《Envoy》


 Chapter 1

    The land was once green, colorful, and full of life. Deer and wildlife would populate the woods as children would play in the grass. The men would work the fields while the women would work the homes and mills. ¡°Come back before it¡¯s dark!¡± the parents would call as their children would continue to laugh. ¡°Got it mama!¡± But those fields are gone now.


    Dead grass. Dead trees. Dead animals. A dead world. Ever since the War of Sin, the world had become a dying one. Carrion birds would feast upon corpses only to fall suddenly dead and become the meal of another carrion bird. Anything which was left in this world was left as either broken or breaking, and humanity was being broken.


    Zhao Xiaojun walked through the dead fields, his eyes looking to the left and right as he marched with his heavy cataphract armor which wrapped around him like dragon scales. There were many dents and scratches, just like the dents and scratches notching his heavy guandao. The glaive was clean, though the stench of blood and horror still reeked from the weapon.


    His journey had been a long one, though he knew he was still far from his destination. It was said that a march of a thousand miles begins with one step. But even though he had marched that thousand, he had many more thousands to go. It was one man against an entire world far larger than him in strength and size.


    Looking in the distance, he saw the thatches of a sacked village. Ever since the War of Sin, and the spontaneous appearance of monsters around the world, villages without walls and warriors became nothing but eating or breeding stock for the monsters and creatures who viewed the once arrogant humans as nothing but prey. Men who tasted delicious to bite, and women who felt pleasurable to plunder. Monsters see people as mere meat.


    Xiaojun usually avoided these destroyed slums. Though they were usually desolate, there was the chance that monsters were still living within them. That would distract him from his mission, and definitely add a few more scars onto his already scratched face. But Xiaojun felt a little hungry, and his bag was awfully light. Perhaps a stop here for a moment would allow him to scavenge some extra food. He began to approach the damned village.


    There was the stench that every corpse had. This village was rotten with it. Compiled with the smell of dead ash, he knew that this village was somewhat recently attacked. The likelihood of survivors was low, as it was for anyone who lived without an army or castle walls. With his guandao in hand, he carefully walked himself through the deserted community.


    He checked house by house, finding neither bodies or supplies. Perhaps most of the peasants were lucky, and managed to retreat to a nearby castle. Or the monster got to them first, and ate every last thing in order to satiate its hunger and lust. This was just one of many desolated villages throughout the land.


    Xiaojun checked cupboards, shelves, and even the floors themselves. Nothing, other than the stench of death. Maybe it was because of his long time as a warrior that he knew this smell very well. The awful fragrance of sin and pain as someone was subjected to an anguishing demise. No doubt about it, someone had died here.


    ¡°Ma ma! Ma ma! I¡¯m scared!¡± a voice cried outside. Quickly, Xiaojun froze. He held onto his weapon, readying to cut heaven in two if needed. ¡°Ma ma! Please help me! Ma ma!¡± No doubt, it was the crying of a child. Without a sound, Xiaojun made his way out the back of the home, making sure that even a rat wouldn¡¯t hear his footsteps. Outside, he peered to the front. He saw no children, only monsters.


    The creatures looked like dogs from hell. Human hands instead of feet. A distorted face of a human instead of a dog. Eyes in their pits which darted at any semblance of movement. ¡°Help me! Please!¡± the dogs continued to cry, mimicking the sound of children. Xiaojun understood what happened. These dogs killed all who were left in this village, and used their cries as further bait for anyone who dared to enter this village. Hell had ascended onto earth.


    Then suddenly, the crying stopped. The eyes looked right at Xiaojun. From the faces, the warrior could discern a clear sign of gluttony: the watering of mouths and the hunger for flesh. Immediately, the dogs began to charge at the warrior, the false cries of children still echoing from their bodies. ¡°I don¡¯t want to die! Please! Please spare me!¡± the calls continued.


    Xiaojun didn¡¯t say a word when he stepped back from the house. He simply prepared his weapon. He had already killed plenty of demons. These would just be a few more to blunt his weapon. He watched as the dogs charged towards him. But he was doing more than watching. He was waiting.


    The dogs jumped at him simultaneously, hoping to bite off his flesh just as they did for many others. But this wouldn¡¯t be Xiaojun¡¯s demise. This would be the moment he was waiting for. He swung his weapon with incredible force. It was time to put down these dogs.


    He had sliced them in half. Dark blood oozed about as the crying got worse. ¡°Ma ma! Help! Please! Agh!¡± The dogs were using the literal cries of the children they had eaten to enunciate their current pain. But Xiaojun felt no empathy. He only felt disgust. With his heavy boots, he stomped the remaining dogs into mush, silencing their falsehoods forever.


    ¡°Ma ma? Is that you?¡± There were more dogs right behind him. The warrior readied his glaive. It was time to kill more dogs. Immediately, the dogs began to charge at him. With each swipe of his weapon, a dog would be cut down and stomped into dark gibs. Xiaojun always finished what he started. His entire body became showered in blood as he cut these gluttonous creatures down. One by one, he covered the entire village in more and more blood as he culled the creatures into piles upon piles of corpses.


    When the last creature was killed, Xiaojun was barely panting. These monsters were nothing but demons who hunted the weak. In the face of someone with true strength, these dogs did nothing but die. Calmly, the warrior walked to another one of the houses. Looking inside the pantry, he was lucky to find a bag of untouched rice. Perhaps because it was high up, the dogs were unable to reach for it. Putting it into his bag, he exited the village. The warrior still had a journey to continue.


    He continued to march on, making distance from the further decimated village. Xiaojun wanted to finally get some rest, something he seldom received. The world was a dangerous place, and even in the moments he blinked, he had to hold onto his weapon with a tight grip.This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    Finally, making his way atop a hill, he finally set himself down. He created a radius of stones, placed down the wood, and made himself a fire. Sitting down, he finally found a respite from his journey. Xiaojun cleaned the blood off of his blade, just as he had done many times ago. He made repairs on his armor, though he kept the large thing on. He could never truly be safe.


    Finally, after ensuring he was ready for another battle, he began to cook the rice. Allowing the pot to boil over the fire, he gave a deep exhale. His entire body was roaring with pain as wounds he had not yet healed continue to burn throughout his body.


    Years upon years of violence had made his body into a large and war-blessed machine of destruction. With his tall shape and muscular body, he had turned entire companies into stumps. Back then, Xiaojun was a decorated mercenary serving a mighty noblewoman of Vesterland: Nina Wagner.


    Nina was the opposite of Xiaojun in almost every way. Xiaojun was a man who fought with force and the mere idea of survival. Nina was a woman who fought with tactics and paramount ideals. ¡°We do not steal or sack from local people,¡± she decreed to her forces. ¡°If we ever need supplies, we shall pay for them with coin.¡±


    But now, Nina Wagner was not the same. She could never be the same. Now, she was not Nina Wagner. She was simply the puppet of the Beast of Corruption. Not a beast in the physical sense, but a spiritual creature capable of moving heaven and earth.


    Kill all of the puppets to kill the beasts. That was the ultimate goal of Xiaojun. That was why he had walked many miles. That was why he slaughtered anything in his path. If he killed the beasts, perhaps then the world would be fixed, and there would be no more need to hide behind castle walls. No more need to hide from monsters. No more need to stay as a warrior.


    Suddenly, there was the sound of feet hitting grass. His eyes jerked awake as he grabbed his weapon. But instead of seeing another godless demon, he found something different: a young woman. The last time he had seen someone who didn¡¯t want to kill him was an era ago. But he kept his weapon high, refusing to back down.


    ¡°Hello? Are you a human as well?¡± the girl asked. She kept her hands up and open. The woman was wearing a red silk dress, perhaps one that belonged to royalty of some kind. Nonetheless, she maintained a severely pacifistic aura. ¡°I have been running for several days. Would it be possible for you to spare some food and rest for me?¡±


    There was something strange about her, that primarily being the sudden trust in a man who could easily kill her. But at the same time, he couldn¡¯t just slaughter a completely innocent person. Slowly, he sat himself down. The woman, accepting this as an invitation, approached the fire. ¡°Thank you!¡±


    Without even asking, the woman delved for the pot which had been boiling. She took handfuls of rice, stuffing it into her mouth. ¡°I have been starving! Good lord!¡± She continued to eat from it as Xiaojun just continued to look at her with suspicion.


    But he had journeyed for a long time, and this was nothing but a pompous young woman. There was no need to maintain his guard. So, calmly, he closed his eyes. It was finally time for him to embrace some gentle rest. After only a moment, he looked to be fast asleep.


    That was when the woman stopped interacting with the pot, smiling like a knife who no longer needed a sheath. Moving to all fours, her body began to transform as she inched herself closer to the sleeping warrior. ¡°Hungry¡­¡± she began to mutter. Eventually, her body transformed into a white and furred creature: a nine-tailed fox.


    She crouched up to the warrior, opening her mouth and preparing to sink them into the man¡¯s neck. Surely with one strong bite, she could fell the strong warrior into nothing but another meal. In her mind, it was all his fault for allowing someone like her to get so close. This was just nature.


    Suddenly, she was grabbed and thrown to the ground. She immediately changed back to her human form as Xiaojun placed his boot onto her chest. He placed his blade right in front of her neck, forcing her entire life to flash behind her eyes. ¡°No! Please! I¡¯ll do anything!¡± she begged. ¡°Just don¡¯t do it!¡±


    But there was nothing behind his eyes. In fact, they were more inhuman than any pair she had ever seen. ¡°M-my blood! If you drink my blood, you can become perfectly healed! I swear on my life! Just don¡¯t kill me!¡± She closed her eyes, expecting the cold blade to enter her throat and end it all. But, instead, there was nothing.


    Opening her eyes, she watched as he grabbed her hand and used a knife to cut a small gash. It stung. Afterwards, the warrior licked the wound. Surely enough, his body felt revived as the many wounds he had began to close and heal. There was now a reason for her to be alive.


    The next morning, he dragged her around like a man driving cattle. With a rope tied around her hands and a leash tied around her neck, she was walked through the dark field as the warrior continued his journey. ¡°Heaven have mercy! Are you just going to use me as a source of quick healing?¡± Xiaojun didn¡¯t respond, but the unsaid answer was simple enough.


    ¡°Fine then,¡± the woman said, ¡°since you plan on having me as your personal pet, then I should have you know that my name is Hua! So, if you plan on calling me anything, call me that please!¡± But the warrior didn¡¯t say a single word. Instead, he just kept tugging her along as the rope continued to roughly tangle on her neck.


    They continued to move along the rugged paths. Perhaps in the past, they were proper roads. But after years of overgrowth and a declining empire, they were nothing but patches pitifully collecting rainwater. As their feet gently pressed against the mud, Hua shivered and groaned as Xiaojun continued to drag her along. ¡°You are a bastard of a gentleman!¡± she cursed. ¡°I know you almost caught me trying to have a bite of your neck, but understand that you smelled so delicious and¡ª¡±


    She was interrupted by a sudden tug, which only added to her irritation. ¡°You really have to learn how to treat a lady right!¡± she demanded. ¡°Even if I¡¯m a huli jing, I¡¯m still a woman! One that just happens to feast upon humans and have magical blood.¡± There was still not reaction from Xiaojun, other than the routine tugs to pull her along his journey.


    Hua growled in irritation, preparing to transform back into her wolf form. But before she could even got to her fours, Xiaojun kicked her in the liver. Reverting back into her human form, she keeled to the ground with a wheeze. ¡°I was only joking¡­¡± she coughed. ¡°I wasn¡¯t going to even do anything¡­¡± Xiaojun just kept tugging on the rope. He still didn¡¯t have an ounce of care.


    The sky was bleak with clouds which shrouded over the muffled sun. The dead trees wheezed and crumbled with every gust of wind as the dying world continued to decay around them. Parts of the woods shrieked with otherworldly creatures, as some other traveler probably met a terrible doom. But that wouldn¡¯t be Xiaojun, for he had a destination to reach.


    Dajing: the great capital of the Jiaguo Empire. Though not at its pinnacle, the powerful city was home to all of the most powerful figures in all of the empire. Most of all, it would be the one place he would find the Beast of Corruption. It wouldn¡¯t be long until that deity would use Nina¡¯s body and mind to reach the pinnacle of power. At that point, all of the world would fall to shadows darker than anything mankind could even imagine. They would snuff out heaven itself.


    But that was many miles away. For now, he had something to do. Tugging Hua along, they made it to a tall cliff. Before them was a view of the world before them. A world crumbling by its very frames and seams as shadow, darkness, and plain gloom occupied the once bountiful and green land. It was the kind of view that could give you nightmares as each shadow and shade of darkness evoked the most disturbing thoughts of the imagination. ¡°Are we looking for something?¡± Hua asked, looking beyond. Xiaojun, once again said nothing, before kicking her off of the cliff. With a scream, Hua fell into the chasm below.

 Chapter 2

    Hua was falling down the great cliff as she felt the wind¡¯s cold and rough resistance scrape against her hair and skin like a harsh god. The ground was getting closer and larger as Hua continued to scream. At this rate, she would fall onto the earth and become nothing but a paste. Suddenly, the rope was tugged and she quickly grabbed onto it. Still panting, and with her grip on the rope being her only bulwark against suffocation, Hua was dangling off of the cliff.


    ¡°What do you know of the four beasts?¡± Xiaojun asked. His voice was soft, yet harsh with years of experience. It was the kind of voice that only speaks when needed to. A voice that is mostly silent, but carries only value when used. Sadly, Hua didn¡¯t understand a single part of the question. ¡°The four beasts? What are you talking about?¡±


    Xiaojun was quick to respond. With his voice echoing from above, he continued his question. ¡°The Beast of Avarice. The Beast of Jealousy. The Beast of Hatred. The Beast of Lust,¡± Xiaojun iterated. ¡°All four were once tamed by the God of Purity. But when humanity¡¯s sins overcame the gentle god, the being fractured. All that is left are the wild beasts and the Beast of Corruption.¡± Hua continued to dangle as Xiaojun continued. ¡°You are a monster. Therefore, you must know something I do not.¡±


    The woman maintained her grip, but her hands were becoming numb. ¡°I don¡¯t know anything! I¡¯ve been in the outside world only recently! Please! I don¡¯t know anything!¡± For a moment, her pleas were met only by silence. Part of her thought that Xiaojun would just let her go and plummet to the ground. But eventually, she was met with a further tug. Finally, she was going back up.


    Once she made it back to the height, she threw herself forward onto the dead grass. Hua didn¡¯t know gratitude for feeling earth under her feet could even be possible until now. She held onto her sore fingers as the rope had burned and torn against her once tender skin. Hua watched as these lacerations healed automatically, with Xiaojun looking expectantly. ¡°I finally meet a monster capable of speaking coherently, and they are nothing but a mere damsel who favors the flavor of flesh and the ability to heal. How fruitless.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re sick!¡± she lashed at him. ¡°What kind of person does that to any living person?¡± Xiaojun responded by tugging her along and continuing his journey. ¡°What kind of person attempts to bite onto the neck of someone feeding them?¡± he said. ¡°But I do not fight to ask stupid questions.¡± The fox girl scoffed under her breath as she followed the warrior along. ¡°Smartass,¡± she muttered.


    Still, Hua couldn¡¯t help but feel a strength sense of curiosity when it came to this tall and large soldier before her. Not just a curiosity in his character, but a curiosity in his duty. ¡°What in hell¡¯s name is this Beast of Corruption?¡± Even though her instinctive sense was to just find a chance to transform and run off into the woods, another sense of her wanted to figure what this warrior was truly planning.


    Suddenly, Xiaojun stopped. He raised his hand, crouching as he reached for his weapon. ¡°If you believe this is an opportunity to escape, you are mistaken,¡± he coldly whispered to Hua. ¡°If you try and run, the creatures will grab you.¡± The fox girl was wide-eyed with confusion as she darted to look for what he was warning about. ¡°Creatures?¡±


    Xiaojun slowly began to point his weapon at a tree. Or was it a tree? As Hua looked on, staring at the thing, she realized the branches were not branches, but arms standing still and dangling for those in its grasp. She realized that the being was not covered in bark, but dark flesh resembling bark which slowly and silently breathed like how human skin would.


    ¡°This is a cursed forest,¡± Xiaojun stated. ¡°Not even your fox blood can protect you when they grab a hold of you.¡± Hua¡¯s heart began to race as she darted and looked around. Then she caught a glance of human bones on the ground. Using her terrified imagination, she assumed that these trees grabbed a hold of someone and slowly ate every last part of their body before spewing anything inedible back out. Now that she thought about it, there were dozens of bones laying about.


    ¡°Perhaps this is a spawn from the Beast of Lust.¡± Xiaojun kept the girl close as they navigated through the forest, ensuring they don¡¯t step on one of the false roots of the creatures. ¡°Lust?¡± Hua asked. ¡°Isn¡¯t that something more pertaining to¡­ well¡­ gross sexual stuff?¡± the girl asked.


    ¡°Consumption is a better word.¡± They stepped over another root, holding their breath as anxiety creeped through the woods. ¡°Lust for women. Lust for food. Lust for power. These trees are the perfect embodiment of consumption.¡± He carefully helped Hua through a maze of trees, holding onto her shaking body to ensure it wouldn¡¯t even graze the flesh of a creatures around them. ¡°They infect real trees and eat them from inside, changing their form with the dark magic brought from hell. To expand, they use a nearby corpse as a breeding ground for spores and eat it clean of organic matter. Then the cycle begins again.¡±


    Suddenly, Hua¡¯s foot touched against a root. She gasped. It was all silent. ¡°They know you are here. They will try and trap us here.¡± The trees began to howl and scream from pores all over their strange bodies. Arms, like tentacles, began to fly about as they formed a perimeter before other arms began to reach for them.


    Xiaojun sliced anything coming towards them, using his blade to slice the flesh into writhing lumps onto the earth. To make things worse, the ground began to tremble as the roots stirred the dirt below them. Hua nearly fell before Xiaojun grabbed her and began to run. ¡°Falling is not an option. The creatures will feel your vibration and grab you then and there, sink you into the earth and make you one of their own.¡±


    They sprinted through the forest, Xiaojun cutting through anything in their path. As Hua followed, she couldn¡¯t help but notice large monsters crying and screaming as they found themselves in the grips of the cursed forest. These powerful beasts, monsters comparative to ones told to scare children, were nothing but wriggling formations of meat for the forest to consume. As the creatures were dragged into the bodies of the trees, their parts were grinded and crushed like an organic machine crumbling their bodies into minces. Large and small, the cursed forest takes all.


    Suddenly, Hua herself was grabbed as a tentacle held onto her ankle. She screamed and struggled but the powerful grip was pulling her in. Xiaojun grunted as he turned and sliced the tentacle off and pushed the remains away. But before they could move on, more tentacles from every angle began to swoop in. The warrior was being buttoned by an endless swarm of branches as the forest hungered for their flesh. ¡°We¡¯re trapped!¡± Hua cried. She curled into a ball as the warrior was left to fend for the both of them.


    A branch grabbed his arm. Just as he cut it away, a branch grabbed his leg. He was being slowly overwhelmed with each and every branch being a separate and new invader into the horde. At this rate, this would be the place where the both of them would die. ¡°Damn!¡± Xiaojun growled. ¡°I do not have time for this!¡±


    He grabbed one of the tentacles and began to pull it violently. Hua watched in fear. ¡°What are you doing? That grip is strong enough to hold even the largest of beasts!¡± But to her surprise, she watched as the warrior was successful in overpowering the grip. Xiaojun pulled and ripped the branch straight out of the tree, causing the lump of flesh to cry and scream as the other trees felt the interconnected fear and pain.


    ¡°So that is your weakness? That of all things?¡± he laughed. ¡°Sure you can shrug off the mere cut of a branch, but when one of your branches is being uprooted, you cannot stand the pain? What cowards! At least a soldier can bite his teeth when he watches his comrades die!¡± Quickly, he went to the nearest tree and began to yank the branches off of it, causing the entire forest to scream. Hua covered her ears as the oscillations hurt her hearing. But Xiaojun was laughing with a rage not originating from this forest. It was a rage meant for something else. But it was a rage that would destroy this cursed forest.If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.


    He made the tree feel pain. He made the forest feel pain. Tentacles began to sparsely attack him as they feared that he would grab them and pull them out as well. ¡°Scared?¡± he laughed. ¡°How does the spawn of hell feel fear?¡± Xiaojun demanded. He began to laugh as he pulled out a lump of flint. ¡°Then I will show you something worse than fear. I shall show you true pain.¡±


    Striking the flint, he used the embers to create a torch. Quickly, he placed the torch under the tree, using all of the wood and fuel in his luggage to great a bonfire. The trees began to scream as they recklessly charged their tentacles at the warrior. This time, Xiaojun, with a smile, would grab each offending branch and stick them into the fire. Though his armor sheathed him from the flames, the fire would burn and spread across each branch.


    Before long, the entire forest was screeching with inhuman pain as the flame managed to travel along the roots as well. Hua looked around with fear in her eyes. A moment ago, she was absolutely terrified of the creatures around her. Now they were nothing but stationary tepees ready to crumble into ash. At the center of all this destruction was one smiling and laughing man: Xiaojun.


    ¡°You hellish bastards! Is this what you wanted to see? Is this the hellfire you demanded? Didn¡¯t you miss the warmth of home?¡± The trees roared with a cry akin to that of a dying child. ¡°Your cries bring no tears you godless monsters! That is why you will die where you stand!¡± With a final move, she struck his blade against a tree, causing the lump of flesh to topple over. Hua was petrified at the man¡¯s madness and his strength. It was at this moment when she realized that Xiaojun was nothing but a weapon in the shape of a human.


    Xiaojun calmed down as he walked up to Hua and slowly grabbed the rope still around her neck. Since only the trees were catching fire, the dirt pathways in between were safe to traverse. Without a single act of defiance, Hua followed Xiaojun out of the forest. Any idea of escape was thrown out of her head as she realized that there was no running from a creature that could easily catch you.


    They exited the forest as they returned to the gloomy plains of the world. The sounds of screaming elapsed and decayed behind them as they moved along. Both Xiaojun and Hua were silent, though for different reasons. Hua was silent since she was still terrified and traumatized. Xiaojun was silent since he didn¡¯t have anything to say. Other than the lighter pack and the smell of burnt flesh, it was as if nothing had happened.


    Later that night, they took camp in a forest where the trees around them were real. Even though Hua knew this, part of her still remembered the fleshy beings she had just escaped from. As a fire burned in front of her, she couldn¡¯t help but think about the fire Xiaojun just set in the cursed forest. As the warrior began to cook meat, Hua also couldn¡¯t help but remember the smell of the burning forest. In short, her appetite was ruined.


    Xiaojun sat across from her, still holding onto the rope as his unfocused eyes stared into the fire. Only heaven knew what terrifying thoughts invaded his mind. It only stoked Hua¡¯s curiosity even further. This was a man who could fall drunk with destruction, only to return sober with stoicism. The entire fight against the cursed forest, he acted as if he had never been hurt. Even as he held his hand into the fire, he continued this terrifying act of either bravery or plain hatred.


    But she could notice it. The slight jolts of injury and pain. Like when he reached for his bag and flinched when something touched his burnt hand. Though the armor continued to cover it, Hua still knew that this warrior was hurt. ¡°Xiaojun. You can drink my blood,¡± she said. ¡°As you saw before, it can heal you. In fact, I was sure you decided to bring me along solely because of that fact.¡±


    Xiaojun sat back. ¡°I had actually forgotten.¡± The statement was so casual, in comparison to the horror usually associated with his words. ¡°It is no bother. I can survive without your magic blood.¡± But Hua was insistent. ¡°You can use a knife to cut into my skin like before,¡± she instructed. ¡°I can¡¯t do it myself since the pain will stop me from making a good enough gash.¡±


    Hua pulled the skirt of her dress upwards as she looked away and closed her eyes. ¡°Do it now. And make it quick.¡± With a sigh, the warrior pulled out his knife and cleaned it with warm water. ¡°I will make only a small cut.¡± Afterwards, he reached over to the young woman and began his incision. With a small stroke, as if using a pen, he etched an opening into her flesh. Hua gave a quick wince, but it wasn¡¯t painful. ¡°Drink it,¡± she said. ¡°Before it dries.¡± The warrior did as instructed.


    He took a gentle sup from the gash as the girl calmly exhaled. Xiaojun¡¯s burns began to heal, as well as the bruises and lacerations made from the branches. It was as a mere taste of the blood was enough to regenerate his body tenfold. When he was done, he rose up and lightly bandaged the leg. ¡°How did you know of your ability?¡± he asked.


    Hua naturally curled herself as she looked into the fire. ¡°Huli jing foxes have existed for thousands of years, perhaps even before humans. As you know, we¡¯re capable of transforming between human and fox,¡± she said. ¡°But we¡¯re hunted. For a multitude of different reasons we¡¯ve been hunted. Some kill us because they believe that our teeth can crush the mightiest of metals. Others capture us because they believe we can bear strong warriors after they imbue us with child. But I was captured because our blood can heal.¡±


    Suddenly, Xiaojun rose up as he held onto his guandao. Hua also stood up as she looked around once more. ¡°You were right,¡± a voice said from the darkness. ¡°You do have some good blood.¡± Emerging from the darkness was a gang of horse riders. They each wore black cloaks as they held a scimitar into each one of their hands with some of the others holding bows aimed right for the warrior.


    The leader of the group removed his hood, revealing a sharp smile. He looked young to be in this line of work. ¡°We noticed the fox girl a long while away. She¡¯s been eating travelers and anyone foolish enough to trust her. We even saw her try and eat you, and yet we saw that she¡¯s become your favorite pet instead.¡±


    Xiaojun scoffed. The idea that someone was stalking him without his knowledge irritated him. ¡°My name¡¯s Chao,¡± the cloaked man said, ¡°and we¡¯ve been hired to take your pet to Lord Luo. What he wants to do with her is none of my business. But if you plan on getting in between her and the lord, and therefore getting in between me and my money, then I¡¯m sure we have issues.¡± Chao made his ultimatum clear: ¡°give me the girl or I will give you violence.¡±


    Xiaojun responded with silence. Suddenly, he grabbed a rider from his horse and plunged his head into the fire. The victim began to scream and cry as the fire burned his face and throat with the boot of Xiaojun pressing his head into the embers. The riders, including Chao, could only watch with horror as Xiaojun pulled the man out of the fire only to reveal a charred and mutilated face which continued to scream as embers continued to bury themselves into his flesh.


    After tossing the wounded man aside, Xiaojun gave his answer. ¡°No.¡± Arrows began to fly as the warrior deflected the projectiles from the air. A rider swooped in to cut the man down only for Xiaojun to stab into the man¡¯s chest and throw him another rider, knocking the both of them onto the ground. Turning around, he watched as a man grabbed Hua only for her to transform and bite into his neck, spewing red all over the armor as the horse ran wild. From there a, different soldier grabbed the fox, muzzled her, and restrained her as he rode off.


    Xiaojun sighed. She was too far for him to run after her. ¡°See what you did there?¡± Chao taunted. ¡°You killed a couple of my men only for the same outcome I wanted to happen! Are you¡ª¡± Xiaojun launched his guandao into the man¡¯s horse, causing the steed to neigh as it ran into the ground. As the body of the horse landed right at his feet, Xiaojun retrieved his weapon and placed his foot on the leader¡¯s body. ¡°I may not have Hua,¡± he said, ¡°but I have plenty of blood I can have in return.¡±


    The rest of the riders began to sweat uneasily. Even the ones with their bows aimed for him shook with fear as the terrifying grin held their bodies hostage. ¡°W-we were just paid to find a fox! We weren¡¯t paid for this!¡± Abandoning their boss, the remainder rode off as the grin on Xiaojun¡¯s face disappeared. Chao gave a nervous chuckle as he looked at the warrior. ¡°I¡¯ll be the one making demands,¡± Xiaojun said. ¡°If you help me, I¡¯ll let you live. If you don¡¯t, I shall make your last moments of life feel like an eternity as I will force all of the machinations of hell to feast on your paralyzed body to the point where your own tears will be your only source of hydration.¡±

 Chapter 3

    Cold. Hunger. Fear. Death. These were all principles that Hua became familiar with ever since she was a mere pup. At that time, her name was simply ¡°Fourteen.¡± With bars holding all of the huli jing in a cage, their only world would be the world inflicted upon them. ¡°I would like to remind all of you that I do not enjoy this,¡± the man would say. ¡°I just have a business to run.¡±


    Sir Zheng Qiang was someone who didn¡¯t enjoy his work. As the screams from the other levels reverberated through the castle, he would return with the stench of gibs and a deep sigh. ¡°I need more of your blood. I apologize, my dear little foxes.¡± He would use a long spear-like syringe to reach one of the cages to extract a vial of blood. The fox being stabbed would cry in pain as the doctor removed his spear and placed the blood into a jar.


    ¡°Big issue with your blood is that, like human blood, it ends up hardening and being unusable,¡± the torturer would tell them. ¡°I¡¯ve already done plenty of experiments, such as observing how mosquitoes manage to keep the blood in a liquid form. Sadly, doing any sort of corruption or watering ends up ruining the nature of the blood. As a result, you will all have to stay here in this hellish basement.¡±


    Over the years, Fourteen managed to piece more and more details together. Sir Zheng Qiang was a torturer. He would be given men and women who could never ¡°crack.¡± As a result, Fourteen would sometimes hear him be addressed as ¡°the knife.¡± The methods were simple. Inflict pain terrifying and horrific enough to bring people near death, then use the blood of the huli jing to revive the victim for more. An endless cycle that relied on fox blood to repeat over and over again.


    But the worst part wasn¡¯t these periods of torture. The screams were unbearable, but they were still distant in nature. The worst part about Zheng Qiang was when he had nobody to torture. With this ¡°off time,¡± he had plenty more time to began something else: experimenting.


    With his spear syringe, he would administer a tranquilizer to a random fox of choice. Everyone would be too terrified to intervene, as Zheng Qiang had plenty of methods to ¡°reprimand resistance.¡± With this unconscious fox, he would transfer them to a new cage where he would commit his experiments right there and in front of the other foxes.


    ¡°Huli jing are known for their strange behavior and biology. For this reason, I must decode their abilities in depth,¡± he wrote in his journal. ¡°I shall see what makes their bodies function, why they function like that, and what else can be done.¡± One of his first experiments was less of an experiment, and more of a dissection.


    In her human form, the huli jing was being cut right open as each one of her limbs were stuck in chains. Her tail was being restrained as well. These chains weren¡¯t there to stop resistance, since the foxes had lost any sense of hope or defiance a long time ago. ¡°I just want you to remain still,¡± Zheng Qiang said as the girl screamed and cried.


    With each stroke of his scalpel, the huli jing would slowly heal. ¡°Interesting,¡± the torturer said. ¡°But what is your maximum for healing?¡± The other foxes watched as he continued to cut and dice against the girl¡¯s body, turning her into an open work of screaming art. ¡°Please! Please kill me!¡± she cried. But the scientist ignored her demands and kept cutting away.


    It went on for days, as the doctor was more focused on his work than his hunger and the fox continued to heal. But eventually, she stopped. Her body had become emaciated as her bones seemed to pop in her skin. With her chest open and parts of her intestines plopping out of her frame, the scientist made his conclusion. ¡°It seems that their regeneration has a correlation with their satiation. If they starve, then they will be unable to regenerate. This makes perfect sense.¡± He then threw the body into an incinerator, burning the thing into a crisp.


    Fourteen remembered that smell. The smell of burning flesh. It became the kind of smell that she could always remember by a simple reminder. Even the cooking of food could remind her of this smell. But there would be more that this scientist would do. ¡°I still have a long way to go before I fully understand your kind.¡±


    Fourteen remembered her fear when she felt the syringe press into her skin. She was still a young girl when it happened. But unlike the last couple of foxes, she was brought into a separate and quiet room with a bed and furniture. ¡°Are huli jing capable of reading and writing?¡± Zheng Qiang wrote into his notebook. Perhaps this girl was just one of the lucky foxes.


    This would be an ongoing experiment that would take place outside of his other gruesome works. Zheng Qiang would teach the girl calligraphy, math, science, and many of the principles of the world through textbooks and calm teaching. It was strange. It was as if the man was composed of three different people. The man present to torture people. The man present to experiment on the huli jing. And the far gentler man who taught the world to Fourteen.


    ¡°Fourteen,¡± Zheng Qiang said. ¡°I wish to reward you for your good conduct and ability in learning. How about I reward you with a name?¡± he proposed. Fourteen, now being a little older, looked at her master expectantly. ¡°A name?¡± she thought. ¡°But isn¡¯t Fourteen a good enough name?¡±


    ¡°People aren¡¯t given numbers for names,¡± Zheng Qiang stated. ¡°If you were fortunate enough to be born as a human, then you would¡¯ve had a normal name. Do you have one that you would like to use?¡± All of these words made messes in the fox girl¡¯s head. From the fact that she was nothing but an object since she wasn¡¯t human, to the idea of a normal name.


    ¡°You showed me a book,¡± Fourteen stated. ¡°It was a beautiful book with flowers and plants which dazzled and stood strong as even the harshest of winters couldn¡¯t take all of them.¡± As a result, she gave her answer. ¡°Hua. The character for flower. I want to be like a flower,¡± she said. The doctor wrote it down on a piece of paper and showed it to her. ¡°A beautiful name.¡±


    Hua continued to learn more and more, learning how to write her name and how to write whole paragraphs. It was as if she was a noblewoman being taught the ways of the pen. It made her forget all about her years of torment and fear. Then one day, as Zheng Qiang left her room, something accidentally dropped from his body: a set of keys.


    Hua picked them up and stared at them. Right here in front of her was the chance to escape. ¡°But why?¡± she thought to herself. Here she was, wearing a red dress offered by Zheng Qiang. Her stomach was full from good meals of meat and vegetables. Her body finally felt warm from the heating in the walls and room. She no longer felt the cold or hunger. Hua didn¡¯t have the innate fear of death in this room. But if she returned to that cold world around her, then all of those nightmares would return to haunt her once more.


    But there was something else. If she stayed in this room, she would have a comfortable life under the care of a man who had somehow become like a father. ¡°But if I stay,¡± she thought to herself, ¡°I¡¯ll never be able to see those flowers.¡± In the end, she took her chance.


    The dungeon was like a maze, but she continued to push through. Even as the cold stone reminded her of repulsive days as a captive, she continued to push through. Even as the stench of death and the screaming of suffering reverberated around her, she continued to push through. In the end, she pushed through and threw herself through a door. Perhaps she would now see a sunny and blue world beholding beauty and life.This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    Landing outside, she saw none of it. Once her eyes adjusted, she saw nothing but gray and dark. The green grass she had read about was nothing but a dead field of nothingness. There wasn¡¯t a single living flower as the gray sky continued to float above her. Not even the sun was visible from this angle. Hua was promised a beautiful world, and received nothing but an extension of the cage she was once trapped in.


    ¡°My experiment was a success,¡± Zheng Qiang said as he looked from above. ¡°When given the opportunity to escape, even when given a comfortable life, she decided to venture forth without even a map to guide her. Perhaps it is because, in the end, the only real differentiation the huli jing have from humans is the mere ability to transform and heal.¡± He left a final sentence. ¡°Thank you Hua. For everything you taught me.¡±


    Suddenly, from behind, a sword pierced into his skull. Zheng Qiang¡¯s body slumped to the ground as the perpetrator panted. He was a human prisoner who managed to escape from his chains. ¡°This is what you get for what you¡¯ve done.¡± He spat on the torturer¡¯s corpse and set his sights to destroying the entire castle.


    Hua, who was miles away at this point, watched as the castle exploded into stone and rubble. It was as if her entire world was being destroyed with one swift move. Though she didn¡¯t know who did it or why, she just knew that there was no going back. She could only look forward.


    But now here she was: sitting in another dungeon as a result of her own foolishness. Hua had gotten older, but in the end, she was the same stupid pup who was trapped in a cage. With chains around her hands, legs, and even tails, she was reminded of the cold and fear that this world inflicted.


    Slowly, footsteps came from the darkness as a door opened. Before her was a fat dumpling-like lord who smelled horrid, like a putrid mix of puss, sweat, and shit. If she could make comparisons, it was like smelling a dead body. ¡°I am Lord Luo. I¡¯ve been looking for you for a long time,¡± he spewed.


    There was something even stranger about this man other than his smell and inhuman look. It was as if his own speech and behavior was inhuman, as if he were a mere lump of flesh under the control of unknown forces or spirits. ¡°I want a strong heir who will be capable of winning my battles,¡± he said.


    Hua scampered back, her eyes filling with fear as she came face to face with evil itself. ¡°You sick bastard! What are you talking about?¡± The creature began to laugh as he blathered on. ¡°My wife was unable to bear a child, since her womb was weak. I had to do a lot to punish her!¡± He said this with a smile as he picked up a blade.


    He struck the air with his blade, simulating what had happened. ¡°I punished her womb! I continued to punish it as blood spewed and flowed from her body! As the red flowed from her legs, tears flowed from her eyes!¡± This was no man, but a monster wearing human flesh. Hua stammered as she backed herself against the wall.


    ¡°Since then,¡± the monster added, ¡°I¡¯ve been ensuring that I have plenty of heirs. My men have been ordered to deliver me plenty of fertile women that I must inseminate. From there, I plant my heir inside and like a beautiful parasite, they eat their way out of the women! This is great, you see! I need strong heirs!¡±


    ¡°What in the hell are you?¡± Hua screamed. Then it dawned on her. All of the things she had seen and learned from Xiaojun. Perhaps this man used to be a nice and genuine lord. But now that the four beasts have been freed, this man has been possessed by the clutches of evil. ¡°How did this happen? Who did this to you?¡± Hua muttered.


    The beast stood still. Suddenly, he slapped himself as his eyes filled with genuine life. His face, as if returning to its usual self, looked more human as if the demon in him was momentarily expunged. ¡°Girl! The keys! Here!¡± Quickly, he tossed them to her, his mind and body at war with itself. ¡°You must get yourself far from here, do you understand?¡± Hua did as instructed and removed her chains. ¡°How did this happen?¡± she asked.


    The man slammed himself into the wall, falling to the ground. ¡°I was visited by a strange and terrifying apparition! One covered in chains as its emaciated body was covered in scars and inhuman horns and needles! He said that I was the perfect candidate for his return! Not because I was a man of sin, but because I was a man of virtue!¡±


    He tipped forward, his arm clawing for the girl as his other arm restrained himself. Hua scampered to her feet as she began to run. ¡°Get far away from here!¡± the lord cried. ¡°Run before it¡¯s too late!¡± Hua ran without thought as escape became her only focus. It was just like when she escaped from Zheng Qiang, only she was now older and less naive about the world.


    The entire fortress was like a labyrinth of stone and blood as the stench was just as horrible as the smell that came from the possessed lord. It was as if the demon not only converted the lord, but also the entire fortress into a monument of evil and sin. Some of the hallways and passages contorted and curved as if the dark magic of the new world forced them to distort.


    Hua turned and opened a random door to the side, using the lord¡¯s keys to unlock it. But upon opening it, she was met with a horrid and graphic surprise. Lined against both of the walls were chained women, or at least what was left of them. Hua gagged as she looked at their mangled bodies. Parts of their faces and bodies looked eaten from the inside as the skin caved inward, since no bone was there to hold them up and no muscle present to provide substance. Though the manner and severity differed, what was common was the large gaping hole present in the stomach and womb area. It was as if something had exploded from inside.


    Hua ran out of there as fast as she could, The demonic lord didn¡¯t give a single lie about his own disgusting crimes against any woman who was within his grasp. ¡°Where are you little girl?¡± the possessed lord echoed. He wasn¡¯t close enough to be in sight, but his presence meant one thing: he had overthrown the little goodness remaining in the lord¡¯s soul.


    Making a turn, the wall suddenly transitioned from stone to wood as if the two buildings had made a strange and incoherent marriage into each other. Moving through, she realized that the dungeon had interconnected into the palace. Looking from a window, she saw that the hallway had seemingly crashed into the elegant building, as if the supernatural forces at hand changed the once elegant fortress into a sickening cacophony.


    Even the walls and floor began to darken as root-like shadows molded into the brown eastern wood. The castle, in itself, was becoming infested with evil and sin. But as Hua attempted to leave the throne room, she opened the door only to find armored soldiers. ¡°Humans! Thank the heavens!¡± Hua cried. ¡°Your lord¡¯s become possessed! Please help me!¡±


    The soldiers, wearing eastern Jiaguonese armor and wielding polearms, marched forward and surrounded the girl. ¡°Wait, what are you doing?¡± Hua asked. ¡°Did you not hear me? Your lord has become a complete monster! You have to go stop him!¡± But the soldiers kept her captive. ¡°There are things happening that we cannot explain,¡± one of the soldiers finally said. ¡°But if I want to see my wife and son, I must comply with the lord¡¯s orders.¡±


    Their weapons shook as their morals battled themselves. ¡°The lord is now capable of doing things we cannot even believe to be true. As our families were forced to move into the fortress due to the danger of living in the villages, he has every one of our families hostage,¡± he added. ¡°If sparing you were an option, I would take it. But if I spare you, then he would kill every single one of us.¡±


    Then, emerging from the dungeon, was the possessed lord. With puss and blood emitting from his pores and wounds, the sickening beast stepped forward, unbuckling his belt as he stared at Hua with a stare only a monster could emulate. ¡°You will make me a glorious heir,¡± he said. ¡°Your fox blood will allow me to create a true warrior befitting of my might and rule.¡± A tear fell from Hua¡¯s eye as she wished for the warm and safe room that the old Zheng Qiang had made for her. ¡°Please¡­¡± she prayed in her mind, ¡°please save me¡­¡±


    Then it happened. The window shattered as a figure dashed through. With glass exploding into the room, all eyes turned to a set of jingling armor as an emotionless warrior stood before all of them. Hua recognized him immediately. Though he had never told her his name, she could always remember him.


    ¡°Who are you?¡± the possessed lord bellowed. ¡°Who are you to disturb my ritual of creating a new heir?¡± The warrior said nothing as he held his guandao ready. ¡°My name is Zhao Xiaojun,¡± he said, ¡°and I am here to rid the world of the four beasts.¡± Everyone readied for battle. ¡°That means I am here to rid the world of you.¡± Hua held her breath. This would be a battle between demon and man.

 Chapter 4

    There were years of experience in the one warrior known as Xiaojun. Years of slashing weapons into bodies and heads. Years of throwing men from their horses and stabbing them into the ground. Years of killing men and creatures alike. He does not fear his enemies. His enemies fear him instead.


    Standing in the throne room, the enemy soldiers stood around him as their lord continued to snort his orders. ¡°Attack him! Kill him and put his head his head on a spike!¡± For a moment, the soldiers hesitated. Compared to the warrior before them, they looked like mere toys standing before a complete titan. ¡°He¡¯s huge!¡± they thought amongst themselves. ¡°His weapon¡¯s blade is as big as a torso! And his muscles look like complete machines of destruction!¡± But the time for hesitation ended as the lord gave his order. ¡°Kill him! Now!¡±


    They charged at the same time, yelling as adrenaline filled their blood. But Xiaojun already had his plan. He fought like a mechanism as he committed the actions he had done many times over. The warrior charged at an individual soldier and used his weapon to sweep the soldier onto the ground. There, Xiaojun slammed his weapon downwards and cut straight through the armor. The soldier was sliced in half as the others could only watch with fear.


    ¡°Y-you¡¯ll pay for that!¡± one of the soldiers screamed as he charged forward. With his polearm aimed right for Xiaojun, the soldier charged like an insect without a plan or rationale. Xiaojun, without even a smile, punished this. He grabbed the polearm and tugged the soldier to him. Afterwards, he grabbed the soldier and threw him over his shoulder. The soldier¡¯s head slammed into the ground like a drill as an audible crack could be heard. ¡°Oops,¡± Xiaojun taunted. ¡°I must¡¯ve snapped his neck.¡±


    At this point, the remainder of the soldiers threw down their weapons as they turned and ran. ¡°How dare you!¡± the lord demanded. ¡°Are you running from a mere man?¡± But the soldiers didn¡¯t even give a response as their bodies became overwhelmed by fear and terror. What they were fighting was not a man. What they were fighting was Xiaojun.


    As the soldiers opened the door to escape, they were met with a large company instead of an exit. Wearing black armor, the army walked inside and cut the soldiers right where they were. Their heads rolled right towards the smiling lord as he began to laugh. ¡°The cowardice set of rabble was here when this kingdom was controlled by a weakling. As a result, I managed to train a new set of soldiers.¡±


    Xiaojun gave a good look at them. They were strong and well equipped. They looked experienced too. ¡°Mercenaries?¡± he asked. The lord smiled as he answered. ¡°Criminals,¡± he said. ¡°It is a complete waste to disallow those hungry for power to not have their fair share. All I have to do is let them feast when they do my bidding. So if I let them roll into an enemy town, I¡¯ll give them the complete liberty to take what and who they want.¡±


    ¡°Pillage and rape?¡± Xiaojun scoffed. ¡°That just sounds like a normal army but put into worse proportions.¡± He stood straight as Hua got behind him. ¡°I was hoping I¡¯d get to see the Beast of Lust here, but it¡¯s clear that you¡¯re just a vassal of him. You can¡¯t even compare yourself to the evils capable of the four beasts.¡± He readied his weapon. ¡°Well then. Call your dogs. I¡¯m bored.¡±


    The crowd of criminals began to charge as they all had the fox girl in mind. ¡°If I get to kill him, that girl is mine!¡± They jeered and laughed as Hua backed herself behind Xiaojun. ¡°Can you take on all of them?¡± The warrior gave a sly smile as he gently pushed her back. ¡°We¡¯ll see if I can together.¡±


    With a swipe, blood spewed onto the floor and walls as a group of criminals crumbled to the floor. Xiaojun had aimed for their necks, easily tearing through the slight amounts of armor present there. Arrows and bolts began to fly as archers and crossbowmen fired upon the warrior. Quickly, Xiaojun responded by grabbing a corpse and using it as a shield. With a body in his lift hand and his weapon in his right, he continued to strike and swipe against the crowd before him.


    More and more bodies piled around as Xiaojun ruthlessly dealt with them. He swung his large weapon in ways that instantly cut through the tough armor of the warriors. Xiaojun would even grab arrows midair and stab the things into the eyes of charging soldiers. As they would writhe on the ground, he would stomp the arrows deeper into their brain, leading to a sudden and fast kill.


    Hua watched it all. With her back against the wall, blood flowed from the battle before her like a river of sin. But even at this moment, she knew that Xiaojun was far from giving it his all. She had seen him fight before, and she knew that the ceiling for this god of a man was far higher than anything these mere criminals could offer. One thing she knew was that the warrior hadn¡¯t even begun to smile yet.


    A downward strike to split a head in two like a logger hacking wood. A strike from the side to rip into multiple throats like a gatherer harvesting fruit. An elbow right through into the skull like a worker slamming a nail. In the end, it was bloody carnage that left bodies and blood around. In a moment, only the archers were left. With sweat on their foreheads and fear in their bones, they shakily fired their weapons. They missed.


    Xiaojun grabbed a polearm and vaulted it right into one of them, skewering the criminal to the wall. The man screamed as blood coughed from his body. Walking towards him and stepping over bodies, Xiaojun was almost unopposed as he looked the man in the eyes and slammed his head into the wall. Blood flowed from the helmet as the body dangled without life.


    ¡°If anyone else would like to throw their lives away, loose your arrows now.¡± To his dismay, a few arrows flew into the air and hit his body. With a scoff, he pulled them out of his body. ¡°Very well.¡± He made sure they regretted their decisions. He lunged forward and the archers drew their swords. Compared to Xiaojun¡¯s large weapon, these swords were nothing but toothpicks.


    One of the criminals swung at the warrior. ¡°Die!¡± he cried. Xiaojun moved to the side and grabbed the blade. He then slammed the blade with his knee and shattered it into metal fragments. With one of these fragments, he jammed it into the soldier¡¯s throat. He then grabbed the next archer and threw him to the ground. With a vicious move, he stomped his head into a mere footprint as the body jolted before resting for eternity.


    Hua¡¯s eyes were stuck to watch the massacre unfold. More blood. More bodies. More sacrifices to Xiaojun¡¯s journey. ¡°These were tougher soldiers,¡± the warrior admitted. ¡°They didn¡¯t have the heart in them to run. I¡¯m surprised that they¡¯re criminals, since petty thieves would rather leave with their lives,¡± he added. ¡°So, if it isn¡¯t a bother, I¡¯ll be having your head now.¡± He raised his weapon high.


    Suddenly, the ceiling caved in as Xiaojun narrowly dodged to the side. Hua could see his sudden change in facial expression. What they were standing against wasn¡¯t human, not like the last companies of soldiers. Standing before them were large monstrous beings who vaguely took the forms of humans. With disproportionate body parts, smiles that widened uncomfortably, and with chains and pins riddling their bodies, these were strange and unholy unions of man and monster.


    ¡°Did you want to fight demons?¡± the possessed lord asked. ¡°These warriors here are my kin! My sons made from my own body!¡± Hua skittered back as she realized what these monsters were. Remembering the hall full of mutilated women, she realized that these were the godless creations of the Lord Luo and the women he had inhumanly used. ¡°Oh my god¡­¡± she muttered. If she was slightly more unfortunate, she would¡¯ve ended up as one of them.


    The monsters darted explosively as even their slightest movements were made quickly. Wielding weapons and armors ranging from light cloaks and knives to heavy lamellar and longswords, these formidable enemies were much closer to Xiaojun¡¯s level. In fact, they looked to be stronger. Immediately, they all charged towards the long warrior.Stolen novel; please report.


    Xiaojun was forced to jump to the side as his cheek was skimmed by a blade. If he was a moment late, he would¡¯ve ended up more than dead. Before he could even take a breath, the monsters continued their attack as they charged for him further. Quickly, they had already formed a system. The heavier beasts would attack him head on as the smaller and lighter ones would attack him from the sides.


    As Xiaojun blocked one attack, he would be hit with another. No amount of focus would be enough as he was constantly overwhelmed with enemies. He could barely even afford the time or attention to breath as his body began to bleed from his bruises and cuts. Suddenly, he was grabbed and thrown into the wall. With the wood cracking upon the force, he coughed blood as he immediately stood to his feet.


    Already he was met with an even worse barrage of strikes as everywhere but the wall¡¯s direction held threats. He moved frantically to block and deflect as many strikes as he could, but it was obvious that he was losing. It was his blood that began to spill the ground, mixing with the already drying blood of the enemies he had already slain.


    ¡°Yes! This is where you meet your end!¡± Lord Luo laughed. His body continued to change as he became more and more sickly and his stench being more and more foul. ¡°One I kill you, I shall move my army of heirs outward to conquer parcels upon parcels of land! I¡¯ll even be strong enough to contend against the four beasts! No, I¡¯ll be strong enough to control the Beast of Corruption!¡±


    For a moment, everything froze. For Xiaojun, it felt like everything was moving in slow motion. The strikes and swings of the monsters. The laughter of the possessed lord. Even the gasps of Hua looked to be in slow motion. ¡°The Beast of Corruption,¡± he thought. One person popped into his mind. ¡°Nina Wagner.¡±


    The thought of her blonde hair. The thought of her smile. The thought of her incredible cunning. Everything circled back to her. ¡°Don¡¯t you get it Xiaojun?¡± he thought to himself, ¡°she is now a pawn and puppet of the Beast of Corruption. All because you weren¡¯t able to rescue her from the Diyu.¡± He gripped his weapon. ¡°I will kill every last one of you damn demons!¡±


    He pushed the large beasts back and quickly swatted the smaller monsters into the ground. It was a sudden explosion of violence from the man which shocked even the possessed lord. What was even more terrifying was the smile present on Xiaojun¡¯s face. ¡°You think you can win against the Beast of Corruption because you can fuck? You are delusional! Even for being a mere minion of the Beast of Lust, you are a fool!¡± He slashed another monster in pieces as he used his madness as his fuel.


    ¡°If I cannot defeat these abominations you call heirs, then I will be completely unable to kill the Beast of Corruption!¡± he laughed. ¡°So I better get to killing!¡± As one of the monsters swung his mace in self defense, Xiaojun grabbed the base of it mid-swing and stuck his weapon into the beast¡¯s chest. He then grabbed the mace right out of his hands and crushed the skull of the heir into a poor coalition of black bile and shattered bone. As the body fell to the ground, Xiaojun retrieved his weapon and continued his killing.


    Hua recognized this madness. This was when Xiaojun was allowing his mind to accept insanity. To lose his constraints and lose the weight of his mind was to become free and strong. She watched as the monsters who were strong enough to topple armies fell at the crazed hand of Xiaojun.


    Xiaojun finished the last monster by throwing the large being to the ground and launching his fist into the beast¡¯s inhuman face. The monster gave deafening screams broken only by the contact with Xiaojun¡¯s knuckles. ¡°Keep screaming!¡± the warrior taunted. ¡°Keep screaming! It¡¯s like a symphony!¡± With each strike, the body of the monster would jolt as Xiaojun taught the overgrown child a lesson: how it feels to experience pain. ¡°Do you want to die? Do you want to die?¡± Xiaojun asked.


    The monster nodded as it continued to scream. A smile rose even higher on Xiaojun¡¯s face. ¡°Perfect!¡± He went to his feet and stomped the head into an explosive smear. ¡°Hahaha!¡± he began to uncontrollably laugh, ¡°did you think that because your daddy was a demon, that it meant you were strong?¡± The dead bodies gave no reply. ¡°Good. I thought so as well,¡± Xiaojun said.


    ¡°You¡­¡± Lord Luo said. His voice was cold in comparison to his usual bestial countenance. ¡°I know what you are,¡± the possessed lord said. ¡°It was once prophesied amongst the demons that the God of Purity would capitulate into the Four Beasts and then transform into the Beast of Corruption. That was known. But what was also known was that humanity would send someone to recant the destruction caused by the fracture. Humanity would send an envoy.¡±


    Xiaojun cleaned his blade as the smile disappeared from his face. With the air standing still, Lord Luo pointed his ghastly and disgusting finger at the warrior before him. ¡°You are humanity¡¯s envoy against this age of demons and monsters.¡± Xiaojun cracked his bones before giving his response. ¡°You are completely right.¡±


    The lord guffawed as he grabbed against his flesh. ¡°Then that means I have no need to chase my desires when I must risk my life and being to fight the envoy of man.¡± He began to tear and tug at his flesh, pulling the thing apart and throwing it off of him. Skin and muscle alike fell from his body like tender and disgusting lumps of slime. Hua shrieked as she hid behind Xiaojun once more.


    ¡°You¡¯re wounded, do you need any of my blood?¡± she asked the warrior. Xiaojun shook his head. ¡°If I can¡¯t fight against this demon in my current state, then I¡¯ll be helpless to fight one of the four beasts.¡± At the end of this metamorphosis, Lord Luo presented his true form. ¡°I am Siumeng, a demon once trapped in the Diyu. When the realm between man and beast opened, I was one of the first to take my chances.¡±


    Hua¡¯s eyes widened when she looked at the demon. It was an emaciated and chained concert of pins and needles, as if he were the victim of torture, pain, and forced restraint. Chains exited from his body, physically popping from his pale flesh as he began to hold them like whips. ¡°I shall win the favor of the four beasts by eliminating the envoy of man right where he stands.¡±


    Xiaojun quickly grabbed Hua and dodged to the side just as the metal whip slammed into the ground, cracking the wooden floor at its very seams. ¡°He¡¯s fast!¡± Hua gasped. Xiaojun pushed her out of the doors immediately. He then locked the door with a polearm, preventing her from returning back inside. ¡°Get out of the castle while you still can.¡± Hua yelped and banged on the door. ¡°But you need my blood!¡± Xiaojun chuckled in response. ¡°No. I just need to send this beast back where he belongs.¡±


    Xiaojun stood before the demon, readying his weapon as the demon readied his chains. ¡°You managed to survive the trip to the Diyu,¡± the demon echoed. ¡°That alone proves your worth as the envoy of man.¡± Siumeng released his whips forcing Xiaojun to slip and move. The demon followed with more strikes as the warrior was forced to erratically move in random directions in order to survive. The entire palace began to shake as the damage from this fight alone rocked the building to its core.


    Suddenly, Xiaojun took his chance and lunged into the demon. But before he could thrust his guandao into the demon¡¯s chest, needles began to fly out from the demon¡¯s body. Being infinitesimally small, the needles went right through Xiaojun¡¯s armor and dug into his flesh. Staggering back, the warrior was forced to return to his evasion methods.


    ¡°You¡¯re getting slower,¡± the demon said. ¡°My needles are laced with a poison only demons could possibly handle. Your constitution being strong, I¡¯d be surprised if you last for even a few minutes.¡± Xiaojun grunted as the chains got closer and closer to hitting him. ¡°A few minutes? That sounds like plenty of time.¡±


    But he was getting slower, and the pain in his body began to swell. He had already fought through hordes of both men and monsters. The weakness of humans is the innate mortality of them, meaning that Xiaojun could only take so much before succumbing to the cold clutches of exhaustion and death. But as weak as humans were, that just meant that they were required to fight even harder. ¡°You foolish demon! You must realize that I could care less about my own weakness!¡±


    The chain was about to strike against the warrior, but Xiaojun just responded with a smile. ¡°I shall teach you how it feels to die!¡± He grabbed the chain midair and pulled it tightly. As the demon was thrown face to face with the warrior, he launched a new volley of needles. Xiaojun moved his guandao into a circular motion to deflect as many of the needles as he could. As for the ones that went through, he simply smiled and allowed his body to simply eat the pain and poison alike. ¡°Delicious,¡± he taunted with a grin.


    With a swift motion, he sliced the head right off of the neck holding it. The body stood helpless as it eventually toppled to the floor. The head began to roll onto the ground as Xiaojun continued to smile. But even with the head severed, the demon continued to speak. ¡°But¡­ the¡­ poison¡­¡± Xiaojun made sure the demon¡¯s last memory would be seeing the warrior smile. ¡°When you go to hell, tell them it was humanity¡¯s envoy that sent you.¡± He grabbed the head and squeezed it. Like a fruit, it exploded as gibs and liquid spewed around. When a man was put to fight against a demon, the man was more than destined to win.

 Chapter 5

    For Xiaojun, the world was always a brutal one. Even before the War of Sin. Even before the presence of ungodly creatures. And far before he had picked up a weapon, the world was a punishing one. A world where the strong die, and the cruel survive.


    Dajing was the capital of the Jiaguonese Empire as thousands of different traders, workers, and artisans went in and out of the city per day. The empire, being known as the central kingdom to the east, had its good share of prosperous rulers and its even more prosperous emperor. But if one moved past the obvious displays of wealth, they would find the true state of the empire: poverty.


    ¡°You¡¯re the damned son of a whore! Just lay on the ground and die!¡± The young Xiaojun was left bleeding as the group of men ran off with his well earned bag of rice. At that time, the boy was just another poor kid in an even poorer part of the city. As he struggled to get to even his knees, his empty stomach roared in pain as if his own body was eating itself. ¡°Must¡­ eat¡­¡±


    Part of him wanted to blame his father and mother, whoever they were. When he was young, the women of the brothel just told him to leave. ¡°Beat it kid,¡± one of the women scoffed. ¡°If you¡¯re asking for whoever your mother is, you¡¯re not going to find them here. There are plenty of bastards just like you.¡± From then on, the boy had only one person he could count on: himself.


    Working any job that provided that necessary cent of satiation, he ate every meal instantly. Either he would eat his food, or someone would take it and eat it for him. As he learned to believe in that principle, he grew stronger and stronger. Like a flame burning in the cold, his body grew strong despite the continuous aches of his stomach. ¡°To survive, I need to be strong.¡± No that wasn¡¯t it. ¡°To survive, I need to be cruel.¡± That was when he gained his strongest weapon: pure terror.


    It all started when he was surrounded. Holding a bag of dried rice in his hand, Xiaojun could make the easy conclusion: these delinquents wanted his food. ¡°Throw it over to us Xiaojun!¡± they jeered at him. ¡°If not, we¡¯ll have do more than break you into the street!¡± Unfortunately for them, they didn¡¯t realize that Xiaojun had grown stronger since the last time he had gotten attacked.


    Xiaojun started by quickly grabbing a shard of broken porcelain from the ground. With it, he immediately lunged at one of the boys and began to prolifically stab his eyes with it. ¡°Blood everywhere! I can¡¯t see!¡± the victim cried. The other boys count only watch as Xiaojun began to brutally launch his fists into the boy¡¯s ribs, breaking them with each strike. ¡°Do you want my rice? Do you still want my damn rice?¡± Xiaojun crazily laughed. ¡°You can have it once I scoop it from your stomachs!¡±


    Within moments, the bystanders began to run as Xiaojun was left with a crying victim in front of him. Xiaojun¡¯s smile disappeared as he looked down at his bag of rice. Aggressive and relentless fear was the prime reason he was able to keep food in his stomach. Even though he felt sick by forcing a smile when committing harm, he knew that this was the only way he could survive.


    ¡°People are afraid of monsters.¡± Squatting in an alleyway and cooking the rice in a stolen pot, he came with this conclusion. ¡°People are afraid of the dark because they fear monsters. People are afraid of strange noises because they fear monsters. People are afraid of inhumans because they fear monsters.¡± With this thinking, he had a final thesis. ¡°I must become a monster if I want to survive.¡±


    Growing stronger and growing crueler, Xiaojun put his theories into practice. Instead of finding himself as the victim, he found himself as the attacker. There was no need to endure mindless labor when he could just scare the food into his own palms. In short, Xiaojun became a bully who terrified those smaller than him. But there was eventually a time when he bit off something he could never chew.


    The carriage moved through the city as the nobleman sighed in the safety of his cart. ¡°What an ugly part of town,¡± he mumbled to himself. ¡°The people here just waste away in their hovels. And the stench! The heavens have damned this place by just the scent alone!¡± Part of him wanted to spit on each and every vagrant they passed by.


    Suddenly, the cart stopped as the servants dropped it right where it was and ran. ¡°He¡¯s got a sword! Get out of here!¡± The nobleman fell out of the dropped cart as he looked up to see what was causing the commotion. ¡°Who in hell¡¯s name are you? You better explain yourself before¡ª¡± The nobleman froze as he looked at the menacing tyrant before him.


    The figure stood tall as he held a rusty, yet large blade in his hand. Wearing a dark cloak, the figure oozed an aura of significant terror, even for the nobleman who previously only feared taxes and tasteless meals. ¡°Who are you?¡± the nobleman stammered as he scooted away from the large figure.


    ¡°I want all of the gold in your luggage right now,¡± Xiaojun demanded. The nobleman frantically nodded as he began to scamper away. ¡°Have it! Take as much as you want!¡± Without having to even loose a strike, Xiaojun watched as the nobleman ran off on his own. The entire cart was his for the taking.


    With a smile on his face, Xiaojun opened the wooden door of the carriage to find a large box. Kicking it open, he found piles upon piles of gold and silver coins. They shined like stars he had never seen, as such capital was almost unheard of for bastards like him. He reached his hand inside and scooped a large handful of the money. He could see it right there: a house, food, and plenty of days without needing to bully or fight his way to survive.


    ¡°Are you sure you want to take that?¡± a voice echoed behind him. Turning around, Xiaojun jolted when he saw the large warrior behind him. Wearing heavy cataphract armor and wielding a large guandao, the warrior wore a white mask which covered his mouth and nose. ¡°It only takes a bad day to turn a king into a peasant. Are you sure you want such an unstable life?¡±


    Xiaojun growled as he pointed his rusty sword right at the man¡¯s armored neck. ¡°What do you know?¡± he demanded. ¡°Do you know how many days I¡¯ve gone without eating before? How many cold nights I had to endure under the cold night?¡± But the warrior said nothing as he calmly moved the sword away from his direction. ¡°You do not know it yet, but your soul is on the path for a destiny far greater than this basic thievery.¡±


    Enraged by this warrior¡¯s lack of fear, Xiaojun wildly swung his sword, aiming right for the warrior¡¯s head. Suddenly, like a flash of lightning, the warrior blocked the strike with his armored hand. ¡°You are strong for your age,¡± the warrior noted, ¡°but you will only waste your potential by staying in these streets and hunting for more victims.¡±


    The warrior then crushed the sword with his grip alone. With the explosion of shrapnel, Xiaojun stumbled back, raising his hands to cover and defend his face. Years of being a victim made him used to be kicked and punched into the ground. But despite expecting relentless wrath, he found something else: a hand to help him up.


    ¡°I will take you to someone,¡± the mysterious warrior said. ¡°But first, you must trust me and allow yourself to grow.¡± For a moment, the boy hesitated. For the first time in his life, he was treated with a strange sense of kindness. ¡°Trust you?¡± he muttered. ¡°How can I trust you when I¡¯ve never had anyone to trust?¡±A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.


    To this, the warrior replied with a kindred voice. ¡°You must take a chance. As I said earlier, it takes a bad day to transform a king into a peasant. But it takes a good man to transform a peasant into a king.¡± With nothing else to lose, the boy grabbed the man¡¯s hand. It was time for him to see if he could become his own king.


    Following the mysterious and masked warrior, Xiaojun followed him all the way into the forbidden city: a place where only royalty and other interconnected people could venture. Greeting the guard, the strange warrior only had to look at the soldiers for them to allow access. ¡°I apologize for any inconvenience we may have caused! Go right ahead!¡± they said with strange enthusiasm.


    There, Xiaojun saw a strange arena-like structure which had been hastily constructed and erected. Funneling inside were dozens upon dozens of soldiers and warriors, each one ready to prove themselves to the party of noblemen and guests. ¡°I want you to go inside,¡± the mysterious warrior instructed to Xiaojun. ¡°It will be a hard battle and you cannot count on pure terror to win the day. But if you exert every will of your being, I assure you that you shall prosper.¡±


    The warrior gently pushed the young man forward. ¡°What do you mean? What should I¡ª¡± But as Xiaojun turned, he found that the warrior was gone. It was as if the strange being was nothing but an apparition from his imagination. ¡°The bout shall begin soon!¡± someone called, ¡°please hurry inside!¡± With nothing to lose, Xiaojun headed inside.


    Standing amongst dozens of other faces, he still somehow stood taller than many of them. ¡°Who is that?¡± elite foreigners in the crowd murmured. ¡°Is that some kind of warrior¡¯s son?¡± Looking at these foreigners, Xiaojun noticed their strange appearances. These strangers had blonde, brown, and even white hair as their white skin proved paler than the average Jiaguonese shade.


    But there was a specific face that took his attention. It was a young woman, looking to be a few years older than Xiaojun. She was blonde, and her hair was cut to reach only the top of her neck. But even with this unconventional feature, her eyes glistened with a golden sense of beauty. Xiaojun found himself staring at the noblewoman, only to realize that the two had locked eyes. Afterwards, he looked away immediately, pretending as if it was a mere accident.


    Suddenly, a larger foreigner stood from his seat as he raised his glass of wine as well. ¡°Thank you for this grand event Emperor Wang of the Jiaguonese Empire! We are honored by the food, wine, and the strong warriors before us!¡± He then turned to the warriors in the arena. ¡°For years, my homeland of Vesterland has been undergoing the bloody War of Sin as brothers turn their blades against one another! As a result, I wish to recruit the best warriors here to provide my kin a grand source of soldiers to lead our kingdom to peace!¡±


    Four younger men began to nod as they continued to sup their wine. From their resemblance to the foreign king, Xiaojun could already assume that they were his sons. The only one who didn¡¯t have a smug look on their face was the blonde girl who sat like a calculating scholar. A part of Xiaojun knew that she could see things mere men could not.


    ¡°The fight shall consist of individual bouts where two men must fight with identical blunt weapons! The ones who pique our interest shall either move on to fight another warrior, or will be recruited on the spot! As a result, it is wise for all of you to show us your best immediately!¡±


    The warriors were escorted to a reserved area of seating as two of the fighters were randomly chosen from them. Removing their armor and clothing, they revealed their scarred and battle hardened bodies. The crowd cheered as the both of them were given wooden swords. ¡°The loser shall be the one who either surrenders or fall incapacitated! Begin!¡±


    The warriors stanced against each other as the crowd continued to cheer. Xiaojun watched at their technique carefully. This was the first time he had seen anyone remotely skilled in the art of fighting. One of the soldiers held his sword above his head, as if ready to lunge, while the other kept it level and around his body.


    Suddenly, they charged against each other and loosed dozens of different bouts in that one moment. The wooden swords clacked against each other as different angles and strikes were being utilized. This match looked less like a fight, and more like a game of strategy and tactics. Studying hard, Xiaojun took mental pictures of each move. The downward strike. The upward block. The thrust. The parry. All of them were being written into his mind.


    In the end, one of the fighters struck the weapon out of his enemy and gently placed his weapon at the man¡¯s throat. It was a calm way of saying that if they had real blades, the fight would end with a lot more blood. ¡°And Shoujo has won!¡± the king announced. ¡°You shall work for my eldest son: Grimwald! He will have more than a few uses for you!¡±


    The crowd continued to clap as the loser left the arena empty handed. It put an ugly picture into Xiaojun¡¯s mind. If he ended up losing his fight, then it would be a return to the streets. It would be days of robbing and scaring people into giving him supplies and food. it was strange. Perhaps the day before, he could¡¯ve cared less. But now that the strange warrior gave him a vivid picture of hope, there was no choice but forward.


    He continued to watch each and every bout carefully, making sure that every move was documented into his mind. ¡°The winner is Qiang! He shall serve my son Charles!¡± Xiaojun knew that he was no match for these warriors in terms of skill and technique. That was why he had to do his absolute best if he wanted to succeed.


    ¡°You! It¡¯s your turn to fight!¡± one of the men said to Xiaojun. Standing up, the boy removed his cloak and stood in the arena. The crowd gasped and looked at his body. He was much younger than all of his contenders, but he had many of the same scars that they had. ¡°Is he some kind of prodigy?¡± No. He was just unfortunate.


    ¡°Begin!¡± Xiaojun did his best to imitate a stance by holding the sword close to his body. Meanwhile, his skinnier opponent jumped on his toes and held his sword outward. It was as if the man was a bee ready to sting Xiaojun if he ever got close. ¡°Everyone here thinks you¡¯re some kind of strong warrior,¡± the man taunted. ¡°But I see the truth. You¡¯re just a scared kid trying to make an impression.¡±


    The man lunged forward, presenting a thrust which hit right into Xiaojun¡¯s abdomen. In response, the young man keeled down as the man continued to laugh. ¡°All that muscle and height just for that? You surely are a coward.¡± He raised his sword as the crowd held their breath. Little did he know that Xiaojun was holding a smile.


    There was something the young man noticed through all of the fighting, a very basic detail: the arena was filled with sand. Just as the contender prepared to swing and defeat Xiaojun, the young man threw a handful into the warrior¡¯s face. The crowd gasped when they saw this dirty tactic being put into practice.


    The disoriented warrior began to swing wildly and inaccurately as the sand continued to irritate his eyes. All Xiaojun had to do was calmly walk behind the man and slam him into the ground. Suffocating the man into the sand, Xiaojun calmly watched the man kick and swing about as the crowd began to boo. ¡°You are a warrior of dirty tricks! How can you even call yourself honorable?¡± All of them were booing except for the blonde girl. She was giving a sly smile instead.


    ¡°Release him!¡± the king demanded. Xiaojun complied and stepped back. Being released, the contender coughed and scampered away from the young man in front of him. ¡°You demon! You fight like a monster without any sort of class!¡± The king seemed to agree. ¡°Indeed! You shall be disqualified from this tournament!¡±


    Suddenly, the blonde girl began to stand above the crowd. The boos and cries went silent as she continued to smile. ¡°Father. You say that you wish to release Vesterland from the clutches of war, and yet you expect battles to be fought with convention?¡± She pointed to Xiaojun. ¡°This man did as you asked: he fought with the resources allocated by his environment. Do warriors in battle not do the same? If we expect to win with foolhardy tactics, shouldn¡¯t we just accept defeat?¡±


    She gave her finals words as her family and the crowd stood awestruck by the words of the intelligent woman. ¡°Since you have yet to allocate me any of these soldiers, allow this man to serve under my ranks instead. While you look at the warriors who have already reached their full potential, I look to one who can reach even further.¡±


    For a moment, the king was speechless. But after giving an eventual smile, he raised his hand. ¡°Then it is settled! The man known as Xiaojun shall be under the service of my one and only daughter: Nina! May he serve and save Vesterland with his service!¡± Thus, Xiaojun¡¯s journey would truly begin.

 Chapter 6

    The War of Sin. For decades, Vesterland had undergone horrific tragedy after horrific tragedy as numerous different armies tore through the once peaceful country. ¡°Your damn food and supplies! Hand it all over!¡± the soldier barked at the farmers. Lowering their heads, they complied with the oppressors as they placed them on carts. The village would die by next winter.


    The army marched on as the coalition of knights and soldiers battered through the beat dirt. It wasn¡¯t the first army which had gone through this path, and perhaps it wouldn¡¯t even be the last either. With plenty of blood to stain their weapons, they prepared themselves to spill some more. At the very least, that was the plan of King Dubois.


    ¡°Men! We shall class with the armies of the Wagner House by tomorrow!¡± he called to his soldiers. The armor of the knights jingled as they wore the heavy and powerful things like suits of holy value. They readied their swords and cannons for the battle to come. ¡°If we wish to survive, we must have no mercy!¡± the king declared. ¡°For every man we lose, we must ensure they lose tenfold!¡± To this, the soldiers cheered a simple reply: ¡°Down with the Wagners!¡±


    The next morning, King Wagner¡¯s army arrived to the field. He had the veil of confidence as he assured his sons well. ¡°You have served graciously as my generals and officers,¡± the king said to them. ¡°There is no reason for us to lose this battle.¡± But underneath his visage was something terrible: fear. The House of Dubois outnumbered them three to one.


    Suddenly, cannonfire began to rupture around the field. Mud and blood sprayed about as men began to scream in terror. ¡°What the devil?¡± Grimwald exclaimed. ¡°How could they already have the range for their weaponry?¡± Charles had a similar sense of confusion. ¡°What kind of king begins to fire without a delegation?¡±


    Friedrich, the youngest of the sons, also had an outcry. ¡°There they are! The enemy¡ª¡± Suddenly, his head burst as a cannon tore right through it. With his neck becoming only a bloody stump, the young man slumped off of his horse. ¡°Friedrich!¡± Grimwald cried. Then he looked beyond. ¡°No! The enemy! They¡¯re beginning their charge!¡±


    Lines upon lines of armored knights and men at arms were pouring towards the Wagner army. The soldiers tore through as a disgusting melee ensued. Swords stabbed into stomachs as maces smashed skulls. Knights were grabbed from their horses and swarmed by footmen as they were stabbed in every little opening of their armor. It was the chaos of war.


    ¡°W-we need our calvary! Our knights! Where are they?¡± The king demanded. ¡°We thought they were with you!¡± Grimwald explained. Then, at that one moment, they realized something. ¡°Wait, where in hell¡¯s name is Nina?¡±


    From within his camp, King Dubois laughed and supped on his wine as the messengers brought news of the battle. ¡°We have killed one of his sons?¡± he chuckled. ¡°That should teach the foolish king that he should¡¯ve never engaged against me!¡± He continued to laugh as the thunderous cannons continued to fire outside his tent. ¡°King Wagner is a fool. He always expects traditional and conventional combat. He even dismisses the power of gunpowder. Now, he must learn from his mistake.¡± He continued to laugh like a satiated pig as the warm tent flapped with the wind.


    Suddenly, screams roared from outside as the cannon fire ceased. The sounds of horses neighing and stomping began apparent as the king lost his aura of confidence. ¡°What is happening out there?¡± Wearing his armor, he grabbed his sword and stepped outside. His jaw dropped when his eyes came into contact with what he saw.


    Fire. The entire camp was set alight as dozens of knights and calvary poured through. ¡°No! Our battle loot! Our spoils! How can I keep financing this war if all of our treasure is burning?¡± Looking around, he found that all of the remainders of his men were being cut down. The cannoneers were either fleeing or being killed right where they stood. Watching his work fall into ruin, the king seethed with rage. ¡°Is this how you wish to fight? Then I¡¯ll give you a real fight!¡±


    Knights attempted to charge the king only for the royal man to cut them down first. Knocking one of the knights from his horse, he finished the soldier by drilling his sword into his throat. ¡°I¡¯ll kill every last one of you!¡± the king bellowed. Then there was the sound of footsteps.


    The king turned to find a large muscular soldier, one he had never seen. The soldier wore a set of heavy armor which was unique in design. In short, he looked like some kind of barbarian as the heavy armor also allowed incredible mobility and openness. Wielding a halberd, the warrior looked to be a true monster in the shape of a human. But this was no monster. This was just Xiaojun. ¡°Your head would look better on a spike,¡± the warrior uttered to the king.


    ¡°How dare you!¡± The king raised his sword, but Xiaojun was faster. He lodged the end of his halberd right through the king¡¯s armor. King Dubois spewed blood as his body grew incredibly weak. ¡°How¡­ did¡­ you¡­¡± He was interrupted as the sound of hooves entered the area. Looking up, the king found a face with short blonde hair. ¡°Nina¡­ Wagner¡­?¡±


    The girl got off of her horse and unsheathed her sword. ¡°Of course. I doubt you were expecting genius to come from my brothers or my father.¡± The king closed his eyes in disgust. ¡°Of all people to kill me, it has to be a woman. I shall die without honor.¡± Nina just giggled in response. ¡°You say that like you had some in the first place.¡± With a quick swoop, the head was removed from the neck it was resting on.


    Meanwhile, King Wagner was still panicking and stricken as he watched the battle continue. Dubois¡¯s soldiers were still momentously pushing forward as the Wagner troops died by the number. ¡°We are truly doomed¡­ heaven has frowned upon us today¡­¡± Then, coming from the hill was a lone horseman: Nina Wagner.


    ¡°Soldiers of the House of Dubois! I present to you your king!¡± Holding it by his hair, she held the head of the dead king for everyone to see. ¡°This is the face of one of the many men who jeopardize the lives of Vesterland in exchange for gold and power!¡± She threw the head to the ground. ¡°As for the rest of these traitors, we shall begin uprooting them as well.¡± She unsheathed her sword and thrust it forward. ¡°Soldiers! Charge!¡±


    Descending down the hill like a storm was the army of calvary and knights, with Xiaojun leading them. They cried and yelled as the soldiers of Dubois turned in fear. Nina could only grin as she watched the battle win in her favor. ¡°If only I had access to even more troops.¡±


    The knights charged right into the hapless soldiers as men were flung into the air. The soldiers of Dubois fell and died like germs as they found themselves completely surrounded by enemies. Blood poured and sprayed about as the knights and soldiers crushed every last ounce of resistance.


    When the fighting subsided and the field grew cold, the victory over the House of Dubois was more than evident. The blue of the Dubois coat of arms decorated the green field like a blanket of corpses. Nina was hailed as a hero as the knights cheered her courage and the soldiers thanked her. ¡°You saved our lives!¡± they cried. ¡°If you didn¡¯t come in at that moment, we would¡¯ve all died!¡±Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.


    Even King Wagner gave his gratitude. ¡°Nina, you have truly proven your worth. For the past set of years, you have won victory after victory against all of our enemies. For that, I thank you and continue to thank you.¡± Nina bowed her head as she knelt down. ¡°Thank you father.¡±


    There was only one man who didn¡¯t behold such emotions. Setting her aside, Grimwald immediately reprimanded her. ¡°You took my knights! The men who were entrusted to my command!¡± he growled. ¡°Do you not realize the consequences of this? Friedrich died because of you!¡± He raised his hand to hit her.


    Suddenly, his hand was grabbed and he was thrown to the ground. ¡°What the hell?¡± Looking at the attacker, Grimwald found it was Xiaojun. ¡°This is a private conversation! How dare you impose?¡± To this, the warrior had a simple reply. ¡°I go where she goes. That is all.¡± Nina just laughed as she looked at the brother. ¡°What would you have done with the calvary then?¡±


    ¡°I¡­ would¡¯ve¡­ attacked and killed the enemy!¡± Nina just laughed some more. ¡°Attack an enemy who was long expecting us? An enemy who was armed to the teeth with cannons? An enemy who greatly outnumbers us? Be thankful that we managed to survive this day. Many of the other factions of Vesterland will look at us with either jealousy or fear after this day. If you wish, you can prove yourself more formidable in a foreign battlefield.¡± She grabbed Xiaojun by the arm and exited the tent.


    Grimwald was always like that: a jealous older brother who despised his sister¡¯s ability to gain such notoriety and fame. Since Nina was accomplishing so much as just a skinny girl, part of Grimwald felt nothing short of humiliated. Fortunately, Nina didn¡¯t have much thought or care about it. She had bigger things to worry about.


    That night, the entire army was holding a feast as nearby women and villagers provided plenty of food and entertainment. ¡°The King of Dubois has harassed and bullied us for years! Thank you for liberating us oh great King Wagner!¡± With the smell of alcohol and laughter reverberating around, everyone was celebrating and dancing.


    Yet Xiaojun sat far from the party. Sitting on a tree stump and holding onto his weapon, he looked off into the night. His face and body had been covered in more and more stars ever since he had joined with Nina as her mercenary. He had gotten bigger and stronger, as his experience made him a one of a kind warrior. But even with this great amount of progress, he had one thought on his mind: the mysterious warrior he had seen years ago.


    He could still see him vividly by closing his eyes. The scaled cataphract armor and the large guandao that the warrior wielded. The mask that covered his mouth, and the mighty words that exuded from his mind. ¡°It takes a bad day to turn a king into a peasant, but it takes a good man to turn a peasant into a king.¡± Still, a part of him wanted to see the mighty warrior one day.


    ¡°Are you alright?¡± Holding two cups of ale, Nina sat herself next to Xiaojun. ¡°Here. Have one.¡± She handed him a the drink, and they both took a sip. ¡°A little sour for my taste,¡± she said with a smile, ¡°but it still tastes good.¡± Together, they watched the moon rise high in the sky and the grass dance with every gust of the wind.


    ¡°This world is such an ugly yet beautiful place,¡± Nina said. ¡°The same world that just killed my brother is the same world that can look like it came from a dream.¡± A tear fell from her eye. It was clear that her brother¡¯s words made a clear dent into her heart. ¡°Xiaojun, tell me it wasn¡¯t my fault that Friedrich died. Please. Please tell me it wasn¡¯t my fault.¡± She began to seriously weep, taking Xiaojun by surprise. In their years together, it was rare for her to show any emotion other than cool confidence.


    ¡°It wasn¡¯t your fault.¡± Xiaojun gently held her head as she continued to cry. He didn¡¯t know what else to say or do. In fact, the mere idea of love and care was still more than alien to him. There were only two people he¡¯s trusted: the mysterious warrior and the girl right now crying in his lap. So he just said what he could. ¡°It wasn¡¯t your fault.¡±


    The next day, Nina pretended as if nothing had ever happened. She was back to being the cool and confident leader she was famous for being. And so, she would win more and more victories with Xiaojun at her side. More and more houses and factions capitulated as the sly tactician deployed her unconventional tactics and even more unconventional warrior.


    ¡°Fire!¡± Firing cannons from the trees, her forces decimated complete lines of infantry with unexpected explosive shots that ravaged through the enemy army. With every battle, she grew more and more famous as every kingdom of Vesterland heard her name.


    But she didn¡¯t have the powers of a god. One by one, her brothers began to fall as calamity took them. Langlais, the second youngest brother, ended up dying of disease. When she about to recover from the cataclysm, Charles died from an ambush to the north. In the end, the only two siblings were her and her devious older brother. She had no more allies.


    ¡°Why? Why did this have to happen?¡± Sitting in her room, she continued to weep and cry as she buried her head into her hands. Battle after battle, she had contained her sorrow and stress. Battle after battle, she had contained the pains of combat. Battle after battle, she continued to win despite feeling that it was the world she was fighting against.


    Then the door opened. Frantically wiping the tears away, Nina looked up to find it was just Xiaojun. Even though the world was against her, at least Xiaojun managed to stay by her side. She stood up and shut the door before embracing the loyal warrior. ¡°I¡¯m sorry Xiaojun,¡± she whimpered. ¡°I¡¯m so weak.¡±


    Xiaojun held onto her, still not knowing how to react. ¡°You aren¡¯t weak,¡± he said. ¡°You¡¯re the only reason I can find a way to be strong. Do you remember when we met? You chose me out of all of those strong and mighty warriors. You are strong Nina. Please believe me when I say this.¡±


    ¡°Thank you for being by my side!¡± she cried. For a moment, the two held each other and cried as the horrors of the world were put aside for a moment. At least for this pocket in time, Nina could have a moment with the warrior who had always been by her side. ¡°Nina,¡± he finally said. ¡°I have something to tell you.¡±


    Suddenly, the door barged as a soldier went inside. ¡°Princess! We have an urgent issue! Please! Attend the castle walls immediately!¡± With that, the two parted from each other as Nina wiped her tears. ¡°Understood!¡± she said, putting her tears away. The three of them ran to the fortifications as they looked beyond.


    Hordes upon hordes of soldiers lined outside, setting up their siege camp. Nina looked in shock. ¡°An army of this size should¡¯ve been notified to me a long time ago!¡± Then she thought of something. She would¡¯ve been notified unless someone either hid these notifications, or told the scouts not to report it. ¡°My brother called these soldiers.¡±


    Sitting on the other side of the walls was Grimwald. He grinned as the Jiaguonese soldiers prepared their siege camp. ¡°General Tsao,¡± Grimwald said with a smile. ¡°Thank you for understanding how my sister¡¯s cursed hold on the Wagner House could lead to a threat against the Jiaguonese Empire.¡± The general laughed in response. ¡°Of course! And is there plenty of loot inside to refinance the empire?¡± Grimwald nodded. ¡°Plenty.¡±


    Back in the walls, Nina was quick to begin her plan. ¡°It is unlikely we survive. As a result, we must have defense in depth. Make every inch of their gain a catastrophe in destruction. Let me guess, is the escape route out of the castle sabotaged?¡±


    ¡°Yes m¡¯lady,¡± the soldier replied. Nina nodded. ¡°Of course. My brother wants me dead here. What a fool. If this army defeats us and takes the castle, they will have no choice but to turn to every other village and town in Vesterland. He¡¯s brought a parasite and his small mind doesn¡¯t even know it.¡±


    She then turned to the armory where she presented her one ace in the hole. There, she presented a long metal stick groved with wood and mechanisms. ¡°What is it?¡± Xiaojun asked. He watched as she rammed a lead ball into the barrel, lit a match, and aimed it at a helmet. With the pull of a trigger and a thunderous sound, the ball fired into the helmet, puncturing it.


    ¡°It is a musket,¡± she said. ¡°For years, muskets have been on a slow but steady development. In case of something like this, I have a large stockpile of muskets I keep in emergency. I was hoping I could one day use it in the field, but now I know it shall die in this very castle.¡± She tossed it to a soldier as she gave Xiaojun her ultimatum. ¡°I¡¯ve always loved my brother. But since my brother has yet to reverberate my love, I must do my best to stop him before he turns this kingdom into ash.¡± With that, she went off to oversee the defenses.

 Chapter 7

    Nina did what she promised: she made the Jiaguonese pay for every step of their attack. ¡°Fire!¡± A volley of bullets fired from the castle walls with the Jiaguonese soldiers falling by the dozens. As the musketeers began to reload their weapons, they stepped down and allowed other fresh muskets take their place. ¡°Fire!¡±


    Cannons and muskets dirtied the air with their loudness and their smoke. The muskets targeted the soldiers while the cannons destroyed any and all of the enemy siege towers and rams. The enemy was being torn to shreds as Nina used the power of guns. ¡°Fire!¡±


    Eventually, the enemy soldiers began to climb the walls. ¡°Retreat to the next set of walls! Don¡¯t stand here to fight and die!¡± The soldiers fired their last sets of volleys before they began to pull back. The cannoneers did the same before throwing the heavy chunks of metal overboard to crush the soldiers below. ¡°Move!¡± Nina called.


    Xiaojun stayed back to ensure everyone successfully retreated. As Jiaoguonese soldiers climbed from below, he cut them down. He sliced their fingers, forcing them to fall to the chasms below. But as they began to populate the walls, he found himself surrounded. ¡°Do you think you can win this?¡± the soldiers taunted. Xiaojun said nothing.


    The soldiers charged at him simultaneously, and he made them regret it. He threw the first soldier off of the wall before jamming his halberd into the second. One by one, he sliced and thrust through them. He turned the stone red as the blood poured out of the bodies. ¡°Xiaojun!¡± Nina called. ¡°Pull back!¡± With a nod, he complied.


    Within moments, the soldiers rallied around the second set of walls. They had their muskets ready as Nina continued her commands. ¡°Fire!¡± Another set of armored Jiaguonese soldiers fell as the bullets proved their armor to be useless. ¡°Fire!¡±


    Nina continued to call her commands as she watched the flooding of Jiaguonese soldiers slow down. ¡°Fire!¡± Her head began to ache as if something were crawling into her mind. ¡°Fire!¡± It was a strange and disgusting feeling she had never experienced. ¡°Fire¡­¡± She felt dizzy as she heard a voice from within call her name. ¡°Nina Wagner¡­ Nina Wagner¡­¡± With her last seconds of consciousness, she tugged onto Xiaojun urgently. ¡°Take¡­ command¡­¡± Then she fell completely unconscious.


    She opened her eyes to find herself in a dark void. Nina gasped and hyperventilated. Something was strange about the air. It was as if the place she was in was nowhere close to home, let alone the world of the living. ¡°Nina Wagner.¡± It was the same voice that had began to call in her mind. ¡°You have filled the world with much sin and blood Nina.¡±


    Stepping in front of her was an enormous humanoid being, and yet she knew it could never be human. He must¡¯ve stood to a hundred meters high as he wore a deep cloak and a crown of glowing jewels. It was these jewels that provided the only lighting in this abyss. ¡°I have waited a long time to speak to you Nina.¡±


    The ground below her began to rise like a small platform. Slowly, she ascended high as she felt the impossible size of the titan rush into her adrenaline. She believed in God, but she never believed she would see anyone this large or powerful. Eventually, she was brought to the level of the titan¡¯s face, allowing him to properly speak to her.


    ¡°Who are you?¡± Nina asked. Her body remained frozen as she did her best to quell her anxiety. She was a woman who could easily best the nerves of battle, but even a warrior would quake within witnessing such a terrifying being and its greatness. ¡°I am a beast,¡± the titan replied. ¡°One who represents the corruption within the human spirit.¡±


    Nina sharply gasped as she looked around. Hiding in the shadows and chittering like mindless animals were other titans. One was curled into a ball and darting around. ¡°Where is it? Where is it? Where is it?¡± It angrily demanded. Another was cutting itself with a knife as it stabbed itself repeatedly. ¡°I need it! I need it! I need it!¡± The other two titans were shouting at each other with their voices being greater than any thunder. ¡°You cannot have it! I deserve it!¡± The yells were loud enough to cause Nina to fall to her back in fear.


    Then the Beast of Corruption snapped his fingers, and the noises were brought to a quiet muffle. ¡°We are all trapped and sealed within the mind of the God of Purity. Every since then, the Four Beasts and I have been waiting for a chance for escape.¡± Nina looked the beast in the eyes. ¡°Are you wanting me to make this opening?¡±


    The beast laughed with every huff of his breath being an echoing and terrifying reminder to Nina of her insignificance. ¡°No. You overestimate yourself. After all, I am but showing you a minor fraction of my strength and size,¡± the Beast of Corruption said. ¡°Humanity was the one who provided this weakness. For every sin that humanity causes, the God of Purity cracks. Centuries of avarice. Centuries of jealousy. Centuries of lust. And centuries of hate.¡±


    The titan reached his hand under the platform Nina was sitting on. ¡°It will be any moment until the God fractures, and we will be free.¡± His hand began to grow like a black plague of disgust as it rose and formed a cage around Nina. ¡°That is why I choose you to be the one I shall possess, Afterward, I shall create my domain in the world of the living.¡±


    Nina screamed as the black hand covered the world around her.¡±No! Please! Why do you choose me?¡± The Beast of Corruption swallowed her whole as he gave his answer. ¡°In order to create a world of corruption, I must cull the one who is most pure.¡±


    Meanwhile, in the world of the living, Xiaojun continued to make the calls as he paid attention to Nina¡¯s unconscious body. ¡°Fire!¡± he commanded. Another volley thundered from the muskets. The Jiaguonese began to climb the walls as their numbers proved to simply be too much. ¡°Keep fighting!¡± he called. ¡°Whatever you do, keep¡ª¡±


    Within a blink, the sky turned black. It wasn¡¯t like they were clouded, but more like the sky itself was stolen. No sun. No light. No hope. ¡°Fools of your own creation,¡± a voice without origin spoke. ¡°Men of sin find only hell to await them.¡± Then it was all black.


    Xiaojun woke up to find the sounds of screams everywhere. His head hurt as he struggled to find himself onto his feet. ¡°What happened? Where am I?¡± Then he turned to find a large centipede-like creature crawling towards him. The insect had a mask-like structure on its fa which attempted to fix onto Xiaojun¡¯s head. ¡°What in the hell?¡± He jumped back and sliced the thing in half. He immedately turned to find more and more swarms which attacked the many other soldiers.


    Jiaguonese and Vesterlandish soldiers were attacked equally, as both were sinful. Xiaojun watched as one of the centipedes latched itself onto one of the people¡¯s mouths. The man screamed in fear as blood flowed from his mouth. The creature then latched off as the man attempted to form words only to find that his tongue had been completely eaten off.


    ¡°Push forward! We have to get out of here!¡± Xiaojun called. Wherever he was, he surely didn¡¯t know. He just knew that sitting in this one spot would lead to all of their deaths. Slicing through troves of centipedes, he continued to mosh his way through. Eventually, he found himself descending lower as he continued to move. ¡°Hurry!¡±


    Thoughts invaded his head as he traversed the unearthly place. With the ground and earth being constructed of hardened blood, he knew that this plane had to be a place of impossible and terrifying fantasy. ¡°I¡¯m afraid.¡± It was the fear of monsters he had dreaded since he was a boy. ¡°I¡¯m truly afraid.¡±


    Naked and brutalized bodies moaned as they remained chained to the sides. ¡°Save¡­ us¡­ please¡­¡± they begged. Their fingers had been cut off as the stubbing things bled endless rivers of blood. ¡°Kill¡­ us¡­¡± Xiaojun just continued to run as he knew that stopping here would mean dying to some other demon. It was at this moment that he began to descend further.This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings.


    The roars and moans of the dead and dying began to thunder as Xiaojun froze in place. Before him, like a garden, were orchards upon orchards of iron trees abundant with bodies which bled from its branches. They reached and cried as they wriggled like mutilated worms. ¡°Come closer! Come to us!¡± they begged. ¡°We need to eat!¡±


    Xiaojun watched as his fellow soldiers blindly charged forward. Suddenly, a large misshapened beast grabbed the soldiers and threw them to the trees. ¡°No! Please!¡± There was an audible cut as the branches crucified their flesh. The other bodies, starving for meat, began to grab and tear at their flesh as they force fed themselves. ¡°Meat¡­ finally¡­ meat¡­¡± The soldiers cried and shrieked, though their screams would only blend to the already thunderous moans of the damned.


    Xiaojun continued to charge through as he cut straight through the demons. He had to move. He had to run. ¡°Nina!¡± he cried. ¡°I need to find Nina!¡± That was the only name and face he could imagine. The only person that could save him. She was the reason he became a warrior. She would be the reason he could survive. Little did he knew that she had already been forced into a pact with the Beast of Corruption.


    He continued to descend further into the realms of hell as more and more of the soldiers were killed in the most brutal of ways. Some were grabbed and pulled into vats of boiling oil, perpetually burning and killing them as boils formed upon boils of their flesh. Others were cut into pieces as a demon butchered them apart piece by peace. In the end, only Xiaojun managed to continue his descent into hell.


    Butchering his way through demons and monsters, Xiaojun was in the fiercest of battles he could¡¯ve ever imagined. In Vesterland, he had gotten used to using dirty tactics and plain fighting to win against humans. But here in this hell, demons and monsters played with the same rules that ruled Xiaojun¡¯s childhood: the crueler survive. The monster inside Xiaojun had been revived.


    ¡°Die!¡± the warrior cried. He grabbed a demon by his horns and slowly turned it. The demon resisted with all he could, but it wasn¡¯t enough. With a hard movement, Xiaojun snapped the monster¡¯s neck. He moved on just as he was forced to dodge the blade of a hulking monster.


    The monster, with his head incased into a forever burning box of red metal, clumsily lugged a large and heavy blade which looked more like a slab of metal than a sword. Xiaojun dodged the next strike as he jammed his halberd into the monster¡¯s phallus. The beast screamed within his forever melting helmet as Xiaojun left the monster to bleed.


    Step by step, he released his sense of humanity and embraced the inhumanity within him. He grew a smile as he felt the joy of terror and fear. ¡°I¡¯ll kill every last one of you, do you believe me? I¡¯ll do it!¡± Plunging into hell by himself, he continued to cut anyone in his way. His weapon had become dull due to his bloodlust, but in the end it was still a weapon.


    More and more monsters of unbelievable size and shape continued to hunt him down as he monstrously continued to cut them to pieces. Every muscle of his body ached, but the power of his adrenaline and bloodlust continued to fuel his rampage. ¡°More! I need more!¡±


    Suddenly, a bull the size of a hill charged through the wall. It rammed right into Xiaojun who spewed a mouthful of blood as he recovered. The bull roared a howl which reverberated throughout all of hell. Xiaojun just smiled as he held onto his weapon. ¡°I¡¯ll show you what pain feels like.¡±


    The bull charged once more, but Xiaojun jumped to the side. Moving fast, he climbed onto the beast and sprinted to the face of the being. He landed onto the bull¡¯s nose. Then, with a grin, he looked into its large eyes. ¡°Pain.¡± He thrust his weapon into the giant eye, laughing as it shrieked in pain. Xiaojun ignored the copious amounts of blood which flowed out as he continued to cut. As if he were digging through dirt, he cut through deeper into the bull until he finally reached its stomach. Forming a tunnel of meat, he cut out of the monster. The bull was dead.


    He turned to move, but then he heard a voice. ¡°You have fought well human. But it is time for you to admit your weakness to deities.¡± Rising around him, a large cloaked titan stared him down as other titans exuded their strange emotions as well. ¡°Why do you even resist? You have been fighting a battle you will eventually lose.¡±


    ¡°Who are you?¡± Xiaojun demanded. He watched as the hand of the titan reached to grab him. ¡°Get away from me!¡± Xiaojun slashed against the hand only for his steel weapon to shatter upon impact. The warrior stumbled back as the titan looked at his hand and laughed. ¡°You couldn¡¯t even break the cells of my flesh, and yet you still wish to make demands?¡±


    The Beast of Corruption chuckled as the mere mortal continued to scamper in front of him. ¡°You are nothing but a mere pin in the framework of this world. It is almost entertaining to see a human fight like this. Don¡¯t you know that all of your other comrades have been killed and destroyed?¡±


    The Beast of Corruption laughed as Xiaojun shook with every decibel. His adrenaline was waning, and the fear which he hid inside his bones had returned. His minuscule presence was simply being overpowered by the mere existence of the deities around him. He felt that even touching one of them meant his death. ¡°What is this?¡± he uttered.


    ¡°This is the coming of the Four Beasts,¡± the large titan finally answered. His voice boomed and echoed throughout all of the Diyu as Xiaojun could only listen. ¡°The Beast of Avarice. The Beast of Jealousy. The Beast of Hatred. And the Beast of Lust. As for me,¡± the deity said, ¡°I am the Beast of Corruption. I am a being beyond their power and scope. The shadow within the God of Purity.¡±


    Then, rising from the depths, was a figure that caused Xiaojun to gasp upon seeing. ¡°Nina!¡± he exclaimed. The blonde girl remained motionless as she floated in the air as if she had been crucified. ¡°Nina! Tell me what¡¯s going on! Please!¡± But he didn¡¯t get a single reply. Instead, the Beast of Corruption would be the one to speak. ¡°She shall be my portal to the world of the living. The one you knew as ¡®Nina¡¯ is now gone.¡±


    Xiaojun began to sprint forward, but with a snap, the ground grabbed him into place. With his feet and torso being gripped by the disgusting earth, Xiaojun could only watch as the Beast of Corruption placed his titanic and grotesque finger into Nina¡¯s head. ¡°Nina!¡± Xiaojun cried.


    The floating body began to seizure as the Beast of Corruption possessed her. Xiaojun could only watch as the Beast of Corruption phased his titanic body into her. ¡°Get away from her!¡± he demanded. ¡°Please!¡± Tears fell down his face as he struggled fruitlessly. His one and only friend was being destroyed in front of him.


    Eventually, the scene ended as the transformation completed. Nina¡¯s eyes opened as if she were a corpse. Descending onto the earth, she walked about as she understood her new body. Even the way she breathed was different from the way the real Nina would breathe. ¡°You bastard!¡± Xiaojun cried. ¡°I¡¯ll kill you!¡±


    ¡°That will not be happening.¡± The false Nina spoke in a strange and demonic way which conjoined her real voice with the thousands of other voices trapped within the Beast of Corruption. ¡°Since you are such an interesting specimen, you shall be the host of the Beast of Lust. You are his opposite, and therefore his corruption of your soul shall be most worthwhile.¡±


    The other titans laughed as one of them reached his hand to grab the trapped warrior. Xiaojun attempted to kick and wriggle his way out off the earth¡¯s grip only for all attempts to prove completely futile. ¡°I won¡¯t let you get away with this! You¡¯re dead!¡± But he only heard continued laughter from each of the titans, as if the deities were only mocking his little efforts of resistance. ¡°You have fought well human. But it is now time for you to die.¡±


    ¡°No. It is not.¡± It was a new voice. Sprinting forward, a strange and mysterious figure appeared as he slashed against the Beast of Lust¡¯s hand. This strike, unlike Xiaojun¡¯s, was actually harmful as the laughter stopped and the beast seethed in pain. Cutting the earth¡¯s grip away, the stranger freed Xiaojun from his restraints.


    ¡°It¡¯s you,¡± the Beast of Corruption growled within Nina¡¯s body. ¡°It seems that in any time, it shall always be you.¡± The stranger helped Xiaojun onto his feet. Cataphract armor. A guandao. And a voice Xiaojun could always remember. ¡°This man is humanity¡¯s envoy against you,¡± the stranger said. ¡°As a result, I cannot allow you to kill him.¡±


    The four beasts began to speak amongst themselves as they looked at Xiaojun with growing unease. ¡°Him? He¡¯s the envoy?¡± ¡°That can¡¯t possibly be true!¡± ¡°We must kill him now!¡± Xiaojun coughed as he stood to his feet. Looking at the mysterious warrior, he knew it was the same man who rescued him from Dajing. However, there was something different: the man wasn¡¯t wearing a mask.


    The man¡¯s mouth had lips, and yet one could see dozens upon dozens of teeth as his cheeks were virtually nonexistent. There was only one conclusion one could make: this man was either a monster or a demon. ¡°The envoy will return to the world of the living,¡± the demon said.


    ¡°So we shall meet again,¡± the Beast of Corruption growled. ¡°Very well, Jin the Half-Man. But when I shall meet with the envoy, I will tear him and humanity limb from limb.¡± The demon said nothing as he lifted the weakened Xiaojun onto his back. A portal opened in front of them as he began to walk towards it. ¡°When that day comes,¡± he said to the Beast of Corruption, ¡°he shall bring peace with him.¡± They walked through the portal, finally exiting the Diyu.

 Chapter 8

    Xiaojun woke up with the haziest of memory as his head and body seared with pain. ¡°Where am I?¡± he muttered aloud. ¡°What just happened?¡± He looked to see that he was being dragged by a nine-tailed fox. With a rope tied to his leg, the animal had continuously dragged him forward.


    The fox lay him down in a forest where she transformed into her human form. ¡°Good lord,¡± she panted, ¡°you¡¯re finally conscious. You do know that you¡¯re a heavy bastard, right?¡± Xiaojun attempted to sit himself up, only to be attacked by a sharp pain. ¡°What happened? Didn¡¯t I just kill Siumeng?¡± he asked. Hua started a fire as she answered. ¡°When you killed him, the castle began to fall apart. Luckily, I didn¡¯t run far and I managed to find an opening back into the room. You were already on the floor.¡±


    She lit the flame and sat back, drinking loads of water as her exhausted body attempted to rejuvenate itself. ¡°I picked you up, and for days, I¡¯ve been hauling you and feeding you my blood.¡± Xiaojun shot up, ignoring the pain in his body. ¡°I¡¯ve been unconscious for days?¡± he demanded. Hua nodded in response. ¡°Your body was covered in these poisoned needles, which must¡¯ve been the reason why it took so long for your body to heal, even with my blood.¡±


    Xiaojun scoffed as he held his weapon. At the very least, he still had that of all things. ¡°We have to get moving. I¡¯ve been asleep for far too long.¡± Hua just exhaustively laughed as she shook her head. ¡°You forget that I¡¯ve been hauling a giant warrior wearing loads of armor and holding that big weapon. I am not moving another inch without my rest.¡±


    ¡°Do you not realize what is at stake?¡± Xiaojun demanded. ¡°While we rest here, the Four Beasts and the Beast of Corruption are building themselves and their forces! Evil is spreading while we sit in these woods and rest.¡± Hua yawned as she laid herself down. ¡°Yeah. I know. You¡¯ve been mumbling on about it while you were out. ¡®I¡¯ll kill you demon.¡¯ Or something like ¡®Nina! Stay away!¡¯ I can tell you want to fight.¡±


    Xiaojun prepared to rise to his feet to reprimand the fox girl only to fall right as he stood up. Hua just side eyed him as she closed her eyes. ¡°Tomorrow morning, we can get out of here. Does that sound good?¡± To this Xiaojun grunted before finally resigning. ¡°Fine. That sounds good.¡± With that, they closed their eyes, though Xiaojun slept lightly.


    The next morning, as promised, they were back on the move. Hua exhaled in relief as she cracked her back. ¡°Carrying you around really takes its toll, you know.¡± Xiaojun said nothing as his mind remained preoccupied with other things. So many memories had resurfaced during his time of unconsciousness. Memories of the Half-Man. Memories of the wars. Memories of Nina. It was this coalition of memories that haunted his mind.


    ¡°By the way, why are you so adamant to heading to Dajing?¡± Hua asked. ¡°You mentioned it only once: something about how the Beast of Corruption is probably there. Not that I¡¯m doubting you, since I¡¯ve seen how all humans are a bit crazy in the head, but at the same time I don¡¯t think seeing him early on is a great idea.¡± Xiaojun grunted in response as he scolded the girl. ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°When you were fighting Siumeng and his sons, I could tell you were struggling,¡± she said. ¡°Even with the excuse of being injured at the time, I highly doubt that Siumeng is even a fraction of the strength that any of the Four Beasts, let along the Beast of Corruption, is capable of. I think you need to get stronger first.¡±


    ¡°I am strong enough,¡± Xiaojun replied. ¡°I will make it work. As humanity¡¯s envoy, I must rid the world of them.¡± They continued to march on as Hua sighed in disbelief. ¡°I don¡¯t know much, but I¡¯m sure that the title of being ¡®the envoy¡¯ can only do so much.¡± Suddenly she stopped. ¡°Something¡¯s wrong.¡±


    She transformed into a fox, sniffing the air like a dog searching for a specific scent. Afterward, she returned to her human form with a face of complete fear. ¡°That smell! Good god! It¡¯s the same smell I felt back in Lord Luo¡¯s castle!¡± Xiaojun held his weapon and prepared himself. ¡°What smell?¡± he asked. With fear in her eyes, she gave the answer. ¡°The smell of a demon.¡±


    Fog covered the land around them as they stood carefully. It was a complete mistake to continue venturing on while being injured and exhausted. But Xiaojun knew what he was getting himself into. Ignoring the sharp pain in his body and mind, he stanced himself and his weapon properly.


    Muddy footsteps came from the right as they immediately turned towards it. They were strong and heavy footsteps, as if the being coming toward them was a dark and corrupted knight. ¡°The smell! I hate it! We should run!¡± Hua whispered. But Xiaojun held his ground. ¡°If we run, it will catch us. You know that running from demons is impossible.¡± Then the footsteps stopped.


    There was a terrifying silence. The kind of silence that proceeds a gunshot or earthquake. The kind of silence that the dead give upon their passing. The two held their breath as they prepared for what was to come. There was no room for weakness.


    Suddenly, a figure charged in and Xiaojun blocked its strike. As quickly as it came in, it returned to the fog. ¡°What was that?¡± Hua yelped. The figure returned and gave another strike. Xiaojun blocked it once more as the figure went back into the fog. It was as if the demon was playing and toying with the two of them.


    ¡°Show yourself!¡± Xiaojun demanded. He struck into the fog only to leave himself completely open. In this split second, he found a blade¡¯s tip right at his throat as both he and Hua froze in place. Then, emerging from the fog, was the demon himself. ¡°Xiaojun. You are wounded,¡± the demon said. The warrior froze as he recognized the face of the demon. ¡°Jin the Half-Man¡­¡±


    Soon after, they were brought to an isolated hut within the fog. It seemed that Jin had been living in the hut for a while as there was bedding, a fire, and other signs of residency. Sitting inside, Hua and Xiaojun awaited the return of the demon. ¡°Who was that?¡± Hua asked. ¡°Why didn¡¯t he kill us?¡±


    She silenced herself as the door reopened. Jin presented them with bowls of rice porridge. Hua squealed when she saw it. ¡°Rice! How did you get this?¡± She immediately ate through his warm bowl as Jin sat himself down. ¡°If one scours enough, they can find many villages with food. The people have either died, or ran before they could even pack supplies.¡±


    Xiaojun slowly supped from his bowl as the demon sat patiently. ¡°What do you want?¡± he asked. Jin gave a straight-forwarded answer. ¡°You need to heal, and you need to better consider your current strategy.¡± Xiaojun slammed his fist down as he replied. ¡°Are you asking me to give up?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Jin calmly said. ¡°I am simply asking you to be smart, as the enemies of man are thinking just as intelligently.¡± The fog remained outside as they sat patiently. ¡°For one, entering the Fog of the Depths was not an intelligent move.¡±Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site.


    Hua looked up from her bowl. ¡°The Fog of the Depths?¡± Jin nodded. ¡°Xiaojun knew about it as he led you here. Many creatures and monsters venture here and use the fog as cover. In fact, this hut was once the home of a lonely gardener. You can find her in the fog, though not as the woman she used to be.¡±


    Hua scoffed in disgust as she looked at the warrior. ¡°You idiot! If you knew that this place was full of monsters, why in the hell did you bring us here?¡± Jin answered for Xiaojun. ¡°He wanted a shortcut. He wanted to make it to Dajing as soon as possible.¡± Hua slapped her own face in irritation. ¡°We¡¯re injured and tired! Do you realize that our supplies have been running low too? Why?¡±


    ¡°Hubris,¡± Jin once again answered. ¡°You forget, Xiaojun, that although you are the envoy of man, you are also only a man. Even with my armor and weapon, you are still a man.¡± Xiaojun scoffed in complete irritation as he looked the demon in the eye. ¡°If you wish to be the envoy, why don¡¯t you do it then?¡±


    ¡°I do not wish to be the envoy,¡± Jin calmly replied. ¡°And I cannot be the envoy of man, when I am not a man. My blood and body is tainted with the blood and body of a demon. When I walk in the realms of man, I must conceal my face in order to not terrify them. You know this, Xiaojun. That is why you, someone who is truly a man, must represent your kind.¡±


    ¡°Then why do you care so damn much?¡± Xiaojun demanded. ¡°As you just said, humans don¡¯t even want to look at you! So why do you care so much about humanity¡¯s survival?¡± Jin calmly sighed as he supped on his cup of tea. ¡°My reasons have changed over the eons, but what matters in the present is your actions, Xiaojun. You must be patient and fight the beasts when you are truly ready.¡± Xiaojun scoffed once more. ¡°And how do you want me to be ready?¡± Jin rose to his feet.


    ¡°You killed the demon known as Siumeng. A feat, but in the end, the Beasts cannot be killed with the means of normal and conventional weapons. You must use a gifted weapon in order to do so.¡± He then retrieved a map and pointed to mountains in the north. ¡°Here. This is where you can retrieve one. It will require every ounce of your strength, but once you have it, you will be a step closer to defeating the Beasts.¡±


    Xiaojun finished his porridge quickly as he rose to his feet. ¡°If what you are telling me is true, then I must begin my journey now.¡± Jin sighed once more. ¡°Hubris. Do not lean into it. The Beast of Avarice and the Beast of Corruption can use it against you. I must ask you to wait here for some time.¡±


    Xiaojun gripped his weapon. His body, though injured, itched to leave this hut and charge forward. But in the end, he let go of his weapon. ¡°What you are saying is true.¡± He sat himself down, looking almost disappointed in himself. ¡°I¡­ I must stay then¡­¡± Suddenly, the earth began to shake as Jin calmly retrieved his sword. ¡°The monsters of the fog have smelled the scent of your flesh.¡±


    The earth shook rhythmically as something large continued to step outside. Xiaojun sighed and relaxed while Hua remained stiff and nervous. She looked out of a hole as she wished to catch a glimpse of the creature outside.


    ¡°Children? Where are you?¡± a beautiful feminine voice called from outside. It was a large multi-legged beast which walked and looked like some kind of spider. However, it had a tower of haired flesh on its top which searched around like a sentry. With a human face which blinked and maintained a wrinkling smile, the creature stomped about. ¡°Children? Where are you?¡± it called as if it were singing.


    It looked around the hut. With it¡¯s mouth located on its underside, it seemingly sniffed around. Everyone remained silent as Hua froze as she looked at the thing from her hole. Suddenly, a wounded horse neighed in the distance. Suddenly, the face turned to the horse¡¯s direction and began to grin with its teeth. ¡°There you are child! I have missed you!¡±


    It began to sprint with each one of its feet shaking the earth with its weight. The horse struggled to run, as one of its legs was visibly broken. The spider impaled the horse with one of its legs as the face began to laugh. ¡°Mommy gets scared when you run! She feels as if you don¡¯t love her anymore!¡± With the horse screaming and bleeding, the spider stuffed the creature into her maw. With a single bite, the screaming stopped.


    Satiated for now, the spider went off as Jin and Xiaojun pretended as if nothing happened. ¡°What was that thing?¡± Hua asked, still shaken by the sight. ¡°That,¡± Jin answered, ¡°was the woman who lived here. When she was still human, her husband died in one of the emperor¡¯s many wars and their only child died as an infant. Demons love to plague those in pain, which is why they chose her to be their next victim.¡±


    Hua curled herself as she shook with the thought of pure fear. ¡°I know I¡¯m technically a monster, but if things like that exist, how can humans even compare us?¡± Jin said nothing as he put his sword away, knowing that he didn¡¯t need to use it. ¡°In the end, humans are scared and fragile things living in the depths of the universe. That is why they see anything that is not human as either a resource or an enemy.¡±


    Hua knew that it was true as the days of being in Zheng Qiang¡¯s dungeon resurfaced. The faces of all those different people that remained trapped along with her flashed into her mind as well. It made her think: what good was there in saving humanity anyway? She, at the very least, could never know the answer. ¡°Jin,¡± she suddenly asked, ¡°what exactly are you if you are neither demon or human?¡±


    ¡°I am a half-man,¡± he said. ¡°I was born in a time much different from now when the walls between the world of the living and the world of demons was not well separated. It was a time far worse than this when humanity was truly nothing but a mere underbelly: a fat weakness meant to be used to eaten.¡±


    He sat himself in front of the huli jing as he explained himself. ¡°My mother was a human. She was raped. A demon had come into the night and used her as nothing but a plaything. I am the spawn that came from that crime. Ever since my birth, I have been cursed from both the lands of men and the lands of demon. A half-man, and a half-demon. One who was never whole in either.¡±


    ¡°So why do you want to fight for humanity?¡± she asked. ¡°Well,¡± he replied, ¡°I didn¡¯t want to fight for humanity. I just wanted to fight against the demons. I wished to punish them for what they did. With my strange body, I slaughtered many of them in both the world of the living and the world of demons. Hubris. Anger. Arrogance. I became nothing but a demon myself.¡±


    He looked outside, ensuring there were no more creatures here to interrupt them. ¡°There are many more details lost into the sands of time, or are simply not necessary to know. You must simply remember that Xiaojun must never give in to hatred or any of the vile emotions ushered by the beasts. There is a reason they gain strength from it, and it is because they are all the dark sides of humanity. Please ensure that he strays from that evil path.¡±


    Hua looked over at Xiaojun. The warrior had already and accidentally fallen asleep, probably since his many injuries had made him completely exhausted. With a smile on her face, she nodded. ¡°Fine, Mister Half-Man. I¡¯ll do my best.¡±


    ¡°Good,¡± Jin said. ¡°And be sure not to eat humans again. The taste is unforgettable and will call you to dark places.¡± Hua was wide eyed as she stammered. ¡°H-how did you know that I¡ª¡± Then she stopped. ¡°Not that long ago, I¡¯d probably just ignore you.¡± She sat herself back and raised her hand. ¡°Fine. I promise not to eat people. I only did all of that because I was hungry, and I had no idea what I was doing.¡±


    Jin then rose to his feet and grabbed his things. ¡°Wait wait wait,¡± Hua called, ¡°what¡¯re you doing?¡± Jin opened the door as he prepared to leave. ¡°Xiaojun does not need me. Not yet, at least. In the end, the journey as man¡¯s envoy is his and not mine.¡± He put on a straw hat which covered his head. ¡°May the heavens bless the both of you.¡± With that, he shut the door.


    Hua sighed in annoyance. ¡°What a strange guy,¡± she thought. ¡°Gives us a whole stream of information and then leaves like nothing happened.¡± She looked at the sleeping Xiaojun in front of her. Even when he was unconscious, he was still holding onto his weapon with a tight grip. ¡°Guess there really is no stopping you, huh?¡± She rested her head onto his lap and closed her eyes. ¡°What a strange man¡­¡± With that, the two of them slept restfully for the first time in a very long time.

 Chapter 9

    Xiaojun remembered the night before the Jiaguonese began their attack on the castle. He had found himself sitting on one of the towers and looking off into the enemy camp. The enemy was drinking and partying, a clear sign that they were going to attack soon. After all, the best soldier is one who is too drunk to realize he was going to die.


    Nina sat herself next to him. She rested her head onto his shoulder. ¡°Xiaojun, I¡¯m scared.¡± Her words were short, yet powerful. ¡°It seems like everything is telling me that something bad is going to happen.¡± Xiaojun held her as he tried to assure her that things would be okay. ¡°We will make it. This isn¡¯t the first losing battle we¡¯ve fought.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t understand,¡± Nina said, ¡°I¡¯ve been having terrifying dreams,¡± she said. ¡°I had a dream that this entire green field in front of us was dead, and that monsters of unbelievable sizes and proportions walked the land of the living. I¡¯ve had this dream ever since this siege began, and I don¡¯t know what it means.¡± Xiaojun held her as the girl cried. ¡°Things will be okay. I promise.¡±


    Things were never okay. Now Xiaojun was arming himself in the hut, ready to venture into the Fog of the Depths. His body felt completely healed as good sleep and a continuous diet of calories and huli jing blood accelerated the process. ¡°Are you ready?¡± Hua asked. Xiaojun held his weapon ready. ¡°Of course.¡±


    They charged out with Xiaojun holding into Hua¡¯s hand. Using a compass and her sense of smell, they navigated through the fog. ¡°Demon! Coming from the right!¡± Xiaojun turned to see a large mouth charging right for him. With a quick movement, she sliced it open and stabbed his weapon into the demon¡¯s eye. With the monster screaming and returning to the fog, they continued moving.


    They both knew the dangers of the fog as they continued to run. They both knew that if they wanted to escape, they had to fight for it. ¡°To the left!¡± Once again, Xiaojun turned as he came upon multiple humanoid beings stiffly hopping towards them. He made quick work of this horde as he slashed and diced through them. After cleaning his blade, they were back on the move.


    They ran quickly as the distant sound of roaring accelerated their pace. Hua coughed as she covered her nose. ¡°So many damn demons! I can¡¯t even tell which direction it¡¯s coming from!¡± Still running, Xiaojun held her hand tightly as he held his weapon in his other hand. Then, jumping from the mist, were dozens of different creatures.


    With that one hand, he slashed them away as they continued to run. Demons ranging from dogs to the centipedes he witnessed in the Diyu attacked the two of them as they continued to run through. Every time Xiaojun blinked, he remembered the horrors and beings he witnessed in the Diyu. ¡°Keep moving¡­ keep moving¡­¡±


    Suddenly, Xiaojun stopped and placed his hand in front of Hua. Clawing at them were piles upon piles of hands and cries which emerged from the fog. ¡°Flesh¡­ give us flesh¡­¡± They turned directions as they went around the wall. Going around, they realized it wasn¡¯t just a wall, but a cube. It was an obelisk of bodies and arms. Ignoring the thing, Xiaojun and Hua continued to move.


    The fog continued to endlessly continue as the two of them could only see a few feet in front of themselves. Turning back was surely not an option, since they didn¡¯t even know which way was backwards at this point. Though they had brought a compass from the hut, the contraption continued to malfunction as the needle spun erratically. As if inside a maze without a wall, the two of them were trapped.


    Fog was just as bad as darkness. Anything could be hiding inside. Continuing to run through this terrifying substance, the two of them refused to stop even for a moment. Stopping in a place like this would certainly mean death. They saw the things that lived here. They knew how fatal being stationary was.


    Hua gagged as one word screamed from her mind. ¡°Demons!¡± Xiaojun pushed her aside as something lunged towards them. Immediately, the warrior sliced the thing midair, leaving a split body to crumble onto the floor. Looking at the corpse, it looked to be some kind of humanoid covered in cysts that acted like scales. Along its vertebrae, like bones, were extended horns which bled from the base. Its eyes glowed in the fog, as if they were creatures made specifically for it. They looked around to find that dozens of these eyes were looking right at them.


    They sprung from the darkness in random amounts as Xiaojun sliced each and every one of them apart. Black bile showered like hellish rain as the fogdwellers continued to pile about. ¡°Keep your head down!¡± Xiaojun commanded. Just as Hua ducked, the warrior chopped another fogdweller into the ground before stomping it down. He had to make sure they were dead.


    As soon as the attack diminished, Xiaojun grabbed Hua¡¯s arm and dragged her once more. ¡°Move!¡± The fogdwellers scampered and jibbered amongst each other as they began to get on their fours and speedily crawl away. ¡°That was weird,¡± Hua said. ¡°What made them run away?¡± Then they felt it: the ground began to shake.


    ¡°Children! Children where are you?¡± The bones in Hua froze as she remembered the titanic spider she had once witnessed from inside the hut. She could remember the gaping maw which crushed the head of a horse as it smashed bones with every bite. She wanted to run, but as she turned to look at Xiaojun, she found that he had different ideas. Hua found that Xiaojun was smiling.


    ¡°When I was trapped in the Diyu, I was terrified,¡± Xiaojun admitted. He held his weapon high as the smile grew on his face. ¡°But now that I¡¯ve seen what else has been lying in that hell, I haven¡¯t got a single tremor in my body.¡± The shaking grew louder as the spider came into view. Even within the fog, the silhouette of its darting face and jumbling legs could be seen. Hua watched as the face turned right towards them. ¡°There you are children!¡±


    It charged towards them as Hua attempted to begin running. But Xiaojun grabbed onto her hand as he stood in place. ¡°What are you doing?¡± Hua screamed. ¡°Have you not seen what that thing is capable of?¡± The warrior readied his blade. ¡°Have you seen what I¡¯m capable of?¡± The spider rushed towards them as the face on it began to sing and laugh. ¡°Children! Come close! I must keep you safe!¡±


    Xiaojun closed his eyes as he felt every vibration of the quaking earth. It was as if a clock were ticking in his mind, the seconds counting down as only his breathing could be heard. ¡°I¡¯m here! Your mother is here!¡± the spider cried. Then Xiaojun made his move. He ducked to the left, narrowly dodging the impaling foot of the spider, before grabbing Hua and jumping onto the beast.


    Sitting on the top, the face began to scream as Xiaojun gave a monstrous grin. ¡°You are not my child!¡± the spider cried. It attempted to reach its legs to its top only for them to narrowly miss. The two beings were simply out of range. Walking towards the face, Xiaojun placed his hands around it, the face trembling as it began to cry and wail. ¡°Your child is dead.¡± With that, he placed his thumbs inside of its eyes and pushed it forward.


    The spider screamed as it began to run in the direction that Xiaojun pushed. The warrior laughed as he continued to steer the monster to his will. ¡°The Fog of the Depths can last for miles,¡± the warrior said, ¡°but this can definitely shorten our distance.¡±Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings.


    Hua understood the ingenuity of the plan, yet the sight of Xiaojun¡¯s pure brutalism and the agony of the spider still disgusted every part of her soul. Not long ago, this monstrosity was a kind woman who wished she could protect the one child she had. Perhaps that was they it ate with its underbelly, as mothers long to protect their children by placing them back in the womb. But now that the fog had arrived, the kind woman was just another monster.


    Sudden screeches invaded the air as Xiaojun continued to smile. Removing his hands from the face, he jammed his foot inside instead. Kicking hard enough to lodge his foot into the skull of the spider, Xiaojun held his guandao ready. ¡°Hua. Keep your head down.¡± She complied immediately as she ducked to the ground.


    Large bats began to dive from the sky as Xiaojun repelled them with his weapon. These bats looked more like men who were transformed into the shape of bats. Their teeth were as grotesque and long as fingers as they caused the mouth to protrude from their face as their backs had grown a fleshy and webbed set of wings.


    The warrior cut many of them down from the air as blood splashed onto Hua¡¯s hiding face. She screamed she wiped it off. Her enhanced sense of smell caused her to gag as the smell and taste of demon blood was as disgusting as rotten meat. Hua remained low as Xiaojun kicked the face one more time. ¡°Faster!¡± he demanded.


    The spider complied as its legs trampled even more quickly. The continuous invasion of bats did not secede, however, as they continued to flock and dive at the warrior. His bloody body revealed that they succeeded in getting a few swipes at him, but his smile revealed that they were far from defeating Xiaojun. ¡°Come on! Try that again!¡±


    The bats made another onslaught, but Xiaojun was ready. He grabbed the first one by its wings and threw it into another bat, causing the both of them to topple to the ground below. With his guandao in hand, he sliced another as the audible crack of its bones reverberated in the air. With another motion of the guandao, Xiaojun skewered another one of the demons from the air. It screamed as blood trickled from the blade, only for the warrior to quickly fling the thing into yet another bat. When any of the bats fell to the earth, they were immediately feasted upon by the fog dwellers. A bat on the ground is nothing but meat.


    ¡°Behind you!¡± Hua called. Xiaojun turned to find a bat ready to bite into his throat. But before the creature could even have a chance, Hua got to it first. Transforming into a fox, she snapped her maw into the creature¡¯s veins. Shaking it around, she threw it to the ground before returning to her human form. ¡°Gross!¡± She vomited off of the spider to get any remaining taste of demon out of her system. ¡°You owe me for that one!¡±


    Just as she said that, Xiaojun lunged his sword into something right behind her. As the demon fell to the ground below, Xiaojun wiped his blade. ¡°Consider the debt paid.¡± Finally, after what felt like a complete eternity in combat, the two of them finally had some respite. The onslaught of bats had ended.


    Xiaojun exhaled as the exhaustion exited from his strained muscles. Through all of that fighting, his body had endured numerous different scratches and cuts as blood trickled from his armor. Seeing this, Hua handed him a knife and presented her shoulder. ¡°You¡¯re hurt. Take a sip.¡±


    Xiaojun rejected the knife, but Hua remained persistent. ¡°Please. You don¡¯t need to prove anything right now. Just think of it as avoiding injury. As you obviously know, injury can offset your journey.¡± Though reluctant, he ended up taking the knife. Sighing, he cut a gentle gash into her arm and began to suck on the wound. Hua seethed a little as the blood drew from her body.


    In the end, Xiaojun was healed and the bleeding ceased. He wrapped a bandage around Hua¡¯s arm. Marked with perfect timing, they exited the fog as they initially covered their eyes upon the brightness of the outside world. Even the spider began to stutter as its body remained disoriented.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry for all this,¡± Xiaojun said to it. ¡°May you see your child and husband in another life.¡± They jumped off of the spider and, with one strong swipe, he cut a large slash into the being. The slash then started a chain reaction that, like paper, tore the spider apart. With the two of them safely on the ground, they observed this tearing. All that was left was a corpse, and a pile of bodies that had resided in the monster¡¯s stomach. Humans, fog dwellers, animals, bats, and the one horse that unfortunately ended up in the fog. Finally, the woman¡¯s soul would know peace.


    Hua brought the compass out of the bag, smiling as the contraption began to resume its normal functions. ¡°We got lucky! We¡¯re actually heading north! I could¡¯ve sworn we accidentally took a wrong turn.¡± Leaving the Fog of the Depths behind, they returned to their journey.


    ¡°You know,¡± Hua started, ¡°you¡¯ve mentioned her, but you never said who this Nina girl was.¡± Xiaojun said nothing as they continued to walk. ¡°Are you curious?¡± he asked. Hua nodded as she pointed to the bandage on her arm. ¡°From what it sounds, Nina is the reason why I¡¯m giving you blood in the first place.¡±


    They traversed through more dead fields and forests as Xiaojun responded to her. ¡°Perhaps you do deserve to know, considering that the though of eating me hasn¡¯t overpowered you.¡± Hua laughed as she jokingly bared her teeth. ¡°The thought hasn¡¯t even hit me.¡±


    Xiaojun visibly began to think, as if trying to find the right words to describe Nina. So many years together, and yet so difficult to describe. ¡°She was an exceptional person,¡± he finally said. ¡°One of the few people who tried to fight for what she thought was right. It seems like everyone, even her father, was more considerate of their image rather than their actions.¡±


    ¡°It sounds like you had a crush on her,¡± Hua teased. Xiaojun paused and prepared to release a mouthful of words. Then he sighed, as if swallowing this outburst. ¡°Perhaps you¡¯re right. Maybe in the end, it was only a crush.¡± Hua gawked as she giggled. ¡°So you did have feelings for her!¡±


    Xiaojun just continued walking as Hua continued to tease and joke around with him. ¡°The man who can tear a house apart is the same man who has a cutesy crush!¡± She pointed fingers and even sputtered her tongue as she danced about. ¡°Xiaojun¡¯s a softie! Xiaojun¡¯s a softie!¡±


    The warrior sighed. ¡°If you continue this gesture, I will leave you in these woods.¡± Immediately, the girl went silent as she stood straight and kept walking. ¡°Sir yes sir! My lips are shut!¡± For a little while, the march was quiet.


    There wasn¡¯t a single sound other than the sound of wind pressing against dead trees and grass. No chirping of birds. No trickles of rivers. Not even the roar of monsters. It was just pure and oppressive silence. ¡°Xiaojun,¡± Hua finally asked, ¡°did you ever get lonely out here?¡± To this, Xiaojun had but one answer. ¡°Yes.¡±


    He didn¡¯t even remember how long he had been doing this. For all he knew, the War of Sin could¡¯ve been a century ago. Years of marching into deep and darker forests. Years of fighting through deep and darker demons. Years of enduring deep and darker loneliness. It had the same feeling as knowing that he was going to die as soon as he turned around: pure dread and pure weakness. ¡°In these moments, I have to remain strong and harness strength from inside.¡±


    ¡°How do you do that?¡± Hua asked. They set themselves down as their exhausted bodies were ready to rest. ¡°I simply have to remember what I am, and what I came here to do,¡± he finally answered. ¡°Even now, I still have the choice to simply find a cave to retreat to and hide. But I know that this will leave Nina still in the hands of the Beast of Corruption.¡±


    He knew how poorly it sounded as he said it. ¡°I am the envoy of humanity, and yet I care only about a girl who¡¯s soul has been captured. Humanity caused this to happen anyway, by living in ways that capsized the God of Purity.¡± Though Hua didn¡¯t have any idea what any of that meant, she still agreed. ¡°You are kind of right. Humans suck.¡±


    She had more than a few unpleasant memories of the days with Zheng Qiang when the human would conduct countless experiments on them, treating them as if they were nothing but toys to be broken and tested. But at the same time, it was also Zheng Qiang who taught her the beauty and elegance of the outside world. ¡°I can¡¯t say I hate them though,¡± Hua admitted. ¡°There are some good humans out there, somewhere. Besides, humans taste pretty damn good!¡± she joked.


    Xiaojun laughed a little as he closed his eyes. It was a strange world of both horror and beauty, even in this modern age of darkness. ¡°Perhaps you¡¯re right,¡± he said. ¡°Keep talking like that, and you¡¯ll convince the envoy of humanity to fight for the right reasons.¡± Within less than a moment, he managed to fall asleep in a blink. Only with Hua was that ever possible.

 Chapter 10

    Towns in this world were either desolate or overcrowded. The overcrowded ones were jammed with refugees and villagers as each one brought their own set of grievances to the local lord or king. ¡°Sire! My village! A group of headless monsters attacked it!¡± some would scream as they attempted to rush towards the keep with their news. ¡°Back away!¡± the guards demanded, shoving them off as they held them at spear point. ¡°The lord does not need to hear your mindless nonsense!¡± As a result, the monsters of reality were simply dismissed as creatures of legend.


    Chao and his band of exhausted riders settled themselves within the tavern. The male server brought them their drinks and food as Chao grumbled in irritation. ¡°Where are all the women? And where¡¯s the good booze?¡± he demanded. The server gave the same answer he gave to the others. ¡°Too much competition within the slums. With this economy, they¡¯re nothing but extra cooks.¡±


    Chao gave a deep sigh as he drank his lukewarm alcohol. The tavern, itself, was sparsely populated as less and less people visited the business. With higher quality alcohol getting expensive and with the price of even food and water being at a pinnacle, there was no need to get a good drink.


    ¡°Good lord,¡± Chao said to his men. ¡°Look what¡¯s become of us.¡± He placed a small and nearly empty bag onto the table as only a few coins bled from the sack. ¡°We¡¯ve become nothing but lowley bandits in the countryside, and we still barely make anything. One day we¡¯re glorious mercenaries, and the next day we¡¯re just plain crooks!¡±


    A figure in a hood and cloak remained silent as they eavesdropped on them. They kept their ears open and their hands ready as they waited for more information to spew. ¡°It all started because of that demon warrior,¡± he scoffed. Another one of his men chimed in as he added to the depressive discussion. ¡°You¡¯re right, boss. That¡¯s what they¡¯ve been calling him now: The Demon Warrior.¡±


    Chao shivered at the mere utterance of that name. ¡°I still remember the day when we tried getting that foxgirl.¡± His eyes stared blankly as his memory churned. ¡°He burned one of our faces into the fire and just tossed him like an object. He stabbed one of us and threw us into another. He even threw his guandao into my horse, holding me captive as if I was some damsel.¡± He took a hard sip from his drink before giving a teary exhale. ¡°That warrior is no man. He is truly a demon.¡±


    The cloaked figure shrugged as they stood up. There didn¡¯t seem to be anymore important information. First, they fixed a straw hat to their head and left a generous tip. Then they drew a long barrel of steel: a gun. Engraved with dragons to glorify the barrel, the gun was immediately pointed to one of the men. Inhale. Exhale. They pulled the trigger.


    The gun gave a thunderous blast of noise as lead penetrated into the man¡¯s skull. Immediately after he tumbled to the ground, the figure clicked a knife-like tool into the barrel of the weapon. It was a bayonet. Without a moment to lose, the figure gutted one of the men before disarming the other and knocking him out with the butt of her weapon.


    The remainder of the soldiers began to flee as they immediately went for the door. ¡°This job was a mistake! I should¡¯ve become a farmer like my father!¡± They sprinted out as Chao was held at bayonet point by the figure. ¡°Hey, take it easy,¡± he calmly said, his hands in the air. ¡°You got me fair and square.¡± The figure responded by just tossing a rope to him.


    ¡°Tie yourself.¡± The voice was deep, but Chao immediately went wide eyed when he realized it was the voice of a girl. ¡°God dammit! First the fox girl and now this? Another girl ruining my life!¡± He binded his hands as the woman grabbed him by the ropes. ¡°What are you?¡± Chao asked, ¡°the police?¡±


    ¡°No. Just a person making some money.¡± After a short walk, she handed him in to the local guards. ¡°I¡¯m here for the bounty on him.¡± The official handed her stacks of paper money, but she just scoffed upon their sight. ¡°You realize those are worthless, right?¡± she said. The official stumbled back as the intimidating woman¡¯s eyes were enough to frighten him. ¡°It¡¯s all we can pay! If you would like, I could pay half as much in silver pieces!¡± The woman scoffed some more as she slammed her fist on the table. The nearby guards didn¡¯t know if it was even safe to reprimand her. But finally, the woman subsided in her anger. ¡°I¡¯ll take your damned silver.¡±


    She was back on the streets of the town with her pockets barely any heavier than they were previously. Perhaps she could join up with an army as a mercenary once more, offering her services to the highest bidder again. ¡°No,¡± she thought to herself, ¡°wars aren¡¯t nearly as profitable as they were before.¡± Looting burnt villages only brought ash instead of treasure. ¡°Bounty hunting it is,¡± she sighed to herself.


    She went into the market, visiting one of the smithys. The store was mostly empty, as business was clearly not going so well. When the owner of the place saw the cloaked visitor, he was ecstatic with energy. ¡°Hello! How may I help you?¡± he asked. The woman looked around, as if her eyes were searching for something specific. ¡°I need a few ingots of lead.¡±


    ¡°Oh, we have plenty! Are you planning on building something?¡± the storekeeper asked. The woman lightly nodded. ¡°Something like that.¡± In moments, the keeper handed her the ingots. ¡°Here you go!¡± Holding onto the heavy lumps of metal, she began to count. ¡°Twenty-six¡­ twenty-seven¡­¡± She was considering how many bullets she could make with each.


    In the end, the storekeeper got some silver and she got to have her lead. She didn¡¯t need to shape them right now, since she already had plenty on her person. What she did need, though, was a new job. If it had as little payout as Chao¡¯s bounty did, then she¡¯d be homeless.


    The woman explored the different billboards which had different criminals. ¡°100,000,000 Qiang for Huang the Butcher.¡± ¡°8,000,000 Qiang for Hong the Thief.¡± ¡°10 Qiang for Long the Annoying.¡± The woman scoffed at these worthless posters. The worth of a Qiang was only good enough to wipe the ass of a cow. What she needed was something in silver.


    Suddenly, someone placed a large and terrifying poster over all the others. Plastered there was a large and terrifying image of an armored titan wielding a heavy and lethal guandao. He looked like some kind of monster in the clothes and armor of a human. The woman read the title of this being. ¡°The Demon Warrior.¡±


    ¡°Excuse me,¡± she asked the person placing the poster, ¡°who is that?¡± Looking up, they whistled through their teeth. ¡°He¡¯s a real brutal one, that¡¯s for sure,¡± he said. ¡°People say that wherever he goes, evil follows him. Whenever I hear a story about a monster, I also hear a second story about he kills them. Not like those things exist, and he¡¯s probably worth more bark than bite, but he does seem strong.¡± He went to the point. ¡°He¡¯s charged with the murder of Lord Luo as well as the destruction of his keep and army as well. Whoever he is, he¡¯s someone you want to take down quick.¡±


    The woman gave a smirk as she looked at the payout. ¡°500,000 pieces of silver for anyone who takes him dead or alive.¡± That would be enough to let her retire extremely early. Undeterred by the stories from both this man and Chao, she snatched the poster from the board. ¡°Sorry. I¡¯m going to need this one.¡± Afterwards, she turned to leave the city.This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    The woman saddled onto her horse as they returned to the dead fields of the land. Holding up a map, she used her intuition to determine the next move of the Demon Warrior. ¡°Guancheng¡± was a city not too far off from where Lord Luo was allegedly killed. Last she remembered though, the city was enduring a long and brutal siege. ¡°Wherever he goes, evil follows him,¡± she remembered. Sieges are pretty evil. She set her horse off.


    For days, she continued her travels as she continued to ride. It was strange, however. There was little to no sense of life for this entire time period. The grass was dead. The trees were dead. And the villages which used to bustle with activity were utterly silent with pure nothingness. It was as if a veil of evil had swallowed the world in a sudden, yet unsung manner. No lord had even put a question on what happened, even as dozens of refugees flood their castles and towns. ¡°Royal ignorance I guess,¡± the woman thought to herself. ¡°Not like I know what¡¯s going on either.¡±


    The sun finally set as she tied her horse down and set up her campfire. Setting up a pot over the flame, she placed an ingot inside. She was making some bullets. With thick gloves and good care, she watched as the metal melted into a soup of reflective liquid. She removed the dross and poured the lead into ball-shaped molds. With the lead cooling fast, she soon retrieved her new bullets.


    With her down time, she cleaned her weapon. Taking good care of her gun was like taking good care of herself. If her weapon was dirty, then she was dirty. If her weapon was ready, then she was ready. Scraping the dirt out of the barrel, she blew air into and clicked the parts. It was in perfect order.


    Then she heard sounds: the breaking of twigs as if someone stepped on them. Quietly and quickly, she poured in black powder and rammed a lead ball into the weapon. She stood up and cocked her weapon. Her eyes darted about as they hunted for movement. Then she turned. There was a face.


    ¡°Get her horse!¡± Springing around were numerous different bandits who immediately jumped towards her. Using her bayonet like a spear, she jabbed at them. Cuts and thrusts maimed different bandits as they stood far from her. ¡°Just get the horse and go!¡± One of the men went to untie the steed. Immediately, a gunshot went off as the woman shot him. ¡°She has a gun! Just get the horse!¡±


    They rode off with her horse and disappeared like apparitions. With nothing but her campfire and her bag, she lowered her gun. Unlucky. The first interaction she had with humans in a while was getting robbed. ¡°Shit,¡± she cursed. The rest of her journey would have to be on foot.


    The walk was brutal as her feet beat against the hard ground. With her paranoia piquing from the robbery, every light wave of motion caught her full and complete attention. She got less and less sleep as the chance of being attacked invaded her mind. Even as an experienced soldier, she was still susceptible to the paranoia that comes from traveling like this.


    In the distance was a village. Strange. Not a single puff of smoke came from it, meaning that there were no fires and no sources of activity. With her back hungering for a bed and some good rest, she decided to venture towards the village.


    There wasn¡¯t a single sound other than the sounds of the wind. No children playing. No adults working. Just the whistle of time. The woman held her weapon ready, her bayonet already fixed and attached. Patrolling through, she found almost nothing but a deserted town.


    She looked into the houses and found not a single villager either. There was furniture. There was equipment. There was even food, though it had become stale. The only thing this place was missing was people. The woman, with a disappointed sigh, returned outside.


    The sun was setting and the day was getting late once more. Venturing in the night was foolish, since one could get easily lost or attacked. Looking into the village, she shrugged as she went into one of the houses. She just wanted a bed. Resting herself on the mattress constructed from hay, she found it much more comfortable than the cold ground. She closed her eyes. She was tired.


    It was in the middle of the night when the door creaked open. The woman was still asleep as the creature stepped inside. It slowly hobbled as it stiffly shuffled along the ground. Flesh. It smelled flesh and blood. Looking at the slumbering woman, the creature realized it had its chance. It readied to take a delicious bite.


    The woman opened her eyes to find a pale face right in front of her. With her instincts kicking in, she kicked the monster away as she reached for her weapon. Without a moment to lose, she fired a shot into its torso. Black bile exuded from the wound, but the creature was still alive. It was at this moment she knew that this creature was not human.


    Jiangshi. It¡¯s a tale popular with many children. That when people die within a drought, their shriveled bodies come back up into the world of the living. Hobbling around, these jiangshi crave the taste of meat and blood that was deprived of them when they were alive.


    The creature lunged towards the woman. Reacting quickly, she stabbed her bayonet into his neck. Pinning him against the wall, she reached for her knife and sliced the neck in two. With the head tumbling to the ground, the jiangshi was truly dead.


    ¡°Food¡­ I want food¡­¡° Piles upon piles of the creatures crowded from the door as they shuffled inside. The woman grabbed her weapon and bag as she jumped out from the window. Rolling onto the ground outside, she began to quickly sprint.


    She managed to make it to the forest where it was finally quiet. The jiangshi must¡¯ve been hiding, waiting for unfortunate travelers to rest in the quaint village before pouncing upon them. The woman got to her feet, ensuring that nothing followed her from the village. Then she turned to find another figure. Illuminated by moonlight, the figure stood perfectly in her sight.


    It had no face. There was only a blank circular plate of skin as if the eyes, nose, and even the mouth had just been taken. It looked like it wanted to scream, but didn¡¯t even have the mouth to do so. Its ears, being one of its last remaining senses, wriggled as the figure jumped at any sound. Even when a tree creaked, the figure lunged at it, clawing and scraping at it. Perhaps it was just trying to find its face.


    The woman made sure she was silent as she went through the forest. More and more figures passed around her as they scampered at noise. With fear slowly bleeding into her bones, the woman ensured that she wasn¡¯t making a single sound. She had to make it out of here.


    There were miles upon miles of dead trees and faceless people. So for miles, the woman tip toed around them. When there was a crowd of these faceless wanderers, she threw a rock at a tree distant from her. Upon the mere thunk, the crowd charged towards the sound, punching and scratching the tree as the woman made her movement around them.


    She looked in the distance as she thought she saw a strange looking hill. It was a large lump which resembled the look of smooth dark steel. ¡°Strange, is it related to the monsters?¡± Then the lump moved. The sound of simpering and scattering feet clattered against the dirt like millions of different ticks of a clock. The woman stood in horror as the beast made its presence in front of her.


    So many faces. They integrated into the lines upon lines of hard armor as the centipede slithered around. It was at this point when the woman realized what she was standing against was something beyond the idea of mere monsters and beasts. This was a titanic creature that no imagination could conjure in both horror and magnitude.


    The giant centipede looked right at her as each face began to smile. Their eyes locked right onto the woman as she aimed her musket. She shook as she kept the gun up like how a priest clutches and prays with a rosary. This was the only thing stopping her from running: the hope that this gun would do something. ¡°You have a pretty face.¡± The centipede said.


    The faceless charged at the centipede, narrowly avoiding the woman as they began to pound their fists and hands against the thick shell around the centipede. One by one, the faces on the centipede began to laugh as the faceless continued to grab at them, wishing and hoping they could have their face back. ¡°Faces are so pretty. Porcelain things which are so fragile, and yet so beautiful.¡±


    The woman continued to shake as she aimed her rifle. She aimed it at one of the faces, not knowing if this monster even had any weak spots. She yearned for a return to the days where things were normal and impossible things like this existed onto in myth. When her gun was something that could tear through armor and win an easy victory. But this was no longer that time. This was not the age of man, but the age of gods and monsters. The woman fired her gun.

 Chapter 11

    The bullet punctured into the face, causing the flesh of it to bleed. For a moment, the woman felt as if everything was frozen as her breath exhaled from her lips like how smoke exited the barrel of her gun. The faces on the centipede began to grimace and wail as the blood continued to flow from that one bullet. ¡°You ruined one of my pretty faces! How could you?¡±


    The wailing was louder than the gunshot, keeping the faceless beings close as they continued beg for their faces back. The centipede then began to crawl rapidly towards the girl. The years of combat experience slipped out of her mind. The years of seeing the horrors of violence slipped her mind. The years of her life slipped her mind. All of it slipped when the titanic centipede began to slither towards her. It made her freeze.


    This was what happens when mankind comes face to face with the world of monsters and gods. It follows the cruel laws of food chains, where humanity finds itself at the bottom of it all. Man is prey in this world of gods and monsters. They are the victims of nature. They are the victims of tragedy. They are the victims of everything which weighs them down like a planet placed on the back of man.


    The woman realized this as she found herself helpless, frozen, and afraid as the centipede hungered for her face. Her gun, something she once thought was invincible, was just a mere toy in the face of this being. She closed her eyes like a child, hoping that the monster would disappear if she imagined hard enough. The soldier had been diminished to a little girl in the face of this titan.


    Then she opened her eyes. Within less than a blink, she watched a new figure flash in front of her. In that one moment, dozens of faceless fell dead as countless faces bled with different scratches. Standing between the woman and the centipede was a tall and muscular warrior who reeked from the smell of blood. His armor, like his weapon, was heavy and strong. There was only one name she could recognize him from. ¡°The Demon Warrior.¡±


    The centipede cried even harder only for the Demon Warrior to slash into the tough armor. The armor cracked like a rock crushing a sea shell. Under it was dark weak flesh. Within less than a moment, the Demon Warrior let down a devastating strike, slicing the hunk of meat in two and dismembering the centipede. ¡°Pain! There is pain!¡± the monster screeched.


    The woman watched in awe as the centipede exuded genuine fear in the face of the Demon Warrior. It was a strange sense and feeling, like watching hope for the first time in a long time. This was a man who could stand against the monsters and beasts worthy of gods. This was the envoy of humanity.


    ¡°Hey are you okay?¡± a strange fox girl asked. She had her nine tails fluffing about as she comforted the soldier. ¡°You don¡¯t look hurt, is everything alright?¡± The woman looked at the fox girl with a sense of confusion. This was yet another mythical being, a huli jing. Was she dreaming? ¡°Yeah¡­ I¡¯m fine¡­¡± she huffed.


    The Demon Warrior continued to slash and hack away at both the faceless and the centipede as faces peeled off of the being. ¡°Please don¡¯t! Please don¡¯t take my faces!¡± But the warrior continued to tear away at the faces, his face smiling as if he, himself, were a demon. ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s Xiaojun alright,¡± the fox girl said. ¡°Oh, by the way, I¡¯m Hua! What¡¯s your name?¡±


    The soldier was taken aback by the stranger¡¯s friendliness. ¡°I-I¡¯m Rina,¡± she responded. Her eyes were focused and mesmerized at the art that was Xiaojun¡¯s fighting. He fought like how a wild animal would fight against a gang of hunters. It was a small and inconceivable being winning against titanic and powerful forces.


    ¡°Stop! Stop this!¡± the last face of the centipede begged. Xiaojun said nothing. He ripped off that face and, just like the faceless, the centipede went utterly silent. ¡°Welp,¡± Hua said, ¡°guess now¡¯s the time when he actually ends the fight.¡± They watched as Xiaojun raised his guandao and let loose his strength with one downward slash. That one slash caused a cut which traveled throughout the body like a chain reaction. All that was left of this body of the centipede was sliced in half.


    Xiaojun was covered in blood as he hobbled himself to Hua. Some of the blood was his, but most of it belonged to the monster. ¡°Blood time?¡± Hua asked. She handed him a knife. Taking it, he took a gentle cut into her arm and sucked from hit. Rina watched as the wounds healed on their own with each sip of blood. In the end, Xiaojun was healed and Hua had a new bandage.


    ¡°Xiaojun, this is Rina,¡± Hua greeted. ¡°I think she stumbled here and would¡¯ve gotten her face taken if it weren¡¯t for you.¡± Immediately, Rina went to her knees and bowed. ¡°Thank you! You saved my life!¡± Xiaojun looked down as he had little to no emotion on his face. He grabbed her bag and sifted a paper from it. ¡°The Demon Warrior,¡± it read, ¡°500,000 pieces of silver.¡±


    Hua placed her hand over her mouth as she saw it. ¡°Good heavens!¡± she cried, ¡°they¡¯re calling you the Demon Warrior?¡± Xiaojun sighed as he had to explain the real significance of the paper. ¡°You¡¯re here to try and collect the bounty on my head?¡± Rina kept her head low as she closed her eyes. Surely this would be the moment that she would die. But when she looked up, she didn¡¯t see the eyes of death. Instead, she saw a hand presented to her. ¡°You should get out of here. With the world as it is, bounty hunting isn¡¯t a safe profession, even if you have a gun.¡±


    Xiaojun turned to leave, but Rina reached at him. ¡°Wait!¡± she cried, ¡°how did you get this strong?¡± He stopped and said one quick answer. ¡°Chance.¡± With that, he began to make his leave. ¡°Please let me join you!¡± Rina begged. ¡°I¡¯ll do anything! I¡¯ll carry your things! I¡¯ll scavenge food! I¡¯ll do whatever keeps me in your party!¡±


    The warrior paused in his footsteps as Hua whispered into his ear. ¡°Come on, she looks good for it. I know you might judge her because she froze earlier, but everyone freezes when they see a giant face-eating centipede monster,¡± she said. ¡°Won¡¯t you at least give her a chance?¡±


    Xiaojun said nothing as a specific memory hit his mind. The memory of being a plain bully in Dajing. In another world, he¡¯d surely be still robbing people of their goods and unable to see his potential. But it took one person to stop that dreadful world from coming to fruition. ¡°It takes a bad day to turn a king into a peasant,¡± Jin had said, ¡°but it takes one good man to turn a peasant into a king.¡±


    Xiaojun turned himself around and faced the soldier in front of him. He couldn¡¯t help but see his past self in the woman, in how he had the chance to either upgrade or degrade the potential future for her. ¡°This must¡¯ve been how Jin felt,¡± he thought to himself. With a light motion, he extended her hand. ¡°Make sure you can reload fast with that gun of yours,¡± he said.Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.


    ¡°Thank you! I¡ª¡± But he was already returning to his journey, as if Rina wasn¡¯t in the middle of speaking. ¡°Yeah,¡± Hua sighed, ¡°he does that a lot.¡± The sun began to rise in the distance as Rina kept her gun slung on her back. It was now a new day, and a new life for her. One where she wouldn¡¯t be fighting for a hunk of silver, but one where she would find something more.


    ¡°So,¡± Hua chirped to Rina, ¡°you ever see a huli jing before?¡± The soldier shook her head. ¡°Not until now. I did hear tales about them as a child, primarily how they would imitate a caring mother before transforming into a fox and eating children alive.¡± Hua nervously laughed as she rubbed on her neck. ¡°Well, it¡¯s partially true¡­ but I swear I¡¯ve gone human-free! Just make sure you don¡¯t tempt me by resting your neck on my shoulder.¡±


    Hua began to giggle as Rina adjusted her shirt to cover any exposed flesh. ¡°Got it¡­¡± she said. Hua then looked at Rina¡¯s gun, cooing like a child. ¡°Oh, that looks cool! It has so many dragons! Looks shiny too!¡± She then looked at the end of the barrel where she found the bayonet. ¡°Woah, did you make that yourself?¡±


    Rina smiled a little as she looked at her work. Usually people saw it right before she skewered them with it. ¡°I made it when I was growing up. This weapon is actually my father¡¯s gun that he bought when he traded with the people of Vesterland.¡± Hua cooed at this vial of information. ¡°Wow, that¡¯s a far away place! They have weapons like that everywhere?¡±


    Xiaojun was the one to answer this. ¡°They do.¡± Memories played in his mind as the group continued to move. ¡°Cannons. Guns. All sorts of weapons that the Jiaguonese have yet to fully embrace. I¡¯m sure the emperor is still convinced that all is well in the world, even as monsters and beasts tear through his kingdom. But that is fine. I shall be the one who will worry about them instead.¡±


    Both Rina and Hua were taken by surprise by his sudden response. ¡°Have you been to Vesterland?¡± Rina asked. Xiaojun nodded. ¡°Well,¡± Rina added, ¡°I wanted to go ever since I was a child. I ended up visiting the battlefields instead.¡± Xiaojun had a strange sense of empathy when he heard this. ¡°Who did you fight for?¡±


    ¡°All sorts of different lords and generals,¡± she responded. ¡°As you know, Jiaguo has fractured as the emperor¡¯s become nothing but a figurehead in a palace. Different regions and different lords have created their own usurpations and their own realms. Though they aren¡¯t foolish enough to challenge his majesty, they are more than comfortable to fight each other instead.¡±


    Xiaojun huffed in a light laughter when he heard this. It sounded a lot like the War of Sin where a once peaceful kingdom devolved into senseless factionalism and fighting. It seems that history repeats itself as long as humanity repeats itself. ¡°As long as man has war, man will have sin.¡± Then they stumbled upon something that only solidified his point: an abandoned war camp.


    ¡°What happened here?¡± Hua wondered. Tents were empty and torn about as if the army ran away as fast as they could. Not far in the distance, Xiaojun could discern the city of Guancheng. ¡°This was a siege camp. You can tell because the fortifications and siege equipment is still here.¡± Put in a line were trebuchets, catapults, and a handful of cannons.


    ¡°Ew¡­¡± Hua gagged. ¡°The city smells like demons.¡± Rina furrowed her eyes in confusion. ¡°But we¡¯re far away. How could you smell it from here?¡± Xiaojun gave a simple answer. ¡°The city has become cursed. Just like that forest. Just like Lord Luo, and just like the Fog of the Depths.¡± He held his weapon as he scoffed. ¡°It seems that wherever I go, evil seems to follow me.¡±


    Rina whispered into Hua¡¯s ear. ¡°What happened with Lord Luo?¡± she asked. ¡°Oh,¡± Hua answered, ¡°the lord got possessed by a demon who would impregnate women to create demon children, so Xiaojun came over and killed him.¡± She said it in such a casual way, that Rina could tell that this horrific lifestyle was now normalized.


    ¡°Xiaojun!¡± Hua asked, ¡°we can just go around the city and head to the mountains. That way, you can get the super weapon that Jin was talking about without dealing with this.¡± But Xiaojun had that look on his face that he always has whenever driven like this. ¡°No. We are going to enter the city.¡±


    ¡°Xiaojun, don¡¯t be an idiot,¡± Hua yawned. ¡°You always do stuff like this, and we end up almost dying.¡± But Xiaojun remained resolute as he stood there like the warrior he was. ¡°We are going in. If the monsters and demons there are enough to frighten an entire army in running, then it¡¯s something significant.¡±


    ¡°And what if it¡¯s one of the Four Beasts?¡± Hua then asked. ¡°Jin literally said that you can¡¯t stop them unless you have a heavenly weapon, or something like that. If we try fighting one right now, we might just end up dying instead.¡± But Xiaojun was already walking off towards the city. There was no arguing with a warrior who had his mind set.


    Rina had her weapon loaded and ready as they walked towards the city. The grass and ground looked even more dreadful than usual, as it looked to be black and devoid of even flakes of dead grass. It was just nothing. The city, like a god, stood over them in size and strength. It was a feeling of dread akin to seeing the titanic centipede, even though there wasn¡¯t an inherent danger.


    ¡°How do you stay so calm?¡± she asked the warrior. ¡°You¡¯ve probably fought through armies of both humans and monsters, and yet you still seem completely calm. How is that even possible?¡± Rina asked.


    Xiaojun sighed as he continued to walk. ¡°Every warrior and soldier must have a source. They must have a reason why they fight. Without this reason, you freeze or flee from the battlefield. Once you have a source of strength, you must intertwine with it. Become one with it.¡±


    ¡°What is your reason then?¡± Rina added. Xiaojun closed his eyes as he took a deep breath. From under his eyelids, thousands of visions and memories flowed within his brain. ¡°I need to free Nina Wagner from the clutches of the Beast of Corruption. Until then, I shall slaughter each and every beast that comes into my way.¡±


    Then he continued to walk, as if nothing happened. ¡°You know,¡± Hua said to Rina, ¡°I met him because I was trying to trick him and eat him. He responded by tying a rope around my neck and tossing me down a mountain to interrogate me. Only survived because I had the hand strength to prevent the rope from snapping my neck and, really, because he let me live.¡±


    Rina¡¯s eyes widened as she looked at the warrior walk on. This was someone who transcended the sanity and strength of an ordinary human. A part of her wondered if this man was secretly a demon hiding in human flesh. There was no wonder he was titled as The Demon Warrior.


    The walls of Guancheng were mighty rammed earth structures which stood strong even with cannonballs and shrapnel impaled into different parts of it. The old city looked mighty and powerful enough to just stand up like a titan. ¡°How do we get inside?¡± Hua asked. Xiaojun had the answer. ¡°We go in through the front door.¡±


    They approached the large iron door. But with a slight nudge, Xiaojun pushed it open. ¡°It¡¯s unlocked,¡± he remarked. Rina tsked as she held her weapon ready. ¡°When someone leaves treasure unattended, it means that he wants someone to try and take it.¡± The answer was simple: the city was a complete trap. ¡°We should go,¡± Hua said. ¡°I really don¡¯t like the feeling of this, and the smell of demons is worse here.¡±


    But Xiaojun pushed forward. The other two followed him as Rina scanned around with her weapon. As they entered the streets, they noticed a veil of darkness surrounded them like a fog. It was strange, as if their vision went only a few meters in front of them. ¡°I really don¡¯t like this!¡± Hua squealed. Then, with a creak, the doors shut them inside. The city had eaten them and trapped them inside.


    With a light motion, Xiaojun held his weapon ready. He continued to walk forward, as if he were simply invited to come here. ¡°Let¡¯s go to the keep of the city,¡± he said. ¡°Besides, I wouldn¡¯t want to leave a city unattended.¡± The Envoy and his followers moved forward as they awaited the sins of man to attack them.

 Chapter 12

    The envoy of man was someone marked by adversity, just as humanity has been marked by adversity. Ever since the creation of the first human, all man has known is suffering by the hands of gods. Plague. Disaster. Predators. War. All results from the hands of higher beings. In order to survive, humanity could only fight on.


    The ground beneath Xiaojun and his group began to tremble. Hua panicked as Rina darted her gun about. In contrast, Xiaojun remained completely calm as he held onto his weapon. ¡°I believe I understand what is happening,¡± he said. ¡°It is not the people within the city that have become cursed. It is the city itself.¡± The ground collapsed as the group fell into the depths that the city had curated for them. Guancheng was a monster within itself.


    Hua and Rina found themselves deprived and alone in the dark. ¡°Hey! Are you okay?¡± Hua chirped. Rina groaned as she stood to her feet. ¡°I¡¯m alright. What happened?¡± Their voices echoed in the darkness like a volume without end. ¡°Rina! Where¡¯s Xiaojun?¡± Hua squealed.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about him right now. I¡¯m sure he¡¯s fine. Right now, we have to find a way out of here.¡± Rina managed to find her soldierly calmness as she took good breaths. The only time she had ever frozen in fear was in the forest with the centipede. She wanted to keep it that way. ¡°I¡¯ll light ourselves a torch. Then we can try to navigate through.¡±


    From her bag, she retrieved a stick and a rag. In the darkness, she wrapped the rag around the stick. Then, in the distance, the sound of tumbling rocks gently echoed throughout the catacomb. ¡°I have a bad feeling Rina¡­¡± The soldier remained calm as she used flint and steel to light the torch. ¡°Alright. We should be good,¡± she said. Rina picked the torch up to find a face in front of her.


    ¡°Shit!¡± Rina immediately struck at it. The face crumbled into dust as she struggled to regain her breath. It was just a mask, perhaps one that performers would use when the city wasn¡¯t paused by siege. ¡°Are you okay?¡± Hua asked. ¡°Let me hold your torch so you can hold your gun, okay?¡± Rina, still panting and trying to return to being calm, nodded. ¡°Sounds good.¡± The soldier handed over the torch and held her weapon. ¡°Alright let¡¯s¡­¡±


    Hua couldn¡¯t see it, since she was facing Rina, but the soldier saw the view. They were trapped in a valley of rubble as the walls seemed to move on their own. No, that wasn¡¯t it. There were so many creatures on them that they gave the illusion that the walls, themselves were moving. It was like witnessing a cacophony of insects inflame a tree, only these insects were humanoid creatures who squealed like pigs. ¡°Don¡¯t turn.¡±


    Elsewhere, Xiaojun awoke to find himself completely alone. No Hua. No Rina. Just him and his weapon. He marched on as he sharply inhaled and exhaled, preparing his body for the battles to come. The rubble of the ground creaked as his heavy body stomped about, for there was more than just the weight of his body and armor: there was the weight of all that he represented. It was the past, the present, and the future of humanity. The years of timeless struggle against titanic beings beyond their strength. Xiaojun, their envoy, would be humanity¡¯s cry of rebellion against them.


    Suddenly, there was a sudden cry. Surrounding the warrior and emerging from the rubble were strange humanoid beings. Their skin was pale and emaciated as they crept like ants in the rocks. Crawling on all fours, they were beings that seemed to make shame to the humans they once were.


    They were jiangshi, but not restricted by stiffness. Indeed, they were mobile as they crept around like a mob of insects festering within the walls of the underground catacomb. Xiaojun understood where they had come from. Just as jiangshi originate from drought and famine, these creatures are the result of a long siege which deprived the city of Guancheng of food and water. The civilians, being poor and without the coffers to afford even rats to eat, ended up starving and transforming into these abominations of mankind.


    Suddenly there was a shrill shriek akin to the sound of a war horn. Groups upon groups of the monsters charged toward the warrior, as if they had heard the signal to attack. Xiaojun, being as calm as ever, waited for them to come. Then, as soon as they stepped within his perimeter, he revealed his strength.


    The blood splashed onto the walls.


    There was a cry of pain that emanated from those that survived that one slash as dozens of bodies lay strewn about as if a giant had made a footstep. The jiangshi kept their distance from Xiaojun as he continued to walk forward, the monsters moving out of his way like a crowd of terrified sheep making way for a wolf.


    It was like humans quaking in fear of a god. When humans were afraid of gods, they did the same thing: attempt to make way and avoid their wrath. Humans attempted sacrifice, self mutilation, wars, and countless sins in the name of appeasing the gods. But the gods, just like Xiaojun, had no care. For humans are insubstantial beings in the face of pure extremity.


    Hua and Rina didn¡¯t have such liberties. The jiangshi scampered towards them like a horde of starving rats as they continued to run. ¡°Stay close to me!¡± Rina commanded. With her bayonet in front of her, she skewered through any of the deformed humans in her path. ¡°Make a right!¡± Hua screamed.


    They made the turn as a jiangshi lunged towards them. Rina thrust her bayonet into its chest as she threw it to the side. ¡°The smell here is different! Keep going!¡± Hua added as she sniffed the air with her evolved sense. ¡°Don¡¯t stop! Go!¡±


    They didn¡¯t make a single stutter as they continued to sprint through. Right behind the range of their torch was the horde of scampering jiangshi which refused to let up. They climbed around rubble, hills, and even each other in order to try and lunge towards them.


    ¡°Hua, I think I see Xiaojun!¡± Rina yelled. ¡°We have to get to him if we want to survive!¡± They sprinted towards him as the crowd continued to follow. ¡°Are you sure that¡¯s him?¡± Hua asked. ¡°There¡¯s something off about him. He doesn¡¯t smell the same.¡± Even stranger was the reaction of the jiangshi as they got closer to the figure. They stopped chasing them. Instead, they were scampering away as if they had seen a ghost.


    ¡°Rina. That is not Xiaojun.¡± The figure began to step towards them, each stomp being akin to an earthquake. His body looked to be a strange unconnected coalition of smokey substance as it created a cursed and uncanny copy of Xiaojun¡¯s frame. ¡°That is not him¡­¡±


    Rina acted fast as she aimed her gun. She cocked it and fired a round into one of the chinks of the armor. With that powerful gunshot, bile sputtered out as the figure looked at it with its ghastly eyes. Then, with a moment, the bleeding stopped. The bullet did absolutely nothing. ¡°Hua. We have to run.¡±


    The figure moved fast as he let loose a godly slash. Diving to the ground in barely good time, they narrowly avoided the strike. But the damage the figure was capable of was palpable, as the pillar it struck instead crumbled as it fell to the ground. ¡°He¡¯s just as strong as Xiaojun!¡± Rina grunted. ¡°We have to move!¡±


    She turned to move only to find the figure suddenly in front of her as if he teleported. ¡°He¡¯s fast!¡± Rina dug her bayonet into him, using all of her strength to skewer him. Bile spilled out, but the figure had only one reaction: laughter. It was the same kind of wrathful laughter that Xiaojun would exhibit.This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    It grabbed Rina by the neck, lifted her off the ground as she left her weapon still stuck in his body. With this clear projection of power, the figure removed the bayonet from his body. The air in Rina¡¯s body stagnated as the blood in her head rushed with pain. It was as if her head was being squeezed like a balloon.


    ¡°Get off of her!¡± Hua transformed into a fox and bit into his neck. Distracted by this, the figure dropped Rina to the ground, allowing her to finally cough and inhale some air. But the figure was not at all sullied as Hua attempted to truly injure him. The shadow just grabbed her by the mouth and tails before slamming the fox into his knee. With the audible sound of shattered bones, Hua tumbled to the ground and returned to her human form.


    ¡°Good god! Agh!¡± she screamed. She grabbed onto her back as she writhed in pain. The regeneration of her huli jing body already began as it started to fix back into place. The figure started to step towards her, smiling as it seemed ready to finish the job.


    Another powerful gunshot roared throughout the catacombs as another bullet punctured into the figure¡¯s armor. Rina was already reloading her gun as she watched the bile flow from the wound. ¡°Over here¡­¡± she panted, her neck still reeling from the crushing experience.


    The figure began to slowly walk towards her as Rina stood before it. She swallowed in her fear despite her hairs standing and freezing otherwise. ¡°I¡¯m not going to freeze. I¡¯m not going to freeze.¡± Like a priestess, she repeated the same words over and over again in the hope that they would come true. ¡°I¡¯m not going to freeze.¡± The guandao swung down, ready to cut her in two.


    Suddenly, the sound of clashing metal vibrated the air with its shrill and high pitched noise. Standing tall and proud was the true warrior that this shadow was merely mimicking. Standing there was Xiaojun, his weapon in hand as he stared at his own shadow.


    Two warriors wielding the same type of blade. It was as if he were standing in front of a dark and sick reflection of himself. The shadow was grinning. Xiaojun was not. ¡°It seems that this city wishes to mock me,¡± Xiaojun said. ¡°If that¡¯s true, that just means I have one thing to do. I must tear down this mockery by every brick.¡±


    They charged at each other as the clangs of metal bounced throughout the air. Neither Hua nor Rina could have a proper view of what was happening because of the rapid speed of it all. The shadow swinging downwards as Xiaojun narrowly dodged it. Xiaojun thrusting his weapon as the shadow parried it. It was a pure melee of godly figures.


    They moved about as the area wasn¡¯t even close to being enough for their violence. Dashing about, Hua and Rina struggled to follow along. ¡°We have to stay close to them,¡± Rina said, ¡°or the creatures will be back for us.¡± Surely enough, the jiangshi crept forth, filling any part that wasn¡¯t dominated by the aura and brutality of the battle.


    As rubble crumbled for every missed strike, dust and debris sprinkled about as the explosive fighters continued to dart within the dimly illuminated darkness. ¡°They¡¯re fast! How the hell does someone get so powerful?¡± Rina noted.


    ¡°Xiaojun¡¯s not fighting at his best,¡± Hua suddenly said. ¡°He¡¯s holding back.¡± Rina scoffed at this idea, considering that Xiaojun was already fighting in a manner no normal human could replicate. But as she looked on, she noticed that the shadow was subtly dominating within the fight.


    Xiaojun maintained his straight face as he only used his mouth to give sharp exhales of exhausted air. Meanwhile, the shadow maintained a grin and even laughter as he maintained a continuous barrage of strikes and thrusts. ¡°Xiaojun isn¡¯t using his rage and emotions. He¡¯s trying to resist the temptation of it,¡± Hua finally explained.


    The shadow grabbed the warrior by his armor and began to twirl him in the air. With a momentous throw, he launched him into a stone wall. Blasting through like a cannonball, Xiaojun braced himself as he blasted through countless stone structures before finally stopping as he hit a marble pillar. But even with this devastating attack, he maintained the same straight and emotionless visage.


    The shadow chuckled as it stepped through the hole it created. Crushing the rubble into sand with every one of its heavy steps, it approached the recovering warrior. Xiaojun got off of the pillar and dusted himself off as he got to his feet. This was a battle of emotionless stoicism against violent dudgeon.


    No one could hear the voice, but the warrior could hear it emanate from the shadow like a nightmare. ¡°Give in¡­ give in¡­ give in¡­¡± the hallucination droned. No doubt, the shadow was begging for Xiaojun to surrender to the temptations of wrath. Perhaps against a normal monster, he would be willing to give in. ¡°You are a pawn of the Beast of Hate,¡± Xiaojun said. ¡°I must resist your influence.¡±


    The shadow charged once more, jumping into the air and slashing downwards. Xiaojun blocked the strike as the air seemed to clap with thunder. The warrior pushed the shadow off of him before thrusting his weapon. The shadow parried it and kicked the rubble into Xiaojun¡¯s face. Refusing to blink despite the fine materials which festered into his eyes, Xiaojun was able to see the following attack and block it.


    The warrior pushed the shadow away, creating more distance. With this slight of a break, he blinked and fixed his vision. ¡°You even copy my dirty tactics. You truly are an effective apparition.¡± The shadow continued to laugh as its smile stretched from cheek to cheek. ¡°I understand things now. You are the demon possessing this entire city.¡±


    Though the shadow said nothing, the hallucinatory audition responded to Xiaojun. ¡°That¡¯s right,¡± he said with overlapping voices, ¡°you are the envoy of humanity. That is why I wished to give you a proper introduction.¡± The warrior remained emotionless as he questioned the Demon of Guancheng. ¡°Why do you tempt me to lose control?¡±


    ¡°Every demon in the Diyu has heard of the envoy of man and how he uses the emotions of wrath to punish demonkind. As a result, I wish to allow this wrath to corrupt you so that the Beast of Hate can easily harness your power.¡± Xiaojun scoffed as he readied his weapon. ¡°Wrath or not, I shall destroy the likes of both you and the Beast of Hate.¡± Once more, they returned to a devastating duel.


    Hua and Rina finally caught up to them as they watched from a slight distance. Panting as they had to climb through hills of rubble with the creatures of Guancheng following them, they watched the battle continue to unfold before them. ¡°Xiaojun¡­ you got this¡­¡± Hua muttered.


    Meanwhile, the warrior was still in his pitched battle. He blocked a strike and immediately countered with a kick to the shadow¡¯s skull. But this strike did absolutely nothing as the shadow remained still even as the heel struck into his temple. Still grinning, he stood like a complete statue before sweeping Xiaojun off of his feet. Xiaojun barely managed to move before the shadow slammed the ground with a godly thrust. The earth itself seemed to crack as the strike thunderously hit into the stone floor.


    He jumped back to his feet, but the shadow didn¡¯t give a second of reprieve as he immediately lunged forward. Put on the defensive, Xiaojun was forced to block or parry each and every strike. But for every ten that he would block, one strike would hit into his body. Moving like an unpredictable trickster, the shadow smiled as he watched trails of blood exit from the growing wounds on Xiaojun.


    Hua watched in fear as she trembled in place. There were countless times where the warrior was brought to fight against a creature multiple times his size and strength, but it was this battle which sowed the trails towards death. ¡°He¡¯s refusing to use his rage. He might actually die,¡± she said with a tear. ¡°Xiaojun! Fight!¡±


    The warrior narrowly moved his head away from a thrust as he grabbed the shadow¡¯s spear and pulled it towards him. Immediately, he followed with a downward strike. With that powerful motion, he put every ounce of his energy into his body like a kinetic chain of power. He struck into the shadow¡¯s head, splitting it in two.


    ¡°He got him!¡± Hua yelped with joy. ¡°I knew he had it in him!¡± But Rina didn¡¯t have a single positive emotion. Watching with fear, she saw the head stitch itself back together as the bile adjusted to itself, regenerating. Xiaojun attempted to strike once more, but the shadow grabbed the blade with one hand. ¡°Envoy of man, you are foolish. You had the option to bypass the city and reach closer to your quest, and yet you made a detour to your grave.¡± It grabbed Xiaojun once more, this time launching him into the surface.


    Xiaojun exploded from the catacomb as he emerged from the ground. Blood drizzled from his hair as his head was filled with scratches from the debris. He drove his weapon into the ground as he attempted to try and return to his feet. With a powerful cough, more blood spilled from his face as he looked up.


    The shadow leapt from the chasm to the surface. He was still smiling as he grabbed Xiaojun by the hair. ¡°Envoy of man, your downfall is your own doing. Had you given in to the power of wrath, you would¡¯ve won the battle.¡± The shadow readied his blade as if he were a mere executioner. ¡°You were wrong to even begin to believe that a mere man was capable of winning against gods.¡±

 Chapter 13

    Xiaojun felt the energy in his body wane as he phased in and out of consciousness. He was strong, but he was ultimately human. Weakness in his bones. Weakness in his muscles. But all that was minimal in comparison to his real ailment: weakness in his soul.


    ¡°Years of your life¡­¡± his mind said to itself, ¡°and yet you are still weak.¡± There were countless wounds and scars which marred his body, each one being the result of one weakness or another. ¡°You are not strong. You are weak.¡± His brain seemed to churn like a molasses of sin and doubt. ¡°That is why you simply deserve this blade which shall cut your throat.¡±


    ¡°No!¡± he retorted to his own thoughts. ¡°I may be weak, and victory may come at an abysmal cost, but I must keep fighting!¡± A war was fighting in his soul, one between the yearn for self-destruction and the yearn for self-fulfillment. ¡°There is a real reason I must fight! Nina Wagner needs me to save her!¡±


    ¡°You are a delusional dog-faced brute!¡± his ego retorted. ¡°Nina chose to be taken by the Beast of Corruption! The claim that she was pure was nothing but a lie! She weaved an alliance with that devil so that she may survive the battle!¡± The mental war fought on as Xiaojun slowly succumbed to the acceptance of death.


    In the plane of reality, the shadow was preparing to cut Xiaojun down like an executioner punishing a sinner. The weary warrior closed his eyes as he allowed his body to bow to the pressure of violence. ¡°There is no reason to fight any longer. Finally, I may rest.¡±


    Suddenly, there was a cry coming from the crypt below. ¡°Xiaojun! Are you still there?¡± It was Hua. She was yelling at the top of her lungs. The sound of slithering jiangshi followed. Since Xiaojun and his shadow were no longer present, the human and the fox girl were perfect morsels of meat. ¡°Keep fighting! We¡¯ll get over there! Just hang on!¡±


    The shadow stopped the execution as it began to laugh. ¡°Your followers seem devoted to you,¡± it said with the auditory hallucinations. ¡°I shall make your demise ever painful.¡± It turned around. The shadow was going to chase after them instead. ¡°No¡­¡± Xiaojun groaned as he reached out and grabbed the shadow by the boot. ¡°I¡­ can¡¯t¡­ let¡­ you¡­¡±


    The war in his mind resurged. He had a new purpose to fight: to protect Hua and Rina down below. ¡°I have to get up! If I don¡¯t, they¡¯ll die!¡± Time ago, he didn¡¯t have a care for anyone other than himself or his quest. But now, things were clearly different. ¡°Fight Xiaojun! Fight and kill this bastard!¡±


    Exploding with energy, he leapt to his feet and smashed a devastating punch into the shadow. Unlike the earlier kicks, this strike was truly devastating as it crushed the shadow¡¯s skull into smithereens. ¡°Is that rage I sense?¡± the demon laughed. ¡°Perhaps I¡ª¡±


    Xiaojun launched another devastating strike, punching a literal hole into the creature¡¯s body. He wasn¡¯t even holding his weapon anymore. Filled with rage, the warrior was smiling as he stepped toward the recovering demon. ¡°Embrace the rage,¡± the demon laughed, ¡°embrace¡ª¡±


    The warrior kneed the shadow¡¯s regenerating head, splattering black bile onto the walls as he continued to slam the shadow¡¯s head onto his leg. Grunting like a complete savage, Xiaojun seemed to relish each and every etch of pain emerging from the demon. ¡°Pain!¡± he grunted. ¡°I want you to learn pain!¡±


    The shadow jumped back, attempting to recover from the murderous attack. ¡°You forget that I possess the city!¡± the hallucination added. The walls crumbled as hordes of jiangshi were forced to pour forward. Pouncing towards unarmed Xiaojun, they expected a free meal. They were incorrect.


    The warrior was a beast without a leash. He launched his bloody knuckles into them, bashing their skulls like exploding grapes. For others, he slammed them into pillars of stone, leaving a splotch of black like a sick artist. With relentless aggression and power he taught the jiangshi fear. He taught them pain.


    They attempted to flee from him, but he chased them like a predator hunting for cruel pleasure. Following them into the darkness, he laughed and smiled as he smashed them about like the fragile creatures they were. The jiangshi, running like a horde of terrified ants, were being cut down by the number as Xiaojun refused to give them any room to run. He wanted blood.


    This wasn¡¯t the usual warrior that Xiaojun was. This was a complete beast fulfilled only by violence and the causation of pain. A full blight of chaos tightly packed in the size of a bestial man. He hunted every last one of the jiangshi down as he even dug into rubble to snatch a limb like a trawler harvesting fish. When he got his hands on the screaming and terrified jiangshi, he would crush their skulls like how a predator would crush the shell of a crab before a feast. Not a single thought passed his mind other than the bestial yearn for pure violence.


    The shadow, moving into the palace of the city, seemingly panted as it struggled to regenerate its damages. Like a heart, the shadow was the impetus of the Demon of Guancheng¡¯s strength. If the shadow was destroyed, then the Demon of Guancheng would crumble like a serpent without its head. Resting against the stone wall, the demon¡¯s body slowly regenerated as it questioned its decisions. ¡°I underestimated him¡­ no matter¡­ he shall become a great pawn for the Beast of Hate. Upon receiving this pawn, the Beast of Hate will grant me a reward! Allowing me even greater power!¡±


    Then the wall into the palace shattered as dust splattered throughout the once glorious building. Looking over, the shadow came to see a singular figure emerging from the smog. Covered in black bile and jiangshi gibs, Xiaojun emerged with his lust for blood being ever present in his erratic breaths.


    ¡°You managed to kill every single one of them. They may be transformed, but they were once human. Do you feel not a single ounce of regret?¡± the demon asked. But Xiaojun responded by laughing. Laughing over and over as he crept towards the demon. ¡°Pain!¡±


    Xiaojun grabbed the shadow by the hips and slammed him upwards, literally suplexing the shadow¡¯s skull into the stone floor behind him. Xiaojun began to grin as he jumped on top of the limp body and began to tear at him. Literally gripping the biley flesh, he tugged and tore at him like a beast as the shadow could do nothing to resist. At this point, the shadow didn¡¯t even look anything like Xiaojun, let alone a human. It just looked like a mess of strewn body parts as its dark blood sunk into the stone slabs below.


    The warrior continued to tear the demon apart as his animalistic grunts echoed throughout the otherwise desolate palace. Throwing intestines out like rope, he bellowed with laughter and joy. Then, in the center at about where the human heart would be, there was a strange orb. No doubt, this was the real location of the demon of Guancheng.


    Suddenly, a pillar launched into Xiaojun like a missile as it pinned him against the wall. The shadow regenerated the tissue around the orb, covering it once more as it stood back to its feet. ¡°Human monster, do you realize how much potential you lose by restraining yourself to your feeble species? Join us! You can become even stronger!¡±Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings.


    Stone slabs and pillars began to launch themselves towards the warrior as the demon moved them with his will. ¡°I may not have the capability to control the entire city, but I can move each and every block of this palace with a simply thought! You are weak human! That is why your species will die!¡±


    The palace began to fall apart as each and every block of its make was coalescing with the shadow. Cell by cell, the shadow¡¯s biley structure began to liquefy and corrupt the stone surrounding it. By the time Xiaojun managed to heave the pillars off of himself, he came to witness a titanic giant made from the palace he was just standing in.


    Hua and Rina, who just managed to escape from the crypts, saw the powerful being from many blocks away. ¡°We have to help Xiaojun!¡± Hua cried. She attempted to immediately sprint over, but Rina grabbed her by the arm. ¡°There¡¯s too much risk, besides what could we even do?¡±


    Without saying a word, Hua pulled her arm away and revealed her arm. ¡°I can give him my blood!¡± With that, she sprinted towards the dark coalition of stone and evil. ¡°I just hope Xiaojun is holding out.¡±


    The warrior was being buttoned down as the titan lobbed handfuls of rocky debris in his direction. With each pebble being like a pellet from a shotgun, the warrior was forced to move erratically in order to avoid these fast-moving projectiles. Many of these missiles still hit his body, slamming against his armor and some of them puncturing into his skin. The inside of his armor was drenched in sweat and blood as he continued to push the limits of his human body.


    Moving powerfully, the titan kicked the warrior into a large tower. Slamming into it, the warrior spewed blood upon impact before falling to the ground. He wasn¡¯t given a moment of rest, as he had to move quickly to avoid the stomping foot of the titan¡¯s wrath. ¡°You are weak, human! You must acknowledge this!¡±


    Moving like an ant running from a god, Xiaojun navigated himself through the city. Moving in and out of the abandoned buildings, he was the subject to the aggressive offensive of the titan. With his body covered with glass, pebbles, dust, and blood, he refused to allow the attractive allure of exhaustion to weaken his system.


    Through this entire time, there was one thing that piqued his animalistic brain: the orb of the demon¡¯s life. He could see traces of it blink within the stone structure of the titan, like the delicious fat of a lamb protected by a fence. His brain put it in simple terms. ¡°Kill him!¡±


    It was easier said than done. He was kicked into another building as the titan began to press his hand down onto the mere man, hoping to crush him with his weight and might. Xiaojun resisted with every ounce of his strength as he pushed against it, the stone below buckling with cracks. ¡°Succumb to the will of the Beasts! You would become so much stronger if you allow yourself to become one with the Beast of Hate!¡±


    Truly he was tired. Xiaojun was demanding far too much from his human body. He felt each pound of the titan¡¯s power and weight as it pushed against his arms and shoulders. Time and time again he had found himself at the forefront of a losing battle and war. He was pushing a boulder up a hill to watch it roll back down. There was no point in fighting. In the end, the war between humans and the supernatural would end only with the corpse of man and the triumph of the higher beings.


    Then he heard to sound of metal clanging onto the floor. Looking over, he saw his guandao right next to him. Without even asking where it had come from, the monstrous grin returned to his face. It was time to resist the will of gods once more.


    The hand of the titan was ripped into shreds within less than a second as Xiaojun immediately traveled up the titan¡¯s arm. Running with his guandao in hand, the warrior sprinted relentlessly as he walked on the arm like a bridge. ¡°You damned human!¡± the titan roared. It used its other hand to try and swat the pestering man away, but the hand was given the same treatment as it crumbled as soon as it got in Xiaojun¡¯s range.


    Launching from the bicep of the titan, the warrior surged as he jumped towards the orb in the center of the titan. With one powerful strike, one that was strong enough to part the heavens in two, he blasted a great laceration into the chest of the titan. Right in front of him, without even a cell of a barrier, was the orb of the Demon of Guancheng. He launched another strike.


    A piece of rubble barely came in time as it narrowly shielded the strike, But Xiaojun could see a crack emerge onto the orb as the bonds between the stones faded. The structure of the titan failed as it fell apart due to the orb¡¯s weakness. Xiaojun rolled onto the ground as he looked back at the orb.


    A shadow reemerged from the orb, this one being far weaker. There was no grin. There was a hand in front of him instead, as if he were begging for mercy. Still regenerating, the Demon of Guancheng weakly said his words. ¡°This was the man who defeated Siumeng. I can see how such a feat was possible. But your body has endured too much. Even now, it is nothing short of a miracle that you are still breathing.¡±


    The demon was correct, as Xiaojun fell to his knees. His entire body felt as heavy as the sky with his consciousness fading in and out of existence. He watched as the demon continued to regenerate. At this rate, it would be the demon who would win the battle.


    Then someone propped Xiaojun up to his feet. Hua, caked with dust, did his best to heave the man up. ¡°I hope the guandao came in on time. I was nervous, since I never see you without your weapon.¡± But she wasn¡¯t speaking to the warrior she knew. She was speaking to a beast. Xiaojun suddenly bit into her shoulder, taking a large bite like a wolf feasting on a lamb.


    Hua screamed as she stumbled back. Blood squirted from the large empty chunk as she gripped onto it. She wasn¡¯t only surprised. She was terrified. She was reminded of the hatred and monstrosity that hid within the Envoy of Humanity. Chewing on the meat, the Envoy was given vigor once more as the bloody wounds sealed themselves shut.


    The Envoy of Humanity began to march towards the Demon of Guancheng. ¡°W-wait!¡± the demon pleaded, ¡°I can give you this city! Do you know how much a man would pay for this piece of land? The general who lay siege here was willing to sacrifice his whole army in the attack!¡± But the Envoy of Humanity was not someone who was bargained with. The Envoy of Humanity was someone who was met only once. A moment where one either lives after meeting him, or dies.


    The Envoy of Humanity slammed his fist into the chest of the being with one final thrust. The shadow gasped motionlessly as the Envoy of Humanity retrieved the orb. With a powerful motion, he crushed it into nothing. Once again, humanity prove its worth and endurance against the wills of gods and beasts.


    It was then when Xiaojun finally regained his sense of control. As if a whole different being were responsible for his last set of actions, he immediately tended to the aid of Hua. ¡°Hey! Are you okay?¡± He asked. But as he reached his hand, the girl instinctively screamed and backed away. It was this reaction that caused the warrior to realize what he had done: surrender to the temptations of hatred and blind violence.


    The fog within the city dissipated as well as the stench of demons. It became another desolate and destroyed city in this new world of violence. With the fog removed, Rina finally made her way to them. It was a sight. A shocked and traumatized girl on the ground juxtaposed with a shamed and remorseful warrior. ¡°What happened? Hua, are you okay?¡±


    ¡°I-I¡¯m fine. He just scared me, is all.¡± At this point, her shoulder was finally healed as she took a deep breath. ¡°You had me scared for a little while, Xiaojun. I thought you were going to die to that demon.¡± She tried to crack a smile, but the warrior turned his back instead. ¡°I am sorry.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine! You needed to heal quickly!¡± Hua rationalized. ¡°Besides, you usually are gentle with me and¡ª¡± The warrior interrupted her as he gave a deep sigh. ¡°A warrior always knows when and how to use violence. In a battlefield, we use violence to subdue our enemy. But if we offend violence towards those we love, that means we have lost every sense of our control.¡±


    He turned to Rina with a somber look, one that reminder her of the illumination of humanity still present in his heart. ¡°I want you to take care of Hua. Restrain her if you have to. Just make sure she stays far away from me.¡± The warrior began to walk off as Hua attempted to chase after him.


    ¡°Hey! What are you¡ª¡± Rina held her down as they watched the warrior walk away from them. He had a journey to continue. If it was a journey which would hurt the only people who have been kind to him, then the Envoy of Humanity could not make that decision. ¡°Xiaojun! What are you doing? My blood is helpful! I can help you! Please!¡±


    Tears welled from her eyes as Rina tied a rope around her. ¡°Please let me help you!¡± But her cries were unanswered. Xiaojun was gone. The Envoy of Humanity could not afford to hurt the people he loved as a result of his reckless destruction. This was a journey he had to travel alone.

 Chapter 14

    The path towards the mountains was different from the rest of the lands. Most of the land was barren since the trees and grass were dead. But the land north of Guancheng was nothing but a complete desert. Before, it was a grassland: a plain. Now it was a pit of dirt dusting into sand. With his footprints pressing against this sand, Xiaojun continued his journey.


    His bones ached as he looked to the distant mountain. Clouds covered the peaks like a curtain covering his prize. With his joints feeling shattered, he walked on, holding onto his weapon. Running away was not a choice for the warrior.


    Man-sized vultures circled above him just like how normal vultures would. At random intervals, one would swing down and swipe at the man only for Xiaojun to react quickly and block the attack. The vulture would then return to its flock in the air and continue to stalk Xiaojun in his journey.


    He continued to travel along the sands as he remembered the days with Hua. They were short, but they were still eventful. ¡°Her blood would be useful,¡± his mind uttered, feeling each and every wound in his body. Shaking the memories out of his mind, he carried on. His journey was far from over.


    As he continued to walk, he noticed another figure following him. Blinking, he noticed the figure was gone. ¡°It¡¯s not a monster,¡± he knew, ¡°it is simply a trick of my mind.¡± He¡¯d move on, still seeing the nonexistent figure in the corner of his vision, knowing that if he turned to look at it, the figure would disappear.


    Xiaojun would camp in this desert, the vultures finally giving him time to rest as they, too, were exhausted. Sitting by a fire, Xiaojun would watch the flame cackle with its embers flying about. Looking up, the figure was right there again. It was him, like the perfect reflection he fought in Guancheng. ¡°Why are you still fighting?¡± the figure asked him. ¡°You are exhausted, tired, and you have no one. It would be use to just accept the past and move on.¡±


    Xiaojun blinked, and the figure was gone. Then turning around, he found the figure sitting behind him. ¡°Years of violence. Years of sin. You have become no better than the beasts you strive to defeat. If you retire now, you can leave with your honor.¡± Xiaojun laid on his back, hoping for a cent of rest.


    ¡°No one would blame you,¡± the figure added, ¡°most people haven¡¯t gone through what you¡¯ve gone through. You can go off and rest. Forget about it all. Isn¡¯t that what Nina would want?¡± Xiaojun closed his eyes, taking a deep exhale as he allows peace to be his inhale.


    ¡°I wish it were that simple,¡± he said, ¡°but I¡¯ve learned some things recently,¡± he said to the figure. Even though he knew he was talking to himself, like how a lunatic would, he continued on. ¡°Hua is a foolish girl, if that¡¯s what you want to call her. She was alive because she was eating human flesh through trickery.¡±


    ¡°She was a monster,¡± the figure responded, ¡°she should¡¯ve died.¡± But Xiaojun just shook his head. ¡°She stopped eating humans. Even though the taste of humans is far richer compared to the meat of any other animal, she still chooses to never hunt humans again.¡±


    The figure stood to his feet, snarling at the sitting Xiaojun. ¡°What are you trying to say? That monsters are redeemable? At that point, you might as well end your quest and let them rule the world! Sure they may kill anything in their path, but you¡¯re saying that they can somehow turn gentle and nice?¡±


    ¡°No. But people are just the same as these monsters. At least many of them are,¡± Xiaojun said. ¡°Most of the humans I¡¯ve met have either robbed me, tried to kill me, or spat on me. Even before I was sent to the Diyu, many humans acted as monstrously as these beasts do. They murdered. They pillaged. They raped. Even now, with these creatures inhabiting different corners of the world, humans still kill and butcher.¡±


    Xiaojun took a breath. ¡°And yet, despite these monsters in human flesh, there are people who counteract the plain evil of nature and of man. The people who hold their children close and sing them songs to sleep. The people who build houses for those living in the cold. The people who toil and work in labor for those other than themselves. The gentility of man that contrasts against the cruelty of man.¡±


    Xiaojun watched the fire continue to burn as he stared into it, coming to his conclusions. ¡°I must not fight this war against the beasts because of hatred, even though that disgusting feeling continues to ruminate in my heart. I must fight this war to protect the little goodness that exists. If the Envoy of Humanity doesn¡¯t fight the sins of humanity, then that little glimmer of beauty will vanish like a flame smothered by smoke.¡±


    He looked up. The figure was gone, but Xiaojun knew that he would be back. He closed his eyes, his hand still on his weapon as he slept slouching forward. There wasn¡¯t much rest to be gained, but there was a long journey ahead of him. Every second, whether it was spent on moving, fighting, or even resting counted. The warrior had to continue his journey.


    The next set of days were the same monotonous march forward. The sun beamed with redness akin to the insatiable heat echoed by human rage. Still wearing his hot and thick armor, he continued to hobble through as his body dripped with sweat. He could hear the human vultures returning to their circling, hearing their little shrieks which sounded like a mangled human scream mixed with that of a bird. In the end, the warrior had to continue his journey.


    The nights felt like they were getting shorter and shorter, as did the amount of rest he received. The figure would keep stalking him, and continue to berate him. ¡°It is not worth continuing your journey. It will never end,¡± it would say. And Xiaojun would have to ignore it, as words do nothing to a mind at war with itself. Exhausted the next morning, the warrior had to continue his journey.


    Walking along the sands, he reached for his canteen and attempted to drink from it. There was but a small portion, one that was barely enough to keep even a plant alive. With his lips still dry, parched, and with the taste of sand, he was forced to put the canteen away and continue his journey dehydrated. But still, the warrior had to continue his journey.


    Xiaojun to trudge through the endless sand as the mountain looked barely any closer to when he started. It was as if he were stuck on a treadmill and each one of his steps was just a useless and futile continuation of his suffering, all while being taunted by a nonexistent figure. ¡°Just give it up,¡± the figure said, ¡°you¡¯re not too late to give up now.¡±


    But Xiaojun would still ignore the temptations presented to him. ¡°If I give up, I will die,¡± he told himself. ¡°If I give up, Hua will die,¡± he iterated. His wrinkled and exhausted eyes blinked as they lost focus and energy. No food. No water. Just a continuous trudge towards a mountain he had never really seen.


    A long time ago, there was another time where he felt this level of desperation. It was when he was a boy on the streets of Dajing. His stomach had been run empty, and any attempt to save his hunger was fruitless. ¡°Get your own damn food!¡± people would scoff as they¡¯d kick the hobbling boy away from them.Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions.


    It was a time where Xiaojun didn¡¯t even know that humanity was capable of kindness. For all he knew, that word was a myth, like a god nobody could see and yet everyone believed in. In a word, Xiaojun didn¡¯t have a single bit of faith in humanity when he was that desperate child. That was why turning to banditry and mongrelism was so easy.


    But Xiaojun had long changed. He had tasted far more brutality than the basic streets of Dajing, as the battlefield didn¡¯t have a cent of mercy. However, at the same time, he had tasted small drops of kindness. Jin. Nina. Even Hua. All of those names provided a strange sense of warmth that proved hotter than the sun beaming down on Xiaojun. So, in the end, the warrior had to continue his journey.


    As he got closer to the mountain, more obstacles presented themselves. For one, the sand seemingly turned black. He could even see a literal line where he saw the basic tan suddenly transform into an ashy dark. That, alone, was enough to say that evil was coming. For another, he started noticing distant horsemen, ones that were real and not like his mental apparition. They were human, but that didn¡¯t make them any less monstrous.


    The Hongbei were also known as the wastelanders, for they were the one people capable of surviving the treacherous plains and steppes of the north. Even before these plains transformed into sands, the area was still a wasteland where life could only exist for those who decide to chase it. The Hongbei were those chasers, capable of adapting to any set of hell presented to them.


    Xiaojun had heard of the Hongbei as well. How these barbarians would raid the lands of Jiaguo and take whatever silk, tools, or women they could. For the Hongbei domain was a land dominated by cruelty, where the one who survived was the cruelest.


    At this point, the man-vultures stopped stalking him. The Hongbei stalked Xiaojun instead. In both day and night, they had patrols watch the warrior from a distance, their bows seemingly ready to pluck the exhausted man where he stood. Sun or moon, Xiaojun found the horsemen always looking him down from afar.


    Eventually, Xiaojun found his body to be at its worse set of exhaustion. His body didn¡¯t even have enough water to salivate his mouth, making his throat dry and hoarse. Similarly, his starved body felt as if it were eating itself, for it had nothing else to digest. Then, suddenly, Xiaojun collapsed.


    With his knee on the ground and his hands supported by his guandao, he stopped to catch his breath. But before he could receive some rest, he heard the sound that he dreaded: the sound of clopping hooves and charging men. Arrows flew from their direction as they barely missed Xiaojun. Standing up, the warrior stanced himself against the group.


    He used his guandao to deflect incoming arrows as the horsemen drew closer and closer. He counted their speed, waiting for the right chance to strike. Xiaojun watched as they holstered their bows and retrieved their sabers. Xiaojun closed his eyes as he visualized his defense, and then he acted.


    He struck the first rider off of his horse, using the rider¡¯s speed against him as the force launched him backwards. Barely dodging the next rider, Xiaojun immediately followed with a sharp thrust which heaved the Hongbei warrior away.


    But with Xiaojun¡¯s back turned, a saber sliced against the warrior¡¯s back, the saber cutting through the damaged armor. With blood dripping from his body, Xiaojun refused to even wince as he instinctively struck the rider¡¯s arm, knocking him off of his horse as well. In the end, there were two dead riders, and one left at Xiaojun¡¯s mercy.


    Xiaojun looked at the Hongbei warrior would was squirming on the ground. The rider cursed in his native tongue as he held pressure on his bleeding limb. As Xiaojun continued to look at the defeated warrior, he could see his ghastly apparition return. Standing above the defeated warrior, the figure gave his tempting words.


    ¡°These men tried to kill you. They have probably slain many before you and will continue to butcher if you leave. Since you have already killed two of them, why not finish the job and kill the third?¡± the voice said. Xiaojun readied his guandao, preparing to stick the blade into the man¡¯s throat like a stuck pig. But, in the end, he put his weapon down.


    ¡°There has been enough red blood for this black sand,¡± Xiaojun said aloud, ¡°go in peace, so that there is less bloodshed for today¡¯s sun.¡± The Hongbei warrior, though he didn¡¯t understand the Jiaguonese tongue, seemingly understood Xiaojun¡¯s gesture. He rushed back to his horse and rode away, leaving Xiaojun with two dead bodies as their horses had already run off in fear.


    Hungry and thirsty, Xiaojun scavenged the little supplies he found on the corpses. Small canteens and little packages of stolen Jiaguonese bread. He mixed it all together to create a soupy sludge that he devoured insatiably. At the very least, he had a little more energy to continue his journey.


    The night was a little more peaceful, since he didn¡¯t have the Hongbei stalking him. But there was a feeling he felt that was different from the feelings he had years ago. ¡°You offered the man mercy,¡± the apparition growled, ¡°why have you become so weak?¡±


    ¡°I was not weak.¡± Xiaojun looked at his hands. Even though they were caked with black sand, he could see the blood that stained them. ¡°When I was offered the choice to give life or death, I chose the right option. As I said, there is enough blood that heaven witnesses on a daily basis. I ensured that there was one less body.¡±


    ¡°What does it change?¡± the apparition demanded. ¡°You! You pretend as if you¡¯re a hero for sparing the life of one man! You must realize that the man will be humiliated! He will stop at nothing to take your life! You have signed your death!¡±


    Xiaojun maintained his calm as he closed his eyes and cleared his mind. ¡°Humans are fragile things. By simply being born, we are signed into a contract where our life is forfeit and we are guaranteed an eventual death. That is why some say that we are already dead: that we are walking corpses. But in the end, everything in our life revolves around the little choice that we have. I had once chosen a life of cruelty. I now chose a life of mercy, even if I try yet fail.¡± The apparition was gone and Xiaojun got his rest.


    The warrior continued his journey, this time seeing the mountain was so much larger and closer than it had ever been. It was the same feeling that an artisan feels when his sculpture slowly reaches the figure it was always meant to be. The slow satisfaction that suddenly appears like a titan landing onto the earth. Just a couple more days, and surely he would reach the mountain.


    The days got even longer and the nights even shorter. Every step felt like a lifetime as his injuries and exhaustion multiplied like a plague. Each little movement was a murderous trudge with his eyes set on the distant mountain. ¡°A few more days,¡± he said to himself, ¡°and I will reach the mountain.¡±


    More steps. More injuries. More exhaustion. It all coalesced into its own little mountain that felt as if it were pressing down on Xiaojun with every step that he took. Having to grunt and scream for every movement, Xiaojun mustered every last bit of his energy as he felt the burden of his journey. He was so close. He could see the base of the mountain right in front of him.


    Step. His knees felt like overburdened buttresses barely capable of holding his weight. Step. His back felt broken and shattered, like a destroyed glass table. Step. Blood and sweat mixed to create a burning sensation in every wound in his body. Step. But in the end, he made it to the mountain that he had set his mind to reaching. With a final step, he touched the rock of the mountain, feeling the coolness of the stone touch his hand. And then he collapsed to the ground.


    With his knee on the ground, he panted and groaned. Xiaojun felt as if he had finally reached the titanic goal he had set his mind to. As if he were accepting of death if it came for him immediately. ¡°But I cannot end my journey here,¡± he said to himself, ¡°just as the journey ends at the height of a mountain, I must not end at the base of it.¡±


    But his body was overburdened. He couldn¡¯t stand up, even if he commanded and forced his body to do so. It took a heave of energy just to breath. He fell backward as he hyperventilated for more air. Then, looking to the right, he saw distant horsemen galloping towards him.


    He tried to sit up with his weapon, but he didn¡¯t have the energy. Perhaps if Hua were here, he would¡¯ve been able to sip on her blood and continue moving. But she was not here. Xiaojun was alone. He went slightly unconscious as he watched the Hongbei arrive to his position.


    Xiaojun saw the warrior that he had spared: a young face and a bandaged arm. Next to him was a taller and larger warrior, one that was fit enough to be titled as ¡°Khan.¡± Speaking in their native tongues, they heaved Xiaojun onto their horses and rode off with his unconscious body. The warrior made it through the Northern Wastes. He could die happy that the first step of his journey was complete.

 Chapter 15

    Xiaojun had the most vivid of dreams. The kind that he knew was imaginary, and yet he couldn¡¯t help but dwell in its colorful beauty. Green fields. Bright skies. Leaf-adorned trees. And not a single beast or monster in his view. Xiaojun sat his back against one of the fertile trees as he looked and admired the beauty of the world.


    It was a large village before him: one teeming with life. Rice paddies flooded and rich with good spoils. Animals that bleeted and baaed as children and shepherds tended to them. Xiaojun could even see Hua playing with a child. Her child. One that she never had, but seemed more than belated to care for.


    He could see Rina sleeping by another tree, using her gun as an armrest and nothing more. In fact, all weapons had become useless since war had become as archaic and obsolete as violence in this dream. Only a world without war and violence could create such a beautiful village.


    Then he saw Nina approaching him. She still had her short blonde hair which glistened like golden wheat in the wind. Her eyes still glimmered with light as she sat herself next to the now retired warrior. ¡°This is a beautiful place,¡± she said, ¡°this is what I wish the world could¡¯ve been.¡±


    Xiaojun nodded as Nina kissed his cheek. ¡°This is the world you fought armies for. A world that had no need for armies, since all of the wars had been already won.¡± Nina laughed a little as she lay in the warrior¡¯s arms. ¡°This is the world you fight for,¡± then her smile disappeared. ¡°After all, I¡¯ve already lost.¡±


    Xiaojun watched Nina begin to decay like a corpse as her flesh melted from her bones. The bones, still wet with blood, remained red as it tumbled down from the hill. The fields were set alight by dark soldiers who looked like shadows in the red eclipsed moon. Fire and war torched the land once blessed by peace.


    Xiaojun saw Hua ripped away from her child as they slaughtered the innocent thing without any reason or need. As Hua grieved with tears, the dark soldiers pressed her against a house and prepared to mount her. At the same time, Rina was forced to shoot as many soldiers as she could before arrows pierced her skin and caused her an agonizing and screaming death. This was the hellish world that Xiaojun lived in. It was no dream, only a nightmare.


    Xiaojun awoke with sweat on his forehead and terror in his mind. He found himself sleeping on a mat made from hides as the soft leather provided a sturdy mattress. A tent surrounded him as the light gently peered from the little openings. Sitting up, he winced as he found his body covered in bandages. Looking to the right, he found his armor and weapon gently stowed away. Both had been repaired and sharpened, though it was clearly not done by a master.


    Then he noticed someone looking inside. It was a little girl, one which eyes as small and sharp as an arrow. As soon as Xiaojun saw her, the girl giggled and began to run off. The girl said something in her native Hongbei tongue, which, like the rest of the Northern Wastes, was hoarse yet beautiful.


    Xiaojun slipped on his clothes and left his armor and weapon where it was. It was clear that these people did not want to fight. For once in his life, he decided that it was better to not walk with a weapon. With a tunic and trousers, he walked outside, initially blinded by the sun.


    The village around him was constructed of tents as Hongbei nomads moved about and did their chores. Men and women alike worked together, as opposed to how Jiaoguonese societies worked. Here, men and women hunted together, bathed together, and toiled together. It was an egalitarian people, one definitely far from that of Jiaguo or even Vesterland.


    Then, emerging from the largest of the tents, one nestled on a hill, was the great and tall nomad that Xiaojun had seen earlier. Walking with him was the boy that Xiaojun had spared, his arm still bandaged but definitely recovering. The giant then moved his way to Xiaojun, his height being only slightly bigger than Xiaojun. It was obvious: this great man was the khan.


    After clearing his throat with a great cough, the khan spoke in the Jiaguonese tongue. ¡°You are from the south, the land of the central kingdom. Why have you arrived to the Northern Wastes? A land known for its treacherous paths and barren deserts?¡± The way he spoke was accented, yet powerful as it was a voice that commanded authority.


    ¡°I am here on a journey to the northern mountains,¡± Xiaojun calmly responded. ¡°I wish to put an end to the apocalypse that enshrouds the world with evil by silencing the Four Beasts and the Beast of Corruption.¡± To this, the khan nodded in understanding. ¡°I have heard of those scourges through legends and myth. Had I been a younger man, I would¡¯ve sliced you for saying such estranged things, but now that the world has become what it is, I cannot call your truth a lie.¡±


    The Khan brought the wounded boy closer, teasing his injured arm to Xiaojun. ¡°My son, Tehan, foolishly attacked you with his men, hoping to take advantage of a man in the desert. Even for the cruelest of the Hongbei, this is a treacherous act,¡± the khan bellowed. ¡°And yet, when you gained the upper hand, you provided mercy to my son. Why did you do this?¡±


    Xiaojun made his answer easily. ¡°There are times when one¡¯s hand is forced to take the life of another, but there are times when there is truly a choice whether or not to provide mercy or provide death. In my belief, I chose the right option.¡± The khan laughed when he heard this. ¡°My son could¡¯ve returned with more men to slaughter you! Did you not believe that?¡±


    ¡°I believed that he would reciprocate my kindness,¡± Xiaojun responded. ¡°With every realm and land torn as it is, perhaps some kindness is needed to balance against the clear cruelty.¡± The khan nodded as he understood the strange warrior. ¡°I do not agree, but I am thankful that my son managed to return home, as dishonored as he may be. Nonetheless, I must commend your strength. You are as strong, if not stronger, than many of my warriors. That is not a statement to be taken lightly.¡±


    Xiaojun slightly bowed out of respect. ¡°Thank you for your hospitality. I, Xiaojun, am thankful. But, I must still continue on my trek to the north. There is something I need to find in those northern mountains.¡± The khan looked at the warrior for a moment before sighing in disappointment.


    ¡°Those mountains are cursed,¡± he said. ¡°For years, many warriors of different creeds and colors have journeyed to those mountains. Most of them died simply crossing the Northern Wastes, but many of those who actually make it to the mountains never return. Legends say that a great ghost haunts that place, one that refuses to bend its grudge on humanity.¡±


    Xiaojun took a second look at those distant mountains, considering everything that he had endured up to this point. ¡°I will take that chance,¡± he said. But before he could even take a step, the khan placed his hand on the warrior¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Xiaojun of the Jiaguonese Kingdoms, I apologize, but I must ask of something from you.¡±


    Before he could explain himself, the little girl from earlier giggled as she grabbed onto Xiaojun¡¯s leg. Hugging it and laughing, the girl was continuously jovial with relentless energy. ¡°Naran!¡± the khan called. The girl suddenly went to attention like how a soldier would. Then, once the khan smiled, the girl went off into the village.


    ¡°That is my daughter,¡± the khan said. ¡°Even I, Altan Khan, must fold when it comes to the raising of my children. That includes my disgrace of a son,¡± he added, scolding the wounded boy. ¡°Now then,¡± Altan Khan said, ¡°there is something that requires the strength and attention of a great warrior. I wish to take care of it myself, but that would jeapordize my family and my clan if it leads to my demise.¡±


    Xiaojun nodded as he listened on. ¡°What do you need?¡± he asked. The Khan gave a signal to one of his men who presented a rotting corpse. It was the body of a man-vulture, as the fleshy wings had decayed to the point where it sludged off of the bone. The flies which bit against it seemed to be dismayed by the horrid taste of the black flesh.


    ¡°These demons have spawned all around the Northern Wastes, using their size and pestful endurance to advance past the natural species of the region. They are not foolish enough to attack whole camps, but they are bastardish enough to raid our cattle, horses, and those who advance too far from the clan. You must kill them and burn their nest.¡± Xiaojun accepted this quest easily. ¡°I will see what I can do.¡±If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.


    He equipped his armor and weapon. He was also given a map of the Northern Wastes, as well as the location of the nest. ¡°H-here is horse,¡± Tehan nervously said to the powerful warrior. Other soldiers laughed as they watched the already humiliated boy be further humiliated by the ritual.


    ¡°Our people have a ritual,¡± a young woman suddenly stated, ¡°that when you best someone in battle, you earn their horse. As a result, you have earned his horse.¡± The woman had supple and smooth skin which was as tan as the desert sands. Her voice was as soft as a lute as it hummed like the wind. ¡°I am Sarnai of the Hongbei. A soothsayer that has heard your name, Xiaojun,¡± she said. ¡°You are the one they call the Envoy of Humanity. May the ever expansive God of the Sky bless you.¡±


    All of the men in the village had their eyes set on her as she saddled onto her own horse, ready to ride alongside Xiaojun. ¡°I shall direct you toward the home of the vultures.¡± She began to gallop her horse as Xiaojun followed, to the irritated dismay of the men. ¡°Damned bastard is taking our beloved Sarnai,¡± they cursed. But none of them had any intention of fighting a battle they know they¡¯d lose.


    Sarnai and Xiaojun rode into the desert as the sands drifted with the wind. The sun was hot, but it was yellow in a way Xiaojun had not noticed before. It was as if he were seeing the same hell but in a different lens. For some people, this was a wasteland. But for the Hongbei, this was a beautiful home. The land of their people and the people before them.


    ¡°Xiaojun,¡± Sarnai said, ¡°you bear a great burden. I have witnessed many of your exploits in my dreams ever since I was born. I was said to be gifted as a soothsayer, but now I realize I was gifted to help the Envoy of Humanity in his journey.¡±


    She continued to speak as they traveled through the endless plains. ¡°I witnessed your origin in the streets of Dajing. I witnessed your rise to power in the War of Sin. I witnessed your fall in the Diyu. And I witnessed your reprisal against every single beast.¡±


    Xiaojun sighed. He heard enough. ¡°Then you must know that I¡¯m nothing but imperfection. I have resorted to hatred and violence when peace was an alternative. I am a man of wrath, and yet I wish to be a man of justice.¡± Sarnai said only one thing in response. ¡°That is good that you are imperfection, for you are the Envoy of Humanity, and there is no perfect human.¡±


    Xiaojun sat with those words, his mind absorbing these words like a sponge yearning for water. ¡°Does that mean humanity is doomed to lose? That we are destined to simply die by the hands of stronger and more perfect beings?¡±


    Sarnai smiled in the way an old woman who had seen the world would. ¡°Perhaps humanity will die one day, just as any human can die one day. But our imperfection is our strength. Our ability to truly value the things we cherish is our strength.¡±


    She continued on, the setting sun providing a strange background as they moved. ¡°The Four Beasts and the Beast of Corruption only find value in simple things. The Four Beasts: lust, avarice, jealousy, and hate. What they all have in common is the basic want that exists in humanity. The want for satiation. The want for power. The want for others¡¯ belongings. And the want for others¡¯ destruction. But there is a thing inside every human that triumphs over this: the soul.¡±


    Sarnai, despite looking like a frail girl, knew things not even a sage would know. ¡°The soul is what gives humans that strange purpose that transcends basic want. Sometimes, this purpose is mistaken with ambitious avarice, but it is different. It is the kind of purpose that drives humans to be kind even when they can be cruel. Surely, you have witnessed its effects before.¡±


    Xiaojun remembered that feeling when he spared Hua¡¯s life. That moment, he had the full justification to kill that fox girl. After all, she attempted to take his life. But in the end, he had chosen the option of mercy. The same could be said for Tehan. That boy attempted to take Xiaojun¡¯s life when he was weak, and yet the warrior spared him as well.


    ¡°The soul is what you are fighting for,¡± Sarnai said. Then her horse stopped. In front of them was the large nest of the vultures as they went in and out like starving bees. Suddenly, flying above them, they noticed another one of the vultures carrying something. It was a crying child, the same one Xiaojun saw with the khan. ¡°Naran!¡± Xiaojun cried.


    ¡°Children are the embodiment of the soul,¡± Sarnai said. ¡°Prove that you are worthy of fighting for the soul, and your path as the Envoy of Humanity will open to you.¡± She gave the warrior an ultimatum. ¡°It is time for you to prove yourself, great warrior. Are you truly capable of defending man against gods? Or will you allow the soul to be swallowed by the abyss?¡±


    Xiaojun only had one answer. ¡°I will teach them what it means to be human.¡± He launched off of his horse and launched himself right into the nest. Shrouded by darkness, Xiaojun swung his weapon brutally against the flying creatures who shrieked in surprise. Usually, they were the ones doing the attacking, and never the ones victim to murder.


    He could hear the sounds of the crying child echo through the tunnels and catacombs. Trudging through the strangely moist honeycomb, he dashed through hordes of man-vultures as he attempted to get closer and closer. In his wake, mains and parts of these vultures bloodily flew about as the demons screamed in decibels far louder than the child. And yet, with his mind focused, Xiaojun followed the noise of the child alone.


    In the darkness, he could see countless bodies lined along the walls. Ingrained and stuck into the sticky structure, the bodies stared blankly as holes appeared all over their body. The man-vultures had implanted leech-like larvae into their bodies which had eaten them from inside out. ¡°If I am not fast enough,¡± Xiaojun thought, ¡°then Naran will be another victim.¡± The human soul would lose.


    He slaughtered his way through the nest, turning the home into a graveyard. He would cut the wings and stomp the flailing creatures once they were on the ground. One stomp was enough to crush their skull. Two was enough to fully flatten them. Xiaojun would even wresltle them from the air and simply clobber them into mushy pieces. Though these creatures were multiple times stronge than the average man, Xiaojun was far stronger. This was nothing.


    In the core of the nest, the queen riled with distress as she continued to digest food. She was a hideous creature, even in the eyes of demons, as she looked like a large fat slob with a round stomach that could open and close. The man-vultures would deliver people, animals, and dead man-vultures to fill this stomach. The stomach would then close, muffling the bleats of animals and the cries of people. Then, like a medicine bowl, the stomach would slowly and brutally crush each and everything inside to digest it into fine mush. This mush would feed into the rest of the system where the queen would lay the larvae¡¯s eggs.


    Naran was close to being delivered into this abominable creature¡¯s stomach, but her small size and continuous wriggling allowed her to slip from the man-vulture¡¯s sharp grip. Falling to the moist and sticky ground, Naran was face to face with the blobby creature whose face could barely be discriminated from its digsuting body. The girl screamed as she curled into a ball.


    Then, the girl saw a light come from one of the tunnels. With it, she heard arrays of inhuman screaming as well as the grunts of a familiar warrior. Emerging from the tunnel with a fiery explosion was Xiaojun as burning man-vultures fluttered about only for their flight to oxygenate the flames further. Xiaojun holstered his weapon onto his back as he held the girl in one arm and a torch in another.


    The queen looked at this little human with a strange amount of emotion. She was the queen of a once great hive that caused fear to countless humans. and yet this one human had the gall to defy her rule? With a powerful and revolting belch, she let loose a snotty scream that made Xiaojun smile. ¡°Mad because I took your food?¡± he laughed. ¡°Real monsters make me sick.¡± He set a flame to one of the eggs which began to catch fire. Carrying this flame, more and more eggs began to burn.


    The queen screamed as she gave a call. She wanted each and every man-vulture to slaughter the Envoy of Humanity right where he stood. The man-vultures looked at the terrifying man. They were terrified. It wasn¡¯t only because of his strength, but it was because of his resolve. This was a man fighting for a reaosn they could not understand. This was a man saving the child that didn¡¯t even belong to him. And yet his ferocity was unmatched. This was the human soul.


    The fire traveled to the queen where it began to burn the blob like how flames ignite gasoline. The fat creature jostled and gave inhuman cries as Xiaojun carefully covered Naran¡¯s ears and curled her closer. ¡°You are okay. No one is going to hurt you,¡± he said. Even though the child did not understand his tongue, she still found comfort as she hugged against his armor. Walking out of the chamber, Xiaojun carried the child out of the hive.


    Xiaojun exited the now burning hive as man-vultures attempted to escape the oven of a home. Just as they exited, arrows flew about and skewered them right from the air. Altan Khan and his men had been standing by, awaiting Xiaojun¡¯s sudden rescue of his daughter. Gently, the warrior placed her on the ground where she immediately began to sprint towards her father. ¡°Aav! Aav!¡± the girl cried, using her native tongue as she hugged her father.


    The thankful khan held her tight as tears rolled down his eyes. ¡°For years, Sarnai had foretold me that a powerful warrior would venture to this land. That this warrior needed to travel north, and this his own strength would differentiate him from the many other fools who fell in their path. I know fully realize that you are that man.¡±


    The hive exploded like a bomb as the trapped air forced the honeycomb apart. With each and every last man-vulture dead, the remainig wounded beasts were skewered and killed by the Hongbei nomads. ¡°We are forever in your debt,¡± the khan said, ¡°thank you.¡±


    Xiaojun got on the horse he had won from Tehan, the boy still embarassed from his distant loss. ¡°Warrior,¡± Sarnai said, ¡°your journey will get no easier. Keep your mind clear and your heart purposeful, and you will represent humanity.¡± Xiaojun left the clan, venturing to the mountains once more. It was time to reach the destination he had long awaited.

 Chapter 16

    The rain poured endlessly in the lands of Jiaguo as the leafless trees provided little to no shelter for Hua or Rina. Trudging through the mud, Hua continued to sniffle as she remembered what happened in Guancheng. ¡°Please let me help you!¡± She still had to be leashed by Rina to ensure she wouldn¡¯t run off to find Xiaojun.


    The whole journey was silent. Neither of them knew where they were going. Hua was just following where her leash dragged her, and Rina was just scouring the land for a single place of safety. Cities were full of criminals and gangsters that would salivate upon seeing Hua, even if she hid her tails. Countrysides were full of monsters that feasted on any human foolish enough to reach their domain. And the woods were just that: dead trees and creatures blending with those trees.


    ¡°Rina,¡± Hua suddenly said, ¡°I think you¡¯re heartless.¡± With the two sitting in a cave for a break from the wet mud and rain, Rina initially ignored the statement as she made a fire. It was initially hard, since wet wood doesn¡¯t make good fuel. ¡°Maybe you¡¯re right,¡± Rina responded, ¡°but Xiaojun is just the same.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about!¡± Hua retorted. She bared her teeth as she prepared to transform, but Rina responded by just giving a good kick to her gut. Hua returned to being a normal girl. ¡°Xiaojun is a warrior. Warriors don¡¯t need heart.¡±


    ¡°What are you talking about? Of course warriors have a heart! People have a heart, and warriors are people!¡± But Rina just shook her head, her eyes watching the wet wood smoke with vapor. The rain continued to pour outside as Rina focused her eyes on each dot of water. ¡°Having heart was a weakness.¡± Then her mind went to its own hell.


    Rina was atop a hill with her bayoneted gun holding her exhausted weight like a cast. Bodies and banners lay around as different coats of arms decorated the battlefield like a banquet fit for a god of death. Suddenly, a wounded soldier charged at Rina, one of his arms being literally missing as he lunged at the warrior.


    Rina quickly responded by cocking her gun and shooting the man down. With a grunt, the man fell and rolled down the hill, joining the many other piles of corpses as Rina¡¯s hyperventilated breath hoped to find stability. She looked around. The battle was somehow over.


    ¡°It was an absolute hell,¡± Rina said, ¡°my first real battle as a mercenary.¡± The wood finally caught good flame as the fuel finally dried. Her memories continued to play like a show where she was the only attendant. If it were a stage write, it would be nothing but a tragedy.


    ¡°I was covered in blood and the stench of black powder,¡± Rina stated. ¡°my hands were covered with blisters since I had to keep shooting and reloading my weapon. Since I was the only one with a gun, I managed to kill scores of armored soldiers. I can still remember their faces.¡± Rina said all this with blank eyes and a blanker heart. ¡°My bayonet was dulled since I had to continue stabbing at the enemy soldiers that broke into our line. People may not be monstrous centipedes or titans, but they are still monsters nonetheless.¡±


    Hua kept her mouth silent as Rina spoke on. The fox girl began to notice the many scars on Rina¡¯s body, as they were covered only by her light clothes and armor. ¡°The lord who hired me died,¡± Rina added, ¡°and that was when I realized I was the last soldier in the army, for the rest of the soldiers fled far and wide.¡±


    On that day, Rina was staring right at the body of the lord. Still donned in his armor, the lord stared into nothing as his corpse lay atop a hill of bodies. He looked like he was the last to die as his arrow-laden corpse looked like a porcupine. It had started to rain when Rina looked at this disheveled corpse. Rich and poor die alike.


    The exhausted soldier hobbled herself to the body and turned it over. She turned the bodies over until she finally found what lay at the bottom: the lord¡¯s treasure: a chest filled with gold. ¡°Like coin, he spent his life for material,¡± Rina said to Hua, ¡°and many other soldiers died just for a chest of spoils.¡± Being the last in the battlefield, she took it has her payment.


    Rina had the same blank face that Xiaojun had. Though the two didn¡¯t have the same life, they had similar experiences and brushes with humanity¡¯s evil. ¡°He is the strongest person I have ever seen,¡± Rina stated, ¡°both for fighting monsters and people. It is the to the point where we cannot even hope to come close to his strength.¡±


    Hua remained silent as she curled herself together. She knew that this experienced soldier was correct, even if her mind wished she could disagree. Rina, with her blank face, sat herself back. ¡°When it comes to fighting against those ungodly creatures, we cannot even hope to get close in terms of his strength or speed. He is the envoy. We are just people.¡± With that, they slept with one eye open.


    The next day, they returned to their travels. Though still tied with a rope, Hua didn¡¯t make a single utterance of resistance. She just glumly accepted her fate as she carried herself forward. ¡°Why did you become a mercenary?¡± she asked Rina.


    ¡°Money.¡± It was a calm and simple answer as they continued walking. ¡°A lot of people choose between being a mercenary or just being a footsoldier.¡± Hua cooed with curiosity. ¡°Is there a difference between the two?¡± she asked.


    ¡°Foot soldiers get money, bedding, and longer job security since you¡¯re more tied to a lord and his army. At the same time, leaving is not as much of an option and the stipends are minuscule since the lord usually considers housing and feeding as an expense. That being said, mercenaries are different because we have skill. Like how a doctor is skilled in medicine, we are a commodity in war. We have more say in whether or not we stay in an army, we can barter for higher wages, and we have more liberty to leave.¡±


    Hua¡¯s head shook as she attempted to comprehend all the words. ¡°You get cool stuff, and foot soldiers don¡¯t,¡± she summarized to herself. ¡°Okay, that makes a lot more sense.¡± Rina snickered a little as she watched the foolish girl. ¡°I¡¯m surprised Xiaojun kept you as long as he did. You must¡¯ve been a real bastard to care for.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Hua yelped. ¡°I¡¯m not that hard to care for! I¡¯m low maintenance!¡± Rina laughed some more as they continued walking. ¡°Low maintenance unless you two were attacked. You already remember what happened in Guancheng. He had to go out of his way to protect us when we were in danger.¡±


    Words like that hit into Hua¡¯s mind. Even though Rina was still laughing, Hua was more than despondent. ¡°Every time¡­ he was the one protecting me¡­¡± Part of her mind wandered back to when she was under the care of Zheng Qiang the torturer and doctor. Though his experiments on the huli jing were despicable, he had always protected Hua from the horrors of the world and of reality. That all humans were weak creatures who cruelly projected their little strength onto anything they could. In short, Xiaojun was the one thing separating her from being another corpse.


    ¡°I wish I was strong,¡± she suddenly said. Rina stopped and looked at the girl. Tears fell from Hua¡¯s eyes as she sat onto the muddy ground. ¡°This whole time I¡¯ve just been a weak girl leeching on the strength of others. First, I relied on trickery to bite unsuspecting humans. Then, I relied on Xiaojun to protect me from the creatures of the world. And now, I¡¯m relying on you to protect me. I¡¯m tired of being weak!¡±


    Rina sighed as she looked around, making sure it was safe to have a break. She then patted the girl on the back, caring for her as she continued to sob. ¡°It¡¯s alright. I understand how you feel.¡± Hua sniffled as she looked up with her teary eyes. ¡°You do?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Rina replied. ¡°I left my home because I was tired of being weak as well. In fact, part of me still feels weak because of how strong the beasts are. But, in the end, the only thing you can do is grow your strength and power. You may never get to the level of Xiaojun and be capable of contending with the Four Beasts, but you can at least be strong enough to feel good about yourself.¡±Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings.


    Hua sniffled and stopped crying. She wiped her tears with her sleeve and stood up. ¡°Yeah¡­ you¡¯re right Rina. Thank you.¡± The soldier gave a gentle smile to the girl as she untied the rope from her. ¡°I don¡¯t think you need that. Besides, it feels humiliating,¡± Rina said. Hua was able to laugh a little.


    They continued moving, ascending up a muddy hill. It was a steep one, but it looked to be unavoidable. Heaving up the sludgy earth, they ascending upwards. ¡°This weather sucks!¡± Hua panted. But when they eventually made it up, they witnessed a horrid sight: a cold battlefield.


    Banners everywhere. Bodies everywhere. Spilled blood which mixed into the moist earth, enough to keep the mud eternally soaked. ¡°Oh my god! What happened here?¡± Hua screamed. As for Rina, dozens of memories flashed into her mind. ¡°War is what happened.¡± With no where else to go, the two of them descended to the cold battlefield.


    ¡°Rina,¡± Hua asked, ¡°why are there so many wars?¡± They stepped around the bodies, hoping to preserve their sanctity. ¡°Wants and needs,¡± she replied, ¡°people have wars often because of their wants than their needs. A lord wants to consolidate power behind the emperor¡¯s back. Soldiers and mercenaries want to have glory, money, or women. At the same time, merchants want the business and the wealth. With the emperor¡¯s power being equivalent to a child¡¯s, all of these lords have their wants and needs in an insatiable lust for more.¡±


    An arm suddenly grabbed onto Hua¡¯s leg. The fox girl yelped as the dying soldier mouthed his final words to the girl. ¡°Kill¡­ me¡­¡± The bottom half of his body was severed as he was left to bleed himself to death. Rina, calmly, kicked the arm away and lunged her bayonet into the man¡¯s throat. Finally, and with a gurgle, the man passed from the cruel land of the living.


    Hua struggled to regain her composure as she stared at every body around her. The ones that were dead had died with the greatest amounts of both fear and pain while the ones who were barely alive could only beg for the cold kiss of relief. In a strange contrast, Rina was calm and cleaning her bayonet as she helped Hua to her feet. ¡°Let¡¯s keep moving,¡± she said.


    They trudged around the bodies as different banners of different lords weakly floated with the wind. Few of them were clean as most of them deluded to tattered rags stained with blood and mud. Neither Hua nor Rina could tell what character was being written on it. There gets to a point in war where these identities lose meaning. Men and countries die alike.


    In the distance, Hua could see figures moving over the bodies. ¡°Are those monsters?¡± she quietly whispered to Rina. The soldier shook her head. ¡°Looters. They wait until a battle ends and then they scour for anything that has value.¡± Still looking, Hua was curious to the disgusting nature of the lowly profession.


    The looters picked against the bodies, grabbing anything worth value. One of them opened a corpse¡¯s mouth and dislodged a golden tooth from it, grinning with a wide grin as he looked at the shiny thing. Another one of them called to the others, pointing at a heavily armored horseman who lay wounded on the ground.


    Hua shrieked as she continued to watch. ¡°Rina! That guy¡¯s alive!¡± She watched as the horseman struggled to scamper to his feet as his wounds and heavy armor compiled to his sluggish movement. Swinging wildly, he struggled to hit any of the incoming looters as they jeered and laughed. ¡°You stupid bastard! With skills like that, your sword and armor would be much better off in our hands!¡±


    With knives in their hands, they simultaneously jumped onto the horseman and stabbed him in anywhere that was vulnerable. The neck, the armpits, the calves. Screaming like a gutted pig, the warrior could only feel and watch his own demise as the knives continued to jam against his body. ¡°Rina! They¡¯re killing him!¡± Hua screamed. But the soldier was moving on.


    ¡°As I said earlier, we are not strong warriors like Xiaojun. We are only people.¡± With that, Rina walked on. Hua followed, though she couldn¡¯t dismiss the cold and hard weight that now bear within her heart and chest. She knew very well that evils within the world were ever present. Hua hated it.


    The walk was quiet as they avoided any looters and bandits that were left scouring the battlefield. It reminded Hua more and more how weak and helpless they truly were. She wished she was like Xiaojun, a warrior who was both brave and strong enough to challenge even the Four Beasts with his might. In comparison to that warrior in armor, Hua was a frightened girl who didn¡¯t even have the strength to defend herself. It was humiliating.


    Suddenly, the two of them stopped. Rina perched herself down as they looked at a distant figure. ¡°What is that?¡± It was a large cloaked skeleton who looked around with a smile. Crowned with jewelry constructed of bones and adorned with an equally dreadful smile, he looked around with marvel as his eyeballs, the only visible organ in his body, squirmed and stared.


    What was worse than the profane sight was the aura felt by just looking at him. It was as if they were staring at a complete colossus which had been compacted to the size of a tall man. No, it was worse than that. It was the feeling of dread that one feels when brought to death¡¯s door. The feeling of when one begs the gates of hell to remain closed only for those fiery pits to open wide. That was the right way to describe it: like staring at the mouth of hell.


    ¡°Meat. Flesh. Bone. When put to life, you humans engage in the most debaucherous of sins. But this is the one that I love most: pure hatred.¡± His words echoed despite not even coming from his mouth. It was as if someone were speaking words that could travel for miles without having any sort of origin. ¡°Even in this graveyard of the dead, you dead soldiers still crave hatred. You still crave the death and destruction of your fellow man. That is why I cannot help but allow you to relive your fantasies.¡±


    The skeleton raised his hands of bone, his fingers adorned with a series of rings constructed of small bloody ligaments. With that motion, the dead began to rise. With their eyes glowing a ghastly hue, their bodies stood upright as their severed parts rose with them. Crunches echoed abundantly as these limbs returned to their owners. ¡°Disregard your vows of fealty! Disregard your hopes for love! With this decree, I allow you to resume your bouts of hatred! Fight!¡±


    The dead soldiers, without care for what side they had once taken, engaged in the most terrible of battles. They slammed their swords, hammers, and even their fists into each other as they were consumed by the idea of pure violence. All the while, the cloaked skeleton watched with glee. This was an unequivocal evil. This was the Beast of Hate.


    Hua and Rina, touched with fear, struggled to escape as they found themselves surrounded by heedless violence. This was the epitome of war: a battle without justification or need. A battle of pure hate. ¡°Hua! Stay close to me!¡± Rina called, ¡°we have to stick together and find a way out!¡±


    They began to run through any opening they could. Looters, who were once preoccupied with stealing, found themselves at the forefront of the violence. With the dead soldiers attacking anything in their sight, they butchered the bandits like sharks gutting fish. Their blood leaked like water as their agonized bodies screamed, though the sounds sank right into the void that was present in the swarm of fighting.


    A circle formed around Hua and Rina as if the violence refused to permeate into that radius. Then, entering this circle, was the Beast of Hate himself. Grass burned with every one of his steps as if his mere presence was a volatile one. ¡°The fate of the one I possessed was a tragic one,¡± he said, his voice echoing like a living scream inside an entombed coffin. ¡°His name was Bei, and he was dying when I found him. He had nothing but pity for both the enemy and his comrades, which is why I had to inject him with hatred instead.¡±


    Shaking, Rina pointed her gun at the skeleton. She cocked it back and the beast watched as Rina pulled the trigger. The bullet launched quickly as it tore into the beast¡¯s skull. The beast laughed as he placed his finger in the hole, touching the human brains with it. ¡°That is an effective weapon. I watched from the heavens as many from Vesterland used this technology to exact their hatred. Sadly, this body is but a mere vassal of my presence on this world, as my primary position is somewhere far from here.¡±


    Rina began to frantically reload her weapon as the Beast of Hate continued to stand there. ¡°Why are you here?¡± Hua demanded. One of her hands instinctively held onto Rina¡¯s shoulder, like how a frightened child clutches to their mother. ¡°The reason I am here is because I wished to speak,¡± he said. ¡°After all, there is no joy in speaking to corpses.¡±


    ¡°But why?¡± Hua furthered. ¡°What do you have to ask?¡± She stood back as the beast smiled, frightening the girl even further. ¡°How close is Xiaojun towards the path of hatred?¡± he asked. Rina finished reloading and fired another bullet into the skull. It had the same futile effect while Hua clutched the soldier ever tighter.


    ¡°I can see it in your faces. He is full of malice and hate. He cares not for lust or power, nor the power of others. That must mean he will be mine, and mine alone.¡± The beast cackled as Rina reloaded another bullet and fired it. Bone shattered but the beast was still alive. Fighting continued around them just as fighting continued through eons of human history. ¡°Good. This meeting was good. I now know that I can transform the Envoy of Humanity into my dogged slave.¡± Rina fired her last bullet, and finally, the beast vanished.


    The bones clattered to the ground as did all the other bodies. The fighting, yelling, and clashing of metal went silent just as quickly as the violence had begun. Rina and Hua, still frightened, once again remembered their place in this accursed world. They were not strong. They were human.

 Chapter 17

    Xiaojun thanked the Hongbei for their hospitality and rode the horse he had won in battle. Rejuvenated and sharpened, Xiaojun made his way to the mountain, his horse clopping against the blackened sand. This was a land that should¡¯ve never been discovered by humanity.


    The northern mountains were a treacherous set of pike-like rocks that seemed to stab into heaven itself. Many warriors had journeyed to these legendary mountains. Many died crossing the Northern Wastes. Many other died climbing the mountain. And the final number of these warriors died fighting whatever lay waiting in the mountain. But all of these warriors had one dreadful quality: they were not Xiaojun.


    The warrior got off of his horse and allowed the horse to roam free. The steed galloped off as the warrior turned to the mighty mountains. He could see the peaks touch far into the sky like a finger of man attempting to reach god. It was as if simply being here was enough to reach heavenly amounts of power. So Xiaojun started by clutching onto the rocks, heaving himself upwards.


    The rocks were difficult to manage, but the job was still easy for the strong warrior. He had bested through armies of beasts and monsters, making this climb a simple task. But at the same time, an itch grew in his mind. Xiaojun knew that this mere climb was not what killed so many adventurers before him. It was what lie waiting inside.


    There was this cold feeling that drew into his back, like how a fawn feels when a wolf breathes upon its back. Xiaojun had this feeling ever since he discovered the existence of beasts and monsters multiple times stronger than humans, but this feeling was ever-so present now. This wasn¡¯t a threat that had simply escaped the Diyu and wished for havoc, like in Guancheng or with Lord Luo. This was an aura that could only be exuded by an ancient being akin to a great god.


    Xiaojun continued to climb higher and higher as this dreadful quality injected into his blood like a disease. Bodies covered every height like landmarks. This was the fate of the many warriors who had come before Xiaojun in search for power and strength. There is no power in cold death.


    The clouds got closer as did the quantity of corpses. Frozen with snow, these bodies were perfectly encased to their exact visage and emotion to when they died. Open mouths that begged for heat. Disparaged bodies which had climbed many miles just to slip for one. Faces of ambition replaced by faces of defeat. Xiaojun passed them all and continued to climb further.


    The air got colder and harsher as the wind huffed like a furious deity. It was the complete opposite feeling Xiaojun had when crossing the northern wastes. It was as if the sun was nonexistent, except for the humiliating glow that exuded onto the mountainside. That¡¯s all without mentioning the emaciation of the air, as it was so thin that a simple man could suffocate while breathing it in. But Xiaojun, a warrior formed and shaped by constant battle, was more than capable in climbing higher and carrying on.


    He climbed to the point where he blended into the clouds, feeling the wind at its full brunt and force. His vision was cut to only a few feet in front of him, only being enough to see the area in front of his gauntleted fingers. It was here where the primordial feeling truly stabbed into his spine, for the warrior knew very well that he was not alone. He was in the presence of a godly being.


    Suddenly, his reflexes acted on their own as he jumped upwards and landed himself onto a platform. He had just narrowly avoided a strike by an unknown being, his speed being the only thing that saved him. Looking from the platform, he witnessed the deity who had chosen the mountains as his dominion.


    It was a serpent. No, a dragon. Its scales offered a radiant gold which could be seen even in the ghastly fog and cloud. It was as large as a castle wall of scales, but its length seemed to be an endless supply of power and beauty. This wasn¡¯t a mere monster who raided the innocent for their body and souls. This was a true god who was punishing another trespasser.


    Xiaojun barely jumped to the next platform as the dragon¡¯s tail whipped his previous position, crushing the rocks like a whip from heaven. Just as the warrior¡¯s feet landed on the cold stone, he was forced to jump again. And again. This wasn¡¯t a battle, this was a one-sided expulsion. Xiaojun was an intruder, and this dragon was driven to kill him.


    The dragon¡¯s body nudged itself closer as fins swung from his body. These fins were more like large blades since their sharpness and thickness could cut the finest of armor. Quickly, Xiaojun had to block each and every one of these fins which came fast like a chamber. Up, down, left, and right, the dragon flew about and used its fins to continuously barrage Xiaojun.


    The warrior was forced to continuously ascend the mountain without a moment of rest. Staying on a platform or holding onto the wall for more than a moment would result in becoming another corpse at the base of the mountain. The Envoy of Humanity did not fight and kill so many to die on a mountain.


    The warrior fought on as he refused to buckle or yield to the immense deity before him. Since he was fighting something large, he decided to fight small. Move fast. Strike fast. Act like a fly when fighting an elephant or, in this instance, fight like a human when fighting a dragon. He zipped about as his legs explosively launched him about, moving further up the mountain as the dragon followed.


    But even with this tactic of mobility, Xiaojun still found the dragon following him easily. It was as if he was chased by a golden shadow that trailed just behind him everywhere he went. If his feet landed onto ground, then the dragon would strike. If his hands clutched onto rocks, then the dragon would strike. If he even stopped to breathe, then the dragon would strike. This was still a one-sided battle.


    As Xiaojun got higher, the air got thinner. It was as if he were breathing from a wet rag with his lungs feeling both the pressure and the weakness. He was being pushed to his limit as his bones and muscles became overloaded with exhaustion. But this wasn¡¯t the first time he had felt this exhausted, and it wouldn¡¯t be his last. He continued to ascend to the heavens, all the while in combat with the dragon of the mountains.


    Then, as he jumped onto a new stone pulpit, the ground broke beneath his feet. The rock crumbled as he descended downward. Xiaojun was falling. Quickly, and with the sickening feeling of air stimulating his reflexes, he grabbed onto the dragon¡¯s body and climbed himself onto the deity.


    Feeling the tiny human on its hard scales, the dragon soared directly upwards, ascending even higher towards the mountain¡¯s peak. Xiaojun¡¯s grip was put to an ultimate test as he held onto the deity, knowing that letting go would mean death: another body at the base of the mountain. He felt the air get even thinner and the cold get even harsher. If hell was hot, this hell was cold.


    Then he saw it: the peak of the mountain glistening with snow on its tip. At this peak, there was a cave. No, it was fortress. An abandoned one. It was a fortress constructed of ancient stone and brick as if built by ancient and withered gods the world could never even imagine again. Getting closer to this fortress, Xiaojun lunged off of the dragon and rolled upon landing. Still holding his guandao, he charged into the fortress, the deity following behind him.


    The warrior charged through the titanic gate and could feel the golden dragon¡¯s presence just behind him. He refused to look back, as such an action would slow him down enough to be devoured. Moving through the colossal corridors, Xiaojun scampered through the fortress like a mouse running from a tiger. He could see many bodies of preserved warriors as eons of arrogant adventurers decorated the place like a museum of travesty and tragedy. This was the graveyard of those fighting for greatness.


    Then, ascending up a flight of stairs, Xiaojun came upon the great sight that so many had died for: the heavenly weapon worthy of gods. It was a guandao, similar to the one that Xiaojun wielded, but being in the mere presence of the weapon incited glory, power, and might. It had a strange property which allowed it to glow despite not even being painted yellow. The warrior could see dozens of mighty warriors, each one decorated in armor of their time, but each one had died reaching for the weapon without luck.


    The voice of temptation touched into Xiaojun¡¯s head. ¡°Grab the weapon,¡± the voice told him, ¡°take the weapon and kill the dragon. There is no need for further effort when we have fought for so long.¡± But, in a split-second, Xiaojun denied this voice. ¡°No. This is a test,¡± he knew, ¡°for the warriors had misplaced their goals and devotions. They forgot their cause. They died for a weapon instead of their honor.¡±Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site.


    Instead of reaching for the weapon, Xiaojun turned himself around. He watched as the dragon ascended the stairs, its great face being as imposing as the sun. For once, Xiaojun got a good look of the majestic deity¡¯s face, as every other time he was much more focused on the impending attack or his survival. The golden dragon had a great maw which opened like a void as well as pupil-less eyes that could see 10,000 things. It was a sight worthy of art, but Xiaojun was not here for art. He was here to further his goal. The Envoy of Humanity was here to fight for his people.


    The dragon breathed a great fire that Xiaojun barely avoided. The light was golden, and yet it could surpass even the hottest of blue flame. The heat could easily counteract the impossible cold as the golden fire roasted the frozen corpses into black lumps of ash. Had Xiaojun been a moment late, and he would¡¯ve joined them.


    Then, for the first time, Xiaojun struck against the dragon. He attempted to jam his weapon into the deity¡¯s eye, but the eyelid of the dragon was enough to stop the blade from going any further. This was one of the only times mere flesh was capable of stopping Xiaojun and his strength. Quickly, the warrior had to jump back as the dragon nearly struck him with its countless fins.


    In the chamber surrounding the heavenly weapon, Xiaojun made his stand against the dragon. Jumping on walls, pulpits, and anything he could stand on, he dodged and avoided each and every one of the dragon¡¯s swift attacks. He swallowed all ideas of fear and pain as the only thought on his mind was victory. Not survival. Victory.


    At any chance he had, he attempted to strike against the dragon. Getting close to the scaly flesh, he would attempt to strike the crack between each scale to no avail. Like layers of weaved metal, these scales provided impossibly strong protection as it continued to radiate a gold hue. There simply was no direct way to kill or even injure this deity.


    That was when he realized his mistake. The mistake that he had made since coming face to face with the dragon. The same mistake that every single warrior had when entering this fortress, and when climbing this mountain. They had all seen this great dragon as a cruel god without care for even the kindest of men. They did not realize that the dragon, though great, was an animal, not a beast. If you cannot kill an animal, you can do your best to tame it. For that, he had to prove himself worthy.


    Xiaojun waited for the perfect moment. He continued to dash about as stone and rubble flew with each one of the dragon¡¯s missed attacks. He allowed the dragon to dance and smash against the walls in this large area, for Xiaojun was still waiting for the perfect moment. As soon as the dragon opened its mouth once more, Xiaojun seized the opportunity.


    The fire, like earlier, was godly in heat and intensity, but it was powerful and could not be easily stopped. Using this to his advantage, Xiaojun moved and jumped onto the dragon¡¯s back. Since the dragon could not simply turn its head, as that would burn its golden body, it had to continued facing forward. It could feel the warrior dash its little feet on its back as Xiaojun got closer and closer to its head.


    It tried to stop him. It tried to slam the warrior against the wall. It tried to use its fins to slice him. It even tried using its tail to whip him. But all of these attacks missed as the mouselike Xiaojun refused to stop for even a second. He jumped onto the dragon¡¯s head and held onto its ears as the great deity thrashed about, attempting to shake him off.


    Xiaojun kept his grip, one that was even tougher than when the dragon was soaring upwards. He grimaced and sweat as the fight continued on. But as soon as the dragon stopped for a second, Xiaojun made his move. Holding his weapon high, he stabbed into the dragon¡¯s flesh. Since the flesh easily stopped the impact, he stabbed it again. Many times, he stabbed within the fraction of a moment.


    The metal of his guandao fragmented like bits of glass, as it may as well be a fragile material in the face of something so thick and strong. But Xiaojun knew this was going to happen. Finally, he successfully struck his weapon into the dragon¡¯s skin. Golden blood oozed from the deity as it didn¡¯t even give the subtlety of a scream, let alone pain. However, it was not Xiaojun¡¯s goal to harm the deity. All he needed was something he could hold onto.


    ¡°Great dragon of the northern mountains!¡± he called, holding onto the implanted guandao as the dragon attempted to shake him off. ¡°I am not here to quarrel with you or your domain! I am here for a great heavenly weapon in order to save mankind from the works of gods! If you do not wish for this, then kill me where I stand as I know you are far more than capable! But just know this: unless I am dead, I shall fight for that weapon!¡±


    Finally, the dragon stopped. The golden blood continue to slightly flow. Then, strangely, the dragon began to laugh. The entire room was filled with echoic laughter fit for a titan as the dragon bellowed. ¡°Human,¡± it said, ¡°you are a strange one. One strange enough to be the incarnate of my previous master, and yet I am more than aware that you two are separate.¡±


    It lay its head down, allowing Xiaojun to retrieve his weapon and speak to the deity. After taking his shattered weapon out of the dragon, he stepped off and faced the great deity face to face. ¡°Who are you? Why do you defend this weapon?¡± Xiaojun asked.


    The dragon laughed as it looked at the tiny human in front of it. ¡°Foolish human. The reason I defend the weapon is because I am the spirit living in the weapon,¡± it said. ¡°In a way, I, myself, am the weapon in every part of its being.¡± The dragon surrounded the tiny human with its body, surveying every part of Xiaojun like a curious sage. ¡°I know what you are,¡± it said, ¡°you are the foretold Envoy of Humanity.¡±


    The dragon continued to speak on as it laughed. ¡°Many years ago, when civilization was but an imagination, the border between the lands of demons and humans was as liquid as water. Humans were at the bottom of this cycle. They were prey. Spirits thought of the humans as nothing but weak beings encased in flesh, just like the rest of the animals living in your world. But I was proven wrong.¡±


    The dragon faced Xiaojun once more, its pupil-less eyes blinking as it spoke on. ¡°Jiu Zhu was his name. The man who saved humanity by first ensnaring my powerful presence into his weapon through shamanistic magic. He was the only man I allowed myself to call master, as all others who attempt to wield the golden weapon become vaporized into dust.¡±


    The warrior looked at the weapon, knowing he was fortunate in dismissing his voice of temptation. Had he impulsively grabbed the weapon, he would¡¯ve been another failed warrior to die on this mountain. ¡°What happened to Jiu Zhu?¡± he asked.


    ¡°He formed a great party of powerful humans to revolt against the heavens. At that time, there was no such thing as the Four Beasts, or even the God of Purity which ensnared them. There were only powerful spirits, like me, and the almighty Yellow Emperor. As a result, Jiu Zhu and his party became famous as the humans who revolted against the rule of gods. They smashed spirits and demons into dust as they paved their way towards the palace of the Yellow Emperor.¡±


    The dragon seemingly looked Xiaojun in the eye, like a soothsayer providing a warning. ¡°Jiu Zhu had gotten ambitious. He tried to challenge the Yellow Emperor. I was in his hands, that day, as he pointed to the almighty god and said, ¡®You are unfit to rule the heavens, for you rule with the hand of injustice!¡±


    The dragon circled around the human, warning him of the result of ambition past. ¡°Jiu Zhu and his party were defeated. Understanding that a new revolt from humanity could produce even more catastrophic results, he separated the heaven, hell, and earth. To create this seal, he transformed Jiu Zhu into the God of Purity, as his soul, even when coming face to face with the Yellow Emperor, was pure. As for the rest of his party, they were condemned into the Four Beasts.¡±


    Xiaojun listened to every detail as his mind opened. This entire war he was fighting was the rest of Jiu Zhu wishing to fight against even higher beings. ¡°But all was not well with this system, for Jiu Zhu was still human when he was transformed. He could never be pure. An alter ego of himself was born as a result, the one known as the Beast of Corruption.¡± Xiaojun understood it all. This entire war was the result of beings in eons past. If anything, this was just a recreation long awaiting.


    ¡°Enough Huanglong,¡± someone suddenly stated. Both of them looking at the door, they were surprised to see a man. No, a half-man. ¡°Jin the Half-man,¡± the great dragon Huanglong huffed, ¡°you, too, were in that great party against heaven.¡± The almighty half-demon nodded, his teeth still ever sharp. ¡°I had retreated before the battle against the Yellow Emperor commenced. I was fortunate in doing so.¡±


    Xiaojun presented his broken weapon to Jin with a sense of apology. ¡°I destroyed your weapon. I understand that this cannot be forgiven,¡± he said with a bow. But the half-man just picked up the weapon and its many exploded shards. ¡°Do not believe this is a curse,¡± he said, ¡°once this weapon is reconstructed into something even stronger, then this will be nothing but a gift.¡± He then looked at the great dragon, smiling as he did so. ¡°You have successfully gained Huanglong¡¯s admiration. That is extraordinary.¡±


    The dragon hummed as it got closer to the Golden Blade. ¡°Truly, Envoy of Man, you have proven yourself worthy. Though I may not have high hopes for your adventure, as I have been jaded by experiences, I will be more than filial enough to guide you in your journey.¡± It gave a bow, and then it phased itself into the weapon where it belonged.


    Xiaojun walked towards the Golden Blade, feeling its significance to a spiritual scale. Then, he clasped his hands around it, feeling the power and energy course through his body. With a great pull, he retrieved it from the ground. He was now the one true owner of the Golden Blade.


    ¡°You have gotten closer to reaching the strength of the Four Beasts,¡± Jin said. ¡°When I fought alongside them all those centuries ago, they were the strongest of any being. Now, they are even stronger. You still have many more li to go, great envoy. Still, your strength is nothing but commendable.¡±


    Xiaojun held his new powerful weapon as he prepared himself. ¡°Thank you, Jin. Without you, this opportunity would¡¯ve never arisen.¡± He remembered the great distances ahead of him. The climb down. The Northern Wastes. The demons. The Four Beasts. The Beast of Corruption. Nina. ¡°In my journey of a thousand li,¡± he said, ¡°I have yet to take even my first step.¡± With that, he stomped forward. ¡°I shall give humanity its fighting chance back, one battle at a time.¡±

 Chapter 18

    Silence cursed the lips of both Rina and Hua as they continued through the deserted plains of Jia Guo. In the time since they encountered the Beast of Hate, their hearts were oversaturated with the pure feeling of despair. They had met plenty of other monsters as they continued through, with each one being more dreadful than the last. Perhaps, at this point, they were just imagining these catastrophes, for their minds had been melted into an incoherent stew of darkness. Like the rest of humanity, they were on their last legs of hope.


    Refugees: one who is forced to escape from the inhospitable place the once called home. At this point, the secret that was the cataclysm had changed from mysterious rumor to common truth. Waves of refugees sprawled about as displaces villagers found themselves among their ranks, each of them hoping for a place of rest and, most of all, a new home.


    They covered the hill like ants searching for a home. Holding barely any supplies and dressed in rags, they huddled like a mosh. Rina and Hua looked at them with a sense of opportunity. These people looked to have some food to spare. Walking over, Rina found that they were serving food. Well, if that¡¯s what you wanted to call it.


    It was a porridge that stank of rotten rice. Rina and Hua silently grabbed their rations as they looked at the dreadful faces of these survivors. There were nothing but despondent frowns and vanished smiles. They sat themselves away from the general crowd, relishing the rest they finally received.


    They sat on the dead grass, their backs finally relieved from all the action and running they had been doing. Rina was lucky that Hua¡¯s blood had regenerative abilities. Without that, she would¡¯ve been covered in dirty bandages. But, for now, they remained silent as Rina worked on cleaning her gun and Hua cleaning her clothes.


    However, after a long and awkward moment of silence, Hua finally asked something. ¡°Rina, do you ever think about what happened to Xiaojun?¡± Still cleaning her weapon, Rina took a second to answer. ¡°I don¡¯t pay attention to things not in my immediate periphery,¡± she said, ¡°but I will admit that a few thoughts about him cross my mind.¡±


    ¡°Like what?¡± Hua asked. ¡°That he¡¯s strong? That he¡¯s still fighting hard on his journey? That he¡¯s gonna eventually get so strong, that he¡¯ll knock the Beasts back into hell?¡± Rina stopped for a moment, just as her rod clicked into the barrel.


    ¡°I think that he¡¯s in over his head,¡± she finally said. ¡°It¡¯s true that he¡¯s strong, but we¡¯ve both seen things that are stronger. In the end, he¡¯s powerful, but still a human. He can bleed, and he can die. I don¡¯t think any of us will make it. You¡¯ve seen the things we¡¯ve fought. We¡¯ll all die.¡±


    Hua groaned in disbelief. ¡°Where¡¯s your faith? Humans can make it! Xiaojun will make it too! Maybe your head is a little fuzzy, but I remember seeing you bow and beg him to let you join! So don¡¯t act like all of a sudden things are different!¡±


    Rina sighed, still picking out the dusty powder. ¡°Hatred. In my eyes, he¡¯s the strongest of the Four Beasts, especially since it¡¯s the strongest sin mankind has inflicted against itself. Even Xiaojun can¡¯t resist his allure. You remember what happened in Guancheng. Where he bit from your shoulder like a starving animal.¡±


    Hua stumbled back a little, looking at the spot where Xiaojun had masticated. Though it had long healed, the mental scar was still there. ¡°He¡­ he was just trying to heal himself. And he didn¡¯t mean anything by that.¡± Rina scoffed at the childish answer. ¡°He¡¯s eating at himself. When he runs out of his own flesh, he¡¯ll eat at others instead.¡±


    Hua said nothing else, and for a moment, there was only silence. Rina had finished cleaning her weapon, and Hua was stuck in despondence. The cold wind blew with the dark clouds that hovered above. ¡°Rina,¡± Hua finally asked, ¡°why did you become a mercenary?¡±


    Rina slung her musket to her back and closed her eyes. ¡°The money.¡± A terse and basic answer, but Hua didn¡¯t accept that. ¡°No. You act like a heartless soldier, but that¡¯s not completely true. There¡¯s something more, and something far less simple.¡±


    Rina scoffed as she opened her eyes. ¡°Do you really want to know?¡± Hua enthusiastically nodded in response. ¡°Yes! Of course I want to know!¡± So, Rina started by taking a deep yawn, smiling at the girl with a gentle grin. ¡°You told me about your life,¡± she said. ¡°Something about a Sir Zheng Qiang and a castle. Well, I actually grew up in a castle.¡±


    Rina, the soldier with scars and a toned body to match, was once a smooth skinned princess. ¡°At this rate, a husband will surely choose you. As long as they look past your unbinded feet, that is.¡± That thought made her want to vomit: the vile act of foot binding.


    To bind someone¡¯s feet to force them to remain small would be the best step to prevent freedom. If you do not have the ability to walk without severe pain, then you do not have the ability to wander the world for the beautiful plane that it was. To bind your own feet would be the first step to relinquish your freedom.


    ¡°No! I¡¯ll never do it!¡± Rina threw the servant¡¯s mirror the ground, letting the gentle glass shatter into trillions of fragments as the women could only gasp in surprise. ¡°How could you do that? Did you know your father purchased it from the Vesterland kingdoms? Such a thing is expensive!¡±


    ¡°Leave her.¡± The voice boomed with authority as all eyes turned to see the tall and strong lord standing before them. The servants immediately bowed as he picked up one of the fragments. ¡°Wait¡­¡± Rina muttered, ¡°what are you¡ª¡±


    He cut himself with the fragment, making an artwork of blood on his own hand. ¡°The only thing truly worth value in this world is blood. It is the symbol of life.¡± He tossed the shard away as the servants began to frantically clean it. ¡°Leave it,¡± the lord ordered, ¡°my daughter will clean it herself. In fact, leave me and my daughter immediately.¡±


    The servants went away, leaving the powerful man with his daughter. ¡°Why did you shatter the mirror?¡± he asked. The girl looked at the blood that trailed down his hand, partially paralyzed by the red stream. ¡°I¡­ I didn¡¯t want to bind my feet.¡±


    ¡°Good. I never forced you to bind your feet. So what made you shatter the mirror?¡± It was a genuine question that Rina, at that time, couldn¡¯t answer. Why did you shatter that mirror Rina? What on earth made you shatter that mirror? Now your father is bleeding because of you Rina. Why did you do that Rina? She exploded with emotion.


    ¡°You always wanted a son!¡± she blurted. ¡°Instead, you got a daughter whose only purpose is to marry! I don¡¯t want to live this kind of life! I want to be free! I want to be out of this cold stone castle!¡± When she was finally done with her words, her father looked at her with calm eyes.


    ¡°Do you want freedom?¡± he asked. ¡°Then clean up the glass. If you want to make choices, you must expect the consequences. The same goes for the real world. If you want to be free, you must have the strength to support that freedom.¡±


    ¡°And what will happen if I don¡¯t have this strength?¡± she asked. To this, her father gave the truth. ¡°You will be raped and killed by the barbaric humans that reside outside of these castle walls. Your last moments will be full of terror and fear, as well as the regret for ever leaving your mother¡¯s womb.¡± It was an answer that left Rina speechless.The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.


    ¡°So¡­ do you expect me to just¡­ sit in a castle and leech off of powerful men until I die?¡± She expected a nod, but instead, she got another honest answer. ¡°I expect you to understand the consequences of your actions, as well as the consequences of freedom.¡± Soon afterwards, he showed her something strange. Something not from Jiaguo.


    It was a long sleek tool that was too bulky to be a staff, yet too long to be a club. ¡°I did not trade with the Vesterland Kingdoms for a fragile mirror. I traded with them for what they call a musket.¡± He handed it to her, the weight forcing her down as her fragile arms had held nothing but light parchments. ¡°I will teach you how to shoot it, but I will only allow you to leave this castle if you prove yourself to be just as lethal as this weapon.¡± Rina smiled as she held the weapon, only to find another sentence from her father. ¡°Don¡¯t forget about cleaning the mirror though.¡± Rina groaned as she put the weapon down. ¡°Understood¡­¡±


    And now here she was: Rina the scarred mercenary. Whose arms had grown much stronger and darker. Whose skin had become marred with scars and burns. Whose throat had become coarsened from commands and battle cries. Whose own soul had become just as dark as the terrifying world around her.


    ¡°Was that why you froze when you saw the monsters?¡± Hua asked. ¡°Because then, you saw something you couldn¡¯t just blast away?¡± Rina snickered a little after she heard this. ¡°For such a foolish monster, you make quite a good observation.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t say that!¡± Hua whispered. She darted her head around, thankful that nobody overheard. ¡°People might get me for that!¡± Rina chuckled as she sat up. ¡°You¡¯re thinking about the wrong crowd. Bandits and mercenaries might do such a thing, but refugees just want to find a home. They could care less if you bled gold and coughed jade.¡±


    Suddenly, a scream echoed throughout the entire plain like how the piercing of thunder signals a storm. Everyone turned to look in horror as they watched a woman get torn apart by a creature that could only be described as a ¡°man-spider.¡±


    It was a being whose skin was covered in dark spike-like fur as well as four limbs that exited its back through bloody holes, as if they had emerged like large needles from inside. Its mouth was composed of thousands of teeth, like a shark that grinds every bit of meat with razor-like saws.


    It tore the woman apart as the red blood splashed onto the grey grass. ¡°Everyone! Run!¡± Rina called. She jumped to her feet and aimed her weapon at the monster. She watched it screech as she pulled the trigger. With the thunderous sound of the gun, the beast¡¯s head was blown into pieces like a squashed blueberry. But before Rina could bless her shot, she saw something terrifying: more of the abominable creatures.


    ¡°They¡¯re coming from the forest! Drop everything and run!¡± she immediately ordered to everyone around her. The refugees did as followed and began to clamor away. The old and the wounded were the first to fall behind as the storm of spiders swallowed them. The only thing left of them were their screams, and their inedible clothing which was tossed about, since the spiders fought for every bite of the precious human meat.


    ¡°Keep running! Don¡¯t look back unless you like seeing your own legs get eaten off!¡± The entire group began to scamper away into another desolate forest, all of them hoping that they wouldn¡¯t be devoured by another hiding creature. ¡°Move! Don¡¯t stop moving!¡±


    Rina held onto Hua¡¯s hand, remembering her promise to Xiaojun. ¡°Xiaojun may be in over his head,¡± she thought to herself, ¡°but I¡¯d rather die than dishonor the duty he gave me.¡± She held onto the girl and ventured forth.


    They ran through, hearing the sounds of panicked refugees and scampering spiders behind them. There was an extreme grayness to this forest, like a mist that couldn¡¯t be breathed, seen, or felt. One that could only exist in imagination, for the terror of this place was beyond reason or words.


    Rina and Hua continued to run through the woods. It was strange. As they continued moving, they noticed a silvery and soulless substance which had infected onto the trees. It was this that provided the strange grayness, for it casted a dreadful shade diminished of any sign of life. It was this moment that Rina realized something: the screams had stopped.


    It was now silent. Only the light patters of their feet echoed in the stale air. Every shadow became its own terrifying illusion as they slowed their pace to a brisk walk. Any semblance of darkness could¡¯ve been a dreadful creature just waiting for human meat to enter its reach.


    ¡°What happened?¡± Hua whispered. Rina placed her finger on her mouth. ¡°Quiet,¡± she silently mouthed. The brisk walk had slowed to a crouched walk. They were not fleeing. They were hiding. They were deep in the territory of powers unknown to the plainness of man.


    Rina looked above to see the silhouette of one of the man-spiders crawling onto the substance. Oh, it became obvious. These spiders had made this place into their home. This wasn¡¯t a mere chase. This was a strategic plan to route the refugees into the forest so they could slaughter them like fat pigs.


    She looked around, realizing that many of the fat lumps above were not branches, but people. Some were mummified as the spiders had husked all of the edible meat off of their body. Others were fresh and with skin that had barely been peeled. But there was one that was terrifying, for it was still alive. ¡°Help me¡­ Please help me¡­¡± It was a little boy, probably no older than the age of ten.


    But before anyone could let out an extra word, a spider lept onto the boy¡¯s back and sank its teeth into the child. The boy wailed in pain as he automatically cried ¡°mama! Help me!¡± But his mother was in the next cocoon over: she was more than dead.


    Rina used the opportunity to run as Hua tried to stay. ¡°Move!¡± Rina sharply whispered. ¡°The boy is already dead.¡± They sprinted through as the sound of greedy spiders resounded behind them. Then, once they made it a good many feet away, the screaming went to an abrupt halt once more.


    Suddenly, there was the sound of branches breaking and of leaves shaking. The silhouettes were above them, saliva dripping from their hungry mouths. Rina calmly loaded her gun and pointed Hua to a specific direction. ¡°We are going to run once I shoot.¡± The fox girl nodded as Rina finished up her reloading. She cocked her gun and took a deep breath. They could hear the spiders lightly breathing impatiently, like rats craving the meat of the dead.


    ¡°Now!¡± She fired her gun, forcing the spider to topple to the ground. The gunshot echoed throughout the entire forest as each and every one of their bastardish eyes darted in the direction. ¡°Run!¡± Rina and Hua made their escape as they plunged through the webs, cutting through them with Rina¡¯s bayonet. ¡°Don¡¯t look back! Just go!¡±


    A spider jumped in front of them, blocking their path. ¡°Agh!¡± Hua screamed. Suddenly, her fingernails became claws and she slashed at the being. A large laceration was formed as Hua blinked. ¡°Wait, what just happened?¡± Rina slapped her awake and stabbed the spider in the head, killing it for good. ¡°Let¡¯s go! Don¡¯t question anything!¡±


    They stabbed and cut their way through the rest of the forest, praying for a reprieve as they continued forth. It was like a marathon: a battle of endurance where one stop for breath could mean absolute death. ¡°Go! We¡¯re almost there!¡± Truly, they could see the sunlight on the other side, like an angel¡¯s wing which allured them closer and closer. ¡°Go!¡±


    They finally emerged only to find lines upon lines of soldiers. They were lined in plated armor and horsehair helmets as they held the same type of weapon that Rina wielded: guns. ¡°Hold your fire! There are people!¡± a loud familiar voice ordered. But the screeching of spiders was still ever present. Quickly, Rina grabbed Hua and ducked to the ground. ¡°Fire you dumb bastards!¡±


    The commanding voice was enough to launch the order. Just as the man-spiders emerged from the forest, the guns fired and launched great volleys of hot lead into the beasts. They screeched and howled as most of them splattered about, with the few survivors returning to the woods like a group of cowards.


    ¡°You two!¡± the familiar voice ordered, ¡°get away from the bloody forest before we blow it all!¡± Rina nodded and carried Hua away. Immediately, a second order was given by that familiar voice. ¡°Fire!¡± But this wasn¡¯t a command to the muskets. This was a command to the cannons.


    The large guns fired powerful incinerate rounds which exploded into the forest like explosive meteors launched from the heavens. They pounded into the forest and set the place alight as fire burned along the webs like perfect kindling. The last remnants of the forest were heard in the screeches of the man-spiders that howled in their final breaths.


    Rina approached the commander of the forces, the one with the familiar booming voice. Hua didn¡¯t know what to expect. Reprimand? Praise? What she didn¡¯t expect was a complete hug. ¡°Ah, my daughter,¡± the lord said, ¡°how wonderful it is that you have survived.¡± Hua was wide-eyed as she looked at the two. ¡°What?¡±

 Chapter 19

    General Wang was tall with black simple armor that plated around his body. It wasn¡¯t an extravagant lump that rich fools wore, but rather a practical set that made his uniform not much different from his own soldiery. But the real factor that set him apart was his sharp eyes, strong beard, and commanding presence. It was his character that set him apart from the average man.


    ¡°It is so fortunate that you have survived,¡± he said to Rina. ¡°There were nights, I shall admit, that I wondered if death had claimed your life, just as it did your mother. But now, I can rest knowing that you have truly survived.¡± He then looked at Hua with a light bow. ¡°My salutations,¡± he said to her, ¡°are you two traveling together?¡±


    ¡°Yes this is Hua,¡± Rina answered for her, ¡°there are countless details that you must know, but first I must ask: what are you doing here?¡± To this, the general gave a deep sigh as he began to lead the two of them to his camp. ¡°You two have seen the state of the world. From here all the way to the distant kingdoms of Vesterland, the land has become cursed by pure insanity.¡±


    From the top of the encampment, they could see the forest continue to burn. ¡°I am entrusting you, Rina, with impertinent information. I trust you as well, Hua, since my daughter trusts you. But I need you two to understand this: the emperor is not doing anything.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Hua asked, her curious brain working itself like a machine. ¡°Surely he should be aware of what¡¯s happening in his kingdom!¡± General Wang gave another sigh as he nodded. ¡°He has done nothing. In fact, I haven¡¯t heard of anyone who has seen him since this strange apocalypse overtook us. But we cannot pray for a man who may not exist. We can only pray upon ourselves.¡±


    He brought them to the command tent where they were shown to a map. ¡°Countless lords have rebelled against the empire. Though many of them are just conniving men wanting more land and money, some of them are something worse: demons spawned straight from hell. A terrifying example is Lord Luo. He was a man known for his pure heart. But his heart completely corrupted as a demon possessed him.¡±


    ¡°Siumeng,¡± Hua said aloud. ¡°That was the demon¡¯s name.¡± The general looked at her with a sense of surprise. ¡°Interesting. How do you know about this?¡± Hua had a straight answer. ¡°I traveled with the man who killed him. The Envoy of Humanity.¡±


    To this, some of the nearby advisors gasped as the general nodded deeply. ¡°The Envoy of Man¡­ that is a name I have started to hear more and more¡­¡± he uttered. ¡°There are soothsayers who spread his name like a coming of a messiah, and there are demons that croak his title like the coming of an executioner. Tell me about this man.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s strong,¡± Hua simply stated matter-of-factly. ¡°He is someone who refuses to buckle before a battle is finished. When the chance of slaughter presents itself to him, he accepts it with gratitude. He is a man who lives with rage as his manifesto and violence as his weapon. He is the Envoy of Man.¡± The room went silent as Rina nodded. ¡°Everything she said is true. Whether you support him or not, you must accept his strength as fact.¡±


    The general nodded. ¡°Interesting. I wish I had his assistance then. There is a specific demon lord that has proven stronger than all others. One that doesn¡¯t even go by the name of a demon, but rather as a Beast.¡± Rina and Hua went wide-eyed by that mere mention. ¡°One of the Four Beasts?¡±


    ¡°They proclaim themselves as the Beast of Lust,¡± the general stated. ¡°They have done nothing but live up to their name. Her form has become that of a complete spider that mocks the appearance of the human it once was. She uses human bodies to impregnate her sacs of eggs. These horrid offspring pop like a cyst from hell and chew at these bodies to mature into large creatures hybrid of man and beast. These are the creatures you have seen in that forest.¡±


    Hua gagged a little, but she had gotten used to the grotesque world. Between the flesh trees, Lord Luo, and the monsters, another grotesque being wouldn¡¯t do anything to her stomach. ¡°How have they become so powerful though?¡± she asked.


    ¡°Instead of fighting like a group of animals, they adhere to some level of strategy. They have fortified camps of woods and webs, as if they were more like a military than a hulk of hungry beasts. Worst of these is Gifu Castle, the location of the Beast of Lust. What was once a citadel of Jiaguonese prowess is now another nest of spiders.¡±


    Rina nodded as she analyzed the map. Different places were marked as nests, as well as the infamous Gifu Castle being marked as a major point. ¡°The spiders are fast,¡± she noted, ¡°fighting them would be like fighting an army of calvary that are far more maneuverable and mobile. If we want to fight them and win, we need to have different tactics.¡±


    ¡°Do you have a plan in mind, my dear daughter?¡± the general asked. Rina nodded as she prepared paper. ¡°Give me some time to think. That is all I need.¡± The general nodded as he patted her on the back. ¡°You were always innovative. I will always welcome you back into my life.¡±


    Suddenly, there came a new noise. One coming from the burning forest. ¡°Incoming! The beasts have awoken!¡± Soldiers moved about as the general grabbed his sword. ¡°Of course those bastards survived the cannonade. Everyone! To your posts! Use the hill to your advantage and form a wall of spears and guns!¡±


    The soldiers followed the orders and made their formations. With stakes lining the base of the hill, lines of musketeers cocked and readied their guns as lines of halberdiers stood behind them. Professionalism kept their natural fear calm as the cannons loaded their new rounds ready. ¡°Hold your fire until my command!¡± the general ordered.


    The air stood silent as the soldiers awaited their command. Their armor lightly jingled with each sway of their bodies, their weapons doing the same. They knew what they were fighting against, and yet that knowledge provided more of a curse than it did an advantage. They were not fighting humans, but creatures that belonged to the crevices of hell.


    Then, emerging from the burning forest, were the beasts themselves. Though the cannons and the flames had done damage to their numbers, they were still as numerous as the eye could see. It was like witnessing a sea of moving bodies, something that made every hair on your body freeze into a spike. What was worse were the gurgles and cries of the beasts, as they evoked the most hidden of human fears.


    ¡°Fire!¡± Both the cannons and the muskets began to fire as volleys upon volleys fell into the crowd of beasts. Meat and blood tore about like mere coughs, as the numbers of these beasts still felt unwavered. Smoke flattered the air with its strange vapor as the screaming of beasts continued to roar with ever-closing cries. ¡°Reform!¡±You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.


    The first line of muskets retreated behind the halberds as the second line aimed their shots. ¡°Fire!¡± Another volley, but the screams just wouldn¡¯t stop. ¡°Make the screams stop,¡± some of the soldiers muttered to themselves. The second line retreated and the third line aimed. ¡°Fire!¡±


    The beasts paid for every foot of ground as they continued to howl and crawl through the battered earth. They began to scale over the stakes with acrobatic speed like starving wolves who were charged with the scent of meat. ¡°Muskets! Pull back! Halberds forward!¡±


    The gunners retreated as the halberdiers slowly marched forward. They held their weapons forward, their muscles filled with both fear and adrenaline. Jumping right in front of them were the hordes of spiders that hungered for human flesh. Their human flesh. ¡°Hold this position! Retreat means death!¡±


    The spiders lunged towards the soldiers as the halberds pushed them back. The sharp steel cut and stabbed at them, for they were longer than the artificial limbs that grew from the spiders¡¯ backs. But even then, the battle was still pitched and bloody as the sweating soldiers had to pant with every thrust of their weapons. ¡°Hold the line!¡±


    Muskets and cannons continued to shoot in the overgrowing mob that seemed to get bigger by the second. ¡°Burning the forest must¡¯ve killed thousands of them,¡± the general scolded, ¡°but even then, they have thousands more ready to eat at us.¡±


    As time went on, the air became thick with smoke as the muskets and cannons continued to lay fire upon the demons. The halbrediers grew tired as the consistent combat made their bodies weary. ¡°Hold the line! Buckle even for a second, and we¡¯ll all be killed!¡± They couldn¡¯t even see past their weapons, as the dense fog had grown deeper and deeper. They could only see their bloodied weapons and the snarling mouths of the beasts in front of them. ¡°Keep fighting!¡±


    The ground around the hill had become a marsh from all of the blood that saturated its soil. Bodies of demons sprawled about as more beasts climbed over them without a single doubt or emotion, unless you counted animalistic rage as an emotion. They only saw the soldiers as meat, even if it meant death just to have a bite.


    ¡°General!¡± a soldier called. ¡°The line will break at any moment! The fact of the matter is that there are simply far too many of them! Our troops, though veterans, are becoming exhausted!¡± The general took a deep breath as he acknowledged the situation. ¡°I wish I could offer that reprieve, but it is just not possible.¡±


    He could hear the screams and whines of battle as he spoke on. ¡°When fighting against humans, such mercy is possible. Where it is possible to count upon the limits of human strength, or perhaps the option of human kindness. These demons have neither limits nor kindness. One step back would be the start to a complete crumble. We would all die.¡±


    ¡°Then what do you advise?¡± To this, the general had one answer. ¡°This is a mere fraction of the Beast of Lust¡¯s army. If we are struggling here, then we can only pray that our deaths are swift.¡± With that, the battle continued to rage on as man held its stand against beast.


    The guns fired again and again, each barrel being hot enough to cook an unprotected finger. They fired more volleys as bodies continued to pile. But eventually, the soldiers came to find a terrifying observation. ¡°General! The gunners have run out of ammunition!¡±


    The general closed his eyes, taking visible time to think of a plan. ¡°Have them deconstruct the camp. Have them make arrangements for a potential retreat.¡± The soldier saluted and carried out the orders. With that, the soldiers packed down all of their supplies and equipment and placed them onto wagons. ¡°We may not win this battle,¡± the general admitted, ¡°but at least we might save our forces for the next one.¡±


    The habrediers started to slowly retreat as they thrusted their weapons with each step backwards. The smoke began to clear as the field before them presented more and more beasts that hungered for their blood. ¡°This battle is hopeless!¡± a soldier screamed. A spider stabbed him with one of its limbs and dragged him away from the group.


    ¡°Maintain the formation!¡± One by one, spiders began to take them. Their bodies became swallowed in the mob of beasts as their screams would be cut short by the feasting of their remains. ¡°Heavens preserve us! We¡¯re being killed!¡±


    At the top of the hill, all of the arrangements were done as the supplies were placed into carts. ¡°Sir! Shall we begin retreating?¡± they asked the general. He shook his head. ¡°My men are currently fighting. We will retreat if it is a necessary evil. Until then, we shall keep fighting.¡±


    The sun began to set as, in the distance, the star¡¯s light began to wane in strength. Surely, once night swallowed the sky, the field would be crawling with the beasts as if heaven itself damned these men. ¡°Hold the formation! For the love of your lives, hold the formation!¡± Their weapons had become dulled from hours of cutting into meat and flesh.


    Hopelessness filled the air with visible dreariness. Hua was busy using her blood to heal the wounded as Rina joined the line and used her bayonetted gun to resist the beasts. Even here, with an army around her, she felt that same fear from the first time she saw a beast. Mankind¡¯s defeat was written from the start.


    Then, just as the sun started to set and darkness began to kiss the earth, there was a sudden flash in the distance. It was a fast brightness that illuminated the shape of a crescent. ¡°Was that an explosion?¡± someone muttered. ¡°No, that couldn¡¯t be. No explosion is that bright, nor are they that exact.¡±


    Both Hua and Rina looked in that direction. Even the beasts became distracted as they reeled away from the line of soldiers. ¡°What is that?¡± Looking onward, they saw what looked like a silhouette holding a golden object in the shape of a guandao. It was at that moment that Rina and Hua realized who it was. ¡°Xiaojun¡­ he has returned¡­¡±


    The warrior stood strong as he stepped on the bodies of the beasts. The spiders charged towards him, but with one swipe of his weapon, they were split into more bodies. All of the onlooking soldiers watched with awe as these beasts, creatures they had struggled so hard to fight, were falling like flies to the warrior. ¡°Is that a monster?¡±


    The Envoy of Man marched on. He cleared more of the field with every movement of his weapon. With his godly weapon, he slashed any sign of resistance into banal gibs that fell around him. It was like watching a bolt of lightning cleave through anything in its path.


    It was then when the beasts exhibited an emotion the humans couldn¡¯t understand: fear. The hive-mindset had been thrown apart as the existence of such a godly being threw them into chaos. They began to rush back into the burning forest, preferring a death by ash rather than a meeting with the Envoy of Man. The battle was over.


    The wounded were collected. The dead as well. Spearmen rushed towards the envoy and formed a perimeter around him. ¡°S-stop!¡± they ordered. ¡°Give us your name!¡± They looked at the hulking warrior, his weapon glowing with a strange presence as he stood without a care. They watched as he held his weapon forward. They watched as the weapon magically vanished.


    ¡°I am Zhao Xiaojun: the Envoy of Man.¡± The soldiers buckled as the mere voice of the warrior creaked fear into their bones as well. ¡°Stand down,¡± Rina ordered the soldiers, ¡°this man is no enemy. Therefore, he does not deserve to be treated as such.¡± The spears were lowered and Rina gave the warrior a gentle smile. ¡°Nice of you to join us. I was starting to doubt whether you survived or not.¡±


    Hua immediately lunged at the warrior and grabbed him into a hug. ¡°Xiaojun! You actually made it! Was that the heavenly weapon Jin talked about? You looked so cool! It was like watching fireworks!¡± But instead of laughing with her, his body went limp. He fell to the ground.


    ¡°His body must¡¯ve been overworked,¡± Rina noted. ¡°He¡¯s been through things we cannot begin to imagine.¡± They placed the warrior onto one of the carts as they prepared to move their position. ¡°It was a pyrrhic victory,¡± the general concluded, ¡°but one that we can learn from.¡±


    And so, humanity¡¯s army continued forth. Their soldiers marched on as they better understood the insurmountable odds they were facing. But two things had become clear. For one, humanity could stand against monsters. And two, the Envoy of Man was not someone to ever underestimate.

 Chapter 20

    General Wang led his wounded army to the city of Xidong. There, the soldiers sounded the horn and announced, ¡°Open the gates! The general has returned!¡± The men quickly moved the gears and the passage opened for General Wang¡¯s army.


    General Wang had been in charge of Xidong for some time now. As a result of his strong leadership, his domain was one of the only prosperous ones during this time of hardship. ¡°General Wang! He¡¯s come back to the city!¡± people cheered.


    But when people came to the convoy, they were surprised to also see a wagon carrying the unconscious body of Xiaojun. The fearsome beast of a man was an unexpected sight. ¡°Haven¡¯t you heard? That¡¯s the proclaimed Envoy of Man. He¡¯s supposed to kill all of the monsters in the countryside, and destroy the evil Four Beasts.¡±


    Hua and Rina sat in that same wagon with exhaustion in their eyes. Rina was cleaning her musket while Hua was coddled into a ball. ¡°Is Xiaojun going to be alright? I know he¡¯s been in rougher situations, but I always get nervous when he gets knocked down.¡±


    ¡°Of course he¡¯s going to be fine,¡± a tired Rina replied. ¡°It¡¯s expected for someone to be tired from all of that fighting. Even if it¡¯s on the level of godhood.¡± Part of her still couldn¡¯t believe it. She still distinctly remembered the horrific sight of the golden warrior charging through the army of evil like a flame burning through a dark forest. ¡°He deserves the rest.¡±


    The army entered the military compound of Xidong and closed the gate behind them. That was when General Wang gathered everyone around. ¡°Men, take this time to get some necessary rest. You have all fought well, and we have surely won the day, so take this time to regain your strength. Thank you for following me in this trying time.¡±


    The men saluted and made off. Wounded soldiers were carried off to the military hospitals, and the rest took quick baths before sleeping in their quarters. They were nothing short of exhausted.


    Rina was one of these exhausted soldiers. This was just another battle in her life, so this was routine for her. But she was unfortunately interrupted before she could even touch her bed. ¡°Madam, General Wang seeks your presence. Please report to the keep.¡±


    Hua was next to her when the soldier made the request. ¡°Come on, why don¡¯t you ask for her later? We just got back from a long journey in the wilderness, which was absolutely horrible, and then that battle was also atrocious¡ª¡±


    ¡°Tell him I¡¯ll be there right away,¡± Rina interrupted. She put her rifle back on her shoulder and cracked her neck. Being the soldier that she was, Rina never expected a day of full rest. ¡°Rina!¡± Hua protested, ¡°But we just got back from¡ª¡±


    ¡°Get your rest, princess. If anyone gives you any trouble, let me know so I can shoot them outside.¡± Without a further word, Rina followed the soldier to the keep of Xidong. It was all a familiar sight, since she had grown up in this town.


    General Wang was waiting in a room that overlooked the rest of the settlement. He was also visibly tired, but mere exhaustion couldn¡¯t stop him from continuing his duty. ¡°Thank you for bringing her. You are now excused,¡± the general said to the soldier. Once the man saluted and left, General Wang finally addressed Rina. ¡°Thank you for coming on short notice. I want you to sit down.¡±


    Rina refused his suggestion, ¡°I would fall asleep if I sat down for even a moment. So what do you need me here for?¡± Her voice was cold, yet professional as she attacked the issue at hand. When General Wang sighed, she knew that this was a truly serious matter.


    ¡°We barely managed to survive the battle. It¡¯s good fortune that our men held their positions¡ªsince casualties mount when soldiers flee. Had the Envoy of Man been a moment late, then our entire force would¡¯ve been overrun.¡±


    Rina agreed. She, herself, was scared out of her wits when she was firing round after round and prepared to fight hand to hand if the situation demanded it. But remembering the field of spider-like monsters, she also knew that she would¡¯ve died before her bayonet could¡¯ve gone close. ¡°So what do you need me to do?¡±


    That was when General Wang smiled. ¡°You were always an inventive person. That¡¯s how you improved your gun, added a speartip to it, and continued to survive in the wider world. You¡¯re creative. And that was why you ran away from home.¡±


    That was when he brought over a large table with wooden mountains, carved rivers, and geographic representations. He then placed wooden soldiers on it, so as to simulate his own forces. ¡°As of right now, we cannot rely on the Envoy of Man. So help me stop the Beast of Lust¡¯s army.¡±


    Rina didn¡¯t know what to think. Instead of serving as a mere foot soldier, she was now serving as a tactician. Part of her felt excited, even as another part felt nervous. So, to start, she placed model horses onto the field. ¡°The enemy army moves slower than cavalry, but we can treat them with a similar strategy.¡±


    Rina looked around the room, while her father watched with curiosity. When Rina came back, she returned with a small chain and a series of small wooden boxes. Working quickly, she created a necklace of carts and placed them on the field.


    ¡°The army of spiders is weak against a fortress. So why not bring a fortress to them instead?¡± Rina quickly added more to these carts. Miniature cannons, musketeers, halberdiers, and even a small force of cavalry. ¡°This movable town tactic will allow us to have the necessary fortifications.¡±If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.


    The general was impressed by her quick thinking. Though unconventional, it was the right kind of unconventional that could win them their war. ¡°Thank you. For this reason, I¡¯ll put you in charge of our army.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°You heard me,¡± he replied. ¡°You have a clear plan in mind, but we need someone to put it into practice.¡± The wizened general stood to his feet and groaned. ¡°I¡¯m getting old, my dear Rina. I think it¡¯s about high time that someone replaces me.¡±


    Rina scoffed, ¡°So that¡¯s what this is about? You were looking for an heir to your position, and you think that I¡¯m the one for it? Please. You have plenty of loyal soldiers in your ranks. There¡¯s no reason you should devolve yourself to the likes of a mercenary like me.¡±


    To her surprise, a smile grew on the old man¡¯s face. ¡°In an era of darkness and barbarity, the likes of foolish chivalry are over. Princes and nobles are raised on the ideas of li and order, but it¡¯s clear that the world around us doesn¡¯t follow such ideas. I need someone who isn¡¯t educated in foolishness, but educated in reality. Where else can I find that than in you?¡±


    Rina didn¡¯t know what to think. So instead, she stood up and bowed. ¡°I¡¯ll postpone my decision. As for now, I¡¯m dreadfully tired and must rest.¡± She took a bow and left the keep.


    Part of her mind still thought about her potential, but another party withdrew from it. ¡°No. I don¡¯t need it. I have enough things to worry about.¡± She fell asleep as soon as her head hit the pillow. There was nothing else that she needed.


    The following morning arrived with the sounds of overhead crows. Their beaks were covered in blood, as they had flown from the direction of the Beast of Lust. ¡°Heavens protect us! The birds carry death!¡± people in the town screamed.


    Rina looked from the barracks as the birds continued flying overhead. Perhaps the Beast of Lust had ordered this to terrify the population, for the sight of future death was nothing short of horrifying. ¡°Rina,¡± Hua asked, ¡°do you think we¡¯re gonna make it?¡±


    Rina drank from a flask of wine and nodded. ¡°Yeah. We¡¯ll make it.¡± Then a series of soldiers moved to her and saluted her right away. ¡°Ma¡¯am! We¡¯ve been sent by General Wang! We¡¯re here to follow your orders! Ma¡¯am!¡±


    Rina laughed as she muttered, ¡°That old man really did want a son.¡± So rather than give serious orders, she stretched her arms and only asked, ¡°Xiaojun. Is he awake?¡±


    The men looked amongst and shook their head. ¡°No, ma¡¯am. Ever since the battle, he hasn¡¯t been conscious. Even our greatest experts have tried tending to him, and none of them have given a proper diagnosis. I deeply apologize for this, ma¡¯am.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t be sorry,¡± Rina said. ¡°We¡¯re dealing with things outside of the realm of man. Tell any rational man that half of these horrid events are happening, and he¡¯d deem you insane. All we can hope is that the Envoy of Man wakes up at the right time.¡±


    Then Rina rinsed her mouth with a swig of wine and spat it out onto the ground. ¡°Alright, since the general wants me to be productive, I want you men to get me a piece of paper and something to write with. How does that sound?¡±


    ¡°Yes ma¡¯am!¡±


    The soldiers gathered the equipment, as instructed, and brought it to Rina. She sat down, brought over a stool to use as a table, and began drawing out a schematic. ¡°I already had this in my head, so putting it onto paper isn¡¯t so hard.¡±


    It didn¡¯t take long for her to finish. ¡°Here. I want you men to provide me a wagon, wood, metal sheets, and a light cannon. Go.¡± As earlier, the soldiers gave a salute, ¡°Yes ma¡¯am!¡± This time, their journey took a little longer as they ventured all over the town for the requested materials.


    A few hours later, the men returned. ¡°Here! Ma¡¯am!¡± But it was clear that Rina wasn¡¯t done yet. ¡°Alright, gentlemen, I¡¯m going to need your help in making this schematic into a reality.¡± The work would begin, despite the quiet groans in the men.


    By the time that Hua had woken up, the men were still hard at work. ¡°Rina? What¡¯s going on?¡± But the senior officer didn¡¯t answer her question. Instead, she was relaying further orders. ¡°Move the cannon a little to the left. It should be mounted up, so as to provide fire against the spiders.¡±


    ¡°Yes ma¡¯am!¡±


    ¡°And move the lock there so it can interlock with another cart.¡±


    ¡°Yes ma¡¯am!¡±


    Rina had only been an officer for a few hours, and yet she was barking like a complete general. Hua was slightly surprised, but she also understood Rina¡¯s demeanor. ¡°Controlling, serious, and imposing. She¡¯d make a perfect general.¡±


    The design was finally completed just as General Wang entered the compound. ¡°Interesting. So this is the proposed movable town tactic that you mentioned earlier.¡± The war cart was essentially a fortified box that could be made stationary at a moment¡¯s notice. It could also be interlocked with another cart to create a chain of tiny fortresses, thus making it a movable town.


    ¡°Can you mass produce these? We may need a thousand units of these for our large army.¡± The nearby soldiers immediately groaned, since they knew that their work was far from over. Contrasting their weariness was the grinning General Wang. ¡°I¡¯ll see what I can do. Thank you for your help.¡±


    But another slew of crows cried overhead as they flew above the city. This time, red gibbets began to rain down upon the town as their fresh appetite for corpses couldn¡¯t even fill their stomachs. ¡°General! Something is approaching the gates!¡±


    ¡°Refugees?¡±


    ¡°No! Just one! Please come look!¡±


    Everyone made it to the walls where the soldiers stood petrified. It was an old woman but with legs made from intestine, and arms devoid of bone. It was as if only a curse was keeping that person alive. ¡°Eat. The herd. Hungers.¡± she bellowed.


    Rina didn¡¯t take time to think about the event. Instead, she brought out her musket, loaded the weapon, aimed it at the old woman, and fired. But the old woman merely flinched at the shot. ¡°May heaven preserve us!¡± Hua screamed. ¡°What do we do?¡±


    Rina said nothing as she grabbed a rope and threw it down the wall. ¡°I¡¯ll speak to this woman. If there¡¯s secretly an army, then I want you to cover me with all the musket and cannon fire you have.¡±


    ¡°Wait! Rina!¡±


    But the mercenary said nothing as she descended the rope and approached the old woman with a light bow. ¡°I assume you are a delegate from the Beast of Lust. What would you like to discuss?¡±


    ¡°Eat. The herd must eat.¡±


    ¡°I understand that, but is there a specific¡ª¡±


    ¡°Hungry. The herd is becoming hungry. Eaten many towns. Feasted on many villages. Grown our herd. But now we are hungry. Your town. Fresh. We wish to have your fresh flesh. Send people. If you do not. We will eat you all.¡±


    The old woman¡¯s voice continued to bellow as her skin slowly melted away. Rina watched as the monster¡¯s flesh disintegrated from her body and left only a husk of skeletal remains that continued to croak the same words. ¡°Hungry. We are hungry.¡±


    No more gunshots needed to be fired. The body was left outside, but was burned so as to give the old woman a semblance of a proper demise. Nonetheless, the reality of their situation had become more real. ¡°We¡¯ll need to strike them before they strike us,¡± Rina resolved. ¡°They won¡¯t stop at Xidong. They¡¯ll cover Jiaguo. Then they¡¯ll cover the world.¡±

 Chapter 21

    Thirty-thousand men marched out of Xidong with a thousand of the war carts. Rina joined them, although she preferred marching on foot rather than the pretentious officers who trotted on their horses. They also brought Xiaojun with them, even though the great Envoy of Man was still unconscious in their cart.


    ¡°Bring me with you and I¡¯ll keep him safe,¡± Hua insisted. ¡°Please! I have the magic blood that can heal him!¡± So despite her dead weight, they still brought her along. ¡°Thank you! I won¡¯t let any of you down!¡±


    Nonetheless, the future journey was nothing short of a harrowing one. It seemed that the world went dimmer for every step that they took. It had been a long time since they had clashed with the spider people, and no one was excited for it to happen again.


    In the day time, the soldiers and their carts would march by foot with scouts working a perimeter around the mobile town. The scouts would report any sighting of monsters or spider people so that they could alert the army. At that moment, the army could interlock their carts and fortify themselves. But in the end, the scouts would never see a monster. It was as if they had simply disappeared.


    ¡°Night is coming! Interlock the carts and set watchmen!¡± Rina would announce. But as usual, the monsters would never come. Even as the terrified soldiers manned their posts and looked into the darkness, they would never find a single beast heading in their direction. It was almost more terrifying than actually seeing them face to face, for nobody knew where they were.


    Thus, the days would pass and so would the nights. But Xiaojun would remain asleep in his cart. Hua would remain by his side like a loyal dog, even as the bumpy ride would sometimes knock her around. ¡°Come on Xiaojun. Just wake up already!¡±


    The long march would continue even as they passed through deserted villages. They wouldn¡¯t even find bodies or food. They would just find empty husks and empty homes. ¡°Some people still left their valuables,¡± Rina said as she found a golden necklace, ¡°I can¡¯t think of anyone who would normally do this.¡±


    Their conclusion was simple. The Beast of Lust¡¯s herd had consumed them to their last drop of blood. ¡°Keep up your watches! We¡¯re getting closer to their fortress!¡±


    The next day, the downcast was even worse. The dark clouds had gotten to the point of near blackness, and the rain followed. But ordinary water didn¡¯t fall from the sky, but a thick slurry of red fell instead. ¡°It¡¯s raining blood! By heaven, it¡¯s raining blood!¡± soldiers screamed.


    ¡°Remain calm! Stay in your positions!¡± officers would call. But even Rina could feel that something was awry. It was as if she was waiting for a disaster to explode, despite not knowing where the disaster would come from in the first place.


    ¡°General, something doesn¡¯t feel right. We¡¯ve been marching for days without a single sighting, and yet now it¡¯s suddenly shrouding darkness and raining blood. This cannot be right. Something like this has got to be part of the work of¡ª¡±


    ¡°Silence please¡­ my head is¡­ not feeling¡­¡±


    ¡°Father! Are you listening to me?¡±


    ¡°I¡­ I need to rest¡­¡±


    General Wang looked nothing like the glorious figure that he once was. In only a few days march, he had become impossibly sick. In combination with the current omens, Rina knew that something strange was amok. ¡°I guess I¡¯ll have to take command.¡±


    Rina finally hitched onto a horse and called the command. ¡°Halt! Fortify your positions!¡± Then she realized why it was raining: the Beast of Lust knew about the power of gunpowder, and she wanted to render it too wet to fire. ¡°Hurry! Get into your positions!¡±


    A distant roar resounded through the valley like the cries of hell grabbing upon them. It was a horrific sound that chilled the soldiers to their souls. ¡°Come on! Come on! The demons are coming!¡± But the sky was so dark that they couldn¡¯t even see the beasts.


    Finally, they managed to lock their formation into place just as the man spiders thrashed against their lines. ¡°There! Fire!¡± They pulled their triggers only to hear pathetic sniffles instead of powerful gunshots. Guns would not be a viable weapon under this bloody rain.


    The carts shook about but ultimately remained intact. ¡°Halberds! Keep pushing them off! Musketeers! Keep the rest of your powder dry! We need to hold them off until the rain stops!¡±


    With the help of the carts, the lines remained still. Blood slowly seeped onto the ground as the halberds stabbed into the screaming beasts. Lightning would briefly gleam the dark world as thunder would resound amidst the screams. The realm of reality had sunken to the world of nightmares.


    Through this time, Rina worked hard to both command the field while tending to her father. ¡°Set us a small tent! The general needs to rest!¡± A structure was hastily constructed and the general was rushed inside. He closed his eyes while his head rocked side to side.


    It was clear that his state was worse than unhealthy. His face had become an uncomfortable pale as his body quickly emaciated into a skinny state. ¡°Father! Father!¡± In a burst of panic, Rina grabbed Hua and brought her to the tent. ¡°Use your blood to treat him! Please!¡±


    General Wang lunged at the huli-jing with hunger in his eyes. ¡°Stop!¡± Hua shrieked. A claw grew from her hand and swiped the changed man away. Afterwards, soldiers held General Wang down as he gave a horrifying shriek. This man was not the same man.


    Hua was shocked at her body¡¯s reaction, but she was more shocked with General Wang¡¯s dramatic change. ¡°What¡¯s happening to him?¡± They watched as he continued to convulse and throw himself about. It looked like something was trying to emerge from his body.


    ¡°Ma¡¯am! There¡¯s problems at the front!¡± a soldier interrupted. Rina instructed the soldiers to stay put while she went to investigate. ¡°Alright, show me what I have to¡ª¡±


    A flash of lightning illuminated the world and put Rina face to face with a distant, colossal being. It was like a lump of legged meat with a monstrously long neck that exuded its horrific face away from its body. Bodies made up its constitution like a puzzle of corpses, except these bodies were still alive and still groaning in pain.


    ¡°By the grace of¡­¡± Rina didn¡¯t know what to say. This being was larger than anything she had seen, even when she was journeying with Xiaojun. ¡°We¡­ we have to¡­¡± Another flash of lightning revealed the figure moving closer. It was like seeing flashes of death where dark ambiguity filled the pauses.The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.


    Then another soldier approached her. ¡°Ma¡¯am! It¡¯s your father! His condition has worsened!¡± Rina was brought back to the tent just as men screamed in terror. ¡°What in heaven¡¯s name is that!¡± soldiers screamed.


    Rina looked to find that her father was no longer her father, but rather the husk of a worsened being. His head literally split in half as more red liquid oozed from the walking corpse. A creature was ripping him out from the inside, and all Rina could do was watch. ¡°F-Father!¡±


    By the end of the horrific metamorphosis, her father had become a skinless vessel of muscle and malice. To call this thing a ¡°human¡± would be an insult to both humanity and this godless being. ¡°The Beast of Lust has recruited me to her ranks, for I am the God of Blood.¡±


    Rina was petrified where she stood. It was like her joints had solidified with a thick gelatin and her muscles stuck in their positions. Finally, out of sheer fear, she grabbed her rifle and aimed it at the God of Blood. ¡°Let my father go! I demand it!¡±


    But the God of Blood ignored her demands as it bled and hobbled out of the tent. Everyone kept their distance as lightning continued to flash, and thunder continued to roar. They watched as the God of Blood shuffled its way to the direction of the distant colossus. ¡°This shall be my new vessel. That is my demand.¡±


    This was another moment where man was met with sheer hopelessness. It was as if the Four Beasts had collectively spat on the poor triumphs of man, like a mountain looming over an anthill. Cannons, muskets, gunpowder, and even steel was nothing to the face of these gods. There was nothing that man could do.


    The God of Blood levitated into the air like an ascension of a higher being. It slowly floated to the colossus so as to claim its glorious form. ¡°I am the God of Blood, and this is my new vessel. As yang and yin command the order and material of the world, so shall I¡ª¡±


    In the flash of lightning, people saw the God of Blood being grabbed from the air and thrown to the ground. It was like watching a ritual shattered at its very seams as the curious little humans looked at the cart that Xiaojun was resting on. He was gone.


    The faint but ever apparent glow of Xiaojun¡¯s glaive shined like a lonely candle in the darkness. Even through the flashes of lightning, Xiaojun¡¯s weapon still imposed through the hellish world. Perhaps man¡¯s salvation would not be through innovative trinkets, but through their own ascension to godhood.


    The ordinary humans could only see flashes of the battle. Each blast of lightning revealed a frame of the majestic battle as Xiaojun chopped away at the God of Blood. But in the very next frame, the god¡¯s limbs would return as if they had never been cut.


    ¡°I will reach my rightful vessel,¡± the Blood God demanded. But Xiaojun refused the deity¡¯s demands as he continued to cut away at the impervious demigod. ¡°Blood is my power. I have plenty to lose. Can I say the same for you?¡± the God of Blood asked.


    In another flash of lightning, the soldiers saw a hand pummel into Xiaojun¡¯s chest like thunder. Another strike slashed into him. And with every flash of lightning, another devastating blow would follow. It was clear that the Blood God was unimpressed.


    The humans could only watch as their strong envoy slowly crumbled before them. They watched as the god transformed his own bloody arm into a sharp blade and stabbed it into the glowing champion. ¡°What a pathetic sight. The Envoy of Man was nothing but¡ª¡±


    Xiaojun surged with energy as his glaive glowed with radiancy. A warm radius formed around him as he clashed with the unholy being. He sliced the blade right off and lopped the head with it. Even as the headless demon stumbled back, Xiaojun kept going as he followed strike after strike. By the end, the God of Blood was an empty torso.


    The gore plopped back and the world paused for a moment. In his usual fashion, Xiaojun had twisted the ways of fate just as humanity had always done. Rather than crumple and die, he chose to stand and fight. But it was clear that the battle was far from over, as the storm came halting to a stop.


    ¡°This is more like it,¡± a voice murmured from the maimed Blood God. ¡°Now it makes sense, as to why the Beast of Lust wanted me here. As it rains blood from the heavens, so does it rain power for my veins. Your moment is nigh, Envoy of Man. There is nothing you can do.¡±


    The rain suddenly stopped in the air, and the pattering on the ground halted like the pause of a drum. Even the spider people scampered away in fear, for this evil could not differentiate corruption from itself. Rina froze as she felt her blood shift in her body. ¡°Everyone! Get the hell back! Get back!¡±


    The soldiers tossed their weapons and leaped from their carts into a mad dash for life. As the rain vibrated midair, the danger became very clear: the God of Blood was extracting blood wherever it could find it. Not even the colossus was safe from this attack, as red liquid oozed from its body and flowed to the demon¡¯s body.


    Rina jumped into the tent and closed her eyes. ¡°Stay out of his view! He cannot take your blood if he cannot see you!¡± Soldiers climbed into carts as others merely ducked for cover. Those who didn¡¯t make it in time had their blood dried from their bodies like a wet towel being squeezed. Their groanless bodies plopped to the floor like ashes.


    Xiaojun couldn¡¯t stop the god¡¯s growth. With the blood from the heavens, the colossus, and the surrounding bodies, the demon grew in size even as Xiaojun tried cutting it apart. The incisions would simply heal themselves before they could even part.


    Rina could feel the god¡¯s presence even within her tent. It was like her blood was moving in her own flesh, and she was resisting the demands of the very fluid in her body. Her blood wanted to escape her fleshly prison. ¡°Water! I need to drink water!¡±


    Rina opened her bottle only to find blood. But when she blinked, it was water again. Her thoughts were muddled with the horrific prospect of blood. She could imagine the fluid draining from her very fingernails, or really any opening that could find itself out of her¡ª


    ¡°You look ghastly pale. Is something the matter?¡±


    Rina looked up to find an old woman in a straw hat. It was a sight that made Rina wonder if she was still alive, or if this was merely a vision from the afterlife. ¡°Are you another hallucination¡­?¡± she groaned. ¡°If you¡¯re real¡­ you should run¡­¡±


    ¡°Hah! Is it because I¡¯m a woman? Well, that wouldn¡¯t make much sense since you¡¯re a woman yourself. Now then, let me see this esteemed Envoy of Man. I¡¯ve always wanted to set eyes on the one who pretentiously carries himself around.¡±


    The old woman bowed and left the tent, despite everyone¡¯s protest. ¡°Wait! It¡¯s not safe out there! The demon will drain your blood!¡± But the old woman only laughed at such blank threats. ¡°What? That ugly red thing? Please. If I wanted him to move, I¡¯d tell him to move!¡±


    She laughed and walked off while Hua chased after her. ¡°Please listen to Rina!¡± But the old woman finally snapped and harmlessly smacked the girl¡¯s hand away. ¡°As I said, I just want to see the situation for myself. After all, those two are nothing but pretentious hills who want to become mountains.¡±


    The old woman casually walked to the scene of Xiaojun battling the enormous blood titan. ¡°Wow, the Envoy of Man is nimble as a fly,¡± she remarked. Then she stomped her foot on the ground and said one word: ¡°Halt!¡±


    The two beings fell to the ground in one sudden move as the strange old woman pouted. ¡°False god, you cannot stop what is already in motion. Relinquish your vessel and return to depths of hell at once!¡±


    The Blood God laughed as he looked down on the puny woman. ¡°You cannot order me to follow your bidding! Not even if you were¡­ no¡­ it cannot be you¡­ but that was so long ago! I thought that you had died!¡±


    ¡°The only thing that was long ago was our divorce. Now go! Or I¡¯ll make you regret your insolence!¡± With this sentence alone, the woman banished the Blood God away and left only the exhausted but living body of General Wang. ¡°Father!¡±


    Rina ran to her father¡¯s body and ordered her men to extract him right away. As for the old woman, she was looking at Xiaojun with a curious frown. ¡°Hmph! I thought you¡¯d be bigger! Eons of prophecies, years of training, and hours of meditation just to make this?¡±


    Xiaojun responded with a light frown. ¡°I¡¯d watch your¡ª¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t play dumb with me!¡± the old woman yelled. She placed her finger on his chest like a grandmother disciplining a child. ¡°You think that just because you¡¯re carrying Huanglong in your hand, you get to do whatever you want? I should¡¯ve never trusted Jin with you! He¡¯s not only a half-man, but a half-wit as well!¡±


    Xiaojun was stuck with surprise. ¡°You know my weapon¡¯s name? And you know Jin as well?¡±


    The old woman scoffed as she pushed the Envoy of Man away. ¡°I am Dao, and it¡¯s clear that you¡¯re far from the way.¡± In mere moments of this strange woman¡¯s arrival, the once hellish battlefield was restored to a clear pasture. No more words needed to be said to truly signify her power.

 Chapter 22

    A peaceful lull passed through the military camp as Rina¡¯s forces regrouped themselves. Plans were already drawn for the continued campaign, as well as how to protect their gunpowder reserves from future rainfall. ¡°Since our muskets are matchlock, we have to create raincovers for the muskets,¡± Rina ordered. ¡°That being said, we must be prepared for anything.¡±


    General Wang¡ªher father¡ªwas still debilitated from the Blood God¡¯s possession. He continuously faded in and out of consciousness as military doctors struggled to keep him alive. ¡°It appears that he¡¯s been suffering from a long case of white blood cell disease,¡± the doctors decalred.


    Rina replied with a deep sigh. ¡°When did it start?¡± she asked.


    ¡°By our estimates, the disease has progressed for quite a long time¡ªperhaps even before this military campaign. Despite the continuous stress, he¡¯s managed to hide his condition when most men would¡¯ve collapsed. It¡¯s something to admire.¡±


    ¡°Or something to hate!¡± Eyes turned to find Dao walking in with her old stature. ¡°His horrid condition left him weak to the Blood God¡¯s influence! Had he tried being less stubborn, then he would¡¯ve been fine. But he tried too hard when serving his position, putting himself and his entire army in jeapordy!¡±


    ¡°You know nothing!¡± Rina yelled. To her surprise, Dao responded with a smile. ¡°Good. If you take at least one thing away from me, you¡¯ll know nothing as well.¡± Then she headed out of the tent and yawned, ¡°Now, I must tend to your Envoy of Man. That sucker¡¯s been curious as soon as he¡¯s met me.¡±


    Xiaojun was sitting on a tree stump when the Dao intruded on his peace. ¡°Meditating? Or just having another conversation with Huanglong?¡± She ignored his surprised face as she shooed him off of the tree stump and sat in his place. ¡°It¡¯s rude to make an old woman stand, after all.¡±


    Xiaojun was full of questions. Ever since his acquisition of Huanglong¡ªthe heavenly weapon¡ªhis head had been in a complete mess. From his bouts of power to sudden unconsciousness, Xiaojun had been put into a condition that no normal man had to endure. ¡°How¡ª¡±


    ¡°How come you feel like your head is in a whirlwind of experiences?¡± Dao interrupted. ¡°The answer is simple: you¡¯re holding the heavenly weapon that contains the spirit of a dragon. No normal human would remain sane after holding such a device, especially when he¡¯s also been taunted by the Beast of Hatred.¡±


    Dao gave a grin while Xiaojun¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°It makes sense now, right?¡± she asked. ¡°You¡¯ve always had to hold yourself back, and your newfound strength has only multiplied the temptation of hate. Unlike your traditional enemies, hatred is not something you can easily butcher.¡±


    ¡°Then what are my options?¡± Xiaojun asked.


    ¡°There are countless,¡± Dao sighed, ¡°and the true answer will be hard to find. All I can do is show you the ways, so you can find the way. Does this make sense?¡± Her words flowed like a river, albeit a maze of a river. ¡°Please begin,¡± Xiaojun asked.


    ¡°Fine,¡± Dao replied, ¡°the first way I¡¯ve seen is the one who simply bottles his hatred. Rather than letting it flow, they try burying it within their hearts. A woodsman should never be surprised when an overwhelmed dam explodes. In the end, the bottled hatred explodes from an ugly carcass into a gargantuan demon.¡±


    Xiaojun could already think of the countless people who fulfill that description. He could start with himself, but he could go on about the different people who deny the existence of their internal hatred only to become the most hateful people in this world. Simply put, he would be another demon if he only tried to contain his emotions.


    ¡°Another option is to only hate specific things,¡± Dao continued. ¡°A warrior would know this as ¡®discrimination¡¯ where they bring violence only to their enemies. But even this method has its share of issues. The hatred of an enemy does not absolve oneself from tragedy. Killing is still killing, even if it is under control. However, the worse debacle is that this discrimination can fail. Once it is broken, and the wrong person is killed, then it can all fall apart.¡±


    Xiaojun definitely knew many people who fell into this trap. He was a warrior, and discriminating between friend and foe was the difference between a soldier and a barbarian. Many times, the exhilaration of the kill, the temptation of the easy path, or even the corruption of the soul transformed a noble into a criminal.


    ¡°But in the end,¡± Dao added, ¡°the way is never one that is easily established. You cannot keep using the lessons of others, and this is simply because they were designed for others. Jiu Zhu¡ªthe one who fought the mighty Yellow Emperor¡ªwas in your exact footsteps. His lessons may not help you.¡±Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original.


    Xiaojun recalled Jiu Zhu¡¯s name. Jin had mentioned him, as did Huanglong. But nobody else seemed to know who he was or what he did. To say his name was like saying the name of a ghost. Only the dead or the dying could ever hope to meet him. ¡°Can you tell me what happened?¡±


    Initially, Dao merely shrugged. ¡°What would be the point? Knowing nothing would be good, and forgetting everything would be better. As I just said, his lessons will not help you. Times are different, and you cannot hope to use his solutions for your problems.¡±


    Speaking to this woman was as frustrating as it was enlightening. It was clear that she had a plethora of knowledge in her mind, but it was also clear that she wouldn¡¯t be so willing to share it. ¡°When would you be able to tell me?¡± Xiaojun asked.


    But Dao¡¯s next response was even worse. ¡°I¡¯ll tell you when that river dries up,¡± she yawned. Then she stood up and walked back to the camp. ¡°I¡¯m hungry now, and I¡¯ve already given you a lecture on hatred. Clear your mind.¡± Dao walked off like nothing happened.


    Xiaojun could only look at the distant river and groan. Despite being an intimidating warrior, he couldn¡¯t even squeeze a bit of information from the frail old woman. It was like arguing with a mountain, for the mountain has all the knowledge and yet says nothing. There was nothing he could do but return to camp.


    With his heavenly weapon on his back, Xiaojun returned to find soldiers drilling, holding watch, and many of the other casual duties. It all reminded him of his time in the Vesterlands. Back when he still had Nina. ¡°Why am I suddenly thinking of this?¡± he muttered to himself. ¡°It was so long ago.¡±


    Hua was waiting for him in his tent. She had a warm bowl of soup ready for him. ¡°Hey Xiaojun! I saw you talking with Dao, and I didn¡¯t want to intrude. So I got you some soup while it was still warm.¡± She handed him the bowl and he took a deep sip. ¡°It¡¯s good,¡± he said.


    His mind suddenly remembered the night they first met, where Hua tried to take a fresh bite from his neck. Xiaojun visibly froze as his instincts demanded the drawing of his blade. It was a clash between the memories of the past and the experiences of the present.


    ¡°Xiaojun? Are you okay?¡± Hua asked. Xiaojun finally returned as he finished the soup and placed the bowl on the ground. ¡°It¡¯s okay,¡± he thought to himself, ¡°she hasn¡¯t hurt a soul since she¡¯s traveled with you. She won¡¯t hurt you, and she won¡¯t hurt others.¡± He made his leave from the tent.


    Xiaojun took a light walk to try and clear his head. Everything was always exhausting, as his head always seemed to rock with thirty different voices at the same time. He had become powerful, but at the cost of his own sanity. ¡°Huanglong, can you help me?¡± he asked aloud.


    It took a moment, but he could hear the dragon¡¯s voice in his dizzy head. ¡°This is the price of carrying a heavenly weapon,¡± the voice whispered, ¡°I wish I could help you, but alas I am but a tool. All I can ask is that you stay strong.¡±


    Xiaojun found himself by the river that Dao had mentioned earlier. He looked at the stream of water pass like the crying of tears. ¡°I have to wait until this river dries?¡± he laughed to himself. ¡°Then I guess I¡¯ll have to wait a thousand years.¡±


    He sat by the river and entered his thoughts. All of these horrid memories of the past continued to haunt him like ancient ghosts¡ªwounds that spared his body but attacked his soul. Perhaps he could never get over his mind, his hatred, or even his destiny. Such was the weight of a man in an unforgiving world.


    ¡°Nice of you to join me,¡± Dao said. She was sitting on the other side of the river with the stillness of the stones. Perhaps that was why Xiaojun didn¡¯t even notice her presence. ¡°How are you everywhere all at once?¡± he asked.


    ¡°I¡¯m always everywhere. That¡¯s the benefit of becoming one with the way, the universe, and nothing,¡± she casually said. ¡°But you¡¯re the opposite. You¡¯re not one with the way, the universe, or even yourself. Your attachment to many things has made you attached to nothing.¡±


    Xiaojun scoffed at the old woman and tossed rocks into the river. ¡°You speak like you know everything about me. Actually, no¡ªdon¡¯t speak because you somehow do know everything about me. You must know that I¡¯ve battled my way through countless fields. I starved in Dajing, I marched through Vesterland, and I¡¯ve even survived hell. That¡¯s only a fraction of my accomplishments.¡±


    ¡°Ah, so your accomplishments of yesterday complete the trials of tomorrow?¡± Dao asked. ¡°Tell me, why do you feel the need to unleash your past? Is there someone or something you hate? The Beasts? The armies? Perhaps even a woman?¡±


    ¡°No! Do not bring Nina into this!¡± Xiaojun demanded. ¡°The Beast of Corruption holds her in the palm of his hand, and it¡¯s all my fault! If only I saved her in hell, or perhaps if I killed her scheming brother while I had the chance¡ª¡±


    The Dao laughed like a torrent of rain with each chuckle as sharp as a sword. ¡°Ah! You must see it perfectly! There is someone that you hate most of all!¡± she laughed. ¡°It¡¯s you! You mentioned the Beast of Corruption only once, because you hold the blame all on yourself! Ha ha ha!¡±


    Xiaojun unsheathed his blade as if ready to fight the old woman right in front of him. He couldn¡¯t control himself, but he could hear a distinct voice in his mind. ¡°Yes. This woman doesn¡¯t know anything! Kill her right now! Lop her head right off of her body!¡± That was when Xiaojun realized who the voice belonged to¡ªthe Beast of Hate.


    ¡°Now I see what you say,¡± he said to the old woman. ¡°If I am to be the Envoy of Man, I must become the true embodiment of man. I must let go of who I was as Xiaojun. I must forget everything. I must become one with the way.¡±


    Rather than act out of hatred, he placed his heavenly weapon over the river. ¡°Forgetting isn¡¯t something that you do on a whim. It is something that you do through effort. By first having everything, and then choosing to let it go. I have all the strength that a king would want, but I will choose to let it go. I am no longer a mere survivor. I am an envoy to describe the best things of mankind.¡±

 Chapter 23

    Hua sat outside for a deep breath. It had been a long time since they had been attacked, and this was one of the few times she could count for peace. ¡°And to think that I used to kill people for their blood,¡± she thought. ¡°Now I can¡¯t even think about it.¡±


    ¡°Such is the way of nature,¡± a voice responded. ¡°Things change, yet remain the same.¡±


    It was Dao, and of course she was casually sitting upside down from a tree branch. She was imitating the bats that casually slept next to her. ¡°Purpose is what drives a life into a life, rather than a mere vessel of existence.¡±


    Hua couldn¡¯t argue with that. Speaking with the wisewoman, she sat down on the ground and closed her eyes. ¡°I wonder what my purpose is here. We¡¯re going to besiege the Beast of Lust¡¯s fortress soon, but I¡¯m just an extra nurse right now. Surely there¡¯s more for me, right?¡±


    ¡°Perhaps there is,¡± Dao responded.


    ¡°But I wouldn¡¯t mind just helping people out. Even when Xiaojun would use me as an easy source of healing, I found some pleasure in relieving his pain. Even when he bit me like an animal, I was still more than happy to help him. Do you know what this means?¡±


    ¡°That is not for me to decide,¡± she responded. ¡°But perhaps you can ask him when he returns.¡±


    ¡°When he returns?¡± Hua screamed. Surprised by the wisewoman, she sprinted back to the tent to find an empty bed. As expected, Xiaojun¡¯s few belongings were gone. ¡°He left! By the heavens, Xiaojun is gone!¡± she yelped.


    Xiaojun had left many hours ago, while everyone was busy with her errands. ¡°Dao, I cannot let them risk their brittle lives for my mission,¡± he had told the wisewoman. ¡°I have to face the Beast of Lust myself, even if it means risking my life.¡±


    ¡°Your decision,¡± Dao yawned. ¡°But you should know that attacking the monsters at their gate would be foolish.¡± But Xiaojun remained determined. ¡°I know. That is why I will find the secret entrance to their fortress. Once I sneak inside, they will be nothing.¡±


    ¡°Well. Good luck.¡±


    Now Xiaojun was silently walking towards the dark castle in the distance. Shadows caked the landscape as he got closer to the damned place. For every step he took, the world seemed to resemble the diyu. Perhaps the Beast of Lust wished to bring the depths of hell to the surface of life.


    He saw the gates creep open as spider people crawled right outside. Unlike the usual monstrous beings, these elite troops were armored at their shoulders and chest¡ªjust like how an actual soldier would wear his armor.


    Seeing them on the road, Xiaojun quietly hid behind a group of rocks. ¡°I cannot allow them to see me so easily. That would put my mission in jeopardy.¡± He waited for them to pass his position before finally sneaking by.


    Even though he was never a proponent for stealth, there were many reasons for it. For one, fighting against the pure numbers would be a difficult one. Though it was possible to slaughter each and every one of them, it was also possible for them to catch him in an exhausted state. The risk wasn¡¯t necessary.


    The next¡ªand frankly the bigger fear¡ªwas the Blood God. He was a strong match for Xiaojun, at least by how the last fight went. If he harnessed the blood of all the spider people, then he would be truly unstoppable.


    Finally, the biggest threat was the Beast of Lust itself. The manifestation of an ancient god would be a being that Xiaojun had never truly faced. Not even the Blood God could be compared to such a titanic being. There was nothing that he could expect.


    ¡°That¡¯s why I need to find a side entrance,¡± Xiaojun thought. Sneaking around the distant castle, he searched for any indication of an entrance. ¡°Many castles have hidden entrances and exits. Since the Beast of Lust only occupied an existing fortress, the local demons might not know the existence of such a place.¡±


    Thinking the way a military engineer would, he searched for the potential passage on a nearby cliff. After climbing the impossible side with his superhuman strength, he looked to find a strange pool of blood. ¡°It must¡¯ve been water before the Beast of Lust arrived.¡±


    Hands suddenly clamored out like the limbs of the dead yearning for life. It was clear that they were grabbing anything that unfortunately entered its grip. ¡°The pool is alive,¡± Xiaojun calmly reasoned. Then, looking to the side, he noticed a decently sized grate. This was the passage he was looking for.


    Xiaojun started by getting a bundle of gunpowder, surrounding it with a handful of pellets, and then lighting the fuse to create a homemade bomb. He then tossed the bomb into the pit and watched the pool voraciously consume it. After a second, the bomb exploded and the pool had died. All hands went dead with silence.


    He tossed the grate out and waded through the pit of corpses. Even inside the tunnel, the blood was about waist-high and his movement was marred by the red molasses. But this could not stop his mission. ¡°Humanity is counting on me. Rina is counting on me. Hua is counting on me.¡± Thus, he carried on.


    It was a complete underground maze. Being many miles long, he knew that this trek alone could nearly cost him his life. As his glowing guandao served as the only light source, his vision was cut short to only a few feet. Anything could be lying in the darkness. Even the Beast of Lust itself.


    There was suddenly a fork in his path. Left or right. One could lead him to the fortress, while the other could lead him to certain death. ¡°Xiaojun,¡± his blade Huanglong said, ¡°I sense a great evil coming from the left. Perhaps this means you must go right.¡±Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more.


    ¡°No. This means I have to go left,¡± Xiaojun responded.


    He moved to the left and kept his blade close. It was only a few feet when he noticed a pair of glowing eyes in the distance. ¡°Is this the source of great evil?¡± he asked Huanglong.


    ¡°No. That¡¯s just one source.¡±


    Countless eyes appeared like a cursed starry night. They were attracted to Xiaojun like a mob of moths attracted to a glowing flame. In such a fashion, this would be their doom.


    It began with a roar, and the eyes descended upon the warrior. For a moment, Xiaojun¡¯s shining blade was stifled by their presence. But after a flash, it was brought back in a brighter form. ¡°Ha. You aren¡¯t the same spider people that serve the Beast of Lust.¡±


    These were humans who managed to survive the Beast of Lust¡¯s attack by hiding in the tunnels. But as starvation creept in, they resorted to drinking from the growing pool of blood. Time went on, and these humans became nothing but bloodthirsty beasts.


    One of them lunged for Xiaojun, only for the warrior to grab him by the neck and throw him against the wall. ¡°You are less like monsters, and more like primitive animals. I think I may have some use for fools like you.¡±


    He grabbed some of his rations and placed them on his guandao. Turning his walk into a sprint, he used the food to bait the monsters into following him. Thus, he easily recruited an army of animals to his disposal.


    Finally reaching the end of the tunnels, he kicked open a door to reveal the interior of the keep. Black webs lined the walls, floors, and ceilings as Xiaojun quickly understood the situation: this was where the spider people were born. He didn¡¯t need any more thinking to throw the rations onto the ground before him.


    As predicted, the cannibals went right for the feast. No thought other than blatant hunger crossed their minds, just as it did for those who surrendered to lust. In this way, perhaps the Beast of Lust did control these monsters.


    The question of allegiance was quickly solved when the group was suddenly spattered by black webs. They shook like distressed monkeys as a dark arachnid descended from the ceiling and bundled them into different sacks. It was like a mother stuffing meat into dumplings, though cannibals would make up this meat.


    Xiaojun took his chance and threw the arachnid to the ground. Although the monster was the size of an elephant, he tossed the beast like it was a mere ant. When the arachnid hit the ground, Xiaojun finished it with the mere swipe of his blade.


    ¡°Envoy! It is the Envoy!¡± the demons hissed. Countless arachnids swarmed the walls like a living carpet of ants. Xiaojun moved through the corridors, but there was no end in sight. These demons had truly infested the keep as a breeding ground.


    Moving to the next hallway, he found it covered in writhing villagers who were plastered onto the walls like insects. Since their arms and legs had been severed, they wriggled like worthless worms that begged for death. ¡°Please¡­ please¡­ they¡¯re eating me¡­¡±


    The villager¡¯s stomach burst as countless little spiders spewed from the inside. Xiaojun quickly stomped on each one as he mercy killed anyone else on that wall. ¡°That¡¯s how the Beast of Lust has so many numbers,¡± he understood. ¡°Countless soldiers can be born by feasting on one man.¡±


    He continued sprinting through the endless hallways as the arachnids continued to assail him. Blood covered his armor as he continued to push through. ¡°Kill him! We must kill him!¡±


    Arachnids would leap towards him while others would spew their black webbing instead. But the warrior remained unscathed as he merely slashed the beasts before ripping the black scum off of his body. He would continue his battle.


    ¡°Kill them! Kill them all!¡±


    Xiaojun continued pushing through as he heard the voice reverberate in his mind. ¡°I know you hear me, Envoy! Let yourself succumb to your hate! These are agents of the Beast of Lust! They are connected to all your suffering!¡±


    His head felt a sharp pain as he continued navigating through the infested keep. ¡°You¡¯ve spilled so much blood. With my help, you can spill so much more. There is no way you can claim victory while you fight in this feeble human form.¡±


    ¡°Silence!¡± Xiaojun yelled. ¡°I know what you are! You are not the voice of reason, but the voice of the Beast of Hate! You wish to corrupt me with your temptations!¡±


    ¡°Corrupt? No! I mean to empower you!¡± the voice retorted. ¡°There are countless beasts in this fortress, and there are even more outside! You already know that you don¡¯t stand a chance against the Blood God. What makes you think that you can stand a chance against the Beast of Lust?¡±


    ¡°Enough!¡±


    He cleared his mind as he quickly lit a torch and threw it to the ground. Just like how he burned the cursed forest, he began to burn this hallowed ground. ¡°I will not rely on your power. I will fight out of necessity to my mission, and not out of rage.¡±


    The fire exponentially grew as it caught onto the arachnids as well. They screamed and scampered for exits, but the flames would quickly catch them. Although the stone was untouched, the webbed empire quickly went out. Now it was time for Xiaojun¡ªthe Demon Warrior¡ªto move on.


    He walked along the corridors with his glowing weapon in hand. Just like in Lord Luo¡¯s fortress, this castle had changed since the possession of a demon. Hallways were artificially conjoined as if the buildings had merged together, while the windows would simply plug themselves with stone.


    Entering another room, Xiaojun found himself in the castle library. Since he was outside of the spiders¡¯ birthing area, this empire of books and pages was away from the fire¡¯s reach. There, next to a crowned skeleton, Xiaojun found the only evidence of this castle¡¯s past: a set of pages.


    ¡°It could provide clues to the Beast of Lust.¡± After making sure he was safe to read, he quickly picked it up and skimmed the pages. This was the past¡¯s final gasp of air.


    ¡°People say that monsters are beings that come from another world, but I have learned that monsters are people that we once knew as family, friends, or even enemies. I¡ªLord Huang¡ªam now hiding in the castle library while the rest of my family tries to escape through the tunnels. May the heavens protect their souls.


    It all began when my dearest servant, Eunuch Cheng, had come down with a severe illness. It was said that his body had become incredibly swollen, notably his stomach and legs. Our doctors said that he had a deficiency in yang energy, but I don¡¯t think they knew what was happening either. In any case, we prescribed our best medicine and prayed for his recovery. It did not happen.


    One day, he disappeared. We searched the whole province for him, but we didn¡¯t find him. It strangely coincided with a whole village going missing as well, but the two events did not seem to correlate at this time. I was such a fool.¡±


    The next set of words were horribly mushed; a disappointing condition since it was just about to explain the transformation of Eunuch Cheng into the Beast of Lust. But at the very least, the documents explained what had happened to the fortress.


    ¡°Large spiders infested the compound while the demon¡¯s minions sealed off the entrances and exits of the city. Their countless numbers were no match for our spears and crossbows, let alone our walls. The fortress fell to the arms of darkness in the blink of an eye. All of man can fall just as well.¡±


    There was one final paragraph. ¡°I have no hope for my survival, but I can only hope for man¡¯s survival. Word has traveled about the prophecy of the Envoy of Man. He is a warrior who has surpassed the limitations of humanity, and is willing to fight against the demons of today. So long as he exists, humanity may have hope.¡±


    Xiaojun was interrupted with the gurgling flow of blood by his feet. He dropped the documents and readied his weapon. If he hoped to fight against the Beast of Lust, he knew he had to fight another godly being first. ¡°I am ready.¡±

 Chapter 24

    When one gains rich wealth, they lose poor humility. When one gains comfortable heat, they lose the motivating cold. As such, when one attains godhood, they lose humanity.


    That was what Xiaojun surmised when he was face to face with the blood god. The deity formed a body from his red bile, before hardening it just as blood hardens. ¡°Just as a desperate rat climbs for scraps, so has The Envoy of Man returned for more.¡±


    Xiaojun charged at the deity and slashed him where he stood. But the liquid simply sloshed out of the way before reforming itself in the other end of the room. ¡°Do you wish to end the talking already?¡± the deity asked. ¡°It seems that your death wish is an immediate one.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not that I have a mere death wish,¡± Xiaojun retorted. ¡°I just wish for you to die.¡± The battle began.


    The Blood God launched blood fragments from his body, like a porcupine firing its quills. Xiaojun slashed these fragments away and crashed his weapon through evasive deity. Instead, he hit the wall and sent the stone bulwark crumbling to the ground.


    Demons presented themselves from the other side¡ªservants of the Beast of Lust. They snarled at Xiaojun, but shuddered when they saw his face and blade. This wasn¡¯t the first time they had heard of the horrific Envoy of Man, though it was surely their last.


    ¡°Not to worry,¡± the Blood God flatly said. ¡°I require their blood.¡± He raised his liquid hand and petrified the demons where they stood. Xiaojun watched the red bile forcefully exit their bodies through any opening: eyes, noses, and even fingernails. It was a violent death for a violent race.


    ¡°Good. That has satiated me.¡± The Blood God had grown in size¡ªabout three times to be exact. ¡°It is clear that I cannot be killed, and yet you continue to persist. Such a funny little human.¡±


    ¡°All I need is a sponge and a latrine to throw you in,¡± Xiaojun taunted. But the talk was cut short by The Blood God¡¯s offensive. More crystals were launched through the air, and Xiaojun had to pick up a wooden door to serve as a shield. The crystals then returned to liquid form only to return to the Blood God¡¯s body. This way, the deity had infinite ammunition.


    Xiaojun continued to clash with the deity, but it was clearly one-sided. Although Xiaojun remained relatively unscathed, he still had no real way of killing this deity. It was a hassle to slash the being, and slashing the liquid body didn¡¯t even yield a result. It was the same as fighting the wind.


    ¡°Unless,¡± Xiaojun thought to himself, ¡°I¡¯ve been thinking of the wrong question.¡± Returning to a defensive stance, he smiled at the Blood God. ¡°You like to siphon the blood from other humans and other demons. And yet you have yet to take a single drop from me. Why?¡±


    The Blood God angrily transformed his liquid arm into a crystal spear before trying to thrust into Xiaojun. When a table took the attack instead, and broke upon impact, the Blood God continued his sudden offensive with further strikes.


    Xiaojun blocked an overhead swing, a sideways thrust, and another overhead swing. ¡°Riled that quickly? I see it now. You can¡¯t take my blood because of my heavenly weapon! That¡¯s why you¡¯re getting so aggressive!¡±


    ¡°Silence! You are no closer to victory than the moment before!¡±


    At that moment, Xiaojun caught a momentary glimpse of a jade stone hidden within the Blood God¡¯s torso. ¡°You possessed Rina¡¯s father to cover for your weakness, and you used his illness as an opening. What a simple tactic! Of all this time, you¡¯ve pretended to be above life when you¡¯re as fragile as porcelain!¡±


    He aimed his counterstrike at the Blood God¡¯s chest and shattered the jade stone. ¡°Ha! All talk!¡± Xiaojun taunted. As expected, the Blood God stumbled back and slowly disintegrated into a simple pool of bile. However, despite Xiaojun¡¯s looming victory, the Blood God responded with a smile.


    ¡°Haven¡¯t you forgotten?¡± the deity asked. ¡°The Beast of Lust promised me a larger body.¡±


    The ground rumbled with a significant tremor. The wall came crashing down as a bramble of bodies tumbled through the stone. Xiaojun was presented with the behemoth he had seen in the battle long ago. ¡°Ah. So this was a part of your plan.¡±


    The bodies looked like a coalescence of bodies being digested. They slowly churned into red as they continued to scream and clamor for their lives, though one could argue that these nonsentient vessels were merely exuding muscle memory. Either way, the Blood God was growing from their very suffering.


    Xiaojun was now in the real fight. Despite being a hulking stitch of bodies, the Blood God could swiftly swing his lumbering arms. Blood was still under its monstrous command as it hardened into crystals and fired at Xiaojun like arrows. These ones were faster, and one of them nicked the Envoy of Man in the cheek.


    Xiaojun watched as bile seeped out of the base of the behemoth. This blood formed multiple humanoid figures who fashioned their arms into crystallized swords. ¡°Force him to me!¡± the Blood God bellowed.


    The bloodied soldiers charged at Xiaojun and tried surrounding him. The Envoy of Man easily slashed their liquid forms away, but they would simply regenerate just as the Blood God did. Due to this distraction, Xiaojun couldn¡¯t see the colossal arm pick him from the ground.


    ¡°I can¡¯t see how Siumeng had to many issues with such a lesser human! You are nothing but fodder to satiate the gods!¡± the Blood God bellowed. Xiaojun watched as a mouth seemingly formed from the deity¡¯s body, like a gaping hole from the collection of writhing bodies.


    In this moment, Xiaojun was doomed to die. His arms were stuck within the god¡¯s grip, and he could barely move¡ªlet alone breathe. It was this moment of weakness that awoke the voice in his head: the God of Hate.


    ¡°Xiaojun. Don¡¯t you see it? If you do not allow me into your heart, then you will die. When this god is finished with you, then your friends will be next. Hua will taste like a strawberry, and Rina¡¯s blood will taste like wine. I have no commitment to any of the other beasts. Let me into your heart, and my power is yours.¡±


    ¡°Xiaojun!¡± Huanglong intervened. ¡°You cannot submit to the voice of this naysayer! You must focus your energy, and place your faith in me. Do this, and you will not need this fake demon.¡±


    Xiaojun slowly approached the gaping mouth. He could even feel the disgusting warmth emanating from the monster¡¯s body. ¡°Even if I trust this Beast of Hate in killing this deity, I cannot trust him to spare my friends from his carnage,¡± Xiaojun responded. ¡°Huanglong, I place my trust in you.¡±


    Suddenly, the hand broke apart and Xiaojun leapt from the demon¡¯s grasp. ¡°No!¡± the Blood God yelled. He tried to grab Xiaojun with another arm, but the Envoy of Man slashed that arm away too. It was clear that something was different¡ªXiaojun had tapped into the powers of a higher being as well.


    Xiaojun landed on the ground with a faint glow reflecting from his body. It seemed that the mystical energy of Huanglong had extended to his entire being, going so far as to emanate his eyes with a mythical glow. No word or thought parsed through his mind. Such a mystical warrior was beyond the fragility of words.


    ¡°Soldiers! Kill him!¡± the Blood God commanded. The soldiers stepped forward. Xiaojun slashed. The soldiers were no more. One slash from Xiaojun¡¯s mythical form rendered them into disintegrated red mist. ¡°Impossible!¡±This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.


    Xiaojun leapt from the ground to a superhuman height¡ªjumping high enough to surpass the Blood God¡ªbefore bringing his blade to a downward slash. The slice thunderclapped through the air. The Blood God remained still. Then he fell apart.


    The Blood God had been eviscerated into multiple incoherent sections. Due to the heavenly weapon¡¯s strange properties, these parts bore separate sentience. In short, the Blood God¡¯s own personality was brought into discord. Five different bodies couldn¡¯t even say the same sentence.


    ¡°What¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­did¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­you¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­do¡­?¡±


    Xiaojun returned to the ground. The glowing dissipated, and he returned to his mortal state. Air rushed back into his lungs, as his muscles ached with fleeting adrenaline. ¡°Huanglong¡­ what did you do¡­?¡± he muttered aloud.


    ¡°I gave you some of my power. It comes at the cost of your own stamina.¡±


    ¡°That goes without explanation,¡± Xiaojun responded.


    He looked at the shattered body of the Blood God. The blood was already seeping out of the body to form a new figure. Such was the result of the Blood God¡¯s ruined form. ¡°You have destroyed the Beast of Lust¡¯s gift. Unfortunately, your own power has come at its own cost.¡±


    ¡°But you seem tired as well,¡± Xiaojun replied. ¡°You complain about the weakness of man, but perhaps now I can show you where our strength truly lies.¡±


    ¡°Oh? And where would that be?¡±


    Xiaojun smiled. ¡°That would be in our ability to keep fighting.¡± The warrior weakly raised his blade and charged at the deity. He didn¡¯t seem to care about his shattered energy; far from it actually. It was as if his own exhaustion provided his own fuel.


    The deity and the warrior clashed in a complete melee. Each one would strike as soon as the other blocked, turning it into a battle of attrition. Which one would crumble from fatigue? Which one would crumble from their wounds? Which one would simply surrender? Such was the battle between deity and man.


    ¡°I shed my flesh a long time ago,¡± the Blood God said in the middle of the fight. ¡°I was a scholar hoping to attain enlightenment, but I realized that my own bodily material was getting in my way. That was when I met the Yellow Emperor. Fools like Jiu Zhu could never understand my ambitions. So when I accepted the Yellow Emperor¡¯s offer, I was more than elated to turn against that stupid fool.¡±


    The Blood God slashed Xiaojun in the leg before forming his head into a hardened hammer and slamming it against Xiaojun. ¡°You are just like him. By not being able to see this clear vision, you are no better. The Yellow Emperor will crush you all the same.¡±


    Xiaojun was on the ground. All of this fighting had sapped his energy, and it was clear from his defeated position that he had little more to give. But in the end, this was still a little more to give. The Envoy of Man used his weapon as a staff to help himself up. He looked back at the deity and prepared his weapon once more.


    ¡°Stay down!¡±


    The Blood God gave another devastating attack. He shattered Xiaojun¡¯s leg, battered his chest, and threw him against the wall. And yet, the Envoy of Man stood back up. ¡°The God of Hate is in my head right now,¡± Xiaojun bluntly stated. ¡°He says that I can get more power. That I can defeat you and save my life, if I accept his call.¡±


    ¡°Will you accept it?¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    The deity grabbed him by the leg and thrashed him against another wall. The brick tiles crumbled under the power as the Blood God slowly stepped towards him. ¡°You should¡¯ve accepted it. The Beast of Hate could give you enough power to separate you from your weak flesh. You would have the power to destroy me, and more.¡±


    Xiaojun took a moment to return to his feet. ¡°But I don¡¯t care about power. I don¡¯t care about you. And I don¡¯t care about your idea of ¡®more.¡¯ I just want a moment of peace. Not for myself, but the people I¡¯ve come to appreciate.¡±


    ¡°Ha! The Envoy of Man has become sentimental!¡± the Blood God bellowed. ¡°Can you remind me what some humans call you? Ah, that¡¯s right: ¡®The Demon Warrior!¡¯ They cannot stand to believe that your power is human. I¡¯m sure they¡¯d kill you once they don¡¯t need you.¡±


    The deity thrashed his arm into Xiaojun¡¯s body. Like how a drill systematically beats the dirt, so did the Blood God repeatedly beat into the Envoy of Man¡¯s body. Bones were crushed. Blood was spilled. And Xiaojun¡¯s life was brought at its precipice.


    ¡°Ha,¡± Xiaojun gasped. ¡°Now I see why the Beast of Lust wanted you here. He wanted you to break me. Doing so would force me to harness the Beast of Hatred. The Beast of Lust could then kill two birds with one stone: me, and the competiting Beast of Hate.¡±


    The Blood God stabbed him in the stomach with his arm. ¡°You are creative, for a man on his last moments. Alas, I¡¯m sure that the Beast of Lust will be satisfied with your death instead. We can bring the Beast of Hate with a ritual or¡ª¡±


    Hua leapt from behind and bit the Blood God in the neck. The surprised deity screeched in pain as he tried to grab the hulijing off of him. Using this one moment of respite, Xiaojun pushed the Blood God away and recovered Hua to his side.


    ¡°What are you doing here,¡± he weakly muttered.


    ¡°Giving you some help,¡± Hua responded. ¡°When we found that you disappeared, Rina decided to attack the castle as soon as she could. As for me, well, I happened to decide a little faster.¡± She then presented her arm for his mouth. ¡°One bite. Now.¡±


    ¡°But¡ª¡±


    ¡°Now.¡±


    Xiaojun hesitated, but took a bite from the hulijing¡¯s arm. Hua momentarily winced in pain, but was glad to see the healing immediately take place. She watched as Xiaojun stood back up with a little more vigor. ¡°I¡¯ll let you take more when we¡ª¡±


    She stopped in her words as her eyes went artificially wide. Her veins seemingly popped, and her skin went pale. ¡°Wow,¡± she suddenly said. ¡°I know I promised not to eat anymore blood while by your side, but that guy¡¯s blood tastes very good.¡±


    Xiaojun smiled as he looked at the wounded deity. ¡°You eat blood. That¡¯s exactly what I need right now. Just let me distract him, and I¡¯ll let you have seconds. Does that sound good?¡±


    ¡°Sounds great. Delicious, actually.¡±


    ¡°Good. Then go!¡±


    Xiaojun started the attack, while Hua flanked from the side. The Blood God was forced to grow further limbs from his body to accommodate for the extra attacker, but it was clear that the deity was truly outmatched. Although Hua looked like a mere little girl, it seemed that her strength had exponentially improved since the last time Xiaojun had seen her.


    Xiaojun parried an overhead strike before following with a thrust of his own. Momentarily pinning the bile of blood, he made his signal. ¡°Hua!¡± Xiaojun called. ¡°Now!¡±


    She took another gracious bite from the deity¡¯s neck, and the Blood God gave a terrified shriek. This was the one attack that could truly hurt him, as his bile visibly shrank with each passing moment. Hua¡¯s body would simultaneously change as her veins continued to pop and her skin continued to pale.


    ¡°Get off!¡± the Blood God yelled. He kicked Xiaojun back and barely pushed Hua away. The Envoy of Man prepared for another attack, but he found the deity was in no shape to fight. In fact, Hua was already enough for the Blood God.


    The Envoy of Man woefully watched Hua commit to a hand-to-hand battle with the Blood God. The deity would stike, but Hua would strike faster. It was clear: the deity¡¯s blood had exponentially strengthened her powers. She was far from the sly fox who preyed on unsuspecting travelers. Hua was now the Goddess of Foxes.


    By the end, she had him pinned to the ground. In a hungry rage, she transformed herself back into her fox form and mauled him like a complete animal. Xiaojun mockingly watched as the god was reduced to such a humiliating form. ¡°This is what I meant,¡± the Envoy of Man said. ¡°Defeat kills a god. Yet defeat strengthens a man. That was why I was going to win. I¡¯ve known many more defeats than you could¡¯ve ever imagined.¡±


    The Blood God gurgled in his last breath as Hua took her last bite. Even her animal form had changed to become far more muscular, and her fur far more pronounced. But even in this state, she still returned to Xiaojun¡¯s side to rub against his leg like a loyal dog.


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to do all that,¡± Xiaojun stated.


    Hua returned to her human state and laughed a little bit. The effects were slightly dying down a little, but it was clear that her new strength was here to stay. ¡°You¡¯re still a little hurt,¡± she said. ¡°Do you need another bite from my arm?¡±


    ¡°No. We¡¯ll do it the old fashioned way,¡± Xiaojun said. He handed her a knife, and gave her the dignity of choice. A long time ago, such a thing seemed brutal. Now, it seemed sentimental. ¡°Unless you don¡¯t want me to.¡±


    ¡°No, it¡¯s quite alright,¡± Hua replied. She easily sliced a bit of her arm and allowed Xiaojun to sip from her blood. By the time he was done, his wounds were all healed and Hua¡¯s own cut had regenerated.


    ¡°As I said,¡± Hua added, ¡°Rina and her men are marching here as we speak. It seemed that the monsters didn¡¯t want to be around while you fought the Blood God, since he can snatch blood from things and all, but they might be around for¡ª¡±


    The ground rumbled as distant cannonfire could be heard. Rina¡¯s army had clearly arrived sooner than expected. ¡°Well. That was fast. I really thought I was miles ahead of that woman, but she must¡¯ve had plans of her own.¡±


    Xiaojun nodded as he prepared for his next battle. Although he had defeated the Blood God, there was a far worse being waiting for them. ¡°The Beast of Lust is here. The usual tactic of simple slaughter won¡¯t work.¡±


    ¡°Why not?¡± Hua asked. ¡°Do I have to eat this guy too? I¡¯m not sure how that would work, but I think it would be interesting. I swear it¡¯s not because the guy¡¯s blood tasted really good or anything.¡±


    ¡°You can¡¯t solve this by eating him either,¡± Xiaojun replied. ¡°When I fought the Blood God, he said that he got his powers by the Yellow Emperor. We can kill the beast, but we cannot kill the sin. As a result, we¡¯ll have to come up with something¡ª¡±


    The ground trembled once more, but without any cannonfire to precede it. ¡°Look out!¡± The floor fell through as Xiaojun and Hua went tumbling through the earth. They were entering hell. They were entering the realm of the Beast of Lust.