39 Chapter 39

Grandpa Shan furrowed his brows at me before sharing a look with grandpa Lin. Auntie blinked once before turning her head just the slightest to the side, and uncle Wei kept on shaking his head. I knew this plan was doomed from the start, and to even consider screwing around with a Titled Douluo with Poison as his official epithet was a bad idea through and through regardless of how sure Tang San was of himself. However, it wasn't in character for me to lie with a straight face—at least to my friends and family, that is.

Besides there was always having Tang San pitch his idea himself. Yeah, I was more or less the sect leader apparent, but that didn't mean I was an absolute. My decisions were not final—less so that I wasn't the actual sect leader yet.

"Okay, so maybe that wasn't the best way to phrase that," I said.

"No, little Jin." Grandpa Lin huffed out a bellow. "As much of a monster little Hao's son might be, for us to go against old Poison with a junior's knowledge of poisons is too much of a risk to not just our own safeties, but also that of the sect's." He shook his head. "This talk of coercing old Poison using the weight of our name and power is normally acceptable, but I do not trust the vicious nature of that old man."

Grandpa Shan nodded along. "What stops him from going after you or little San even if he is indeed successful with curing his granddaughter?"

"And there are too many risks," auntie said. "I understand you most likely want to make use of this opportunity as well to investigate the matters behind Qinghe, but you must understand this would earn the ire not just of one prince, but both as well as the current one and with only conjectures to go about."

They all had chiding looks, each one disapproving in their own way.

I sighed. "Actually, I agree with all that, to be honest."

"I'm glad you see our—" Auntie looked at me funny. "What did you just say?"

Tongue in cheek, I said, "I don't like this plan."

Grandpa Shan shared a look with grandpa Lin, who sneered back at him. Grandpa Lin pursed his lips. "Then why tell us?"

I scratched my cheek. "To be real frank, I was more in favor of just killing him off." I don't know how much of this San was alright with me revealing, but all that talk of these treasures was too much of a temptation to pass off. But, since when did I approve of killing others just so for my own gain. I mean, if the guy was really that much trouble to deal with, then wasn't the easiest answer to just take care of it before it becomes a problem in the first place?

Auntie's gaze turned cold. "Do you have a reason for this?"

I told them all about the things Tang San told me about the great treasure bowls and his own search for poison, plus the fact—or conjecture that Dugu Bo really was being weakened by his supposed poisoning. Once I considered the pros and cons of it, it wasn't as easy a choice. The man was a weakened Titled Douluo, assuming Tang San was indeed correct, and I had no doubts he would have at least one suitable spirit bone on him. Then there were those treasures Tang San mentioned had poisons, and where there were poisons, there would also be elixirs. Perhaps Dugu Bo had access to other such kinds of places, but again it was all conjecture at this point.

How… callous of me, to weigh the value of a life.

"It is indeed tempting," auntie said.

"And given how much of a bad reputation the old man has, it wouldn't be that difficult to justify his death if we are ever confronted by it—that is, if we even admit to being the ones to do so." It was rather easy to just list off the facts as they were, consequences be damned. "Dugu Yan is much weaker than me at already so close to twenty, and so is that Tianheng. And given he's one of the three great sects and experiencing the world just like I and Rongrong, then it wasn't that much of a stretch to say he has a high standing in their sect."

Tianheng had never mentioned any matters before about his clan, but to be connected to the granddaughter of a Titled Douluo meant he at least had the heritage to support the old man's favor. This world was a rather sad place to have so much emphasis on strength that people actually bred favorable variations of their hereditary spirits and basically cut off those that didn't make the cut: case in point, the matter of uncle Xiaogang.

"Devious," grandpa Shan said. "So young and already so calculating." The old man looked beyond the windows. "At times it makes me wonder if we placed too much on your shoulders, seeing you like this."

"We have," grandpa Lin said.

The room started trembling, and I could feel my Hammer tremble in response to the overbearing pressure he exuded. Uncle Wei strained against the effort, but both I and auntie were unfazed from the anguish of the spirit we shared.

Grandpa Lin breathed deep as the pressure let off before continuing, "But this too is so we don't make the same mistake before with Hao. We cannot remain as removed from our own, and we too cannot allow our own to act without the good of the sect in mind."

"You shouldn't have to do this," grandpa Lin said. "And yet it is because us old men are so weak that we can only leave it to you." He stood from his seat and went down on one knee so he could be eye level with me. "Tell me, do you truly believe the death of old Poison would be for the good of the sect?"

Resolve burned steady behind those eyes.

I didn't have any facts to go with, only guesses and hopes. Which was a lot like how life went most of the time back home, it was only here where power was more tangible and had immediate effects, but back then, it was all about flailing about in the dark without certainty. As much as I'd love to have some sort of magic just fix all my problems, even in this world things didn't work the way they did in fairy tales. But all that still didn't answer the question in front of me. Did I dare risk the safety of my own grandpas with facing off against someone else who actually had the power to hurt them all for the sake of a few guesses. Maybe, just maybe, there was a better way to do this that didn't have to involve anyone getting hurt.

But for that to happen, I needed to start somewhere.

"No," I said. "Dugu Bo could instead prove more useful to us alive given his connection to the princes. We don't have a use for it right now, but if somehow the royal family could owe us a favor, it would be only an advantage to us." To be able to think two or three steps ahead was usually a trait reserved for main characters, but who knew making all this shit up as I went would be just as close to writing. I didn't know if all these theories and conjectures were helping, but at best it could shed some light on the ever branching number of futures ahead of us. "Regardless of the risk, there is too high of a chance my grandpas could get hurt, and this is something the sect cannot afford. We only have so many Titled Douluos, and to lose any of you would be to cripple the clan's current strength."

All three of them nodded to my words.

"It is nice to know our little master cares," grandpa Shan said. "However, we still cannot deny that this could indeed prove beneficial to the clan—if it could help you and San reach our own power in twenty or thirty years, than that would already be more than enough. Perhaps the rise of our sect won't come with us elders' lifetime, but we would know our family was in good hands at the very least."

I turned to auntie. "Is there anything else we can do? To blackmail Poison Douluo would be to open our family to retaliation, and to kill him would likewise open our family to risk. I do not know of anything I can bargain with, but San says he is able to cure him of his poison."

She smiled something warm. "Then why not use that?" she said. "An exchange of mutual benefit is always an option. And if he really is as weakened as little San says, then all the more reason he should agree to the exchange. "

I pursed my lips. "Which brings us back to the original plan?"

Auntie Yuehua put on a sly smile. "Are we really?"

I frowned. "Strike a deal somehow, wasn't that what I initially said?"

Auntie rested her cheek against her hand. "I sometimes forget I'm still dealing with a child."

Wait. I think my pride just went down the drain from there.

She continued, "If we strike a bargain from a position of power, it would be coercion, but if the deal is made in mutual benefit, wouldn't that be a more amicable outcome?"

"All this talk of poisons and treasured plants makes me wish we still had the Medicine Hall," grandpa Lin said, "perhaps that stiff old goat would've found a way to make this go easier."

Grandpa Shan nodded. "Indeed, but their own grudges against us run just as deep as ours for Spirit Hall. It would take a miracle for them to cooperate with us now, much less even stay in the same room for longer than a joss stick's time."

Auntie waved a hand. "To try and resolve our grievances with the four clans now would take too long, it can be a matter for later."

I wracked my head for something else to give, but all that came up was to maybe invite him into the sect. And unless we actually got the agreement of the other elders, I wouldn't be able to do that. "But what sorts of benefits could we offer Dugu Bo other than his healing?"

"This would've been a nice time to have Yang Wudi's input," she said before giving my grandpas a playful shrug. "That, and it would be nice as well to have the information network of the speed hall."

"Wishful thinking," grandpa Lin said.

I hadn't heard much besides what father had already told me about the four clans and their respective disciplines: the strength clan and blacksmithing, the speed clan and reconnaissance, the medicine clan and well, medicines and poisons, and last was the defense clan and architecture. A few of my cousins from the older generations had family related to our other subordinate clans at the time, but most of them still inherited the stronger of the spirits—our Hammer. Were they worth all this attention though? I couldn't tell.

Just like how I didn't have enough information to pin my accusations on Qinghe. And besides, it's not like the guy gave me any reasons to suspect him either. For all I know he could just as easily be the one keeping his distance from Poison Douluo for fear of his life, and his attaching himself to uncle Fengzhi was his way to keep himself alive.

But that was a matter for later, for now we needed to get back on track. "If the four clans are so close to each other, I'd heard the strength clan had its home nearby, that could be another point we could pursue after this?"

Auntie hummed. "I as well am aware Tai Tan comes and goes between the capital and Gengxin city." She nodded. "Now, for the matter of little San and Dugu Bo."

Grandpa Shan stroked his beard. "Did little San ever say how he would cure the granddaughter?"

"Now that you mentioned it…." I thought back to our conversations and it was mostly filled with more guesses as to what allowed Dugu Bo to live as opposed to hearing a concrete plan with how to deal with Dugu Bo and his granddaughter's poisoning. "Maybe I should bring San here instead?"

Auntie clapped softly. "I would very much like to finally see my second brother's child.

Which meant a quick trip back to the academy assuming San was even there. I probably should've brought him from the start, but I wasn't sure how my grandpas could take San's being another bullshit reincarnator without passing through me first as a primary source of bullshit. Had I not given them this backstory, maybe this conversation we were having could have gone towards a completely different direction—outright rejection was always another possibility.

It wasn't like we had to accomplish everything by today. "Maybe we can leave it for tomorrow?"

I didn't get any negatives.

"Ah," grandpa Shan said, "and don't forget to bring little Wu as well."

"Why do I feel you have something bad in mind?" I said.

Grandpa Lin gave grandpa Shan the stinkeye.

Auntie drew her brows together, eyes narrowed at the man. "What aren't you telling me?"

They lost me there. "Have we forgotten to mention anything about sister Wu?"

Auntie's gaze snapped to me. "Sister?"

"Oh," I said. "That."

#

We all went our separate ways from there. Me back to the academy on my own, auntie together with uncle Wei back to the Pavilion, and my grandpas, well, stayed where they were. Sure, not a lot of things could stop them if they really wanted to go somewhere, but that also meant they couldn't keep anonymous. I was to bring Xiao Wu and Tang San back here tomorrow to finalize the details of our plans, and well, I then had the rest of the day to myself. Rushing wasn't going to do us all any good, and these things took more than just a good plan to properly execute. Luck, unfortunately, was still a big part in the events that would transpire from here on out, and any and all information I or auntie's friends could gather on Dugu Bo the better.

As for the matter with Qinghe, uncle Fengzhi taking him in couldn't make him a bad guy, so this one I'd probably have to be all buddy buddy with from time to time. Then again, it wasn't like I was really going for Rongrong… I mean, their opinion as a clan, mattered to me as a future sect leader? Yeah, let's go with that. Romance was a matter for the future—and if uncle really did want Qinghe for Rongrong, well, the final say was still up to her.

I shook my head to clear away these unnecessary thoughts as I pushed more spirit power to fill my limbs. The part about body parts glowing from a saturation of spirit power was a pretty low point, but I guess it could also be used for obscuring one's features? Maybe the next time I needed to stay anonymous I could concentrate a shit ton of spirit power over my face—because literally burning my brain was probably a bad idea. Not that I'd ever tried it.

I went straight back to the academy without any detours, too excited about all the little stupid things I was about to get into like a little kid. Which I was. After changing into more appropriate clothes in our shared dorms, I went straight for one of the schools many many deserted areas—and found a couple making out.

Typical.

Woven straw soles barely made any sound even when walking on cobblestones, more so along grass and dirt, and with my body saturated with spirit power, I was able to feel things more clearly. Hence, my being aware of how much noise I was making, and how much I was able to muffle it by walking with deliberation. Thus, placing me into this predicament. And hormones were hormones alright, with so many warm bodies nearby, all of them ripe for the taking and probably all of respectable family backgrounds. It was really only a matter of time. Aiyah.

Welp, I wasn't an asshole, so I left the frisky pair to their devices.

Two more couples and a very sketchy group session later, I finally found a little retreat of trees near the plant system mimicry environment—and the entrance to a cave cut into a small hill. A sign by the entrance marked it as the treasure system mimicry environment, and I guess it was sheer dumb luck that I ended up here. I was registered under the Heaven Dou Imperial academy's records as possessing just my Crown, and for me to cultivate elsewhere than here would mark me as a weirdo.

Eh, whatever. I'll deal with this possible suffocation trap later. I went ahead and dove into the copse of trees that hid a little glade just behind them, eager to cut loose and just do whatever. I had on a heavy robe to the glow of my body beneath from view, and the very image of where I was standing—a hidden away pocket of wild grasses and flowers surrounded by trees, plus my glowing skin—reminded me of a certain scene from an old book I read but couldn't quite place my finger on.

After getting used to the burning feeling of making my hand glow over the last few days, I figured, it was time to try and extend that. I more or less already figured out the possibility of consuming spirit power to allow me to cultivate while moving, but to actually cultivate using the normal process while moving was something I was yet to do. I still had a few things on my to do list, but it was best to start with the simplest one first.

I breathed in deep before slowly building up spirit power into both fists—the percentages rising quickly in Interface as they both started glowing a few seconds later. The initial burning was now a dull heat—hot, but no longer unbearable.

Slowly, I closed my eyes and started the saturation down to my wrists.

The saturation cut a border between the already filled to glowing parts burning white hot with a particularly intense agony just like the first time I did it with my hands—but knowing it had no negative effects on my body, I pushed on with the inferno inch by grueling inch down to my forearms. But this burning baptism was still nothing compared to immersing myself in the bloodied guts of that queen ant, not to mention doing so with a hastily patch up gut opened by that soldier ant. I feel having this high a pain tolerance at such a young age was likely a bad thing, but I wasn't going to turn down my blessings now.

The heat went up to my elbows.

I pushed through with the pain.

Half almost to scream, another half so morbidly curious.

It reached my shoulders. I wasn't even close yet to full. It was like bathing in fire with my hands held high as livid flames poured down. Like a waterfall of boiling water except dialed up to eleven. Along Interface, my body lit up in white as the glow filled me up. That's when I started filling my body.

A whimper left my mouth. And on I went, the pain giving way to clarity and a presence of mind so potent I swore I could feel my spirit power swirl and churn within my already glowing body parts.

Down it went to my chest—my heart was unperturbed.

Down my belly.

Down my legs, and eventually all the way down to my toes.

I was immersed in fire, my entirety was fire, my mind's eye was submerged in a world of bright blinding pain.

And still I went on pushing.

My limbs had never felt more there, and my heart beat strong against my chest, each pulse of it stirring my spirit power to resonate everywhere else. I didn't feel any stronger from all the spirit power invested into my body, but… it was a steady feeling full of clarity, like I was truly here in this moment. That I was truly alive.

I clenched my fists tighter, my nails dug into my palms. I was maintaining a sort of trance that allowed me push away the pain from my mind, a sort of meditation in suffering to feel the horrid flames yet not dwell in them. I didn't know if anyone was watching me, or whatever I currently looked like even with my robes. But there wasn't anything bad happening. Unless willingly pushing myself into a mock immolation counted.

I was pretty sure I wasn't a masochist.

The only logical step from here was to move up and allow the spirit power to saturate my neck, my face, my eyes, then up to the very top of my head. It was, a lot easier than I thought to reach this state. And it might've been a super mode or something, but all there was was pain in this state.

I stayed there in the moment. I was wielding a power I could only dream of, and now I was pushing the very bounds of what this world knew. I was also drowning in a sea of fire. But progress demanded sacrifice, and if my hands were any indication, this pain too would pass—but who would know what sort of benefits this would give? Or what damage it would do? No one.

Except maybe Tang San.

He came from a similar world to this one that made use of spirit power, and if his assessment of my body before was any indication, then I still wasn't close to reaching any sort of limit.

In this mass of spirit power, in the all encompassing awareness, I felt my spirits were there as an ever present constant. And so too were my chakras churning constantly. My spirit power wasn't getting consumed, only being used to fill what was already there. It was contained somewhere, but it held more than it manifested. What exactly was the source of spirit power in the body anyway? I was just so used to it emanating outwards from my belly—the dantian, or the second chakra, but was it possible to also come from my other chakras? What if it came from the first? Or from the seventh? Would the quality of it change? And if all together? And if nowhere from the chakras? Like my hand or my foot?

Regardless, I first needed to see what became of me.

I opened my eyes.

And saw the world before me like a still life painting, almost perfect in every hue and filled with an unmistakable glow. My hands were glowing like I'd expected. But I also wanted to see whether this glow could indeed conceal my features.

I felt for Inventory to summon a mirror—and pulled it out of its pocket dimension, only to have almost all my stuff come crashing outwards and spill everywhere all at once.

Then my bed came out of nowhere and hit me in the face.

The pain from that didn't even register from the flames I were immersed in. My shit was getting dirty. My all important bed and bedding, fancy clothes and food and all that water I had the bright idea of keeping in thin barrels because I didn't think it'd ever end up getting thrashed or anything. All that was on the ground, soaked and dusted and all manners of broken—and I was seeing in full high definition all the chaos I'd wrought on my crap.

Man, I didn't think seeing that would hurt more than all this.

And now came a decision. Did I stop my experiments now in favor of cleaning up? Or did I push through despite the pain of my stuff getting dirty and shit and soaked and just generally messed up gave me. To be fair, all the stuff was already dirty anyway, but things that hurt still hurt. And apparently a trance of physical pain still couldn't distract from profound emotional pain.

Damn, uncle Hao must've felt like total shit at the time…

Frustration, perhaps, caused my bright ass—no pun intended—to force all that spirit power filling my body and jam into my second spirit ring to let out an explosion like I'd done earlier that caused the mishap with Rongrong's hair.

So I did—without regard, hoping against hope that there would be some good coming out of this.

Then my purple ring grew larger and started glowing white as opposed to the brilliant purple before. Again, another first. And it wasn't the kind of white of a ten year ring either. I was about to summon my Domain when the strength left my body just then, and I found that I'd already lost more than half my spirit power.

That's when cracks started appearing on my spirit ring—and I felt the metaphorical breaking of the dam.

"Oh, shit."

Everything went white in a hail of lightning, and my sorry ass weak as hell just sat there unable to stop the ensuing destruction of all my stuff and half the clearing.