17 Agreement

"I'm back?"

"Huh? You're back?"

Xue Chang woke up back into the odd dark space where he spoke to the finger years ago. In the outside world, he didn't even remember a single word spoken in here. Yet when he woke up in here a second time, all of his past memories returned to him all at once. It was as if his mind was covered in a blanket and now it was unveiled.

The voice sounded just as surprised as he was though.

As if it was legitimately surprised by Xue Chang's presence and couldn't comprehend what was happening. But just as soon as it voiced out its question, it became quiet again.

"Hello? Mister finger? Why did you bring me here this time..."

"..."

"Hello!" Xue Chang was getting annoyed at being ignored. He still did not have good feelings about the voice. Although he wasn't completely sure if anything it told him was the truth, the fact that it identified as the Eternal Ascension did not give him a good impression.

"It is way too early for you, yet you've returned here..." The voice mumbled in a quiet tone before suddenly raising louder as it exclaimed, "It just doesn't make sense. This goes against everything I calculated, why is he here!"

"Umm mister voice, are you listening?"

"Unless! But can it be? Yes! His talent must be so much greater than I could have ever imagined! But that would mean he had been enlightened and this could cause severe damage to the soul. Such a big risk and virtually no chance of success yet here he is. Haha, how incredible. Truly worthy of the phrase 'Heaven Defying'! Huh? What the hell is that? Dammit the universe is attempting to root out the aberration! Screw you you bastard, not on my watch!"

And just as quickly as he came, he disappeared again returning the void to a complete silence.

However, with a screech, the voice returned just an instant later.

The voice continued to completely ignore Xue Chang as it spoke to itself nonstop. Xue Chang just continued to float there endlessly waiting for something to change. But hearing the words of the voice, a bad premonition began to arise in his mind.

"Boy you've chosen to start cultivating now?"

"Hmph, now you want to talk to me?"

"Just answer the question."

"Well I guess you could say I've chosen to not stay stagnant."

"Why?"

Xue Chang explained his thought process and his own personal belief quickly. He wasn't sure why but he felt compelled to answer the voice's question no matter what.

And after he finished, he go berated by the voice for his 'lack of ambition'. But soon after an odd thing happened.

The voice spoke in a calming tone as it said to him elegantly, "But at least you have some desire now. I see a passion burning inside of you, different than the past. And you've definitely gotten stronger."

These words not only surprised Xue Chang but caused him to cringe a little. The elegant and kind spoken words brought a different image from how the voice usually acted. Instead of his loud and explosive self, these words made him seem like an elder who actually cared for Xue Chang's well being.

"Who are you and what happened to the usual voice?"

"Hey! I'm trying to be serious for once, unlike somebody over here!"

Yep, this easily angered voice was much more comfortable. Although Xue Chang did not know it, interacting with the voice was clearing away his prior fear and trauma from the curse. It seemed picturing that terrifying entity with such a personality made him seem less threatening?

But this didn't mean he was forgiving it for what it possibly did. The thought of the finger so many years ago still caused a boundless rage to surface in his heart. But still that was years ago. He had time to think it over and calm himself from it.

He was still angry, but it wasn't as if he could do anything about it now. Rather he was much more interested in why he was brought back here and what the voice wanted now.

"You still never answered my question, why am I here?"

"... well that will be difficult to answer." Although Xue Chang could not see the entity itself, he could easily imagine it rubbing its chin as it began to formulate its next words, "To say it simply, you weren't brought here. You chose to come here."

Giving off a sigh as it thought to itself, the entity continued, "This... purgatory isn't something I made. It is a natural part of the universe. It just so happened that when you and I became one, you gained access to a part of this place due to my powers. But I can't bring you in here whenever I wish. I cannot explain it right now, but basically I can't bring you here anymore unless certain requirements are met."

"If that is so then why am I here now?"

"I was getting to that." The voice gave a cold harrumph at being interrupted as it continued, "The reason you're here now is because you CHOSE to come here. It's a miracle really, but it seems you've comprehended something from me that gives you just a tiny sliver of my powers. But rather than my strength or my skills, it seems you were given some of my comprehensions and insights."

At this point Xue Chang's mind was completely boggled. Comprehension, purgatory, his own choice? He really couldn't imagine how all of these could possibly connect to him. Then he thought back to his earlier battle and the skill he used.

"You don't mean..."

"That's right, that skill you used was created not from just your own efforts, but from my powers as well. You tapped into my own understanding of the world and of the laws of the universe and built a skill based around it. In simple terms, you've caught a whiff of my Dao."

Now Xue Chang was completely lost. He was a mortal child (in appearance) who hadn't even started cultivating yet much less understood the concept of Dao. To him, the voice's answer was equivalent to saying nothing at all.

"But I digress, with access to my own understanding, you were somehow able to create a new path for yourself. A path very much to my liking might I add."

Xue Chang could tell that this conversation was leading toward something. Although he knew something was up, his curiosity got the better of him and he had to ask, "And what does that mean?"

"It means you've peeked into the aeon. Your body is currently in the process of transmogrifying itself to suit your new situation. And your consciousness was sent here, most likely to prepare itself for what's to come."

Raising his eyebrow in wonderment, Xue Chang stayed silent as he was sure there was more than just this. And as he expected, the voice's real intent came soon after.

"I have an offer for you. An equivalent trade between us."

Suddenly the dark void was no longer empty. Xue Chang witnessed ten blood red candles appear out of thin air. Each one had a glossy wax exterior with strange intricate carvings surrounding them. The candles were frighteningly smooth and when he attempted to touch them, they had the texture of human skin.

"W-what are these? Where did they even come from?!"

"They're shackles, made to seal away the greatest being ever. Me!"

"...So you're telling me the 'greatest being ever' is trapped with ten candles?"

"Shut up! These are shackles I'm telling you, shackles!"

Going back and forth on whether or not the candles were really some sort of sealing treasure, the voice gave Xue Chang a loud slap across the head and continued his words.

"I need your help! ...I need your help. I've chosen you, Xue Chang, as my last hope. I've been imprisoned for who knows how many years. I've seen the rise and falls of empires, the domination of immortals, the destruction of worlds. Yet in all of that was just a fleeting moment in my eternal imprisonment. I'm tired Xue Chang, I want to be free!"

Pausing his thoughts for a second, Xue Chang did not respond to the voice. He already knew what it wanted. Whatever it was he comprehended from the 'aeon', could be used to light the candles in front of him. Whatever he learned would grow stronger with time and each time he reached a certain level of power he would be able to light another candle.

it was a simple request really... but why should he do it? This was the same entity that caused him so much pain in the past. Was he supposed to just forgive and forget?

No! He refused to do that.

He wasn't a saint. He wasn't so kind as to help anyone in need. Everything he did was for a reason. Helping the citizens of Water Cloud City helped improve his reputation and gave him leeway when playing around, helping Tian Hai and Tian Kai gave him two loyal guards as well as two best friends. But what did he get out of this?

As if reading his thoughts, the voice stated, "Like I said before, you've peeked into the aeon. But this means you've seen something that goes beyond the laws of this world. A good analogy would be that you're a peasant in a kingdom that discovered the deepest darkest secret of the king. So he tries to kill you in order to keep you silent."

"You mean that I'm in danger?"

"Immense danger in fact, if it wasn't for me expending what power I had left to shield you from the world, you'd be crush into a paste right now."

"So if I help you light these candles, you will protect me from being killed instantly... This sounds less like a deal and more like blackmailing."

"I'd like to think of it as more as insurance. If you ever decided to go back on your word, I'd have some chips against you."

Although Xue Chang did not like the feeling of having his life within someone else's hand, he really could not think a way out of this situation. He knew the voice wasn't lying because he could barely sense a bit of external force coming at him.

He wasn't sure how he could feel it, but he had no doubt that this force would kill him in an instant if it wasn't for the voice.

"Do you at least have anything else to offer me? Surviving is great and all, but you are depending in me as well aren't you? after all you said it yourself, I am your last hope."

Xue Chang smirked mischievously and waited for the voice to scream out in outrage, but once again it surprised him. Rather than getting angry it just laughed and told him, "You're right, I do have a bit more to offer. It isn't much, but I'll help you find a way to extend your life. You know as well as I do that your soul had been damaged all those years ago."

A chill traveled down Xue Chang's spine as he felt two ice cold palms lay themselves upon this cheeks.

"And I hope you didn't think you could come out of that last fight almost unscathed? Originally you had more than thirty years left on your soul, but after that whole ordeal the time had been reduced by a few more years. You only have twenty five years left to live!"

And like a serpent speaking sweet nothings into his ears, the voice quietly whispered to him, "Help me and I will find a way to help you. I cannot offer much but I am a person of my word. And I'll promise you this, you won't lose out in this deal at all."

Silence ensued as Xue Chang seriously considered the request. And it was a good bit of time later that he finally relented, "Promise me that no matter what you ask me to do, it won't bring harm to those I care about."

"I can agree to this."

"Then we have an agreement...you."

"You? You?! You mean after all of this time you still don't know my name?!"

"Well how could I?! You've never told me, I'm not a mind reader like you are!"

"Fine, then etch this into your mind you knave. I am Yong Heng!"

The irony of this introduction was the start of their partnership.