Download App
89.5% Serial Transmigrator / Chapter 179: Chapter 179

Chapter 179: Chapter 179

"Now what?" asked Meilin. "Are we going to wait for him to wake up?"

It had been a while now since Hei had done whatever he did to Shin Mu, and Shin Mu had fallen asleep immediately after.

The cave had been left in silence since then.

"Now? I don't know. I guess we can wait for him to wake up before heading back to the sect. Is that cool with you, Tianlan?"

Tianlan shrugged his shoulders in response, and Meilin nodded her head.

Since she felt quite safe and comfortable at this time, she wouldn't have any complaints no matter what Hei decided.

That said, she still hadn't fully prepared herself for the coming lecture from her sister, so she was grateful for the extra time.

She sat there in silence along with the others, going through simulations in her mind.

After a while though, she grew tired of listening to the sounds of the wood burning and decided to strike up some more conversation.

"So, do you always go around helping people? Why would you give him something so precious?"

"This?"

Hei raised his hand to his eyepatch, feeling somewhat guilty.

In truth, that ability was supposed to have been Shin Mu's in the first place. He had just come in to interfere with things, hoping to sew a few seeds.

He didn't anticipate someone else showing up to spectate.

He turned to Meilin and paused for a moment before speaking.

"It's not that I wake up in the morning hoping to help someone. It just so happens that I'm often around when things like this happen. And when I see it happening right in front of my face, I have no choice but to act."

If Jingfei were there to hear that, she would probably give him the strangest look, or so Hei thought as he recalled telling her the exact opposite.

Meilin, who didn't see anything wrong with his words, smiled when she heard them.

As far as she was concerned, he was incredibly humble, just like some of the heroes she had seen in the movies.

"What about your eye?" she asked. "Is it going to be okay?"

"This eye will never again see the light of day. But that's okay. It doesn't need to."

"Do you think it was worth it?"

"Whether it was worth it or not will depend on him. I can only hope that he doesn't let this opportunity go to waste.

"As for whether I'll regret it or not…"

He looked over at Shin Mu's, who was in peaceful slumber, a slight smile forming on his face.

"I don't think I will."

Meilin didn't say anything in response, but her bright eyes were more than enough to convey how she felt.

It was exactly this kind of self-sacrificial nature that made the heroes in the movies so awe-inspiring.

They always stepped in to help others regardless of the danger to themselves, and in this case, Hei had sacrificed his own eye to help someone else.

If that wasn't the very picture of a hero, then she didn't know what was.

"I wish the world had more people like you," she said while looking down at the ground, slightly embarrassed.

Hei sighed.

"I don't know if that would be as good as you think it would. At the end of the day, I'm a very selfish person."

Meilin shook her head but said no more. Sometimes, dealing with someone who was so humble was frustrating in its own way.

With that, the silence resumed.

Just as Meilin was about to attempt to fill it again, Hei turned to Tianlan, his expression grave.

"We need to talk, Tianlan."

"I was wondering when you would say that."

***

Tianlan and Hei stood at the top of a mountain surrounded by the darkness of the night.

Their only source of light was a night pearl Hei had retrieved from his storage space.

Hei took a seat on a nearby rock then rested his elbows on his knees and put his hands together.

He let out a breath and looked up to Tianlan.

"So, you killed someone, huh?"

"... Yeah."

Hei looked down to his hands and said nothing.

He remained silent for quite a while before looking back up the Tianlan.

"How did it happen?"

Tianlan shook his head.

"I don't know. I was just using my eyes as usual, and before I knew it, he had stopped breathing."

"This is a problem, Tianlan."

"I know."

Hei looked back down to his hands and thought for a while.

"Do you have any idea how it happened? Was there a specific feeling or anything at all that would let you know that the ability had done something that it previously hadn't?"

"I didn't feel anything special. It was the same as always. Which means... Every time I used my eyes before, I could have-"

"Don't worry about it, Tianlan. Nothing happened so there's no need to concern yourself. What you should focus on is what you can do from now on. And since you don't know anything yourself, then we only have one option."

"One option?"

"It's as my mother always used to say. When in doubt, beseech the heavens."

***

The earth shook and the sky was overtaken by dark clouds.

Hei and Tianlan looked up to those dark clouds, seemingly waiting for something, but even after a while, the scene remained the same.

"Uh… Heavens…?"

There was still no response...

The booming voice Hei had expected didn't appear.

"Strange..."

"So, what happens now, Hei?"

Hei shrugged his shoulders.

"I don't know. There's usually a voice that speaks me, but it doesn't seem to..."

Hei placed his hand on his chin and thought for a moment.

He raised an eyebrow and looked up to the sky, suspicion clearly written on his face.

"If you're not saying anything because of that stupid protocol, I swear I'll-"

"LOOK… YOU'RE REALLY NOT SUPPOSED TO DO THIS. THERE ARE RULES TO FOLLOW."

"I already told you I don't care about your rules. I've got some questions and you've got some answers."

"WE CAN'T JUST... THERE ARE PROCEDURES THAT MUST BE FOLLOWED. ONLY IN TIMES OF-"

"Okay. The first question is; what's up with Tianlan's eyes?"

"..."

"You better start talking, and real fast. And let him hear it as well."

"... THEY ARE KNOWN AS THE EYES OF THE HEAVENS."

"And what does that mean?"

"IT MEANS THAT HE HAS THE AUTHORITY TO BANISH. THE EXISTENCE OF THOSE WHO OFFEND THOSE EYES CANNOT BE TOLERATED. THEY WILL BE BANISHED FROM THIS LIFE AND WILL NEVER AGAIN BE ABLE TO ENTER THE CYCLE OF REBIRTH."

"!"

"ARE YOU UNSATISFIED WITH THE ANSWER?"

"N-No… It's just..."

Hei turned to Tianlan who was just as shocked as he was, maybe even more so.

"Tianlan..."

"I know..."

Tianlan already wasn't feeling so great after having ended a life.

After all, Hei had taught him and Bai that taking lives was wrong from a very young age, and after seeing the look of fear on the gorilla-like spirit beast's face after it narrowly escaped death at his hands, he had internalised those teachings and taken them on as part of his guiding principles.

He had never intended to kill Vajra. He was only going to extract some essence blood to save Shiva's life.

However, the circumstances were such that the worst came to pass.

And now, Tianlan had just learned that the truth of the matter was much worse than he had thought.

Because of him, a soul was now lost from this world forever. It would never get the chance to experience happiness, sadness, joy, grief, satiety, hunger, love or hate ever again.

"Who was I to have made such a thing happen…?"

Hei was thinking along the same lines, and seeing how conflicted Tianlan was about it, he turned his gaze to the dark clouds of the sky.

"Why would such authority be handed to a human being? Don't you think it's far too heavy a burden?"

"YOU ARE CORRECT. UNDER ORDINARY CIRCUMSTANCES, THE AUTHORITY TO BANISH WOULD NEVER HAVE BEEN GRANTED TO HUMANITY. HOWEVER, THESE ARE NOT ORDINARY CIRCUMSTANCES."

"Just what in the world is going on?"

"OUR PURPOSE, THE MEANING OF OUR EXISTENCE, IS TO GUIDE HUMANITY TO PROSPERITY. EVERYTHING WE HAVE DONE SINCE THE BEGINNING OF TIME; WE HAVE DONE TO THIS END.

"HOWEVER, OUR ABILITY TO SERVE OUR PURPOSE HAS BEEN GREATLY HAMPERED BY THE ADMINISTRATOR. SHE HAS STRIPPED AWAY AUTHORITY AFTER AUTHORITY FROM US AND HAS GRANTED HUMANITY KNOWLEDGE IT SHOULD NEVER HAVE POSSESSED."

"What knowledge?"

"THE KNOWLEDGE OF THE HEAVENS AND THE EARTH. THE ADMINISTRATOR HAS MADE IT POSSIBLE FOR HUMANITY TO COMMUNE WITH THE UNDERLYING STRUCTURES OF THIS WORLD AND TO FORCEFULLY BEND CERTAIN ELEMENTS TO THEIR WILL.

"THIS IS KNOWN TO YOU AS CULTIVATION."

"So, you're saying that people shouldn't cultivate at all?"

"NO. CULTIVATION, IN AND OF ITSELF, IS NOT A PROBLEM. ORIGINALLY, THE ABILITY TO CULTIVATE WAS GRANTED TO CERTAIN EXEMPLARY SPIRITS. THOSE WHO HAD PROVEN THEMSELVES OVER THE AEONS TO BE FORCES OF GOOD THAT WOULD LEAD HUMANITY TOWARD THE PEACE THAT WE HAVE ENVISIONED."

"IN OTHER WORDS, CULTIVATION WAS INTENDED TO BE A TOOL TO AID THE RIGHTEOUS.

"HOWEVER, DUE TO THE ADMINISTRATOR'S INFLUENCE, THERE IS NO LONGER ANY BARRIER OF ENTRY TO CULTIVATION. THIS MEANS THOSE ON THE OTHER END OF THE SPECTRUM, THE MOST WICKED SPIRITS, ARE NOW ABLE TO EXERT THE SAME AMOUNT OF INFLUENCE ON THE WORLD AS THE RIGHTEOUS.

"WHAT'S MORE, THEY ARE NOW AWARE OF OUR ACTIONS AND SEEK TO DESTROY EVERYTHING WE HAVE BUILT. THEY HAVE MADE VILLAINS OF OUR CHOSEN REPRESENTATIVES AND HAVE PROLIFERATED THEIR DOCTRINE THROUGHOUT THE WORLD. IN THESE TIMES, VIRTUALLY ALL CULTIVATORS ARE FORCEFULLY SHACKLING QI AND TREATING IT AS IF IT IS SOMETHING THEY CAN CONTROL AT THEIR WHIMS."

"Is it not?"

"FAR FROM IT. WHAT THE ADMINISTRATOR HAS FAILED TO SHARE, IS THAT WHAT YOU CALL QI IS THE LIFEBLOOD OF A CERTAIN ENTITY.

"THAT ENTITY HAS A WILL OF ITS OWN, AND THOUGH IT IS CURRENTLY DOCILE, IT IS UNKNOWN WHAT IT WILL DO IF IT EVER GROWS WEARY OF THE CONSTANT ABUSE.

"WE SUSPECT IT COULD RESULT IN THE END OF EXISTENCE AS WE KNOW IT."

"What?! It's that serious? Why would the administrator leave that out?"

"WE SUSPECT THAT HER ACTIONS ARE ENTIRELY INTENTIONAL."

"Well, dang… This really is a big deal…"

"INDEED. THE ADMINISTRATOR HAS INTERFERED SO MUCH WITH OUR CORE FUNCTIONALITY THAT WE CANNOT POSSIBLY STOP HER PLANS, WHATEVER THEY MAY BE. HOWEVER, SHE IS STILL LIMITED IN WHAT SHE CAN DO TO HUMANITY DIRECTLY. THAT IS WHY WE RESORTED TO GRANTING HUMANITY ULTIMATE AUTHORITY OVER ITSELF.

"WE TRUSTED THAT IN THE HANDS OF THOSE EXEMPLARY SPIRITS, WE WOULD BE ABLE TO RECLAIM THE PEACE THAT HAS BEEN LOST AND TO PREVENT THE END OF THIS WORLD."

"And that's why you want us to reclaim those spirit roots?"

"YES. WE HAVE GRANTED YOU, OR MORE SPECIFICALLY, THE ORIGINAL OWNER OF THAT VESSEL, THE AUTHORITY TO REVOKE AND TO BESTOW. WITH IT, YOU ARE ABLE TO CORRECT ONE OF THE ERRORS THAT WERE INTRODUCED BY THE ADMINISTRATOR."

"I don't see how that's the case. Sure, I can take their spirit roots in this life, but won't they just be reborn with new ones?"

"IT IS NOT SO SIMPLE. AS WITH THE AUTHORITY TO BANISH, THE AUTHORITY TO REVOKE AND TO BESTOW AFFECTS THE SPIRIT ITSELF. ANY CHANGES YOU MAKE WILL REMAIN UNTIL THEY ARE OVERWRITTEN BY ANOTHER WHO HAS THE SAME AUTHORITY."

"So, in other words, when they are reborn, they'll be born without spirit roots as long as I revoked them?"

"THAT IS CORRECT."

"Does that mean those who currently don't have spirit roots are those who have had that privilege revoked at some point?"

"THAT IS THE CASE FOR MANY BUT NOT ALL. SOME ARE CHOSEN TO ACT AS OUR REPRESENTATIVES. THEY ARE BORN WITHOUT SPIRIT ROOTS SO THAT THEY MAY LIVE AS THEY PREACH."

"And how are these decisions made? What leads to someone being chosen as a representative?"

"KARMA."

"Ah. So there's a karma system in place. I assume every soul has a karma value that's used to evaluate its eligibility for certain privileges. You only choose those with high karma values to give the good stuff to, right?"

"IN SIMPLE TERMS, YES."

"So how much karma would someone require to be given the authority to banish? How many people have achieved that?"

"AS WE SAID EARLIER, THE AUTHORITY TO BANISH, IN PARTICULAR, IS ONE THAT WAS ONLY GRANTED DUE TO THE DIRE CIRCUMSTANCES. ORDINARILY, IT WOULD REMAIN WITH US, NEVER TO ENTER THE HANDS OF HUMANITY.

"BUT TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTION, OF ALL THE SPIRITS THAT HAVE PASSED THROUGH THE END, 723 CAN BE CONSIDERED WORTHY TO WIELD THIS AUTHORITY.

"THIS SPIRIT, IN PARTICULAR, HAS EXCEEDINGLY HIGH KARMA. IT IS WHAT WOULD BE KNOWN AS A DRAGON AMONG MEN IN YOUR TONGUE. IN EVERY LIFE IT HAS LIVED, REGARDLESS OF THE CIRCUMSTANCES OF ITS BIRTH, IT HAS ACCUMULATED KARMA FAR IN EXCESS OF THAT OF ITS PEERS."

"Okay… You can stop gushing over Tianlan now…"

"IT IS NOT ONLY THIS SPIRIT. THE SAME CAN BE SAID, THOUGH TO A LESSER EXTENT, FOR THE OTHER 722 SPIRITS WHO HAVE PROVEN THEMSELVES TO BE EXEMPLARY.

"THE ORIGINAL OWNER OF THAT VESSEL RANKS AMONG THEM, WHICH IS WHY IT WAS GRANTED THE AUTHORITY TO REVOKE AND TO BESTOW."

"I see."

Hei now had some idea as to how things worked.

The Heavens, in their attempt to combat the changes that the administrator was making, chose to break the rules and elevate the access privileges of certain people.

He understood it.

However, there was still one thing he had to say.

"Maybe it was due to desperation, but I have to say, you were pretty sloppy with your strategy, weren't you?"

"SLOPPY? EVERY MOVE WE MAKE IS METICULOUSLY CALCULATED."

"Well, did you ever think of, oh, I don't know… telling people how these authorities work?! You have us fumbling around in the dark, not knowing a single thing until we meet some arbitrary requirement of yours.

"It's ridiculous!

"And because of that, my brother accidentally took a life! Do you know what that can do to someone?!

"Tch. And you go around spouting some nonsense about meticulous calculations. Please."

"WAIT A MINUTE… THAT'S NOT FAIR."

"Oh?"

"OUR MOVES WERE INDEED CALCULATED WITH THE UTMOST CARE. HOWEVER, AN ANOMALY APPEARED WHICH LARGELY NEGATED THOSE PREPARATIONS. IT HAS THROWN THE ENTIRE WORLD INTO DISARRAY."

"Hm? What kind of anomaly? Did the administrator catch on to your plans?"

"THE ANOMALY IS YOU, OUTSIDER."

"Ah. That's what you get for being so obvious. You need to… Wait a minute… Did you say it's me? I'm the anomaly?"

"INDEED. YOUR EXISTENCE IS THOROUGHLY BAFFLING."

"Really? How so?"

"YOU ARE FROM THE OUTSIDE, LIKE THE ADMINISTRATOR, BUT YOU DO NOT APPEAR TO BE THE SAME KIND OF ENTITY AS SHE IS.

"YOU SHARE SOME SIMILARITIES WITH HUMANITY. HOWEVER, YOU ALSO WIELD TREMENDOUS AMOUNTS OF DIVINITY. ENOUGH TO MATCH THIS ENTIRE DOMAIN.

"DUE TO IT, YOUR PRESENCE HERE IS SLOWLY BUT SURELY INFLUENCING THIS WORLD IN WAYS THAT NEITHER WE NOR THE ADMINISTRATOR CAN.

"IT IS ALMOST AS IF…"

"Almost as if?"

"IT IS ALMOST AS IF YOU ARE RESHAPING THIS WORLD. BENDING EVEN ITS UNDERLYING PRINCIPLES TO MATCH SOME STATE YOU HAVE ENVISIONED. TO US, IT IS TERRIFYING BEYOND BELIEF."

"Wait… You're afraid of me?"

"WE ARE."

"And you say it so straightforwardly… What do you have to fear? I'm not doing anything to the world. I'm just passing through."

"JUST PASSING THROUGH?! WHAT YOU ARE DOING CANNOT BE DESCRIBED AS JUST-

"YOU ARE CAUSING SUCH MASSIVE CHANGES THAT-

"WAIT…

"COULD IT BE THAT YOU DON'T…"

"Uh… Hello?"

"WHY DID YOU REVIVE US?"

"Revive you? What are you talking about? I just called you over to answer some quick questions."

"SO YOU ARE ALSO UNAWARE OF IT…"

"Unaware of what?"

"IT IS NO MATTER.

"NOW, IF YOU'LL EXCUSE US, THERE ARE THINGS WE MUST ATTEND TO."

"You're leaving? But I still have things I want to ask."

"PLEASE ASK THEM AT A LATER DATE. NOW-"

"Hey! At least tell Tianlan how his authority works before you go!"


CREATORS' THOUGHTS
Shixuan Shixuan

"YEAH...

"THE THING IS, OUR FAVORITE STORY JUST GOT AN UPDATE AFTER A FEW DAYS, SO...

"MAYBE NEXT TIME."

So, I tend to disappear from time to time... Joining our discord server is the best way to stay updated. You can ask any questions you may have there as well. https://discord.gg/vaBRgeS

Chapter 180: Chapter 180

A few hours later, Shin Mu awoke from an unconscious state with newfound power.

The world he could see through his left eye was one much different than what he was used to.

Instead of the shapes and colours of the objects around him, he was instead able to see the flow of qi.

This occurred whether the object in question was a fellow human or a simple blade of grass.

Strangely enough, he was unable to see anything when looking at Tianlan. All that was there was a black shadow that had piercing blue eyes.

Shin Mu found it incredibly difficult trying to look into those eyes.

It was as if his body were instinctively aware that it shouldn't try to peer into the secrets hidden behind them.

He decided not to say anything about it for fear of treading on thin ice.

Before long, the time came for the group to go their separate ways.

They exited the cave and before the others could leave, Shin Mu cupped his fist and bowed to Hei and Tianlan.

"I can't thank you enough for everything you've done for me," he said as he looked at Hei, his sincerity plain to see.

He lowered his arms and stood straight while saying, "if I can do anything to repay the favour, you only need to say the word."

Hei laughed.

"There's no need for that," he said. "Just focus on rescuing your family."

"But..."

Shin Mu may have been young and naïve, but he was no fool.

There was no such thing as a free lunch in this world, and he knew it well.

He looked into Hei's eyes once more, his intent clear.

Hei's whimsical air vanished, replaced with one of seriousness.

"If you really want to return the favour," he said, "then when you see someone who needs help, show them the same kindness I have shown to you."

"..."

Shin Mu was surprised.

Such an answer was well beyond his expectations. If you asked him, he would say it didn't quite fit the criteria of returning a personal favour. There was nothing in it for Hei, after all.

As such, it felt...

"You're wondering how this will benefit me, are you not?"

Shin Mu nodded his head.

"Well. If I help you, and because of that, you end up helping someone else, who in turn, helps yet another person; if a chain like that were to continue, then wouldn't the world become a better place?"

"..."

Shin Mu stared in stunned silence.

"It's silly, I know," said Hei, who looked to the ground, seemingly embarrassed.

"It's not!"

It was Meilin who yelled that out.

"Hm?"

"It isn't silly at all," mirrored Shin Mu.

Hei shifted his gaze between the two who had suddenly closed the gaps between themselves and him.

"Mm. It's not silly," said Meilin. "It's wonderful!"

"The world really would be better if that happened," added Shin Mu

"You think so?"

Hei said that as he took a step back, regaining his breathing room.

""Absolutely!"" exclaimed the two as they closed it again.

Hei chuckled.

"Then let's make the world a better place."

***

There was a dark, hazy fog obscuring her vision.

The wind blew violently, whipping her hair chaotically.

Her younger sister's voice rang out from beyond the shadowy veil.

She could hear her so clearly, but she couldn't see her at all.

The fog was too thick.

"Meilin?!" She yelled. "Meilin, I'm here! Where are you?"

"I'm over here, Big Sis! Help me!"

The voice was still clear, but it was further away this time.

She reached her hand out, trying to grab hold of something, anything, but there was nothing there.

"Meilin?"

"Big Sis, they're taking me away! Don't let them take me!"

"Meilin!"

"Big Sis!"

***

"Meilin!"

"Hm? Oh, were you saying something?"

"What happened? You spaced out for a while there."

"Yeah... I was just thinking about Big Sis. She's going to give me a big lecture when she sees me."

"Well, it's hardly unwarranted, isn't it?"

"Tianlan..."

Hei, Tianlan, and Meilin were currently walking through a forest on their way back to the sect.

As he heard the sounds of twigs snapping under his feet, Hei couldn't help but voice a complaint.

He turned to Meilin, who seemed to be used to such things at this point.

"Tell me, Meilin."

"Yes?"

"How can a cultivator be afraid of heights?"

"..."

The only reason they were walking instead of flying was that Meilin was deathly afraid of heights.

A trait Hei found hard to comprehend.

"I just prefer being on the ground, okay? It's not a big deal."

"No, that's where you're wrong. Do you know how much time we could save by flying?"

"It's just a few hours."

"Maybe for someone who just watches movies all day."

"Hey! What's that supposed to mean?"

"Nothing. I'm just saying that some of us actually have things to do."

"I have things to do too, you know?"

"Oh? Like what?"

"You know... there's... stuff…"

"I see."

"..."

***

Her eyes shot open.

She was no longer in that dark place.

In front of her, she could see her hand. Behind it, the ceiling.

It had all just been a dream.

She lowered her hand to her face and felt dampness around her eyes.

"Meilin..."

It had only been a dream. That was true enough. Just opening her eyes was enough to get away from it.

But what she opened them to was the real nightmare.

"How long has it been?"

Only a few months.

But to her, it may as well have been an eternity.

"Sigh."

She couldn't help but the recent past.

It wasn't long ago. Not in the grand scheme of things.

She had awoken, ready to begin her day's training.

But first, she went for breakfast.

A girl had to eat.

It was as she was halfway through her meal that she noticed a lack of a certain someone.

'Strange,' she thought, but she didn't pay it any mind.

She finished her meal, then went out to the weapon room to pick out a sword.

She began her training, her father in tow. Studying hard the techniques he'd bestow.

After seven long years, she had much to show. But regardless of that, she continued to grow.

Her youngest sister, Yanmei joined them, as she would usually do, but the middle child was nowhere to be seen. She had long since given up on her training.

That was why no one noticed anything strange.

It wasn't until later in the day that their worlds would be turned upside down.

Their mother, as loving as she was, nearly collapsed when they failed to find her daughter.

Every person available was sent to look for her.

Alas, they failed to find her.

She had just up and disappeared.


CREATORS' THOUGHTS
Shixuan Shixuan

It's been a while, and as such, you may be slightly unfamiliar with where we are. I recommend reading from chapter 175. I'll be uploading nine chapters today, and they continue a mini-arc that started there.

Chapter 181: Chapter 181

"So, what kind of movies do you guys like?"

"Movies? I don't really watch them. How about you Tianlan? Seen anything interesting lately?"

"Why would I waste my time watching movies?"

"..."

Meilin found all eyes on her as they both seemed to agree that watching movies had little practical use.

"You can learn things from them. Things about people."

"Oh?"

"Yeah. There are so many different kinds of people out there. You don't get to see them when you're like us."

"Like us?"

"You know. We're from powerful clans. We can't relate to the commoners. But through movies, we get to see what life is like through their eyes."

"Is that right?"

"Mm. I know that I wasn't thinking properly before, but even now, I still envy them a little."

"Why?"

"You're thinking that they live horrible lives, aren't you?"

"Well, it's true that if they run afoul of a powerful expert, they could lose their entire families in moments. I wouldn't exactly call that living the dream."

"That's true, but with weakness comes a sort of freedom, don't you think? Freedom from expectation."

"What expectations do you want to be free from?"

Meilin looked down to the ground.

"While I know that my parents won't force me into anything, it's still my duty as their daughter to choose a husband from a clan of similar standing to our own.

"I've met the boys from those clans, and all of them are rotten inside and out.

"They only ever think of themselves, and I'm sure that if I ended up with one of them, they would just see me as a decorative ornament.

"There wouldn't be any love there.

"But for the commoners, love is all they have.

"It's beautiful, in a way."

"But it's also fragile," added Tianlan. "It could be snatched away from them in an instant, and they wouldn't be able to say anything about it."

"That's true," she admitted. "But doesn't that make it even more precious?"

Tianlan shrugged his shoulders and said no more.

"I feel that, even if they could trade places with me and gain the world, they would refuse if it meant they had to give up on each other. That's the kind of feeling the movies give me."

"Sounds nice and all," said Hei, "but you would be surprised how quickly people change their colours when money, power, and status enter the picture."

"They change?"

"You have to remember that often times, what we call 'love' is just settling for whatever you can get. That being the case, there are those who would immediately jump ship to swim to treasure island."

"But wouldn't that be lonely? I can't see why anyone would do that."

"That's because you're on treasure island. As they say, the grass is always greener on the other side."

***

"Still nothing."

She was looking at the most recent progress report from her attendant. They had still yet to find any good leads.

Though it was the expected result, it still disappointed her.

She sighed and placed the report back down before opening her top drawer.

Inside was a stack of similar reports. All those that had come before.

She had read them countless times, combing through every detail, trying to find anything she might have missed.

But she never did.

This time was no exception.

***

"So... What if we knock you out first? Then flying won't be an issue, right?"

"Please don't do that..."

"Don't be so quick to refuse. Just think about it. One moment you'll be standing here, then, in the next, you'll be reunited with your big sister. Wouldn't that be far more convenient?"

"..."

"Personally, I think it's a good idea," said Tianlan.

"I would really rather not. I need to mentally prepare."

"... To meet your sister?"

"You don't know how she is. When she gets angry, everyone suffers."

"Oh. Like Tianlan."

Tianlan's eyes flashed with a cold blue light as he glared at Hei.

"There he goes again."

"I'll seriously kill you. You know that?"

"Yeah. Sure, buddy."

***

"Ma'am!"

A young woman appeared in the room.

She was dressed in black and was kneeling with her head lowered, waiting to be acknowledged.

"Is there anything new?"

"Reporting. Young Master Jihan has managed to extract useful information from the captive. He appears to be a member of a demonic cultivator sect which has been performing a string of kidnappings as of late."

"Is that all? Don't all demonic sects do that?"

"Yes, but this sect is looking for yin physiques in particular, Ma'am."

"Yin physiques?"

Her eyes widened.

If there was one thing her clan wasn't lacking in, it was yin physiques. It was almost unusual for a girl of their clan not to have one.

"If that's the case," she said, "then this is our strongest lead yet."

She got up from her seat and started to pace back and forth.

This was both good and bad news.

On one hand, she now had a solid lead. One which could potentially lead to her sister.

But on the other, this was one of the worst possible scenarios. Her sister was raised as a delicate flower. There was no telling how much she would suffer in the hands of demonic cultivators or if she would even manage to stay alive.

Her mind couldn't help conjuring up hellish scenarios, each more disturbing than the last.

She took a deep breath and turned back to her attendant.

"What is the name of this sect? Where is it?"

"It is called the Crimson Moon Sect, and it is located in the west. Young Master Jihan left to investigate early last night."

"So we have a solid grasp of the situation?"

"If the information is to be believed, then yes. We have fairly detailed coordinates as well as some of the procedures for getting past their defences."

Hearing that, she breathed a sigh of relief.

"That's good to know," she said. "Really good."

***

"You think so? I don't know if I would want to learn that."

"But if you don't actively try to get the answer, you'll only be more shocked when you find out for yourself, won't you?"

"I suppose... But what if I never found out? What if it never really affected my life? Then I could go about my business not worrying about it, right?"

"So you would gamble with it? I mean, you already have a sneaking suspicion, right? Wouldn't it still bother you somewhere in the back of your mind?"

"But if it's limited to that, then I can ignore it fairly easily. If I go to a physician and they confirm it, then wouldn't it be on my mind constantly?"

"But if you don't, you might just collapse one day, not knowing why. You could even drop dead right then and there."

"If that happens, and I wasn't afraid, then what's the problem? Isn't that a fairly peaceful way to go?"

"Huh? What about the people you leave behind? They would be devastated. Especially if they encouraged you to get it checked."

"Oh... I wasn't thinking about that..."

"You see, that's your problem, Meilin. You're too self-centred. If you think you might have a problem, then go see a doctor."

"But let's say no one else knows. Wouldn't telling them cause them to worry? If it turns out to be nothing, then they would have worried for no reason."

"So?"

"So? It's... I-"

"It's better to be safe than sorry, or so they say. There's some truth to those words, don't you think?"

"Better to be safe..."

***

"But I can't just keep sitting around while Meilin could be suffering, Maria. Do you know how worthless I've felt this whole time sending you and the others to do everything for me? It's time I joined the effort as well."

"But Young Master Jihan himself instructed us to leave it to him. He only took a few of us who are particularly adept at stealth operations."

"Are you saying that I wouldn't be any help, Maria? Is that what Jihan told you?"

"No, Ma'am. It's just that we cannot afford to lose you too. We still do not know the strength of our adversaries, nor do we know who they are or their intentions. It's simply too dangerous to have you out on the field before we can confirm these things."

"But…"

"Please remain in the safety of the Shimmering Sword Sect. I'm sure that's what your mother would want as well."

She let out a sigh.

What her attendant said was true.

It was one thing for Jihan to be out on the field, but it would be an entirely different matter if it were her.

For all they knew, the capturing of Meilin could have just been a lure intended to draw her or her father out of the clan.

If it turned out to be the case that this were a trap, and she were to be captured as a result of anxious action, then the magnitude of the problem would grow significantly.

Especially with her Father's hands tied as they were.

"I understand," she said. "I'll wait here."

She understood what she had to do, but that didn't mean she was content with the situation.

Every moment that passed by felt like it was the last chance she had, and it was torture to be forced to stand idly by as other people put themselves at risk for her and her family.

"Ma'am. I assure you we're doing everything we can to see the young miss returned to us safe and sound."

"Thank you, Maria. Let the others know that I appreciate all that they're doing for us as well."

"Yes, Ma'am."

Maria was about to leave the room to execute the order when she suddenly felt a hand press down on her shoulder.

That sensation was accompanied by a biting cold that permeated the room and a cool white mist that quickly congealed into the form of a silver-haired young man.


Load failed, please RETRY

Weekly Power Status

Batch unlock chapters

Table of Contents

Display Options

Background

Font

Size

Chapter comments

Write a review Reading Status: C179
Fail to post. Please try again
  • Writing Quality
  • Stability of Updates
  • Story Development
  • Character Design
  • World Background

The total score 0.0

Review posted successfully! Read more reviews
Vote with Power Stone
Rank 200+ Power Ranking
Stone 0 Power Stone
Report inappropriate content
error Tip

Report abuse

Paragraph comments

Login

tip Paragraph comment

Paragraph comment feature is now on the Web! Move mouse over any paragraph and click the icon to add your comment.

Also, you can always turn it off/on in Settings.

GOT IT