Chương 24: 24. Unlikely Companion
Looking at each other, Kiel did not say anything as they stood in the hall. Whispers echoed from below and the rooms next to him opened their doors to take a peek at what's happening outside.
The instant they saw the blood trail, they retreated back to their rooms like turtles after seeing a predator.
"Can I enter?" The lady inadvertently asked while Kiel was thinking hard whether he should revert time and escape.
He looked at the lady one last time and deemed her intentions was not to kill him because if it was, then, she'd have killed him the moment they met eyes.
Kiel opened a path for her to enter. Taking a seat inside, she placed the Zither beside her. Kiel the sat in front of her and – nothing.
The two did not speak to one another as there was nothing to talk about.
In the end, two expressionless people looked at each other with a passive expression. After Kiel confirmed he was not in danger, he now focused on other things.
He had other problems to deal with — like wanting to leave this place. But considering the lady found her again after leaving her, it would appear that would be short of an impossibility.
'Her tracking capability is commendable… though I must admit that my actions do not befit my title. My sloppy retreat led her into finding me. Just when I think I am ready; I find myself still incapable of another.' Kiel was impressed for he had not met someone like her before, 'Now, how should I deal with this.'
Although Kiel previously wished to escape, he doubted the dead's comrades outside his doorsteps would not find him and to their frustrations on him.
But Kiel realized something of importance, 'That's right, I need souls…'
Upon this realization of his, Kiel looked at the lady and asked her, "Miss, I would like to ask if you would be using the souls of the people you have killed outside."
The lady shook her head and Kiel flicked his wrist and brought out a spear.
Standing up, Kiel moved and etched 120 Runes around the room, creating a Rank-1 Formation known as [Soul Harvesting Formation]. His movement was fluid and each rune were distinct and had different depth and fluidity with its line
The Runes connected to Kiel's body and then to his very Beast Core. His Beast Core glowed blood red opting the beast within to roar.
Kiel's eyes became black, as he peered to the realm of the dead. Spirit fills the world of the Mortal, it was the entry path to infinite possibilities and the pivotal spot every being stand on, Spirit Devourer or not, to touch what's beyond.
One of these great beyond everyone sought after was, the legend that was the Astral Path of Souls.
This mythical path was for him to tread on, but to do so, Kiel must prepare.
The Soul Harvesting Formation was a low-class method, lowly [Death Weavers] of the past used. The formation's use was simple, harvest the soul and become the conduit to a living being.
It was an efficient way of collecting souls for weak Death Weaves who use souls of the dead as fuel and currency, but it had a major flaw.
A massive flaw that leads to the death of may Death Weavers.
This flaw was that, every soul one collects in the body, the pain that soul felt in its death would be felt in one's physical body. It does not lead to death, but more often than not, it leads the user going insane.
There were other, safer methods, but because Kiel could not use them, he chose to suffer instead of wasting the souls he got for free.
The Runes on the wall began to glow red and his eyes became black, the souls wandering the area wailed before getting dragged into his right eye. None was powerful enough to resist.
Twenty-seven newly dead souls entered his eye, and twenty-seven painful death entered him, gifting his body the pain they felt in their death.
Anyone would have screamed, but Kiel did not. In truth, their pain was but momentary, for their death was so swift that they did not feel much. Either that or he had just been so desensitized to pain that he no longer minded such an experience.
Well, his process of regaining his spear's movement involved the destruction of the body, this was not at that level. He had also died in this life, only brought back to life with the Ouroboros' help.
'You get used to it.' were the words he gave the Ouroboros how he could let himself die just to find an opening.
Only a single tear of blood flowed of his eyes. The Souls he had taken had just been robbed of their next lives and existence. The fleeting soul that should have been given another chance in the next.
It was an act of blasphemy, an act that went against the balance of Mortality, yet it was nothing but one of many cultivator's follies like Kiel whose job was to challenge law of existence itself.
When the last soul entered him, Kiel destroyed the Runes before it affected the living. His eyes shortly reverted back to normal.
Wiping away the blood of his eyes, Kiel blinked multiple times as he noticed the still passive expression of the woman, "I apologize for showing you such a sight, [Angered Mortal Souls] usually only last for a few minutes before disappearing, waiting was not an option."
"It is fine, I came here searching for you after being tricked. I know you did not like my presence yet my persistence forbid you from gaining peace. I should be the one apologizing."
"I accept your apology; would you then accept mine?"
"There is nothing to accept, but if it will give you peace of mind, then I shall
Then — silence.
No one spoke for no one really knew how to begin a conversation. Kiel knew how to fake an interaction, but he did not know how to fake a start.
The lady just outright could not understand how to start the conversation. She was more used to nodding her head and following others. She wanted him to ask her before she could respond.
Tak, tak, tak!
Someone knocked on the door.
"Enter…" Kiel spoke with a blank tone.
The door opened with a creak, and a man walked in carrying a teapot and some snacks. Kiel did not know what's his intentions were considering he could hear audible whispering urging him to come out of the room.
"Sir? Ma-ma'am…" his voice cracked as he felt the lady's gaze behind him. Nonetheless, he bowed his head ever so slightly and then placed the items he carried on the ground.
Taking a deep breath, he placed the teacups on the side and poured the two of them to drink. Kiel looked at his trembling hands and commended his bravery inside.
He still did not know why this man was here.
After doing all that and presenting them snacks, the man began fidgeting about. He did not want to leave just yet and stole glances at the mysterious lady often.
"Is there anything you would like to say to her?" Kiel asked the man as he picked up the cups. This was the best help he could help the man who risked his neck for coming here, 'Well, he also helped in breaking the ice.'
The woman looked at the man and then asked him, "What is it that you need of me?"
Her words opted the man to knock his head on the ground, and as he did so, his trembling voice filled the empty room, "M-my name is Tarpio, a man with no family name to speak of, I ask of you to spare my beloved Lucia if you have come to reap her life from this world."
The woman, however, only looked at the man with a blank expression, trying to recall as to what he was referring to. Then, after a while, she failed to grasp what he was talking about, so, she asked him.
"Could you enlighten me what you mean for I fail to remember anyone who needs to die."
"…" the young man began sweating bullets after realizing he had misunderstood.
Lucia was the name of his beloved and she was one of the maids who went to the Flower Tiger Town to become a maid there. However, a few months back, a massacre occurred when the performer killed everyone after her performance.
Thankfully, Lucia survived, but it resulted in her having a massive trauma. It had been especially bad since the Zither Player had been staying in the Forest sitting in front of a mountain wall's side with hundreds of dead bodies littering around her.
The dead bodies of the Sect Leader and his people couldn't even be recovered because anyone who approached her died.
The Sect and the people already asked the Celestial Phoenix Mountain for help, but they had yet to respond.
Luckily, the woman did not pose any threat as she stayed in the forest without bother anyone who didn't come to bother her.
So, the New Town Lord and Sect Leader decided to leave her alone but that made a lot of the people leave town in the fear of death.
Tarpio actually wanted to leave town with Lucia next week because the Silver Inn's lack of customer. However, just their lack, the Zither Player left her forest and went to town.
Lucia had been trembling in a corner of the storage room since death began looming over her.
Tarpio came here to ask for the woman's mercy in fear of her killing Lucia. But it would appear that she didn't even know what he was talking about.
The situation became awkward for him. Now, he more that this woman might kill Lucia because he reminded her who she was.
Like so many heroes, in his moment of bravery, he just made things worse for everyone.
But a snicker came from Kiel who found the situation rather interesting. He now knew who she was.
"I see, that's who you were, it would appear that I was a fool forgetting about the information I gathered previously. For me to miss such a glaring information, it would appear that I am still lacking… oh, I apologized that was insensitive of me."
The woman shook her head, "This man doesn't talk so I presume he does not know, might I please ask you to enlighten me instead?"
Kiel looked at the man and saw his pleading eyes, he reckoned it would be best to help out the lad, "He is talking about you killing the people in the Dragon-Soaring Sect. You know, the Sect where you came from before you arrived at Lily Town."
"Oh, I see, I was indeed there and I had indeed killed a group of uncouth people who tried touching me. But what was weird was that I only killed the man who tried to touch me and then they all went to try and kill me, so I killed them."
The woman then turned back to the man, "If you are talking about that incident, then, there is nothing there to be said. I have killed everyone who tried to kill me and touch me inappropriately."
Tarpio could not quite understand her words, so, Kiel had to step up, "She means that your beloved is not one of her targets. You need not worry about the future."
Kiel's words had tears escape his eyes. He then bowed to Kiel and the woman, thanking them for their merciful words, "Thank you, thank you, thank you, if you need anything of me, please, do ask away."
"If you say it like that, then, prepare me a map of this region that leads to the Mystic Palace and its neighboring powers."
Tarpio offered and Kiel did not hesitate to ask him what he needed. It wasn't even that big of a deal anyway.
Tarpio did not think Kiel would actually ask him for something, but he didn't say anything otherwise and just nodded his head and left the room leaving the teapot and snacks behind.
Taking the teapot, Kiel poured himself a cup and then raised it towards the woman and asked her, "Do you want some?"
She nodded her head and accepted the tea from Kiel.
"I just want to ask but, did you go to my home?"
"Yes, I was told to head there and search for you."
"Is that so, did you meet the guards I placed in front of my home?"
"Yes, the father saw that he was lacking and told me you weren't there. That is a smart tiger, unlike the other humans who tried to kill me despite me killing people of the same strength in front of them."
"I see, then, I have a question —" As the two of them shared a tea together inside a room, the question was finally asked, "Who are you?"
The woman in purple robes clearly knew who he was, but not the other way around. Kiel knew he could not beat her in a head-on battle; thus, he took the route of befriending the woman.
'She is in the Ascension Realm; she is unlike the other five assassins.' She was too strong for him to slay. Kiel could fatally injure her if he gives it his all, but the backlash would result in an injury lasting for years.
Besides, she also did not have any malicious intent; Kiel did not mind doing this at all. If anything goes right, he might even gain his first friend here. She may be a psychopath, but she's a strong psychopath.
'Besides the ones she killed were from this backwater town, it will be troublesome to root them out, but it is still doable.' Kiel thought to himself.
The woman gracefully placed the teacup by her side and kowtowed to him three times before looking at Kiel with the same gaze, "My name is Risha… my Clan name had already vanished from this world; therefore, I no longer have a surname. But as I am your wife, that makes me a Zarta as well."
"Pardon?" Kiel's brows creased as brows. He was simply without words and was left staring at the woman as he tried to find traces of whether he was high on drugs or something close to the matter.
The woman in the purple robes watched Kiel and he looked at her with great intensity.
She momentarily realized something, and her face flushed from embarrassment; after exactly three seconds of Kiel showing no interest her flush expression disappeared. With tilted head, she asked him, "Was that enough to supply your desire for me?"
Kiel gave Risha one final glance before standing up and getting into the sheets.
Kiel closed his eyes; he wanted to learn more about crafting and smithing. He was awakened earlier, but this time, he wanted to finish everything.
He was enjoying the feeling of the sheets on his skin when "Is it not quite rude of you to sleep with someone else in your room? I was informed that you were supposed to have manners."
As these words entered Kiel's ears, he opened his eyes and saw the ceiling. He sighed at the terms, "I apologize, but if you want to fool me, you could have thought up a better lie, for I do not remember ever getting married."
Kiel had a wife? This was new to him and everyone who knew him. He had refrained from interacting with troublesome women, and he had not made companionship of the opposite sex.
He basically had nothing about him connected to getting married, but Risha challenged his knowledge.
Kiel continued, "I am not your husband, nor are you my wife. My mind has too many things in mind to even consider getting married."
Once again, Risha was confused, "But Ame said that I am to stay by your side forever. Does that make me accepted in your family as your wife?" she was still as expressionless as ever.
Kiel got closer to her, "Wait, you know Ame?"
Risha nodded his head, "I do."
"Do you perhaps know where she is?"
Risha shook her head, "We separated two years ago before I entered seclusion, and I left to find you, the man she told me to go when I lost all directions in life."
Kiel got closer to Risha. He wanted to read the lies out of her expressions but failed horribly, so he asked her, "Do you have any intentions of killing me?"
"I do not." She answered without hesitation.
"That is good. If Ame said that to follow me, that does not mean we are married. If you can admit that you are not my wife and clean up the mess you have started below then, I shall grant you the chance to stand by my side."
Risha's face glowed as she stood up and left the room, "I shall return." She said with a bow.
Kiel was once again alone, and without anything better to do, he returned to watching the memories of Lin Wan'er. Kiel absorbed the knowledge and then opened his eyes a few minutes after, sighing.
'I need to clean up Ame's mistakes again.' Kiel thought and brought out a paper from his sleeves.
Cutting his wrist, Kiel drew blood from his body.
Using his fingers as the brush and blood as his ink, Kiel created line after line with great care. His concentration peaked and then, he finished his work only after an hour.
In front of him, there was a single Runic Character with seventeen lines associated with different levels of enlightenment and calmness.
'This should be enough.' Kiel stood up and then folded the sheets before stepping out the room.
Heading over to the owner's room, Kiel asked for Tarpio to which the young man bowed and moved in haste to hand over the map of the region that encompassed the Mystic Palace Kiel like he wanted.
"Would that be all, sir?" Tarpio asked, his voice trembling from anxiety.
Keeping the map in the bangle, Kiel brought out a single piece of paper and handed it to Tarpio. The paper had a single character on its surface — one character, seventeen strokes
From a single character, Tarpio, was confused.
Kiel noticed, "I would like to retract any misinformation and say that the woman who came to find me earlier was indeed the one who destroyed the Dragon-Soaring Sect. I did not know who she was until earlier, but, as she is connected to me, I would at least ask for one person's apology. I cannot hope to repay the others, but I can at least receive a way to help you and your beloved."
"Thank you?"
"This paper is known as a Talisman, and it would help your beloved's mental state."
Tarpio didn't want to doubt his words, but looking at the piece of paper, it was inevitable for him to feel such a thing. The paper Kiel called a talisman just did not have the making of a normal talisman.
Kiel was aware of his doubt, "I didn't have any quality Spirit Paper so I could only create a low-level [Imprint]. That Imprint is not a defensive or offensive piece, rather, it is used to create a pleasant environment to meditate. If I am correct, your beloved was the one who broke the plates earlier, correct?"
"Yes, she is."
"Then, this would be perfect. Your beloved's erratic and unbalanced movement stems from her unsteady mind and soul. No medicine can help her in the long run as it would only make her dependent on any such things, but if you stick this piece of paper under a prayer may and have her meditate there an hour every night before going to sleep, then she should regain her peace. It will not erase her unwanted past, but it should strengthen her mind helping her overcome the memory.
"This Talisman would last for a decade if I had used a Spirit Paper, but, this one would only last for two years before turning to dust. However, in that short span, she should have already adjusted." Kiel then brought out a bag of Gol, "This is my payment for my stay, the map, and the trouble my presence brought. I should be leaving now, oh, before I forgot, I would advise you to leave this town in the coming days, before any struggle for power begins. That would be all, have a pleasant night."
Kiel stepped away then out of the Inn, but as he did so, Tarpio who now kotowed from inside the Inn, to thank his generous help, "I thank you for your magnanimity in considering helping someone you do not even know, may I please know the name of my benefactor?"
"My name… is not important." He said before walking away.
Tarpio looked at the now empty entrance and as the now desolate Inn whose customers left after the massacre, he decided to heed the mysterious helper's words, and steeled his resolve to leave the city tomorrow.
He also already decided the place where he would take Lucia, in the City of Heavy Mist.
===
Kiel who now know the foundations of crafting and mended a part of the gushing wounds Ame's friend created in these parts, Kiel decided to leave for the Mystic Palace.
He did not plan on helping every individual who Risha caused to be traumatized, but only decided to grant one his helping hand. His actions were akin to throwing a pebble to a lake, it was meaningless.
However, Kiel believed that the pebble he threw would create ripple and that ripple would reach every corner of the lake's shore.
'Risha already told her story and with my help, a new story would be born. It may not reach everyone's ears as before the ripple can reach them, it would be nothing but a mere whisper, but this is better than nothing.'
"The mysterious man and the purple Zither player are not just maniacs who kills for they have reasons and it was the Dragon-Soaring Sect who was in the wrong." This was the story Kiel wanted to bloom.
It was obviously close to an impossibility, but he hoped that it could shift the course of the wave.
'Well, it doesn't matter. I can remake the stories later, anyway.'
While walking, he looked around and failed to find Risha. He shrugged his shoulders and walked towards the direction of the town gate.
While walking through the misty atmosphere, Kiel caught sight of a figure in the distance walking towards her direction. As the figure entered his vision, Kiel found Risha approaching him with the same unfeeling expression.
"I have completed what you asked of me."
"…then that is good. If you still wish to follow me, do not lag behind; we have a long way to go."
They stood outside the town where Kiel brought out his spear and stellar stones to create another [Soul Harvesting Formation]. The presence of the stellar stones was to supplement his lacking Spirit.
He already creates a [Soul Harvesting Formation] and he also create a talisman, his Spirit lacked vigor. Even with two cores, he still had limitations.
Kiel activated the formation and absorbed each and every soul he could. A total of forty-eight souls and death experiences entered Kiel's body.
A stream of blood escaped his eyes as tears.
"Ugh…"
Kiel did not know why, but this time around, the death experience and pain did not appear as individual experiences but a congregation of forty-eight pain.
It was painful to say the least, and was enough to elicit a groan.
"The [Soul Harvesting Formation] is evolving in its backlash… or is it because the number of souls?" he was unsure because no one had ever survived this much Souls at once. The limit set by Death Weavers were thirty-souls but even then, a lot died.
From afar, Kiel fell to his knees, add everything he had done today and his fatigue had very well reached its peak.
'This is tiresome… I'll die if I do this too often.'
Kiel had two different cores where he could use to collect and store Spirit Energy, but even that have its limits. Kiel does not fear pushing his body to its breaking point, but his body does so it was a shame that this body of his couldn't keep up.
'This body is not holding up as much as I would like it to be… well, it is good enough I don't have a lifeline.'
Kiel was glad he refined his body for twenty years. His pastime actually saved him again.
Staggering as he stood up, Risha came to his side, helping him up.
"Are you okay, husband?"
Disregarding her words, Kiel nodded his head, "Thank you, Miss Risha."
Kiel then walked away from the town whose fate was to be in chaos now that the Dragon Blood Sect was destroyed.
Kiel now has a companion as they left with steady and unhurried steps as if to show the oncoming chaos had nothing to do with them.
"Husband, you do not need to be shy, you can refer to me as Wife or just my name."
"…no."
A rather unpredictable companion.
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