6 The Devil
*Yang Xunxue PoV*
" Do you heard what happened to the three big sects ? Rumors say that someone try to challenge the three sects"
A bit plump man with clean blue clothes sit in corner of the room and Said to bald man that sit right in front of him about what he heard lately. The Bald man knitted his eyebrows as if in thought and soon said " you meant the White Lotus sect, Black Sun sect, and Immortality Vine sect? "
With a clap, the plump man replied " yes! Those are the sects I'm talking about, rulers of Huilian mountains range"
Snorting in disbelief, the bald man wave his right hand in front of his friend and said " even challenging one of the sect is already suicidal enough, but all three of them? That guy will just bring calamity to whoever know him or was his acquaintances "
Shaking his head to deny what his friend said, the plump man said " it's true, the words already spreading across all cities in the border and it's become the most juicy gossip of the year "
The bald man raised his eyebrows, and with interested face, he lean his body slightly to his friend and said " tell me more about it "
Nodding his head, the plump man said " okay, here's what I heard, they say someone mess with something they shouldn't and..."
I stopped try to overheard both of strangers two tables behind me and swing my head to another direction in front of me where there's another group of people talking about what happened in Huilian mountains range
" it's true! I heard it from trustful source and they said the exact same thing, the three sects if Huilian mountains range is defeated and massacred, all the disciples of the three sects already running away from the mountains and scattered around all places " said a man a bit loudly, he's wearing leather armor that only in his upper body and having a longbow in his back
" Ssshh! Shut your damn mouth! Don't alert others, this is a big matter we talk about " another man in leather armor and wearing eye patch in his left eye attempt to warn his friend, who maybe said something that shouldn't have in a loud voice
Sighing, I stand up from my table and walking out from the Moonlight Liquor, the best tavern in town and famous for their delicious sake in all surrounding area
Two days had passed since Wubing gang accident, and even though I heed the Shouhu Zhe advice and not to hunt deep in the forest anymore, I'm still try to take some games in forest outer edge. But lately, there's nothing to be found, as if all the beasts in the area run from something. Now, with news about the fall of Three big Sects, it's almost a sure that, whoever the person is fighting and destroying the sects, is also the devil that the Shouhu Zhe warned me about
Shivering at a thought of how one person can change the whole ecosystem in forest, I walk to the direction of the forest and would try my luck again today, but in the middle of my walks, someone intercepted me on my way
" my, my, what a gloom expression you have there, Xunxue "
Smiling in proud, a man in his twenties greet me. He have a long red hair that reach into his shoulder and wearing mix of red and green armor with cravings of snake and fish. With height that almost same with me, he have dragon handle saber in his back and might of Qi gathering pinnacle stage. My only rival and childhood friend, Tei Dayou
The guy I always admired and look up into
" it's nothing, Dayou " I said while turn my head sideway, didn't want to look right to him
Still smiling, Dayou said " do you want to have some spar in the forest? Might as well hunt some beasts there too "
Nodding to accept his invitation, we walk side by side to the forest, our journey is quiet one until suddenly Dayou speak " did you know, there would be Grand conference of cultivators in Martial palace five days from now on, it will be held in Taiye capital city, Hoxun "
Shaking my head, I said " no, I don't, what's it about ? "
Giving me his best horrified face, Dayou immediately stand in front of me and said passionately " the Conference that only held once in a hundred years and you don't know? Are you live under a rock all this time Xunxue? That's the event where all cultivators in every sects across every empires come together to show off to the whole world! It's the best event in century! "
Rolling my eyes at his statements, I said " then why ask me if I know it when u expect Me to know " and again if that's really a big event, why I didn't really heard about it before?
Grinning from my reply, Dayou gave me his ferocious eyes and said " I would come to there no matter what Xunxue, that would be the place where I'll have chance to leave this tiny kingdom and travel to all of Taiye empire, and not to mention there would be big sects, which more stronger in resources and disciples than our three Huilian mountains range sects, would you go with me to go there too Xunxue ? "
Silent in contemplating, we continue our walk while I ask " what kind of sects that would be in there, Dayou? "
Beaming happily at my inquiry, Dayou replied " there would be Zhousu Divine Sword sect, the best sect in the world ever if you are a swordsman, Pagoda of Dragons sect where all of his disciples in there said to have the bloodline of dragons in their vein and their strength is much stronger than any cultivators and can defeat two stages higher warriors than themselves, Sakyamuni Monastery sect which is place for the best monks in the world to gather, their Sutra chanting can split the sea and flatten mountains, and many more wonders of sects that I can think of "
Nodding to say I understand, I stopped walking after realizing we are already at the outer edge of the forest and said " let's do the spar in here " taking my Wrath of dragon stance without waiting for a reply, I said " ready? "
" Wrath of dragon, a set of fist battle technique that invented by the Pagoda of dragons you know " taking his own stance, Dayou said " let's see how far you improve, Xunxue "
Dashing to me abruptly, Dayou brandishing his saber to me in heartbeat and I struggle to step side it and dodge. Giving him a counter attack with my right fist as it glow brightly in flames, Dayou knock it off from its course with his saber flat side and my fist deflected to the tree nearby
*Booom*
Middle part of the tree that I had been punched were blasted and give out small explosion. Retracting my fist, I use Traversed Dragon steps to back off but Dayou won't let me, another swing of his saber but this time, Thin Qi is covering his saber and make the sharp weapon more sharper and more dangerous
Knowing I can't dodge this one, I fill my left fist with Qi and let flames engulfed it and launched it to where the saber is. Both of them clashed and giving out Qi ripple in the air, not as strong as it should be, the saber make me step back six times and make my left hand bent into unnatural angle
Not missing the chance, Dayou appeared right in front of me and kick my stomach to make me flew to the tree behind me
*Crash*
Backs a bit broken and mouth bleeding, I stare at Dayou while clutching my abdomen and raise my body up, and what he give me is a shake of head in disapproval " you still only learn three battle techniques Xunxue, you need to make more variety of your skills, as well as try to learn how to feint "
" three moves is all you need to take me down… " sighing loudly in disappointment, I said " you do know getting new battle techniques is not easy as cooking breakfast, the kingdom and empire safeguarding most of strong battle techniques or spells and the fastest way to get them is joining the army or sects, but neither of those options is appealing to me, I still want my freedom "
*DING, DING, DING, DING*
Before Dayou say any words to my reply, the town alarm bell is ringing loudly for all to hear, four dings.. That means…
" Bandit armies sighted " said Dayou while biting his own lips " what those cutthroats wants from us now.. Did they really going to attack.."
Not sparing words anymore, Dayou ran to town gate direction and I'm right behind him to follow him around in this tribulation time
Hopefully it won't be the strongest Bandit armies in the south, Butcherer of Zhinsa…
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*One of Butcher of Zhinsa bandit PoV*
Zhinsa is the second biggest town in Sanzhu kingdom, one day, the city mayor do what shouldn't be done, raged by what the Mayor did, Boss taking up arms of our brothers and gather up as many forces as he can, and by the end of the week, hundred of thousands civilians butchered in the city and enough to fill two whole river red, and that's how we get our nickname
The most tragedy and historical day of our life's
We wasn't bandit gang at first, and we supposed to not be one, we are the army of the kingdom, one of the battalions under direct command of the grand general himself
Branded as traitors of the kingdom by his majesty after our massacre in Zhinsa, our brothers and Boss had been in banishment out in the wilderness, with little options we have, we try to attack the merchant caravans in the north, and slowly we become competitors of other bandits and it escalated to the war of bandits
One which we end up being the most winner and the biggest tough bastards around
*Drak, Drak, Drak, Drak, Drak*
Sounds of thousands hooves hitting the ground can be heard as we marching on to our next target and this time, it will be our second biggest target of our bandit career
" Halt! "
Boss shouted his voice with Qi and halt we are, even though our abrupt stop makes our brothers behind in a mess, we still in a shape and in formation for whatever boss want us to do
" there's someone in front, you both, go check out who's it " said boss as he pointed his finger to me and brother beside me
Not dallying any longer, me and my brother steady our horses and make them go to the front and saw who's it make boss so wary
Standing In the middle of the road, a young man in black clothes and hairstyle in ponytail greet us with smile in his face as he look at me and my brother calmly, as if we both is walking passersby, not some kind of murderous bandits
" who are you and what are you doing here, blocking us like that " said my brother as he pointed his guandao blade tip to the young man
His red eyes glowing slightly, the young man spoke in calm voice " just someone that's back from some sport in the mountains… now, now, aren't you all that famous bandits which is already become disease for the south government? What a bad luck you guys have to meet me in here "
" stop spouting bullshits! " annoyed with what the young man said, my brother immediately kick lightly the side of his horse abdomen and make the creature to charge over the young man who is still in his playful smirk and trample him to death
Still smiling, the young man red eyes glowing more and more brightly, and then he said " let's the fight start then~ "
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-Somewhere in the middle of nowhere road to Hoxun-
Green color of grasses in wide plains is a sight to behold but as most of wanderers have enough it, none appreciate the nature beauty too well, but right now, when sun at its zenith, a man with gray cloak covering all of his body from shoulder to legs ankle can be seen to be walking while looking around the beauty of the green plains
Or what it looks to be from the outside if no one see how much wariness in the man eyes while he's surveying his surroundings every time, as if chased by ghost, the man eyes would darting around for anything or anyone who will attack him from the shadows
*Tratatatak* (sounds of wheel drawn carriage)
Looking ahead, the man saw five caravans riding around the road and soon will arrive upon him. Hand raised in front of the caravans group, the man said loudly " please take me to the Hoxun city and I would reward you for your protection and service handsomely"
The leading caravan then stopped right in front of the man in gray cloak, and the driver in his yellow long sleeve robe said his piece in gruff voice " get in quick, our leader welcome you "
Nodding as a reply, the man immediately go to the back side of the caravan and get inside of it, taking view of what the caravan have inside, the man spot four people clustered among barrels and chests, a middle aged man with a merchant robe greet the gray cloaked man with a smile " welcome to our humble caravan group, owned by the Golden Ship company, may I have the pleasure to know your name, friend? "
Slightly hesitating over something, the man reply came a second too late " ..my name is Mu Bohai" looking closely at how the merchant will react at his name, the man continued " I'm from Huilian mountains range "
" ohh, so it's a friend from the Huilian mountains range, isn't that place so far in the north? Why you want to go to Hoxun city? " said the merchant without even a blink
Sighing in relief at how the merchant clueless about who he is, Mu Bohai said " I want to participate the Grand conference of cultivators in martial palace " lowering his hood, he continue speaking but now in more of low voice
" and hopefully get away from the devil as well"
