114 Gilded Strings - Part 1

When Ru Shenqi finally lifted her head, she let out a soft whistle. Soon, a small sparrow flew to her. She held out her palm and a roll of golden string appeared. The bird clutched them in its talons.

"Go," she whispered. "Go find the Sea God. Give him these strings."

The bird nodded and flew off towards the camp. Flender was patrolling and saw it approach. It shot for the tent where Tang San and Xiao Wu were sleeping and zipped inside. The couple was startled awake by the sparrow. But upon seeing the item it was carrying, Tang San leapt to his feet. He held out his hand and gaped as the bird dropped the divine Gilded Strings into his hand.

"Where did you come from?" Xiao Wu asked it.

The bird turned to face Liuying Fortress. Getting its meaning, Xiao Wu gasped. "Xiao Shen!"

Tang San clenched the Gilded Strings tightly in his hands. "Xiao Shen hasn't forgotten about us."

The sparrow held out its leg. Xiao Wu took the small piece of paper and unrolled it. Recognizing the handwriting immediately, she smiled. But as she read it, her smile disappeared. Having watched her expressions all the while, Tang San rested a hand on her shoulder.

"Xiao Wu, what is it?"

"Ge, Xiao Shen wrote to us. She apologized for letting everyone down and has asked us not to go easy on her should we meet in battle. It- it says she's accepts Hu Liena as her Laoshi. Xiao Shen ended with apologizing for not being able to be the Head Flamen of Haishen Island any longer and saying she doesn't regret her decision to join Spirit Empire."

Tang San sighed, "She's breaking all ties."

"But why?"

"That I don't know. If it was just so Xingyun wouldn't remember her, she wouldn't have to give up Haishen Island or send us such a message."

"Then... whatever she's planning..."

"Will mean her complete alienation from Shrek Academy and from Tang Sect."

<><><>

A day or so later, the Shrek Six Tyrants arrived in Nuoding City. It was there, that Tang San appeared. Seeing him in the streets, the six youths ran to him.

"Senior!"

"Sect Leader!"

He turned and smiled at them. "Juniors, how have you all been doing?"

Fang Youyou beamed. "Jiaxiang, Shanxin, Suyin, and I have all reached the eighty-sixth rank."

Tang San nodded, pleased. "That's good. Become Titled Douluos soon so our forces become even stronger."

All six echoed, "Yes, Senior."

"Yong, I have something for you."

Ming Yong stepped forward. "Senior, what is it?"

Tang San held out his hand and said, "I believe this is what you're looking for."

The Gilded Strings materialized in his palm. Ming Yong's eyes widened. "Senior, where did you find them?"

"It wasn't me. A little sparrow brought them over from Liuying Fortress. They were sent by Xiao Shen."

Hope filled five pairs of eyes. "Then, is she still actually on our side?"

Sadness filled Tang San's eyes as he shook his head. "She's cut all ties with Shrek Academy, Tang Sect, Heaven Dou Empire, and Haishen Island."

"WHAT?!" Liao Suyin, Shu Jiaxiang, Bai Shanxin, Fang Youyou, and Ming Yong exclaimed.

"Xiao Shen truly belongs to Spirit Empire now. She's taken Hu Liena as her Laoshi. From now on, the Goddess of Nine Stars is not our friend but our enemy."

Ming Yong shook his head fervently. "No, there's no way she would do such a thing. She hates Spirit Empire too much. How could she side with them?"

Tang San presented the piece of paper with her writing on it. "She wrote this to Xiao Wu and me."

He took it, and Tang San left. As he read it over, disbelief flickered in his eyes. "Xiao Shen must be lying. She would never..."

Fang Youyou rested a hand on his buddy's shoulder. "Maybe this is all part of her plan. We just have to trust she knows what she's doing."

Gu Xingyun scowled. "You're all so concerned about her. But does she even care about any of you?"

"She retrieved the Gilded Strings for Yong. How can you say she doesn't care?" Liao Suyin defended her friend.

Their Vice-Captain sighed. "You all have been blinded by her."

As he started to walk off, an electric purple beam of light shot down from the skies and surrounded him. One thought crossed five minds.

The Rakshasa God?!

"Could Xiao Shen's defection have been for naught?" Shu Jiaxiang asked quietly.

Gu Xingyun lifted into the air by five meters, eyes closing. After a few minutes, he slowly descended back down to solid ground. The others carefully approached him. His eyes opened, and they were their normal bright yellow.

Fang Youyou questioned slowly, "Xingyun, what was that?"

"The God of Storms spoke to me."

Everyone breathed a sigh of relief. As far as they knew, there was no reason not to accept the God of Storms' Inheritance. Ming Yong clapped his friend on the back.

"Congratulations, you've been chosen for a God position also."

Gu Xingyun nodded. "If I can become a God also, then we have one more deity to fight against that Goddess of Nine Stars."

The Triple Beauties, Fang Youyou, and Ming Yong all froze. Xiao Shen... please be safe.

"What's your first Trial?" Liao Suyin asked.

"I have to become a Limit Douluo."

"Well, you're already a ninety sixth ranked Titled Douluo. To become a Limit Douluo isn't too far-fetched if we can find you some more spirit bones. It's likely you'll have to get a complete set at some point anyways," Shu Jiaxiang said.

Their eldest nodded. "I know my family has passed a couple spirit bones down through generations. Since I'm the Crown Prince, I have the right to take them."

Bai Shanxin offered, "I can have a scout send your message back to the camp. That way, we can focus on helping Yong to complete his last two Trials."

Just as she had finished speaking, the swirl of a music note appeared on Ming Yong's forehead. Seventh Trial, Retrieve the Gilded Strings, completed. Eighth Trial, Merger, begun.

He frowned.

"Yong, what is it?" Fang Youyou wondered.

"My Eighth Trial is called Merger, but I don't know what that means."

Gu Xingyun rested a hand on his shoulder. "You have us to help you out. Let me go write my letter to my father requesting permission to get the two spirit bones. Then, once I get a reply, we can head for Fuji City in Guang Kingdom."

The others nodded in agreement and watched him run over to compose the message. Once he was gone, the others turned to Ming Yong.

"Is there any way we can call Xiao Shen? She might know what Merger is."

At that moment, he remembered something they could use. "Her communication conch!"

He summoned it and raised it to his ear. "Xiao Shen? Xiao Shen? Xiao Shen?"

Finally, a soft voice replied, "Yong-ge."

His heart clenched. She hadn't called him that since the first day she lived in Shrek Academy.

"Xiao Shen, thank you. I've got the Gilded Strings and have completed my Seventh Trial. My Eighth Trial is Merger, but we don't know what that means. Do you have any idea?"

He pulled the conch away from his ear so all five of them could hear her. There was a moment of silence before Ru Shenqi's voice floated through. "Just as Tang San's spirit underwent awakenings, so did mine. Merger is the last awakening for your spirit. The silver-white strings on your qin are still of a mortal spirit. You need to merge the Gilded Strings with your qin. This will be a very painful process. You'll need the Light of the God of the Ocean to help absorb the divine strings."

"So we're gonna have to return to the army camp?"

A pause. "Yes."

"Then, that's what we'll do," Shu Jiaxiang interjected.

Sensing Ru Shenqi was about to cut communication, Bai Shanxin cried, "Xiao Shen, wait!"

"... What is it? I can't talk much longer."

"Xingyun has been chosen by the God of Storms to succeed him."

Silence.

Then, "That's good. Once he becomes the God of Storms, perhaps he can be told the truth."

"Xiao Shen," Liao Suyin piped up. "D- did you really kill ten thousand soldiers from the joint army?"

"Suyin, I'm afraid we can never be the Shrek Seven Tyrants again. I'd rather sacrifice everything I've worked for and live in the den of my enemies than see Xingyun lose himself to the Rakshasa God or be killed by Tang San. I really do love him... we just can never be together."

"But why do you have to actually help Spirit Empire?"

All they heard on the other end was Ru Shenqi's rhythmic breathing. Finally, the line cut without an answer. Ming Yong frowned, and the others hung their heads.

Fang Youyou murmured, "What has Xiao Shen gotten herself into that she cannot trust us with things anymore?"

Ming Yong had a speculation. One that made his heart clench in pain. But all he said was, "She must have her own reasons. We just have to believe in her."

Gu Xingyun returned at that moment. "I've written the letter."

"We have to go back to the army," Shu Jiaxiang explained. "We need Senior's Light of the God of the Ocean to help Yong merge his Gilded Strings with his qin spirit. You can ask your father yourself."

"Alright. Then, let's go."

The six friends were about to head out, when a commotion stirred up ahead. Concern, they went to check it out. Upon pushing through the gathering crowd, they saw that the Bishop of Nuoding City's Child Spirit Hall and his lackeys were causing trouble. A young man stood opposite them, eyes narrowed and Black Demon Spear spirit released.

"How dare Spirit Empire make trouble here!" the young man demanded.

"You? Ch! You're just an insignificant ant compared to Her Majesty. I don't know why I even bother talking with you," the Bishop said.

Six spirit rings of the optimal configuration descended around the young man. "You terrorize Nuoding City's people every day. My father and I have had enough!"

Liao Suyin gasped. Shu Jiaxiang realized it instantly. "Suyin... is that Young Master Xun? The next Magistrate of Nuoding City?"

"It must be. I- I didn't realize he was so compassionate about his people."

"Then, let's go support him," Gu Xingyun suggested.

The other nodded and ran forward. They pushed through the crowd and actually stood between Young Master Xun and those from Spirit Empire. Their hands clenched at their sides.

"Spirit Empire has overstepped their boundaries! Today, we'll rid Nuoding City of you!" the six declared.

"Haha, you're just youths. What can you do to me?"

Fang Youyou, Liao Suyin, Shu Jiaxiang, and Bai Shanxin all released their Spirit Avatar states. A lotus, tarantula, cheetah, and needle-tailed swift emerged while eight spirit rings descended around them with a shocking configuration.

"What is this?" the crowd cried. "No hundred year spirit rings and two red century millennium spirit rings?!"

Ming Yong released his qin and four purple, two black, and three red spirit rings danced around him. Gu Xingyun let out a roar, and his spirit released while his spirit ring configuration of three purple, three black, and three red appeared.

The Bishop's eyes widened. "Y- you're so young!! H- how are you all Spirit Douluos or Titled Douluos?! And what are these configurations?!"

"We are the Shrek Six Tyrants, and we will be your end!"

Each of them released their most powerful skills. Bai Shanxin's Emerald Demon Bird skull bone began to devour their spirit power while Gu Xingyun's gravity skill suppressed them. Liao Suyin's spiders kept them in check while Shu Jiaxiang's poison slowly inhibited their nervous systems. Fang Youyou boosted his friends, and Ming Yong's tyrannical fifth spirit skill hypnotized them, making them begin to fight each other. Seeing this, the crowd and Young Master Xun stood frozen in shock.

"Ninth spirit skill," two voices rose together.

"Dragon Qin Nirvana!"

"Electric Heavenly Lion!"

The lackeys' bodies dropped dead within seconds of hearing Ming Yong's tune. A bolt of electricity shot for the Bishop. And since it was a spirit skill that came from a century millennium spirit beast, it had an optional lockdown skill. So no matter where the Bishop tried to flee to, he was destined to be incinerated. Once all of the troublemakers from Spirit Empire were dead, the Shrek Six Tyrants turned to face the future magistrate of Nuoding City.

"Young Master Xun."

"I must thank you six. Without you, I don't know if I could've fended off the Bishops and his lackeys. Thank you!"

Just then, one of the six stepped forward and asked, "Young Master Xun, my name is Liao Suyin, and I'm the younger sister of Magistrate Liao in Suotuo City. Is there a quiet place we can talk privately, just the two of us?"

<><><>

After she had cut communication, Ru Shenqi leaned against the door to her room and slid down until she was sitting with her knees pulled up to her chest. Curling over, she bowed her head and choked back a few quiet sobs. Her shoulders shook.

God of Storms, thank you for answering my plea. I know Xingyun will succeed. The day he finishes his Ninth Trial and becomes a God... will be the day I die.