclear and arrows nocked to them with, also, origins unknown. But the curtain of death, now Xie¡¯e realized whilst riding with Nehkar, came not from the duo but from those arrows; they concentrated the most on the arrowhead.


    ...it might be possible to summon Embodiment with them.


    He couldn¡¯t ask for those, of course, but questioning Ali and others for similar sources would be easy.


    With that in mind he watched the five men lead the company through a route of criss-crossing steps and round the Usorho¡¯s faint lights twice; there were no sounds apart the crackling flame and no lights except the blazing fire. Under the flame¡¯s shadows, they went on.


    Though it seemed like they took their time, and wasted the company¡¯s, no one uttered a sound. In a deathly silence they kept in line and at last the five men took a left towards the Usorho and started trodding straight forward.


    The company followed after them and the faint scarlet of the village started reaching towards them; the figures turned bigger and the adobes of the residents became visible. There were people moving back and forth under the torches, placed on the stone-ish walls¡¯ corners and blazing. Xie¡¯e noticed, and all of them seemed quite busy even in the dark. He saw men and women carrying baskets, and some standing on the square roofs holding what he assumed to be short sticks; yet in dark he had no capability to assess what it really was.


    They approached some more, and the man holding the flame snuffed out his fire. Xie¡¯e, then, spotted the peculiarity of it. They had, perhaps, some dozen horse-steps left to reach the arch-gate, and still the flames, although not few, couldn¡¯t light up their surroundings.


    And with its sudden lack, everyone''s sight turned pitch dark.


    He heard strings pulled back, and the shrill whizz of glaives descending. The flame had left in an instant, and so it took seconds for his eyes to get used to the sight; once it did, they widened again.


    The arrows in the horizon, now right above those men on the roofs and women in the streets, shot through their limbs. Xie¡¯e gulped and shot his gaze to the company; he ducked left and right and saw a second volley of arrows being nocked on, and the vanguard charging forward with Qi swirling on their glaives¡¯ blades. They stomped on the corpses of the five leading, beheaded, and shouted.


    Xie¡¯e paled and his heart started beating faster.


    ¡®¡¯Benefactor-¡¯¡¯ Nehkar¡¯s voice sounded in his head and Xie¡¯e felt the man grasp him by the right shoulder. ¡®¡¯It was a trap- do not worry.¡¯¡¯


    With his words Xie¡¯e felt a sense of calm, but it seemed Nehkar confused his worry with something else. And though unconvinced, when he saw men and women thrice the number on the streets rushing out, and all armored, he realized they weren¡¯t assaulting mere innocents.


    Then came upon him a sense of dread as everything told here happened in less than a minute.


    He watched Kazad and his men rush through the yellow-ish arch gate into the narrow streets riddled with enemies. Their glaives rose and fell, and in front of them a group lost their heads to the earth. Their blood gushed out, their legs went limp, and they fell to the ground or to the building they emerged from.


    Then another volley of arrows shot out, and Xie¡¯e saw the scales at the nocks light up. They glowed crimson and morphed into spikes with six tips, all pointing forward.


    The arrows whizzed in the air and shot, this time, those facing the slowed-down vanguard. Indeed Kazad and his men were stopped before a group of fifteen, all with broad-shields raised towards their mounts.


    ¡®¡¯Hah!¡¯¡¯ Kazad let out a shout and his moustache trembled; Qi climbed from his wrists to his glaive and his Ritous leaped forward. Behind him came the arrows and piled upon the copper surface of the shields, and right after they pushed the enemy¡¯s arms back Kazad fell on them. His glaive gleamed in the eyes of the few inspecting, and an emerald glow burst down.


    Screams and wails rose within the ranks; the green crescent Qi cut through the shields like they were butter and smashed down their owners into slices of bloody human bread. With one strike, Kazad claimed the lives of six men.


    The rest of the vanguard came after for the slaughter, and in the meantime flanks nocked a third valley to their bows. These arrows they held with the orders of Thleaft and Theraght, and they released a few seconds after to another group climbing up the roofs. The men and women cried again and fell on their backs and heads and bloody legs or arms.


    In the span of forty-five seconds, Xie¡¯e counted with his breath in his cheeks, the twenty-some men of the company slayed a party of sixty-something ambushers. Whether they did it with physical prowess or a better cultivation, he couldn¡¯t assess, but he knew the advantage of first helped them more.


    Even then, it was too quick of a time. His blood cold and his expression still a tad bit pale, Xie¡¯e stared at the somber Ali under the darkness, then at the vanguard chasing down the last enemy; his and the vanguard¡¯s shadows flickering left and right, and both with no visible emotions.


    It was too conflicting of an image.

 64- Traveling To The Region Border (2)

    After some uncountable minutes for him, Xie¡¯e rode with Nehkar into the yellow archgate. With the lack of the vanguard, it was him that led the company, and so it was them that saw the remnants of the massacre.


    Bodies lying lifeless on the floor, half-mangled corpses stuck to the walls of the white adobes, pools of blood still rippling with droplets. Xie¡¯e felt a strong urge to close his eyes at the sight, and whenever he looked at the eyes of the dead and to the shadows flapping on the sandstone pavements, he remembered the dead in Yadratafos.


    He thought of how he refrained from closing on them, and how he was frightened of being there for those about to pass away. The images of that time and these corpses overlapped in his eyes. The deathly silence was, perhaps, not the same with then, yet it turned him more...something. His heart tugged; a string rounded it and shrunk around it, as if squeezing him to his death.


    When he heard the hooves of the horses, Xie¡¯e realized they were well past the slaughter zone of the vanguard, and that his back now drowned in cold sweat. His hands, also, grasped tight around the horse¡¯s neck, and his drenched palms soaked the mane above the nape. Corpses now gone, blood still lingering, and the expressions of the company unchanged, Xie¡¯e felt his eyes redden.


    Was this how he was supposed to feel? He killed men almost amounting to the number of his ten fingers, and he took four just some thirty-ish hours ago. The excitement from then he remembered clear and fresh, and the fear now here he felt suffocated him; if this was not hypocrisy from his part, what was it?


    Which one of those feelings were real?


    ¡®¡¯Look into the homes; water, grain, date fruit...cooking utensils, buy any if you can get a reasonable price!¡¯¡¯ Nehkar shouted behind Xie¡¯e, and the images in his mind no longer remained. They all shattered and flew away, and all remained in his vision was a small tower in their front.


    Perhaps from the tears almost condensing on his eyes, he saw its surface as somewhat blurry and with ever changing colors of yellow, brown, and white. It also had torches strapped to its body, and all in each corner cast its shadows to the empty square dividing it from the houses around.


    Xie¡¯e raised his arm and swept his eyes with the sand-ridden sleeves; he blinked twice then thrice to take out the grains slipping in. His sight somewhat clear now, he looked again and saw the tower covered in the obvious color of white limestone.


    These limestones, he remembered, though not certain of the intention behind remembering it, were bought from Shaowei and Cindersnow city to adorn the exterior of many buildings. Though he didn¡¯t know where Shaowei¡¯s supply came from, Ali mentioned the maritime merchants diving into coastal waters to mine them with their specialized fleets.


    ¡®¡¯Benefactor, would you like to wait outside?¡¯¡¯ Ali asked, and Xie¡¯e once more came back to reality. Now, it seemed, they had stopped right outside a two-meter stone fence surrounding the tower with its gates open.


    ¡®¡¯...I won¡¯t bother you, go on.¡¯¡¯ He said and dismounted with Nehkar. The horse stood right where it was without any order, and Xie¡¯e saw no one coming to take care of it. Then he saw the rest of the company dispersing in groups of three or four, going into houses with pouches held on their palms.


    ¡®¡¯It won¡¯t take long. Could you not let anyone disturb us, benefactor?¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯I will,¡¯¡¯ Xie¡¯e nodded.


    ¡®¡¯Thank you,¡¯¡¯ Ali said and gave a small wave, then stepped through the open gates into the supposed garden with Nehkar. A few seconds later Xie¡¯e heard a screech coming from inside, and a heavy thump. A door, Xie¡¯e peeked from the side, and once he saw it closing behind them he stepped back to stand on the entrance.


    He looked around for a few seconds, and heard the hooves of the horses moving again. This Runvalt in front of him had no reaction to the aggressive stomps. It seemed to ignore its far blood relatives, even, and Xie¡¯e tried to amuse himself with the lofty aura the Runvalt gave. Why was an animal¡¯s pride so humorous?


    That, he smiled, was something his master would ask about. Once Quan came into his mind, and the possible interactions they could have in the future, Xie¡¯e forgot all about the worries and fears he had a moment ago. His heart no longer tugged, and a faint hope brimmed in its stead. In the end of this journey, he felt vitalized again, there would be a person he-


    ¡®¡¯Where is my prince?¡¯¡¯ There came the inquire of a man, and Xie¡¯e found himself awake from the thoughts for the third time. He had not realized the arrival of Kazad and his vanguards, who all now stepped off the stirrups and stood on the ground, and it was only now he heard the words of the man.


    ¡®¡¯Inside,¡¯¡¯ Xie¡¯e said and grasped one end of the gates¡¯ railings.


    ¡®¡¯Then excuse me,¡¯¡¯ Kazad said, and he stepped forward. Yet even before his step landed, Xie¡¯e pulled the gate off.


    The sole metal of the building let out a shrill whistle and closed with clanks, and perhaps the impact came louder than he intended, even Xie¡¯e found himself gobsmacked. There Kazad raised his two long brows and knitted three sets of wrinkles between them, and he spoke.


    ¡®¡¯What is your intention?¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯My bad,¡¯¡¯ Xie¡¯e said, ¡®¡¯But Ah Li said to not let anyone disturb him for the moment.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯I am his aide, not anyone,¡¯¡¯ Kazad said, and he indeed had the right so say so. It might come off weird to hear it, Xie¡¯e admitted, and to his subordinates it would be something akin to a dismissal of their status. But having pride was, after all, almost a requirement of position and Kazad was a man who showcased it to him before.


    ¡®¡¯Is this for not welcoming you enough?¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯What?¡¯¡¯ Xie¡¯e tilted his head, and he realized what he meant. That welcome was to strap him to a tent alone and interrogate him of his origins, and though he didn¡¯t like it he bore with it. Thleaft and Theraght were decent fellows. Chances of Kazad knowing his feelings was low, and since he discovered the misunderstanding early on Xie¡¯e spoke with hurry.


    ¡®¡¯Of course not, why should I be that petty?¡¯¡¯ Xie¡¯e said, ¡®¡¯No need to worry about that- but I don¡¯t think Nehkar would humor a disobedience.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Is benefactor threatening me?¡¯¡¯ Kazad widened his eyes.


    ¡®¡¯Why do you misinterpret it?¡¯¡¯ Xie¡¯e tilted his head again and let go of the railings. ¡®¡¯I said what Ah Li said, that is all. And Nehkar is, from what I learned, not someone who will look upon something like this fondly for his sake.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯...fine,¡¯¡¯ at last Kazad nodded and turned around to look at his group. ¡®¡¯You lot, go join the others and buy what you can haggle- we don¡¯t have much time to linger around!¡¯¡¯


    The few men and women let out a collective shout and dispersed into teams again. They escaped from their sight a moment later and they were left alone with the horses in front of the gates.


    ¡®¡¯You have my gratitude, young fellow,¡¯¡¯ Kazad spoke after a second of silence. He turned around again, started swirling his mustache, and stepped towards Xie¡¯e. His steps sounded heavier than they should have been, and Xie¡¯e didn¡¯t see his feet until they, in a blink, stood in front of each other; chests touching, and heads on the same height.


    ¡®¡¯Your...welcome?¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Yes, my welcome,¡¯¡¯ Kazad smiled. ¡®¡¯And my lord also gives you his gratitudes, and Nehkar, and others in the company.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯I¡¯m grateful for that,¡¯ Xie¡¯e nodded.


    ¡®¡¯Yes, you should be, ¡®¡¯ Kazad said, ¡®¡¯But it should not let you speak so imposing- nor should it question our loyalty.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯...¡¯¡¯ Xie¡¯e tilted his head, again, and cast a confused glance. ¡®¡¯What are you talking about?¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Why have you not addressed me once in the whole conversation?¡¯¡¯ Kazad stopped patting his moustache and put one arm over Xie¡¯e¡¯s shoulder. ¡®¡¯Or why do you bring up that companion all of a sudden? Don¡¯t get me wrong, I know that it is the natural thing to learn the hierarchy of a group you are not familiar early.¡¯¡¯


    Here he thumped his shoulders twice, and Xie¡¯e felt something flow into his body. He frowned at the sensation and willed the Qi around to move, and they all started gathering in miniscule amounts to surround them. The thing about to pierce his body stopped, and Xie¡¯e looked at Kazad¡¯s hand stopped in the air.


    He saw droplets of blood, and his mind shook for a moment. The images, the corpses came to his memory, and his head shot back to see a frown on Kazad as well.


    ¡®¡¯This misunderstanding has gone too far, sir Kazad,¡¯¡¯ Xie¡¯e said and took a step back. His spine touched the cold gate, and there appeared to be no more steps to be taken back; only forward seemed to be permitted.


    ¡®¡¯For first, I don¡¯t understand what made me question your loyalty, or how I spoke so domi-¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯This itself is questioning,¡¯¡¯ Kazad took a step forward and their bodies met again. For some reason, though their heights were the same, Xie¡¯e imagined Kazad to be bigger than him. ¡®¡¯And you doing it without understanding is a bigger problem, young fellow. Lose of face, don¡¯t you know what that is?¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯How did I make you lose face? It was but a small conversation.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯You are getting sidetracked-¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯It is you who is pulling this conversation somewhere off.¡¯¡¯ Xie¡¯e tried to straighten his back, and he cowered in pain again. That momentary pain, however, gave him a short burst of soberness. It looked like, Xie¡¯e¡¯s frown deepened, Kazad wanted to learn something from him with a confrontation.


    ¡®¡¯No, no,¡¯¡¯ Kazad attempted to make another step, and it forced Xie¡¯e to splatter to the gate with his whole back. ¡®¡¯You are getting sidetracked from my meaning.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯...It was out of embarrassment that I didn¡¯t address you-¡¯¡¯ Xie¡¯e said, and saw Kazad break his knitted brows for a moment. ¡®¡¯I don¡¯t even know how to call Nehkar or Ah Li, it all sounds to weird.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯...¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯And I was just trying to be helpful, not to shame you. Of course you are a close one of Ah Li, are you not?¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Indeed...I am, and stop now,¡¯¡¯ Kazad took two steps back whilst shaking his head. ¡®¡¯Or I¡¯m going to regret what I did.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯...I won¡¯t apologize for that, however.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯And I don¡¯t expect that.¡¯¡¯


    There they both fell silent, and Xie¡¯e released a sigh. With his breath, the almost-tangible Qi in the air dispersed again, and with it an invisible pressure disappeared. They still spoke of nothing, and in their steads the horses neighed. The two runvalts and the gatherings of ritous rallied together and laid down next to the entrance.


    He wanted to make a comment about that, but Xie¡¯e found no resolve in himself to speak again this soon. So he leaned to one of the horses and sat down as well. Kazad cast him a dismissing glance and stood his ground.


    So they waited for some more minutes until a clatter of metals came from the garden, and the heavy breathings of an angry companion. Behind the fuming Nehkar came Ali and they both stepped outside together.


    Nehkar looked at the horses for a moment, then at the Xie¡¯e; he mumbled something to himself and sat next to him to lean on a horse. Ali, however, stepped towards Kazad and held him from the shoulders. They walked away from the gathering to inside again, and the gates closed once more.


    Xie¡¯e looked to his right, to Nehkar, and tilted his head in confusion.


    ¡®¡¯So, what happened?¡¯¡¯


    *********


    Nehkar sighed and started scratching his chest with both hands; his head slumped back on the runvalt.


    ¡®¡¯Throne problems-¡¯¡¯ He said and peeked sideways to Xie¡¯e. ¡®¡¯Not something you should bother with, benefactor.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯...you might be right,¡¯¡¯ Xie¡¯e said, ¡®¡¯But if it is a problem, is it not right to inform me as well? Withhold the private things, of course.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯It won¡¯t be private soon...so alright.¡¯¡¯ Nehkar stopped scratching with his left hand and put it on the back of his head.


    ¡®¡¯You know of the armistice, yes?¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯I do,¡¯¡¯ Xie¡¯e nodded. Though the war with Shuangguang lasted long in numbers, the real fighting occurred in a span of two months in the first year of the struggle. The rest of the year and a half had arguments, political bickering between ruling strata, and trying to get as much benefit as possible to one¡¯s own nation. And as it turned out, it was Shuangguang who left victorious with the armistice, and would seem to achieve the same in the formal treaty coming soon.


    ¡®¡¯Though Khan had decided on the emissary, the representative, and the terms of both documents with the officials some weeks ago, my prince objected the decision before they set out.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Ah Li? Why?¡¯¡¯ He did not know much about the involving conditions for each part. He knew little of diplomacy between the Northern Continent¡¯s hegemons anyway, so he had no clue about what could stir Ali to reject his father, The Khan¡¯s, arrangements.


    ¡®¡¯I do not know, nor does others,¡¯¡¯ Nehkar winked, ¡®¡¯But the Imperial family and the Elders seem to know of it, for his majesty The Khan decreed: ¡®Then go and convince the three, and I will have no more say in this matter.¡¯¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Is this not detrimental to the Khan? Or no?¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Who knows?¡¯¡¯ Nehkar winked again, and Xie¡¯e couldn¡¯t even guess what he implied with it. ¡®¡¯He is a wise ruler with two centuries under his belt, and two more to go still. Since he is the central pillar of the nation, then of course he has to think different.¡¯


    ¡®¡¯...so it isn¡¯t you not knowing it?¡¯¡¯


    Nehkar winked thrice.


    ¡®¡¯So,¡¯¡¯ Xie¡¯e massaged his stiff shoulders, as he had been doing for the past two days, and spoke. ¡®¡¯Why did Khan order him to convince the Three Elders?¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯It is a problem more related to how our home works; The Khan is the overlord of all territories filled with sand, and while he might be more efficient than a mortal ruler would be with his cultivation base, it is no easy thing to deal with all matters in the realm by himself.¡¯¡¯


    Nehkar rose from his leaning position and tapped on the air; his Qi flowed from his meridians and shriveled in the air to create a map. This one, although similar with Ali¡¯s, came to being with no empty swath of land. It was filled and drawn before, Xie¡¯e realized.


    ¡®¡¯That is, actually, the problem of all emperors of the land: Of the Han¡¯s and Haishen¡¯s and Shaowei¡¯s and Shuangguang¡¯s. No sole figure can take on the scepter and be an accomplished ruler. The Shamo Khan made it so that the nation was split to four regions: Ghuneit at the south, Bat?h at the west, Khuzeit at the north, and Bashkend at the east. Each region is divided into three to four provinces, and each province has a multitude of towns and villages with their respective judges or warlords.¡¯¡¯This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.


    ¡®¡¯So people of position are pseudo-rulers, or something like that?¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Indeed,¡¯¡¯ Nehkar said, ¡®¡¯And that should answer your question, shouldn¡¯t it benefactor?¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯It does,¡¯¡¯ Xie¡¯e nodded and cast his gaze to the sky. There he looked at the handful of stars donning the sky, at most ten or twelve; quite different from the sea of stars he drowned under with his father, and he looked at the moon. Its light gleamed off the metal gates barring the small tower and no one else, for the torches swept every corner of the city with their warmth and golden flames.


    They must have a good amount of oil to keep them up and running like this, Xie¡¯e thought. But it was to be expected. He doubted they used oil to light fire inside as those in Yadratafos or The Sect did; The desert was scorching hot for most of the time, after all, and its cold, while precarious, didn¡¯t meddle with their bodies much other than a small chill. Yet then, he was once immortal, and his physique had a better resistance to the cold and heat of the climates. Most in here were mortals, if not Qi Creation level, so his assumptions had a fair chance of being wrong.


    That was evident in its name though; assumption. Without concrete evidence and sightseeing, it wouldn¡¯t be the reality.


    ¡®¡¯May I ask something, Nehkar?¡¯¡¯ Xie¡¯e asked after a period of silence. The man blinked twice, tilted his head, then his eyes widened.


    ¡®¡¯Oh, you addressed me by name? Finally!¡¯¡¯ Nehkar let out a laugh and clutched Xie¡¯e from the shoulder. He swayed him back and forth, and with each shake Xie¡¯e imagined the man shedding parts of his worries to the ground.


    But his back hurt, and so Xie¡¯e forced himself to a halt.


    ¡®¡¯Ahh,¡¯¡¯ Nehkar took a deep breath after his laugh, ¡®¡¯Go on, benefactor.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯How did The Sect¡¯s departure affected the Shamo?¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯...well, this isn¡¯t something, but a cursed topic,¡¯¡¯ Though he said so, Nehkar plastered the most amused of the smiles on his face. ¡®¡¯Benefactor, while I don¡¯t want to answer that, may I advise you on it?¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Of course, I apologize if its something disturbing again.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯It indeed is,¡¯¡¯ Nehkar mumbled, then spoke with his normal tone. ¡®¡¯But it will be more disturbing for you if you speak of these matters in public.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯...I¡¯m listening.¡¯¡¯ Xie¡¯e said.


    ¡®¡¯Our people have a tendency to...wonder. About the protectors of the other realms, about the lands beyond the desert or the people beyond it. But...that is all they can do.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Our freedom is limited to The Sheng... benefactor, do you understand?¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯I don¡¯t.¡¯¡¯ Xie¡¯e shook his head.


    ¡®¡¯I expected so-¡¯¡¯ Nehkar sighed. ¡®¡¯Those of the tribes like you have the ability to live outside after all...but...well, growing without a mother is a price that gets heavier with time. I wouldn¡¯t exchange my mother with such a freedom, to be honest.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯I¡¯m sure if it was the reverse, you wouldn¡¯t either, right benefactor?¡¯¡¯


    With Nehkar¡¯s sentence a multitude of people passed in his mind. Xie¡¯e pondered, and his face crumpled into a distraught pain, for he realized that this kind of a choice required a will stronger than his own. For his father, he wouldn¡¯t even think of such a possibility. For his master, it might take seconds before he refused, and it would be, perhaps, a few more seconds for Gaobun.


    But Xie¡¯e found himself terrified that he didn¡¯t feel any disturbance at the consideration of exchanging his grandmother for the...freedom. Freedom of the Shamo, the Sheng. This repulsion against his conscience didn¡¯t come from the decision itself, but the lack of reaction he had towards it.


    It was the same with killing people, in some sense. He didn¡¯t feel disgusted at killing people, but at feeling joy when he killed people.


    Both of these situations, while different in surface, were problems with no distinction between the core reason: His Conscience.


    ¡®¡¯Don¡¯t fret over imaginary possibilities, benefactor,¡¯¡¯ Nehkar patted his back, and Xie¡¯e woke from his internal argument. ¡®¡¯Perhaps that longing wouldn¡¯t be much strong in you, as fragile as it is in me, for example. So its value wouldn¡¯t even be closer to some fifty soulstones, if that was the case.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Illusions like these will only hound you and nothing more.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯...Alright,¡¯¡¯ Xie¡¯e released a deep breath, and his belly rose and sunk with it. ¡®¡¯But it was you who asked that.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯I¡¯ll treat you my part of horse milk, no problem.¡¯¡¯ Nehkar showed a grin and looked forward.


    ¡®¡¯Here they come, huh? Oooh, they have quite many!¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Oh, right,¡¯¡¯ Xie¡¯e looked at the some dozen men and women, each carrying bulks of large pouches and packs and walking towards them. They all chatted among themselves as they came, and form their expressions he saw satisfaction of a haggling addict.


    They must be used to this, then?


    With questions to himself as always, he and Nehkar stood up to welcome and, this one was the latter, order them to their positions. A few minutes later of organizing and resting, the doors of the tower creaked open and the duo inside came out.


    *********


    After Ali and Kazad came out, former somber and the latter fuming like a certain companion, the company made a quick list of what they bought, how much they spent, and where they would relocate the supplies. Auxiliary members filled up the empty spaces of their spatial rings and pouches with the fresh equipment and food, and they let the mounts rest for some more before loading up with whatever was left. It all took around twenty-two minutes, Nehkar announced, and right after commanded everyone to mount and get into formation.


    Instead of the centre-focused line up they used in the day, the company took into a wedge formation with seven-per-line. The first line was taken by Thleaft, the second by the Kazad, the third by the auxiliary, and the fourth by Theraght. Xie¡¯e was, by Ali¡¯s request, placed at the second line with him and Kazad whilst Nehkar led the company at the forefront. Of course, Xie¡¯e still rode with a soldier, not by himself.


    Strange enough, and this he questioned, Ali passed him the oversized lance with the head of Jiao Xue; it piled up twenty-three heads by this point. Blood didn¡¯t drip and the heads didn¡¯t show signs of rot. He did not expect them to deteoriate this quick, indeed, but when he touched the shaft Xie¡¯e sensed a queer force of Qi slithering around the lance. This, he thought, must be why the first head didn¡¯t age.


    ¡®¡¯Why would you want me to carry this?¡¯¡¯ He asked after opening his eyes, and the Qi he felt turned quite faint to his senses.


    ¡®¡¯You shouldn¡¯t sit empty and all, for first,¡¯¡¯ Ali said and pointed to the horizon; the moon was still on its way to the center of the sky. ¡®¡¯And for second, there isn¡¯t anyone that can carry it outside the fighting force.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯It isn¡¯t heavy though?¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯With a tempered body like yours, of course it won¡¯t be,¡¯¡¯ Ali said. ¡®¡¯Only Nehkar and I are in Path Finding, so these men still have some work to do.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯What about Kazad?¡¯¡¯ Xie¡¯e asked. If he wasn¡¯t wrong, Ali was on the third-layer Path Finding whilst Nehkar was on the second-layer. And the aura Kazad showcased in the massacre, and then later to him hinted at a power much greater than theirs.


    ¡®¡¯He is also a Qi destructioner, can¡¯t you assess?¡¯¡¯


    Xie¡¯e showed a quite conceited frown. He was confident of his senses more than his archery, though these men and women proved his pride on latter to be worthless no longer than in a day. But there was the experience of years of practice, and if he prided himself in something other than it, it was also bound to be more than average.


    Heshang, too, commended him once on that.


    Only once though, Xie¡¯e shook his head.


    ¡®¡¯For the third, benefactor,¡¯¡¯ Then Ali spoke to his head, and it seemed he didn¡¯t mind Xie¡¯e¡¯s frown and shake. ¡®¡¯You won¡¯t be needed to fight as the Bounty Carrier. That lad with you is quite reliable, so even if you won¡¯t protect yourself, he will.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯From here on, don¡¯t involve yourself with fighting.¡¯¡¯


    The talk ceased from there and Xie¡¯e didn¡¯t comment. He understood that Ali spoke to him with transmissions only when he didn¡¯t need answers. Or he didn¡¯t want answers. That, he wasn¡¯t sure much. But it was fine with him as well.


    He had burdened himself enough these days, he just wanted to find his master and...he still had no idea about what would come later.


    In silence between men and women, and with the sounds of hooves and whimpers they went on. No pursuers appeared for the entirety of the night, and they passed by a small-scale sandsurge with seven scorpions in it; the one Xie¡¯e and Ali encountered numbered in hundreds, so the difference was quite mind boggling.


    Nothing of note happened the day after except the rest they took once in a few hours. On the road the company tried to contact their superiors and people that could help, and they still had no response or the sign of contact. What happened here was, Tanto, the soldier with him said, either a region scale Qi-lock or the expulsion from the transmission network of Ghuneit.


    There still laid, however, a miniscule chance of the talismans being tampered. While this idea was thought at first, with no signs of them being damaged in any way, the auxiliary concluded on the former two possibilities. Ali still held onto his idea though.


    Further from there, after traveling one more day with nothing but quarter-hours of rest, they reached another village called Hearsun around evening, and they didn¡¯t encounter anything ambush-like. This time came no men to greet them but a single elder, clad in a white cloth covering everything but his head and tightened to his body with a belt of gold.


    This elder turned out to be not of the locals, but a merchant passing through Hearsun to the Sitesun¡¯s Oasis, also a village, fifty-seven kilometers east to Hearsun and then to Nuorfo to the southeast and to the southern city of Nuofuon. Nehkar, as the figurehead of the company, conversed with the merchant and used half of their remaining money to buy some more supplies.


    After the transaction they lodged outside the village until dawn and set out after the first few lights shone on them.


    There was not much to tell about their manner of travel; the formation held the same and the men acted the same. Between them never passed a small talk, or a longer one, even, except when Xie¡¯e questioned or inquired about something. With the reactions as it is, Xie¡¯e had the thought that he was bothering Tanto, but the eager responses of the man kept him relieved.


    Six more days passed, and each two days they set up camps to take a long rest. Unlike the first camp they made, however, the sleep lasted a mere five hours rather than their lengthy slumber. This time was even less for the auxiliary, who woke earlier to prepare the supplies and the mounts, and then much lesser for those assigned to patrol and stand on night watch.


    While Nehkar assumed the representative mantle of the company, it was Kazad Of Vanguard that still rallied and ordered the company, and so he made switches and changes between men and women of the company to preserve their strength. He said, when they stood by a campfire on the fourth day¡¯s night, while this pace squeezed their bodies thin on energy, these men still couldn¡¯t shake off the rustening from their week of imprisonment. The way to get them back on their feet was to push them harder, and not the immediate requirement of some pursuing enemy.


    ¡®¡¯And if there is an enemy?¡¯¡¯ Xie¡¯e asked in response, and he saw Kazad twist the right-end of his moustache, smiling.


    ¡®¡¯That would work better, by my heart.¡¯¡¯


    Most memorable of his conversations was not that, of course, but with Tanto whom he now got familiar with. The man wasn¡¯t as ferocious looking as Nehkar, but he stood taller than him by a head and half, so his intimidation factor did not lack by any means. He also was a admirer of Kazad, and so grew a moustache to match him in looks.


    ¡®¡¯Say, Tanto,¡¯¡¯ Xie¡¯e said on their thirteenth day of travel, awake from sleep fresh and with the Bounty Lance on his hand. ¡®¡¯Don¡¯t all these provincial and regional cities have their own militias?¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Oh yes, brother Xie, they do. They are militia still and not soldiers, though.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯But with how abundant they seem, the desert shouldn¡¯t have this much problem with deserters and bandits.¡¯¡¯ These people he mentioned now stood stacked upon the lance in his hand, and weird enough after the fortieth head the lance no longer seemed cramped more.


    As for what he felt for them, Xie¡¯e didn¡¯t try to think upon that.


    ¡®¡¯As you say, brother Xie, they are deserters. Not in the meaning of from the desert, you know?¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Escapees,¡¯¡¯ Xie¡¯e said.


    ¡®¡¯Yes yes,¡¯¡¯ Tanto nodded twice, then plucked a strand of his brown hair back. ¡®¡¯Those foul green worms were too deceitful, you know, and they forced those blabbering traders to sell their food elsewhere. Now those near the border don¡¯t have enough to eat, soldiers even more since the war came to an end.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯And now they turn into banditry? The situation should stabilize in a few weeks, shouldn¡¯t it?¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Who knows? Not me, at least.¡¯¡¯ Tanto said, yet cast an obvious frown to their back with his long eyebrows. The intent behind it didn¡¯t stem from any hostility, but of disturbance. After all, even if they were mere soldiers, they were mere soldiers of the Third Prince. That itself granted them the right to know more than others of their supposed same rank.


    But soon that frown turned into a hardened glare, and Xie¡¯e heard the command of Nehkar from the front.


    ¡®¡¯Kazad, get ready to split!¡¯¡¯


    It seemed they caught the eyes of another group of scavengers.


    And yes, Xie¡¯e learned that to be the name of those long-necked birds.


    *********


    In the Palace Of Southern Winds, the judge of Nuofuon hosted a banquet for the arrival of Guneit Elder Keschil and his entourage.


    While the details of the mansion named a palace was of the same as any other judge of the realm, excluding its size, the main feature it boasted to others was seven arched towers rounding its outer gates. When one passed through the outer-gate of the mansion, they would pass so between these and enter into the empty space leading to the inner-gate. And this evening, a servant trod through the aforementioned road.


    This male servant wore nothing but a yellow gown, not of natural color but yellowed by the sand from all the journey he spent, and a shoulder pouch dangling from his side.


    With fast paced steps and a hurried breath, the male servant passed by the gazes of the arching towers and stepped through the gates to the courtyard. He saw a sole fountain sprinkling water to the brown, rocky earth, and four glaive-wielding scale-armored men standing side by side near a green steel gate.


    ¡®¡¯Lhord-¡¯¡¯ There he spoke and rushed to the men, of whom one took a step and halted him.


    ¡®¡¯Are you the messenger?¡¯¡¯ The guard with beard said. ¡®¡¯Take this,¡¯¡¯ Then took out a pouch from his side that the servant didn¡¯t notice. From the pouch came out a transparent flask, and so he saw the water rippling inside.


    The male servant paid no heed and clutched the flask, opened its lid, then hauled the content to his head. Rather than drinking he licked the droplets flowing down his face, then let out a deep breath.


    ¡®¡¯Lord,¡¯¡¯ He said, and his voice sounded no longer hoarse. ¡®¡¯Is lord in? Is lord awake? I have news, news.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Let me alert the lord,¡¯¡¯ The guard said and took his flask back, then stepped through the gates into the mansion. The messenger waited there as the other three searched his body for weapons, which there was none in the first place.


    It took mere three minutes for the guard to come back and usher him inside. There they passed a myriad of corridors and pottery adorned reddish walls before reaching a giant pair of doors. There stood eight more guards, each with heights three or four heads above the average men and women, yet with nothing but large shields buckled to their arms.


    Two of the guards standing next to the doors moved at his sight and pushed from each side; the gates creaked, then squealed to an open.


    Beyond the metallic doors came the sight of a small chamber, and inside the lamp-lit chamber was two men.


    One of them stood on his knees, with his head still looking up, and the other seated himself atop a three-legged chair.


    Though anyone would recognize the man by his drooping grey eyebrows, the manner of seating itself hinted at the disparity between their influence.


    ¡®¡¯Lord Keschil,¡¯¡¯ the messenger shot himself to the ground and kneeled to the man on the stool: The Ghuneit Elder Keschil Shamo.


    ¡®¡¯What does Shagang¡¯s Judge say?¡¯¡¯ One wouldn¡¯t expect such harsh voice from an old man as such. His voice brought such an effect that even the shutting doors remained silent under it.


    ¡®¡¯I implore his highness to act not too late; with a prudent attitude and haste, and with my gift. Then all left is for you, my lord, to take the field and get rid of the third party, he said.¡¯¡¯ The messenger recounted and took the pouch dangling to his side.


    ¡®¡¯This,¡¯¡¯ he presented, ¡®¡¯Is the gift, my lord, and the recording.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Let me see,¡¯¡¯ Keschil said.


    The messenger raised his head and took three steps forward, stopping right at the foot of the chair, and lowered himself again. Keschil grasped the pouch and the messenger took three steps back.


    ¡®¡¯Hmm, hmm hm.¡¯¡¯ Keschil muttered to himself for some seconds, then clenched his fists.


    The pouch shriveled, shrank, and at last burst into patches of clothes.


    ¡®¡¯I accept his...gift, now begone.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯My gratitude,¡¯¡¯ the doors opened behind him and the messenger, after bowing once, left the room.


    A burdening silence fell on the room; nor breath nor the crackling of the torches could be heard. As if the walls devoured any noise and left an empty void.


    Staying in such an environment was, perhaps, worse than a prison of Shamo, for while they were infamous in many realms, at least the whirling of the sand could be heard in it.


    ¡®¡¯Does my lord wish to kill little prince?¡¯¡¯ After an uncountable time, the man at the bottom spoke. He was the judge Of Nuofuon, Thkum, and held the reign of the city for more than two decades. And so, his relationship with the Ghuneit Elder, Keschil, ran deeper than most other local governors.


    That fact was the reason he could speak with soberness and safety.


    ¡®¡¯Not...wish...¡¯¡¯ Keschil¡¯s voice turned more subtle. ¡®¡¯It is a certainty...that he...won¡¯t get the throne...¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Mm,¡¯¡¯ Thkum nodded in agreement. ¡®¡¯He is not bad of a character, my lord, but his elder siblings fare better in almost any aspect.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯I don¡¯t...think so,¡¯¡¯ Keschil shook his head twice. ¡®¡¯Ali...is a good boy...¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Not a man?¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯A boy...good, kind...and vigilant. But...he is overcast by...something.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Is it hard for my lord to explain?¡¯¡¯ Thkum smiled.


    ¡®¡¯Aaah,¡¯¡¯ Keschil sighed. ¡®¡¯Everything is hard...to give a reason...but...yes, it is.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Then I suppose there is no need to pursue them?¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯No need...no need,¡¯¡¯ Keschil shook his head again. ¡®¡¯They...should...be near Savkhuz¡¯s province...border, right?¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯If they set out seventeen days ago, they might be further than that.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Then...¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯It should take them a month more to pass through there, and another twenty days to Region Border.¡¯¡¯ Thkum stopped right there and fell in thoughts.


    ¡®¡¯My lord,¡¯¡¯ He said, caressing his chin, ¡®¡¯Would it not be a good idea to alert them? Since they have no knowledge of the Shagang¡¯s Judge, and his intentions, there should be a membrane of trust existing.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯I...have...already,¡¯¡¯ Keschil let out a giggle. ¡®¡¯A few...dozen...bandit heads. Isn¡¯t it...enough?¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Indeed, it should be,¡¯¡¯ Thkum smiled again and put his right hand on his left chest. ¡®¡¯Then would you like me to alert Lord Irohan?¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯That...also taken...care of.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯...there is not much for me to do these days, my lord,¡¯¡¯ Thkum said and rose from his position. ¡®¡¯Then I¡¯ll get your quarters ready right away. Is there anything else you need or wish?¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Nothing...thank you...¡¯¡¯


    Thkum nodded, gave another bow with his hand on his chest, and opened the door. After the gates squealed open and Thkum disappeared through the corner of the corridor, Keschil let out one last sigh.


    ¡®¡¯Come...carry me.¡¯¡¯

 65- Traveling To The Region Border (3)

    It was the thirty-fifth day of their journey, and there laid a month more of road before them. The road was, after all, not a literal road, but a desert. Yet it still counted.


    There were few changes in the company except the several tasks now Xie¡¯e took up with the auxiliary: Carrying the bounties, cleaning the clothes, polishing the weapons. Though few in number, indeed, they brought him a little bit closer to the elderly supporting the company from their backs.


    So much so that now he rode not beside Ali, but right behind him with the auxiliary group and the mules. Tanto still mounted with him on his own horse, for the small period of time between the camps didn¡¯t prove enough of an opportunity to learn riding. Xie¡¯e now could mount by himself and stand, but having even the tamest mule keep up the pace with the company was a task he found difficult beyond his capability.


    Tanto and Ali were adamant on the fault being of Xie¡¯e, and his lacking skills, but Xie¡¯e sensed something queer with how other animals approached him. Unlike other members of the company they didn¡¯t...seem to fear him, or obedient in any sense.


    He couldn¡¯t get himself to give such an explanation, though, so Xie¡¯e ceased his complaints and continued polishing his skills. These were the aforementioned weapon polishing, riding, and at last his mind.


    Mind being the center of his will, and will being the tool that governed him and the Qi around him, it was essential that he kept his mental capability at an all high and pursued a betterment of it. His abilities as a cripple warrior, one who utilized Qi and not used it, depended on the functioning of his mind. Thus, trying to improve himself by meditation and observation could be told as a form of cultivation. And not cultivating wasn¡¯t something a group like this was allowed to.


    *********


    Fortieth, fiftieth, and sixtieth day all came and passed, and now there was only two or three more days¡¯ worth of path left to the region border to Bat?h.


    The locations called Region Borders were, Xie¡¯e learned, more than a simple gap between territories. All three region borders; Bat?h-Ghuneit, Bat?h-Khuzeit, and Bat?h-Bashkend had sets of fortresses built upon them.


    Though they might be bigger than a general city was, and so it might have seemed wrong to call them fortresses, these constructions didn¡¯t allow any civilians near their perimeter except traders or diplomatic envoys. So not only every man and woman in them were soldiers to their sandals, with how bulked up they were the only name that fit to these were fortresses.


    Now, Xie¡¯e questioned two things: Why would the Shamo that didn¡¯t even bother walling their cities- excusing it with how troublesome it was didn¡¯t count- expend so much of their resources to build tens of defensive castles across Region borders; and with how controversial things seemed between the rulers and Ali, how in the light¡¯s grace would they be able to pass through there?


    ¡®¡¯We¡¯ll make the talk for it tonight,¡¯¡¯ Ali said in front and slowed his mount to approach him and Tanto. ¡®¡¯But for short, benefactor, you¡¯ll be our tool.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯I?¡¯¡¯ Xie¡¯e tilted his head. He didn¡¯t understand at first, but being with men like Ali and Kazad, he somewhat recognized how they thought on some matters.


    ¡®¡¯I¡¯ll be a tribe representative or something?¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Hm, it might work elsewhere,¡¯¡¯ Ali said, and shook his head. ¡®¡¯But no, benefactor. We think more in the lines of disguise.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯...¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯...stop your what look.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯But that is the same thing, isn¡¯t it?¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Deceiving and disguise aren¡¯t the same-¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯It is!¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯...¡¯¡¯ Ali cast him a tired look and increased his pace again to ride in the front. The second line opened a gap for him to replace, and he did fill the empty space between riders.


    ¡®¡¯It is the same, isn¡¯t it Tanto?¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯...it is...¡¯¡¯ Tanto coughed twice. ¡®¡¯Of course it isn¡¯t brother Xie.¡¯¡¯


    Xie¡¯e sighed.


    *********


    Beset by numerous men and women in the night-camp, the campfire roared out a large swath of flame to the sky. A few more pieces of wood flew over its head and fell in, and another wave of fire burst, then died off into a calm crackle.


    A dozen steps away from the campfire sat the company in a circle, numbering five less than usual. Two were patrolling around and three had passed away from heavy wounds on the journey. One was the old man Batos, who was the reliever of many mount-related accidents. Those that died they didn¡¯t bring along but buried in any nearby villages. That much they deserved.


    Though he didn¡¯t think much about them, when everyone bundled together the lack of a sole soul became glaring in the eyes of all. So the mood was always heavy at night.


    ¡®¡¯Is everything understood?¡¯¡¯ Then Kazad¡¯s words brought him back to the discussion.


    ¡®¡¯Hm,¡¯¡¯ Nehkar nodded with a light sigh, and so did Xie¡¯e. Ali, seated on a soft cover, leaned back and crossed his arms. Theraght and Thleaft both stood on their feet and gave their consent with hums.


    ¡®¡¯Then, Xie¡¯e,¡¯¡¯ Kazad turned to him, ¡®¡¯Let¡¯s try that again.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Yes sir,¡¯¡¯ Xie¡¯e shot to his feet and patted off clusters of sand from his bottom. Thleaft came after him and the trio walked away from the campfire towards the desolate camp entrance. They passed the yellowed and worn-out tents and reached the exit, where a single woman with her glaive yawned every once in a while.


    ¡®¡¯Commander, captain,¡¯¡¯ When she saw them arrive, the soldier gave a slight bow with her hand over her left chest, then stood upright again to watch the horizon.


    ¡®¡¯Good night, good work,¡¯¡¯ Thleaft said, Kazad nodded, and Xie¡¯e mimicked the motion. The three went past her as well and walked at least two dozen meters away from the camp, then came to a halt amidst sand dunes.


    ¡®¡¯Will it work this time, Xie?¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯It should, there were only a handful of people back then.¡¯¡¯ Xie¡¯e said and sat cross legged between two men. Kazad swirled his mustache for a second, then a moment later swung his ring over Xie¡¯e. A light gleamed through the amethyst stone on the circle, then three lances of bounty appeared in front of them.


    Of these lances, Xie¡¯e learned not long ago, there were five, and each served as tools of intimidation for stray bandits and deserters. To make their...disguise work, Ali and Kazad deemed at least two full of them to be enough. So they were left with one extra, and on it stood a pile of mangled, blood-cloaked bodies.


    Whole corpses, not sole heads.


    Xie¡¯e closed his eyes to not look.


    ¡®¡¯If this doesn¡¯t work again, what will you do commander?¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Forge death arrows, of course,¡¯¡¯ Kazad said. ¡®¡¯We¡¯ll need to prepare everything beforehand until we reach the range of surveillance.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯It should be around three-¡¯¡¯ Accustomed to the customary silence of the so called summoning, the duo once more got into another discussion on random topics. War, food, family; a butter from the southwest Bat?h, wine brewed with scorpion poison; the interchangeable walking homes at the Khuzeit...


    As it had been so long since he tried to call Embodiment, and as he now was reliant on hand seals to make any spell of the manual, the buzzing of the two troubled him to some margin. They were not to blame, he thought, but his annoyance flared again amidst his actions.


    ¡®¡¯A moment,¡¯¡¯ Xie¡¯e said and made one last hand seal, then covered his eyelids with his palms.


    ALthough he didn¡¯t want to look, he had to see the concentration of Death Qi to assess whether anything had changed from the previous attempts. So he pried them open and peeked for a moment, and between the twinkling red curtain on his eyes he saw a staggering cloud of darkness coagulate near the corpses. There was, however, a sliver of scarlet and fire red as well.


    The difference is too much...


    The last time, he had used...three men¡¯s corpses for the attempt; this time it was double the amount at least.


    Xie¡¯e forced his eyes to open and started his seals anew. But I¡¯ll have to do it anyway.


    His hands moved in erratic ways; his fingers intertwined and parted, and they rubbed and pressed on each other. Soon a vortex appeared in his vision, and perhaps the duo sensed it too, for they turned alert and took a step back from the center.


    The vortex was half-silver half-black in color, and in its middle converged the loads of Lunar and Death Qi together. Now, Xie¡¯e willed and a half-sphere popped around the vortex, stopping the onslaught of the Lunar Qi.


    Soon a large bundle of dark overcame the silver and all remained was a thin, white line stretching from the tip of the vortex to its end. With the darkness, now a tinge of purple, it swirled and revolved, and they grew larger and larger. From within, Xie¡¯e felt something touch his soul again.


    His heart trembled.


    Outside the half-sphere barrier, like the vortex, the Lunar Qi tried to rush through in a magnitude so baffling that it turned corporeal. It tried to swirl as well, yet all it did was to batter the barrier to the point of cracking it.


    In response to the thunderous sounds, Kazad and Thleaft whipped out their weapons, two glaives embroidered with emerald colors, and readied themselves to defend. The last attempt, the former gained a numb right hand and the latter almost broke his arm from the rebound.


    Xie¡¯e noticed their actions as well, but he was too caught up in catching that feeling of touch. This was the exact time he had to cast Embodiment, and so he did.


    The Qi shriveled, then expanded in a revolving storm of crackling sounds. The expansion continued and continued, and at last it reached thrice its size.


    But this time, Xie¡¯e could control it.


    A flash of light, then another loud booming later Xie¡¯e forsook the curtain on his eyes, and the barrier as well. The Lunar Qi stopped its rush and started dispersing, and the duo near him raised their heads to look above.


    Precisely, to look at the giant standing before them.


    With the skirt it always dirtied whilst farming, and with the familiar character of ÕD stamped on its chest, in front of them stood the dreadful farmer of two years: Embodiment.


    Xie¡¯e let out the widest smile he ever did at the sight, and he laughed so hard that his chest and back aggravated again. For half-a-minute he continued; he couldn¡¯t stop himself.


    Right after it, and when the duo shook off the wonder and gazed at him with questioning looks, Xie¡¯e felt his heart lighten to some degree. He felt refreshed, and he was relieved. If he didn¡¯t hold it in, he felt like he would cry right there.


    Embodiment, being the Embodiment he was, looked around at the two, then down at the Xie¡¯e gazing at him.


    Then Embodiment smiled.


    Xie¡¯e froze.


    *********


    In the past, Embodiment¡¯s...humanly features were not so complete; he had outlines of eyes and a nose to some extent, and he always carried a huge bulk of muscle, but it was the first time the hint of a face materialized.


    ¡®¡¯...good to see you too,¡¯¡¯ Xie¡¯e let out a long, long sigh. The mental connection established between them following the smile, and so Xie¡¯e replied right after it.


    ¡®¡¯A spirit...indeed,¡¯¡¯ Kazad nodded and Thleaft pulled Xie¡¯e from the ground. ¡®¡¯But why are these characters here?¡¯¡¯


    With his question, Kazad took two steps forward and caressed the chest of Embodiment; his stern gaze was on the four words spiraling out of the center.


    Blood was one of them, and the other was Wood. That, Embodiment gained from long days of farming and absorbing Wood Qi. The other two, however, were anew.


    Moon and Fire.


    By all means, he could understand Fire Qi, but was Lunar Qi not bountiful in any other place? He didn¡¯t understand the reason, and put it in the back of his mind for the time being.


    ¡®¡¯They are some kind of an imprint,¡¯¡¯ Xie¡¯e explained after a moment of silence. ¡®¡¯He absorbs different kinds and can use them as his own, but they need to be refilled.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯And does it leech off you or the world?¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯The latter, obviously,¡¯¡¯ Xie¡¯e said. After all, he had no Qi for Embodiment to feed on...


    Xie¡¯e felt something ring in his mind.


    ¡®¡¯So it sustains itself...like a Guardian, I suppose.¡¯¡¯ Thleaft commented from the side, and Xie¡¯e nodded in agreement.


    ¡®¡¯It seems strong enough,¡¯¡¯Kazad knocked Embodiment¡¯s chest twice; Embodiment pushed the small fist away from himself.


    Kazad cast a not-so-amused glance, then turned to Xie¡¯e. ¡®¡¯But it has a will of its own as well. It might prove a problem-¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯As I said before, he won¡¯t,¡¯¡¯ Xie¡¯e said and clasped the left arm of the embodiment. ¡®¡¯Rest assured, sir.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯We¡¯ll do so,¡¯¡¯ Thleaft smiled and came to stand on Embodiment¡¯s right as well. ¡®¡¯Damned sand, he might be four or five heads taller than companion, too.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯He should be around three meters? I¡¯m not sure about the exact height.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯He is a friendly giant then.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Whatever it might be, since we are done, let us return to my prince,¡¯¡¯ Kazad said after the two men and one spirit stopped smiling. ¡®¡¯I¡¯m sure he will be surprised as well.¡¯¡¯


    *********


    Around the eighteenth day of the sixth month, the third season¡¯s starting date, the Fortress Of Itirun received orders from the Warlord of Bat?h¡¯s Batur Province. The orders came through four different communication lines, and two of the receiving ends were the personal talismans of the Garrison Commander Saflor Shamo and the still fresh appointed Shaman of the Tisneigh Tribe.


    The received message comprised of two sentences: ¡®¡¯A queer group will come at the third quarter¡¯s third hour, let them pass. Anyone other than them shall be detained, and when done so will be reported to me.¡¯¡¯


    The contents and the orders were simple, and the Garrison Commander Saflor abided by orders as such many times in her eight decades of life; they occurred the most in the past three years. Those that came were either spies undercover or a political envoy of some sorts. The latter was easy to identify, and though they would make themselves known when they arrived, Warlord Purehan never made remarks on such fellows beforehand.


    So it was the former, she concluded. And the former¡¯s situation being as it is, the justification of arrest on any other groups provided itself with no effort.


    When she was done with thinking, Saflor put down her talisman on the gray wood table and wore her horned helmet. The orders came in the first quarter¡¯s sixth hour, so she was already in her scale armor and was donning the cavalry sabre on a belt at her waist.


    She pushed open the also gray wood door of her quarters and stepped out into a long, narrow corridor bearing arches at its left side. Sunlight poured into the hallway from these arches and cast the shadows of the dried up torches and her bulky body; they glared in her eyes, too.


    Saflor clenched her teeth and turned away from the sunlight, then took a left towards the stairs leading down. She descended in a straight way, snapped her fingers twice to the soldiers standing on duty in the barrack, then stepped out of the great ironwork gates to the outside.This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    What greeted her first was a swarm of infantry and cavalry. The fifth barrack was built on a slope leading down for a few hundred meters, reaching to the colossal southern gates and the two watchtowers flanking it, so Saflor¡¯s position gave her a good view of the Itirun, and correlating to that, of the men and women in it.


    Almost four thousand of the infantrymen were in the immediate surroundings, and another two thousand up on the walls. The remaining five hundred or so were with the cavalry scouts she sent this morning; patrolling the empty region stuffed between Itirun, Ishirun, and Usrun.


    Though there always were people patrolling throughout the day and night to catch anyone slipping by, since this was another quest assigned by the Warlord the caution had to be the utmost priority.


    With that in mind, she took a deep breath- the air smelled of sweat and grease as always- and moved towards the southern watchtower. Wherever she passed, men and women saluted, then left to whatever they were supposed to do: Horse tending, patrolling, transporting, training...


    Plenty enough.


    Right as she mumbled, she heard the shout of the archers on the watchtowers.


    ¡®¡¯There is visitors!¡¯¡¯


    She looked at the tower, then to the sky above; the Sun was right where it was supposed to be.


    ¡®¡¯There they are...¡¯¡¯


    *********


    Right after the shout from the archers, who were all hiding behind the battlements and little gaps of the tower, the humongous gate in front of the company squeaked.


    Unlike the limestone-colored walls of stone, the gates were of a black-ish metal and seemed to open not to inside, but towards the above.


    Standing on the shoulders of the Embodiment- this Ali ordered him right after meeting the giant- Xie¡¯e watched the gates clank up and halt atop the mounted men and women. Surrounded by his fellows in the company, and led by neither Nehkar or Kazad but by Ali, a sense of unease rippled in his heart at the sight.


    ¡®¡¯Move to the front, halt your mounts in the entrance.¡¯¡¯ A soldier came beside them with his clanking armor. Where he came, across the courtyard of the castle was an uncountable number of men and women. Xie¡¯e frowned, for they stood disorderly and some even didn¡¯t have any equipment to speak of, and right after he took back his frown he noticed the soldier beside them frowning at him.


    ¡®¡¯Where do you come from?¡¯¡¯ A female official appeared a few seconds after and stepped into the gap between the gates and the fortress¡¯ inside. By her outfit, and by how other dozen flanking them behaved themselves, it was a concluded matter that she was of important standing.


    ¡®¡¯From near Shagang,¡¯¡¯ Ali replied. His mouth didn¡¯t seem to be moving from the reddish tattoos they painted on his face; others¡¯ still looked fine after a day and would do so for another few days.


    ¡®¡¯Is this lot your companions or...¡¯¡¯ The female official showed a slight smile when she heard shagang, then let go of it once her eyes settled on the Embodiment below Xie¡¯e.


    ¡®¡¯Six of them, yes,¡¯¡¯ here Ali waved his hand to the six men standing right behind him; these had neither tattoos nor strange clothing like the rest of the company did. ¡®¡¯The others, I pay from my own pouch. We carry fish from the Intive Coast, and flour, olive, salt, berries, horse meat. They are mixed up with our rations. There is, though small, some paint, leather, and metal scraps of weapons and armor.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯The amount seems little, young mister.¡¯¡¯ She looked over the mules at the back, then to the heavy-clothed elderly.


    ¡®¡¯We have to consider the time, miss Shamo.¡¯¡¯


    The female official stopped talking and inspected the entourage one more time, but for the most part her eyes glazed over to the Embodiment. She didn¡¯t seem to pay attention to what they thought of her gaze.


    ¡®¡¯Then it should be fine to look up a little, yes?¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Of course, miss, go on.¡¯¡¯ Ali nodded, then the female official ordered some of the bystanding soldiers to move.


    Whilst her men and women got to work, the official started questioning Ali again; When they took off, which route they took, what they bought in where at what time, when they stopped, whom they met or spoke, why Itirun was their choice...


    While inspection itself lasted no more than a handful of minutes, the interrogation lasted a whole half-an-hour. But the official seemed satisfied with the answers and the state of their company, but her eyes never left the Embodiment.


    ¡®¡¯I shall ask one more thing,¡¯¡¯ When they passed with their escort to the northern gate''s exit, ready to set out, the official came before Xie¡¯e and the Embodiment. ¡®¡¯What use does a tribe member have with a spatial pouch?¡¯¡¯


    Xie¡¯e showed a slight frown at the question and clutched the spatial pouch at his side. He pondered what he should do for a second, then in the midst of his consideration The Embodiment reached out to him through their connection.


    There, he felt a strange...emotion resonate between them. Whenever they spoke, the feeling always resembled a small ripple fluctuating in his heart; this time, it was in his mind. Look at her right, The Embodiment seemed to convey, look at her right side.


    So Xie¡¯e, with no small amount of trust in Embodiment, slanted his eyes and glanced at that empty space. Nothing happened, and Xie¡¯e didn¡¯t feel anything special as well.


    This action didn¡¯t seem to make any effect on the official too, so Xie¡¯e shook his head and motioned Embodiment to open up the contents.


    He couldn¡¯t use Qi, after all, so how were he to open such an item?


    Embodiment¡¯s innate Qi moved up and came in contact with the pouch, and from its inside three different shadows shot out.


    Embodiment, resting Xie¡¯e on his shoulder, clutched two of them and slammed their shafts to the ground; Xie¡¯e caught the last one and put it on his lap. Its tip, and the head of Jiao Xue at the top, looked a bit far from the official. They were the bounty lances, indeed, and each three carried dozens of bloody heads upon their shaft.


    The official looked at the Embodiment, at his lances, then at Xie¡¯e and his lance. Her eyes shrunk a little at the amount, then she smiled.


    ¡®¡¯Go on mister merchant, have a safe trip,¡¯¡¯ She said and the northern gates unraveled before the company.


    ¡®¡¯With your presence, of course we will,¡¯¡¯ Ali smiled with his blackened teeth. ¡®¡¯I wish you peace on your duty.¡¯¡¯


    The official nodded and waved them off; a moment later the company had left the vicinity of the fortress and an hour later there was no trace of Itirun or whatsoever. Though their vigilance lasted longer, and so they spoke of nothing for the rest of the day.


    *********


    Right after the group of assumed Divination Tribe mercenaries left with the merchant, Saflor turned right and held out her arm towards the empty air. Something blinked by her side, then came into appearance a young man, coughing.


    ¡®¡¯What was that man?¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Haah, haah,¡¯¡¯ The shaman of the Tisneigh took two deep breaths to take care of his breathing and looked at the closing gates.


    ¡®¡¯There was a successor to those pesky spirit...say, lovers, in the Khuzeit a year back. Young man, great prowess, and a giant spirit, they said, was all that defined him.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Was he not slain in the Thkum¡¯s Border incident?¡¯¡¯ Saflor showed a dissatisfied smile and let go of the young man; he held onto his cane to support himself.


    ¡®¡¯Missing...¡¯¡¯ His breathing turned normal after one more breath, and so the shaman spoke again. ¡®¡¯They concluded him missing, though the tribe reported his spirit as killed as well...¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Though that is a mere assumption, dear garrison commander,¡¯¡¯ The shaman said after a lengthy silence, his eyes closed. ¡®¡¯Even if he is what we assume him to be, it changes nothing.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯You better notify the Orternov, if that is the case,¡¯¡¯ Saflor said, ¡®¡¯Also, you can tell I placed one of those.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯I shall,¡¯¡¯ the shaman said and turned away from the squeaking gates. ¡®¡¯I shall indeed-¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Commander!¡¯¡¯ There, right as a cloud of sand and dust rose from the gate¡¯s colossal weight, a mounted woman from the southern watchtower rode towards them. ¡®¡¯There is two more groups!¡¯¡¯


    Saflor and the Tisneigh Shaman froze, then looked into each others¡¯ eyes.


    ¡®¡¯What even is this...¡¯¡¯


    *********


    Forty hours later, the company came to a halt atop a sand hill overlooking a great deal of the surroundings. They had little rest throughout the past two days and still kept whatever make-up they had against any variable that might become apparent. There was none, though.


    ¡®¡¯My prince, well done,¡¯¡¯ Whilst watching the scenery atop Embodiment¡¯s shoulders-and lances still in their hands-Xie''e saw Nehkar bow to Ali and help him dismount; the man himself didn¡¯t seem to have any need for it.


    ¡®¡¯Not my success,¡¯¡¯ Ali said and started making his way towards him, patting the shoulders of the company¡¯s men and women on the way. After taking their greetings and commenting on the complaints about the stench of the paint, he came right beside Xie¡¯e and held up an arm.


    Xie¡¯e lowered himself, strained his back whilst doing it, and grasped Ali¡¯s stretched hand atop the Embodiment; he pulled Ali up and the man settled himself on the left shoulder.


    ¡®¡¯The view up here is better, isn¡¯t it.¡¯¡¯ Xie¡¯e said. Being almost twice the size of the ritous, of course one could see a much vaster expanse of the land.


    ¡®¡¯Indeed...¡¯¡¯ Ali nodded. His eye was on the horizon, and since the Sun was still in the process of rising, its lights struck right onto his brown eyes. He looked noble enough to be a prince only in moments like these.


    ¡®¡¯Benefactor, you remember what we talked before?¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯I do,¡¯¡¯ Xie¡¯e said. ¡®¡¯But even if there is no longer people that will pose a danger, there is still nights.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Of course, but that talk is for later; for me and Kazad to speak,¡¯¡¯ Ali said. ¡®¡¯What I want to talk is...what will you do after contacting your master?¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯You don¡¯t think that I won¡¯t be able to talk to him?¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Explorers have more than a dozen ways to get him know of your existence, if he is real,¡¯¡¯ There Ali turned to look at him, ¡®¡¯But right after it, you never mentioned it. Where he is...who he is.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Is it uncomfortable to talk about it?¡¯¡¯


    Xie¡¯e cast his eyes down to the Embodiment, traced his shoulders and his arms, then turned his gaze up from there to the lances and the heads upon them.


    ¡®¡¯I don¡¯t have the luxury to feel uncomfortable these days,¡¯¡¯ Xie¡¯e sighed. ¡®¡¯But...¡¯¡¯ It is uncomfortable.


    That, he kept to himself. The reason being obvious as it is, as his master was-Tanto told when he asked about the Shuangguang in the past days- someone not only known, but also a person close to the Emperor Shuangxing. Of course he didn¡¯t ask in a direct way, so no one knew of who he was as of now.


    It was this fact that made him disturbed.


    He knew why Ali came to ask this now; there was not much left of their journey, for unlike traversing the entire Bat?h, like they did in Ghuneit, the company would pass through a single town to get into Bashkend¡¯s region border. The path would take a measly five days, then the road they had would be three days worth at most.


    This meant that their journey was coming to an end. And once it finished, they would part ways.


    It was the most natural to be curious about that, and furthermore it was Xie¡¯e who arranged such a talk.


    ¡®¡¯I¡¯ll need your help,¡¯¡¯ He had said before, and was now saying as well. ¡®¡¯But...¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯You are cutting yourself off again, benefactor,¡¯¡¯ Ali put one hand over Xie¡¯e¡¯s back, ¡®¡¯Stop making excuses for your thoughts.¡¯¡¯


    Xie¡¯e retracted his gaze from the dead faces to Ali¡¯s living one, ¡®¡¯Haah-¡¯¡¯ He sighed. Once the desert wind washed over his face, Xie¡¯e closed his eyes, shook Ali¡¯s hand away from his back, then opened them again.


    ¡®¡¯Then...I want to talk about something with you...not now, though.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯And whom shall I bring?¡¯¡¯ Xie¡¯e thought of the people in the company for a second, but none other than Nehkar and Tanto seemed amiable to him.


    ¡®¡¯It doesn¡¯t matter,¡¯¡¯ He said after a while, ¡®¡¯Choose as you wish, Ah Li.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Ali-¡¯¡¯ Ali repeated, ¡®¡¯and alright, benefactor.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Let¡¯s get back to marching, then.¡¯¡¯


    *********


    Around the second hour of the fourth quarter of the same day, evening, the company constructed their usual camp near a plain-like surface with no sand dunes in sight.


    Auxiliary members put the half-black rocks with those new brown ones near the center of the tents and lit up the encircled pieces of firewood in the middle. The tongue of flame licked through them all and shot above, then calmed and started crackling.


    Xie¡¯e nodded to the elderly woman next to him and she, in response, dissipated the red blaze on her palm.


    ¡®¡¯Brother Xie,¡¯¡¯ Tanto walked over when they both stood up and pointed to the back of the camp. ¡®¡¯His highness is looking for you.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Thank you,¡¯¡¯ Xie¡¯e said, gave another nod, and made his way towards the entrance. He saw a man and a woman guarding a tent¡¯s entrance- like all others, the covers were worn and yellowed. From inside, Nehkar¡¯s snoring and a pair of footsteps reached his ears. He gave a smile and a small greeting to the two at the entrance, received theirs back, and stepped inside.


    The tent flapped behind him with his coming, so the two inside turned to him; as for noticing his presence, they should have heard him talk with the guards.


    ¡®¡¯Benefactor,¡¯¡¯ Unlike others talking him by his name, Ali still kept calling him ¡®benefactor¡¯.


    ¡®¡¯Xie, come sit,¡¯¡¯ Nehkar was of the others, too, and as he said so he patted a cushion beside him.


    Rather than sitting, Xie¡¯e glanced at Ali, and the man, understanding as always, stopped walking around and settled on a cushion of his own. So Xie¡¯e followed the suit and now they sat in a triangle; between them three clay jugs of water stood on sand.


    ¡®¡¯Where is my horse milk, Nehkar?¡¯¡¯ Xie¡¯e said.


    Nehkar raised a brow, put a smirk on his face, and held up his own jug from its square-ish handle. ¡®¡¯What milk? Horse milk? What is that? Never heard of it.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯They are boiling them for the next week,¡¯¡¯ Ali replied instead, ¡®¡¯ Last Cruel Crescent proved no difficulty, but our luck might not save us again.¡¯¡¯ The luck he mentioned was the loss of one of those soldiers, whose horse got shot by a venomous sting from the scorpions in the march. The poor man broke his neck when he fell, then got pincered by a dozen of them.


    They spent two hours that night looking for his body parts.


    ¡®¡¯And there are two more left of the horses, so we might remain with grain and olives alone for the week before we reach Bashkend.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯All left there is a week, isn¡¯t it...¡¯¡¯ Xie¡¯e muttered, and the other two nodded.


    ¡®¡¯Benefactor,¡¯¡¯ Ali said, ¡®¡¯You told...you have to tell something beforehand.¡¯¡¯


    This time Xie¡¯e nodded and turned to his right, his eyes on Nehkar.


    ¡®¡¯Is it fine If I stay?¡¯¡¯ Nehkar asked.


    Instead of replying, Xie¡¯e drew a circle above their heads. Nehkar made an ¡®¡¯ooh¡¯¡¯ and deployed his Qi; a green-ish brown Qi shot out of his body and revolved around them to create a half-sphere.


    ¡®¡¯Go on-¡¯¡¯ Nehkar said.


    Xie¡¯e fell silent again for a moment to gather his thoughts, then spoke.


    ¡®¡¯You...well, you two know of the Quan Bin Yingxiong, don¡¯t you?¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯I do,¡¯¡¯ Ali nodded, Nehkar gave his affirmation from the side.


    ¡®¡¯But which identity of him do you know?¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Which, you say? Hmm...There is him being a past hero of Kryostria, and that, many should know. He was also an old executive of The Sect¡¯s masters division, and he was a Combat Master himself. Then there is his current position: Royal Advisor Of Military for Shuangxing.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Military? Then, have you clashed with him before?¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯The position of Royal Advisor is an honorary title, benefactor. He had neither a hand in the Submission War nor in the diplomacy between our home and the Shuangguang. So he didn¡¯t take the field in the war. He doesn¡¯t even seem to have a presence in the political side of things as well...but for what reason he stays there, I don¡¯t know.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯That is fine as well,¡¯¡¯ Xie¡¯e let out a breath filled with relief. Of course he was relieved.


    ¡®¡¯Benefactor?¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯My master,¡¯¡¯ Xie¡¯e said, but he couldn¡¯t keep his eyes open when saying this. Even if he was said to have not done a single thing to Shamo, or to anyone else related to here, what difference would it make about the opinion Ali and others had of Quan?


    Xie¡¯e was anxious for that, and though he was calmer than a moment ago, the possibility of cutting his ties with them... these people wasn¡¯t something he was ready to accept before they officially parted ways. So his eyelid glued to each other from top to bottom, he waited for a moment, then spoke.


    ¡®¡¯He is my master, He is the man I¡¯m trying to meet with...¡¯¡¯ There he said it; calmer than he expected, and with a stable, strong voice.


    And no response came.


    He waited a few more seconds, still there was no sound. Then a few seconds more- none yet.


    Had he made a mistake?


    Within that silence, Xie¡¯e found himself being choked by the air itself. His heart churned like a quaking mountain.


    ¡®¡¯HAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHA¡¯¡¯ Then came the explosive aftermath that broke off the mountain and revitalized the air. In succession, four palm strikes descended on his back and pushed him into the sand, then deeper and deeper. Like a wild desert ostrich, Xie¡¯e stood with his head in sand and body leaned to the ground.**


    ¡®¡¯You are going to break his back,¡¯¡¯ Ali caught Nehkar¡¯s hand before the fifth palm fell as well, but the man continued to roar in laughter. Xie¡¯e, on the other hand, pushed himself off the ground and spat out two mouthfuls of sand; it left a bitter, burning taste in his tongue.


    ¡®¡¯Look at this boy, feeling sad because he has a hero as a master! Why have you not said so before?!¡¯¡¯ Nehkar stopped laughing, then laughed again, then stopped, then once more started laughing. Were it not for Ali wrestling his arm, it seemed, he really would break Xie¡¯e¡¯s half-healed back. ¡®¡¯And- hahahaha, and my prince was so worr-¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Enough!¡¯¡¯ Ali at last snorted and clutched, hard, and pulled Nehkar to the side. Yet calling it a ¡®pull¡¯ didn¡¯t make the movement any justice, for the following two seconds were caused by it alone.


    With one shake, Nehkar rose into the air, rotated once, and, when Ali let go, flew out of the tent with a swoosh. The tent¡¯s foundations seemed to slip as well; the ceiling came down a few centimeters and the entrance flapped thrice with a cracking sound; one beam came crashing down.


    ¡®¡¯My prince?¡¯¡¯ Unlike what Xie¡¯e expected, and he was still dumbfounded from the ensuing scene, the two guards did nothing more than asking from outside.


    With Nehkar being blown off, his barrier was gone as well. ¡®¡¯Nothing,¡¯¡¯ So Ali said, then made a sound barrier of his own to block both rising sand and their voice.


    Xie¡¯e cast his eyes to Ali, sitting calm, then to the ceiling about to fall on them. For a few seconds he watched them shake, and only stopped when Nehkar stepped inside through the entrance- not from the hole he flew out.


    ¡®¡¯Hahahah..haha...ha...I¡¯m calm, yeah I am calm...¡¯¡¯ Nehkar held his oncoming laughter again and took his seat with sand on his chest. ¡®¡¯But...Xie...why were you so worried?¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Because he must have thought Hero Quan was an enemy of us, or because he is a past member of The Sect,¡¯¡¯ Ali said. ¡®¡¯Or both at the same time.¡¯¡¯


    I didn¡¯t think of the second point though.


    ¡®¡¯Well...yes,¡¯¡¯ Xie¡¯e said and bowed his head a little. ¡®¡¯I¡¯m sorry about that,¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯You should be,¡¯¡¯ Ali said, ¡®¡¯This makes things a little bit harder, too.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯What? Why?¡¯¡¯ Xie¡¯e rose again and looked at Ali. He wanted to ask why they called his master hero, and though it seemed obvious, the topic at hand being more immediate, he focused on that instead.


    ¡®¡¯Your master is in Shuangguang territory right now,¡¯¡¯ Nehkar took it upon himself to explain, so Xie¡¯e turned to him this time.


    ¡®¡¯Yes, he should be,¡¯¡¯ Xie¡¯e nodded.


    ¡®¡¯So you can¡¯t cross there through our border,¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Yes,¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯And you can¡¯t pass from Shaowei too, since we are too far and they are hostile to us as well,¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Yes?¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯And since Shuangguang has something going on with Cindersnow, you can¡¯t get through there, too.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Yes...?¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯So you need to get to Haishen, but land route to them is destroyed, so you need to take a ship-¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯...?¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯And the sea route is now ravaged by their war against Sea Beasts, and thus there are very few of their fleet ferrying people to their land.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯...¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯...and that means it will take you at the very least a year and a huge sum of money to get to your master.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯That is, if he doesn¡¯t get you himself. He is a Path Opener no matter what, even his presence in any Empire is a balance breaker for the continent.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Balance breaker...that¡¯s why he might not be able to move...or I can¡¯t?¡¯¡¯


    Ali slightly raised his brows. ¡®¡¯That is a first from you.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯What?¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Nothing,¡¯¡¯ Ali said. ¡®¡¯But since you understand, you know why it is harder, benefactor.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Yes...¡¯¡¯ Xie¡¯e sighed, then snorted. ¡®¡¯I hate this now.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯You should,¡¯¡¯ Nehkar said this time. ¡®¡¯But...haha....hahaha¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Not again-¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯HAHAHAHAHAHA-¡¯¡¯

 66- Riders Of The West (1)

    On the third day of their departure from Itirun Fortress, one of the men of the company found a glowing stone in the bottom of a ration sack on the mules.


    It was right after they took a break past noon, and thus, being an unofficial member of the auxiliary with Embodiment, Xie¡¯e was closer to the man who alerted those around him.


    ¡®¡¯Who put this here?¡¯¡¯ he said and raised it up high for those near to see.


    There was the gleam of the sun on the gray-ish round surface of the rock, and on top of that gleam winked an aquamarine light.  Xie¡¯e sensed a disturbance at its center; waves of invisible Qi moved to gather and disperse around the stone.


    ¡®¡¯Anyone?¡¯¡¯ One of the elderly men in the auxiliary swept his gaze around the group, now a dozen big, and at the lack of reaction he turned his head away.


    The same motion repeated itself two more times, then an elderly woman among them acted. ¡®¡¯Take out the accounts of the past week, we¡¯ll take a look at what he have and not.¡¯¡¯


    With her words the auxiliary members spread through the ranks of the mules and horses- Xie¡¯e included. He leaped down from Embodiment¡¯s shoulders and joined the other hurrying elders on taking off the straps on the mules. In a few seconds they had taken off forty-eight baggages of cloth and laid them on the sand.


    Xie¡¯e grabbed one of the sacks, but a shriveled hand reached out to his arm to stop him.


    ¡®¡¯Let¡¯s wait for the prince to start counting,¡¯¡¯ The old man said, then shouted at those around them now crowding the place. ¡®¡¯You hear me worms!? Do not take a single step!¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Your throat will go sore again,¡¯¡¯ Xie¡¯e said and let go of the sack, still squatting under the shade of the horses and the men and women around it. The old man scratched his throat and peeked at him with annoyance.


    ¡®¡¯What happened here?¡¯¡¯ A moment later Ali and Kazad came to the back of the line, and so the man who found the stone presented it to them. Ali took it in his palm, raised high up with two of his fingers pressuring from the sides.


    ¡®¡¯We have no record of such thing at the moment, my prince,¡¯¡¯ One elderly woman said, ¡®¡¯And if you¡¯ll excuse us, we shall conduct our revision on our supplies right now.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯No need,¡¯¡¯ Ali said and passed the stone to Kazad. ¡®¡¯Do we have a spare carpet?¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Only yours,¡¯¡¯ Xie¡¯e said, Ali nodded.


    ¡®¡¯Lay it down here and pour the contents of bags one at a time. We will search every one of them for these.¡¯¡¯


    Xie¡¯e tapped his ears twice to make sure he heard him correct, then moved with others to the back. He called Embodiment over, who opened up the spatial pouch by his side and took out Ali¡¯s tent¡¯s carpet. Xie¡¯e flapped it twice, then laid it down.


    Following after him, one by one they took the sacks and opened their lids, then let their contents flow over the carpet. They opened three at a time and, with one of the auxiliary noting everything counted down, they re-organized their rations and supplies.


    Half-a-minute later, another stone popped out of a sack, and when presented with it Ali shook his head and told the man who found it to stay at the side. Xie¡¯e had an inkling sense of what these were, and Ali being the knowledgeable prince he was, he should have had a better understanding of such things. Then it was the most natural to not gather these rocks and pack them up near.


    Else, if their suspicions were true, this would alert whoever put those to track them.


    Within eleven minutes the auxiliary found six more of such stones, yet unlike the first five none of the last three glowed. Ali showed a frown at that and called Kazad over again, who had been informing Nehkar at the front.


    Kazad came before them whilst spurring his Ritou forward, with a shade darker than red absorbing the sun¡¯s lights. For some reason, Xie¡¯e felt himself unwilling to look away from the mount and its small beady eyes.


    ¡®¡¯My prince, the Imperial Companion has left the decision to you,¡¯¡¯ Kazad said right after stepping off his horse¡¯s saddle. ¡®¡¯But he also cautions that one of those must be available in our hands at any possible time- always, for short.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯What is his reasoning?¡¯¡¯ Ali asked, then shook his head before giving Kazad a chance to speak. Xie¡¯e wondered the same thing, though, but Ali seemed to understand the decision.


    ¡®¡¯Then...let¡¯s split it up between the extra mules, old ones if possible, and scatter them in our path,¡¯¡¯ Ali turned to look at the fellow men of the company, and his gaze fell on those holding the stones rather than not.  ¡®¡¯We¡¯ll keep one of the bleak ones,¡¯¡¯ he said and clutched the nearest one from the hand of a man in the vanguard; Kazad took it from him and gave the glowing one back to the auxiliary.


    ¡®¡¯Select those that can go farthest with no supervision, if there are many with the same age,¡¯¡¯ He added as the auxiliary started discussing and glanced at Xie¡¯e, standing two steps away from them. He, whilst considered a member of the auxiliary, had not the knowledge of the mounts¡¯ specific details and their state at any current point of time. He was of the service type, as Quan would call the seasonal workers in Yadratafos. Manual work, in short.


    ¡®¡¯Benefactor, may I ask of a favor?¡¯¡¯


    Xie¡¯e raised his brows in surprise and looked towards Ali, and the man himself turned away from his gaze.


    ¡®¡¯Would it be possible to entrust one of these to the spirit?¡¯¡¯


    It sounded like a question, and it was even phrased like a question. But Xie¡¯e knew this was not it, but a simple gauging to see his willingness to part with Embodiment. Kazad had tried the same thing...or a similar thing, and the details Xie¡¯e hid away in the back of his mind, but unlike that time, Xie¡¯e didn¡¯t mind this.


    For he knew: Ali took him more into consideration than any other member of the company, the reason being obvious and ambiguous at the same time. But him not caring about the question didn¡¯t mean he didn¡¯t consider what it meant.Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    For, if his suspicions aligned with those Ali and others had, these stones were probably tools with a purpose to track them. How they couldn¡¯t find it until now was easy to answer,  as if the stones were what they thought of, then they would have been placed in a time more current; last week at the earliest. Thinking of the Regional Guards was, then, the most obvious conclusion, and if so that meant whoever sought to even dare kill the prince knew their exact route.


    In that case, they could be placed earlier than that, and that possibility indicated a traitor.


    Whom? How? Why? Xie¡¯e could answer none of these; he was close and friendly with the others in the company, indeed, but he was not someone too indulged in the...controversial aspects of a group like this, with a prince in danger as its head figure. Thus, he could justify his lack of a response.


    On the other hand, though, he could answer a question much different in nature: Why Ali would want to use Embodiment as a bait.


    Using Embodiment as a bait would have better effects, for unlike other mounts- Xie¡¯e didn¡¯t think of him as a mount anyway- Embodiment had a will of his own that he came to like these past two years. While will was a complex matter, the crux of the matter was that Embodiment had the ability to judge and act according to the well-being of the company unlike mere animals that would lose focus in a few hours.


    To add on that, he had no way of communicating; be it sound or transmissions, he could speak with no one except Xie¡¯e with their natural link. If he got captured, he could be force-summoned back, and likewise if he fell dead from a chase, they could call for him again. Even though their mental link wouldn¡¯t let them communicate over long distances, they could still feel and know of where the other party was.


    And that, perhaps what Ali wished to see the most, could prove to be a mean to take out the imaginary-for-now gap in the company: the traitor.


    Even though he didn¡¯t have a good head for such things, the constant discussions he bore between Kazad and Nehkar forced him to think along their rationality- not that they were the same kind, but of similar nature.


    Xie¡¯e let out a sigh at that and patted the Embodiment at his side. He phrased the wish of Ali without adding his opinion on it- or tried, at least. For a few seconds he waited for an answer, and when none came raised his head to look at the Embodiment¡¯s outlined eyes.


    Embodiment tilted his head, fell to the ground with a thud to kneel, and put his right hand over Xie¡¯e¡¯s shoulder.


    Alright. He said, and patted him, I¡¯ll go.


    Those three words, or the single intent packed behind, sent a fuzzy chill through Xie¡¯e.


    ¡®¡¯¡¯L¡¯ll try to summon you as fast as I can,¡¯¡¯ Xie¡¯e said and raised Embodiment up. He felt somewhat guilty when he sensed no weight from those hands.


    ¡®¡¯Ah Li,¡¯¡¯ He called, and ¡®Ali¡¯ turned his gaze towards them.


    Xie¡¯e put one hand over his left chest, and Ali showed a smile at his agreement.


    ¡®¡¯Thank you, benefactor benefactor,¡¯¡¯


    Xie¡¯e chose not to comment on that joke.


    *********


    ¡®¡¯That...doesn¡¯t sound like something Nehkar would come up with,¡¯¡¯ Xie¡¯e said at the time of their departure, which came to be six minutes after the inspection.


    ¡®¡¯Imperial Companion is no brute, brother Xie,¡¯¡¯ Tanto said behind him; they rode together on a dark red Ritou, of course, as Embodiment had left them with six old mules, each assigned to some drawn out paths to the region border of Bashkend.


    ¡®¡¯Those merchants from the centre seem to have a big influence on you,¡¯¡¯ Tanto added a second after; Kazad and Nehkar were getting everyone into their positions again to pick up the pace. It seemed they would have no more breaks the following day.


    ¡®¡¯I know that you people criticized my speech,¡¯¡¯ Xie¡¯e said, ¡®¡¯But what you imply sounds different here, doesn¡¯t it?¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯I mean in behavior-¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Ah Li had said the same,¡¯¡¯ Xie¡¯e said right after.


    ¡®¡¯It is a bad habit to interrupt, brother Xie.¡¯¡¯ Tanto spurred his horse forward to increase his speed; the horse seemed lively enough to let out a series of neighs with others at its side. ¡®¡¯And what my prince talked about was a compliment- a compliment! I¡¯m berating you here.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯I¡¯m sorry,¡¯¡¯ Xie¡¯e said, ¡®¡¯Go on, Tanto.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯What would happen if you called me brother too...¡¯¡¯ Tanto let out an exasperated sigh, then coughed twice from the sand slipping inside his mouth.


    ¡®¡¯You know, brother Xie: Those merchants from the central regions are quite high in number, even though most businesses here are handled by a few men and women at the top.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Like those pilgrims we met?¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯If you call them a pilgrim, then no, but think of them as more wealthier people.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯I¡¯m thinking.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Ugh,¡¯¡¯ Tanto coughed again after his sigh, it seemed like he had no time to fix up his robe over the scale armor. ¡®¡¯They don¡¯t know much about our customs, though we know about theirs, right?¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Yes, what is the main point though?¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯It is that they are too...stuck up with physiques. Bodies. They always imply that bigger the shoulders, lighter the head on them weighs. You seem to have the same thoughts about Imperial Companion as well.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯My...reasons are a little different from that, but I won¡¯t lie that I didn¡¯t think of it before. When we first met he seemed like a joyous bear.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Oh, those fur-covered giants?¡¯¡¯ Tanto exclaimed and let go of the reins with his left hand to pat his mustache.


    ¡®¡¯...did I call Imperial Companion a beast right now?¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯No you didn¡¯t,¡¯¡¯ Xie¡¯e let out a chuckle. Tanto breathed out a sigh of relief, got into a coughing fit again, then took a hold of the reins once more. The clouds of sand coming from the vanguard at their front thickened by a large margin, so Tanto focused more on riding.


    ¡®¡¯...then was I right?¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯About the influence?¡¯¡¯ Xie¡¯e asked.


    ¡®¡¯About the influence,¡¯¡¯ Tanto nodded.


    Xie¡¯e stood silent for a moment to think. He stayed two years in the sect, a few months in Yadratafos, then spent another two years in the forest. In sect, most disciples were either orphans or children from the Cindersnow city. Masters and Combat Masters, on the other hand, never told of their origin. Quan could be the best example, for Xie¡¯e still didn¡¯t know whether he had a family or a home outside the sect.


    They wouldn¡¯t last, though, Xie¡¯e narrowed his eyes, then set his sights to the sky. The sun was about to get into its fall mode; that meant they were past the second hour of the third quarter.


    I am getting distracted- Xie¡¯e shook his head and recounted what he knew.


    In the sect, he thought, the education of the most disciples came from a young age, so the atmosphere and speech there was also unique to it unlike Yadratafos. The soft part of my speech probably comes from there- Xie¡¯e nodded to himself, But...slippery, was it? The merchants and people of the Yadratafos all came from different nations and communities; so diversity was abundant there, too.


    So it wouldn¡¯t make sense to call them all from the Central Continent...would it?


    ¡®¡¯Brother Xie?¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯Probably right,¡¯¡¯ Xie¡¯e said at last. ¡®¡¯Even I don¡¯t know myself.¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯That is what we call evading- answer it with honesty!¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯I am honest in not knowing, aren¡¯t I?¡¯¡¯


    ¡®¡¯How can I know that?¡¯¡¯