《Deep Sea Shark》


 Chapter 1: The test

    A young man lay motionless on the grass plains, amidst a heavy rain. Both his looks and his clothes didn¡¯t seem special at first glance, neither at a second glance or further ones, if one were to describe him, the word ¡®passable¡¯ would come to mind.


    He stared at the boundless sky filled with clouds and thought how greatit would be if that day lasted forever.


    He smirked.


    The ones he served were so influential and had so many resources that even the lowliest servants were tested for their talent in cultivation.


    They didn''t want to nurture geniuses among peasants, not in the least. The sole reason was to decide for which servant would accompany their masters into the world of cultivation.


    Joining the world of cultivation, for people without a future like this young man, would equal to abandoning all ties with the mortal world. It was a life-changing event; they would cultivate, become stronger and enjoy their masters'' benefits. Breaking free of their status was unlikely, but the quality of life would likely improve.


    It was on this very same day that the test would be conducted, and he should be very excited, but strangely, he wasn¡¯t¡­


    The rain poured harder on the fabric, he held a slim hope that embarrassing himself and appearing soaked to the ceremony would delay it a bit more ¨C he had done similar things for five years and it worked perfectly, but each time people would care less, as if it was already expected of him.


    A glimmer of hope flashed by his eyes. Even if he could cultivate, who would take such a clumsy servant?


    In the distance, a lady wearing a heavy dress came walking through the stone road above, she was holding a huge umbrella and walked hastily, but still careful enough not to slip or soak her feet, whose steps were muffled by the falling rain.


    She noticed the young man sprawled in the dirty mud and soaked grass, without a care in the world.


    - Shen, drag your sorry ass back to the cottage! You are not going to make a fool of yourself this time!


    He couldn¡¯t make heads or tails of her words, but her voice alone was enough to jerk him up and start running to his house.


    That lady was responsible for the lodgings and taking care of house affairs, he would have never thought the hag to actually come herself ¨C if he acted like he didn¡¯t hear her, he would never hear the end of it, and it would be a year with her incessant nagging and brutal punishments until he would finally be forced to be presentable.


    And that was the best case scenario.


    - By your orders! ¨C He replied hastily.


    - What a troublemaker! Hurry up and disappear from my sight!


    It wasn¡¯t only him that was viewed as a joke by the masters. Years of committing the same mistake reflected badly on her, as someone directly related to the education and managing of servants.


    By the time Shen reached his room, it was already very late in the morning. The people around the manor were in the main hall seeing as the test couldn¡¯t be conducted in the open area around the courtyard. Shen wished he could take his sweet time, but appearing late was a great disrespect and could net him harsh punishments and even death.


    It was a scary world he was living in, but not as scary as the world of cultivation. People were elated when they knew they could cultivate and become immortals, ascend to the heavens and even beyond, but not Shen. He understood that the world of cultivation was not a kind one, it was one where strength ruled over everything, and laws were worth nothing against those who could crush their enemies like one would crush an insect.


    Cultivators were flimsy, egotistical beings, who cared not for the life of others; even the kindest ones would not bat an eye for killing a living being. Killing was natural, murdering was natural, plotting and deceiving were natural and those who held true power would never change that reality.


    Those aspects were only a reflection of the human nature, and his own society was flawed beyond redemption, but his life was not bad, and he held no thoughts of changing it.


    Shen didn¡¯t wish for riches, power or acknowledgment, all he wished for was a peaceful life with other people, regardless of their status or positioning, and that was something he managed to attain. Although lacking in several aspects, it was perfect in his eyes, he was able to contemplate the nature around him and just exist as a part of it, appreciating its designs and going with the flow.


    He didn''t seek to be outstanding in anything he did, afraid of attracting too much attention. The only times he acted more rashly were in situations that risked his static lifestyle.


    It would all disappear in an instant were he to become a cultivator.


    The weak would be bound and swallowed by the strong, the strong would be crushed by the schemes of groups of influence and the talented would be wiped out before they could dazzle.


    There was no peace and no way out.


    You could make your choices if you had the luxury, in the end, it didn¡¯t matter.


    Shen finished wiping his hair and took a good look at a little pond outside. It was still moist and prickled with water drops, and he wished it wasn''t that odd white that made him look older.


    Servants didn¡¯t have different sets of clothes, they were all plain fabric garments that were easy to move in and also durable, the only exception would be during this day when all servants were bestowed with black robes carefully embroidered with the family¡¯s pattern.


    He observed his figure in the pond.


    Shen was beautiful when not covered with dust and earth. He needed to tone it down, but bustling sounds from the main pavilion reached all the way there, he was out of time.


    Running, he reached the enormous arches and crossed them, from the distance he could see many distinguished guests seated on chairs, pillows, or just standing there watching from the sides as every kind of people walked a short staircase to the stage above.


    There were people from all over the city present, and even a few from neighboring villages. Cultivators would only descend one time a year in every city to search for disciples for their sects and empires, they couldn¡¯t test only for a few servants and young masters ¨C people with potential for cultivation were hard to come by, even the trashiest ones were only one out of ten thousand among normal people.


    Shen tried to squeeze himself into the ranks of servants; apparently, no one had noticed his absence.


    His downcast eyes made no contact with anyone, just patiently waiting for his chance; thankfully everyone was looking at the stage and didn¡¯t notice his appearance.


    Albeit the room was enormous and boasted all the riches of the Wang family, the stage in itself was just a wooden platform as per request of the cultivators of the Threads of Destiny Sect, the ones responsible for keeping the negotiations between different spheres of influence and one of the few that actually remained neutral in the middle of the ongoing strifes between the good and evil factions.


    For them, what mattered was that every power would be evenly distributed, without compromising the thin line of balance.


    Since their disciples were testing each person, they wouldn¡¯t stand linking their power to riches, reason why they also wore simple white robes, not even an emblem.


    People of many ages, mostly between 6 and 12, for their compatibility with each type of Qi. Depending on their type, the cultivator would name the Sects that could claim them as disciples and let them negotiate.


    It was something that only the neutral faction could agree to, but the others had no choice but to accept.


    Every few seconds,someone came in and put their hands on a transparent orb. If they had talent, the orb would present some shape, color, and nature, representing the type of aptitude.


    Many of them didn¡¯t possess any talent and would descend from the stage crestfallen, their families, if any, sad from the news. Some would have talent, the bare minimum to start cultivating ¨C sects would only want them as servants or as cannon fodder for nurturing more talented individuals.


    They wouldn¡¯t necessarily be happy about that if they knew, but the discovery of cultivation was a great joy in itself.


    - Next ¨C said one of the cultivators. His eyes were completely white and almost eerie, but his presence gave peace of mind tothe mortals.


    At his call, a young maiden walked to the stage. While most young men and some of the older were entranced by her captivating appearance, the cultivators didn¡¯t give her much thought.


    - My name is Wang Fan, great one.


    - Put your hand on the crystal for a few seconds.


    She approached her delicate fingers on the sphere and waited.


    The crowd grew impatient as the seconds flew by.


    Those that knew of the surname Wang could almost guarantee she would have talent. All generations of that family produced cultivators. Even if they were mediocre, they would still be able to cultivate to some extent.


    After 10 seconds, the cultivator opened his mouth ready to dispatch her.


    He stopped.


    Barely noticeable red threads expanded and attached themselves to the walls of the crystal and pulsated. Soon they grew and their beatings were faster just as the crystal ball lost color.


    The two cultivators were dumbfounded. Envoys from all sects squinted their eyes and stared at Wang Fan.


    They brought an even bigger crystal ball.


    - Try it again.


    Wang Fan did it again.


    Just like the previous attempt, the red threads formed after a few seconds but they weren¡¯t enough to cover the walls. Regardless, theygrew quickly and sucked the color.


    The envoys were unsettled. They couldn¡¯t wait for the decision of Threads of Destiny.


    - Parasitic spirit-vein...


    The man was astonished, fearful even.


    The heavens were cruel sometimes. When the world was finally at a state akin to piece, they pulled such a prank.


    - Great one, may I know what kind of spirit-vein is the parasitic spirit-vein? ¨C asked Wang Fan, breakinghim from the stupor.


    -Those gifted with it can directly take in any form of qi out of any source, without feeling exhausted. Essentially, your level will increase extremely fast and you are suitable to learn most techniques...


    Few people had ever heard of the parasitic spirit vein, it was something that appeared only on a record from thousands of years ago.


    Every envoy was informedon the matter.


    - There is a backlash, but it is not confirmed. The constitution of these spirit-veins is brittle, halvingyour lifespan. Also, the nature is chaos.


    Some envoys lost interest after that.


    The maximum lifespan of a Demigod, the stage directly below the pinnacle of Deity, was recorded as a thousand, five hundred for Wang Fan and that was with a lot of luck.


    She would need to cultivate like crazy until the Deity stage, withno time to bother with missions and activities for the sect.This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.


    If that was it, then it would still be passable.


    Demonic beasts were the bane of the cultivation society, and chaos was harmless to most of them.


    All factions would like to welcome Wang Fan and nurture her into a powerful existence, but only the most influential parties could cope with the costs.


    - Every sect that so wishes can recruit her.


    Hearing this, the envoys of the most prominent sects rushed to the stage.


    In the end, there were five envoys that stepped in. Even Threads of Destiny joined, which was quitesurprising, considering their exceedingly high standards.


    - Seven Swords must retract. We forgot to mention that.


    The envoy from Seven Swords was displeased.


    - I wonder if the neutral faction is really neutral, or is it tending towards the good side. Every time my Seven Swords Sect sets eyes on a genius, you cross us out immediately. If there were only my Seven Swords, I imagine you would rather kill that person than let her cultivate under us.


    He spoke rather rashly and with a trace of rage, but it was true. Very few capable people have been welcomed to his sect in the last years, and the neutral faction was indeed to blame for this, not allowing them to harvest good crops.


    - I see that you doubt our fair judgment. All good and neutral sects will pull away from this negotiation, along with Seven Swords, and Wang Fan will thus fall upon the evil faction.


    A heated discussion started at that.


    The neutral faction was overstepping its bounds by outright excluding them and not taking their interests into consideration, but most could just gnash their teeth and curse. They couldn''t go against that.


    Maintaining the balance? They were crippling them and weakening the prospects of their sects.


    They would be elated when a talented person came in, but at the same time be furious when their enemies or even their allies got the better on them.People like Wang Fan were extremely difficult to come by, and they couldn¡¯t sit and watch their names being called off from the bargaining table.


    The discussion was going nowhere and the decisions of Threads of Fate did not please.


    Shen thought the whole situation was funny.It didn''t go through their heads that Wang Fan might not have wanted to accept their offers. That was wrong, though - they considered it, but it didn''t matter.


    Shen thought the Threads of Destiny to be the most ridiculous, it was simply impossible to keep balance in the cultivation world without making sacrifices, thinking otherwise would be too naive. It just so happened that the straw broke right then. If it didn¡¯t happen now, it certainly would later on ¨C not all problems could be solved in a fair fashion.


    And then came a suggestion.


    - Why not let her choose? ¨C spoke one of them.


    The envoy from Threads of Destiny was silent in thought.


    There was a one in five chance that Wang Fan would choose Seven Swords, and that would create uproar in the cultivation world. The distribution of disciples would become so much more difficult that the balancewhich was consolidating could change in a century, and shatter in less than a thousand years.


    ¡®The Heavens sure are mocking us right now¡¯, the man squinted his eyes.


    Every envoy accepted the offer, some reluctantly, others right away, but all of them turned their heavy gazes at Wang Fan, who seemed unconcerned with the affairs at hand.


    Soon, they presented themselves shortly. The test had yet to end, but they didn¡¯t care since such a talented child appeared before them. The non-cultivators could onlystare awestruck.


    A mysterious man wearing a wooden hatstepped forward. On the chest area of his robe, a pattern was drawn. Shen couldn''t tell much of it from that distance since it was so small, but it looked like a tree with colors white, green and blue.


    - We are Xiao Chen, and we represent the Guardians of the Sky and the Ocean. Come with us, you shall be a core disciple of our Sect, gifted with many items to benefit your cultivation an access to a part of our library, which I don''t exaggerate in saying holds knowledge from places unknown to many. You shall not leave the sect territory and your time in seclusion will definitely take you to Deity stage. The way of cultivation is an arduous one, but you will have little time to experience things and mature. We can help enlighten you in.


    The Guardians of The Sky and the Ocean were a good sect who consisted of only the elite of the cultivation world, and if one were to link knowledge to power, they were the most powerful group in existence. However, they were very secretive and granting Wang Fan access to their library, even if just a small section, was already too much.


    Inviting someone as a core disciple directly and allowing them to partake in their secrets was considered a huge gamble, and two of the envoys backed out when they heard Xiao Chen¡¯s offer. Of course, they could make equally eye-catching proposals, but they wouldn¡¯t give so much to someone whose allegiance was not perfectly set.


    Another man stepped in; it was precisely the envoy from Seven Swords Sect. Aside from the elders, no cultivator from that sect held much thought for their garments, but there was no one in that world that used the collar with seven small objects.


    People had no need to see if they were swords, just that there were seven.


    - My name is Ju Long.


    A single line, a lot different from his colleague.


    Maybe it was the way he appeared on the stage, but his eyes seemed to look down on everyone beneath him, whether it was because of the angle, or it really was his personality. There was an odd silence where he scammed the faces of every mortal inside the hall, and he did it without rush.


    What was that man thinking? They couldn''t have known. The only thing certain was that, while they shared the same air with that strange being, there would be no peace in their hearts. An itch crawled through their skin and they felt their hands getting colder. Their hearts might not have been rushing as hard as their thoughts, but discomfort gradually turned into pain.


    They moved, without knowledge as to why and when, they simply arched their backs with their trembling, frail bodies as their bellies felt more empty all of a sudden. Something inside them was lacking - it was taken out.


    And soon, they were all bowing before him.


    Ju Long cast another look at the commoners,stopping at one person in the rows of people awaiting their time to come up. It was precisely Shen.


    Although he was bowing with his forehead closely tied to the wooden mat, Ju Long knew he was faking it. There was no pressure in his muscles and everyone, from the burliest man to the most decrepit elder, had been pushed hard enough to have part of their skins torn, and so he exerted more force on Shen.


    Nothing happened.


    Ju Long grinned, not even bothering to hide it. At that moment he seemed to care less about Wang Fan, but she was still a good catch. He was sure there would be another struggle for that boy who felt no pressure, and he didn¡¯t think Threads of Destiny would hand him over so easily like they did with the girl.


    The other envoys were focused solely on Wang Fan and didn¡¯t notice Shen.


    Ju Long finally opened his mouth again.


    - The power to make everyone yield... I offer you that. The Seven Swords Sect willtake you in as an inheriting disciple, nothing less.


    An inheriting disciple would become a pillar of the sect; it wouldn¡¯t be an exaggeration to say that the sect¡¯s future relied solely on the capabilities of the inheriting disciples. Nothing would be spared to nurture Wang Fan if she chose that path.


    Only after seeing the glint inher eyes did Ju Long put off the pressure and retreat into his original position. Right afterward, the last cultivator spoke.


    - I am One, from the Threads of Destiny. We offer you a personal teacher of the Demigod stage that will be available at any moment you wish for him, so long as you don¡¯t join Seven Swords Sect.


    The veins on Ju Long¡¯s forehead twitched and he felt incredibly annoyed.


    Threads of Destiny didn¡¯t bother concealing their intentions. All he wanted at that moment was to crush that woman and turn her into nothingness. He curled his hands into fists and gripped with so much force that his evil qi leaked to the air. If it wasn¡¯t because of the ongoing test, he would have killed every mortal in the hall toforget that humiliation.


    Childish? Some would say yes, but there is usually not much thought involved when killing insects. They exist by the millions.


    - Additionally, if you choose our sect, we offer you a Will from one of our Deity stage practitioners. It brings out the most of your potential. You enter as an inner disciple but will have more opportunities to prove yourself worthy. The sect rules are the ones who take the reins of your life.Soon you will know the extent and importance of our work, and you will be a part of it, willingly. The choice is always on your hands.


    A Will was the knowledge attained through the entirety of their lives condensed, and since a Deity stage cultivator lived at least thousands of years, that was a lot offered on a plate.


    However, were lies opportunities, lies danger.


    Absorbing a Will so soon ran the risk of the personality being completely overwritten. Essentially, thecultivator which originated the will would be replicated in a new body, but there was no soul in there anymore - just data.


    Research on the Will was ongoing, and the results would remain that way, unpredictable.


    The three of them retreated and waited for a short moment as another cultivator from a neutral party explained in detail every term Wang Fan was unfamiliar with, sothat she could make a choice.


    She looked unmoved. She had expected people to fight for her, and seemed to have made her decision ahead of time.


    Wang Fan looked at Ju Long grinning. He was seething with anger, but when he saw her looking up to him, he unclenched his fist slowly, his rage dissipating.


    - I thank you, elders, for making such outstanding offers to this lowly one, I am undeserving of your words, yet thankful that you think so highly of this lowly one. I choose to follow Elder Ju Long into the Seven Swords Sect, this lowly one will not disappoint.


    Ju Long broke out of his stiffness and showed a vicious smile while looking at One. Their minds were thrown into two very different contrasts. One was soaring high into the clouds, while the other was thrown into disbelief, followed bymany conflicting thoughts.


    Xiao Chen was silent; he got out of the stage without a single word,stealing a last glance at the girl.He shook his head and disappeared for reasons unknown.


    Ju Longtried hard not to shout blissfully, like a child who had been gifted a new and novel toy.


    - Ehem... We will come for you in a few days. Don''t refer to yourself as lowly one, you are now an inheriting disciple of Seven Swords! In the future, no one will even dare look you in the eye!


    As Wang Fan descended the stage, all the other envoys breathed a mouthful of air, they had never seen such wild proposals for a new disciple. All of them thought those representants crazy, but once they saw the winner of that exchange, they got mixed feelings.


    Seven Swords was really troublesome even amongst the evil faction, which explained a lot about what society thought of them.


    Aftershe returned to her seat, the test continued, but even some talented youngsters that came after seemed just too lackluster in comparison to her. Regardless, they weren¡¯t so bad, some sects managed to get a few interesting disciples.


    The line was getting shorter and shorter. By the end of the morning, hundreds had been tested and it was finally Shen¡¯s time - he was at the end of the line due to arriving so late.


    He gotto the stage and couldn¡¯t avoid looking at the crowd. They didn¡¯t give him much thought, as expected. Shen was happy that Wang Fan had stolen all the limelight, now he only needed to draw a trash spirit vein or even none at all, and he would get rid of this plaguing matter.


    Maybe he stared for too long, he caught the sight ofher jade green eyes and they exchanged glances.


    That moment looked like an eternity for him, he felt his heart stop and his body freeze, but she remained unmoved,holding a mysterious smile between her lips. What he felt wasn''t excitement, it was fear, something which he couldn''t rationally explain except for instinct. That fear was a primeval feeling that helped with his survival - but why did it trigger when looking at her? He would rather not know.


    The Wang family was too big and consisted of multiple branches, there were many people amongst his masters he would never get to see in his life. Previously, Wang Fan was one of those, and he would like to pretend it was still like that.


    - Put your hand on the crystal ¨C said the man with white eyes. Although he didn¡¯t show it, he was tired from the events.


    Shen reached for the crystal and waited.


    After more than 10 seconds, nothing had happened.


    For everyone, that was normal, and it didn¡¯t mean much. For Shen, it was the most perfect situation he could ever hope to achieve, trying hard not to let out his bustling smile. Since that was the end of the ordeal and there was no one else to test, the crowd quickly dispersed.


    Just as Shen started descending the ladders, an interruption.


    - Wait, you there! ¨C shouted the man.


    Shen didn¡¯t think it was related to him, but he still stopped when he heard that powerful tone.


    It was Ju Long.


    The elder¡¯s face showed a trace of disappointment but his eyes still held a glint.


    - You will come to Seven Swords with me.


    After he declared that, people looked at Shen with suspicion, but once they saw the symbol on his robe, they dispersed again. A few other servants even looked jealous that a trash like him, with no talent for cultivation, still managed to get into a sect while they didn¡¯t.


    It was a tradition for Wang servants to accompany their masters into the cultivation world. Even though the servant would at least be passable as a cultivator, it didn¡¯t mean much.


    The white eyes man from Threads of Destiny was wary, but he couldn¡¯t say anything on the matter. If he were to deny someone with no cultivation from Seven Swords, it would greatly damage their image. The world of mortals concerned his affairs only if it affected balance, and such thing only happened during wars of huge scale, which didn¡¯t occur for centuries.


    The only one who felt any meaningful feeling was Shen himself.


    ¡®Why?¡¯ he thought.At one moment, he was ecstatic. There had been no better result to achieve, just like many things he found out in life, silence was the best answer, and quite literally sometimes.


    Words were always needless. They added unnecessary complexity to things which were already set.


    Such as the state of his cultivation.


    ¡®There are a few servants that passed the test, there shouldn¡¯t be a lack. Just why?¡¯


    Shen immediately bowed to Ju Long in a frenzied state.


    - Your greatness, this lowly one is unworthy of your kindness. In front of the great cultivators of Seven Swords Sect, I am nothing but a waste of space!


    Ju Long didn¡¯t spare him a glance and left just like that. It was already decided, Shen couldn¡¯t do anything about it.


    Disheartened, Shen descended the stairs, downcast. His peaceful days were over, and not only did he join the cultivation world, but for it to be an evil sect was too cruel.


    In that state, he couldn¡¯t see that Wang Fan was sizing him up with her green eyes. While no one paid attention to him, she had taken her sweet time.


    If Shen ever came to know of the reason he was called, he would feel cheated. It wasn¡¯t that he felt no pressure from Ju Long, it was just that, unlike the others, he willingly surrendered to that power. While others didn''t understand it, fought back and received a harder backlash, he understood its nature, accepted his inferiority towards it and as a result didn¡¯t get as hurt.


    ***


    When the hall emptied, a figure with a wooden hat was still leaning on a corner, staring at the place from which Shen had left. Since his head was concealed, no one could see what kind of face that person was making. He was looking at the booth were so many youngsters had their dreams fulfilled or shattered ¨Cthe exact place the crystal ball was used.


    After a while, he approached the place and inspected it carefully.


    In a radius of roughly five centimeters of where the ball was positioned, there was a vein of the purest and stable qi. ¡®How curious...¡¯


    Qi was never perfectly stable, usually found with many impurities. Cultivators, to increase their powers, must first process the rough Qi out of the matter and then mold it into a state their body can absorb. That was the most basic step of cultivation, also known as Qi Refining, and mastering it was not an easy task.


    The cultivator recorded this phenomenon in his mind and absorbed that small trace of pure qi, disappearing shortly after.

 Chapter 2: Inheriting disciple

    Three days later, Ju Long came to take Wang Fan and the boy.


    Shen brought nothing with him, only the luxurious robe that he wore on that day ¨C a small gift from the Wang family. Since he would serve a cultivator, he at least needed to look good. His hair was beautifully combed and he finally saw skin treatment.


    He didn¡¯t bother hiding his face anymore. His mundane looks couldn¡¯t possibly contest against some of the older disciples, who had been cultivating for a very long time.


    Refining Qi had the effect of purifying the body, maintaining youth and enhancing beauty.


    He wouldn¡¯t be targetted for appearances.


    At least, that was what Shen thought, but he cared little about human beauty and would never understand his own charm.


    Wang Fan only brought a set of her favorite clothes, which was carried by Shen. All of her other possessions would be useless either way, so she spared herself of the trouble, but the thought of making Shen carry weights was strangely enticing to her, so she made sure to bring many sets.


    Shen didn¡¯t complain, he carried the huge load on his back as if it was nothing and pressed on.


    He wasn''t so concerned. Going to the cultivation world, he would make sure to stay low key and maintain his lifestyle from before. ¡®Surely they wouldn¡¯t make me do anything outrageous?¡¯. He was trash after all.


    Seeing Shen not even exerting himself to carry the luggage, Wang Fan was a little disappointed, but no one could read her face.


    ¡®He is quite strong, huh¡¯.


    - The trip will be short, it takes less than a day to reach the Sect.


    Saying that, Ju Long brought forth a huge blade that towered over four meters in length and half a meter in width. Its thickness was about half a meter too. Aside from its huge size, it was plain, looking more like a thick iron bar rather than a blade.


    It wasn¡¯t something that a normal human could use.


    - This is an Impaler. For the most part, we use this sword to travel, sit wherever you like.


    The sword fluctuated slightly.


    It showed no sheen even when bathed with sunlight, it was devouring it and not letting it escape out of its body.


    It produced no sound and when it moved it gave the impression of a predator from the seas, lurking in the depths and bidding its time to launch itself on unsuspecting prey.


    The three of them boarded the Impaler and set off.


    Ju Long wasn¡¯t one to talk much, and he enjoyed that the other two were the same.


    Both Shen and Wang Fan had been staring down the entire time. They felt an ecstatic feeling when soaring up high, watching the houses become increasingly smaller until the whole city came into full view.


    The wind was cool and they were very comfortable sitting on the sword, there was an incantation on it to make it easier to stabilize oneself while boarding it.


    Shen was pleased with the view. He didn¡¯t like the fact he would be going to Seven Swords Sect, but that didn¡¯t mean he would ignore the pleasantries of his journey.


    On the way, he also came to think about the wind.


    What is wind, after all? What caused it? What is it composed of? Many questions came to his mind, and he passed that half a day throwing wild guesses while appreciating the view.


    For Wang Fan, the magic moment lasted not for an eternity. The trip was taking a few hours, and it got boring when nothing but clouds could be seen.


    At some point, they could see a floating arquip¨¦lago.


    It was composed of at least three big islands and about ten minor islands, but there was some kind of white sheet covering the view, looking like a swarm of clouds engulfing everything.


    Aproaching, he understood it was actually fog, but it just made it look stranger with how dense it was.


    A few other people could be seen flying with Impalers, and Shen noticed they were following their trajectory at the same pace.


    Getting even closer, more was to be seen, and he was excited to know what did nature hold for that place.


    The island was covered by huge swords that towered higher than the Impaler, some whose blades undulated endlessly like a snake, burying themselves on the ground, others that were so thin that a thread would be thicker, slightly curved swords and swords with indentations. All kinds of swords were littered everywhere among the desolate plains, and they emitted a strong malevolent qi that kept seeping and sliding into the fog.


    It was nothing like what he expected, but Shen could link the arrangement to that of trees in a forest. They did the opposite job of making the air pleasant to breathe, but he didn''t appear to be bothered.


    Ignoring a few clear points about being surrounded by sharp objects that emanated evil Qi, it was a nice place to meditate.


    There was a single pavilion in the middle of the island, the fog nearby so thick you could grab it by your hands.


    - This is the Sword Cemetary of the main island. It is where the main facilities are and it links to the other islands. We can¡¯t take you to one of the 13 masters directly, but it will happen eventually. I¡¯ll drop you in the sleeping quarters, everything is already set. If you want to start training or look around, today is fine, do whatever you want.


    Ju Long approached the ground quickly to let Wang Fan and Shen jump off and parted without a word.


    Shen felt that the purple soil was rather soft beneath the fog, but surprisingly Wang Fan was walking on top of that same fog.


    He trieddoing it and succeeded, which he thought was strange.


    Waiting for them was a young man with narrow brown eyes, his garbs looked comfortable and easy to move in.


    He couldn''t be called pretty, not with that smug smile plastered on his face, but he did have an imposing character that made people avoid his piercing gaze. His cold eyes rested on Shen¡¯s, not hiding his disgust for the newcomer.


    Shen thought that the guy hated his guts because he couldn¡¯t cultivate.


    He grimaced inwardly. ¡®Can it get any better?¡¯, he thought.


    When the young man turned to see Wang Fan, he was captivated by her appearance. Her voluptuous curves, tight clothes, fine features and seductive smile were too much to bear, not to say of her green eyes that were quite peculiar. Her talent and position made her grow even more in his evaluations.


    He looked at Shen one more time, carefully inspecting him, and tsked. ¡®Fucking trash¡¯.


    Despite being sad, Shen was mildly surprised, he expected cultivators to represent the polarities of human nature, but experiencing it firsthand was another thing. ¡®It¡¯s really impressive that you can hate someone just because they appeared in front of you... Haah, By the end of the day I¡¯m still beside Wang Fan and that¡¯s enough for them to hate me¡¯.


    It is difficult to remain inconspicuous when you¡¯re a servant of a genius.


    - Call me Ling, I¡¯m an inner disciple of the Seven Swords Sect, so you should call me senior, big brother is fine too. I am responsible for guiding you to your rooms and showing you around ¨C said the young man to Wang Fan, sending casual glances to Shen.


    In turn, she bowed courteously.


    - I am Wang Fan. Although I am an inheriting disciple, I know nothing of cultivation. I hope senior disciple Ling can show me our rooms and teach me the basics.


    Hearing her words, Ling was exhilarated. That young miss was extremely polite towards him though she was ranked higher, even suggesting he taught her. He had been cooking up an excuse to pass time with her, but surprisingly it was just that easy.


    But then came a realization.


    ¡®Ah, I forgot that trash¡¯.


    He was one of the first people to come in contact with Wang Fan, this was the best time to strike a good relationship and he couldn¡¯t be bothered by him. Shen read these underlines and played accordingly, kneeling to the ground and bowing his head down.


    - This lowly one¡¯s name is Shen. Out of Elder Ju Long¡¯s great considerations and my position as a servant of the Wang family, I was chosen to accompany Miss Wang and follow her orders, even though I am undeserving of this honor. I hope senior Ling doesn¡¯t mind if I excuse myself from senior¡¯s lesson, as I cannot cultivate and will only be a bother for young Miss.


    Shen¡¯s tone was so humble and honest that it caught Ling off-guard. He was trash and he was surprisingly good-looking, but he knew his place and Ling appreciated people who didn''t overstep their bounds. ¡®The heavens sure are helping me here. I didn¡¯t need to lift a finger and things are working out for the best¡¯.


    Ling¡¯s opinion of Shen quickly changed from hating him to not even considering his existence. He was just a servant, after all, it was impossible for him to be a threat. If it wasn¡¯t to bow down to the strong, the weak should not loiter around them.


    Shen didn¡¯t feel like he had humiliated himself or anything, those were foolish thoughts.He thought that Ling was surprisingly fitting to his image of a cultivator: proud, arrogant and scheming.


    Pitiful.


    Wang Fan stole a quick glance at Shen, a slight shimmer appeared on her eyes while squinting them.


    - Raise, servant. The only person you may kneel and bow down to is me, your master.


    Shen shrugged. He could bow down a million times to millions of people, it didn''t really matter - it was way too easy to satisfy these people.


    He turned to Wang Fan, bowing even more fervently. He was never that subservient before to his masters, but when dealing with cultivatorshe felt the need to add a pinch of exaggeration.


    - This lowly one admits his mistakes and begs to be punished!


    The smile on Wang Fan¡¯s face grew by a tiny bit, and the glint of her eyes shone brighter. She felt an indescribable pleasure from having him bow down to her and act so pitiful. She wouldn¡¯t let anyone else act that way with Shen, only Wang Fan was allowed to have this pleasure.


    He was her property, after all.


    Ling didn¡¯t give it much thought, it was the way a servant should be treated.


    - I will think of your punishment later. Now do not dally, we are wasting senior disciple¡¯s precious time.


    - Yes, Young Miss!


    Led by Ling, they walked through the spacious corridors.


    Ling and Wang Fan were chatting casually and Shen was silently observing his surroundings. He was further on the back so no one bothered him while he inspected the garden.


    From inside, the sleeping quarters resembled a round labyrinth, endlessly spiraling into multiple paths. It was well aired, but the fog oozed out of the entrances andnot even silhouettes could be seen from the small windows, making for a boring passageway that for Shen was quite unnerving.


    He didn''t enjoy closed spaces, soon he started to feel that itch that ticked off on his unwashed hair, which annoyed him. If he was going to live there, the first thing he vouched to do was cut his hair as it was so difficult to maintain it.


    - This is the room you will be staying in. Your servant''s is the opposite. Both rooms recognize the ownership from junior Fan.


    Ling and Wang Fan entered her room to practice some cultivation whereas Shen went for his.


    Just by standing on the doorstep the stone door slid down. Looking inside, it was almost equal to his room in the Wang manor, with only a bedroom, a small wardrobe and a table with a stone chair. There was also a small compartment that led to a lone cubicle with a mat sprayed in the middle, along with a cupboard, chopsticks and a plate for incense, which seemed rather odd. ¡®So this is where people cultivate, huh¡¯.If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.


    There wasn¡¯t much to do as a servant. Wang Fan would spend most of the time practicing and he would need to be close to her at all times, depending on her wishes.


    He entered the cultivation room and laid himself on the mat to rest. Despite the circumstances, it was peaceful in there. He felt drowsy after a few minutes and slept.


    ***


    When Shen woke up, he was in a strange place. It was a completely dark and silent room, but every now and then he would see red eyes watching him from afar. He jolted up, cold sweat dripping all the way from his forehead to his chin and then into the floor. His heart rate was uneven, ¡®where the hell am I?¡¯


    The number of red eyes kept increasing and the darkness approached him slowly.


    He was breathing with difficulty, but now more focused: as a mortal, he couldn¡¯t do anything in the cultivation world - resistance was futile. That thought was not reassuring in any way, it was simply a reminder thatat least trying to think of the situation was more productive than anything else he could do. Rather, it was a must to keep himself anchored to reality, he couldn''t give in to his fears.


    As more time passed, his eyes adapted to the darkness and he could more or less see the shape of the red-eyed entities. They were all human shadows.On the outside he was calm, but waiting was doing no good for his heart. Those shadows were rock still and that added to the pressure he felt. He didn''t know what to expect. What were their intentions? Who are these people? Would they keep still? Would they attack?


    Shen needed something to go with, otherwise, he would go crazy.


    - Why have you brought me here? - Maybe because the situation was too unreal, Shen forgot about the formalities. His mind couldn¡¯t be bothered with useless stuff.


    Hearing his voice, one of the shadows descended from very high above, the others moved out of the way. That shadow slowly walked into a straight path and sat cross-legged right in front of Shen, with one of its legs slightly tilted, embraced by its arms. Up close, it revealed to be a muscular person whose gender couldn¡¯t be defined and with a completely blank face. It wore a necklace of ears and bands on both its wrists and ankles, made out of human eyes and tongues. They were gross and whenever the shadow moved if only slightly, Shen could hear the disgusting sound of flesh squirming and retorting.


    - Are you the leader here? ¨C asked Shen with great effort.


    The shadow stayed silent for a while, listening to Shen¡¯s questions. It just seemed to watch him with no real motive. Only a long time, after Shen had given up striking a conversation, did it speak - in a cryptical language which he couldn''t understand.


    The voice didn¡¯t hold a harsh tone, but it was built from the feelings of hatred, despair, fear, and suffering. It evoked his greatest fears towards the world of cultivation, and also his most bitter memories from his days on the manor, at least those he could remember.


    All that was wrong and distorted in his world, which he had contemplated before and decided to forget, resurfaced.


    On that single second, Shen truly believed that the world wasn¡¯t worth living in after all, and he tried to shake off those dark thoughts but they kept pouring inside of him. It was painful, he felt like swimming on a river of needles and he couldn''t stop looking at his own body to confirm that no blood was leaking, but it didn''t stop the pain from rising.


    A single second, but it was filled to the brim with agony.


    He didn''t want to hear it any longer, it was way too much to bear. Shen closed his eyes and stood there, he was afraid of what would happen if he moved any muscle, but it was all useless. With his eyes closed, he could still see. They were all looking at him in silence, and normally he would enjoy the silence, but that enormous space felt so much more stifling than the small cubicle.


    They were waiting for him. He had no choice but to bite his teeth and continue, not knowing whether he would live through the trial or not.


    - Why did you bring me here?


    The thing didn''t answer. It went further down and pulled Shen along with its arms, throwing him in another piece of floating darkness, away from the eyes, and disappeared.


    Shen though he would die from the fall, but at the last moment he floated up and was dropped from a small distance. His feet sunk into the floor and bounced up at every step, he found it almost impossible to get up without falling, and he gave up eventually as he became tired and infuriated with the failed attempts. He was desperate when he got thrown, but that wasn''t taking him anywhere.


    When he calmed down he noticed that the environment was not so dark as before. He could capture a few hues of blue mixing into the surroundings, and the sound he could hear was the same as the time he almost drowned.


    Instinctively, he looked around, trying to grasp what was going on around him. Nothing was happening besides the ground which was moving, and there was a line of spherical and apparently transparent objects moving alongside it.


    The shadow appeared again by his side, and it had a blank expression with its sudden mouth. Shen didn''t know why but he could feel at leisure by seeing it like this, his mind was screaming at him for this, but ultimately he chose to trust his instincts - they were usually right, and rationalizing would lead him nowhere.


    The shadow looked up, hinting for Shen to look that way, but he couldn''t see anything, just the endless stream of nothingness.


    Suddenly, lightsinvaded the waters from above, destroying the darkness as if it was a shattered mirror. The shadow smiled, for the first time Shen was able to discern its expression, but this smile faded as quickly as its body.


    - Wait, what was that? - he was confused, he had no idea why it had pointed towards the light. Everything was too unreal but he couldn''t avoid but try to find some logic behind everything.


    But he didn''t hear an answer, because it couldn''t give one. The shadow was just a something that did what it was supposed to do - it accomplished its purpose, and that was the end of it. It went back to being a small dark fragment, the size of a rice grain, and pierced Shen''s forehead before he went out and collapsed with everything else.


    ***


    Walking lazily in the corridors towards the Conference Room was a pale old man wearing a grey robe and an amulet of seven swords.He was bald and on the back of his neck one could see the handle of a sword ¨C it was intricately ornate but impractical as it would pierce through the hands and wrists of whoever used it. He didn¡¯t usually walk around the Sword Cemetary, it would make more than 300 hundred years since he had stepped foot on that place.


    ¡®That buffoon Ju Long got his hands on a really good seed this time¡¯. The old man had waited for a thousand years for a suitable disciple, but unlike the time when the evil sects and good sects were at war and he could grab anyone with talent, right then the Seven Swords Sect was blocked by all sides. ¡®Hmph, they¡¯re so afraid of our techniques that they only send the most useless people to our sect. If it wasn¡¯t for the other Ancestors I would¡¯ve destroyed most of ¡®em!¡¯, he thought, hatefully, but just thinking about that disciple¡¯s parasitic spirit vein, he became joyful. ¡®All of the other Ancestors already have inheriting disciples, the old crones make fun of me for not having any, but now they must be biting their fingers that I would nab such a talent! Ha!¡¯


    The old man grinned and started laughing. He was the only one without an inheriting disciple, in his mind there was no other option: he would be the one.


    Reaching the Main Hall, he saw most of the Ancestors and many Elders, among whom were Ju Long and the Sect Leader, already there. He was always late to the reunions, but not this time. He came exactly on time, it was just the others came even earlier. ¡®What is this? The only day I wanted to be earlier than these fools, they beat me to it.¡¯ He tsked, but since no one seemed to be discussing anything yet, he didn¡¯t make a fuss about it. He took his seat on the table and the reunion began.


    Even though they called it a meeting to discuss matters of the sect, the only pressing matter was Wang Fan. Every master of the 13 islands wanted her and would be willing to fight for her, for the same reason they had brought the elders under their sphere of influence to give strength to their voices during the decision.


    As expected, nothing good came out of it.


    After many hateful comments and a heated discussion that didn¡¯t lead anywhere, it became clear that no one would reach a consensus. That girl could very much revive the Sect and would definitely become an unparalleled cultivator if time was given, no one was willing to let go of her so easily.


    Unlike many other sects, Seven Swords was very chaotic and it wouldn¡¯t be wrong to say that every island was a different sect on their own. The only thing that linked them was the Ancestors ¨C all of them were strong sword cultivators hated in the cultivation world and Seven Swords would perish if they were to disband.


    Because there was such a ruckus, the Sect Leader felt the need to reduce attritions.


    - I understand that everyone wantsthis promising disciple, but we should evaluate this objectively. She doesn¡¯t have time to learn under more than one master, all of our techniques are difficult to grasp and if we were to mix them together, we would waste time she doesn''t have. Wang Fan¡¯s techniques will all deploy the nature of chaos, how many of us can bring the best out of it?


    The room was silent. Sword techniques imbued with chaos were very rare. To begin with, chaos nature was already uncommon between cultivators, although it was standard for demonic beasts. Now slim this number for the number of cultivators that follow the way of the sword and further reduce it into those who achieved Demigod stage and higher and developed a powerful technique, even the Librarian which occupied the highest position in Guardians of the Sky and the Ocean could count that number on a single hand. Even among the elders, there were none who possessed chaos type sword techniques.


    - Considering what I¡¯ve said and all that¡¯s been discussed in this hall, there is only one master that can nurture this disciple... Ancestor Yao!


    - I refuse to accept this! ¨C The old man¡¯s rage reached the skies as he punched the table with full force, breaking it. There couldn¡¯t be any other option other than him. That disciple was his. He had waited for such a long time just to see thathag Yao Lian snatch her away.


    Yao Lian smiled mockingly. She was very old but her techniques, beauty care and stage of cultivation allowed her to remain a mature lady in her thirties. She wore the traditional robe of Seven Swords just like the other Ancestors and some elders,and though she walked straight as a pole, her partially exposed body was very alluring nonetheless.


    In Ancestor Zhu¡¯s opinion, she should just follow Ancestor Li¡¯s example and act her age. ¡®Who are you trying to fool with that appearance? Hmph!¡¯


    - Hohoho... Old Zhu doesn¡¯t think much about the sect.He knows Sect Leader is right and still dares to voice greedy opinions even though he can¡¯t do a good job at raising Wang Fan, ah, forgive me, I spoke too much ¨C said Yao Lian giggling.


    A vein popped up on his forehead. ¡®That fucking bitch... I¡¯ll murder her! I¡¯ll crush her like a bug! Fucking trash that can only use that crappy sword technique!¡¯ The old man Zhu was furious, deep inside he knewthey were right, but all the way to this room he had already started plans on how to train Wang Fan into a peerless cultivator - and he would boast to his heart¡¯s content of having such a strong disciple inheriting his sword.


    - Ancestor Zhu, Ancestor Yao¡¯s sword fits all kind of practitioners, and training it is faster than any other technique we have, it is the most efficient blade.


    - And the weakest of them all! ¨C He replied, but he had already given up and left the room furious.


    Ancestor Yao, too, felt rage burning deep inside her guts. She absolutely hated it when people called her techniques weak. Even if she couldn¡¯t compete with power or speed and was thus ranked seventh amongst the thirteen ancestors, more people fell for her sword than for any of the other master¡¯s.


    - Wait another two thousand years, who knows? Maybe a heaven-defying disciple will come knocking at your door! Ah, but then he will realize how uselessly difficult it is to learn under you and beg for me to teach him! ¨C She lashed out, but Ancestor Zhu was already too distant.


    With this, the meeting had been concluded and the Conference Room emptied quickly. It had been decided that, after the basic training on qi gathering, Wang Fan would come to Seventh Island and train under Yao Lian.


    ***


    Ancestor Zhu was not as furious as he was at the Conference Room, but he was filled with sadness. Among the 13 Ancestors, his sword was undoubtedly the strongest and his technique earned him the moniker of Zhu Gong, the True Killer Sword ¨C meaning that all other swords were mere imitations in comparison to his. As a cultivator of the Deity stage, he was proud and was only willing to teach the best of the best.


    Even though he didn¡¯t want to admit it, Wang Fan would not shine as much with his lessons in comparison to the other ancestors¡¯, chaos was the worst qi type for his Abyssal Hunt technique. To be successful with it, one¡¯s inner qi needed to be as calm as a flowing river, and knowledge of different types of qi was needed; even old Zhu himself had never mastered it to perfection.


    ¡®Maybe I should give up looking for a disciple¡¯. With his mind filled with those thoughts, he didn¡¯t notice that he was walking right into the students¡¯ lodgings, towards Wang Fan¡¯s room. He had already resigned, but unconsciously he wanted to confirm if that girl really couldn¡¯t practice under him after all. Some other Ancestors had the thoughts of seeing the girl, too, but they weren¡¯t in such a rush.


    When he came to it, he was already very close to her room. He didn¡¯t want to show his face to the girl, now that she was that hag¡¯s disciple there would be nothing more than hate between them, so instead he used his Three Great Evils technique to watch her from outside of the room. This technique was uncommon amongst practitioners with evil Qi, butnot as much on Seven Swords.


    On its first level, See All Evil, one was able to sense everything on the premises of evil Qi, and the further the cultivator advanced, the more accurate the image, eventually revealing the entire area as if walls and fog were invisible, extending for kilometers.


    He could distinctly see Wang Fan studying a basic Qi refining method on her bed while another disciple was giving her pointers. At this rate, she would finish the book in another five hours and start cultivating. The book wasn''t too big, but not everyone was accustomed to reading so extensively and needed breaks. With that other disciple¡¯s guidance, it wouldn¡¯t be hard to begin proper Qi refining by the start of the night.


    ¡®Haah, such a pity. A beautiful girl... She¡¯ll be spoiled rotten by that man-eating hag¡¯.


    Yao Lian disliked men to her very core and all her sword techniques were sly and deceitful, waiting patiently from a safe distance until the opportunity arose for the killing strike. The fog revolving Seven Swords Sect was made by her seals, and it was only the first part of her most prized skill, the Cloud Sea Snake. It was a skill stolen from the sect she originally came from, which specialized in assassinations, but she managed to polish it to the point she could use it in almost any situation.


    ¡®This girl might very well perfect it, how terrifying will it become?¡¯ Thinking about this, he felt annoyed. ¡®Tsk, I¡¯ll show it to that hag, my disciple will be even more talented than Wang Fan! Hmph!¡¯


    Old Zhu and Yao Lian never got along since the beginning, but since they couldn¡¯t fight each other directly, they would always fight in other fields. He would never accept that her disciples could be better than his. If he didn¡¯t find anyone suitable by the time Wang Fan went past the initial stages, he would prefer engraving his technique on a book and hide it in a room full of traps, as a test for anyone worthy, then ascend right after.


    He couldn¡¯t bear the shame of losing to that hag otherwise.


    Just when he started to walk away, he saw a strange presence in the room opposite Wang Fan¡¯s. There was a boy about sixteen sleeping on the mat of the cultivation room.


    The cultivation room was peculiar in that evil qi flowed more abundantly there than in any other part, naturally for the benefit of cultivators, but, due to the nature of evil qi, cultivating for too long without resting would drive one to insanity. The only person who could sleep in the middle of a room with such thick evil qi would be a dead person, yet, Old Zhu could clearly see his muscles moving, his beating heart and his lungs working just fine.


    Further enhancing his See All Evil, Ancestor Zhu almost choked out of surprise. His eyes, that were so squinted from the age that they looked tightly shut, opened in full, revealing his red irises that already lost the youthful color of blood from his younger days, and even in that state, they shone a bleak light.


    Around the boy, the evil qi whose nature is unruly and may hurt the cultivator, flowing incessantly like wild whips scorching the air and rogue waves crashing on the shore,slowed down and avoided hurting his body as it calmly parted like a river¡¯s water current, hitting him gently, spreading out and going past him. In that manner, the room was quickly being filled with a strange evil qi that seemed almost frozen in space.


    ¡®Such a pure and beautiful qi...¡¯


    Old Zhu drooled. That was the type of qi that he strived to obtain through qi refining. That strangely peaceful evil qi was beyond perfect, his eyes shone even more. ¡®This is it... This boy is my inheriting disciple!¡¯


    There was no one else walking by the hallways, the old man casually entered the room, picked him up and disappeared. While making sure to completely shroud his presence and Shen¡¯s, he laughed inwardly ¡®Hohoho, Yao Lian you old dried peach, you¡¯re not going to steal this one from me!¡¯


    If people came to know about this disciple, they would surely fight Zhu Gong over him, so he would train him in secret and only reveal him later to humiliate Yao Lian.


    ¡®Parasytic spirit vein? Pft! You just watch!¡¯

 Chapter 3: Goals

    Shen woke up drowsy and noticed he was in a completely different place from before. He had figured thatwhat happened before was likely a dream, and that line of thought kept him from going insane over remembering the initial fear.


    Ithappened again.


    ¡®A dream within a dream?¡¯ That seemed to be the case, but it was stupid to think like that - it killed the chance of any other possibility, simply due to lack of knowledge.


    He breathed in some air and smiled. It carried an amusing freshness, not a scent per se, which healed his insides andinfused life into him. That was strange considering evil Qi hadn''t left it.


    He remembered that,sometimes, when he was in water carrying duty, he would get two or three fresh cups after working his sweat for the morning. That water felt amazing running down his throat, and it made all the work seem worth the trouble. Was it really the water, or was it just the small pleasure of relaxing after some hard work? Maybe both, but he preferred to let the question unanswered as he felt the same magic of mystery once again.


    He didn''t want to think, just feel.


    Looking around, hesaw steam rising around him, but he suspected it was the fog again. It wasn''t so thick, and he saw foliages in the distance, but he couldn''t recognize whether it was tall grass, bushes, trees or something else entirely. If anything, they were blue with some tinges of pink,a good mix with the moonlight reflected on the surface of the lake.


    He felt sad for having to leave. Life on the Wang manor was harsh, but the happiness he found on coexisting with nature, that pleasure of just being alive and near so many simple, beautiful things, he would trade that for nothing. There were good and bad memories, the latter ones higher in number, but in his mind only the prior.


    He missed those days.


    With each breath, Shen mixed with the surroundings until no distinction could be made between him and the scenery, he appeared to be as natural as those still waters, and time seemed to fly as he thought of staying there for a little while. Dream or not, he wanted to enjoy every bit of it.


    He wanted to grasp that moment with his very soul.


    ***


    An hour later, Zhu Gong came down from the skies in a rush. He had left his disciple lying around and went outside searching for books covering the basics of cultivation. He wouldn¡¯t be able to teach him full-time as he still had other things to do, but once Shen had broken through the first stage, Mortal layer, it would be easier to pass on his techniques.


    While flying, he caught the sight of the boy meditating and became excited. ¡®All he needs to do is start absorbing Qi and he will progress, the evil Qi is practically begging to enter his veins!¡¯


    Shen was resting so absent mindedly that Zhu Gong needed to wake him from that state. He blinked twice, disoriented, and noticed the old man in front of him.


    - Hi grandpa, do you live here?


    Hearing Shen calling him ¡°grandpa¡±, Zhu Gong let out a smile, covering it with one hand. ¡®Such a good disciple!¡¯


    He harrumphed and spoke.


    - I do. I am Ancestor Zhu Gong of this Seven Swords Sect and you are in my domain, First Island. As my disciple, you will be living here from now on.


    - Disciple? ¨C Shen frowned. ¡®Did the old man go senile?''


    He couldn¡¯t tell who was right, that cultivator back in the Wang estate or Ancestor Zhu. If a cultivator told him all humans originated from the apes, he would have no choice but to agree.


    - Yes, you the only one I have decided to teach, but don¡¯t be too proud of yourself! You had a little talent so I decided to take you in¡­


    - Grandpa¡­ My talent is less than little, I can¡¯t cultivate at all! - He replied honestly.


    - What?! ¨C Zhu Gong blinked twice and even rubbed his eyes a few times ¨C That¡¯s impossible!


    - I was brought in to serve my mistress. Whether I am able to cultivate or not didn¡¯t seem to matter.


    - Hmm, let me see your spirit-veins.


    The old man approached and lifted Shen¡¯s wrist, then slid his fingers across many pressure points over his body.


    The boy didn¡¯t resist, he couldn¡¯t fight back if he tried.


    There were many ways to study someone¡¯s aptitude, the crystal ball test was only the quickest and most efficient one, with a small margin of error, but there was no secondary test for the off chance it failed.


    The test worked by stimulating one¡¯s inner Qi on the surface, putting it inside an empty container and measuring the time elapsed until it started flowing in and the amount. Most of the time, nature also manifests, and if the container is clear enough, it can be seen clearly. Thus, cultivators would measure overall conductibility of the spirit veins and the behavior of inner Qi.


    The more Zhu Gong operated his fingers over his body, more questions arose.


    The boy¡¯s spirit veins were narrow, tight and with little porosity, it would be hard for Qi to enter, but on the other hand, they were also strong and resistant. And even more difficult to understand was the exceedingly difficult pathing they took, along with their branches.


    Of coursepeople would find Shen to have no talent. Not only were the spirit veins inflexible, they were narrow and the pathing was inefficient. As for the nature of Shen¡¯s inner qi, Zhu Gong couldn¡¯t determinate; it would be best to wait until the boy could exert some force into a qi container and see the results.


    - I¡¯ve inspected your spirit-veins. It¡¯s not that you can¡¯t cultivate, but it will take a lot longer than others to reach new heights¡­ However, that problem can be solved! ¨C Exclaimed the old man. Regardless of the difficulty in nurturing Shen, the important part was that he had the potential to perform Abyssal Hunt; it didn¡¯t matter that he would be slower than the others.


    - Really?


    - Yes! You just need to take a special medicine once per week. Normally it would take you ten times the effort to achieve the same level of a normal cultivator, but with the medicine, it should be reduced to two or three times. The rest you¡¯ll have to make up with blood, sweat, and tears.


    Shen wasn¡¯t particularly moved by the news, but he wasn¡¯t unhappy.


    By not practicing and choosing to remain low profile, he would probably die of old age. For a mortal servant, 30 years could already be considered long-lived, he didn¡¯t expect to live longer than that. By taking good care of his health, he could maybe live to 50 years or even 80, but by that time he would be faced with some old age problems and become more useless than before ¨C he could be discarded at any time by the cultivators.


    Choosing to cultivate, he would definitely face more hardships and most of his time would be spent strengthening himself, having less time for leisure and meditation on subjects he was interested in, but if he was successful it would be easier later on ¨C not only that, if he became strong he would act more like himself and go past the boundaries of status. He didn¡¯t like acting so subservient with people he considered to be at the same standing as him, another sentient being.


    Not like he had a choice on the matter.


    After processing these thoughts, he finally let out a smile.


    - Thank you, grandpa, I will do my best!


    It was a fake smile and a fake excitement, but he ignored it. ''You have a lot of time to change that''.


    Zhu Gong stood up and clenched his fists. He was fired up, his disciple carried so much potential. He felt the urge to lift his right arm in a punch and shout for all to hear. ¡®Uoooooooh!You will be the strongest cultivator the world has ever seen!¡¯


    A tame sound interrupted his emotional outburst.


    It was a grumbling stomach.


    Shen scratched his head and looked at the old man. Zhu Gong didn''t know why, but it was him that felt embarrassedand not his disciple.


    - Now that I remember, I haven¡¯t eaten anything since morning. Do you have something to eat here, grandpa?


    Zhu Gong started thinking. He did have many animal carcasses, fruits, plants and other things that could be eaten, but they were things that a common cultivator wouldn''t be able to handle, except for a few - and he never bothered to cook them, eating it raw. Eating a beast after killing it carried a very pleasurable feeling for the old man, it was another way to absorb Qi.


    After so many centuries away from the mortal world, he had forgotten what normal people used to eat.


    - Do you eat raw meat?


    - If it''s not poisonous ¨C Shen smiled wryly. If he had a choice he''d rather not, but considering that many people went without anything for days, due to war and widespread poverty, he couldn¡¯t complain.


    - Alright, first let¡¯s go up the pagoda.I have some plants which you can eat too if you''d like.


    -Yes, please.


    - Oh, that''s right. What is your name, disciple?


    They have been talking for a while, but now it dawned on him that he didn¡¯t even know the boy¡¯s name.


    - I¡¯m called Shen.


    - I see. Then from now on, you are Zhu Shen. You can continue to call me grandpa.


    Shen whispered this name a few times.


    ¡®Zhu Shen, Zhu Shen¡­ Hmm, it has a nice ring to it¡¯.


    He had never been bothered by the fact he had no family name, although unconsciously it made him detached from others when he was one of the few born without it - he had no family back in the Wang estate. Only then, when Zhu Gong had taken him under his wing, he felt that names held power too ¨C it made him feel a sense of belonging, which brought him closer to the old man like he was his own blood relative, a real grandfather.


    Of course, he couldn''t create that link so quickly, but it was growing inside him like a small tree.


    Anothersmile appeared on his face as the two reached the ground floor of the pagoda, and it wasn''t fake.


    A true, warm smile.


    - Thanks, grandpa.


    ***


    After she finished reading the book on basic cultivation, Wang Fan dismissed Ling from her room and went to Shen¡¯s. She was fed up with Ling¡¯s constant advancements on her but didn¡¯t shoo him earlier because he wasquite thorough in his lessons, carefully explaining every point she didn¡¯t understand and being honest about topics he didn¡¯t fully grasp.


    The breaks would be much more of a quality time if he had stopped his mouth from moving, though.


    When she entered Shen¡¯s room, it didn¡¯t take long to notice he was nowhere to be seen. ¡®Did he venture out on his own?¡¯, it was very easy to get lost in this place and an evil sect¡¯s sleeping quarters were one of the worst places to wander at night. She put her hands on her chest in worry, her heart was beating slightly faster.


    Wang Fan had a soft spot for pretty boys, but she always restrained herself and never approached them. Although she was considered to be a peerless jewel among the beauties, it was difficult to maintain the facade of a pure and innocent girl.


    In her heart lay dark thoughts she had buried deep inside.


    The biggest motivator for joining Seven Swords was that their rules were laxer ¨C you didn¡¯t need to care about your image so long as you were strong.


    Unfortunately, old habits are difficult to abandon, and hiding her true character was a deeply ingrained one.


    Her dark thoughts resurfaced once she caught sight of Shen. She wanted that pretty boy to fear her, to obey her every command, to suffer humiliation, and Wang Fan also wanted to monopolize him for herself. Her little heart fluttered with excitement whenever she imagined his beautiful face contorted with pain, beaming red from the shame, listening to her wishes and begging for leniency. ¡®Ah, that¡¯s right, I still haven¡¯t thought of his punishment¡­¡¯Her lips formed a playful smile.


    Wang Fan returned to the hallway and called for Ling, who was not far from there. She explained that her wild servant had lost himself in the facility or had escaped, and needed help to find him and administer punishment - and Ling would the idea of finding the runaway servant, currying some favor in the process.


    With the reassurance that Shen¡¯s whereabouts would soon be determined, she went back to his room.


    Still a bit distressed, it took her some time before calming down.


    She started to cultivate, welcoming the purified Qi, making it flow into every part of her being and expelling the impurities. It wasn¡¯t as efficient as she couldn¡¯t stop thinking of Shen, but slowly she managed to forget his face. All of the Qi in the air condensed quickly and entered her body. Rather than tiring or painful, it was joyful ¨C that Qi was hot and bountiful, Wang Fan felt like she was taking a bath in a hot spring.


    A practitioner of her level would catch a break every few hours, but she could do it without restraints. Although she still needed to sleep about six hours with her energized body, it would be reduced to four, three, two¡­It wouldn''t take long before she could go for days.A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.


    ***


    Shen would normally rest after eating, but he had slept for many hours and was afraid of falling into a slumber again. This worked out perfectly for Zhu Gong - he wanted him to start the training right away.


    Taking out a vial of blue glowing liquid, he started instructing Shen.


    - This is the medicine you will take every week. I only have a few flasks on me, but I¡¯ll seek ingredients to make more. For that reason I will be absent most of the time, so always pay attention to my lessons!


    Harrumphing, the old man continued.


    - This is a book on the basics of cultivation, it¡¯s not any different from other disciples¡¯, but when I have the time I will write my own books and pass it onto you. By then you should be able to remember its contents with a single glance and meditate on them before digesting the knowledge. However, right now you must read it like you always did.


    Shen was confused with the latter part. ¡®Like I always did? How come?¡¯


    Although most people he knew from the manor and the people he interacted with in the frequent visits to the markets seemed to know the most important symbols, not that many knew how to read more complex books - that required a richer education.


    Amongst nobles and rich families, it was normal to educate children, but as for common people, adults took precedence in learning. As a symbol of status, all servants of Wang were a level above other commoners in regards to education, including children, but it was still not comparable to the education of nobles.


    He was quite interested in reading but never had much time to do so ¨C his understanding of difficult texts, which cultivation books no doubt encompassed, was quite limited.


    - Grandpa, let me take a look at the book.


    Flipping through some of the pages, Shen frowned. ¡®As I thought, there are many symbols I don¡¯t know the meaning of¡¯


    He stared at the old man.


    - I won¡¯t be able to read most of it.


    Zhu Gong was dumbfounded, but thinking about it, it wasn¡¯t so strange. Many people were illiterate but would be able to cultivate with a rough idea in mind ¨C that in itself was not very efficient, but once more Qi started flowing into their bodies, their memory would improve, learning to read would be quick, and everything settled for itself.


    Problem was, these "many people" were almost all children. Shen was a late bloomer at sixteen years old, while most were accepted at seven, eight, or even earlier - some were already born into the cultivation world.


    Zhu Gong couldn''t go for this slow and tiring process, and he thought of how to solve the issue. He was prepared to teach his disciple all he could about cultivation, but¡­


    ¡®How the hell do you teach someone how to read?¡¯


    In his thousands of years, it became unthinkable that someone was unable to read. It was actually strange if the person knew only one language.


    - Well, just try to read what you can and piece together the parts that you don¡¯t understand. I will find you a teacher in the mortal world, shouldn¡¯t be difficult.Now, we will begin your first lesson, the most basic step in cultivating: Qi refining.


    His solution came as quite funny to Shen¡¯s ears.


    ''Piece together, are you not afraid I could get it completely wrong?''


    Zhu Gong carefully relayed his points on Qi refining, leaving the most complex ideas and concepts for when Shen¡¯s vocabulary and comprehension improved. After half an hour of diligent explanations, he left his disciple alone to cultivate.


    ***


    After studying the book for a few hours, Shen came to understand many of the underlying principles, but he couldn¡¯t be sure since most of it needed to be rewritten and then reviewed, thankfully his master had been thoughtful enough to give him a brush, ink, and paper.


    In the end, it was actually quicker to completely rebuild the text, making use of the core concepts while inserting his opinions on the matter.


    Although he didn¡¯t master the common writing system, he felt an urge creeping through his hands whenever he touched the paper, an itch to test newfound knowledge but there was none. The brush touched the paper, he tried to draw a few symbols, but his calligraphy was at a level he himself couldn''t understand anything.


    He sighed, disappointed.


    ''Huh?'' His hand started to move on its own, a few brushes at a time. He felt that, with a simple thought, he could control it - it has always been like that, he didn''t remember not being able to control his body - but his curiosity was aimed at what was being drawn, not his hand.


    Strange letters and drawings rose from the white sheets and there was so much ink in each of them that it ran down like water, and he couldn''t understand what was going on, but he saw the symbols and they held meaning. His head hurt for a moment and he waved his hand to wash it over, it was just a moment.


    He held the questions for later, what mattered was that he could work on his understanding of Qi with those symbols.


    The resulting literary work was a jumble of commonly used characters and large sections of unreadable text. It didn¡¯t take longer than five hours to finish it, breaks included. The original work in itself was not that thick as it only explained Qi on a surface level.


    What Shen understood was that spiritual veins differed little from blood vessels and, in many aspects, they could be referred to as one and the same. However, this generalization held serious implications: that Qi was not only the refined matter produced by cleansing impurities from the surrounding - and even that definition was lacking - but that those same impurities were also Qi.


    Qi and matter were one and the same.


    In the same line of thought, if the Qi of living beings was bound by the Spirit, then Qi was also Spirit.


    Spirit was another thing which couldn''t be explained in satisfying terms, and that wasn''t limited by Shen''s lack of knowledge and ignorance in regards to recognizing the common symbols: several cultivators held different points of view and considerations for the Spirit, all holding their respective merits but lacking in some aspect.


    The biggest demerit from Shen''s generalization was its redundancy. In the end, he learned that, for human beings, Qi, Spirit, and matter were so closely linked that they could be treated as one, and the problem was that there was no starting point if he were to treat it as such. Another problem was that it didn''t apply to Qi of inanimate objects. However, there was one thing to which this idea could be applied.


    Qi refining.


    He recognized the most obvious issues with his theory, but joining this concept with the Qi refining methods explained in the book and pointed by Zhu Gong, he found it much easier to absorb Qi by thinking of his surroundings as made entirely of Qi, and considering that, just by inducing Qi inside his veins, he could consider it as his own.


    Was that how things functioned in reality? No, butit worked for his purposes.


    Breath in, breath out. Simple and practical, but it had to be done diligently, with a clear pattern, correct position, rhythm. Breathing techniques were taught to every disciple in order to accommodate Qi, but Shen was a natural. He didn''t have the knowledge, he didn''t need the why, when and how - he did it by instinct.


    Was sitting all day doing photosynthesis all that encompassed cultivation? For some, yes, but not for sword cultivators. Exercise and constant repetition of movements were a part of their training regime, and Shen wasn''t aware of that, but it did not mean he was doing it inefficiently, only that he was steering off the path set by Zhu Gong.


    Over the days, Shen kept studying the book and revising his theory, testing for different situations and ingraining the knowledge in his body, as well as appreciating the quiet life near the lake, eating fruits and getting comfortable with nature.


    Like that, a month passed.


    ***


    A loud shout echoed through the skies. Zhu Gong fell slowly with a man in his arms.


    The man seemed to be in his forties and wore an official¡¯s attire, and he was deathly pale.


    - Disciple, I have returned!


    - Grandpa, is that the teacher?


    - Yes! How far did you go with your training? ¨C Zhu Gong quickly landed and dropped the man on the ground like a wet dog.


    He looked at Shen¡¯s aura. He was making good progress.


    - I feel a bit lighter, and I managed to understanda few things.


    - Oh, so you managed to understand something.


    The middle-aged man managed to stand up and recollect himself, but hearing Zhu Gong¡¯s voice made him shiver.


    - Yes, there were many things I didn¡¯t follow at first, but as grandpa suggested, I pieced together the difficult parts with my own knowledge and created a different version of the book.


    - A different version? That''s definitely new... Show me your notes! ¨C Zhu Gong was very excited to see his disciple¡¯s thoughts on Qi refining. The book he brought to Shen was nothing special and held the most basic precepts for cultivation, but during the time he was outside, he worked on a revised version to give him. After all, the basics were one of the most important steps.


    Shen passed the papers to his master, noticing a red glow on the old man¡¯s eyes.


    He dropped the papers, his face a mix of shock and glee, and sat cross-legged right there, processing all of the information.


    After a few minutes of silence, he turned his head and stared deep into his disciple¡¯s eyes ¨C they were blue like the vast ocean, and his gaze was unconstrained as if he could see into his soul. ¡®How come he is not surprised at all?¡¯


    Zhu Gong was dumbfounded, his mouth agape. In the papers there were many terms he had never heard of in his life and concepts so difficult to understand that words were insufficient to describe them, requiring the aid of images. Even amongst different masters of different sects, there wasn¡¯t such a huge difference on the basic concepts, but Shen thought one step ahead, and while Zhu Gong couldn¡¯t tell if those ideas applied to reality, as they still needed to be observed in different situations, he was amazed at how thoroughly he elaboratedon them.


    Many things made no sense and he suspected that the book was faulty, but for the moment he would hand over his own ideas on Qi refining.


    - Grandpa, what¡¯s wrong? ¨C Shen lifted one of his eyebrows. It had been nearly five minutes since Zhu Gong spoke and he didn¡¯t know what to think of it.


    Breaking out of his daze, Zhu Gong smiled youthfully. ¡®You really are one of a kind¡¯. Still, the old man couldn¡¯t pamper his disciple too much. He saw many young men like him fall into the trap of pride, as it led to arrogance ¨C few of them lived to cultivate into Demigods, and even fewer went past that point.


    Zhu Gong stood up and coughed before speaking, ignoring the amusing situation he got himself into.


    - I see that you trained diligently while I was gone. Good, good¡­ If you keep it up you should break past the Mortal Layer in less than a year. That guy over there will teach you some proper vocabulary; don¡¯t be afraid to use him. If he¡¯s no good, we can always dispose of him and find another one. Once you¡¯re a little bit stronger I¡¯ll also teach you how to handle a sword, oh, and here is the medicine for this month, and another book on Qi refining.


    - Grandpa, what is the Mortal Layer?


    Zhu Gong scratched his head.


    - No need to concern yourself with levels right now, you''ll learn it gradually. But the Mortal Layer is basically what separates mortals from cultivators. It is the apex of the human body, beyond lies the world of cultivation. I have to go now, bye.


    And he left just like that.


    Shen shrugged, he wanted some guidance on a few things he couldn''t explain, but his master was too busy. He turned his gaze to the middle-aged man and helped him into the pagoda.


    He was a court official. Shen could already imagine the sight of an old man bursting open the gates to the Imperial Palace and demanding the best teacher the Emperor could afford to bring. It was terrifying from the point of view of a mortal, and Shen originally stood by that point of view, but on the last month he had changed quite a bit and now found the situation to be hilarious.


    He was slowly fitting into the world of cultivation.


    The next few weeks passed by uneventfully. Shen was learning new characters and symbols extremely quickly ¨C he already understood the words but was previously unable to put them into paper. With his constitution improving rapidly due to cultivation, his brain got sharper and memorization became easier - still tricky, however.


    Unlike other cultivation layers, the Mortal Layer didn¡¯t have any meaningful turning points, practitioners still had a very linear power curve and the time period to surpass it ranged between six months and two years, depending on the person¡¯s conditions previous to Qi refining and the innate talent.


    Shen wasn¡¯t an active martial artist but he exercised regularly due to his jobs in the manor, he didn¡¯t suffer from malnutrition or other debilitating conditions and was in good form. With his continuously growing comprehension of Qi and of a few other subjects, his Qi refining netted him results as good as a regular cultivator and kept improving.


    It was hard to tell how much time it would take for a breakthrough, but it would befaster than expected.


    ***


    Wang Fan was sad. Ling couldn¡¯t find anything related to Shen¡¯s disappearance and one month had passed. Although it was disappointing, she had to give up on him.


    Her feelings were once again suppressed and she passed her days cultivating. However, it wasn¡¯t easy to control her urges like before, she was unable to get rid of that itch on her skin, and whenever a pretty boy passed by her, she would think ¡®not as beautiful as Shen¡¯, and when she saw other girls, ¡®who¡¯s he with right now?¡¯


    It was infuriating, the world seemed to be mocking her every effort in forgetting him. In the end, she shook her head and focused on Qi refining.


    With her mind as blank as a white sheet, Wang Fan cultivated without rest, locking herself on Shen¡¯s room and constantly absorbing qi.


    Thinking of Shen slowed her down a little in the beginning, but eventually, it soothed her and allowed her to achieve an inhuman level of concentration. As the days passed, Wang Fan¡¯s cultivation rose monstrously fast, and with this her memory and sensory system improved by leaps and bounds. She could vividly picture Shen¡¯s figure, in her memories beautified. Some days Wang Fan could smell a pleasant scent, and think that was his scent that didn¡¯t leave the room.


    Images of him distorted at each passing hour: is skin, his flesh, his blood, his bones. She saw him suffering at her hands and begging for her to kill him, to release him from that torture, only to reappear the next day, free from worry and shining a flowery smile.


    One night, her urges reached a breaking point and she hurt herself during the refining process ¨C something that could happen if you got distracted while absorbing a considerable amount of Qi. A little bit of blood dripped from her nose and fell onto her lips, she felt the taste of iron touching her tongue and thought ¡®How is the taste of Shen¡¯s blood?¡¯


    Realizing how crazy that idea was, she sighed and erased the young man from her mind, but arousal filled her body.


    Wang Fan would break through the Mortal Layer on a record time of three months.


    ***


    On the eighth month of his training, Shen was on the brink of surpassing the Mortal Layer. He didn¡¯t even need Zhu Gong to evaluate his progress, he felt it in his bones and muscles, in his respiration, in his improved five senses and the almost instant recognition skills, that he had gone way past what a human being was capable of ¨C and something else.


    At first, Shen thought that meditating and refining Qi was very time consuming and lasted an eternity, whereas resting felt short, but each month he would become more focused and spend less time resting, dedicating himself entirely to cultivation. The last month had passed so quickly that if his master didn¡¯t tell him it was already a month, he would think it less than a week.


    That intrigued him, even though he could think and associate ideas more swiftly, it felt like he had less time than before. Curious about this contradiction, he asked his master¡¯s opinion.


    - This is something good and bad at the same time.


    - Huh?


    - We live longer and think faster, that gives us time, a lot of time. But simple thoughts cannot satisfy us for long, and we delve into the mechanisms and intricacies of the world and of cultivation. These matters are not simple, they take much more time than those of the mortal realm, and just thinking on them is not nearly enough to reach a conclusion, we have to dive in and explore. If we don''t, we wind up ina loop of continuously recycling our ideas, that change along with the seasons.


    - And how do I avoid falling into this loop? - Shen was puzzled. He felt somewhat hurt, because he had thought the work of the mind to be directly superior to all else, due to his passive lifestyle.


    -I don''t know. Part of being a cultivator is searching for your own answers. There are many ways to explain the world, pick the one that works the best for your purposes... And that is the real question: What is your goal, Shen?


    Shen was struck by Zhu Gong''s words. He had been training diligently, and he only thought of living to see the next sunrise - he was never concerned with a goal. The only thing close to a goal that he could think of was becoming strong enough to continue living like that, but could he really call it a goal? He wasn''t certain.


    Seeing that Shenwouldn''t answer, Zhu Gong didn''t press him for an answer. What he wanted to convey was that, although he had plans for Shen, he shouldn''t stay still and simply go along with it, eventually he would need to go out and experience the world, its good and bad things.


    Cultivation was more than training and levels of power. It was living too.


    - While you''re in here, you can think about your goal. The same can''t be said in the future, as the world doesn''t stay still, it changes you as much as you can change him.


    Zhu Gong''s words struck him deeply.


    Shen enjoyed listening to his master, he was always outside doing things, likely making medicine for him, but it couldn¡¯t be just that. He cherished the few encounters with the old man, and their bonds became much more solid in comparison to the first two months. For the first time since he was born, Shen felt that there was someone very important in his life, someone he needed to cherish and keep by his side. Knowing that, he shone a smile that made even the grumpy Ancestor¡¯s cold heart warm up.


    Zhu Gong felt the same way. Teaching someone and having him learn from all of the knowledge he had accumulated through thousands of years and seeing him grow was exciting, and he would venture deeper an even say it was beautiful, a word that never parted his lips ¨C he was building a legacy.


    - You should sleep today. When you wake up, these doubts will be all sorted. I¡¯ll come after a few days, you should be past the Mortal Layer by then. Afterward, the real training starts!


    Shen climbed the ladders of the pagoda to his room, mechanically, with no thoughts on his head, just physical actions and without burdening his senses. He was indeed too hyperactive the whole time and forgot that he was a person with needs, like everyone else, not a puppet to be played with by the hands of cultivators. He had it all wrong, a misconception brought forth by his experiences in the mortal realm.


    He couldn''t think of a goal, and although he had been influenced by Zhu Gong''s words, he didn''t think that his lifestyle was bad. But the seed of doubt had been planted, was that peace he thought so highly of the apex of his life? Couldn''t there be something greater beyond his limited views of the world? It was one of those things he couldn''t find out just by meditation.


    The meaning of his life, it was somewhere his eyes couldn''t see.


    He slept soundlessly that night, ignorant of the fact that he was being watched.

 Chapter 4: Gift

    Shen woke up early and went out of the pagoda.


    Sensing Shen¡¯s presence, Zhu Gong stood up from the lakeside and gave him one of the two swordssitting with him.


    Seeing the young man caressing the blade absentmindedly,his expression grew severe.


    - Disciple, do you think of yourself as a good person? ¨C He asked in a very serious tone.


    -No - Shen whispered, confused.


    - Wonderful. I raise cultivators, not graves... Now harden your grip!


    Shen put more strength on his hands. He didn''t understand what Zhu Gong was implying, but his voice was enough to get him on edge. That was an order, not a suggestion.


    - I''ll start training you with this one-handed longsword.


    The old man slid his hands by the sword, he felt nostalgic since it had been centuries since he handled an obedient blade.


    - First, why use a sword and not another weapon?


    Shen thought on the issue for a few seconds, but he had no idea why. The closest thing to a weapon he had ever handledwas an axe, as he was often subjected to chopping trees and harvesting lumber because of his natural disposition.


    - Sorry, I don''t know.


    Zhu Gong made a cut towards Shen, slowly so he could catch up, and instinctively he held the sword up to defend against the blow. The swords connected and Zhu Gong''s blade descended upon Shen''s fingers until it hit the guard.


    Something dawned on Shen at this exchange and he professed his newfound knowledge immediately.


    - It holds a good balance between attack and defense.


    Zhu Gong returned to his starting position. He wasn''t expecting much from him, but at least he gave an answer. It would have been awkward if Shen couldn''t understand such basic things, though as the mentor it was his duty to enlighten him.


    - The sword as a weapon is made exclusively for combat against other men, at least in the mortal realm. Most are entirely metal, which is resistant and durable; thehandle is comfortable and the weight veers towards you; the guard helps defend your fingers and hands, and it has good reach too. There are many different blades, but in general, those are the aspects of a sword.


    Zhu Gongshifted his weight expertly between his legs and executed a series of fast penetrating blows. From a glance, that blade was best for slashing, buthe tailored blows that made the evil qi vanish. All of these moves were aimed at the opponent¡¯s vitals, and each small lunge was followed by circular or diagonal motions that left an afterimage.


    If it were night, the cold glint of the edge would give the impression of painting the air, but beneath the sunthere was only a sheen.


    Imagining his master fighting a real opponent, Shen understood that those circular motions were not there just for show, although he couldn''t picture how they fit into a duel. Regardless, the rhythm was oppressive enough to make him lose focus on what was a blow and what was a feint.


    Zhu Gong finished the set of moves beautifullyand returned to his usual laid-back posture.


    - Practice these moves. When your body remembers them, proceed to this one.


    Zhu Gong reverse-gripped the sword with one of his hands and kept the other as a support, thenrooted himself in the ground. Unlike before, when he emitted a cold yet dignified air, now he was brimming with killing intent.


    Without as much as batting an eye, Shen heard a loudchirp and Zhu Gong¡¯s sword appeared a meter forwards. He didn''t understand what happened, on his eyes it seemed like he was there in one second, and then he wasn''t there anymore.


    If not for the sounds, he would take time to notice he had moved at all.


    Zhu Gong saw that Shen couldn¡¯t see every move clearly and did it again, this time carefully building up strength as hedrew Qi from the surroundings and bent it continuously, weaving them like threads around the sword.


    After many barely noticeable strings of energy coated the blade, mixing into its cold glint, they elongated into a funnel or lance head.


    The swordwas propelled forwards as if it was being sucked, then it happened again, more perceivable to Shen''s eyes, slower, but definitely the same move.


    All the accumulated force was released in a single breath and the evil Qi dispersed at the tip of his blade.


    Zhu Gong put down the sword.


    - Did you see clearly?


    - Yes¡­


    Shenwasmesmerized. It wasn''t a beautiful move, compared to the swordsmanship he had shown him earlier, but it wasn''t meant to be like that.


    It was a simple move, the move that would end his opponent in one strike.


    -This is your trump card. Use it onlywhen you''re in danger, and be careful. I mean it.


    Zhu Gong passed one more hour explaining the particulars of the sword, a few key points on human anatomy that would help him in combat and how to use Qi to aid his movements and better control his weight.


    ***


    Shen was trying to understand each of the moves on Zhu Gong''s demonstration. At first, he was caught up in their beauty, butin practice realized they were more complicated than what he thought. He couldn''t imagine the reason behind most of them, going as far as to question the practical use of some.


    In the end, he gave up and simply integrated them on his daily routine. With luck, he would understand them someday.


    When practicing sword techniques, meditating on them was not enough. Even if depiction was faithful and execution was perfect, constant repetition was responsible for conditioning the action.


    Battles between cultivators were settled very quickly. Each time one surpassed a layer, his strength increased sporadically and it was difficult to cope with that if you were on the receiving end of that difference ¨C a split second was enough for someone to lose his life, close quarter fighters had to go with their instincts and feel the flow of combat instead of relying solely on their quick thinking.


    Every morning from then on, Shen would swing his sword nonstop in a daze, to the point where he didn¡¯t need to consciously move his blad. When gripping the hilt, his sword would move naturally and separate from his thoughts.


    He couldn¡¯t refine Qi in that state,and he used his idle mind to think of different situations he would be up against, to the limit of his imagination. Since he knew next to nothing of battle, all he could do was think of a general characteristic that made the fight difficult.


    It could be said that his initiative was good, so long as he didn''t take those characteristics as fixed. If he truly believed in his ideas, at one point he would be surprised - and in a very bad way.


    ***


    In four weeks, the moves were carved into Shen''s body, and, though unreliable, he had thought of many outcomes under combat andthat was helpful.


    He learned quickly, but his master hadn''t returned yet, so he spent a few more days testing the limits of his techniques and studying his own body.


    In the end, his fencing didn¡¯t improve from that, but he gained a lot of knowledge on his lower limits, the maximum exertion he could handle without damaging himself.


    He hadn''t spared much thought to the last technique he was taught - after all, he could barely control his own Qi. Rather, he started to put more time into Qi refining while keeping up with his drills, gradually decreasing the time for the later as he felt diminishing results.


    During one of those days, on his rest time, he went for a dive into the lake. It had been a lot of time since he came to that place, but he never took his time to explore it. At best, he would get in and stay in a lone spot, relaxing in the cool water.


    There was something inside him that told him not to go near that area, and the evil Qi did not exist near it. Often, it could be taken as a sign of safety, but not in Seven Swords. Anything the haze of bad energies did not touch was considered a source of danger, a very big one.


    He ignored those feelings and advanced, the water was refreshing after a heavy training schedule, and he would like to be submerged in it without needing to lay down as he usually did. He ventured further away from the lakeshore, but something didn''t allow him to go further, an eery feeling that crept inside him, warning him that he should no proceed.


    Shen returned. He felt uncomfortable in that situation and took a step back.


    He opened his eyes in full and swam back as fast as he could, his heart started to hurt all of a sudden and he could feel each and every beat as it pumped blood to his legs and arms so he could run.


    He reached for land, he was more tired than when he entered the waters, and he couldn''t be sure if he was sweating or not. His breath was uneven, his ankles were in pain and he touched them, he had felt something giving him a strong pull deeper down, but there was no mark. He thought that maybe the whole thing was inside his head, he hadn''t been the same after coming to the sect, but he made a note not to go in too deep.


    In the waters, there was a black form, writhing due to the undulations, but it was just a moment.


    ***


    One morning, Shen didn''t go outside to train. He wasn''t the type to derail just from a day off, so he didn''t worry about slacking off on the next day. He''d rather worry aboutZhu Gong who hadn''t come back yet - he knew that the old man was likely a big shot in the sect, but he couldn''t help but worry since he had no idea where his master had gone off to. In reality, he didn''t know if that worry was truly for Zhu Gong, or if it was his body that wanted to do something other than swinging a sword and refine Qi - something he was definitely not adamant about.


    Both were time-consuming,both sapped his energies, and most important:they were becoming very tedious, so much that even Qi refining was yielding unsatisfactory results. He needed this day off to reassess his training schedule, and he finally glanced at the last move Zhu Gong had shown him, the ominous strike infused with Qi.


    It was just a fleeting thought, but if he had demonstrated this technique, then he trusted that Shen would be capable of executing it.That was the first thing that passed through his head - it made perfect sense for him, and it fit so perfectly that he couldn''t see any other possibility with an equal chance of being the truth.


    Shen stood up and stretched, he wasn''t hurried to try it out, but it was heading in that direction.


    He went to the lake, he expected to be stunned for a moment by the weak rays of light, but nothing of it. There was only the mist, colored purple by the moon. It was an aspect he hadn''t seen before, as he always returned to the pagoda half an hour into the night.


    He couldn''t see the surface of the lake, only his form covered in shadows. Shen remembered the dream from months before, it felt distant, but he had a feeling that something would happen soon, and he couldn''t shake off the notion that something didn''t belong - that he didn''t belong to that reality.


    He looked at it again, his shadow had no eyes, but he could see its face, the smile he was shown that day when the lights broke out and devoured the darkness of the depths.


    It opened its red glowing eyes, assaulting Shen by surprise, but he shook off his head and when he noticed, there were none.


    It was gone.


    He breathed in slowly, matching his pattern to that of the calm breeze, adjusting to its flow to focus on what was really important.


    The swordarched forwards and the particles of darkness motioned towards it,tangling into the bladelike a spiral. They were sneaky and silent, not revealing their harmful nature. Shen thought of it like a snake, coiling unhurried, waiting for its prey to make a step towards it, commit a mistake.


    And suddenly, there would be two poisonous fangs craved into soft flesh. Nothing else mattered.


    Shen looked at the sword, the threads of Qi could barely hold still, they were escaping his control continuously, making his efforts futile. It was easier to contain them, difficult was to manipulate them according to his will.


    He couldn''t handle it for long.


    When the Qi tides were at their strongest, the best he could''ve gotten with his feeble achievements, he let it all go, and it was much slower than Zhu Gong''s. Being the one doing it, he could see it clearly, every moment of it in a slow motion.This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author''s work.


    The first pulse was gentle. It pulled him in, telling him to let go of the sword, to set it free.


    His master''s voice echoed in his mind, ''Now harden your grip!'', and his body stiffened on the spark of a second before relaxing again. He was nervous, he didn''t think he could do it, but he wanted to believe in it. It was his first try and it could be guaranteed to have miserable performance, but he wantedit to work.


    After exhausting his body out of its energies, he wanted it to succeed.


    He held it with confidence, his hands firm and steady.


    Then came the second pulse.


    He felt a bolt of pain run through his arms, and it wasn''t the burning pain of exhaustion. It was a rupture, he felt as if something sharp had been stabbed into his hands, slowly making their way up, and all of his veins were bursting out from under his skin.


    It was gruesome, but Shen could take it. It wasn''t the first time he had experienced excruciating pain, and while he never got accustomed to it, he wouldn''t fall in a matter of seconds. But the pain was getting worse at every second,Shen bit his lips, so hard that they bled - he needed something to escape it, to momentarily forget that feeling, and it didn''t go away.


    The final pulse.


    He didn''t feel anything, it was just an instant, and all the pain was gone and he felt nothing. The cold breeze cooling his skin, the blood boiling inside him, the wind blowing on his body. He was there, a few steps away.


    He did it. It was a weak start, but he managed to do it.


    His hands were bleeding. He didn''t understand that they were bleeding, he just felt something warm and moist on his skin.


    He couldn''t feel them.


    ***


    After two months, Zhu Gong returned.


    While falling from the skies, hescanned the area and noticed Shen was immersed in the lake. That was puzzling, because it was past midday and he should be training.


    - You better have those moves memorized already! - Zhu Gong yelled in the air, landing in front of Shen and splashing a wave in front of him. He felt annoyed at the possibility that Shencould have skipped on training.


    - This disciple welcomes master...


    Shen spoke in a stupor. There was no feeling, no attachment to the words. If he was asked about what he just said, he wouldn''t recall - it was a conditioned response, and his conscious mind was unable to process it in that state.


    Zhu Gong was surprised at his complete lack of enthusiasm. There was never a fire burning in his eyes, not the one he expected him to have, but seeing him like that showed Zhu Gong that Shen had worries. He couldn''t have the fire and, at the same time, the waves inside of his eyes.


    Now he had none of them.


    Lifeless.


    Zhu Gong looked at Shen''s arms. Hesaw the veins pressing against his skin, they looked purple with tinges of black, and his hands saw no movement.


    They were gone.


    Zhu Gong was angry, both at Shen and at himself, and sad and disappointed. He couldn''t pick one of the three, none would help him or his disciple in that situation, but in Shen''s hands, he saw his own blood drying. He approached Shen and tried to infuse him with his own Qi,all futile attempts, they would never come back from that state.


    They were gone forever.


    Zhu Gong''s handslaid on Shen''s shoulders. They were growing cold, Shen had been on that lake for a lot of time. He couldn''t feel his master''s strength,and he couldn''t sense Zhu Gong before him.


    - I know what you want to say... I''m done for.


    - No... We can take care of it.


    - You don''t believe that... Just tell me the truth.


    Shen looked up and into Zhu Gong''s eyes.His piercing gaze was something Zhu Gong deeply hurt over. There was only one timethat he could remember, and he wished he could forget, that he saw this gaze from a person he cared about.


    The look in the eyes of someone who had been robbed of his future.


    It wasn''t about cultivation, and he wasn''t even thinking about how his life would be like from then on. It was about the unforeseen, losing something that had always been there his whole life, something he never considered for any matter, it was simply there. It didn''t need any other reason to exist, it just belonged. And suddenly came the realization, at first dubious and filled with hope, but then dark and unforgiving, of what really happened. It tore open a hole, not only in his body but especially in his heart.


    And now he had to live with it.


    - We need to cut them...


    Shen stared at the surface of the lake. He breathed in, out, slowly, thoughtfully, each breath carried with strong feelings. He wished he didn''t have to face reality, but he had waited long enough, and that was the correct word: waiting. He had done nothing, only stalling for time, looking at the horizon, with a false hope that things would change, and that wasn''t him - he was a realist - but at that time he just tried to forget about everything else and pretend that the world was frozen in time and that it didn''t matter what path he would be walking on.


    He didn''t cry. He had never cried, not once in his life.


    - How much?


    - Below the shoulders...


    ***


    In the next morning, Shen woke up and went outside, and he didn''t know if it was bright or dark, cool or hot, whether the foliages were blue, white, black, he didn''t care about anything. The world hadn''t changed, however.


    Things he loved,he couldn''t feel them anymore.


    He didn''t knowwhat was next. He couldn''t possibly know, it was never in his plans - just like cultivating. Part ofhis joy laid on an established routine and all he wanted was a normal life. What waited for him beyond that, the final destination of the road he walked, he didn''t wish to know - he was always in the present. Entering the world of cultivation introduced him to another time: the future, and he was afraid of it deep inside, but managed to push through.


    Losing his arms pulled him to the past.


    Nothing had changed since the last year. Objectively, he was still powerless to choose his own path. He felt that he had lost his will to live, his original purpose of getting stronger to live a peaceful life was crushed along with his arms.


    He couldn''t enjoy it anymore - why pursue it, then?


    He looked at his shoulders, what was supposed to be there was now lost forever, but he had gained something valuable in return.


    The opportunity to change.


    Either Shen would overcome that hurdle and gain a stronger resolution on the path he had previously walked, or he would unveil a completely new road he would''ve never dreamed of taking. He had to, otherwise, he would be imprisoned in the past.


    He didn''t think of any of that, but if there was something that stuck to himonce his training started, it was the habit of refining Qi. It required a great amount of concentration, and it kept him away fromhis own hollowness.


    Zhu Gong noticed the state he was in, and he couldn''t accept that Shen wouldn''t be able to handle a weapon anymore.


    The old man felt cheated. Shen was the perfect disciple for him, and he lost him because of a stupid mistake thatwas mostly his fault for not giving enough warnings. Ultimately, Shen had brought it on himself, but it could have been prevented with a few minutes of explanations.


    Zhu Gong saw that Shen continued with his training schedule. There was no passion and no deep meaning behind his actions - they were just that, actions, purely mechanical and devoid of thought. Regardless, there was still hope, Shen hadn''t given up, although he was very confused, and Zhu Gong couldn''t give up either, not before trying everything.


    Zhu Gong approached Shen, he wanted to tell him something, but whenever he felt it escaping his lips, he would stumble and stare at Shen, who didn''t bother with his presence. Finally, he bit his lips and knocked him unconscious, he was never good with words.


    He would find a way to help him, and he needed to do it fast before something else went wrong.


    ***


    Shen woke up in a room, which he recognized as the one he had been assigned to in the outer sect. He felt something stuck to his face, and he tried shaking it off but it wouldn¡¯t come out no matter how hard he pulled.


    Shen stood up, he still hadn''t gotten used to balancing his body like that, and looked at the mirror. What he saw was a wooden mask glued to his face. It perfectly delineated his visage and was comfortable enough that he could barely notice it''s cold surface. The only openings were the two slits meant for his eyes to see, the wooden mouth didn¡¯t move ¨C it didn''t matter, though, as he could already rely on Qi to maintain himself.


    Shen looked at his arms,he hoped that he had gone back to the past, or that somehow it was all just a dream, he had woken up from a lot of them lately, why couldn''t that be a long one? But this thought was crushed immediately after.


    They were still gone.


    Near the doorstep was an open letter, he crouched and read it.


    ¡°I''m looking for a way to bring your arms back. I don''t know how long it will take, and First Island is not safe enough with me gone. Train there, I''ll find a way to supply your medicine.As for your identity, you are a nameless slave, stolen from the mortals a year ago and turned into an outer disciple. No one will ask you more than that. I gifted you that mask, it''s hard to take off and it''s meant to protect you... Don''t try anything too dangerous..¡±


    Shen sighed. Internally, he had already given up on recovering anything, he felt that Zhu Gong''s actions were useless. Still, he pushed on, and he didn''t know for whose sake. He approached the issue by trying to feel normal, continuing to do what he always did, maybe that empty space that had opened in his heart would be filled.


    Maybe he would forget it existed.


    He continued to read.


    ¡°At the back of this letter, there¡¯s a detailed map of Sword Cemetary so you won¡¯t get lost.


    For most of the time you¡¯re free to do whatever you want, but once a week, disciples are required to go to the practice grounds where your group¡¯s instructor will help you achieve the next stage and teach techniques to the strong. The best time to go out, if you want to, is seven days from now.


    Every month there will be joint practices between different groups, you have to go then, but the mask will create the illusion that you are stronger than you appear to be. so don''t buy into fights.


    The vials are hidden in the mirror, burn this letter once you¡¯re done reading¡±


    Using his evil Qi toburn the small page, Shen frowned. He didn''t like the fact that he had to deal with other people like that, but at the same time, there was a switch on his brain that had been turned off when he lost his arms. Things that he normally was afraid of, he didn''t care anymore.


    He closed his eyes and dropped in the bed again,but he made an effort to sit in a lotus position right after.


    He didn''t feel like relaxing.


    Every moment he stopped to think, every breath he took, and every time he wasn''t doing anything, he would feel that hollow getting bigger and wider, growing to devour his insides. He clenched his fists, they bled and hurt as if they were being stabbed, but they weren''t there, only the pain was real.


    He could only forget that pain when he wasdoing something else, so he sat there and continued with his Qi refining. Every time it looked like it was getting easier to accommodate Qi, he further increased the intake in a way that a single slip of concentration would cost him greatly, never going back, never stopping, only pressing forwards until he couldn''t feel anything.


    Death... It didn''t look as bad anymore, it would be the end of his suffering, but although he embraced the idea, something kept him from doing so.


    He''d rather not think, training until his mind was lost to exhaustion.


    ***


    Shen found himself in a dark alley, and that time he was sure he had passed out. He looked at this arms again, out of reflex - he had done so for an entire month and it was already a habit - and shook his head.


    Crawling on the floor, he pressed his shoulder against a wall to get up, and he managed it with such difficulty that even he found it laughable. Shen remembered how a worm moved, was that how they felt? Crawling on the cold earth until a predator came in and ate them? Or maybe like vermin, he would be the one eating theirrotting carcasses.


    Shen envisioned a little insect trying to get up when its legs had been crushed by a human, and he found a morbid fun in the idea.


    Hewas that insect.


    Shen stuck to the wall and walked, he didn''t like that place, and it felt very familiar.


    ***


    It had been half an hour since Shen first came and the passages narrowed down further at each step he took, becoming darker and darker. In the blink of an eye, he was surrounded by that darkness and couldn¡¯t adapt to it, as if he was robbed of his vision rather than the lack of light in the surroundings.


    He didn¡¯t remember how much time had passed or which paths he took.


    Silently dragging his body through the dead space, he started to feel frustrated over the situation, but it was better than staying still.


    A few meters ahead, he saw a glint of two cold lights.


    Shen stopped breathing, his heart ceased from beating for a fleeting moment, and although he felt his flesh failing him, he didn''t think much of it. He squinted his eyes in a futile attempt to see further, but all that came to his vision was an enormous silhouette in place of the beams of light. It was similar to his encounter with the shadow, and in that mortifying silence, he could clearly hear his crooked heartbeat. Each time it pumped inside his chest, he would feel an indescribable pain, like a worm¡¯s egg had been nestled inside it and the vermin finally matured, wanting to break free - devouring his heart from inside out.


    In the middle of his daze, he couldn¡¯t even bring himself to grab his chest. He truly thought he would die, and thinking about death and dying were completely different things.


    He was scared, he thought that soon enough he would wake up and find himself in another room, just like before, and that the pain was fake - but it was real, very real. A few of his memories passed through him as his consciousness rapidly faded, he could see many moments, sad and joyful, and many important encounters that had happened to that day.


    Everything froze, Shen''s brain worked at a speed so fast that it overruled all that was known about the human body and the principles of time. All of his reasoning was focused on that last thought. ''So this is how I die...''. It repeated again and again, almost like a river of whispers crashing on his body, until all the whispers could be heard no more - overshadowed by a blurred thought.


    ''I don''t want to die!''


    ***


    Everything was gone. The darkness, the feelings, the thoughts. He didn''t know if he had died, but that space felt exactly like him - empty.


    Shen looked around, he couldn''t tell what was real and what was reality anymore, and that was driving him insane.


    - You...


    It was the shadow again, the same as before, and Shen couldn''t tolerate the fact that it still had its arms. He thought it was supposed to be his shadow, but now he was sure it was just his mind pranking him.


    The shadow approached, speaking in that foreign tongue that Shen couldn''t understand.He ignored it and looked the other way, walking into the endless white, but the shadow didn''t let him. It hugged him from behind, its body felt cold and moist as if it had just come out of the water, and he saw its hands tugging on him. Shen tried to shook it off, but he found it difficult without his arms, and that infuriated him even more.


    - Get off me!


    He managed to unveil himself from the embrace, looking behind him to confirm that it was gone, but what he saw shocked him.


    The shadow had its arms severed, just like him.


    ***


    Shen woke up inside the room again. He took time to settle down, disturbed by the shadow''s appearance. He didn''t know why he felt sorrow looking at it, it was simply his shadow within a dream. The more he thought about it, the less sense it made, and he didn''t understand the early part of that dream either.


    He saw an ordinary book lying on his lap. He was way too spent to read or cultivate, but with all of the strange events happening in succession, he didn¡¯t think that book had just casually appeared on his room, so he looked into it.


    The book was old and smelt like clothes after being soaked in sweat and left for a month in waiting, the pages were yellow and brittle, some of them moist, so Shen avoided seeing farther than the first one as they would crumble one after the other if he kept inspecting - he¡¯d rather save it for another day when he would be focused. There was no information on the cover or other parts, and the first page was composed of a barely readable sentence, not because of the age, but rather because of the awful writing.


    He then realized that he had been passing through the pages normally, like he always did, and he didn''t need to turn to his severed limbs to see if they were still there, he was looking at them. But he didn''t feel relief or happiness, what he felt was dread - a primal fear he could not understand nor describe.


    His arms were black and he didn''t feel anything when moving them, as if they were ghosts that followed his will.


    Shen was blown away by the surprise, falling on the bed and instinctively using his hands to stop himself from falling. As soon as they touched the mildly soft cushion, he felt a devastating pain and a cry escaped his mouth, it felt like several knives had stabbed into his palms. He cushioned the fall with his back and carefully got up, trying to exert the least amount of strength on his arms, as he had been doing on the past month.


    He stared at his hands, nothing had happened, but with a single touch on the book''s page, he felt another surge of pain, as if the page had turned sharp, cutting through his flesh.


    In that page, written as if carved in wood, ¡®to you, the loser¡¯.

 Chapter 5: Death

    Shen hastily made his way outside. He didn¡¯t have the luxury to think, if he stood inside his room in so much pain, he would die.


    The wind grazed on his arms like countless sharp needles, and he could it feel it to the core of his bones each subtlety of its movements. When it bent to a different direction, when it blew slowly, almost to a stall, or when it came rushing on his body and the evil Qi punctured and weaved threads on his bare skin, oozing with a morbid black liquid that smelt like nothing.


    The stone plate sliding down for a few seconds felt like a lifetime of agony.


    He gritted his teeth and walked through the hallways, measuring his movements to give the least amount of contact to his arms, and there was the odd feeling of being alone in the middle of the crowd, not because he was just one among countless others, but because there was no other person in his line of sight.


    They were things, obstacles.


    Sometimes he hastened his steps, while on others he seemed to calm down or halt, but his direction was always a straight line that he didn¡¯t know where it was leading to.


    Tension never left his muscles, yet no one could see his pain because of the mask¡¯s effect, and they were warded off whenever they looked at him.


    - Hey, who¡¯s that? ¨C They whispered between themselves.


    - I have no idea, but from that direction¡­ The only unoccupied room is from the fourth group.


    - Are you serious?


    A tinge of fear prickled their hearts as they saw a shadow covering their path, something impossible with the luminosity of that area. It could¡¯ve only been produced by a skill, and there was not a single person in the outer sect who didn¡¯t know who mastered that technique.


    His voice reached to their ears, and although he was a bit distanced, they felt his breath brushing their hair, carrying a sound that some found detestable and others even funny, but for the weak-willed, chilled their very souls.


    - You guys were talking about my family?


    Some of them turned around slowly, while others kept frozen to their spots. That person was unpredictable, and they didn¡¯t know if they were supposed to face him or not, he could get angry at anything, but in reality, it didn¡¯t matter for him, so long as he could smell the sweet scent of fear embalming their weak hearts.


    - No¡­ Just a guy we didn¡¯t recognize¡­


    - Tell me about it.


    - He wears a wooden mask, and he doesn¡¯t have arms. He also-


    - Does he look strong?


    - Yes¡­


    The young man was satisfied with the answer, and something warm sprouted from his chest as he heard the disciple, whom he deemed a pitiable existence worth less than the dirt on his shoes, if any, telling him that a brother from his division was strong.


    He had always been curious as to why that room was vacant ever since he came, but maybe it wasn¡¯t after all. ¡®Is he a ghost member? Things have just gotten interesting¡­¡¯


    Deep in his thoughts, he had retracted his technique but the other disciples didn¡¯t dare to move an inch.


    - Ehm¡­ Can we go now?


    The young man turned to look at the one who had just talked, making him shut his mouth and gulp down his saliva. He looked at his shivering body with his carnivore eyes, sizing him from up and down before throwing an annoyed glance.


    - Get the hell out of my sight.


    - Yes, senior disciple¡­


    The hallways were cleared out of people, and in the end, there was only him leaning on a side.


    - Good morning, senior Ling.


    Ling recognized the voice. It never ceased to surprise how the girl had such silent steps, even if his cultivation was currently superior, he could never figure out her existence unless he used his red eyes. A chaos natured cultivator wasn¡¯t really the idea of inconspicuous.


    - Morning, Miss Wang, o need to call me senior. Going to the training grounds?


    She blushed, which made one of Ling¡¯s eyebrows shot up. She was faking that reaction, and he didn¡¯t know how she did it but it wasn''t a big deal in his opinion. He only made connections with the strong, and the girl would surpass him very fast. He had done right in establishing a connection so early.


    - Yes, senior. I¡¯ve heard there is someone new coming today?


    - Likely. He has white hair and the same stature, though he wears a mask and his clothes are different.


    - Then, can it be him?


    - Impossible. He looks about as strong as me. Shen could¡¯ve only gone up to the brink of the Mortal Layer, and without Qi refining methods, it would take decades to surpass it, like normal human martial artists.


    Wang Fan cast a disappointed look and turned back, walking to her room.


    - That being said, he¡¯s very interesting. Come and see! You should take a break every now and then. Coincidentally, today is the monthly mock battle, you will like it, I promise.


    ***


    Shen had sweat covering all of his body. The sun could only touch the surface of that island very obliquely, yet it felt like the rays of light were setting him ablaze. He could no longer try to avoid the pain, darting out against the wind that sliced into his flesh and substituted the pain from the scorch. He didn¡¯t know which was worse.


    He ran without looking forwards, seeking every spot he could find to produce a shadow, but would that matter? It would go back to how it was inside the room. He thought that he needed a sword, an axe, even a knife would do.


    Anything that could cut them off.


    Shen didn¡¯t want to believe that what he had wished for became reality, and that reality was worse than what he had previously. He¡¯d rather keep his severed arms than live with an integrated torture device.


    He stumbled and fell, and whether he put himself in a position to avoid damage to his arms or put then forwards, he would either sustain severe injuries or die from the shock, ultimately leading to the same destiny. At that moment the pain didn¡¯t matter anymore, and in a moment of lucidity, he understood it was useless to keep running.


    Shen bit his lower lip and put his arms forward to cushion the fall. He could see it in slow motion, the air tearing his flesh and shaving his bones with that much velocity, and the exact moment they touched the ground, crushing them in an instant.


    He closed his eyes, he wouldn¡¯t need to struggle anymore. His life would end, along with his pain.


    But the moment didn¡¯t come. His death had not been concretized, although the fall had been brought forth.


    What Shen didn¡¯t find out then, but would soon discover, was that his pain would never kill him. His body would never give out from the shock, the shadow¡¯s arms always pushed it to the limit, not an inch less and not an inch more ¨C it was a level that, unconsciously, was bearable.


    So long as he had then, the pain would never come to an end.


    ***


    Half an hour had passed. Shen wished he had passed out, and even tried to forcefully knock his head off, but whenever conscious seemed to leave him, he would be struck with another bolt of pain that would wake him immediately.


    He attempted severing his arms by rushing against one of the towering swords of Sword Cemetary, but whenever he accumulated the impulse to do it, the arms would pass through them till the contact with his shoulders, and he would fall down feeling like they had been turned into paste.


    He gave up. Not on trying to subdue the pain. He had given up on life.


    He stuck out his tongue inside his mouth and started to gnash on his tongue with the teeth. His suffering was much worse than the one he was bringing upon himself, he didn¡¯t care about it, but in the end, he couldn¡¯t do it.


    He couldn¡¯t bring himself to commit suicide, and he couldn¡¯t understand what was stopping him. He could only blame the Shadow for not letting him die a quick death. If he really wished to die, however, there were numerous people in that realm willing to stick a blade through his heart or sever his head, especially in Seven Swords. He asked none of them for it, and even if he asked, a certain someone wouldn¡¯t allow it to happen ¨C at least not so quickly.


    The sword Shen had tried to use to sever his arms was an abnormally huge and battered Impaler, covered with scars, and on the top of the handle sat that someone, completely covered by the fog. That was right in the middle of the training grounds.


    That person, Chi Zheng, watched the disciples with his dark eyes from very high up with a bored look. They looked like two small black holes, devouring everything, and no one could read him for them, just for his smile that the other elders thought was stupid and nerve-wracking.


    No matter where he went, it was very boring. Even though occasionally someone would die, due to the increasingly less intake of disciples, killing or crippling the cultivation of people from the same sect became forbidden ¨C they couldn¡¯t waste manpower in such a critical time. The ones who died usually perished at the hands of extremely talented people, and the matter would be pushed aside ¨C there was no fun in seeing a lion killing a rabbit.


    When Shen stepped into the field, Chi Zheng showed an amused smile. With his See All Evil activated at all times, he could clearly see the immense amount of evil Qi condensed in his arms. It was a technique he had never seen before, he didn¡¯t think that Zhu Long would¡¯ve created such a skill.


    While techniques that shrouded the members or mutated them into something else existed, and regenerating a body part was possible in some circumstances, completely recreating an arm was unheard of. What intrigued him the most was the things Shen was doing, which made for a good show in his eyes.


    ¡®Why would Zhu Gong choose a cripple as his disciple?¡¯ he found the situation to be very interesting and was eager to find out. Although he was reluctant at lending a helping hand to the kid ¨C he found it more interesting to let things unroll before doing anything ¨C he did have a debt with the old man for saving his life in the battle from a thousand years ago, in which he was one of the thirteen survivors ¨C or, in his view, one of the thirteen strongest.


    Shen became very tired from the ordeal. He felt worse than before and regretted acting on impulse in such a critical situation. He wished he could¡¯ve been on the bed. Even if it was better just by one percent, he would take it.


    Though he was suffering, the small amount of time he had to consider his experience on the past month taught him that what he just did was stupid and that nothing would change if he stood there doing nothing. He needed to consider his situation, try to act normal and find out what was happening.


    He couldn¡¯t ignore the strange things that were happening around him anymore.


    Scanning his surroundings, he recognized a wall of fog enclosing an enormous wasteland, with people neatly arranged into courts, which were circular sections.


    - Hi, friend. You are?


    Due to his miserable state, Shen hadn¡¯t noticed the two persons approaching him, but once he turned to look, he temporarily forgot about it. He had completely forgotten about Ling, and he hadn¡¯t expected to see him so soon, as he didn¡¯t plan to get out for a long time, not to say about Wang Fan, whom he had hoped to never see again, or at least in a very long time.


    Shen tried to think of a name, but a gentle wind blew on his arms and he felt another bolt of pain.


    - I¡¯m Shen.


    At his response, Wang Fan¡¯s heart fluttered. She had lost hope in looking for him, and couldn¡¯t find anyone else she was attracted to, but in her eyes, she saw many distinguishing features of Shen, especially the white hair, which she didn¡¯t find in any other.


    - I am Wang Fan. May senior please take off his mask? I would like to see senior¡¯s face.


    Another bolt of pain rushed through his veins and he stumbled towards the sword. The two of them didn¡¯t understand that Shen wasn¡¯t in a condition to have a casual chat.


    - No, sorry¡­ It is very important to me.


    Seeing Shen¡¯s powerful aura and his attitude, coupled with his lack of a surname, Ling felt nothing but sympathy towards him. In that era, few people were born without a surname, and even if they didn¡¯t share a dark past, the social implications of this single fact were always present.


    He, like Shen, had always felt like he didn¡¯t belong anywhere.


    He talked a bit more with Shen, only simple questions, like where did he come from, his cultivation level, so on and so forth. Neither Shen, nor Wang Fan, nor anyone else who watched this could understand Ling¡¯s motives. That fellow only acted for his own benefits.


    Ling found in Shen not a friend, which he defined as someone he could trust. No, he would never trust anyone, the maximum he would do was consider them in his plans. What he found was a companion, someone who had experienced the same things he did, only under a different spectrum.


    He led Shen and Wang Fan to their court. A few other people were there already, and a small lady that looked like ten years old sat on the ground near a sword. She wore a black dobok, which showed her status as an inner sect disciple.


    - See that girl over there? She¡¯s Peng Yin, supervisor of the first court. I would tell you what¡¯s this court about, but she likes giving the introductions, so go say hi.


    Wang Fan stared at Ling with a tinge of surprise. Towards Shen, he acted very comfortably, even though he had just met him. Having known him for a year, she had never seen that side of him.


    Shen stumbled forward and looked down. Peng Yin was a bit higher than half his size, but he didn¡¯t care about it and quickly stated his business.


    - I¡¯m Shen¡­ Senior Peng.


    The little girl scanned him up and down.


    - My court holds the smallest number of people, and each one of them is a force to be recognized. Judging from your aura, you should be capable of handling yourself. If you have any questions regarding cultivation, or just want to have a chat, I¡¯m here.


    Ling almost rolled his eyes at her last sentence. She always rejected everyone that went for her with doubts outside of cultivation.


    - Lastly, the name of this division is Calamity Dragon, and the trait is that in the monthly mock battles, if you want to participate, it will be as leaders of other divisions or as lone fighters. Each of you is capable of defeating standard groups and cannot team up with each other. Understood?


    - Yes, senior.


    Shen looked at the other three that were originally in the court. They were fixated on his severed arms, but whether they had bad intentions or not, they didn¡¯t show it.


    Peng Yin removed a sword from her storage ring, but noticed something strange in the air. A few seconds later, a very thin sword, almost a thread, pierced the ground and got stuck on it.


    Shen¡¯s instructor gazed at the direction from which the sword was thrown, on top of the giant Impaler. ¡®A gift, huh?¡¯


    All of the instructors knew the identity of the person high up in the clouds, and they also knew that that person was especially fond of bloodbaths and carnage.


    Shen didn¡¯t understand what was going on until Peng Yin hinted for him to take it, and to the great surprise of the outer disciples, the sword fluctuated in front of him.


    That sword was something entirely new to them, but it held some resemblances to a few of the swords towering over Sword Cemetery. Both the hilt and the handguard were very beautiful and comfortable, whereas the blade in itself was narrow, over a meter long and very small in width, with a thick star-shaped cross-section.


    Shen recognized it as a sword made for the sole purpose of stabbing, he didn¡¯t try it, however. He accepted the gift and asked Peng Yin if he could go.The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    - Do what you want ¨C she shrugged. Disciples from the first court were special and many rules didn¡¯t apply to them, such as killing, for instance. If there was growth stemming from blood spilled, it was easily overlooked.


    In reality, the first court was only a stage for when the other elders passed by, so they could recognize someone worthy of their time.


    The young and inexperienced disciples from other powerful courts grew envious. They¡¯ve never seen that type of sword before, but it was a gift from the lord of Sword Cemetery, one of the few rewards out in the outer sect. To receive it, one didn¡¯t have to kill another disciple ¨C they¡¯ve heard from the instructors that it wasn¡¯t always the case that he would bestow a gift like that, especially since there was the risk of being punished from breaking the rules ¨C rather, one had to entertain him enough.


    However, Shen had received the gift without doing anything, and that upset them, especially those who actively tried to gain it.


    Disciples from other courts approached Peng Yin.


    - Senior Peng, why did that guy get a sword?


    - Find out for yourself ¨C she shrugged. Chi Zheng wasn¡¯t one to give swords for free, it always came with a price. If Shen had been gifted with a sword, blood he spilled.


    - But he doesn¡¯t even have arms! ¨C they complained.


    - I said. Find. Out. For yourself.


    They didn¡¯t like how Peng Yin treated them, in their eyes the first court was not so far away from them in terms of power. Individually they were very strong, but since they couldn¡¯t act together, they would always fall behind with sheer numbers.


    One girl approached Shen and looked at his arms, giggling. Even if his control of Qi was powerful, he couldn¡¯t deceive anyone: to maintain a sword up in the air with that low of a cultivation level, he would need an extreme reserve of Qi. If that was the case, he wouldn¡¯t even be in the outer sect, to begin with.


    It seemed like an act.


    - Hey, you. Give me the-


    Before she could finish what she had to say, a thread appeared on her neck and her head was sent flying. It was cut off neatly, but with enough impact to crack bits of her skull as her corpse dropped down, splashing blood on her peers.


    Once they realized what had happened, they pointed their fingers towards the perpetrator. Ling.


    - You¡¯ve broken the rules, and must suffer the same fate as punishment!


    He slashed with his long blade again, and another head was sent flying.


    - To protect the integrity of the relationship between seniors and juniors of different courts, I was forced to take disciplinary actions against these two disciples who hadn¡¯t referred to us, their superiors, with the appropriate titles and proper speech. Their execution was justified.


    There was an unspoken rule that they hadn¡¯t considered: Chi Zheng.


    Chi Zheng was the one who made the rules, and contrary to their expectations, his rules weren¡¯t devised to help maximize their growth, although ultimately it led to that. All he wanted was balanced fights that wouldn¡¯t end too quickly, otherwise it would be too boring to watch, but in this case, it was fated to end quickly ¨C they had bought into their own demises.


    Prolonging their lives would be asking too much. They were just cattle, and no matter how much they cried out for punishment, all the seniors and instructors didn¡¯t bat an eye ¨C some even relished on the stupidity of the new disciples.


    Wang Fan was beside Shen and Ling, and the blood flowing from Ling¡¯s victims also splashed on her. Her techniques allowed her to see in slow motion each step that led into their lives being taken, and the moment the blade left the scabbard to touch their skin, drawing a perfect line separating their head from their bodies, made her hands tremble.


    The blood spurting out from their necks and flying heads, the bones that stuck out, the exposed flesh, brimming red with the color of life, and that glorious scent of life flowing out, or fresh death, splashing into her face, they made her whole body shiver.


    Ling stared at Wang Fan, worried that he might have scared her.


    - Are you alright, Miss Wang?


    She waved him off with her hand. They thought she was shocked with fear, and if she was weak, they would¡¯ve thought her na?ve, but given her strength, all they could see was a normal girl for that age. Ling feared she would cry, given her blushing cheeks. But beyond that fa?ade, there laid something entirely different.


    Wang Fan closed her eyes and opened then again, in full, the scene repeated again in front of her. She braced herself and grasped her body with her trembling hands, gasping for air as something hot and pleasurable ran through her legs all the way up to her chest.


    - I am fine¡­ Thank you for worrying.


    Shen could only laugh. He didn¡¯t know why he was laughing, but that was his first reaction at seeing someone die right in front of him, just like that. Was it because she didn¡¯t even know how it happened or was it because of how messy it became, despite the clean cut, or the way her corpse fell and her head rolled in the air like the halved part of a fruit, he didn¡¯t know.


    He didn¡¯t wish to know, and he found it funny in such a way that for a moment his whole body went numb and he couldn¡¯t feel his arms anymore. He just laughed, and it only sounded eerier since his muscles were a bit constrained from the mask.


    It dawned on him that humans were, to their core, jumbled up pieces of meat, blood and bones, the same things that made up the meat he had cut on the kitchen before, the same meat he bought in the market, and although it came from different kinds of animals, it was all one and the same ¨C flesh.


    To outsiders, his strange laugh made him seem like some sort of crazy bastard, and the instructors thought that both he and Chi Zheng held resemblances to each other, whereas Ling took it as confirmation that he was the same kind of person as him.


    Likewise, he laughed.


    Breaking that strange atmosphere, they heard the clapping of hands on the first court. They saw a man with an effeminate face and golden hair walking into Shen¡¯s direction, unfazed while carrying his two swords.


    That person was very well known amongst the other disciples.


    - Meng Hua¡­


    - It really is Meng Hua¡­


    Meng Hua was a beautiful person on the outside, but he had already killed many others weaker than him for no reason at all. Chi Zheng usually turned a blind eye because he was selected as an Elder¡¯s disciple, and he was only in the outer sect to get used to spilling blood ¨C that much was obvious to him.


    He didn¡¯t have much to gain in Sword Cemetery anymore, except for one thing.


    After reaching twenty meters of Shen¡¯s position, Meng Hua stopped and smiled amiably.


    - Hello, I am called Meng Hua, may you tell me your name, friend? ¨C He asked politely, without a trace of malice in his eyes, but Shen wasn¡¯t listening to him, he was immersed in his own world.


    Seeing that he was being ignored, the young man didn¡¯t bother much and continued to talk.


    - You see, I want a sword from the Lord of this place, but I always fail to catch his attention. You, on the other hand¡­ I¡¯m sure that person must be very interested. You seem strong¡­ Heh, you wouldn¡¯t be here if you weren¡¯t. I am sure you will disappoint neither of us.


    Chi Zheng widened his grin at the scene far below him. Finally, he would get to see a good show. Meng Hua wasn¡¯t like the small fry Ling had killed, his power was authentic, way higher than Shen¡¯s, and his skills with the sword weren¡¯t bad either.


    Ling was one of the few who could compete with him, but he couldn¡¯t keep up with Meng Hua in intelligence. While one was brutal and direct in his methods, the other took his time to study the opponent¡¯s methods, and he wouldn¡¯t go for a battle he thought that he had a chance to lose. Ling also possessed a sword gifted by Chi Zheng, and all of them were of a special kind, and that tipped the fight in his favor, though he wasn¡¯t scared of Shen¡¯s.


    Unlike Shen¡¯s, Ling¡¯s blade was long with a slight curvature, and very sharp compared to the normal blades. The most terrifying, however, was the draw. The sword left the scabbard with such speed that people couldn¡¯t see its sheen. It was especially good at slashing, which was the favored style of many, but specially Ling.


    - So, have you already thought of your last words? ¨C asked Meng Hua while circling Shen from the sides.


    Shen remained silent, but even though he had lasted a month without his arms, they still moved his sword and pointed it directly at Meng Hua¡¯s heart, accompanying it as he moved.


    - Hmph, very well then.


    Ling and Wang Fan got out of the way like everyone else. They couldn¡¯t disturb this duel or it would infuriate Chi Zheng.


    Meng Hua was about ten meters away from Shen. He got into a battle stance, with the longer sword forward and the smaller one closer to his body, and slowly approached his enemy while making sure to not miss any strange movements. ¡®Let¡¯s see what you can do¡¯


    Shen didn¡¯t move, he was unaware of what was going on, still perplexed by the death of those two cultivators.


    Grasping his sword, he didn¡¯t feel its weight, the cold metal chilling his bones or the microscopic protrusions that hurt him like spikes. It felt like he was carrying nothing.


    He could have imagined being pierced by Meng Hua¡¯s swords, and his pain would die with it, but he didn¡¯t take it.


    He didn¡¯t understand why Meng Hua wanted his sword, and it didn¡¯t seem like it would matter if he just gave it to him without fighting. Shen threw aside the pain and discomfort and immersed himself in the situation.


    ¡®If I strike first he will use the blade with the longest reach to parry and at the same time attack with the smaller one, or maybe the opposite? I''m not sure... If I let him get too close he can render my sword useless and kill me, I won¡¯t be able to react due to the short distance. If I had the same cultivation level, maybe I could outmatch him in speed and avoid his attacks, but as it stands¡­ I lose¡¯


    He didn¡¯t want to bet on that move Zhu Gong had taught him, but it was his only chance of getting out alive. Even then, he could feel from Meng Hua¡¯s aura that it was unlikely for him to die or become severely injured.


    If he wanted to win, he would have to trick him, but that was easier said than done. Meng Hua watched him carefully, not allowing a single opening to be exploited. He was already five meters from Shen and he didn¡¯t look pressed for time as he slowly approached his opponent.


    After a few more seconds, Meng Hua closed in for his first strike.


    - Wait! ¨C shouted Shen, forcing Meng Hua to stop and jump back hastily, but he held doubt in his eyes.


    Due to Shen¡¯s condition, his voice came out as forced and clumsy, and Meng Hua thought he had been hurt somewhere. He quickly surveyed his surroundings and Shen¡¯s, but he looked normal to him. ¡®So it was all a front, huh?¡¯ he thought, annoyed.


    It wasn¡¯t uncommon to see people talk big all the time and back down on the last moment, Shen was just one among many. ¡®Thinking about it, it¡¯s only obvious. You know you have no chance of winning so you are admitting defeat to avoid your death¡­ Unfortunately, the show has to go on. But ah! That person must be disappointed, I have to make him fight for a little bit¡¯


    - What? Are you scared now? ¨C He asked disdainfully, but didn¡¯t leave any opening in his stance as he slowly approached.


    - I surrender. I never intended to fight you anyway, you can have my sword. I didn¡¯t think you would really go for it ¨C he explained while kowtowing once and maintaining his distance.


    Watching Shen¡¯s actions, the majority of the crowd that stood there, silently, got mixed feelings. Some of them were people after Shen¡¯s sword and his humiliation felt like their humiliation, but it couldn¡¯t be avoided ¨C none of them could face Meng Hua either.


    Meng Hua¡¯s reaction at Shen¡¯s sudden display of weakness made him laugh without regards for the people watching.


    - Pft, hehe¡­ AHAHAHAHAHA! Hehehe¡­ Oh, sorry, sorry. That was just too funny, hehe¡­ - Meng Hua wiped his teary eyes as he stared at the back of Shen¡¯s neck - Alright, I understand. In fact, I don¡¯t blame you at all! I would probably do the same thing if I was in your situation, but... The thing is¡­ I don¡¯t care if you surrender.


    Shen tilted his head upwards and stared directly into the young man¡¯s eyes. Meng Hua returned the gaze, he wanted to confirm the existence of fear in Shen¡¯s eyes, but among fear, anxiety, pain and many other feelings, he could only recognize there was something wrong going on with him.


    - What? You still want to go on? We don¡¯t have any reason to fight anymore. I clearly can¡¯t win against you. We both have nothing to gain from this, why continue? ¨C He asked in a tone showing disbelief.


    - See from my point of view. If we stop here, you live and I get no benefits. If we continue and you die, there¡¯s a chance I may receive the gift, and you can¡¯t kill me at all. Since I have nothing to lose, might as well continue!


    Meng Hua let another wicked laugh seep in the air and pointed his sword to Shen¡¯s head. He had no use from his sword, but it could be exchanged for another, more suited for his style. Maybe he would even get two.


    Shen trembled slightly and curled both of his hands into fists, roughly scratching the fog underneath. Meng Hua patiently waited for him to act.


    ¡®Come on, show me your best move. I did my part, now read the script and do yours!¡¯


    After less than three seconds, Shen¡¯s body moved like the wind as he threw a handful of dirt at Meng Hua¡¯s eyes and quickly contorted his body in preparation for the blow.


    Meng Hua watched him intently and, although he didn¡¯t know how Shen had managed to get his hands on that patch of dirt, he reacted fast enough to avoid it and get out of his reach.


    ¡®So that was your plan huh¡­ Not bad. Now let¡¯s see what your actual attack is¡¯


    At a safe distance, Meng Hua saw the strange movements of evil Qi aligning to the blade. He found it quite strange that Shen had managed to last this long while controlling it, silently praising his proficiency with Qi manipulation and his Qi reserves. Like the girl who died, he shared the same thoughts.


    ¡®Sadly, it comes at the cost of power. Too bad you chose to be a sword cultivator¡¯


    In his perspective, had Shen trained something else, it would be his loss. Not knowing about the shadow¡¯s arms was very misleading.


    Regardless, even if it looked easy, he couldn¡¯t risk it. With the amount of rotational force it was building up, it was certain to deal a devastating blow if he were not to take it seriously, and even with his body reinforced with qi, it would still deal a good amount of damage if he was hit.


    He took these fractions of seconds to break down the path of Shen¡¯s blade and create a good path to deal with him in one blow.


    Meng Hua instantly closed in on Shen and took the strike without fear. He had poured most of his qi into reinforcing his chest area where the sword was aimed at, it was simply impossible to change the trajectory of the blade in the middle of the technique and Meng Hua aimed for perfection in that battle. If he let it hit without proper coating on his muscles, it would take a long time to recover.


    Shen had remembered the time he lost his arms. He was doing well, just like before, but there was something very strange with his arms.


    On the first pulse, his grip was so firm that he felt like the blade was just another muscle he hadn¡¯t used before, he didn¡¯t know if it was just the pain overriding his senses or the sword that held nothing to the touch.


    He clenched his teeth for the second pulse, but it didn¡¯t hold any resemblance to how he felt before. His hands were firmly planted on the blade, he couldn¡¯t feel the pain ¨C or at least, it wasn¡¯t greater than what he was dealing with.


    The third pulse. He didn¡¯t know where he had failed last time, and he didn¡¯t want to fail a second time, but there was no fear of losing anything ¨C rather, there was expectancy that his pain would vanish for a second.


    He had to let go of the sword, it had to lead him to the bitter end, but he couldn¡¯t just stay still. He wasn¡¯t Zhu Gong, his body didn¡¯t work the same way, and one thing he had learned by reading the books was that spirit veins were not something as simple and scientific as an array of characteristics. There were many things yet to be unveiled, and for that, he could only trust his instincts, what his body told him to do.


    He finally understood that the sword was not to be treated as a tool. It was an extension of his body.


    He didn¡¯t have to let it go, just so he could follow it. With the force of Qi, they walked side by side.


    He moved along with his sword on a straight line. It was a single step, but if he had looked behind, he wouldn¡¯t know what had happened.


    Shen felt the tip of his blade connect with Meng Hua¡¯s chest. It didn¡¯t penetrate too deeply, however.


    Out of the corner of his eyes, he saw the long blade inches from him while the short blade was too far away to do anything.


    Shen looked at the place Meng Hua was stepping in, waiting for the moment he would tilt his body slightly to maximize the reach of his blade.


    ¡®Just a little more¡­ A little bit more, and¡­¡¯


    When he saw Meng Hua¡¯s center of balance was a little further ahead of his body, he compensated his lack of speed with an early move, letting himself fall down in an arch.


    Meng Hua stared at him suspiciously. His long blade wouldn¡¯t reach Shen¡¯s neck by a hair¡¯s breadth and it was too late to change directions. He questioned why Shen had done such a useless move, but his actions were faster than his thoughts.


    ¡®No matter, you¡¯ve just delayed your death by a few fractions of seconds. I¡¯ll put the weight in my other side and kill you with the short sword!¡¯ Thinking like this, he acted quickly and was about to let his blade fall down on Shen.


    At that critical moment, Meng Hua lost all strength on his limbs and fell flat on the fog, a sword craved between the upper side of his spinal cord and his throat.


    That was it. Meng Hua¡¯s mind was completely shut and all the Qi that previously coated his body quickly flowed back. The trajectories of both of his blades were stopped and Shen rolled to the side to avoid getting hit by the two swords.


    Even those of higher cultivation levels couldn¡¯t understand what had happened. Even after watching it with their very eyes, they still couldn¡¯t believe Shen would be capable of pulling off such a devastating trap in an open place.


    Meng Hua had died.


    After he pulled his sword from Meng Hua¡¯s corpse, Shen fell down with no getting up. He felt his legs wobbly all over and he couldn¡¯t feel as much pain as before, but he wasn¡¯t relieved, his mind laid elsewhere.


    While everyone was staring at Shen with many different looks: adoration, hatred, indifference, recognition, interest, the man himself was staring at the one whom he had just killed.


    Meng Hua¡¯s face was turned up to him. He imagined that Ling¡¯s victim had died with the same expression, the last one she had shown before falling to the ground. He had that enrapturing smile that, for those who knew him, was the typical expression of when he was half a step from his objectives.


    Meng Hua wanted to kill him. That was the only thing Shen could think of, and he repeated it time and time again, trying to convince himself that it was a good enough reason for killing him in retaliation. It was a legitimate defense.


    Right or wrong, those things didn¡¯t matter.


    Shen stared at the hole in his Meng Hua¡¯s throat. Most of it had already formed a small pool beneath his chest. Previously, to return his sword, he changed the position of his body and a lot of blood got stuck into him. It was warm at first, it dampened his clothes and with time became cold, and not as fast as when Meng Hua¡¯s eyes lost color.


    The sword was stuck in his back. It was a long blade, and it went all the way through his spinal cord.


    The disciples watched along with Shen as the fog swallowed the corpse slowly, leaving no vestige of Meng Hua¡¯s existence. The sword fell once it went completely underground; there was not a drop of blood on it.


    He killed a human.


    ***


    The number of people who understood what happened was twenty one. Chi Zheng was one of them, of course, and the other twenty were all instructors, with trained eyes and knowledge of their surroundings.


    - Senior Peng, what was that? ¨C asked Ling, curious. He had nothing but sympathy for Shen, and didn¡¯t say a word when he left the court, stumbling. If he was as Ling had imagined, then there was nothing more to be said.


    "May I?" She communicated with Chi Zheng.


    "By all means, little Yin, by all means¡­" he relayed, savoring every bit of the story yet to be told. Fun things were meant to be shared with everyone, and he wouldn¡¯t keep such a juicy piece of information only to himself.


    The disciples drew closer to listen to her tale.


    - When he shouted for Meng Hua to wait, it took him by surprise. As careful as he was, his first action was to fall back and reassess the situation. Taking advantage of this, Shen took a small step to where that other girl died, her sword was still there. Later, he buried it underneath the fog when kowtowing and used one long strand of hair from her head, tying it to his feet with Qi. It is difficult to hide something like that, so he slipped out strands of his own hair to complete the link. About two thirds of his inner reserves were used for that. The following attack was a mere fake, but it had to be done well to fool Meng Hua, thus why he threw the dirt and poured the remaining of his Qi into it. It was risky, he barely managed to complete the technique.


    Shen walked to the place Shen was rooted to and pulled the sword from the fog. The hair had already fallen underneath, but the body was exactly there.


    - Meng Hua did not know it was possible to enter the fog. It¡¯s not so hard. When people die here, they always fall into it naturally, but no one thought of going down. There¡¯s no reason to, in most scenarios. Another thing that people forget is that this island is not made of fog, it¡¯s intuitive if you look at the outskirts from high up, as I¡¯m sure you¡¯ve all seen when you came here. There¡¯s ground below, and Meng Hua had ignored this important clue. It could be said that he had too much faith in Shen¡¯s abilities. The rest you already know. Meng Hua could¡¯ve attacked him from many different angles, including from above, but the risks were a bit higher compared to what he chose to do¡­ He didn¡¯t expect the second sword.


    Chi Zheng grinned from ear to ear. ¡®Ahhh, that was so fun to watch!¡¯ He was shameless and calculating, and cared only for the win, and he thought Shen was exactly like him in that aspect.


    Few people were capable of discarding emotions and other thoughts and bet all on a plan unlikely to succeed. Shen¡¯s plan held too many variables, and if even one of them went beyond his estimates, he would die.


    Among many possible flaws, if Meng Hua¡¯s body didn¡¯t reach the expected position and shape, Shen wouldn¡¯t get such a neat strike and kill him instantly ¨C even if Meng Hua died half a second later, his blade would still hit Shen and wound him, possibly killing him.


    It was a pity that Meng Hua had died, he was quite promising, but that was not the first time an aspiring genius died young, it happened every time.


    Chi Zheng stared at Shen from a long distance away. He was curious as to what the young man was thinking, and what he would bring out to the future. He thought that many interesting things would happen around him, and he was eager for the next battles.


    Meanwhile, he looked at Wang Fan, who also left towards the quarters, trembling.


    ¡®Wang, huh¡­ Your ancestor would be proud if he knew that his bloodline had appeared again, after a thousand years¡¯

 Chapter 6: The taste of hatred (Revision undergoing)

    Shen stared at the stone door sliding into the floor, and closed his eyes slowly while bobbing, unconsciously tilting his neck downwards. He blinked a few times, shook his head and lifted it up again, but each time he did that, his back muscles turned to jelly and loosened, sapped of their strength. The sound of the rock moving down cracked his head with a severe headache, but he couldn¡¯t muster the energy to cover his ears. The pungent smell of blood invaded his nostrils, burning them from inside out. Each step he took towards the bed, his vision blurred and the images multiplied, changed colors, transferred shapes and mingled together. Before he could even reach it, he collapsed limply as his consciousness quickly failed.


    ***


    - Hey Shen, wanna play with us?


    - No¡­ You smell, stay away¡­. ¨C he motioned to push the girl away, push her friends away, push everything living and inanimate away and off of his sight, pinching his nose for a moment but then smiling warmly. At that instant, he was so intent on keeping his distance that they consciously sniffed their clothes even if offended by the new kid.


    - Liar, we don¡¯t smell!


    - Liar, liar, Shen is a liar!


    - Quiet you three! ¨C the woman yelled obnoxiously, her nostrils dilating and snuffing a big tuft of air.


    The children got scared and ran as fast as they could with those tiny legs, but not before one of them showed his tongue with a mix of both fear and playfulness, as if that would make his presence bigger among his circle of friends, but also spring up unknown consequences. The fun of playing with fire.


    - You rude brat, it won¡¯t be so funny when I tell the mistress about it and your parents get thrown out! Hmph! ¨C she yelled, but the latter part came off as a whisper in that distance as if she didn¡¯t believe what she said herself.


    The old lady was tired of training the younger children, the newest batches would never know their places. ¡®That¡¯s why we should buy slaves¡­¡¯ but her Lord wouldn¡¯t allow any inside the manor, although it was nothing to be reprimanded for by the masses. She couldn¡¯t blame Shen for his reaction ¨C they were a filthy bunch, an array of bugs, rats, and maggots crawling through every dirty hole they could find. Those scrawny beings barely fit the description of a human, they were merely a group of misfits abandoned by society, she could only curse their existence in silence and pray for their quick demise in their beds of disease. Slaves were worth much more than these people, even the lower quality ones would bring out a lot of manpower and a few females had good fertility to give rise to more of them - they were a very good investment.


    - I understand you, boy ¨C she sighed ¨C they are a distasteful bunch, that they are! But curses, we are both stuck with them for the time being. Well, at least I will, you are going to pass the rest of your days with these people, so get accustomed to the smell.


    Shen shook his head in denial, why did they have to take him away? He hated being bound by others, not just these intrepid kids and the annoying hag ¨C all of them. The man working his sweat on the mines to earn an income for his family, the corrupt court official that puts heavy taxes on him, the girl who was going to be married with a young lord and the depraved man who raped her and ruined her life, it held no difference what they were, are or could be. Shen didn¡¯t care for their gender, background, current situation and future prospective ¨C he couldn¡¯t feel any empathy towards them.


    What made them equal in his eyes was that every single one had that smell. Some more strongly than others, admittedly, to the point Shen could tell they had been bathed on it, whereas most carried it as a natural smell. He couldn¡¯t even breathe through his mouth, it tasted worse than it reeked; he released his nose to let in the putrid air before shutting down his inhalation.


    - They¡¯re gone! ¨C The old woman yelled ¨C you can stop pinching your nose!


    She was quite fond of Shen, or rather, Shen¡¯s appearance and cleanliness. He was a cute little boy and didn¡¯t smell as bad as the other kids. Coats of dust covered his face, but they were shallow, probably acquired during the trip. At the very least he seemed to bathe frequently, something not everyone had the luxury to.


    His breath ran out and he took a quick sniff before shutting down again.


    - You also smell¡­


    - Say that again, you brat! ¨C She slapped his cheek without holding back ¨C say it, I dare you!


    Shen coiled down on a corner without replying, but away from her eyes he whispered in loathing: ¡±You smell of blood¡­¡±


    ***


    It was comfortable for a moment, a soft bed after sleeping all the time on hard mats was a nice change. Shen couldn¡¯t recall sleeping on such a bed ever in his life, not in the manor, not in his master¡¯s home, and most definitely not in the outer sect. He could open his eyes to see what was going on but chose to stay quiet and appreciate it.


    More than comfortable, it was warm. His ears caught the crackling of flames and the image of burning wood came to his mind, though the aroma resembled incense. There was something else warming his body, it was hot and a bit moist and it enveloped his body while brushing his cheeks and lower lips with a shallow ghostly wind, his heart beat faster and he gulped down awkwardly as he noticed his throat being pressed by a choker.


    Shen opened his eyes and was shocked.


    There was a girl by his side, and from the restrained view he had, it held some resemblances to the one whose throat he pierced with the rapier, but he couldn¡¯t see clearly in the darkness ¨C the only light was that of the fire, and it was farther away from the bed. He was bewildered and couldn¡¯t afford to think clearly on an explanation, each time he worked to build a theory, her rosy lips that almost touched his¡¯ moved shortly and produced an adorable moan, typical of those who sleep soundlessly. Her sweat mixed with his own as he felt her hands touching his chest and her thighs rubbing on him.


    When he tried to move, he found out both his hands and legs were tied, and the choker prevented him from lifting his neck. He could also feel something tied to his crotch, likely to make erections painful, but it was no use in this situation because all he felt was extreme repugnance. He loathed the idea of having so much skin contact and friction. Preferring discretion and a slow pace, he got irked away by her loud and obscene moans and lewd touch.


    More than disgusted, he was trapped, exposed and unarmed, he couldn¡¯t even feel his own qi, as if he had been crippled, and just the thought of it made his sweat run cold.


    ¡®Just what the hell is happening now?¡¯


    - Shen... Shen¡­ - she kept whispering softly under his breath.


    A few minutes had passed on this situation, with the girl constantly massaging his body and feeling his muscles with the tips of her fingers, the palms of her hands. She woke up from her delusion and noticed Shen had finally awakened too.


    - Is it your first time? ¨C she asked, curling her arms around his neck carefully and getting behind him. She played with his hair, twirling a few strands around her finger and caressing his face.


    Shen closed his eyes.


    - Why are you alive? ¨C He asked with great difficulty. His throat was burning, only now did he understand how dry it was ¨C actually¡­ Who are you?


    She tightened the straps on his wrists and made a small cut at the base; it streamed down from the small bulge and tainted the bed.


    - Tsc tsc, such a serious kid¡­ You owe me a life, don''t you think? ¨C she spelled out amusingly while getting on top of him and collecting the streaming blood with a cup - You haven¡¯t forgotten about the punishment, right?


    - Why¡­ Like this?


    - Are you thirsty?


    - That doesn¡¯t matter¡­ - he replied coldly. Every moment she meddled with his hair only served to push forwards his hatred. Where another man could feel the lovely touch of her silky hands, he felt the grease of her sweat mixing into his hair and smearing it. His skin itched and he nervously tried to endure the urge to scratch it, knowing full well it was useless.


    Shen¡¯s blood held a strange and enticing fragrance that couldn¡¯t be explained. The girl had seen a great deal of that sickening and sweet liquid, more than enough to be numb to its effect ¨C if the opposite occurred then her path would be cut right then. However, although it was the same red and the same metallic smell, she was attracted to it. She tasted a single drop and a spark flowed through her body.


    It was thrilling, both pleasurable and painful, but only lasted for a moment. ¡®No wonder you took a fancy for him.¡¯ She poured tea down his throat, and he almost choked from the downpour.


    It wasn¡¯t a normal tea. It made him sweat even more after some time and his mouth became so dehydrated it didn¡¯t stop prickling. He felt the need to cough multiple times, and he did it in small intervals because of how wounded he became each time he did so.


    The stinging sensation was unsettling. For him, it was worst than twisting and contorting his bones and muscles, a long agony that had no end in sight.


    - Oh? Still thirsty? ¨C She asked while looking at the tears flowing from his eyes. He was so desperate, so furious, the look on his face made her hands tremble with excitement.


    He coughed harshly and suddenly and his body shivered. He felt like being covered in a thin layer of honey and thrown with his arms tied to his back in a hole full of cockroaches and insect larvae. She advanced on top of him like a predator, this time revealing her voluptuous breasts and going further, her lower body in full view, very close to his face. Shen squinted his closed eyes as if doing so helped him get away from the sight, even the small amount of light reflected on his eyelids - and clearing out a minuscule amount of darkness - he didn¡¯t wish to see.


    - Suck it ¨C and she sat on his face while relaxing the straps on his crotch and grabbing it.


    - Stay away! ¨C He shouted angrily before his mouth was shut. He tried to bite and scream, but his throat was so wounded that, even in his rage, he recognized that moving too much would definitely do him serious harm which would take time to recover from ¨C time which he didn¡¯t have.


    Shen moved his mouth and tongue desperately, he was out of air which only added to how frenetically he acted. Moaning passionately, she hard gripped on his penis until she lost strength on her legs and came on his mouth.


    Shen¡¯s eyes were bloodshot. Filth, filth, filth ¨C filth all over his body. Her smelly and oily sweat mixing with his blood, slimy saliva ¨C that damn bile - surrounding his crotch and covering his sex, the lump of meat stuck to his face and spreading itself on his eyes, nose, lips, cheeks ¨C everywhere ¨C and secreting that liquid most foul that even rot would make a more fitting end to his hygiene. That it even entered his throat and alleviated the itch irked him to almost puke all of his innards.


    He wanted to kill her.


    He wanted to die.


    He had never been so thoroughly humiliated in his entire life. Hell, he had always thought that there was no reason to feel humiliated by someone else¡¯s actions, but that was exactly what he was feeling ¨C and the worst part, that he didn¡¯t want to acknowledge, that for the first time in his life he so badly wished to see someone¡¯s blood. All he hoped for was to disappear entirely and leave no trace of his existence, but not before hers was erased.


    The girl continued to rub herself on Shen¡¯s body and force him to hear her moan in all different pitches. She grabbed his penis and stroked it and massaged it and rubbed it between her palms, but always tying it down thinking that somewhere between the lines, it would get hard.


    - Stop, damn you, stop this! ¨C He cried out, but she never did.


    ¡®Damn it, damn it, damn it! Curse you...''


    - Hahaha¡­ You really are something. The guys usually go wild just from seeing my breasts.


    - I¡¯m going to kill you!


    - Hmm¡­ Alright. ¨C she said while looking somewhere else, her eyes turning red for a moment.


    The girl stood up and looked at Shen.


    - Am I beautiful, Shen? This side of me... Do you like it? ¨C she loosened his choker and gave him water to sip a bit at a time.


    He tried to get over his shock and reply honestly, that she was indeed beautiful - at least her physical appearance - but still thinking over what happened just a moment before, he gulped the bitter taste of his saliva. He wouldn¡¯t say, no matter what he wouldn¡¯t do it.The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.


    - You are beautiful¡­ - he replied, without an inch of empathy.


    ¡®What?¡¯ Shen was now even more confused than before.


    - Do you like me? ¨C She got closer, her breath once again brushing his face before he turned his head.


    That day he had experienced two emotions he had never felt before. One of them was humiliation, brutal and crude humiliation. The other one was darker than that, something he couldn¡¯t even describe in words, and could only surge when remembering the scene.


    - I hate you¡­ - he said, unfeeling and distant, not caring whether she would kill him for that or not.


    - That¡¯s good ¨C What she wanted was not his love, but his hate, his humiliation, his wrath and his sadness, to evoke all of his negative feelings.


    She looked away once more and whispered something to the walls.


    She kissed him for a prolonged moment and bit his lip, tearing off a small chunk and sucking the blood that came out, feeling ecstatic. ''Sigh, I wanted it to last a bit longer''. Shen¡¯s face was as lethargic as before.


    - Remember this moment - she said.


    Shen¡¯s blue eyes were ripe with strong emotions, the ones which he had long avoided but still came seeking him out, and now he even learned the sad truth that, once again, his mask had been robbed in less than twenty-four hours. He could consider himself a lost cause.


    The girl forced a wet towel on his nose and he blanked out again, this time with a lingering thought.


    ¡®I hate this world¡­¡¯


    ***


    There was only the flickering flame of a candle in the open, revealing a small radius of that accursed darkness which encompassed the whole sect. Normally, a ball of green fire would suffice, so that candle could be considered uninteresting.


    Near the candle, a figure sat cross-legged with a small undulated blade by its lap. Those were very difficult to craft and showed the skill of the blacksmith, and the very small jewels encrusted in the guard revealed the status of the person whom it was made for, or maybe that person was insufferably vain in nature. By the looks of other sword cultivators, however, beauty was all it had because it was nothing short of a toy ¨C but a toy with something eerie about it.


    The figure picked up the blade and slowly, almost statically, pushed it towards the fire. It stayed like this for a long, long time, and it didn¡¯t seem any closer to its target, but then it was suddenly there and the flames were cut like a sickle reaping wheat, something unbelievable in a mortal¡¯s perspective ¨C it trampled over everything they¡¯ve known ever since ancient times.


    - Three seconds¡­ - the figure spoke, revealing to be the voice of a mature woman. Surprisingly, what was thought to be a long time was merely the passage of a few seconds, but in her view, it was indeed too much of a time span.


    She returned the blade to her lap and put on a new candle.


    - Still waiting? I will be here for quite some time, dear. If you want to accompany me, the moment is now ¨C she said provocatively.


    The candle¡¯s renewed fire revealed a new figure coming from the other side. His steps resonated in the paving stones, which was unusual for someone of his power, but most cultivators weren¡¯t famous for their deception abilities.


    - Hmph, not so rusty eh, you old hag ¨C the hoarse voice spoke off.


    - How very mindful of you, barging into a pure lady¡¯s room and watching her in silence like some perverted creep. Want something to drink? Feel at home, by all means ¨C was her snarky reply.


    - Pure? Pft! ¨C he spat on the floor ¨C you whore! Don¡¯t dodge the issue! You know exactly why I¡¯m here for!


    The woman stared at the place he had spat on, filled with rage and revulsion. ¡®This bastard loves ruining my day¡¯.


    - I have no idea what you are talking abo¡­ - she stopped mid-sentence as the man pointed the tip of his sword towards her. She focused on her See All Evil and saw the tinges of blood streaming from his pulses and punctured hands all the way to the tip and dropping on the cold floor.


    - Are you serious? ¨C She stared at him with genuine surprise.


    - Dead. Serious. Hmph!


    She stayed quiet for a while, trying to catch any hint present in his eyes and find a way to turn over the situation ¨C but there was nothing.


    - I have nothing to do with whatever you charge me of.


    - Not what you did¡­ What your disciple did ¨C he replied bitterly.


    - Hmm? Oh, I see. You are still jealous for not getting her under your wing.


    - That''s not about her!


    At that moment, the man showed a glimpse of fury directed at the woman, but he calmed down and analyzed her expressions from earlier. ¡®Damn it, is she really telling the truth? Does she really know nothing about it? Damn it, damn it!¡¯ he couldn¡¯t be sure, the woman was a master of subterfuge and trickery. Even the most basic reactions that couldn¡¯t be faked, she used a lot of her time to control and manipulate. She simply couldn¡¯t be read, an enigma.


    - Struck a nerve? Hohoho¡­


    ¡®Tsk, bitch pisses me off so much!¡¯


    - For your own good, you should pray to your gods that you¡¯ve nothing to do with my issues. Otherwise, I¡¯ll be off with your heads.


    - I already said. I have absolutely zero participation, now excuse yourself out of this place.


    - You have been warned¡­


    - Get the hell out! ¨C She lashed at him and stood up, leaving for her inner quarters. She was way too angry to train.


    ¡®Hmph. I made a big mistake, disciple. I¡¯ll figure out a way to help you¡¯.


    ***


    With a stroke of the pencil, a curtain of blue washed the top of the frame, quickly descending towards the bottom side like a waterfall. With another stroke, the excess ink was cut down and the blue frame was rapidly diluted with drops of white of varying sizes. Red, green and black quickly filled the surface, often mixed and stacked one on top of the other to varying degrees, portraying the beautiful navy blue of the sky, devoid of clouds and emitting the faint sunny glow, trees blossoming with pink flowers dancing in the landscape while the few dead leaves and branches littered the soil, covered by a thick layer of green. However, the scene unnerved the painter.


    That painting was just like all the others she had done earlier that day, all flawless depictions of what her eyes could see, the unblemished face of her home. However, without knowing, some thin lines of gray and white, so tiny they could be called dots, grew in the very middle of the field. Her heart started beating faster and her confused eyes opened in full, taking away her carelessness as the white lines transformed into a festering wound that bled black ink and drew a long line to touch the grass. She angrily destroyed the canvas on a wide motion of her arms and eradicated any hint that it ever existed, staring at the ones responsible for that catastrophe.


    There were four boys running in her direction, all doting white robes detached of any distinguishing feature. The one at the forefront suddenly stumbled and fell on a slope for a disastrous drop. The painter looked at this scene and sighed. ¡®It¡¯s a calm place, they said. Nothing ever happens here, they said¡­ Haah, I hate being part of a sect¡¯


    The system in which every single cultivator joined a sect from the get-go was simply ridiculous, to the point it was strange no one managed to go against it. ¡®Why did you have to make it that way?¡¯ Ignoring the sprouting discontentment in her heart, she walked without hurry to where the small boy fell.


    The other three had already caught up to him way earlier and made a circle while kicking his sides and throwing things, yet they didn¡¯t mutter a single sound and, from a closer look, their faces were neither angry nor filled with mockery - not a hint of enjoyment or satisfaction could be attached to them. What was shown was silent devotion to their actions, the kind of resolution that confirmed their belief in the rightfulness of their actions and the necessity of doing so. The boy being beaten didn¡¯t say anything either, and the painter disliked the direction it was taking.


    The group of kids suddenly stopped their actions and fluctuated smoothly in the air as they distanced themselves from the boy, breaking out of their zeal. Recognizing the identity of the one before them, they kowtowed and chose to remain as quiet and immobile as their bodies allowed, though they were unable to cover their uneasy breathing.


    The painter made her way to the boy and couldn¡¯t hide her confusion at the wide grin plastered on his face. From a single look she could tell many of his bones were broken, the distinguished smell of rot was smeared on his clothes, mixed with the dirt and the thick blood that flowed slowly from all over his body. Considering how much damage he had taken, he was most likely at the Mortal Layer along with the other three, although a bit weaker.


    - Speak ¨C she said austerely.


    The three shared a concerned look.


    - He¡­ He said he was going to kill us¡­ In a future not far¡­


    - So you decided to kill him? While it¡¯s hard to ignore your impulses and act based on reason, the desire to kill is the ultimate expression of unbalance and must be avoided at all costs, you must think about the consequences of your actions. Mind you, killing is not wrong. Sometimes it is the best option, sometimes, the only option. But right now you can¡¯t discern the how, when and where a flame should be extinguished.


    - But Nana. He is¡­


    A small voice, cold and devoid of feeling, making its original beauty decay into lifelessness, cut his line short and, although it emitted no pressure, it carefully manipulated the surroundings to instill the will to follow, like a fish that cannot swim against the strong current.


    - Silence ¨C said the painter, her eyes lacking the usual green hues.


    She then looked at the boy on the ground, still grinning, and with a wisp of air breathed life back into his body, the invisible stream invading his pores and recovering all vitality inside his body. He slowly got up and shook off the dust from his butt. The painter was about to rebuke him for bluntly saying he was going to kill the others, but after looking at his pale irises the same color of hers, she gave another sigh and dismissed the three, who fled at their maximum speeds.


    - Your name.


    - Hi, Nana, I¡¯m Du Ye¡­ ¨C He exclaimed ecstatic, the blush on his childish face brimming with color.


    She motioned for Du Ye to accompany her on a walk as they both made their way to a simple cottage in the middle of the pink forest.


    - Why did you say you would kill them?


    - I¡­ I thought it would be fun to scare them a little¡­ ¨C He said while pouting, as if he had just been questioned about something obvious.


    - Fun? Haah¡­ Du Ye, the more you speak, the more you attract destiny. It causes the will of the world to bend over and bring the eventual concretization of your thoughts. If you only wish for their death, it changes little, because all things that are born must eventually perish. But, if you say they will die by your hands, the course of their life is changed and it is your hands that will spill their blood. Don¡¯t you think it is terrifying? Morbid some would say. With a single thought, reality splits.


    Du Ye''s face was red, he was mesmerized by Nana¡¯s rosy lips as they moved gracefully in her white and unblemished skin. Even his late mother whom he thought was the most beautiful woman in the world, prior to entering the sect, paled in comparison to Nana¡¯s delicate and frail beauty. Funny feelings sprouted inside him as he replied absentmindedly, he understood almost nothing of her explanation.


    - It¡¯s very interesting¡­


    - Interesting? In a way I suppose ¨C she replied with a bored look that passed unnoticed ¨C it¡¯s likely that all I¡¯ve said went through one of your ears and left through the other. All you need to know is: whenever you feel like your thoughts or actions might bring misfortune upon others, come to me. I will help you think of other things, happier for a kid your age.


    - Yes, Nana! ¨C he jumped up in joy and latched himself on her white dress, his figure as small as a radish and the distinct black hair making his laughing face appear cute.


    Nana looked at him with the same unattached look she held when using her white eyes. She motioned her hand upwards and caressed his head mechanically, but in Du Ye, she didn¡¯t see a human made of flesh, skin, and bones - a being with a frail heart, with feelings. What she saw was convulsing streams of red and black wires, linked to each other by dark spheres and tubes that arranged the entire thing into a stairway, its gears regurgitating ink all over the surroundings and splashing her with the stagnating substance. ¡®Haah, filthy creature¡­ You make me want to kill myself just so I could get rid of you¡¯ She smiled for a moment and departed from his embrace.


    - Promise me, whenever you have these kinds of thoughts, seek me. I will be waiting here.


    - I promise, Nana! I will change for sure!


    - Good. Now go back to the other side. They must be worried about you.


    - Okay! Good afternoon, Nana!


    The painter stared at the horizon as Du Ye became more and more distant, leaving behind a path made of ink. The pink petals floating in the wind seemed to slow down and fall to cover the path, absorbing it and disappearing like snowflakes. With a loud crack, a rift surfaced in the sky, revealing the dark mass beyond¨C it seeped in voraciously before Nana skillfully mended the falling pieces back into the screen. Her expression looked tired, with a tinge of weariness and disappointment; she put her pale hand on her forehead and looked up, inhaling profoundly and letting out a long sigh. ¡®Is it too much if I ask to die now?¡¯


    Her day was basically ruined after the short encounter, she chose to rest in her place before going out again, but then felt something strange kilometers away. Her irises that were almost completely white blanked out and disappeared as she sensed the small presence that painted the surroundings with a blinding light. ¡®You found mine, I found yours¡­ I think it¡¯s time we have that chat, right, Yunhai She?¡¯


    A voice suddenly spoke in her mind, it was coarse and cruel.


    - Oh, you¡¯re up on a fast lane, kukuku¡­ Ah, what a pity. It seems like we¡¯ve put our bets on the wrong horses, kukuku¡­ KUHAHAHAHA!


    ¡®Fast lane?¡¯ she thought. She had never heard of that term before but shrugged. ¡®We have no time, annoying lizard. We need to find the third one¡¯


    - Hmph! You headless chicken, I¡¯ll make sure to¡­! Tsk! Whatever... You know very well only she can find the last one, and she isn¡¯t very cooperative.


    ¡®You¡¯re the one closest to her, do something about it. Besides, I have no way to leave this damnable place unless you give me a part of your memories.¡¯


    - What the fuck? I only have a few of them left!


    ¡®What, are you afraid I¡¯ll skin you alive and roast you for a meal? Rest assured, I don¡¯t eat rotten meat¡¯.


    - I¡¯m glad you didn¡¯t lose your sense of humor! Kekekeke¡­ Heh, Don¡¯t play me for a fool. We¡¯ll wait.


    ¡®The earlier bird catches the worm¡¯


    - That¡¯s so old fashioned coming from you. We. Wait.


    ¡®Haah¡­ Alright, take good care of my kin. If it turns out bloodthirsty, I have no qualms on stopping this world right now¡¯


    - Kukuku, you¡¯re so callous. Say, why don¡¯t you give me one of your eyes? Maybe then I can reduce the burden on you ¨C it whispered seductively.


    ¡®Go die, annoying lizard.¡¯


    Nana shut off her communication with Yunhai She and entered the cottage. Her eyes darted from one place to another constantly, as if desperately seeking something, but never finding it. She shut them off, but disturbing images kept invading her mind without stopping, giving her an acute headache and nausea. Water beads formed on her skin and froze instantly, dropping on the ground and shattering like glass. She curled her arms in an attempt to shrug off the cold, but the temperature kept dropping.


    She couldn¡¯t stop the trembling of her hands, at each day it would become more of a serious issue. A small itch tickled her skin as she stabbed the metallic pencil in her palm, breaking inside her wrist. Her eyes opened in full, revealing the jade green of her irises, a small slit passing through them as they shrunk along with the contorting eyebrows.


    ¡®I hate this world¡­¡¯


    ***


    Shen woke up again, finally in his room, but his will was broken. ¡®What am I going to tell him?¡¯ he couldn¡¯t escape now. If he had to give details on the humiliation he had suffered, he wouldn¡¯t be fit to be his disciple any longer; he didn¡¯t know if his master could bear with his existence ¨C each time he would look at him, he would feel nothing but shame for Shen. His efforts had been for naught, even the earlier bloodbath was useless since the mask was broke again, was there any reason to fight so hard anymore? ¡®No, now I really am by myself. I just hope he doesn¡¯t kill me right off the bat¡¯.


    He was torn between his wish for vengeance and his ultimate goal of peace. He couldn¡¯t forgive that woman; it was something he found himself incapable of.


    He tried to calm down, relax and think of other things. Things merrier, the wildlife and nature he longed to observe and appreciate, but it was still vivid in his mind and wouldn¡¯t let him go. He was getting anxious by the second and decided to have a walk, trying to clear his thoughts. If anything bad happened, then that would be it, he wanted to vent his newfound anger on something but didn¡¯t want to actively seek trouble.


    He stepped out of the door and suddenly his nose was invaded by a powerful, disgusting scent. He remembered that scent, he had always felt it, but ever since he was seven he became accustomed to it and even learned to ignore it, yet now it came in full power bringing up all of his horrid memories from childhood. Shen looked at his left and his right and up and at all of the directions in between, like a madman robbed of his sanity, and couldn¡¯t find a specific location where it came from. Seeping from the doors, in the hallways, coming out of the fog, drained on the walls and filling the entire air ¨C it was everywhere.


    He hastily came back to his room and shut the door. It still reeked, but not as bad as before. It was bearable, yet he couldn¡¯t ignore its existence anymore. His heart beat faster and he held one of his trembling hands.


    ¡®It¡¯s the blood again. Why¡­ Why now?¡¯

 Chapter 7: Scars and memories (Revision undergoing)

    Shen remained the early morning in his room. He couldn¡¯t sleep, not until that scent died down. Why had it appeared again? He could barely notice it anymore, even when he killed Ling and the others all he could feel was a bulging discomfort. Whenever he remembered the massacre he had caused, the girl would come to his mind. He hadn¡¯t paid attention to her features before piercing a hole in her throat and moving on, but now he pictured a mocking smile plastered on her face before she fell.


    He nibbled on his fingernails nervously, but then stopped because the saliva was getting stuck to his fingers and even more frenetically he cleaned it. With the little amount of qi he had, Shen made the ultimate effort to cleanse his whole body.


    Her face appeared constantly in his mind, it repeated time and time again. Sometimes she looked angry, on other moments he caught a trace of ecstasy at getting hurt, but often there was that same wicked lust in her red eyes as if she was preying him ¨Cas if she was out to devour him. He stood up and curled his hands into fists, his jaw locked with clenching teeth, and sat on the bed and sprawled on it while rolling to the sides, pinching his cheeks and feeling his face. ¡®Why?¡¯ He racked his brains for minutes and that was the biggest question that he couldn¡¯t answer, it made no sense.


    He looked at the ceiling, at the door, at the small entrances in the cultivation room and hugged his arms while backing down to the mirror. How did he get captured? Every single crevice and every single path looked completely defenseless even though the room was impervious to any disciple of the outer sect.


    He remembered the moment Ling was killed and how the instructor at the court knew of it immediately. ¡®They¡¯re watching¡­!¡¯ He turned around and investigated any nook and cranny he had overlooked, but the search was pointless, he already knew everything there was to know of this room. But he could see them and very clearly: eyes, distinguished red eyes. From all directions, from all spotted places and those invisible to the normal eye, they stared intently, sometimes batting their eyelids.


    They saw everything that happened with him, moment by moment, and Shen could see perfectly what was depicted in their irises. Disappointment, excitement, mockery, disgust¡­ Disgust for his clothes, disgust for his words, disgust for the bed he slept in and the walls he touched, disgust for his body. His entire existence had been resumed to a joke of destiny, and he was valued less than the filth on the leg of a dead cockroach.


    Shen¡¯s heartbeats intensified, he closed his eyes not wanting to see any more of that, but the burning sensation in his chest kept growing. He looked at the mirror ¨C he was the same as before ¨C but a single speck of dirt covered his face. He rubbed on his cheeks, splashing water on them and passing a towel, but it wouldn¡¯t come out no matter what.


    He punched the glass in a fit of anger and the shattered pieces cut and puncture his skin. He stared at the broken glass with empty eyes. It was still dirty, he approached it and cleaned it with a wet towel ¨C it was in the glass, not on his face. He stared at it in disbelief, why did he do that. ¡®No¡­ What am I doing?¡¯ He picked a broken shard and plucked it, but he couldn¡¯t even recognize the pain amidst that lingering discomfort, only observing the blood flowing out.


    He removed the remaining pieces of glass stuck on him. He needed the blue medicine to manipulate his qi and heal, so he searched around and found that the flasks were seven ¨C he had taken only one of them ever since coming to the outer sect, so that meant one month had gone by.


    Shen couldn¡¯t wave off his shaky feelings, but after managing to sleep, the scent of blood had reverted back to how it was, very discreet - he could now focus a bit better.


    He wanted to learn a technique to protect himself against whoever wished him harm. It seemed to happen frequently with him, always facing the worst and most absurd situations one after the other.


    However, he didn¡¯t have the mindset to step out of his room. Not like that.


    What he needed the most was something to distract him. It was then that he felt how much his sense of pain was important: if he didn¡¯t lose it, he wouldn¡¯t be punished, he wouldn¡¯t have a mask to protect, he wouldn¡¯t feel the need to surpass Zhu Gong¡¯s expectations and he wouldn¡¯t fight so hard to guarantee a good performance, resulting in a huge backlash afterwards.


    He wouldn¡¯t have met the girl¡­ And that would have never happened.


    He blamed her for the rape, the hate he felt for her was extreme ¨C but he was also afraid, and that fear was only surpassed by the sense that he was the one responsible for bringing it all upon him.


    He loathed that weak self who couldn¡¯t stand up to his own.


    The later hours of the morning were spent circulating his qi to a controllable state before he could heal. No matter how well he renewed the skin on his wrist, he could always see the thin line growing from it like a vein, and he wrapped it on an extra layer of cloth to restrain it, keeping it from spreading as if it was a disease that needed to be contained.


    During that time, he also remembered about the book he received after the events on the hall of scrolls.


    Shen opened the book. The first passage, ¡°To you, the loser¡±, was very impactful to him. It was like the author knew of his circumstances before they unwinded, and even that, perceived as a manner to convey words, held him closer to the following pages. He was momentarily relieved of his situation and genuinely invested in the book. He wanted the read to last as long as possible, and he did it lazily, munching every word with care.


    ¡°Before you question the need to read a book in this critical time of our lives, I must remind you of the huge gap between me and your kin. Granted, some of you do have the qualities to stand with me as equals, and I am certain that, with your advanced intellect and power standing, you will enlighten the ignorant fools who don¡¯t recognize the value of this piece.


    All the knowledge I present is crucial to our survival.


    Now, about the contents: I will refrain from indulging in any philosophical or abstract discussions in order to keep the book concise, practical and useful. Some of you may have met me before under more peaceful times, and this is a reminder that, while I can and often do question our society and morals, this is not my aim here. We need soldiers, and we needed them as soon as possible. This book contains the methods to make you all stronger, in order to reach that goal I have included detailed anatomy of your bodies, workings of Qi types, their benefits and misgivings, techniques to improve each cultivation type, explained in detail, body strengthening, body modification and transformation, a few pointers on crafting and using utility items, lessons on strategy, tactics and subterfuge, plus a chapter regarding societal rules and how to abuse its flaws.


    Of course, not everything comes for free, and I can¡¯t let so much power leak. While writing this, I had to carefully control the information to balance how much power to give each of you, so that the same thing doesn¡¯t happen again twice. The amount of information will be limited to your characteristics and level, and although knowing each other well gives us the upper hand, it would be very strange after the war, risking the possibility of rekindling the flames of old and deeply rooted grudges.


    That was all that had to be said. Use the summary to navigate through the chapters and search the last pages for terms you might be unfamiliar with. If you are a friend, I hope we see each other through the end of this. If you are an enemy, then save the animosity for another time. I wish you all good luck.¡±


    There was an image of a circumscribed tree after the last word. The circle was subdivided in a blue part, near the roots, a green part, at the trunk, and a foaming white behind the branches, with the reading ¡°Ocean and Sky, Earth and Darkness¡±. He had seen that symbol before, he just couldn¡¯t remember where.


    Passing by the pages, Shen noted on how most of the chapters¡¯ names were grayed and their contents blank, whereas the ones available were only the most basic, introductory lessons, which he had already learned before. A few passages were insightful, but in general, those few passages strayed into the grounds of pure theory, which he enjoyed a lot, but were only snippets. He felt as if the author was right there, speaking to him, and although the discussion between the two veered into a path which had nothing to do with the book, there were many points in which they agreed.


    The very soul of the cultivator who had put his time on engraving these words was reflected on his few, simple paragraphs, which showed extreme restraint in trying to digress into more esoteric topics and keeping true to what he had vouched in the beginning. Shen felt like he would¡¯ve enjoyed meeting that person, maybe play some strategic game which he never had access to. In these pages, he felt at peace.


    While the imagery of the hypothetical encounter filled his mind, he reached a chapter filled with colorful drawings, depicting the figures of beasts and men alike, ¡°Our enemies¡±. While they all looked different and outlandish, what really snatched Shen¡¯s attention was how incredibly detailed and seemingly accurate the author described each of their body parts, how they functioned and what made them that way ¨C on an absurdly small scale which he didn¡¯t understand and the author hadn¡¯t bothered to explain. He went to the last pages to find the meaning of the word ¡°pattern¡± in the way it was used, and what he got was ¡°the most basic aspect of an object, presented on an astronomically small scale, which in turn shows and explains why said objects function in a determinate way. Impossible to distinguish in normal circumstances¡± It came to him as a lot of nonsense and he closed the book, but it remained in his head along with the other lines he read.


    ¡°In which circumstances did he write this book?¡± Shen wondered. Regardless of these, it would be a world in which he could forget about everything.


    ***


    The fog looked as static as always in the vicinities, though the sword moving through the air and cutting everything in its way did a reasonable job at causing some turmoil. The blade drew continuously, with no change and no gradation, going like the slow tick of a clock.


    - What do you think? ¨C asked a young man lazily, laid on the ground with a piece of thin iron in his mouth, chewing it without rush.


    - ¡­


    - He¡¯s quite capable. If we help him, we might get a better placement in the mock battles.


    The other boy went on with swinging the sword. He did it rhythmically, with well-paced mechanical movements, without a hint of getting tired. His friend stared at him with a smile on his face. ¡®You¡¯re ignoring me? Cute¡¯


    After finishing the hundredth strike silence reigned over the air, the last slice was directed home, to its simple leather scabbard. The boy sat on his knees, taking one quick breath, and lifted a finger before resuming his training.


    - Likely, an early stage first layer.


    A sweeping motion, then withdraw, and another brush, withdraw. The metallic sheen took control of the abounding nothingness of the fog, making for comfortable scenery to watch at leisure and maybe even sleep, something they definitely hadn¡¯t done for a very, very long time. That moment could last a bit longer if time wasn¡¯t of such importance.


    - Is that a no?


    - ¡­


    - I will take that as a do whatever you want.


    Now alone, the small swordsman stopped to observe the shrinking back of his companion. It didn¡¯t look like anything else to him, just a back, even though it was definitely smaller than his. Up close, he should be a foot higher than him, but his back was always the same, small.


    He drew back the sword and walked down a stairway.


    ***


    A few hours had passed since Shen had reached the part of the book that dealt with Qi manipulation. It was something everyone could do on a basic level, but he had no idea how to enhance it. There was a chapter revolving around Qi types and he thought he could get an explanation on his, but unfortunately, there weren¡¯t any available entrances. If the thousands of years old Zhu Gong held no clues on it, who would?


    Shen soon discovered that his manipulation of Qi was very shallow. All he had been using was his inner Qi, which explained why just a few minutes of fighting, even if at his maximum output, made him so strained afterward ¨C so much that he could barely feel it running through his spirit-veins. He still lacked in both spectrums, internal and external, but the later one especially. Manipulating the external Qi greatly facilitated movements of any kind.This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it


    The process was taxing on the body, and normally on the mind too, although the challenge of knowledge he did enjoy. He had to identify the route through which Qi entered his body, and the anatomy charts certainly helped him with that, but, due to the different arrays of spirit-veins and its variations, there was no recollection of an ideal pathway for every practitioner ¨C ultimately, it was trial and error, and finding the best paths to help the passage of Qi in the body, among the countless spirit-veins and its ramifications, was a tiring process. He could feel the distinct sensation of being sapped of all of his energies as he rotated the forces inside of him. He had felt it before, after the big fight, but he was unable to process that sensation since his body was numb all over.


    - Shen ¨C said a voice in his head. It was rugged and coarse, he could never forget that tone, but he wasn¡¯t happy at hearing it. His memories started to surface again and his body started to coil, touching both of his arms and flexing his knees. Quickly, he was shrinking and compressing as if he could force his body to suddenly erase itself on its own.


    - Disciple, things didn¡¯t go as I planned. Forget about that letter, we¡¯re going back to First Island.


    ¡®It is me that has to say sorry, master¡­ The fault is entirely mine for disobeying you, and then disappointing you time and time again. I really want to go back with you¡­¡¯


    Those words never came out.


    How much more useless could he become? So much that Zhu Gong had to go back on his words and retract his punishment? Since when had he started to feel so? To care so much about letting down others? He had never felt so dependent on a person.


    - Master, if possible¡­ I would like to¡­ Stay ¨C he said, but his voice came as forced and anxious, completely unlike the calm tone and thoughtful answers that matched the situation, which was how he usually answered. He definitely didn¡¯t wish for that, so why? Zhu Gong was dumbfounded.


    - Even if you don¡¯t want it, we¡¯re still going back. It¡¯s better to train you a bit more before letting you out.


    Shen bitted on his lower lip. Why bother? That out there was the real world he was dealing with. Zhu Gong had admonished him of it time and time again, that future was unpredictable and anything could happen, especially the bad things. He would go back, train harder, then what? Those people who did him harm are training too, and they would achieve more than him in a shorter time. Suffering existed and it extended to all of humanity ¨C Shen included.


    - Do you really wish to stay? ¨C Zhu Gong asked, noticing his silence.


    - I¡¯m asking¡­ Is there¡­ - he drew a long breath ¨C Is there no way¡­ No way I can¡­ Stay?


    The old man partially understood what was happening with his disciple. He wasn¡¯t aware of the details, but he was sure that something terrible must have happened to him, and as a master, he needed to show him support. Shen was struck at his weakest moment, and Zhu Gong¡¯s job was to protect him while he was too frail, but he couldn¡¯t always be in the sect. He didn¡¯t think anyone would come to Shen seeking for trouble, the problematic ones were mostly in the inner sect, not there, but now he recognized that Shen desperately needed a way to protect himself.


    - I can block your memories from the last month. Erasing the memories of a cultivator is nearly impossible and I don¡¯t know of anyone who can do this. Blocked memories can surface again at any moment, they will come back to haunt you¡­ At the worst possible times ¨C he spoke, a tinge of bitterness when muttering the last line.


    - I understand¡­ And I still wish to do it.


    A moment of silence surfaced between the two.


    - Fine¡­


    A white sheet covered Shen¡¯s eyes.


    ¡®I will find out who did that, rest assured¡¯.


    ***


    Shen woke up from a daze, color returning to his eyes. He felt like his head had become lighter as if something heavy was weighing down on it and it had finally been removed. He could only wonder what it was. He would try to figure out what happened, but it really felt like he had just woken up. The last thing he remembered was killing Meng Hua and coming back. ¡®I really need to watch out for my condition. I barely made it here¡­¡¯


    He looked at his side; the mysterious book was half open. He picked it up and studied it. ¡®Did I read this thing? Maybe I left it open when I threw it aside¡¯ he shrugged.


    There was a letter in the doorway; he crouched down to collect it, recognizing the letter of the sender.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t expect you to lose the mask on your first day, but I don¡¯t think you could have avoided it. That being the case, you did very well afterward. You must have met Chi Zheng, he told me every single detail, you certainly surprised me! Get some rest today, your body is still recovering. A good place to relax is at the Catacomb of the Thousand Warriors if you ignore the rich smell of earth down there¡­ Knowing your tastes, that shouldn¡¯t be a problem.¡±


    There was a stream of very faint ink in the later parts of the note, as if something had been hidden or glossed over.


    Shen¡¯s cheeks blushed red, he felt the warmness of seeing his efforts recognized. Lately, their relationship had veered towards the master-disciple side, he had forgotten how much Zhu Gong cared for him ¨C his austere figure prevented him from showing much kindness. Shen smiled softly and walked out of his room. ¡®I didn¡¯t trust you enough, grandpa. I¡¯m sorry for being so shortsighted¡¯.


    Zhu Gong was the first to extend a hand to him, the first who cared for his well-being. It didn¡¯t matter that he had ulterior motives, some things would never change.


    The tomb mentioned by his master was probably the only underground facility in sword cemetery, and it was hard to find amidst the dense mist, but with the map burned in his mind and confirming the path by analyzing underneath ¨C if it wasn¡¯t a frequented place then the ground area should be less compact ¨C he reached a stairway that led down.


    He took the first step towards it and his feet ached with pain for a second before a hot air current enveloped it. It was like entering into cold water. The first step would always hurt, but afterward, the body quickly adjusts. In fact, it was strange how not a speck of dust approached the stone stairway; an unknown barrier separated the outside from the inside.


    One step at a time, he went down. There was no noise aside from the gloomy murmur of the stale air traveling back and forth, hitting the moisture of the walls. His shoes touched the square, polished surfaces, and although he could make out the layout of the underground, his hands were anchored to the sides.


    The darkness seemed to swallow everything and it was strange how it didn¡¯t feel uncomfortable, the place hadn¡¯t originally been designed to hold visitors.


    After a few minutes, he reached the end of the stairway. There he could see, as clear as day, the glowing words engraved on plaques, nearing the tombs, illuminating the surroundings. He wandered off, looking at their names and what else was written, while also staring at the objects positioned carefully at the feet of their graves. They were small objects, mostly sculptures of humans, weapons, pieces of clothing, houses and beasts ¨C mostly gold or jade, and a fine silvery metal. Shen assumed the deceased¡¯s belongings must have been buried with them, too.


    About what was written, some had the description of their in-battle prowess, and the pity it was that their talents were lost. Others had their friends engrave the recollection of fond memories, from times more peaceful, which Shen could sympathize with, and all of them had their faces carved somewhere in their tombs, so vivid they almost looked like the actual person ¨C if not embellished, since he knew not one of them.


    There lay the story and foundation of their whole sect, a place apparently anyone could enter.


    A few steps ahead, there was a very large mausoleum. Something crept through Shen¡¯s hands as he read the white slate.


    - Here lies my Zhu family¡­


    Shen put his hands on the doors closing the entrance. It was cold as iron and it held marks of bruises and burns ¨C it held its fair share of possible intruders, but didn¡¯t seem any less durable. He pushed with all of his strength, the veins on his arms bulging up and pressing against his skin, but the more the small crevice opened, the greater the force that went against him. It was only half-open and when he couldn¡¯t afford to go on any longer, it shut down slowly. The last glimpse he had was of the sheer amount of graves in there. There were so many that he couldn¡¯t discern if the glowing texts were meant for all family members or if there were details for each one of them, which he was inclined to think on.


    Shen circled the Zhu¡¯s mausoleum and found no end to it, the structure was large enough to extend for kilometers. He felt sad for his master. ¡®Grandpa must have lost everyone in that battle¡­¡¯ he had listened from Zhu Gong a few times, that there was a large scale battle, sometimes he called bloodbath, in which many lives were lost and that was the trigger for the establishment of a sect ¨C to recover lost power in preparation for a future war.


    ¡°Both sides came to a halt, but the war is still ongoing. You must be careful in here, but even more in the outside. The only reason we can go on like this has a part in the difficulty of making so many different sects join hands against us, like before, but they still stir up trouble outside. Well, you don¡¯t have to worry about that now¡±


    Shen wondered if Zhu Gong had intentionally sent him there so he would find this place. If that was the case, then he certainly succeeded in arousing his curiosity.


    He walked to a nearby grave and sat with his back against the wall.


    The ground wasn¡¯t uncomfortable and chilly as he imagined it to be, the environment was actually hot in general, and so he simply laid there thinking about his current state in the sect. He couldn¡¯t call it great, it definitely wasn¡¯t even good, but there were some memorable moments which he would never get to experience in the mortal realm. Among those were the days at First Island, training in the hem of that mystical lake, learning new words, even eating that very strange and awry food was a funny aspect of that time.


    They were all fond memories, yet looked so distant. ¡®I wish I could turn back time¡­ Why should peace be bought with blood?¡¯


    Shen shrugged. Those were questions to think on later, he finally had a change of air and some time alone which wasn¡¯t spent on training. Rarely did people pass by, but those who did were mostly elderly, and they didn¡¯t bat an eye to his presence, going on with their businesses.


    The only person who at least looked around his age was a youngster staring at a grave which he recognized as Wang Yu¡¯s, a slayer of demonic beasts. At first, he thought there would be a resemblance to Wang Fan, seeing that the name of their families was exactly the same ¨C even the way it was written ¨C but the battle had occurred at least a thousand years ago. Regardless if he was her ancestor, they had little to do with each other now.


    He was curious, however, as to why that boy stared so intently at the gravure of Wang Yu, but he couldn¡¯t see which kind of face he was making. The boy touched the tip of the spear that was stuck in the ground; he caressed it slowly, feeling the hard metal, then left.


    After some time, Shen left too. He had relaxed there for quite a bit, but he was afraid to lose himself in that place, since there was no way he could know how much time had passed outside. He chose to return to his room and read that book, something he missed for not doing.


    ***


    The woman¡¯s face lacked any hint of emotion, per usual, rather contradicting with her hobbies - although there wasn¡¯t a need for inspiration to produce good paintings, they certainly helped to make some of the greatest works.


    ¡®Another brush, just a tinge of red to give that touch of the evening sky¡­¡¯ The pencil stroked the top of the frame lightly. The same painting, the same angle ¨C she had done it countless times before, and some couldn¡¯t help but think it was either dedication or a complete disregard for variety, boredom that held no limits.


    The sky was colored exactly as it was seen, she breathed out a sigh of relief and put the frame on the near table, selecting a clear one to start all over again.


    - Impressive work, Seven.


    - ¡®Sigh¡­ One annoying bastard after the other. At least this one knows how to talk properly¡¯


    - Thank you, supervisor. Your presence truly brightens my day.


    - Haha, is that so? Then I might come here more often ¨C he said merrily, to her dislike.


    ¡®It was sarcasm, you idiot¡¯.


    - I am humbled, but you must have more pressing matters to attend to.


    - That is true. I came here to solve one of those.


    - is that so? Then please, if I can be of help, you can count on me.


    - Oh, you will be, rest assured.


    Her eyes shrunk abruptly. A black dot appeared on the surface of the new painting, bleeding black. She took it off her view immediately and destroyed it, shocking the man. ¡®Sigh¡­ Both paths are a hassle¡¯


    - I did not know you held such¡­ Ehem¡­ Enthusiasm towards painting.


    When she noticed, her breathing had become uneven and her hand trembled profusely. ¡®This body is so difficult to handle¡­¡¯ She stared at the broken frame as pink leaves covered them.


    - Are you¡­ Alright? ¨C he asked with uncertainty. He had never seen this kind of behavior out of one of the single digits. It was quite dangerous to have someone with serious issues amongst the strongest of the sect.


    - Yes, I am fine. Sorry for showing something unpleasant. I have painted these meadows for years, so I became sensitive to every small mistake I make on my paintings. But let¡¯s not dwell on this, what business did you speak of?


    - I see¡­ The issue regards Du Ye. As you know, he is quite special to us, and it is important that he is led in the right direction.


    - The direction predicted by his eyes ¨C she replied in unnoticed scorn.


    - Exactly. I heard that you lectured him on his thoughts yesterday. Do not do that, we need to see if his visions are accurate. If you interfere, the whole map we traced will come down to nothing.


    A strong headache bloomed inside her. It was already there, planted in her brain as a small seed, and just a little bit of perturbation made her head split apart, dark streams polluting her contorted view. She struggled to keep her face with the same stoic expression, but it wouldn¡¯t hold for long.


    - If it happens despite intervention, is it not an even better pointer?


    - You know it is not that simple... We do not want to lose a loyal subject, do you understand?


    - Yes¡­ Of course, supervisor ¨C she replied, an itch crawling at her back and making her desperate to move. ¡®Disappear from my sight, you unsightly pile of walking flesh!¡¯ she strongly wished.


    - Good, I will see you another time, when it is proper to do so. You know what to do, right?


    - Yes, I do¡­


    ¡®I know very well what to do...¡¯


    ***


    There were four boys running in one direction, all doting white robes detached of any distinguishing feature. The one at the forefront suddenly stumbled and fell on a slope for a disastrous fall, while the others circled him and beat him.


    The sky was the navy blue color Nana had created with her brush, although that painting never came to fruition as it was destroyed. The shadings of the grass and the blushes of the pink trees, the wind dragging the top of some tall greenery, everything was perfectly depicted. Although the painting ignored the existence of the group of four, there was something crucial not depicted in that scene, even if it looked absolutely the same as before.


    She wasn¡¯t there.

 Notice: Revising all chapters.

    I was thinking of when to revise the chapters for some time, it would be during the 5th to the 8th chapter.


    The reason I chose now was that the number of readers is dwindling by quite a bit and the number of followers had reached a stall, though it increases a little on every release. This isn''t so much as people dropping the novel, but that people are dropping it for a reason. Yes, everyone has their likes and dislikes in a story and I acknowledge that, but, although it has some issues, I don''t consider my story to be flawed to such an extent, so I blame it on the prose.


    I''m in the middle of looking through the first chapter (about 60% there) and I won''t stop until I reach the current one. Among the things that I noticed and that I''m changing:


    1. Walls of text:


    I''m separating lines that have no place in the same paragraph and breaking walls of texts in smaller parts, in general.


    2. Needless description:


    Some descriptions really don''t mix in well IMO, especially physical appearances. I''m pretty much removing those on the first chapter, but that doesn''t necessarily mean the characters will have zero features delineated. I still picture Shen''s hair as white, and that will probably suffice for most of the story as this isn''t a common color for a youngster (my story doesn''t have much in the line of strange hair colors, though it does in regards to eyes). Wang Fan''s description was basically erased.


    What I kept were general thoughts, she just looks beautiful, Shen looks ok but beautiful when he takes care of himself - that''s all. Again, eyes are good to go and even important, though this isn''t Naruto.


    I''ve talked a lot about appearances, but world building, in general, will see some cuts. There''s just a lot of pointless information, interesting for a few purposes but not for advancing the plot, thrown out there and I feel bad for my readers for having to cope with it. The thing isn''t even about how pointless it is, but there are some actually good parts that were meant to make you think on why I''ve written them. Since there is just way too much to swallow you probably just move on.Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website.


    Sorry about that.


    About the description of emotions, I still have to reach that part. I reckon some parts might be portrayed better, obscured, or left as is.


    3. Plotholes:


    I''ve only noticed one in the first chapter so far, which mentioned Shen was born from a long-running family of slaves that went up to servants, but it doesn''t match up with information presented in other chapters. I knew it was inconsistent, it was meant to be erased when I was writing the third chapter or so: I forgot to edit.


    I take a lot of care not to fall into any plothole, but since the story had become quite long, this revision will help me keep to the core concepts.


    4. Inconsistencies:


    General inconsistency in the way people act and think. For instance, in chapter 1 "everyone" was shocked at seeing Wang Fan''s feat. Now then, the ball shattering (now it doesn''t shatter though) could very well surprise mortals, but the way it was portrayed made it look like everyone understood the issue, which isn''t true. This whole "everyone" thing doesn''t match very well, too, it made me think that I''ve suddenly grouped all ages, all sexes and all standings in one category. I also elaborated more on the scene in general, there were some strange points.


    Moving on.


    5. Explanations:


    There are things that can be derived from actions and words and I go all the way and write them down for you. I''m axing those kinds of explanations.


    I have yet to reach the part with Evil and Zhu Gong training Shen, but I think I can do a better job at making the scene more active. Zhu Gong''s explanations were kind of intended (I''m still breaking them down in smaller bits), it was his first time having a disciple and I wanted him to act overprotective. Did I achieve it? I think I didn''t since so many characters go for the long explanation.


    I just laughed at myself.


    6. Story:


    A few things might change. Thus far nothing major, but we''ll see.


    I''ll put it in next chapter''s notes any major changes. Small changes will come after those.


    7. Notes:


    Just because.


    ***


    Thanks for reading up until now and especially for those who followed, favorited or commented on this fiction. I will try and make it better. As for how much time it will take for me to do the job, all I can say is that I''ll do my best to provide. I think I should manage it in under one or two weeks with my current workload.


    I''ll still be writing, but my focus will be on revision.