章 29: The Ice Witch Cultivator Pt. 1
Soon after the meeting in clan leader Ba's office, dinner was served. The group of young master's and disciples ate along with clan leader Ba, before retiring to their respected rooms for a bit of rest before the hunt.
Lying in bed, Kang Lei simply stared up at the ceiling as he was having a hard time falling asleep. He had never been taught about this 'ice witch cultivator', that had been sealed away. During his studies, the young master had learned that if powerful enough, a vengeful spirit could become so restless that it could break free of the seal placed by even the strongest cultivators. Had the ice witch cultivator broken free on her own? Was she that strong? Just what were they about to get themselves into? Just as Kang Lei closed his eyes, a knock sounded on the door.
"Come in.", he yelled lazily, turning his head to see who it was as the door opened. Entering the room with his off-white robe flowing behind him, stood Hai Yin, the young master gently closing the door.
"Are you unable to sleep as well?", said Hai Yin walking over and sitting on the bed, his back toward Kang Lei.
"Who can with the ice witch cultivator on the brain, she just might haunt my dreams.", the young master joked.
"You are not obligated to go on this hunt Kang Lei.", said Hai Yin, turning to the side to face Kang Lei, the young master still staring up at the ceiling with his arms tucked behind his head.
"Perhaps I am not obligated, but it is most certainly the right thing to do.", he responded.
"Kang Lei..", Hai Yin persisted, but the young master cut him off.
"Hai Yin, let us lend a hand since we are here alright? It is no problem to help out a brother clan, especially when young disciples are missing.", said Kang Lei, finally turning his head toward the young master.
"…", saying nothing, Hai Yin lowered his head, turning away. Honestly, he thought that this was just cruel.
"Mother Hai hen, I know that you stayed because you are worried that I will do something crazy, but you should not worry so much. I promise to not be so reckless this time, I have learned my lesson.", said Kang Lei as he sat up with a smile on his face.
"Have you?" Hai Yin asked, turning back toward Kang Lei and raising a brow.
"Hai Yin, I told you that I have, why don't you believe me?", said Kang Lei furrowing his brows.
"Never mind, forget it.", said Hai Yin getting up and making his way toward the door, but Kang Lei jumped off of the bed grabbing his arm.
"Wait!", said Kang Lei and Hai Yin turned around, an irritated expression on his handsome face. Letting Hai Yin's arm go, Kang Lei awkwardly cleared his throat. "Hai Yin, you need to understand that the Kang vow to help and protect those that cannot protect themselves, this is no different."
"Then understand that your life is just as important as the ones you are trying to protect." said Hai Yin, the expression on his face softening into one that Kang Lei had trouble reading. For a moment, the two were silent as they stared at each other, but a knock suddenly sounded on the door, breaking both of their gazes.
"Young master, we are ready to head out…" said Kang Yixing opening the door and walking in to see the two young master's standing awkwardly while they looked at the ground. As Kang Yixing glanced back and forth at the two, Hai Yin walked past him and out of the door.
"Young maste…", Kang Yixing began to say, but Kang Lei interrupted him.
"Let's go Xing-ge, they are waiting!", said Kang Lei, going behind Kang Yixing, and pushing him out of the room all the way down the hall.
As everyone had gathered at the door of the main hall, clan leader Ba eyed the group as they put on their furry hooded cloaks with worry on his face. "If things go south, please do not hesitate to return to the manor. I cannot imagine what I would tell the other clan leaders should something happen to you!"
"Do not worry clan leader Ba, do not forget that I am here as well.", said Kang Yixing, with a nod. Nodding back, clan leader Ba grudgingly saw the group of five off, he would have preferred someone else to do the job, but it had to be done.
Making their way out of the manor and up the mountain, Kang Lei walked in the front with Ba Chen in the middle of him and Kang Yixing, while Hai Yin and Hai Li Shan trailed not far behind.
"Xing-ge, why did you insist that I come along? All I will do is get in the way!", Ba Chen whined.
"You are to be clan leader one day young master, isn't it better to up your skill as a cultivator before you assume leadership?" said Kang Yixing.
"But...but!", Ba Chen continued, but Kang Lei cut in.
"Ba Chen, do not worry, I will protect you, the ice witch must go through me first!", the young master said proudly and listening to this Hai Yin furrowed his brows although his face was practically hidden from his large furry hood.
"Young master Hai?" said Hai Li Shan.
Rolling his eyes, Hai Yin turned his attention to the disciple walking beside him, "Yes?"
"Do you think that this ice witch cultivator is as formidable as clan leader Ba says? I am sure that the Kang's could have taken her out without our help. Aren't they more suited for this kind of thing?", Hai Li Shan asked.
"…", stopping for a second, the young master glared at Hai Li Shan who had also stopped, nervously shrugging as he was unsure why Hai Yin was glaring at him. Shaking his head Hai Yin continued forward behind the group and Hai Li Shan let out a heavy exhale as he followed behind, "If looks could kill.", the young disciple thought to himself.
As the group of five traveled further up the mountain, the cold winds picked up, howling as it blew. "Kang-ge, if we survive this, I will have to treat you to a hot bowl of winter melon soup.", said young master Chen as they walked.
Kang Lei let out a chuckle first before responding, "Well then it looks like you will have to, I do not plan on dying here tonight Ba Chen.", the young master joked.
"Ba Chen it seems unfair to only treat one of us when there are four more of us along for the hunt.", Hai Yin added.
"I…I…have spent most of my allowance for the month Hai-ge.", the young master chuckled nervously.
"You are the heir to the Ba clan, I am sure you can come up with something.", Kang Yixing, added and the rest of the group chuckled, but haunting wails suddenly howled in the distance, instantly quieting the group.
"Clan leader Ba was not kidding when he said menacing wails.", said Hai Li Shan, as a shiver ran up his spine.
"Is it like this every night?", asked young master Hai.
"Mn, they start after dark for some reason.", Ba Chen answered.
"Let us move onward, we are close.", said Kang Yixing and the rest of the group nodded as they continued up the mountain.
Continuing up the mountain, the group of five slowly maneuvered through the snow, the inches of white growing deeper and deeper, coming up to their shins the further they walked.
"How much further do we have to go? There is too much snow up here, my ankles are frozen!", Ba Chen complained although no one really heard him over the loud sound of the whistling wind and the occasional wails in the distance. Looking up a few feet above to see how close they were, Ba Chen squinted for a minute as a shadow hovered above. "Kkkkang-ge!", the young mastered yelled loudly, stuttering and startling the entire group as he ran forward grabbing onto Kang Lei, nearly knocking him down.
"Ba Chen, get a hold of yourself! What is the matter?", Kang Lei raised his voice quite annoyed.
"It...It…It's the ice witch cultivator!", the young master shouted as he pointed up above. Gasping, the young master's all at once drew their swords, turning to where Ba Chen was frantically pointing with a shaky arm to see a dark figure lingering right above them on the ledge of the mountain. Glaring down at the group of five with hair down to her hips and white pupils, the woman wore a black colored robe with many accents trimmed in mulberry, the colors of the Kang clan.
"She is real after all! I never dreamed that I would be blessed enough to lay eyes on the ice witch cultivator of the Kang herself!", said Kang Yixing, a hint of excitement in his tone.
"Are you mad? How can you consider yourself blessed?!", Hai Li Shan shouted and suddenly the woman disappeared from up top of the ledge. Glancing around in every direction, the group of five cautiously waited for the ice witch cultivator to show herself once again.
"Go back!", a woman's voice shouted from behind them and the group quickly turned to see Ba Chen with wide eyes standing completely still.
"Ba Chen, what's wrong? Are you alright?" Kang Lei patted the young master's shoulder, to feel that he was colder than before. Looking Ba Chen in the eye, he could see that something was off.
"Go back and I will not harm him!" the woman's voice shouted again, but it was coming from young master Ba's own Mouth! Jumping back, Kang Lei joined the group of others behind him.
"Ba Chen!", Kang Lei called, hoping to reach the young master.
"She has taken possession of young master Ba because she knows that she could not get close to us without doing so, how cunning this dark spirit is.", said Kang Yixing a smirk on his face.
"Release him!", Hai Yin shouted.
"I will release him when you are gone!", the voice responded.
"I am afraid we cannot do that; disciples of the Ba clan have gone missing after they came seeking you, release them and we will go!", Hai Yin responded.
"Young master you cannot reason with the dead, lying to it will only make things worse.", said Kang Yixing before he pulled out a talisman, causing the ice witch cultivator to snap young master's Ba's head in his direction.
"Then so be it.", said the voice of the woman and suddenly the ground rumbled as an avalanche began to speed its way down the mountain.
"You!" Hai Li Shan shouted, and he and Kang Yixing turned around, doing multiple hand signs to form a large barrier against the impending avalanche.
"Your barrier will not save you!", said the woman as she forced Ba Chen to walk backward toward the edge of the mountain.
"No!", Kang Lei and Hai Yin shouted, darting forward as Ba Chen stepped off of the cliff.
"Ba Chen!" Kang Lei shouted as he was right behind the young master, throwing himself off as well. Right behind Kang Lei, Hai Yin plummeted onto the edge of the cliff, stirring up quite a bit of snow as he caught Kang Lei by the wrist in the nick of time.
"I've got him!" Kang Lei shouted as he held on tight to the now unconscious young master.
Opening his eyes, Ba Chen came to, to see that he was dangling in the air. "Kang-ge! Kang-ge, don't let me fall!", he began to freak out, flailing his legs in the air while grabbing tightly onto Kang Lei's arm anywhere he could.
"I've got you Ba Chen!" Kang Lei shouted as he looked up to see a strained look on Hai Yin's face.
Hearing groans behind him, Hai Yin glanced to see that Kang Yixing and Hai Li Shan were struggling, the barrier was breaking! Turning back around, Hai Yin glanced down at his chest, as something began to scratch against it. Making its way out of his cloak, the night flower that Hai Yin had kept with him went flying over the cliff. Looking back down at Kang Lei, Hai Yin bit down hard on his bottom lip, as he had no choice, but to let it fall.
"Hang onto me!", he shouted, his eyes watering as he struggled to pull the two up.
Realizing that this may be the end for them all, Kang Lei only nodded, closing his eyes as a surge of snow came rushing over the edge of the cliff. Clenching his teeth, Kang Lei squeezed the wrist above him and one beneath him, he didn't know if they were going to survive, but he did not plan on letting either of them go.
クリエイターの想い 
Ghostmane1991
Ghostmane1991 Hello all!! I know I have not uploaded for a while, but hear me out! Sometimes a writer has many ideas, and they are not sure which direction they want their story to go, so I had to take some time to gather my thoughts so please forgive the long break! I hope you enjoyed this chapter and thanks for reading, more to come! ^_^
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