12 A New Future

Ding~ [Host has regained conscious from temporary hibernation mode.]

[Host's meridians have been cured. Host can now begin cultivating.]

Oh helll~ yes. It's finally here! Oh~ I can feel it, the POWER! Oom~ Not quite. I haven't started cultivating yet. Although I want to start now, I haven't actually gotten any cultivation manual yet. Nobody was allowed to take manuals out of the manual hall, and yet I was also not able to enter because there was a barrier restriction that only allowed cultivators to go in. When I tried asking for a cultivation manual, I learned that most of the manuals here were suited for monsters anyways, female ones. I stopped asking after that. Welp, doesn't matter. Since I can start cultivating now, all looks good because it's never too late to start anything.

Press the switch and ka-cha. I still don't know how these mechanisms work, but pretty fascinating how such a heavy piece of rock slides so easily out of the way when I'm pretty sure there aren't any of the modern Earth science theories applied here. I'll figure that out once I cultivate and can start using my mind's eye. Hum~ so excited.

I walked out into a silent throne room. Eh? I thought Master would be waiting for me here? Why is she not here?

"Master?! You there? Zhang Ma?! You precious Xiao Zhi can cultivate now! Come out and congratulate me!" Silence replied to me. I guess they are not in the palace?

I walked through the now familiar corridors of the palace, and let's just say, it's too quiet, to be normal. Is this a test? Heh, is this Xiao Ji's surprise? But that doesn't make sense, she said she'll meet me tonight at the old place. Eh? What's that smell? Kind of metallic like human blood with a tingy fishy smell that belongs to monster blood- I turned the corner, and there monster corpses lined the floor all the way to the palace exit. I stood there shocked. This must be a dream or nightmare right? I'm still fixing my meridians maybe and this nightmare is induced by the pain? Giving my face a hard slap, it's reality, and it hurts.

I slowly walk towards the nearest corpse. It belonged to one of the familiar guards of the palace in addition to general, Xiao Guo. Her limbs were chopped off and it seemed like she was doing her best to prevent someone from getting into the palace where I was fixing my meridians. Not far from her laid a corpse of the intelligent species that I so long have wished to see, but now I cannot but loathe, human cultivator. My heart, is shaking. I think I'm scared. I haven't even been this scared when I was placed in this monster den, but now, I can't stop my mind from imagining what I have once wished, but now no longer wish to come true. I rushed towards the outside and there laid piles of corpses in all directions. Streams of multi color blood mixed in all directions, creating rainbows even, but they are rainbows of death. Eh? Is it raining? It's not, but I just felt something drop on my hands coming from, it can't be my eyes right? Naw~ hahah. Oh right, Master's really strong, so she's alive for sure. I rushed out of the courtyard of the palace. I ran pass a still standing corpse, but braked suddenly. I slowly turned around, and there with eyes pierced by arrows was Zhang Ma. Still standing so gloriously, but forever never to speak to me again. I slowly walked over, and gently laid her down to the ground. I nudged the arrows out of her eyes, ripped a part of my sleeves, and gently laid it over her eyes.

I stood up trembling. I trudged across the now desolate den. Corpses littered everywhere but as I moved further from the palace, it seemed that the corpses reduced. I saw Xiao Mei stabbed through by 23 swords, counted them thoroughly one by one as I pulled them out. Continuing on, I saw so many Big sisters that took care of me. Some offered me food, some offered me hiding places, some played with me. Until finally, there was a lone corpse standing so tall, without a head, on top of a hill of human cultivators. Even without the head, I recognized her, it's my Master. Hah..haha..hahahaha! This can't be happening! It can't! Master is so strong! Even if she can't defeat them, she can still run! What is stopping her from running, why did none of those people run? What inside the palace were they defending?! Wait, Xiao Ji! That's right! Xiao Ji was at the old place! That's very secretive and far away from here! So she must be alright!

I rushed towards our meeting location. It's through a small underground forest and there's a hidden cave that even Master didn't know about, discovered by Xiao Ji and me while we went out to play. I ran through the forest, getting closer and closer to the cave. Xiao Ji, must be alright, she must be!

"Xiao...Zhi."

I stopped, it's Xiao Ji's voice. I turned, and there she is, still alive, but injured badly. I'm so glad. My best friend and big sister is still alive. I rushed over and kneeled down. Oh, she looks to be in very bad shape. I need to get her treated, but where do I-

"Xiao...Zhi, l-listen."

"Sis Ji, no worries, Xiao Zhi will fix you up real fast, then we can continue to play. Okay?"

"Xiao...Zhi, i-it's t-too late. I'm already d-"

"Sis Ji, it's never too late. Not too late for me to start cultivating and not to late to save you. Okay. Stop talking, let me carry you to the cave and then I can treat you. There's some medicine the-"

As I picked up Sis Ji's body, but ... only her body. Her head, was still on the ground. I froze.

"Xiao...Zhi, Big Sis's a-a-already dead. T-this is just an ability of the chicken-t-to still be a-alive for a bit after death, e-even with head cut off. "

The sky was still a blood red and cloudless, but it's already raining because I can see those droplets of water falling onto Sis Ji's body from my eyes. I slowly kneeled down and placed down Sis Ji's body.

"he he he. ehh ... f-first time Big Sis saw Xiao Zhi crying. Big Sis's so h-happy to see another n-new side of X-xiao Zhi."

I was silent. I don't know what to say anymore. I curse this world. I curse the one that made me sign the contract. Oh that's myself. I curse myself. F*** me. Why can't I be the one? WHY MUST IT BE OTHERS?!

"Ehehe...Xiao zhi no need to be sad. R-remember? Big sis got a s-surprise for you. I-it's in my pocket. Big sis c-can't really use her hands r-right now ehe he. So mind g-grabing it for Big Sis..."

I slowly took out what seems to be a booklet from Sis Ji's pocket. Then, I hopefully looked towards Sis Ji, hoping she would get better because I did what she want. I was a good boy.

"X-xiao...zhi. Listen. Th-his is a r-rainb-bow l-level c-cultivation m-manual t-that f-focuses on p-protecting y-your body. M-master and us s-sisters k-know that X-xiao zhi has a w-weak b-body. So we g-got this for you. H-happy? Eheh he he-"

As my tears flew up from my frantically nodding head to show that I was happy, Sis Ji's blood also flew up from a cough. My heart's beat. I can't feel it anymore.

"X-x-xiao ... z-zhi... N-now y-you must r-run far and h-hide yourself well. T-the Hu Jia has come for y-you. M-master c-could only t-temp-poraryly h-hide you from them. You need ... t-to-"

And that was it. The last words of Sis Ji, my precious Sis Ji who took care of me for 16 years of my life. Along with all the other big sis. They died? All to protect the me that was comfortably taking a medicine bath. Hahaha...Hu Jia. The ones who plotted the downfall of my family. And yet they are STILL coming for me!? What did I ever do?! IF you want me DEAD, then COME FOR ME! WHY WOULD YOU KILL THOSE PRECIOUS TO ME?! AHHhhhHHH!

---

I buried them all. I don't care if the enemies come back. I slowly took my sweet time to make sure I find all parts of them as best as I could to bury all of them. A total of 103 of them including Master, Xiao Ji and them. All of them were my family, they took care of me, and didn't discriminate against me even though I was different, but now, all gone. Reason: me and them. My enemies. My path. Invincibility? Immortality? Who cares about those. The only thing I want, is to get stronger, strong enough, to slaughter my enemies. This will be my path, and my new future. And I will do anything to get there.

Ding~[Hidden residual power for a Righteous Qidian God activated. Devil's Contract abolished. Host's powers are no longer bounded by the rules of others.]

[Absorbed residual power of the Devil and God. Host unlocked {Strongest Protagonist's Aura}'s hidden innate ability, {Protagonist's Vengeance}.]

[Protagonist's Vengeance] Unlocked Luck Stat

For every major vengeance target killed by host, host gains +1 permanently to luck stat.

Current Luck Boost : 1