Chương 227: Anger - Deserved.
It wasn't even a full day since they set off before the entire Crystal Coral Sect convoy was drawn to a halt alerting the group in the carriage, Na Xue yawned as she leaned out the window with a frown.
"What is it? We're already going slow enough as it is…" she complained as her eyes adjusted to the dimming daylight, because they were travelling in a convoy with all the resources and other sect members they were going slower than they would as a singular carriage.
Shu He stood up from the seat with a deep sigh "Why is it I can't have a carriage ride without being interrupted?" he opened the door and hopped out, Shu Xue followed along wordlessly, or rather she took one step out and ran off towards the front of the convoy.
"Hey- wait!... this girl-!" he sighed with exasperation.
"Seems she's pretty irritated you banned her from food" Na Xue laughed lightly.
"She'll be fine for weeks without food let alone a couple days… I just need her to learn not to eat stuff without permission" He scratched his head as he watched her small back weave through the carriage and disciples.
The fact was, Shu Xue ate multiple days' worth of food regularly let alone the valuable resources she consumes as well; On top of the fact that cultivators can sustain themselves longer than normal humans and that goes for Spirit Beasts as well.
"Do you need help?" Na Xue said casually, she could already tell what had caused the delay.
"It's fine, I'm sure Ren Hai's group can handle it themselves… though I better pull her back" he stepped off the ground before disappearing silently.
Na Xue sat back down in the carriage as she glanced at Bai Lian who was sat in silence, her breathing steady and eyes closed.
'Talk about moving at your own pace…' she thought as her eyes closed as well.
…
At the front of the convoy was a second group standing in the way, blocking the wide road entirely as they glared down those at the head, the group was composed of a ragtag collection of individuals, some wore sect robes while others wore plain or tattered clothing, it was clear that it wasn't a single organisation.
"Crystal Coral Sect! Bring out those foreigners!" The one at the head of the blockade yelled, as the Crystal Coral Sect members stared at each-other in confusion.
"Why the hell are you blocking our way?!" One of the crystal coral sect members "You want to speak to our guests?!"
"Guests?! Those bastards ruined the beast tide for everyone!"
"What are you talking about? If you failed to get any resources that's the result of you being weak!"
"Say that again, you leech! You can only say that because they helped you as well! Don't think we didn't notice the wave acting odd partway through!".
A wave of curses and insults followed causing the Crystal Coral Sect members to frown as they turned to one person who stepped forward, his sky-blue eyes pierced those that were shouting as he spoke.
"So what?" he said, causing the dissenters to go silent for a moment.
"What do you mean, "So what?"?!"
"Exactly what I said, why does it matter if they did something? Is there a rule against that?".
"The beast tide is set up so that even us smaller sects and independent cultivators can get resources! You ruined that!".
"Isn't that just a convenient explanation?" Ren Hai scoffed "The reality is we're just convenient workers that clean up after the Everlasting Ocean Sect's true operation"
"Tha-that's slander against the great sect!".
"You can go cry to them if you want, but I'm sure you'll be turned away at the door" Ren Hai shrugged, he was feeling pretty upbeat after the results of the beast tide, so much so that even in the face of this group he didn't feel scared.
"That's enough! Everyone! The Crystal Coral Sect has overstepped their boundaries and taken resources that don't belong to them!"
The Crystal Coral Sect members eyes narrowed as their hands reached for their weapons, the atmosphere took an immediate dip, it was clear that the main reason this group had formed was to loot them.
"Fine then, try and take it if you can!" Ren Hai too drew his sword as he prepared to fight, there weren't many strong cultivators in the opposing group so they were almost even.
But then, a small figure shot out from between the Crystal Coral Sect members, her white red hair swaying in the wind, she skidded to a stop between the two groups as their attention was drawn to her.
"Isn't that Shu He's..?" Ren Hai glanced with worry, he looked around for Shu He but couldn't find him.
"That girls one of the foreigner's! Go and catch her!" One man yelled.
"Hehe, she's good looking as well, maybe…" The person speaking didn't finish the line, yet a mutual understanding was formed as the crowd fixated on Shu Xue who was stood still.
"Get her!" The crowd came alive as both sides began to head for a clash, and yet-
"SHUT UP, ANNOYING!" A small yet powerful voice bellowed out from Shu Xue as her hair and clothes flapped in the wind like a powerful gust was blowing, and the moment the attention of the enemies was drawn to her-
Her rubellite pupils changed, a slit of pale yellow formed in the middle as an invisible force emanated from them, and in that same instance, every single on of the opposing force that looked her way was locked in place.
Their bodies and minds froze, those that were mid stride fell flat on their faces while those behind stared in confusion.
And it wasn't just the enemies, the Crystal Coral Sect members were staring dumbfoundedly as well.
But she didn't stop there, her sleeves swished as she raised her arms, scorching orange lights shot out into the sky forming a shower of orange stars, and then, they fell on the paused crowd.
They couldn't defend, so they were hit directly from a bombardment from the sky, screams sounded as they were engulfed by flames.
"RUN!" The ones near the back that hadn't been frozen didn't even think for another second, they split up and scurried away like ants under the watch of the Crystal Coral Sect members, no one gave chase.
After tens of seconds, the flames died down and all that remained was a small field of bodies, filled with weak groaning and twitching, their bodies were filled with burn wounds and indents in their armour.
"W-wow…"
"Such a little girl did this. She's amazing…"
"I heard she helped take out the serpent, but this is…"
Ren Hai stared at the defeated enemies and then at Shu Xue who was looking around for some reason, his thoughts were slightly different from the others.
'She did that so effortlessly… that technique she used at the start… isn't that what the serpent used?! Is she a monster?!' He had heard the report about the battle afterwards, so he had a clear understanding of what went down, he could only look at the little girl with a hint of fear.
"…Sorry for the trouble" without any noise, Shu He appeared beside him and spoke.
"Ah- What are you talking about? You saved us the effort and trouble! If anything we should be thanking you again…" Ren Hai quickly replied.
"No, it was us that caused the trouble in the first place… let's just treat this like it never happened" Shu He walked past without waiting for Ren Hai's reply as he approached Shu Xue.
He glanced over the bodies, assessing their condition.
'Two.. no, three have stopped breathing… the rest are heavily burnt, some of them may die if they don't get support…' A weight pressed down on his chest.
But it wasn't because she had killed some of them, no, he had already learned himself through baptism, this world wasn't gentle, death was something you lived side by side with.
What worried him was… why she did it.
He looked her in the eyes as she spoke with a relieved smile "Look! I helped, right? It's fine now, right?"
He knelt down and placed his hands on her shoulders as he spoke calmly.
"Did I ask you to do this?".
Her shoulders shook.
"N-no… but-!"
"Then why did you do it?"
"I-…" she grabbed the hems of her clothes as she avoided his eyes, but they were connected, he could feel what she was feeling.
"Did you think this would make me happy?".
"!... I- you were angry… so…"
"Something like this wouldn't make me happy, especially taking lives" His voice was cold, he wanted her to understand this.
She shook, her expression twisted as tears began to form in her eyes.
"I- I- Shu He I-…" she couldn't form her words.
And so he pulled her close, embracing her before placing his forehead against hers.
"You can tell, right? Am I angry?"
She closed her eyes for a moment… and then gently shook her head.
"I may have been angry for a moment before, but more than anything I'm just worried, worried that you'll do something to hurt yourself, or something you'll regret".
"You're not angry anymore…?" She asked as the last tears fell down her cheek.
"I'm not. But I need you to listen to me, ask me before you eat things, don't pull any stunts like this again unless you have no choice. Okay?".
"Okay!" She immediately perked up with a smile and a hug. "Does this mean I can eat now?" She asked immediately after.
"You little… fine, just this one! You're not getting off next time though!" he placed her down "Head back to the carriage, I need to clean up here".
"Got it!" She happily skedaddled back to the carriage under the watch of Shu He and the others that were watching their little conversation.
As he turned to the scorched road, Shu He's eyes dimmed.
…
"Fuck, we had all of those cultivators, yet we were sent packing like a bunch of rats!"
"That's why I said we needed to get a stronger sect! That bitch that did me in didn't even appear, if she did I'd…"
"You'd what, we got the others because we couldn't do anything in the first place!"
"If only we'd managed to kidnap that girl…"
"You're joking right, you saw how she did the rest in! That one's a monster!"
"Fuck, why did we have to pick that group to mess with!?"
"Oh, shut it, you were the one that had the idea in the first place"
There was a small group composed of a few men and a woman seated in a small opening in a forest, not too far away from where the ambush had taken place. If Na Xue was here she'd recognise them as the group she had a good time going over before they attended the beast tide- the ones that blocked their path.
They had been unable to take the humiliation lying down and rallied some of the weaker sects and independent cultivators to form a group to rob the Crystal Coral Sect, as well as get revenge on Shu He's group.
Yet they failed from the first step, horribly at that, the moment they saw the frontline get incinerated they fled with their tails between their legs.
"What do we do now?" The woman asked, she was still missing some teeth.
"What is there to do? We can't even do anything to them with the Crystal Coral Sect around them… maybe we should give up?"
"We could wait until they leave their care… if we catch them by surprise… hey, lunk, you've been silent all this time; What do you think about thi-"
The woman turned to a large man that was sat off in the distance, yet she realised something was off.
His silhouette… was lacking a head.
*Drip*
Her eyes dilated as she turned to another man who she just spoke to… his head was missing as well. It was mid-air, crashing to the ground a moment later as his body tipped to the floor as well.
Silence.
Chills went down their spines as they shot off in different directions.
As she ran, she saw two more men fall out of the corner of her eyes causing her to sweat heavily as she strode as hard as she could, eventually she reached as beachhead with no cover.
'I can't be attacked by surprise here!' is what she thought.
"Who are you?! Why are you attacking us?!" She yelled.
"…"
"Are you with that sect?!".
"…"
"ANSWER ME!"
But all that replied was silence.
'It's quiet… am I the only one left?'
Her heart beat faster and faster, trying to think of a way out of this situation.
'Maybe I can escape in the sea…' it was a big gamble, if the opponent was adept in water movement she'd be a sitting duck.
Yet, she wouldn't even need to think anymore.
A slight whistle sounded-
*Plop*
'Huh? What was that sound.. wait.. why can't I move?'
She felt a cold sensation from her forehead that spread throughout her body.
And then she dropped dead.
…
Shu He's bow returned to its bracelet form as his gaze was fixated on the body in the distance, he took a deep breath as the coldness receded from his eyes.
"It's one thing to scam people, another to attempt to rob them…"
"But you dare threaten my family? For that, you deserve death".
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